Ayden Cater
Grumpy Goat
Name: Athos IVRegion: Outer Rim Territories
System: Athosian System
Suns: 2
- Athos Prime; G-Type main sequence star
- Athos Minor; K-Type main sequence star
Moons: 3
- Mimir
- Ru-Shou
- Tani
Rotational Period: 27 Galactic Standard Hours
Orbital Period: 381 Local Days
Class: Terrestrial
Diameter: 11,957 km
Atmosphere: Type I / Type IV
Climate: Temperate
Gravity: Heavy (1.72 times standard)
Primary Terrain:
- Grasslands - 6% / Contaminated: 3.9%
- Forest - 7% / Contaminated: 2.6%
- Mountains - 9% / Contaminated: 4.4%
- Oceans - 68% / Contaminated: 19.1%
- Tundra - 10% / Contaminated: 3%
- Everna Eagles
- Humans
- Parasitic Beetles
- Human, Native - 31%
- Human, Non-Native - 50%
- Twi'lek - 7%
- Ithorian- 4%
- Other - 8%
Government: Constitutional Monarchy, formerly tribal clans
Population: 496 Million
Demonym: Athosian
Major Cities:
- Athos City
- Kraniea
- Vector 024
- Dancing Mountain Lights
- Endless River
- Goni Military Base
- The Mourning Wall
- Shattered Lands
- Agricultural Products
- Finished Goods
- Manufacturing Equipment
- Raw Materials
- Fuel
- Metals & Precious Stones
- Shield Technology
Culture:
Because of the harsh climate, Athosians have a deconstructed view of family. No one excels alone, and all have a place that depends on their actions. Those who achieve great success are often fought over by groups to claim as part of their family while others who have great failures might be shunned. Since one is valued in large part by their family connections, one of the greatest shames of an Athosian is to have their family name striped from them. Conversely, one of the greatest honors is to be adopted into a prestigious family.
Athosians are naturally polytheistic. Their pantheon of gods reflects their values of family and mutual success. Some gods are considered "good", and are seen as models to define one's life. Others are considered "failures" or "wrong" and are used as abject lessons on how one can go astray and shame their family. Jarir is considered the alpha deity and rules over the rest of the gods and over aspects of morality, namely good vs evil. His brother, Ziyr, is considered the nominal "evil" god; a being who covets his brother's achievements and powers without having done anything to earn it himself.
Though life is much easier in modern times than in the past, the hardships the Athosians suffered continues to shape their daily routines. Wasteful attitudes are shunned and everyone is expected to do their fair share of work. Laziness is the ultimate taboo then, as a lazy Athosian is one who contributes nothing to the survival of their family. However, not every Athosian must contribute in a physical way. Mental avenues of work are prized amongst families as they represent a special resource. Any Athosian can plow a field or break rock, but only a gifted Athosian can do things like maintaining the shield walls or pilot a starship.
Technology:
Athos IV has a technology-level comparable to the rest of the galaxy. Their shield technology is, in some aspects, more advanced as they had to diligently maintain the shield walls that keep the contaminated regions contained. They last longer than many modern competitors of similar size. Their waste management systems are equally sophisticated as a planet with a third of its resources locked away must be careful to waste little.
Their focus on waste treatments and shield technology have resulted in a world with little developed agriculture industry. This has as much to do with the contaminated areas of the planet as it does the generally mountainous regions. As well, Athos IV does not had large factories for producing finished products, so much of this need is imported from the rest of the galaxy.
History:
Athos IV has a mostly unremarkable history until around 1,264 BBY when the world was discovered by accident. Within thirty local years, the planet was transformed by rapidly developing technology and intense immigration. Athosians took every bit of technology they could and used it without caution or fear. No one cautioned them, as the planet's vast resources were exploited without any concerns. It was a veritable gold rush of profits and development
In 1,032 BBY, a fuel mining facility was sabotaged by environmentalists who feared that such unabated drilling would destroy their world. Ironically, their sabotage triggered a cascading failure that resulted in the facility exploding violently, with more than a quarter of a billion liters worth of fuel caught beneath the inferno. For weeks, the Athosians scrambled to develop a way to contain the damage as the inferno raged. Some believed that the fire would eventually burn itself out while others feared that the fire might work its way deep into the planet and set off the pocket of explosive material underneath.
Eventually the idea was stumbled upon to use massive shield walls, like those that had been constructed on Telos millenia ago. The entire planet's industry was poured into the development and construction of these shield projectors around their cities and as much of their planet as they could afford. Many were erected and activated while still undergoing construction. The worst fears were realized when the fire spread to a drilling pipeline that led straight to the facility's main fuel reservoir. Within hours of the shield emitters being finished and all activated, the fuel pocket exploded.
The entire planet suffered massive earthquakes that left hundred of thousands dead, tens of millions homeless. Within days, the area's out side the shielded cities were reduced to a hellish wasteland with corrosive fumes and temperatures beyond anything a humanoid could survive in. Soon after, the planet's economy collapsed and millions fled the world. The Athosians technology progress was set back centuries, to levels before introduction to the galaxy at large. A few groups managed to retain the knowledge to maintain the shield walls and kept the Shattered Lands at bay.
