I will include descriptions of major locations/groups/events here as needed. I am also working on a wiki that folks in the group can use for looking up or cataloging the fruits of their travels, and here is the link. PM me with your wikidot username if you want to be able to contribute.
Here is the wiki link for added clarity!
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Lodging on the upper deck is as follows, starting with the top stateroom and going counter-clockwise:
Johan Gendrich
September
Vinnie
Loraine Zane
Isaac Heinlein (who signed on as a passenger but has since been pushing the captain to become a full crew member and backup pilot)
Lodging in the crew quarters on the lower deck is as follows, from left to right:
Dars and Nate
Eugene and Carter
Olive and Samantha
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Ship Details:
Wave-Class 200-ton Free Trader
Designation: I-C200FA-FK026
1-G Acceleration, Jump-1 Capability Class A drive systems
30 tons fuel capacity (1 jump)
82 tons cargo area
6 crew quarters
7 passenger staterooms
10 cryo-tubes ("low berths")
2 empty hard-points
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1 hex = 1 parsec
Setting
Re: Setting
Welcome to The Knife's Edge
The Knife's Edge is a constellation of solar systems that make up a subsector far off on the very edge of colonized space. It gained this name from its distinctive trailing quality (the systems are more or less laid out in a sparse line drifting off into a significant void) and the fact that the subsector is separated from its neighboring regions by a jump of 4 parsecs, making travel into and out of the region relatively difficult for everyone except institutional powers with the resources to run massive starships into and out of the area.
Thankfully, a number of the Knife's Edge worlds have been found to be rich in valuable minerals and other resources that the Karthan Republic has been more than happy to harvest and export in huge quantities.
At the same time, several worlds in the region were found populated with the Denner tree, a naturally-occurring plant whose resin can be processed down into a potent narcotic. Over time, several small cartels formed in order to exploit this secondary resource on the sly, but in the long run it has become unclear whether those organized crime syndicates are operating with the blessing of regional Republic authorities or not--it often seems that the regional Navy turns a blind eye to harvesting and smuggling operations that might be viewed as dangerous or problematic in other parts of the galaxy.
Marenau is the shining center of the Knife's Edge, a massive heavily-populated and wealthy world that is the center of Republic power in the region and has grown wildly based on its status as an exotic locale and the largess of the region's mining colonies. Lots of independent agents operate on the fringes of society here, both on the ground and between the worlds, given the huge sums of cash at stake and the ambiguity of the lines between official and non-. Our story will begin on Marenau, with a gathering of crew on a small free-trader soon to be launched to find its fortune on the Knife's Edge...
The Knife's Edge is a constellation of solar systems that make up a subsector far off on the very edge of colonized space. It gained this name from its distinctive trailing quality (the systems are more or less laid out in a sparse line drifting off into a significant void) and the fact that the subsector is separated from its neighboring regions by a jump of 4 parsecs, making travel into and out of the region relatively difficult for everyone except institutional powers with the resources to run massive starships into and out of the area.
Thankfully, a number of the Knife's Edge worlds have been found to be rich in valuable minerals and other resources that the Karthan Republic has been more than happy to harvest and export in huge quantities.
At the same time, several worlds in the region were found populated with the Denner tree, a naturally-occurring plant whose resin can be processed down into a potent narcotic. Over time, several small cartels formed in order to exploit this secondary resource on the sly, but in the long run it has become unclear whether those organized crime syndicates are operating with the blessing of regional Republic authorities or not--it often seems that the regional Navy turns a blind eye to harvesting and smuggling operations that might be viewed as dangerous or problematic in other parts of the galaxy.
Marenau is the shining center of the Knife's Edge, a massive heavily-populated and wealthy world that is the center of Republic power in the region and has grown wildly based on its status as an exotic locale and the largess of the region's mining colonies. Lots of independent agents operate on the fringes of society here, both on the ground and between the worlds, given the huge sums of cash at stake and the ambiguity of the lines between official and non-. Our story will begin on Marenau, with a gathering of crew on a small free-trader soon to be launched to find its fortune on the Knife's Edge...
