Known Worlds: Empire of the Phoenix Throne

Throne Worlds
Al-Malik Worlds
Decados Worlds
Hawkwood Worlds
Li-Halan Worlds
Church Worlds
Guild Worlds
Vau Worlds
Symbiot-controlled Worlds
Independent Worlds
Kurgan Caliphate Worlds
Vuldrok Star-Nation Worlds
Lost Worlds

Throne Worlds

Byzantium Secundus: While the capital of the Known Worlds suffered some damage during the Emperor Wars, it no longer bears any marks of the strife. Indeed, Emperor Alexius has embarked on an ambitious building plan, and even more construction is turning what was once known as the "concrete capital" back into its old gray, metal-covered self.  Every major faction in the Known Worlds (as well as the Vau) maintains a presence on this world, and all have interests at stake on a daily basis.  See Byzantium Secundus sourcebook.

• Imperial Eye headquarters
• Imperial City
• Veridian spaceport

Nowhere: A barren wasteland where sits the Gargoyle of Nowhere, an ancient statue said to deliver omens to those who come seeking it. The Stigmata Garrison Commander suspects that Symbiots have compromised the world, although there is no proof in the sand-blown deserts. Pilgrims who go to Nowhere may not be allowed back into Known Worlds, and nomadic caravans of such refugees roam the world, eking out a living in the sands. It is said that Nowhere once had lush forests and that many secrets lie hidden in its wastes.

Stigmata: Stigmata is the hotly-contested world that forms a bulwark against the Symbiots, and is home to the powerful Imperial Stigmata Garrison, the best collection of troops in the Known Worlds (next to the Imperial Guard). Little is known about the Symbiot-claimed worlds beyond Stigmata, since those who have gone out have not been allowed to return, despite their radio claims of being whole and uncorrupted by what they saw. Before they can deliver full reports, their ships are destroyed to prevent organic infection from entering Human Space.   Those legionnaires who have survived their tours of duty here are shaken and  hollow men, scarred by what they have seen on the battlefields of Stigmata.

Tethys: An Imperial world, once run by an independent guild but now owned by the Emperor. This is one of the oldest worlds in Human Space, and was stripped of its resources long ago. It now survives by attracting renowned craftsmen and manufacturers, promising land and low noble status in return for a cut of their profits. The Mitchau family of weaponsmiths has recently relocated here from Aragon to take advantage of these benefits. One of the remote continents on a nearby planet in the system is said to be used by the Imperial Guard for training and war games; entry onto this planet is closely guarded.

Al-Malik Worlds

Aylon: Ruled now by the Al-Malik, Aylon was once owned by the Ur-Ukar. It is famed for being the first planet the Prophet set foot upon after his miraculous vision (gained on a lost worlds beyond Aylon's borders). Pilgrim come from all over annually to see the spot where the prophet first preached. The rest of the planet is taken up by large reserves, and the al-Malik make a lot of money catering to the interests of off-world hunters and recreationalists.

Originally colonized by the Ur-Ukar, Aylon was later conquered by a Church-lead humanity. The al-Malik later seized it from the Keddah governor, further straining relations between the two families. Surviving Ur-Ukar dwell on reservations in the northern province of Mwerrid Mokta, where they possess vast subterranean holdings. The Ur-Ukar rebelled during the Emperor Wars. This rebellion was finally crushed, and "friendly" Ur-Ukar were chosen by their conquerors to lead the clans. Zebulon the Prophet first preached on Aylon after his vision, and pilgrims annually flock to the site (known as Prophet's Hill). The northern cities of Navarre, Ryoko and Sunval are trading zones, with Sunval boasting a reputation for one of the finest casino's in the Known Worlds. Recently, interest in Vr-Ukar culture and art has increased. Mwerrid Mokta is mostly a mountainous and desert region. The southern region of Mwerrid Na'al is a temperate zone, holding vast agricultural estates and hunting reserves. Here nobles pay handsomely for the privilege of hunting the most challenging wild game animals of the Known Worlds.The older generation of Aylon al-Malik are provincial but competent business people. Largely independent from court, they run their own affairs. The younger generation have appropriated certain Ur-Ukar ideas and survival skills. They are the house's greatest warriors. Proud, self reliant, and toughened by experience, they disdain the worldliness of the Istakhr court. Some believe that the next cycle of al-Malik rebellions will lead an Aylon alMalik to the throne.

Aylon is renowned for being the first world where the Prophet began preaching and for its great hunting reserves. Among these, the most mysterious is a vast plain located in the Dehorz-ha continent, in the Southern Hemisphere.  Long-time hunters call these plains "The Living Land" since its features seem to change from night to day.  One day you find yourself in a green prairie, but if you dare to spend the night there you might awake in a tundra, or a barren wasteland, or a swamp, regardless of actual latitude or season. Moreover, compasses don't seem to work there, and Aylon musk does not grow on the Northside of local trees. Even the sun seems slightly different, changing subtly in heat, size and colour. Satellite reports revealed nothing. 

