There are two stars, a K6V primary and an M3V companion. While there are no gas giants, there are a dozen worlds and both stars have a rubble belt around them. Unusually, the one around the companion is in the habitable zone and is quite massive. There are a dozen other bodies in the system, and the orbits of those around the companion are oddly perturbed and irregular.
The planet 985-373 orbits the primary at .36AU, and is tidally locked. The planet has the standard hot pole and cold pole, and a habitable region around the middle. It is very much like Aurore, but with a much more evolved biosphere. The atmosphere is tainted by microorganisms in the air and water, especially around the ruins of settlements. There are clear indications that the world was once inhabited by a Human technological civilization; debris and an assortment of satellites in decaying orbits, and radioactive craters were cities once were. Some areas of the world are dangerous due to radioactive contamination, but levels have fallen in most places to a safe level. Remnants of smaller cities remain but are not inhabited.
It is not clear if the devastating conflict was internal or the world was bombed by some other power. Few scholars are interested in the planet, there are those who theorize the world was destroyed in the collapse of the Sindalian Empire, one more world nuked into oblivion.
The PC's discovered an invisible object about 500m across, with the mass of a brown dwarf. They klodged a probe together and shot it into the object. This mysterious void in space turned out to be some sort of "wormhole" to some unknown location, but the probe was quickly lost. The command staff opted to table any further exploration of this enigma, and moved off. They then jumped to Belgard.
Belgard - Though technically a garden world capable of supporting life, Belgard is actually a hostile place. Its position just beyond the orbit of a dwarf companion means that the planet is subject to violent weather and climatic changes on a frequent basis. The constant tremors mean that the planet is heavily volcanic, and the atmosphere is frequently tainted with sulfur compounds, ash, and other pollutants. Life is simple, mostly microbial and fungal, with a few arthropods of various sorts. Some of them are nasty, swarming, or large and bitey. As a result, the only safe settlements are on the upper slopes of mountains in regions of relative geologic stability.
The planet was originally surveyed and settled as a mining outpost of the Sindalian Empire. After the fall of that empire in -1440, the planet went through a long period of struggling to survive, as interstellar trade collapsed in the region. In the 660’s, Admiral Beauregard arrived in the system, fleeing the power shifts after the Civil War of the 600’s with most of his fleet. They quickly established themselves as the rulers of the entire cluster. Their fear of Imperial reprisals has mutated into a general paranoia of the outside universe.
The population speaks a mix of Anglic and Egyrnish, mostly intelligible to outsiders. Society is hierarchical, with an armed aristocratic spacer elite lording over miners, farmers, and laborers. The spacers are descendants of the mutineers. Technology is severely restricted; TL9+ imported tech is limited to Spacers and those of Imperial descent, while the commoners are limited to locally manufactured goods. Belgardian techs are a bit like Cuban mechanics, very good at stretching tech to its limits out of necessity.
Belgard possesses a small fleet of a half-dozen 200-ton Lancers, a handful of captured civilian freighters, and a trio of “Longsword-12” 1000-ton Destroyers in orbit over Belgard - each is quite old, though they still look formidable. The city of Belgard is defended by the stripped guns from the Captain’s “Fram-12” 4000-ton Destroyer, which was damaged in battle and has been stripped of parts. It is now armed with “Quaker guns” save for a few laser turrets but does look imposing in orbit over Belgard City.
The planet was originally surveyed and settled as a mining outpost of the Sindalian Empire. After the fall of that empire in -1440, the planet went through a long period of struggling to survive, as interstellar trade collapsed in the region. In the 660’s, Admiral Beauregard arrived in the system, fleeing the power shifts after the Civil War of the 600’s with most of his fleet. They quickly established themselves as the rulers of the entire cluster. Their fear of Imperial reprisals has mutated into a general paranoia of the outside universe.
The population speaks a mix of Anglic and Egyrnish, mostly intelligible to outsiders. Society is hierarchical, with an armed aristocratic spacer elite lording over miners, farmers, and laborers. The spacers are descendants of the mutineers. Technology is severely restricted; TL9+ imported tech is limited to Spacers and those of Imperial descent, while the commoners are limited to locally manufactured goods. Belgardian techs are a bit like Cuban mechanics, very good at stretching tech to its limits out of necessity.
Belgard possesses a small fleet of a half-dozen 200-ton Lancers, a handful of captured civilian freighters, and a trio of “Longsword-12” 1000-ton Destroyers in orbit over Belgard - each is quite old, though they still look formidable. The city of Belgard is defended by the stripped guns from the Captain’s “Fram-12” 4000-ton Destroyer, which was damaged in battle and has been stripped of parts. It is now armed with “Quaker guns” save for a few laser turrets but does look imposing in orbit over Belgard City.
After entering the system, the MV Ruby Costa was boarded by a team of TL-9-equipped Belgardian Spacer Marines, who conducted a "hasty inspection" before passing the PC's on to Belgard's ATC. They are currently grounded in an old quarry, about 5km from Belgardia City, the glorious capital of the Belgard Sojournate.
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