Keter Borderlands Worlds

Listed below are the terraformed worlds of the Keter System. While other planets and moons do exist in the system, they were judged not suitable to support life, and have not been terraformed. The system was settled assuming regular trade through the Interstellar Gate. Since the Incident occurred, however, these worlds and the Starships within the Keter System must stand alone until a connection to the wider galaxy can be re-established.

The closest habitable planet to the Keter Star, Siruta is a world predominantly covered with water, except for several archipelagos of luscious plants and curious animals. Seeing an opportunity to start an island paradise on the planet, Siruta was quickly settled in multiple locations by settlers keen to start their own vision of a new world, which (almost naturally) developed into clawing for dominance and authority for some time until an uneasy peace was brokered between numerous disparate factions.

For the last twenty years, a steady peace has arisen with Sirutan islanders geographically sorted into one of three dominant groups that, broadly, call themselves nations:

• Azuria - a Ship Heart theocracy that inhabits the archipelago closest to the Azure Reef, a coral reef teeming with life.
• Crarua - a militaristic nation that finds itself on the frontline of fighting the Scourge - a species of enormous amphibious monstrosities that arise from the deep.
• True Siruta - a nation aspiring to present itself as the face of Siruta to the rest of the system, presenting a democratic system and appointing itself as de facto peacekeepers.
  • In a bid to establish itself, True Sirutans hold to a naming scheme that refer to the beauty of Siruta and its islands.

Sirutans, generally, hail from either one of the three dominant nations, or consider themselves independent traders across the water. These independents (or “bloody pirates”, depending on your viewpoint) prefer to travel and make their fortune moving from one place to anoter, rather than settle down for too long on an island and risk being absorbed into a nation or - worse - politics.

• Speckled Ubiquity - Famed pirate captain of the Second Sun, a fierce Scourge fighter - she/her - Ziline
• Dappled Maxim - Quartermaster of the Second Sun - she/her - Ziline
• Bright Sunset - Leader of True Siruta - she/her - Human
• 81st Century Admirable Perch - Mystic spiritual leader of Azuria. Distant relative of Moonlit Perch in the Galactic Cooperation - he/him - Qiate
• Farthest Reach - Grizzled Veteran commander of the Craruan defence force - they/them - Human (Various)
• Siruta - Original seed Ship Heart, found between Azuria and True Siruta's core islands (Personality: Lackadaisical) - it/it - Ship Heart
• Azuria - Ship Heart brought by settlers that founded Azuria (Personality: Reverent) - it/it - Ship Heart
• Craruan Defender - Ship Heart brought to empower the Craruan Defenders against the Scourge (Personality: Martial) - it/it - Ship Heart
• Afterburn - Ship Heart owned by Sirutan Independents (Personality: Untrustworthy) - it/it - Ship Heart
• Violet Afterburn - Respecter pirate captain - she/her - Human
• Ambassador Pentagonal Pectoral, 313 - Governor of Siruta - they/them - Qiate

• Sea Pirates (distinct from Pirates although with some informal links)
• Peacekeepers (mostly from True Siruta, but also including some who monitor the Scourge in Crarua)
• Craruan Defenders (frontline warriors against the Scourge)
• Sirutan Workers' Union (organised workers devoted to better pay and rights)

Mytene would consider itself naturally at the top of the list of the Keter worlds. The most productive and most well-regulated world in the system, Mytene benefited from the early establishment of significant settlements focused on mining, and associated industries. The rocks of Mytene are laced with many precious minerals, and as such this planet punches above its weight in both wealth and productivity. Although the system as a whole has to some degree benefited from this wealth, Myteneans often consider themselves superior to the other 'backwater' borderlands worlds, and are not always popular as a result. The first city of Mytene is called Mytenea - a hub of industry, production and commerce.

Mytene did recently suffer a setback, however, in the form of a refusal by the Galactic Cooperation to consider it for Enhanced Societal Status (ESS), a mark of advanced worlds where prosperity and culture go hand in hand and a significant step towards full membership of the Galactic Cooperation. In order to fight back against this judgement, Mytene has been building a Tertiary Spaceport, to prove its wealth and status. It is certainly unfortunate that this spaceport cannot serve any purpose now the Interstellar Gate is down, and indeed no further case could be made to the Galactic Cooperation until communication and travel are re-established. But perhaps this is a chance for Mytene to prove itself to its closest neighbours?

Occasionally a rumour circulates that the greed of the Myteneans led to a significant loss of mining equipment at some point in the past, and that there might be buried treasure deep in their mines for those brave enough to look for it… and, of course, able to get approval to enter the mines in the first place.