Some Engineers think that an unknown, powerful type of terraforming engine, gone mad for some unknown reasons is buried somewhere in this region, while Eskatonic monks think that a powerful demon, maybe imprisoned there by Prophet Zebulon himself, lies there, awaiting the unwary traveller and cursing the Land. Others think of a strange disease, maybe of Symbiot origin.  Fact is, no one knows the real causes behind the Living Lands. 

However, some strange and rare animals have been spotted there: the Gliding Green Gyepard, a leopard-like feline, whose spots are green-coloured and, when running, it seems to hover in the air, or the Foursome Furball, a furry, slow bear-resembling animal that splits itself in four vicious autonomous part when attacked, each of these parts sporting a huge mouth with teeths whose sharpness rival Amen'ta's.

Even weirder animals have been reported, but most of these reports are actually fake, since only a handful of guides and hunters have entered the Living Lands and managed to find the way out.  There guides are widely sought out by young noble hotshots, willing to prove themselves they are good hunters, but they rarely take such wimps to the Lands.

• Pilgrimage: First planet the Prophet set foot on after his miraculous vision, gained on a Lost World beyond Aylon
• Ukari colony
• Plants: Klaj – Root used to create the combat drug Klaj.
• A night road is said to exist between Aylon and Cadavus.

Criticorum: No al-Malik would ever deny this planet's value, nor would they deny the extreme problems it has caused the House. Once considered for the capital of the Second Republic, it has jump routes to seven other worlds, and travellers from Byzantium Secundus, the Church worlds, the al-Malik planets, the Decados Hegemony, the Li-Halan worlds and Kordeth regularly stop there.  The League has also established a sizeable presence here, and the guilds maintain a number of vehicle and weapons plants. As a result, the world hosts legions of ambitious schemers and spies from around the Known Worlds. Intrigues here may lack the subtlety of those of Byzantium Secundus, but they are at least as common.

A vibrant planet with a rich economy, Criticorum's main city of Acheon is a den of plotting factions. The province of 0st holds the main ports and population centers.  Refugees fleeing the Symbiot Wars have fled to the cities of Acheon, Larrane and Ostgard, overburdening the social services.  Civil services have their hands full with relocation and policing.  Holding Criticorum, with all its intrigues and problems, is no small task.  Once a proposed site for the Second Republic capital, Criticorum has fallen out of al-Malik hands on many occasions. Unfortunately, the Criticorum al-Malik tend to be the most decadent of the House.  Pleasure seeking and remote, they enrich themselves with bribes and periodic shake downs of the transient population.  Mainly centered in the southern city of Tabrast, they resent the authority of the court-appointed governor. They also claim to be the "true" al-Malik.  The al-Malik governor must rely on his own spy networks and soldiery, increasing the tension between the court and local al-Malik.  The southern provinces hold the great house estates and scenic areas of wondrous beauty.

• Republic, Criticorum (House Hazred), and Nalhin (Indepedent guild) Shipyards
• Ukari colony
• Good spot for more unusual encounters
• A lot of not-too-subtle intrigues 

Istakhr: Istakhr boasts not only one of the greatest bazaars in the Known Worlds, but some of the most stupendous buildings.  The al-Malik rulers have used much of their wealth to build pleasure palaces for themselves, awe-inspiring cathedrals and even museums open to their serfs.  The vast amounts of wealth floating around this world have attracted all sorts of people to Istakhr, from the most ambitious to the most unscrupulous.

Uninhabited when the First Republic discovered it, there were some preadamite ruins found in the region of the southern pole.  Settled largely by people of mid-eastern extraction, it was the homeworld of the al-Malik and became their power center after Rahimat's Reconquest.  The famous Istakhr Market in the capitol city of Samarkand is the second largest open bazaar in the Known Worlds.  Here a teeming economy thrives in the vast mazes of the market.  To "know the Market" is a compliment on Istakhr, for it is labyrinthine in the extreme.  Great palaces, cathedrals and museums have been built from the proceeds of the Market Tax, making Samarkand "mistress of beauty."  The old parliament building remains, and a parliament of representatives can be called at the duke's discretion.  Old Second Republic codes survive in the Istakhr legal system, and even serfs possess the right to free legal representation.  Civil codes and representation are one thing, but the noble code of the al-Malik is above common law.  Only members of the House may sit in judgment of a family member.Najran, the northern province, holds the temperate zone.  Here, the city of Tioch overlooks Lake Harat.  The Afid Desert, south of Samarkand, is home to wanders desert clans.  The southern province of Grenada product agriculture and holds great family estates. Native Istald . al-Malik are the most traditional, and retain the legacie of Tarif. The more provincial branches of the family posess more family traditions and lore.

