Karthelion

From Beacon Space

Karthelion is an abandoned world in System LXII / 1500 in sector Northeast explored by the Starlit Court.

Karthelion
Government Starlit Court
System System LXII/1500
Tech Level TL 2
Population Uncolonized
Atmosphere Corrosive and Invasive
Biosphere Engineered
Temperature Variable Warm
Planet Tag 1 Friendly Foe
Planet Tag 2 Preceptor Archive
Mechanical Tag +1 FC per turn
Ruin none

Summary

The former inhabitants were a post-industrial civilization destroyed by an unknown foe. There are lingering effects of a massive weapon and latent bleed energies around the planet. Ruins of cities are ancient with rusted weaponry, mostly devastated by the passage of time.

Karthelion’s atmosphere is heavily oxidized and corrosive, with the sky typically a shade of soft-pink to red reminiscent of a sunset. Artificial atmospheres of pressure suits and structures need regular purges and filters are quickly depleted. For most people environmental suits are required to protect one’s lungs while outside. With only a breathing apparatus one can briefly be exposed to the harsh air, however, continual exposure can degrade soft tissue and will eat through the skin.

The surface of the world is just as red as the sky with rusty-colored soils and hematite filled red-sandstone mountains. Little surface water persists on the barren surface, but large swaying ferns fill the valleys. Local flora and fauna seem resistant to intense levels of bleed radiation found on world, but appear to actively avoid the densest concentrations.

Several large bodies orbit the planet in relatively low orbits. Initial classification of these rocky shapes marked them as hollow moons. However, the Karthelion incident revealed them to be a hidden danger, the eggs of a colossal void creature, a Karthelion Hatchling.

Exploration Event

During an armed exploration of the surface of Karthelion the Knightly Orders Sundered Heart, First Forge, and Red Dragon witnessed one of the orbital bodies crack open. Emerging from behind the shell-like crust, a massive dragon-like void fauna was born. Debris from the shell flew away from the creature, much of it falling on the planet and towards the exploratory mission. Threatened by the debris, the Court's mechs and ships fired upon the falling shell fragments that could, if uncontested, wipe out dozens of knights.

The surface mission was abandoned and the knightly mechs returned to their ships to escape the calamity that was fast approaching them. They fired all available arms at the debris that hurtled at them through the atmosphere. Above, the two capital ships ‘’’SCS Broken Heart’’’ and ‘’’SCS Hellion’’’ engaged the creature's shell. Revealed to be a large tentacled creature, an order was sent to defeat it by Syr Alaric and Syr Grant of the First Forge. The First Forge Knights on the Broken Heart fired munitions at the beast with the aim to keep it preoccupied while a more volatile weapon could be brought online. Flights of mechs were launched to destroy the debris and create clear firing lines for the massive ship guns.

Over on the SCS Hellion, a flurry of short-range fires were unleashed on the megafauna. However, the Red Dragon's ship came too close. Tentacled limbs lashed out and rushed at the Hellion, seizing it in its maw. In response, the squire Nimue vas Hollan, a starlit Sorceress, raced to the core of the Hellion. Using the strong local energies of the bleed and siphoning the power core of the ship she created a massive hard-light shield. Nimue's 'force bubble' kept the beast out for a few moments. In those moments, dropships returned from the surface. On board, Knight Syr Geoff of the Sheathed Soul jumped into the void and revealed their Soul Blade, the weaponized and bleed augmented core of their mechs cybernetics. Firing the deadly super weapon, Syr Geoff projected a lance-like ripple of space and golden light through the heart of the void fauna attached to the Hellion. With Nimue’s shielding, the ship was saved from the brunt of Syr Geoff’s weapon but still suffered considerable losses and damage.

Aftermath

The Starlit Court would go on to spend a few months recovering and repairing the damage while keeping a watchful eye on the dormant eggs.

For their service, Nimue vas Hollan was knighted soon after the battle and was named Dragonward by the Grandmaster Syr North of the Red Dragons. Syr Geoff, having sacrificed their mech’s sheath and their connection to their future in the afterlife was customarily re-titled as a member of the Order of the Unsheathed Soul. He was also granted additional honors for their courageous efforts. Syr Grant, having fallen in battle was awarded for his bravery in the face of a dragon posthumously.

The void-creatures, known as a type of dragon by the Starlit Court, were named Karthelion Hatchlings.

Notable Characters

Karthelion Hatchlings

Dragon-like megafauna found within the colossal eggs that orbit the planet. Only one living specimen has been observed, but was quickly destroyed by the Starlit Court. As such, limited information exists.

Several kilometers long, with black chitin-like scales covering most of its body. Strong limbs, a long tail, and tentacles. When under fire it writhes and lashes out at its attackers. It has internal fluids, discovered upon death. If killed (or atleast when killed with a Soul Blade) it emits a piercing death shriek that can be heard in the minds of all people in system.

The source of the dragon eggs is unknown. They are comprised of a thin rocky layer with an apparently gaseous interior that is in fact a scaled beast.

See Spaceborn Fauna

Fallen Civilization

It is unknown what destroyed the civilization that used to exist on the world. Many theorize that they were brought down by a devastating civil war or that a foreign power blasted the planet’s surface to dust. Others posit that the Karthelion Hatchlings were perhaps to blame, and in a failed attempt to slay these dragons caused the ruin of their own cities.

Notable Locations

TBD

SWN World Tags

Friendly Foe

Some hostile alien race or malevolent cabal has a branch or sect on this world that is actually quite friendly toward outsiders. For whatever internal reason, they are willing to negotiate and deal honestly with strangers, and appear to lack the worst impulses of their fellows.

Enemies:

  • Driven hater of all their kind
  • Internal malcontent bent on creating conflict
  • Secret master who seeks to lure trust

Friends:

  • Well-meaning bug-eyed monster
  • Principled eugenics cultist
  • Suspicious investigator

Complications:

  • The group actually is as harmless and benevolent as they seem
  • The group offers a vital service at the cost of moral compromise
  • The group still feels bonds of affiliation with their hostile brethren

Things:

  • Forbidden xenotech
  • Eugenic biotech template
  • Evidence to convince others of their kind that they are right

Places:

  • Repurposed maltech laboratory
  • Alien conclave Building
  • Widely-feared starship interior

Preceptor Archive

The Preceptors of the Great Archive were a pre-Silence organization devoted to ensuring the dissemination of human culture, history, and basic technology to frontier worlds that risked losing this information during the human expansion. Most frontier planets had an Archive where natives could learn useful technical skills in addition to human history and art. Those Archives that managed to survive the Silence now strive to send their missionaries of knowledge to new worlds in need of their lore.

Enemies:

  • Luddite native
  • Offworld merchant who wants the natives kept ignorant
  • Religious zealot
  • Corrupted First Speaker who wants to keep a monopoly on learning

Friends:

  • Preceptor Adept missionary
  • Offworld scholar
  • Reluctant student
  • Roving Preceptor Adept

Complications:

  • The local Archive has taken a very religious and mystical attitude toward their teaching
  • The Archive has maintained some replicable pretech Science
  • The Archive has been corrupted and their teaching is incorrect

Things:

  • Lost Archive database
  • Ancient pretech teaching equipment
  • Hidden cache of unacceptable tech

Places:

  • Archive lecture hall
  • Experimental laboratory
  • Student-local riot

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