Re: Setting
WORLDS OF THE KNIFE'S EDGE (A Bird's-Eye View)
Marenau is an agricultural planet in The Knife's Edge subsector. It is centrally located and serves as the only communications route connecting the subsector with the rest of Karthan Republic space. Despite its limitations, it has the most advanced facilities in the subsector and serves as the center of Karthan Republic might in the region and subsector capital.
UPP: A657686 (TL 14)
Marenau has a first-class starport and shipyard facility with refined fuels, repair bays, the regional Republic Navy operations base and a major Exploratory Society administrative office. There is a blue gas giant planet in-system named Mirror. Marenau sports a thin but breathable atmosphere. The planet's surface is 70% water. Approximately 4.8 million people live on Marenau, concentrated in the capital of Marenau City. The planet is ruled by a Republic-style civil service bureaucracy, as is typical of Charter Worlds of the Republic. Because of the relatively high population density, the possession of any firearms is prohibited and the open carrying of any weapon is strongly frowned upon by local authorities. Punishment for violation remains severe.
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Trieste is one of the central settlements in The Knife's Edge subsector, with major communications routes leading to two of its neighbors—Marenau and Ipscomb, one parsec distant. Chau Eta is also one parsec from Trieste, but does not lie on any communications routes.
UPP: C691464 (TL 9)
Trieste hosts a run-of-the-mill starport offering unrefined fuel and basic repair facilities. There is neither a naval base nor an Exploratory Society outpost present. The system contains a gas giant planet. The atmosphere of Trieste is dense and naturally poisonous to human life. Only 10% of its surface is water. Approximately 83,000 humans call Trieste home, and they are housed within biospheres that regulate pressure and air quality. Trieste exists as a vassal state to the Karthan Republic, who maintain a loose authority over the government with the threat of economic force mainly due to the proximity of Trieste to Marenau. Despite this status, Trieste has looser regulations and law enforcement than most Republic-influenced settlements, with only assault-type weapons and above prohibited by the local authorities.
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Ancre is a system in the southern reaches of The Knife's Edge that is three parsecs along a communication route from Marenau and two parsecs from Solitude with the following characteristics:
UPP: E626765 (TL4)
It has a very thin atmosphere tainted with dangerous levels of methane. Its surface is 60% water. It houses approximately 13.6 million colonists. Its government is beholden to the Karthan Republic in a vassal state relationship. It is prohibited to possess or carry a concealable personal firearm. Only a frontier-type public landing installation with no refueling or repair facilities in place on Ancre II.
It is home to a Karthan Republic naval installation that is not open to public use. There is no Exploratory Service outpost in the system. There is a gas giant planet, Ancre IV, in the system.
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Solitude is an inhabited moon on the southern communications route in The Knife's Edge subsector and the most isolated of all the inhabited planetoids in the region, lying two parsecs from Ancre and three parsecs from Verge.
UPP: B100446 (TL 10)
In spite of, or perhaps because of, its relatively isolated position, Solitude features a good quality starport offering refined fuel and repair capabilities, as well as a shipyard capable of constructing non-starship vehicles. There is a major Republic naval installation connected to the starport, as well as an Exploratory Society outpost. Its primary function apart from military staging is a bustling fuel refining industry.
Solitude orbits a gas giant planet which is often utilized by illicit travelers through the system, and is a major element of the naval strategy in the area.
Solitude is an extremely small location, only 1,000 miles across, with no native atmosphere and no surface water. Despite its small size and inhospitable environment, it has a population of approximately 71,000 housed within a series of self-contained surface facilities. It is governed by a representative democracy that maintains stability under dangerous circumstances, but is also heavily influenced by Republic law and custom. In typical Republic fashion, almost all firearms are prohibited on the planet and the open carrying of any weapon is looked down upon by local authorities.
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Verge is a poor, densely-populated industrial world in the far southeastern corner of The Knife's Edge subsector, separated by one parsec from its neighbor Asgard XI and by three parsecs from Solitude.
UPP: D443AA9 (TL 6)
Verge has only a low-quality starport that, while it will allow landings, has only unrefined fuel and no repair capabilities. There is an Explorer Society outpost attached to the starport, however. The planet has a thin, arsenic-laced atmosphere that is dangerous for humans with long-term exposure, but is safe to breathe for short periods. The surface is 30% arsenic-heavy water. Despite its small size and dangerous environment, Verge houses the largest population in the region by a wide margin, numbering 40.8 billion citizens.