• Market
• Ukari enclave

Shaprut: This mineral-rich planet has avoided much of the intrahuman strife that has plagued other worlds, but it has suffered from Symbiot invasions. The few times the Symbiots have broken through Stigmata they have ravaged Shaprut. Indeed, part of the justification used to continually ferry off Shaprut's native race, the Shantor, to reservations on other worlds is the fear that the Symbiots would contaminate them. Of course, some Shantor remain on the planet, but most of them serve as slaves in the mines.

Home to the ungulate Shantor, the mineral wealth below the surface attracted the First Republic. The inevitable Shantor rebellion was swiftly crushed. During the Second Republic, Shaprut fell into the al-Malik purview,and the Shantor received  representation. Yet with the coming of the New Dark Ages this was withdrawn as, one-by-one, republican institutions languished. The remaining Shantor dwell on reservations in the northern province of Pamott. Some suffer slave labor in the mines, an argument house enemies use against the republican ideals of the al-Malik (the sale of slaves on the Istakhr Market being the other).The al-Malik rule from the southern city of Tabriz inYathrid Province. Native Shaprut al-Malik are highly re-fined, cultivating the arts. They cultivate the singing poets of Shaprut, the bakEshi. Their beautiful music, recognized throughout the Known Worlds, finds inspiration on Shaprut. During the Symbiot Wars the planet suffered from raids.   New garrisons on the planet disrupted the sedentary solitude once enjoyed by the people of Shaprut. Vestiges of Second Republic rule, such as the Shaprut Congress, remain. There is representation, but the congress can only be called by the Planetary Governor. Traditionally, the governor is chosen from the Shaprut al-Malik.

Decados Worlds

Cadavus: One of the poorer worlds in the Empire. Cadavus fell into Decados' hands during the Emperor Wars.  The Decados are only the most recent rulers of this planet: almost every faction of note in the last 2000 years has had an interest in it at one point or another. While the planet has little in the way of industry, mining or agriculture now, it still remains a center for a number of religious groups, whose monasteries maintain records dating back to the beginning of space exploration.

The Decados are blessed with possession of Cadavus, arguably the poorest planet in the Empire.  Decados forces seized Cadavus during the Emperor Wars, seeking a cell of anti-Decados terrorists, and no one wanted the planet back. In time, the house began to wonder why it kept the planet, because its resources are almost depleted.  Still, the Decados obviously have something to eke out of the planet, or they would have abandoned it long ago.Cadavus also has the distinction of having been home to almost every known (and maybe even unknown) faction within the Empire.  Prior to Decados rulership, it was owned by the Merchant League, which had used it as a major shipping Port - a remnant from the days when Cadavus still had resources and reasons for ships to stop there.  The most visible reminder of previous ownership is seen in the proliferation of monasteries that dot the surface.   Representatives of almost every religious group, major and minor, can be found here, and rumors of a Sathraist monastery still persist.  Some of these monasteries date back to the planet's early colonisation, and their records are filled with rich details about the history of spacefaring, bringing many scholars to the planet.  There is a Xanthippe Moonhaven on the largest of Cadavus's two moons.

• A night road is said to exist between Aylon and Cadavus.
• Masseri holdings, granted by the Decados to control the house and, through a series of treaties, House Keddah.

Cadiz: Ruled by the Decados, the great cities of Cadiz are legendary. Second Republic diplomats chose this world as their base for negotiations with the Vau, and the cosmopolitan fervor which gripped the planet caused the rise of many towering metropoli. But the Vau refused to come to Cadiz, and instead demanded that the diplomats come to them at Vril-Ya. The cities are now teeming with the poor and restless, who crowd into aprtments once reserved for the rich. Cadiz also holds the only reservation reserved for the Hironem aliens.

Cadiz is an enigma - massively built up with metropoli for the Known Worlds elite, it is now an enormous tenement. The Second Republic had chosen this planet for diplomatic negotiations with the Vau, and, along with the Decados, poured money and labor into building and beautifying the cities that covered this planet. When the Vau chose another site, the Decados were disgusted, and abruptly ceased their construction efforts, leaving many partially-finished structures in place— structures which now house the poor and starving occupants of the planet. The cities of Cadiz are now known as harbours for activity illegal among Decados planets, for the house seems to have abandoned the world. Decados dragoons do sporadically sweep the planet in security searches.Cadiz is also home to the Hironem, the reptilian natives of the now-conquered world. The Hironem live on a reservation at the center of which is Turaz, their capital city. Scholars from across the Known Worlds come to Turaz (for a hefty fee, of course) to study Hironem culture and ways, which bears a few distinct similarities to Vau culture.Persus: Due to its toxic atmosphere, Cadiz' sole moon is uninhabitable, except for a controlled - atmosphere military base. The base acts as a giant dockyard for old Decados ships, either for repairs or scavenging. Ruins of an unidentified culture exist on the dark side of Persus, with entrances to sublunar caverns. But this entire region is cordoned off by the Decados, with entry forbidden to all except by Prince Hyram's personal request.

