Qaammatip Inua
| Government | Tahora Whai |
|---|---|
| System | Anangikwe |
| Tech Level | TL 3 |
| Population | Hundreds of Millions |
| Atmosphere | Breathable Mix |
| Biosphere | Miscible |
| Temperature | Variable Cold |
| Planet Tag 1 | Freak Weather |
| Planet Tag 2 | Mandate Base |
| Mechanical Tag | The controller of the Planetary Government immediately gains +2 to Force Asset Cap, and loses 1 from one of the other stats Asset Cap |
| Ruin | No |
Qaammatip Inua is a large moon-world orbiting the gas giant of Anorersuaq in 0012 Anangikwe. It is a part of the constellation Kikorangi o te Tahora Whai and was discovered by the pirates under the provisional name Planet BQ. Subsequent custodianship restored the local name for the world, which translates to “The Man in the Moon”.
Astrogeography
The world experiences aggressive temperature swings through its orbit of its gas giant. For three to five days every month Qaammatip Inua is draped in the shadow of Anorersuaq. Variable solar radiation, caused by its orbit, powers strong winds and violent storms on the world. Weather can be extreme and unpredictable.
Blizzards and polar vortices are commonplace, with total white-outs and thundersnow regular occurrences in winter. Cyclones can bring heavy rainfall and resultant flash flooding to many of the world's rivers. As well, all manner of twister and tornado can wreak havoc with little warning. On the few cloudless days, Qaammatip Inua experiences chaotic electromagnetic storms that light up the sky with brilliant auroras.
Qaammtip Inua is a land of varied climates and physical features. The majority of the physical geography was molded by extreme glacial events resulting in deep fjords, moraines, drumlins, and vast mountain ranges with many cirques and horns. While the poles remain icy wastes throughout the year, the tropics are home to blasted tundra, taiga forest, windswept deserts, and some deciduous forest and grasslands. Around the equator, small seas remain ice-free over most the year and border more temperate climes. The water here fuels the moon’s storms and tumultuous rain cycle. Most permanent settlements can be found in the coastal areas, although considerable infrastructure is invested in to protect against flooding and ensure adequate disaster relief should the weather turn.
Due to tidal forces from the local gas giant, the heart of the world-moon remains molten. There are several hotspots of volcanic activity. Plumes of heat and smoke often get launched into the atmosphere, propelling and augmenting already hectic weather patterns.
People
Residents of the moon are considered all-around hardy and rugged people. Such a cold and turbulent climate can do that to people. Possession of weapons for self-defense is practically universal to protect against dangerous fauna in the wild. Militia membership is commonplace, although regular drills and musterings are few and far between. In times of crisis though, something that isn’t too rare when the winds turn sour, the town militia are at the front lines saving lives and lead the rebuilding efforts.
AL MANĀK
AL MANĀK (aka Almanac) is a network of weather satellites, provide forecasts and instructions to the surface. Locals treat these weather warnings and alerts as gospel, and live in fear of what may happen if they don’t take heed. Although, not all messages from these satellites are simply life saving measures; some are directions from a former overlord that hasn’t fully been purged from the system. Nevertheless, the people of the world treat the instructions with the same sincerity as an upcoming hailstorm. These extra directions from the satellites range from fairly benign advice on when to plant certain crops or what type of bait to use when fishing to who to elect for local government or deem a criminal.
Settlements
- “Kick your boots off. Warm your feet by the fire. There's pies and peas for supper.”
In these modest townships the people of Qaammatip Inua live rustic and rudimentary lives. Local industries support a mostly subsistence economy, having been cut off from the sector since the Glitch. Each time that technology and infrastructure gets close to re-developing the means for wide-spread postech industry, a big storm seems to come around to wash away and reset the progress. Cyclones and great floods have been the ruin of lots of long-term plans on the world.
Remnants of old space ports and abandoned industries, long dormant from the scream, are found scattered across the surface. Lack of labor, spare parts, and knowledge left them at the mercy of the winds. A handful of functioning starships are capable of getting to the local gas mines above, but are all well behind on their maintenance schedules. The gas mine itself was mothballed with no customers entering the system and little use for intrasystem travel from locals. New astrotech ceased to be developed and local space travel crawled to a halt. A single modern reactor survives providing power to the Uddsen Coast, but most of the world uses geothermal, wind turbines, or wood-fires to provide energy to settlements.
Brünsvjik
The port town of Brünsvjik is situated in a deep equatorial harbor on the Uddsen Coast. It is the largest settlement on Qaammatip Inua, at just under a million residents. A few kilometers off shore, the last functional fusion reactor hums away providing power to the region’s industries.
Kohsha
Up in a highland vale, the town of Kohsha on sits on the banks of the Loch of the same name. It was founded on the ruins of an ancient military camp. The large ring wall of the fortress, now cracked and covered in lichen, serves as a palisade to keep herds of reindeer and goats. A robust textile industry processing hides and wool has made highland fashion the trend setters. Semi-annual fashion shows display the latest trends and must-haves for the season.