The planet is ruled by Samien Verge, whose family originally colonized the planet and who is the public head of the Verge Cartel, the most powerful organized crime syndicate in the region. Samien rules the planet by popular acclaim, bringing riches to his people beyond what one would expect from the planet's meager natural resources and its historical backwardness. Many speculate that the strong Republic Navy presence in Solitude exists largely to keep the Cartel in check by restricting access to other areas of space and other resources.
It is strictly against the law to possess any weapons in public places on Verge, punishable by exile (usually via spacing), unless one is granted a specific pass by the Cartel.
(to be continued)
Marenau is an agricultural planet in The Knife's Edge subsector. It is centrally located and serves as the only communications route connecting the subsector with the rest of Karthan Republic space. Despite its limitations, it has the most advanced facilities in the subsector and serves as the center of Karthan Republic might in the region and subsector capital.
UPP: A657686 (TL 14)
Marenau has a first-class starport and shipyard facility with refined fuels, repair bays, the regional Republic Navy operations base and a major Exploratory Society administrative office. There is a blue gas giant planet in-system named Mirror. Marenau sports a thin but breathable atmosphere. The planet's surface is 70% water. Approximately 4.8 million people live on Marenau, concentrated in the capital of Marenau City. The planet is ruled by a Republic-style civil service bureaucracy, as is typical of Charter Worlds of the Republic. Because of the relatively high population density, the possession of any firearms is prohibited and the open carrying of any weapon is strongly frowned upon by local authorities. Punishment for violation remains severe.
---
Trieste is one of the central settlements in The Knife's Edge subsector, with major communications routes leading to two of its neighbors—Marenau and Ipscomb, one parsec distant. Chau Eta is also one parsec from Trieste, but does not lie on any communications routes.
UPP: C691464 (TL 9)
Trieste hosts a run-of-the-mill starport offering unrefined fuel and basic repair facilities. There is neither a naval base nor an Exploratory Society outpost present. The system contains a gas giant planet. The atmosphere of Trieste is dense and naturally poisonous to human life. Only 10% of its surface is water. Approximately 83,000 humans call Trieste home, and they are housed within biospheres that regulate pressure and air quality. Trieste exists as a vassal state to the Karthan Republic, who maintain a loose authority over the government with the threat of economic force mainly due to the proximity of Trieste to Marenau. Despite this status, Trieste has looser regulations and law enforcement than most Republic-influenced settlements, with only assault-type weapons and above prohibited by the local authorities.
---
Ancre is a system in the southern reaches of The Knife's Edge that is three parsecs along a communication route from Marenau and two parsecs from Solitude with the following characteristics:
UPP: E626765 (TL4)
It has a very thin atmosphere tainted with dangerous levels of methane. Its surface is 60% water. It houses approximately 13.6 million colonists. Its government is beholden to the Karthan Republic in a vassal state relationship. It is prohibited to possess or carry a concealable personal firearm. Only a frontier-type public landing installation with no refueling or repair facilities in place on Ancre II.
It is home to a Karthan Republic naval installation that is not open to public use. There is no Exploratory Service outpost in the system. There is a gas giant planet, Ancre IV, in the system.
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Solitude is an inhabited moon on the southern communications route in The Knife's Edge subsector and the most isolated of all the inhabited planetoids in the region, lying two parsecs from Ancre and three parsecs from Verge.
UPP: B100446 (TL 10)
In spite of, or perhaps because of, its relatively isolated position, Solitude features a good quality starport offering refined fuel and repair capabilities, as well as a shipyard capable of constructing non-starship vehicles. There is a major Republic naval installation connected to the starport, as well as an Exploratory Society outpost. Its primary function apart from military staging is a bustling fuel refining industry.
Solitude orbits a gas giant planet which is often utilized by illicit travelers through the system, and is a major element of the naval strategy in the area.