The 5th planet in the Cadiz system is a gas giant known as Golyth, it's just an ordinary gas giant, except for he fact that between it and the system's 6th planet, an iceball named Teruman, lies an area of space which has come to be known as "The Lost Region." There have always been reports of strange radio transmissions and missing ships in that area, as the two planets orbit in perfect synchronicity. Recently the Decados reported finding a 200 year-old luxury liner which was reported missing, and just as the Imperial Eye was about to look into rumors of odd glyphs engraved on the outer hull, the ship was reported missing again (this time, most likely hidden by the Decados). Some have speculated that it is all a trick manufactured by the Decados, using fleets of stealth-ships in an effort to hide something greater, and if it is so, then it has worked, as nobody knows what is really going on.

• Visions of ruined grandeur, squatters, Cyberpunk meets Atlantis

Malignatius: Once a Li Halan planet, the Decados seized this arctic-and-tundra world early in the Emperor Wars and have held it ever since. It still  bears the mark of its former rulers, and religious fervour regularly sweeps the world. Since the Decados took over, however, the Orthodox view has become diluted. New sects crop up on a regular basis, and even different members of the same group find themselves battling over dogma. Newcomers often find themselves caught up in this factional fighting against their will.

The arctic planet Malignatius is something of an anomaly among Decados holdings: nowhere else among the Decados does such religious fervor run through the populace. The variance in sects and beliefs that regularly crop up and disappear on Malignatius lead viewers to one observation: it doesn't matter what the religion is, the Malignatians are simply, innately religious. Take any religion away from them and another will take its place.This of course vexes the Church, but it amuses the Decados. The planet has developed something of an unfortunate reputation among Decados nobles; incurring Prince Hyram's wrath could lead you to exile on Malignatius (assuming it does not lead you to death), and for some unfortunates, this has become a cold and bitter prison.A number of gulags have been established on Malignatius for Decados dissidents and troublemakers. Their lives are often short. The frozen wastes of this planet are also homes to a number of monastics - some members of the Universal Church, and others claiming no religious affiliation whatsoever - who spend their days in quiet isolation, meditating and studying texts often believed lost to time.Julka: Malignatius's single moon is even more inhospitable than Malignatius. Julka is the setting of a large, heavily protected subterranean gulag, where the house's most notorious criminals go. There is no escape.

Pandemonium (Grange): Pandemonium is a Decados frontier world, and is fully described in the Fading Suns rulebook. Activity on Pandemonium has heightened considerably with the discovery of Iver, and Decados fleet activity has increased in the vicinity. House Decados is split on the best course of action - whether to simply send in dragoons—and kossacks if need be - to claim the world which they believe is rightfully Decados, or whether to attempt a more subtle and steady takeover. 

Grange Station: Of equal importance near Pandemonium is the uncompleted jumpgate contested by House Decados and the Charioteers.  Count Enis Sharn arranged for a marginally functional Second Republic starbase, originally in orbit around Pandemonium, to be towed near the uncompleted jump gate - to plant the Decados banner near the jumpgate.  Unfortunately, his plan has backfired.  The Emperor has decided that  "Grange Station" would be an excellent exercise in cooperation, and has called for the station to be jointly staffed by the League and House Decados, collaborating to discover the secrets of the jumpgate, and overseen by an Imperial monitor to maintain the peace (unfortunately, he has no ability to enforce his suggestions).   Whether this forced compromise is merely a farce which will exacerbate the tension has yet to be proven.Grange Station is an old Second Republic monitoring station, capable of housing nearly 500 people. All but the largest ships can dock at any of its five working bays, and shuttlecraft can dock at its numerous small bays.  It is marginally operative, with Engineers constantly trying to revive failing Second Republic systems and repair its decaying superstructure. Glyphs of unknown origin have been found in one recently discovered access tunnel, which some people believe have Sathraist origins.

Severus: Very few humans lived on this jungle planet before the collapse of the Second Republic. Then its Decados owners opened it up to refugees from the major trouble spots, if those refugees would pledge allegiance to the house. Those who made the pledge may well have regretted their decision, because Severus is a most inhospitable world. Its native species and indigenous sentients (the primitive Ascorbites) have evolved tough, almost metallic skin and sharp teeth to break through skin to the sweet blood within. Severan hull rats are probably the most famous of these, and they now infest ships throughout the Known Worlds. They use their sharp teeth to gnaw through anything in search of nourishment.