Puffin
An island town in the Kamchatka Sea. Puffin is known for its seabirds and fisheries. Due to a unique weather pattern that keeps the surrounding waters mostly-ice free, Puffin is able to raise mussels and abalone year-round. Canneries and various other packing plants ring the island’s shores.
Klaki
The last permanent settlement in the permafrost before the ice walls begin. Klaki, or ‘The Cube’ is a unique self-sustaining megastructure. The facility was built above a hot spring which provides power and heat to the arcology. Despite proximity to the world's ice caps, greenhouses built into the walls of the structure produce half of the fresh vegetables for the world; most are flash-frozen for transport though. For most of the year Klaki is only reachable by sleds as high winds and frozen temperatures prevent airborne transit.
Norrington
In the heart of the dark Norren Forest, the town of Norrington serves as the hub of an extensive logging industry. Many buildings and residences on Qaammatip Inua are built of wood for quick repairs and rebuilding after extreme weather events. In addition, wood pellet or charcoal fires provide heat for many homes. The logging camps throughout the Norren Forest provide ample supplies of wood to the world.
Custodianship
Soon after its discovery, the Tahora Whai established contact and a trading post on world. The distant moon-world was welcomed into the sector as a part of the Rangi. Although few merchants took the long and daunting paths to this edge of the constellation, Qaammatip Inua benefited greatly from access to lost technologies.
Whai trade brought Dynaean cybernetics, and even the Vak to the world-moon. Like with other populations, many locals were initially apprehensive about the new and foreign tech but recognized its potential benefits. In dribs and drabs a few individuals opted to try it. Over the world, the Whai installed a Erinaa relay satellite. This facility would provide local utilizers of the Vak to synchronize and communicate. However, strong weather patterns, as is very much common, on the surface have a tendency to interrupt these frequencies.
After a year of trade relations with the cities and local regional powers, the Tahora Whai began a diplomatic mission to unite the planet under a common political body. Initial attempts at unification stalled, unable to broker with a divided people so far away. Each community was too focused on their own issues and grudges to even contemplate forging a permanent relationship with the Whai. Not to mention, the reticence of locals to agree to major changes without Al Manāk providing guidance.
A second round of negotiations began under the direction of Uruao, a ship of Whai veterans. Utilizing modern surveying and sensor suites onboard their waka hourua–a Whai longship specialized in extended travel and settlement–the crew of the Uruao devised a way to map the world and ensure local identities and political blocs retained autonomy.
The Whai also covertly accessed the satellites of Al Manāk, the weather service, to update its firmware and attempt to root out any bugs. Several necessary functions of native satellite network were ultimately hardcoded and impossible to disentangle from the benevolent personality. The Dynaeans maintained a team to monitor the computer intelligence should it get any hostile ideas. Apart from the irregular underhanded comment, Al Manāk keeps to its mission to protect the people from the world itself, seemingly placated by the Whai’s assistance.
Under this new framework, the Whai and the people of Qaammatip Inua formed an official custodial relationship for the prosperity of all. By the time of the proposal, utilization of the Vak was fairly common among locals and diplomatic talks accelerated with improved communications.
Biosphere
Wild Fauna
Negagfok - In the icy wastes of the world’s south pole, a great beast thrives in the otherwise inhospitable climate. Known as "the spirit that likes cold and stormy weather" this creature of snow roams the land. Rarely seen, they take shelter in ice caves and are said to hibernate through the worst of the weather. Encounters with the Negagfok may turn violent as the beasts, often hungry, will attack isolated people and animals. Their exact size is of some argument as attempts at studying them have been fraught with danger. Accounts describe them as several meters tall and covered in a dense mat of wooly white fur. They are thought to be related to the Mush’k who inhabit the boreal zones in the northern hemisphere, but lack the characteristic crown of antlers.
Mush’k - Terrestrial megafauna that appear to be a weird mix of moose and bear. Standing 5m tall at the head. With four wide antlers, ‘panaches’, that stretch almost 2m either side of their skulls. Mush’k use their panaches aiding in grazing and in mating rituals. These bony appendages are shed in late fall, regrowing in the spring after hibernation. They are predominantly herbivores but in the lean cold months may be opportunistic omnivores.
Goblin Shark - Large predatory fish which stalks the silent depths of the deep sea. Spend most of their time in the anaerobic ‘dead zone’ at the bottom of the world’s oceans cruising through the inky blackness.
Drum Seal - A blubbery and charismatic aquatic mammal. They are said to get their name from a common behavior of slamming their limbs on the ground or ice-sheets while hunting and during mating rituals. However their name may come instead from the use of their hides in instruments by local peoples.
Various Game Birds - the sparse tundra and tussocky grasslands are home to various fowl and game. Many species of bird don’t keep well in captivity but are instead hunted for food and sport. Ptarmigans, Grouse, Quail, and Winter Pheasant can be found by adept sharp shooters and trappers.