Solitude is an extremely small location, only 1,000 miles across, with no native atmosphere and no surface water. Despite its small size and inhospitable environment, it has a population of approximately 71,000 housed within a series of self-contained surface facilities. It is governed by a representative democracy that maintains stability under dangerous circumstances, but is also heavily influenced by Republic law and custom. In typical Republic fashion, almost all firearms are prohibited on the planet and the open carrying of any weapon is looked down upon by local authorities.
---
Verge is a poor, densely-populated industrial world in the far southeastern corner of The Knife's Edge subsector, separated by one parsec from its neighbor Asgard XI and by three parsecs from Solitude.
UPP: D443AA9 (TL 6)
Verge has only a low-quality starport that, while it will allow landings, has only unrefined fuel and no repair capabilities. There is an Explorer Society outpost attached to the starport, however. The planet has a thin, arsenic-laced atmosphere that is dangerous for humans with long-term exposure, but is safe to breathe for short periods. The surface is 30% arsenic-heavy water. Despite its small size and dangerous environment, Verge houses the largest population in the region by a wide margin, numbering 40.8 billion citizens.
The planet is ruled by Samien Verge, whose family originally colonized the planet and who is the public head of the Verge Cartel, the most powerful organized crime syndicate in the region. Samien rules the planet by popular acclaim, bringing riches to his people beyond what one would expect from the planet's meager natural resources and its historical backwardness. Many speculate that the strong Republic Navy presence in Solitude exists largely to keep the Cartel in check by restricting access to other areas of space and other resources.
It is strictly against the law to possess any weapons in public places on Verge, punishable by exile (usually via spacing), unless one is granted a specific pass by the Cartel.
(to be continued)
Re: Setting
Planets of The Knife's Edge, Part II
Asgard XI is an inhabited system in The Knife's Edge subsector, far out in the easternmost reaches of the region. It does not lie on any communications routes, but is a mere 2 parsecs from Flens and one parsec from Verge.
UPP: D857103 (TL5)
Asgard XI's only inhabited planet has a non-functioning low-quality starport offering only unrefined fuel and no maintenance facilities.
There is an abandoned Karthan Republic naval base on the planet, as well as an Exploratory Society facility.
A gas giant planet , Asgard XI-2, sits on the outskirts of the system.
The planet has a thin but breathable atmosphere. The planet's surface is 70% water. It is sparsely populated, with only a skeleton crew of Exploratory Society staff at their facility (no more than 75 at any time). There is no government to speak of, only the rules of operation of the Scouts. The Exploratory Society forbids the presence of military-type hardware on the surface. Denner Trees can be found in several isolated areas on Asgard XI's surface.
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Chau Eta is a system in The Knife's Edge subsector of space, centrally located in that region. It lies off any major communications routes but is only one parsec from both Trieste and Ipscomb.
UPP: C554AB9 (TL 7)
Chau Eta possesses a routine quality starport installation which offers unrefined fuel and standard repair facilities. There is no Karthan Republic military presence on Chau Eta, and no Exploratory Society facilities. There is a gas giant planet, Alpha Chau, in orbit relatively near Chau Eta.
Chau Eta possesses a thin but breathable atmosphere, and its surface is 40% water. It is a densely populated planet, housing 27.1 billion colonists. A populist dictator has been recently ejected from office via legislative reform and replaced with the bureaucratic head of a local organized crime cartel, Naomi Hertic. Possession of any weapons in public is punishable through severe measures.
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Flens is a poor, non-agricultural, non-industrial world in The Knife's Edge subsector along the northern communications route. It stands one parsec from Zorod and two parsecs from Asgard XI.
UPP: A531662 (TL 13)
Flens boasts a high-quality starport featuring refined fuel provision and excellent repair and starship production facilities. There is a major Karthan Republic naval installation on Flens, but no Exploratory Society post. There is a gas giant planet denoted as Flens B in the system at some distance from Flens' primary planet.
Flens has a very thin atmosphere, breathable in short bursts but rarefied. The surface of the planet features only 10% water. The population of Flens numbers approximately seven million. The original local government has been subjugated by the imposed Republic government and rendered a vassal state. The permissive laws allow all personal weapons below the grade of carried laser weaponry to be owned and even carried in public.
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Ipscomb is a non-industrial world in The Knife's Edge subsector that is centrally located along the nexus of the northern and northwestern communications routes. It is one parsec from Trieste and Chau Eta and two parsecs from Sokol and Zorod.
