Thousand Suns: Foundation Transmissions

CHAPTeR 4 > PLANETS OF ThE CORE

Acropolis

Profile: Military Type: Terrestrial Primary Terrain: Mountainous Climate: Temperate Atmosphere: Thin Hydrographics: Dry Gravity: Standard Native Sapients: None Government: Colony Population: Ten of Thousands Tech Level: Class VIII Acropolis is devoted primarily to military training, being the location of several sector-wide service academies. Because of its harsh, windswept environment and graduates of the academies here have a reputation for being exceptional tough and resourceful. Indeed, cadets from other academies often come to Acropolis in order to undertake rigorous survival training courses. There is also a small industry for civilian survivalists who wish to receive similar training and the military has allowed it to prosper, provided that these civilians set up their operations only in a select few areas of the planet that have been designated for their use.

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ThOUSAND SUNS >FOUNDATION TRANSMISSIONS Apostolo

Profile: Academic/Research Type: Terrestrial Primary Terrain: Plains Climate: Cool Atmosphere: Standard Hydrographics: Moderate Gravity: Standard Native Sapients: None Government: Theocracy Population: Ten of Millions Tech Level: Class VIII Apostolo is the seat of the worldsspanning religion known as Sankta Familio, founded shortly after the Concord. Sankta Familio teaches that all sapient species are the children of God and, as such, must treat one another accordingly. Adherents of the faith, known as Gefratoj, look upon the Czanik as the eldest of God’s children, much to the bafflement of the Czanik themselves, very few of whom have any interest in the religion. Beneath the Czanik is stature are the Terrans, whose role it is to instruct their “younger siblings” in the ways of God. Consequently, Gefratoj tend to support any move by the State designed to “enlighten” alien species, leading some to consider Sankta Familio nothing more than a front for the government.

Crucible

Profile: Manufacturing/Processing Type: Terrestrial Primary Terrain: Barrens Climate: Warm Atmosphere: Standard Hydrographics: Dry Gravity: Standard Native Sapients: None Government: Corporate Population: Ten of Millions Tech Level: Class VIII The inhospitable world of Crucible is wholly owned by the Horizon Starship Company, which has constructed massive manufacturing facilities on the planet’s surface and in orbit in order to keep up with the demand for its vessels.

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ChAPTER 4 >PLANETS OF ThE CORE

Horizon has contracts with the Navy and several commercial starship lines, which ensures that Crucible is always buzzing with activity. There are rumors that the planet also possesses subterranean Traveler ruins, technology from which Horizon has used in its latest designs, but there is so far no evidence that this is anything more than a spacer’s legend.

Empyrean

Profile: Commercial Type: Terrestrial Primary Terrain: Urban Climate: Cool Atmosphere: Near-Standard Hydrographics: Moderate Gravity: Standard Native Sapients: None Government: Oligarchy Population: Hundreds of Thousands Tech Level: Class VIII The inhabitants of Empyrean live almost exclusively in a series of enclosed arcologies. The world’s atmosphere is tainted with a variety of pollutants and byproducts of Empyrean’s industry, which is devoted to the production of vehicles of all sorts for sale throughout the worlds of the Core and beyond. Empyrean shows evidence of having once been home to an intelligent species that died out millions of years ago before achieving interstellar technology. Consequently, xeno-archeologists also take an interest in the planet.

Gladsheim

Profile: Commercial Type: Terrestrial Primary Terrain: Plains Climate: Cool Atmosphere: Near-Standard Hydrographics: Moderate Gravity: Standard Native Sapients: None Government: Monarchy Population: Millions Tech Level: Class VI Gladsheim is somewhat retrograde world, whose inhabitants maintain a largely prestellar society. The planet is governed by a constitutional monarchy that allows a great deal of local autonomy. The planet’s main attraction, aside from its importance on the jumplines, is its atmosphere, which is tainted with micro-organisms that induce euphoria and hallucinations in those whose bodies have not grown accustomed to them. There is a thriving business in “happiness tourism,” as many jaded Core worlders visit Gladsheim to experience its unusual atmosphere for themselves.

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ThOUSAND SUNS >FOUNDATION TRANSMISSIONS haveno

Profile: Colony Type: Terrestrial Primary Terrain: Swampy Climate: Warm Atmosphere: Standard Hydrographics: Wet Gravity: Standard Native Sapients: None Government: Colony Population: Tens of Thousands Tech Level: Class V Despite its inviting name, Haveno is anything but a place of safety. Rather, it is a penal colony for some of the most hardened and dangerous criminals in the Thousand Suns. These criminals have been put to work in a variety of occupations on the planet, most of them hazardous, all under the watchful eye of the authorities. Some dissidents claim that Haveno is in fact a political prison, where those who dare speak out against the State are sent, but the truth of this matter is both disputed and difficult to prove, since the planet is interdicted by the Navy against all unauthorized visitation.

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