Zarnathea

[Nyx]

Images: http://orig00.deviantart.net/386f/f/2008/178/9/a/mqo_class_planet__by_voyager212.jpg

Name: Zarnathea

Region: Outer Rim
System: Vassek System
Suns: Sola Vassek, yellow star.
Orbital Position: Habitable zone
Moons: None
System Features: Vassek
Coordinates: I-17, next to Vassek, south of Endor.
Rotational Period: 36 hours
Orbital Period: 423 standard days

Class: Terrestrial
Diameter: 13,000 km
Atmosphere: 2
Climate: Temperate
Gravity: Standard
Primary Terrain: Jungles, Mountains, and Oceans.

Native Species: The Qu'un, various wildlife.
Immigrated Species: Various
Primary Languages: On Zarnathea, there are two distinct languages, each spoken by the two main ethnic groups. The Nar'iin speak Nar'jyn, which roughly translates to Higher Singing. This is a combination of Galactic Basic and natural sounds the avian species produces.
The other language shares the name of it's speakers: Vax. This language is almost entirely nonverbal, communicated through movements of fingers, limbs, feathers, and eyes. It is extremely difficult for non-Vax to learn, and takes many years to master entirely.
Government: Republic.
Population: 6 billion
Demonym: Zarnathean
Major Imports: Technology and Mercenaries.
Major Exports: Bronzium, Slave Labor, Plant and animal life



Affiliation: None.

Major Locations:

• Nat'ran- The capital of Zarnathea, and where the Nar'iin reside. It is the only place on Zarnathea where aliens are guaranteed to be safe. It features the Zarnathean Senate, where policies are decided.
• Karron- A deep cave system, where the most dangerous of Zarnathean wildlife can be found. The local primitive tribes use it as a stage for rituals to induct members into adulthood.

Culture:

• Species Divide: The native species, the Qu'un, are divided into two ethnic groups: the cultured and technologically advanced Nar'iin, and the primitive Vax tribes.
• Religion: The Qu'un practice a combination of ancestral worship and animism. According to this belief, the spirits of the dead are reincarnated as Zarnathean wildlife. The Vax tribes take this belief much more seriously than their Nar'iin counterparts.
• Clothing: The Nar'iin have conservate full-body clothing, with only their face being seen. The Vax wear little clothing, in order to maintain fast movement in their nomadic travels.
• Mating Rituals: Among the Nar'iin, mating lasts for life, two individuals birthing entire broods over their two hundred year lifespan. The Vax, on the other hand, mate constantly, and usually not with the same partner.
• Sports: Taking a cue from their foreign idols, the Nar'iin's main sport is holochess, something they view as very telling of someone's intellect. The Vax enjoy a plethora of violent and athletic sports, including wrestling, handball, and relay races.
• Military: The Qu'un military is made up of mercenaries brought in from foreign powers, with few Nar'iin and Vax scattered in. The main purpose of this military is to put down Vax uprisings.
• Adulthood Rituals: In order to be considered an adult among the Vax, young are sent to the deepest cave on Zarnathea, the Karron, where they must survive for five years. If they succeed, they are now an adult and allowed to join hunts, raids, and claim a mate.

Technology: The Nar'iin have a modern level of technology, while the Vax tribes use the same technology they have for thousands of years.
History: The history of Zarnathea has always been intertwined with death. Evolving from reptilian predators, the first of the native species, the Qu'un, formed into nomadic tribes. Fighting every day for survival against the deadly wildlife, they became powerful hunters and warriors, creating techniques and beliefs still upheld by the primitive Vax tribes.
During the height of the Old Republic, settlers were sent to Zarnathea, and discovered the Qu'un. The reptiles did not appreciate the foreign presence, and slaughtered the settlers. Over the next four thousand years, the Qu'un fought off any and all settlers. Until the Galactic Civil war, that is.
A sizable portion of the Qu'un, now known as the Nar'iin, worked with Imperial officials to establish their presence on Zarnathea, in exchange for modern technology and Imperial support.
The Nar'iin used this support to establish their control over the Vax, enslaving them. The Nar'iin embraced foreign culture, moving into an Industrial Revolution, leaving the tribes behind. They settled a small corner of the planet, the only place where aliens are guaranteed to be safe.
But when the Gulag Plague hit, the Nar'iin immediately cut off all contact with the outside galaxy. For four hundred years, Zarnathea was silent. Unknown to the galaxy, the Nar'iin were ravaged by the plague, wiping out over half of their population. The Vax avoided such an outbreak by ceasing all contact with the Nar'iin, hiding in the mountains and jungles.
But the Nar'iin eventually recovered around the same time as the rest of the galaxy, and once more worked with foreign powers to maintain control. But during the Netherworld event, millions of the Qu'un disappeared. With their smaller population, the Nar'iin were crippled, encouraging the Vax to commit to the largest uprising in their history, pulling the Qu'un into a bloody civil war that they fight to this day.


Notable PCs: None. . .yet.
Intent: To create a new and interesting planet and species for writers to use and interact with.