UPP: C8A5210 (TL 8)
Ipscomb has a routine-quality starport that provides unrefined fuel and reasonable repair facilities, with an attached Exploratory Society outpost. There is a gas giant planet in-system known as "The Cow". Ipscomb has an exotic atmosphere of halogen that creates luminous constructs in the air based on bio-flourescence. Denner Trees grow thickly in this environment across two of the continents. 50% of the planet's surface is covered in water.
Less than 1,000 individuals call Ipscomb home, primarily Exploratory Society staff and illegal Denner harvesters and smugglers. The government of the planet is controlled by the smuggling cartel that does the work on the planet. There is no formal prohibition on any kind of weaponry—everything is directly controlled by the cartel.
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Sokol is a non-industrial planet in [[[The Knife's Edge]]] subsector of space. It is the focus of the northwestern communications route for the region and lies two parsecs away from [[[Marenau]]] and [[[Ipscomb]]] on that path.
UPP: C340345 (TL 5)
Sokol features a routine starport facility with unrefined fuels and basic repair offerings. There is no Republic naval presence but there is a simple Exploratory Society outpost. A gas giant planet in the outer third of the system is known affectionately as "Little Sokol".
Sokol has a thin atmosphere that has been heavily tainted by the mining facilities located there, rendering it polluted and unbreathable. The planet has no surface water whatsoever and is a desert due to over-exploitation of its water resources during early colonization. Sokol is a small world with a population of about 7,000 in its one major settlement, Sokol City, mostly mining company employees and Republic officials. The government of Sokol is a representative democracy. Carrying or possessing concealable firearms is punishable with severity in keeping with traditional Republic law.
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Zorod is an agricultural world in the middle of the northern communications route in The Knife's Edge subsectors. Its closest neighbors along that route are Flens (1 parsec) and Ipscomb (2 parsecs).
UPP: C888736 (TL 4)
Zorod has a run-of-the-mill starport offering unrefined fuel sales and basic repair services. Neither the Republic Navy nor the Exploratory Service has a formal presence on the planet. There is a gas giant planet near Zorod that provides a ready source of raw fuels.
Zorod has a dense atmosphere that is breathable and even invigorating. 80% of the surface is covered with water. With a population of 59 million, Zorod has an average population for this region, though somewhat densely packed due to the limited land masses. Denner Trees can be found growing in coastal shoals across many parts of the world as well.
Zorod is run in perpetuity by the elders of the Kamoor, an organized crime syndicate that has been in the region for almost as long as there have been colonies and which has established a rich and unbending set of traditions around itself and its planet. The Kamoor have outlawed carriage of firearms on the surface of their world for the sake of peace and stability, with only its own agents empowered to carry any kind of weaponry in public. In fact, Kamoor Peacekeepers are easily identified by their ornate ceremonial revolvers.
Asgard XI is an inhabited system in The Knife's Edge subsector, far out in the easternmost reaches of the region. It does not lie on any communications routes, but is a mere 2 parsecs from Flens and one parsec from Verge.
UPP: D857103 (TL5)
Asgard XI's only inhabited planet has a non-functioning low-quality starport offering only unrefined fuel and no maintenance facilities.
There is an abandoned Karthan Republic naval base on the planet, as well as an Exploratory Society facility.
A gas giant planet , Asgard XI-2, sits on the outskirts of the system.
The planet has a thin but breathable atmosphere. The planet's surface is 70% water. It is sparsely populated, with only a skeleton crew of Exploratory Society staff at their facility (no more than 75 at any time). There is no government to speak of, only the rules of operation of the Scouts. The Exploratory Society forbids the presence of military-type hardware on the surface. Denner Trees can be found in several isolated areas on Asgard XI's surface.
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Chau Eta is a system in The Knife's Edge subsector of space, centrally located in that region. It lies off any major communications routes but is only one parsec from both Trieste and Ipscomb.
UPP: C554AB9 (TL 7)
Chau Eta possesses a routine quality starport installation which offers unrefined fuel and standard repair facilities. There is no Karthan Republic military presence on Chau Eta, and no Exploratory Society facilities. There is a gas giant planet, Alpha Chau, in orbit relatively near Chau Eta.