The jungle planet Severus is the homeworld of the Decados - and some would say that a more fitting place could not exist. It is a harsh, treacherous planet with dangers lurking everywhere. The flora and fauna of Severus can be beautiful, almost intoxicating - but just as often it may be carnivorous and simply fatal. The similarity between the Severan buorka-flower, with its brilliantly coloured and beautiful petals but painfully toxic oil, and the effete and treacherous Decados nobles is not easily dismissed.  Despite the many hardships associated with Severus (especially the Severan hull rats), many call Severus home. Mining for rare trace-minerals still takes place, but most Severan residents are not miners—they are refugees and expatriates (called elsewhere "criminals") from the rest of the Empire, offered sanctuary at Severus in exchange for loyalty to House Decados.   Now these upstanding citizens support every facet of life on Severus, from farming to merchantry. Some continue the activities which led them to flee their homeworlds (assassination, black marketing, drug trafficking, etc.), but, provided these services are rendered for House Decados and not against it, there is little problem from the local lords.  Hyram Decados maintains Manse Decados, the ducal palace for the entire house; he resides here with his entourage and many supporters, running House Decados with a tight fist.Edenya: Severus has a small moon which, like itself, is covered by jungle. Edenya is inhabitable, but only barely so. Flora and fauna are equally venomous, and a cloying haze of humidity makes the already acrid air difficult to breathe. Edenya is owned and run by the Jakovian Agency; all that the public knows is that the kossack training camp is on Edenya, and everything else is classified. The Jakovians monitor all entry and egress to Edenya.

Hawkwood Worlds

Delphi: The homeworld of House Hawkwood, Delphi has suffered its share of setbacks, but even with the devastation of the Emperor Wars, the Hawkwoods are stronger now than they have been for some time.   Imperial support is behind them. Delphi is where the leaders of the House meet to plan the next victories to raise them above all other families - or so they fervently believe.

Massive terraforming has made Delphi similar to old Urth in its terrain, with a wide variety of climates ranging from arctic to tropical and a diverse biota. In a few places, notably on the island continent of Courai, indigenous flora and fauna have been preserved.Princess Victoria Hawkwood exercises sovereignty over the planet, which boasts a population of over two billion humans and nearly a hundred thousand aliens. Some rare minerals are found on Delphi and a long-standing agreement with House Justinian allows that minor house to oversee the mining interests on the planet.The homeworld of House Hawkwood enjoys a relatively high level of technology, with several large cities boasting Second Republic technology.  Most of the world, particularly in the less settled regions, exists in less sophisticated conditions: electricity is available to freemen classes, but the serfs who are responsible for most of the planet's food production live mediaeval lives.  This planet is the center of Hawkwood activity and most nobles, even if they have holdings elsewhere, maintain individual residences in the capital.

Gwynneth: Gwynneth has suffered the worst of late from Vuldrok Raiders' Invasions.  It is believed to be only a matter of time before the Vuldrok set up a permanent base in the forested wilderness, hidden from easy scrutiny.  The Hawkwood rulers fear that the long defiant pagan peoples living in the woods would welcome the Raiders.  Muster mercenaries, hired by the Hawkwoods have recently come from Bannockburn to defend the planet from further assault, but it remains to be seen how effective they will be against the next raid. The Hawkwoods have allowed Vuldrok Ambassadors to pass through their space to Byzantium Secundus in the hopes that Alexius will act once he meets the uncouth barbarians face to face.

Much of this world is still covered by old growth forests, simulating the ancient woods that once reportedly blanketed Holy Terra.  Although its population numbers nearly a billion, this does not include the uncounted groups of pagan peoples residing in the deep backwoods of the planet.  The lumber industry provides Gwynneth with its major export, both in raw material and in finely crafted furnishings.  The Hawkwood nobles who maintain estates on Gwynneth also keep a constant watch for signs of Vuldrok interference with the planet.  Gwynneth suffered major losses of life and property from the Vuldrok Raiders. unfortunately the pagan population of the planet saw the Raiders as liberators come to free them from the yoke of a Church-dominated Empire.  House Hawkwood, in order to bolster its military presence on the planet, has hired Muster mercenaries from Bannockburn, thus giving the Chainers a less than welcome inroad on the world and resulting in some friction between the locals and the auxiliaries.  Even in the larger population centers such as the capital city of Llanfyrth, technology rarely exceeds Victorian age capabilities.  The exceptions are, of course, found in those places where the Hawkwoods actually maintain estates and residences, where Second Republic technology maintains house members in comfort.  The "forest people," a Hawkwood euphemism for the pagans, dwell in hovels that barely approach mediaeval standards of sophistication.