Various Small Mammals - Found across the temperate and boreal zones, there are many species of small mammals–including herbivores, insectivores, and carnivores–who fill local niches. These creatures are often hunted for their furs. They are collectively known as Anik, but represent a large group with diverse morphologies and behaviors. Classifications have organized them into various Ground Squirrels, Mice, Shrews, Voles, Marmots, Beavers, Weasels, and Badgers. However, most locals will just call them an Anik; adding an appropriate adjective when necessary.
Various Seabirds - Often drawn to the detritus and waste of population centers, seabirds are a common sight on the coasts and isles. From soaring Albatross, waddling Rock Penguins, iconic Puffins, or vicious Skua, all manner of seabirds may circle the boats as the tide comes in.
Domesticated Fauna
Qimmit - a large working dog, descendants of Labradors or Newfies. Big and Fluffy, you hate it when they shed. Qimmit are employed in selds, herding, protection, hunting, and last but not least to locals, companionship.
Caribou - Raised for their meat and hides. Drovers move from valley to valley seeking the best feed and avoiding the worst of the weather. Fallen antlers make traditional gifts and good luck charms to hang over the mantle.
Wooly Goats - A heavy wool coat is a lifesaver in the cold and practically every family has a goat in their garden. Spinning yarn, knitting, and weaving are all common skills as a result. Goats also provide a household with a regular supply of milk and cheese for only the cost of kitchen waste. Like Caribou, Wooly Goats are also herded in the highlands for meat and scaled wool production.
Trout and Salmon - While nominally wild, a considerable portion of the salmonids of the moon world are raised and harvested in fisheries. The annual runs shape a large shift in employment as locals stock up on supplies for the dark months. What few wild stocks exist enable regular, weather permitting, sport fishing competitions.
Mollusks - Like the Salmonids, mollusks including Mussels, Abalone, and Scallops are also farmed off shore for year-round consumption.
Flora and Fungi
The planet’s variable climates are home to many species of flora from tussocky grasses to lichen and mushrooms, to pines, and frost-oaks, and so on.
Allotments of greenhouses provide families with the majority of their vegetables, with tubers, hardy root veg, and fast growing peas accounting for most of the caloric value. Various onions and cabbages are common too. If the weather is particularly favorable, peppers may even fruit to spice up the plate. Simple oats and barley are cultivated in addition, but are reliant on predictable climate, a rarity on world. Underground fungi farms, common in many urban centers, also provide regular sustenance.
Three species of wild berry are championed by different regions for their classic jams and pies.
- Red Shiktu - a high-altitude cloudberry with a musky aroma and bitter-sweet taste. The frostzones and highlands claim this fruit.
- Blue Atoons - a serviceberry with a sweet, nutty, and earthy taste. Years with good harvests precipitate a rash in winemaking. The temperate uplands defend their bathtub booze and the berries that made it as the best.
- Black Fenberries - a tart, tannin-rich berry that grows in marshes and lowlands, hence their name. Autumn floods dislodge the Fenberries which bob to the surface where they can be easily collected. By the nature of the favored soils, coastal and riverine settlements defend the Fenberry and a tangy sauce made from it as perfect pairing to red meat and fowl.
Snow Flowers - The first sign of spring on much of the world is thousands upon thousands of pale blue and white specks that peek through the snow. Covering a hillside in millions of blooms, snow flowers provide the first sweet calories of nutrition to all manner of herbivores after months of cold.
SWN Tags
Freak Weather
The planet is plagued with some sort of bizarre or hazardous weather pattern. Perhaps city-flattening storms regularly scourge the surface, or the world’s sun never pierces its thick banks of clouds.
Enemies:
- Criminal using the weather as a cover
- Weather cultists convinced the offworlders are responsible for some disaster
- Native predators dependent on the weather
Friends:
- Meteorological researcher
- Holodoc crew wanting shots of the weather
Complications:
- The weather itself
- Malfunctioning pretech terraforming engines that cause the weather
Things:
- Wind-scoured deposits of precious minerals
- Holorecords of a spectacularly and rare weather pattern
- Naturally-sculpted objects of intricate beauty
Places:
- Eye of the storm
- The one sunlit place
- Terraforming control room
Mandate Base
The Terran Mandate retained its control over this world for much longer than usual, and the world may still consider itself a true inheritor of Mandate legitimacy. Most of these worlds have or had superior technology, but they may still labor under the burden of ancient restrictive tech or monitoring systems designed to prevent them from rebelling.
Enemies:
- Deranged Mandate monitoring AI
- Aspiring sector ruler
- Demagogue preaching local superiority over “traitorous rebel worlds”
Friends:
- Idealistic do-gooder local
- Missionary for advanced Mandate tech
- Outsider seeking lost data from Mandate records
Complications:
- The monitoring system forces the locals to behave in aggressive ways toward “rebel” worlds
- The monitoring system severely hinders offworld use of their tech
- The original colonists are all dead and have been replaced by outsiders who don’t understand all the details
Things:
- Ultra-advanced pretech
- Mandate military gear
- Databank containing precious tech schematics
Places:
- Faded Mandate offices still in use
- Vault containing ancient pretech
- Carefully-maintained monument to Mandate glory