Chau Eta possesses a thin but breathable atmosphere, and its surface is 40% water. It is a densely populated planet, housing 27.1 billion colonists. A populist dictator has been recently ejected from office via legislative reform and replaced with the bureaucratic head of a local organized crime cartel, Naomi Hertic. Possession of any weapons in public is punishable through severe measures.
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Flens is a poor, non-agricultural, non-industrial world in The Knife's Edge subsector along the northern communications route. It stands one parsec from Zorod and two parsecs from Asgard XI.
UPP: A531662 (TL 13)
Flens boasts a high-quality starport featuring refined fuel provision and excellent repair and starship production facilities. There is a major Karthan Republic naval installation on Flens, but no Exploratory Society post. There is a gas giant planet denoted as Flens B in the system at some distance from Flens' primary planet.
Flens has a very thin atmosphere, breathable in short bursts but rarefied. The surface of the planet features only 10% water. The population of Flens numbers approximately seven million. The original local government has been subjugated by the imposed Republic government and rendered a vassal state. The permissive laws allow all personal weapons below the grade of carried laser weaponry to be owned and even carried in public.
---
Ipscomb is a non-industrial world in The Knife's Edge subsector that is centrally located along the nexus of the northern and northwestern communications routes. It is one parsec from Trieste and Chau Eta and two parsecs from Sokol and Zorod.
UPP: C8A5210 (TL 8)
Ipscomb has a routine-quality starport that provides unrefined fuel and reasonable repair facilities, with an attached Exploratory Society outpost. There is a gas giant planet in-system known as "The Cow". Ipscomb has an exotic atmosphere of halogen that creates luminous constructs in the air based on bio-flourescence. Denner Trees grow thickly in this environment across two of the continents. 50% of the planet's surface is covered in water.
Less than 1,000 individuals call Ipscomb home, primarily Exploratory Society staff and illegal Denner harvesters and smugglers. The government of the planet is controlled by the smuggling cartel that does the work on the planet. There is no formal prohibition on any kind of weaponry—everything is directly controlled by the cartel.
---
Sokol is a non-industrial planet in [[[The Knife's Edge]]] subsector of space. It is the focus of the northwestern communications route for the region and lies two parsecs away from [[[Marenau]]] and [[[Ipscomb]]] on that path.
UPP: C340345 (TL 5)
Sokol features a routine starport facility with unrefined fuels and basic repair offerings. There is no Republic naval presence but there is a simple Exploratory Society outpost. A gas giant planet in the outer third of the system is known affectionately as "Little Sokol".
Sokol has a thin atmosphere that has been heavily tainted by the mining facilities located there, rendering it polluted and unbreathable. The planet has no surface water whatsoever and is a desert due to over-exploitation of its water resources during early colonization. Sokol is a small world with a population of about 7,000 in its one major settlement, Sokol City, mostly mining company employees and Republic officials. The government of Sokol is a representative democracy. Carrying or possessing concealable firearms is punishable with severity in keeping with traditional Republic law.
---
Zorod is an agricultural world in the middle of the northern communications route in The Knife's Edge subsectors. Its closest neighbors along that route are Flens (1 parsec) and Ipscomb (2 parsecs).
UPP: C888736 (TL 4)
Zorod has a run-of-the-mill starport offering unrefined fuel sales and basic repair services. Neither the Republic Navy nor the Exploratory Service has a formal presence on the planet. There is a gas giant planet near Zorod that provides a ready source of raw fuels.
Zorod has a dense atmosphere that is breathable and even invigorating. 80% of the surface is covered with water. With a population of 59 million, Zorod has an average population for this region, though somewhat densely packed due to the limited land masses. Denner Trees can be found growing in coastal shoals across many parts of the world as well.
Zorod is run in perpetuity by the elders of the Kamoor, an organized crime syndicate that has been in the region for almost as long as there have been colonies and which has established a rich and unbending set of traditions around itself and its planet. The Kamoor have outlawed carriage of firearms on the surface of their world for the sake of peace and stability, with only its own agents empowered to carry any kind of weaponry in public. In fact, Kamoor Peacekeepers are easily identified by their ornate ceremonial revolvers.