Leminkainen: A Hawkwood-ruled border world which suffered heavily from the barbarian invasions of the past. It was occupied for a time by barbarians, and their descendants still live here, maintaining what they claim is a sovereign nation. The Hawkwoods say the barbarians are deluded, and only live separately from others because the Hawkwoods allow it. The native barbarians are said to be petitioning the Vuldrok for an alliance, and if their sealed jumpgate ever reopens, the Hawkwoods would have a difficult time holding onto this world.

Closer than any of the Known Planets to the Vuldrok Border, Leminkainen presents House Hawkwood with a bureaucratic and military nightmare. Overrun at one point during the Barbarian Invasions, Leminkainen is still playing catch-up, trying to recover f rom the damage done to its cities and farmlands. Although House Hawkwood was able to retake their planet and drive out most of the invaders, many barbarians remained behind after their armies left and now form their own enclave on one of the three major landmasses of the planet. While claiming sovereignty over what they call Valdalla, these tribes maintain a tenuous truce with the Hawkwood "overlords," whom they refuse to acknowledge as such though they pay tribute to them anyway.  Leminkainen is valuable to House Hawkwood because of the presence of rare deposits of Pygmallium. An entire Hawkwood garrison resides on the site where this precious metal is extracted in order to protect the area from possible attack. The population of Leminkainen is less than 500,000 (not counting the barbarians, who have never submitted to a census).  Most of the inhabitants of the planet live in small villages where they spend their time labouring long hours to make the land produce once more and to help it recover from the hardships and depredations caused by long years of pitched battles. The city of Hakkonen, the largest on the planet, lies near Leminkainen's only starport and the Pygmallium mines.The Engineers have an agreement with House Hawkwood that allows them access to the Pygmalliun produced on planet in return for reduced rates for acquit ing and repairing advanced technology. They also maintain a minor guildhouse on the planet.

Ravenna: A Hawkwood world, and the birthplanet of Emperor Alexius. While the planet is safe from Vuldrok far, it is between two worlds which have suffered harassment. The people are used to a quiet existence and pastoral pastimes, from falconry to beastback hunting. Many outsiders believe they are in denial about the threat to their world and way of life, drinking bitters as their other worlds are plundered. Others believe that, should Ravenna be attacked, Alexius will finally make a serious move against the barbarians.

This planet contains some of the most striking geographic features to be found on any of the Hawkwood controlled worlds: towering mountains and arid deserts vie with lush woodlands and sprawling plains. Although it supports a human population of less than half a billion, its mineral resources provide House Hawkwood with vital income. Many of the inhabitants work the mines of Ravenna and the planet houses several fine smiths and L artisans who shape the metals extracted from the earth into tools, weapons and decorative objects. Swords of Ravennan steel are among the favored weaponry of Hawkwood knights.  As the birthplace of Emperor Alexius, who comes from Sardonia, its capital city, Ravenna has recently become inundated with visitors eager to see for themselves the place that gave birth to the Savior of the Empire. Hawkwood nobility often gathers on the grand estates that surround the environs of the capital to enjoy such pastimes as hunting, falconry contests and to test their prowess at riding the magnificent urrocs trained on the planet by members of House Trusnikron.  In many ways, Ravenna is a showcase planet: technology levels for the peasantry are kept deliberately low to preserve the idyllic atmosphere of the villages that dot the countryside near the Hawkwood estates and preserves. The annual Craftsman's Fair held in the Agora in Sardonia draws visitors from throughout the Known Worlds to admire the local talent and purchase for  themselves some unique example of "peasant craft.  "If the peasantry is unhappy  with its enforced backwardness, it gives no sign of it, seeming content to toil under the gentle rule of its Hawkwood rulers.

Velisimil (Obun): The homeworld of the Ur-Obun, officially owned by House Hawkwood. The Obun have a degree of sovereignty envious to other races, and still maintain their ancient culture of wisdom. The architecture of the planet is like nowhere else in the Known Worlds, with graceful spires reaching beyond the clouds, beautiful fountains miles high, perfect gardens and wide promenades. Human malcontents attempting to find a black underbelly to Obun culture have so far been unsuccessful.

The natural beauty of this planet is accentuated by Obun architectural philosophy, which strives to complement rather than overpower its surroundings. As planetary rulers, House Hawkwood maintains a governmental enclave and a small military presence here but otherwise leaves Velisimil to its indigenous population. A few members of House Juandaastas also reside here with their Obun spouses.The bulk of the Obun live here, and their laws take precedence over those of the Empire in purely internal matters. The technology level is relatively sophisticated; though it differs in design, it falls somewhere between Diaspora and Early Second Republic in complexity. Nevertheless, students of architecture make pilgrimages to Velisimil to marvel at the alien sense of design and come back with a new sense of how to blend nature and technology into a harmonious whole.