For centuries, the planet lay forgotten by the galaxy. By the time of its rediscovery in 237 ABY, the Athosians had begun climbing the technological ladder once more. When records surfaced of how the planet had been ruthlessly consumed and abandoned, the Galactic Federation Triumvirate pledged to restore the world to its former beauty. Ithorians were brought in to begin the process of restoring the planet's ecosystem while the shield emitters were studied to begin reclaiming sections of the planet.
Progress went smoothly, with more than sixty percent of the planet reclaimed and restored when the Gulag Plague hit. For the second time, Athos was abandoned as the galactic community retreated within itself. However, the restoration efforts had reclaimed enough of the world that Athos continued to grow and thrive throughout the Four Hundred Years of Darkness. Its population has recovered nearly to the levels it had possessed pre-devastation.
Noteworthy Cities:
Athos City is the capital city of the planet. It is one of the oldest cities still in existence, though not the most technological or largest. Besides being the seat of the ruling monarch, Athos City houses the main monitoring systems for the planet's shield wall system. This lets them know whenever a wall's power output begins to fall and when areas need replacing. It is also the cultural heart of the planet, with museums and academies centered around the Old Way; enshrining deities and ancestors alike and teaching their lessons to the next generation.
Kraniea is one of the oldest cities, as well as the largest. If Athos City were the technological and learning center of the Athosians, Kraniea is its spiritual center. Founded on the direct opposite side of the Shattered Lands, Kraniea holds many of the planet's ancient spiritual records as well as relics claimed to have been used by Janir in forging the Athosians. Foreigners are required to acquire a special pass from Athos City in order to board the sole transport line to the city, for fear that those ignorant of the Athosian way might damage or corrupt the city.
Vector 024, an oddity of a name, is perhaps the newest city to achieve merit, though not for good reasons. Vector 024 is said to be where the first Old Republic ship touched down, and it is a place in stark contrast to the Old Athosian way of life. Fully embracing the capitalistic lifestyle of most of the galaxy, Vector 024 has become a haven for those who are shunned and rejected by the Old Ways. Many Athosians tolerate the city's existence, if only because it gives them a place to send their dishonored and embarrassments. However, the city has seen a steady increase of young Athosians attracted by the bright lights and affluent lifestyles of the city and many wonder if the city is a beacon of the second Anavosi'nri, or Apocalypse.
Noteworthy Locations:
Dancing Mountain Lights is an area once held within the Shattered Lands. The explosion that devastated the planet also threw up great chunks of the planet's inner crust. Luminous fumes pool beneath massive, unrefined gems and create a cascading river of color and light against the night sky. But for all its beauty, there are those would would prefer to mine away the massive gems for sale elsewhere, and a fight continues over rights and mining attempts.
The Endless River is a place formerly touched by the Shattered Lands, but reclaimed by the efforts of the Ithorians. Positioned over a massive, ancient aquifer, the Endless River takes its name from the massive river that runs down the mountain into an endless pool which feeds back directly into the aquifer. Volcanic activity was roused after the explosion that created the Shattered Lands, which heated certain areas of the aquifer. This expansion of water is pushed out through an old volcano, creating this natural wonder.
The Goni Military Base is a floating citadel above the Shattered Lands. Originally it was the center of Ithorian Reclamation efforts. After the Gulag Plague struck, Athosians took custody of the station and saw to its maintenance. In time, the Athosians began to stockpile their military hardware on the platform. When the galaxy was ready to come back a third time, the Athosians had transformed the citadel into a massive floating fortress. Airships and fighters can be deployed nearly anywhere over the planet in as little as an hour. Many of the planet's Ithorians have carved out a home within the base and do their best to restart efforts to reclaim more of the Shattered Lands.
The Mourning Wall is not a singular wall, but is in fact sections of wall placed in front of every shield emitter on the planet's surface. Every year, hundreds of thousands make the pilgrimage to each wall in remembrance of those who perished in the first Anavosi'nri. There are those who claim ancestry to someone who died in the terrible explosion and who guards the walls, maintaining them throughout the year.
The Shattered Lands are perhaps the greatest, and most terrible, feature of Athos IV. Greater than even the Goni Military Base, Thousands and thousands of square kilometers of surface have been twisted by the explosion of untold millions of liters of fuel. The atmosphere in these regions is a hellish thing, full of toxic fumes and hellish as great pools of fuel still burn and renew the corruption. No life exists within the Shattered Lands, and at their heart is a crater whose mammoth size cannot be fully comprehended from the surface, as its edges extend over the horizon. The oceans within the region are equally tainted. Only through the efforts of the Goni Military Station are the levels of the ocean maintained.
Notable PC's: None
Intent: To create an interesting world for future roleplays where actions by other writers could wildly affect the world's health in a manner similar to Telos in KOTOR 2