• Forever Depth - Mytenean ambassador to the Galactic Cooperation - she/her - Vyixian
• Enduring Steel - General Secretary of the Mytenean Industrial Corps - she/her - Human
• Mytene - Original seed Ship Heart (Personality: Determined) - it/it - Ship Heart
• Mytene Primary - Space Port Ship Heart for Mytene's Primary Space Port (Personality: Proud) - it/it - Ship Heart
• Mytene Secondary - Space Port Ship Heart for Mytene's Secondary Space Port (Personality: Envious) - it/it - Ship Heart
• Mytenea - Second supporting Ship Heart of the Mytenea, the capital of Mytene (Personality: Condescending) - it/it - Ship Heart

• Mytenean Industrial Corps (exists to promote and expand the industry of Mytene)
• Mytenean Societal Corps (set up in advance of the ESS bid, exists to attempt to promote culture on Mytene to convince the Galactic Cooperation it's more than just a glorified mining operation)
• Keter Various Forge (not yet operational)

The fourth moon of the gas giant named Hive. Neither the planet itself nor moons I, II, III or V were suitable for terraforming, but IV was.

The moon was never settled, however. The settlement ship Lesser Horizons is known to have landed on Hive IV shortly after terraforming was complete, but all that remains of their mission is the static-fuzzed recording of screaming shortly after they landed, and a few hasty instructions from their Captain that no-one should attempt to send a rescue mission. All further attempts at landing failed without even managing to transmit from the surface until the success of Operation Beachhead which has established a foothold in a Pentagonal Ruin - Beachhead - and successful forays into Hive IV's forests have been achieved.

A small space-station-like base on the barren neighbouring moon, Hive V, has been established by the Zeitgeist Research Department to observe Hive IV and see whether anything can yet be salvaged. Terraforming operations are expensive, and the resources of a whole moon cannot be lost without investigation.

• Neatly Birch - site manager of the Hive V observation station - they/them - Qiate
• Hive V - Ship Heart installed after Hive IV was deemed unsettleable (Personality: Anxious) - it/it - Ship Heart

• Hive V Observation Station - settlers on the nearby moon of Hive V attempting to understand Hive IV better on behalf of the Zeitgeist Research Department.

Initially, settlers for Kylal were disappointed to discover that the terraforming of the ice world did not thaw the frozen surface. Ready to disregard it, it took Fjenician explorers to discover that though the surface of Kylal remained a desolate wasteland, a rich biome had bloomed in caverns and tunnels beneath the permafrost barely exposed to the Keter star. Further, they discovered the resources that could be found in mountains beneath the forever-glacier on the surface and the variety of bioluminescent sub-zero lifeforms dwelling there, and subsequently set up stations to research (and, later, exploit) the planet.

Life in the dark tunnels of Kylal is not for the weak of heart, but the Kylalians who have set up permanent settlements at the bottom of the great elevators from the surface find that past the challenges of adjusting to such a life, there are great riches and secrets to be found, all worth exploring. Though the system was thoroughly scanned for life before seeding, Kylalian explorers believe they may have even found evidence of a long-since-dead civilisation beneath the ice, enticing not only hardy settlers but also determined adventurers to enter the dark of the ice caverns and explore the depths.

Such exploration is risky, with the ice constantly shifting, and the risk of cave-ins, collapse, or even internal avalanche plague the explorers and miners of Kylal.

As of Operation Beachhead, a link has been established between ruins found in tunnels near Kyholt on Kylal and the Beachhead Pentagonal Structure in the Fifth Sea of Hive IV. This pentagonal gate fits the style of ruins discovered in various places on Kylal and provides what appears to be instantaneous transportation from Kylal to Hive IV.

• Wandering Pick, 3817 - De facto leader of the Kylal Explorers League - she/her - Ziline
• Ninth Truth - Respected botanical expert - he/him - Vyixian (Various)
• Kylal - Ship Heart with superstitious tendencies (Personality: Encourageable) - it/it - Ship Heart

• Kylal Explorers League (an informal group of people with knowledge, maps, and some available shared equipment for new explorers)
• Borderland Botanists (a group who began as botanists investigating the bio-luminescent life in the ice caves, now equipped to investigate and probe any exciting new lifeforms discovered on Kylal or elsewhere)

A medium-size moon of the still unnamed gas giant Keter 6, settled by Aces Lucky soon after terraforming was complete, and still run by the head of the Aces family centuries later. His family follows his creed of 'play things my way, and no interference from outside.' These days, Ace's World is renowned for high-stakes gambling dens and various forms of illicit entertainment, in a delightfully lawless environment - it's been known to attract the risk-seeking socialites of the galaxy, from some of the most feared Pirates to the shadier scions of the Altarian Dynasty. Ace's World may be a dangerous place to live, but fortunes are made (and lost) there.

Aces High is the current Governess of the moon - she adheres to her family's naming convention (and by extension, that of their world) by stressing the family name first. Family's important, on Ace's World. She has recently been wounded after violently putting down a bandit uprising, and now sports a diamond-studded eyepatch.

• Aces High - Governess - she/her, Human (Various)
• Wildcard Gilded - one of multiple rebel/bandit 'leaders' - they/them - Human
• Seven Broad - Head of Security for Aces High - he/they - Human
• Big Blind - Bandit Captain - she/her - Human
  • Nemeses: Threes Charmed, Fossorial Coffeepot, Desiring Peace
• Ace's World - Ship Heart - it/it - Ship Heart

• ACE (Aces High's organisation, runs all the casinos and other 'legal' businesses on Ace's World)