Hazat Worlds

The crown jewel of the Hazat is Aragon, home of shining spires, ancient castles, famous diamond mines, glorious battles and some of the most legendary warriors ever to walk the Known Worlds. What is less well known are the wretched slums of unemployed legionnaires, the violent desert nomads, and the constant feud between the Eduardo and Justus branches.The center of Hazat power is the glorious palace and war college on the west coast of Quechua, the planet's largest continent. The center of Quechua is desert and the east coast has some of the planet's richest farm land, owned by theJustus branch of the family. The Eduardo branch controls the west coast, including the planet's main industrial holdings. This industrial section is still retooling from the massive military buildup of the Emperor Wars, when almost the entirety of the planet's resources were turned over to the war effort.Most of the serfs who were called away from their jobs to serve in the armed forces have returned to their earlier callings. Most work the land, but more  than a few have ended up in the growing slums around Aragon's factories. Crime has leapt incredibly in the past three years, turning these tenements into hot beds of violence and dissent. The Hazat have not made any effort to bring them under control Aragon's dangerous slums have always been a breeding ground for excellent soldiers, and the Hazat believe current conditions are just part of that process.

• Castle Furias:   This is the main palace of the Hazat. It once belonged to the Justus branch, but when the Eduardos broke away, they took the palace as one of their holdings. This breathtakingly beautiful complex is as defensible as it is gorgeous. Its battlements are an intrinsic part of its architecture, and its armor glistens like crystal.  For generations the Justus branch spent vast sums making the building even more sumptuous, and the Eduardos have continued this process. During the Emperor Wars several Hazat knights found St. Bernado's Globe of Infinite Wonderment in a Diaspora-era ruin on Vera Cruz. The Eduardos smuggled it off planet and brought it to Castle Furias, where it now sits in the center of the main chapel. No one can deny that the castle has appeared more resplendent since its additions, and serfs have begun to visit the globe as a pilgrimage. Rumor has it that those who view the stone become both more aware of their deepest desires (+8 Introvert while in its presence) and more committed to those desires (+4 Passion while in its presence).

Sutek: The first humans to fly through a jumpgate found themselves in this star system, and humans have been here ever since. Its cities have sprung up on the ruins of its older municipalities, and inhabitants regularly find artifacts dating back to the earliest days of the First Republic. Most of the valuable items disappeared years ago, but rumors still crop up about major hidden troves of antique treasures.

Originally known as Sathra's Boon, Sutek has had the longest human habitation of any world other than Holy Terra. The Sathra movement had its greatest strength here, and this is where the earliest battles against its adherents took place. The First Republic claimed to have completely destroyed all traces of the movement, and took extra care to annihilate its adherents here, but rumors persisted that the heresy had survived.  House Chauki claimed this planet during the Diaspora, swearing to protect humanity from any renewal of the Sathra threat.  By the time of the Second Republic the house had lost much of its hold on the world. It became an industrial center during that period and benefited greatly from its proximity to Urth and Byzantium Secundus. The collapse of the Second Republic devastated Sutek. The Hazat renewed the old Chauki claim to the planet, and the Castenda branch moved in. The Church adamantly objected but was in too much disarray to stop this move.Over the years the Castendas solidified their hold on the planet, though many claim Sutek has solidified its hold over them. Indeed, there have been many times when the Castendas appeared ready to break off from the Hazat and form their own house. Only the threat of a Church move on the planet has kept them from doing so. The Church has always had a strong distrust of anything associated with what was once Sathra's Boon, and many Castendas fear that if they did break off from the house's protection, nothing would stop the Patriarch from moving in.

• A night road is said to exist between Sutek and the Kurgan Caliphate.

Vera Cruz lacks many of the industrial problems which afflict Aragon, but that is because it also lacks that planet's industry. The only important industry on the planet is agriculture, though there is a little bit of mining on the planet's only sizable continent. The Bursandra branch of the family owns most of the planet's land, and they have built a gorgeous palace on Dorado, a beautiful island just off the coast of the main continent.  Vera Cruz suffered almost no damage during the Emperor Wars but is now threatened by the Kurga Caliphate. The Hazat know that the Kurgans desperately want to seize Vera Cruz. Indeed, those prisoners the Hazat have captured have told them that they feel it is their holy duty to "liberate" the planet. A number of Eskatonic and Avestite priests have established a monastery on the planet's arctic continent. There they research Kurgan claims regarding the planet, but nothing of note has been reported.  The Hazat like to promote Vera Cruz as their least military-oriented planet, but this is changing as the Kurgan conflict becomes more active. Many landless knights have flocked here trying to earn a piece of the lost world, and Vera Cruz's nobles have begun to call in troops from their underlings on other planets. On top of this, a number of Hazat, especially those of the Rolas and Dulcinea branches, are secret practitioners of the Soma psychic path. They have a hidden training facility on Vera Cruz, well away from prying eyes.

Icon: The Li Halan hold Icon sacred, for it is where they announced their conversion to Orthodoxy. The planet was originally valued for its Ur ruins, but those ruins have been scoured inch by inch since, and there are few mysteries left.   The Li Halan consider Icon to be a bulwark against the dangerous ideas coming out of Manitou, and they often pester the Inquisitorial Synod with requests for cleansings (with the result that the synod rarely bothers with Icon, a fact which the residents are glad of).

Icon was founded by a splinter sect of Urth Orthodox, who settled in the northern part of Ithica. Other religious groups soon followed, including New Style Muslims and the Brethren of the Stars (Xianists), who settled in the region of Famater (originally Fatima). Although the people of these sects converted to the Prophet's message, vestiges of the earlier religions remain and have inter mixed with the rites of the Universal Church.  The southern region of Urtata holds a large population of later arrivals.  Small farms and huge Li Halan estates dot Urtata. Many Ur ruins were found here.  The population of the southern continent is conservatively Orthodox and looks askance at the strange ways of them cousins in the northern hemisphere.  Surprisingly, many of the best artisans of the Li Halan worlds are found on the planet, and Urtata dancing and poetry have been mimicked on many worlds.  The conversion of the Li Halan took place in the Twerrid Mountains on Famater, a place feared by the local inhabitants.

A desert planet, it was here that the Li Halan rose to power.  Escoral is the capital city, marked by the grandeur of the Prophet's Cathedral and the Li Halan palace.  Most of the rural population work on the large Li Halan estates, or are small farmers huddled in the Greenswarth, the temperate region along the coast of the Rwellim Sea, south of the great deserts.  The Greenswarth is the only agricultural region on the planet, save for the northern city of Calgirn (originally New Calgary).   Desert tribes, the Ishwin Confederacy, live in the harsh interior.  Tied to House Li Halan by blood and oath, they make the fiercest warriors of House Li Halan.   Originally independent, their power was largely crushed by Cardano. Now the tribes have limited autonomy, many of them having become herdsmen.  Yet there exists no violence between them and the other inhabitants.  Li Halan rule is strong and the planet lives peacefully under their hand.  Rural outbreaks of discontent are swiftly crushed, and little word of these has reached other worlds. The entire population is Orthodox in belief.

• Pilgrimage: the location where Saint Maya, after arguing with the Prophet, struck a rock in anger, miraculously causing a spring to flow.

Midian: A Li Halan world, famed as the birthplace of Patriarch Palamedes, founder of the Universal Church. It was the Prophet's preaching here that converted Palamedes, heir to vast lands then owned by House Alecto. The planet's religious heritage is pounded into the hearts and minds of all the residents, many of whom nonetheless abandoned the Orthodoxy during the Emperor Wars to join the multitude of new sects springing up on the planet, much to the horror of the devout Li Halan.

The homeworld of Patriarch Palamedes, House Li Halan was invited in to quell a violent civil war between the Northern League and the Orthodox Unionists. The Northern League dwelt in the northern region of Lyonesse. Descendants of free thinkers, small democratic townships and those seeking escape from the overcrowded First Republic, they were hated by the settlers of Zujan in the south, who were Orthodox believers. Ruled by small despots after the decline of House Alecto, the Orthodox despots of Zujan joined in an attempt to conquer Lyonesse.  While they possessed the larger armies, the Zujan Union suffered from the higher technological development and hit-and-run tactics of the Northern League.  However, after 11 years and a crushing defeat at the Battle of Vout, the Northern League appealed to the Li Halan for aid. The Li Halan crushed the southern despots and remained as lords of Midian. The Northern League they left largely alone, merely acknowledging a sworn oath to House Li Halan. Zujan they divided into large estates, despoiling the minor noble houses there, a few of which were assimilated through marriage.Alone among provinces of the Li Halan worlds, Lyonesse remains governed by a democratic constitution. Orthodox belief finds more liberal interpretation here, and the Li Halan have never been harsh in their rule.   That is because the greatest scientists, weapon builders, engineers and doctors tend to come from this continent. The citizens are treated well and in return, they have been loyal, if somewhat resented by others. The two times that zealous reformers attempted to crack down on Lyonesse, they were met with resistance by those house members who worried that such censure would cost the house vital tech innovation. Lyonesse holds the weapon factories and manufacturing plants of House Li Halan, and the technicians from here supervise fleet construction in Zujan, at the Lextius shipyards. Ironically, the religious fervor which caused uprisings on Midian swept through the Orthodox populace of Zujan. Lyonesse, with its democratic traditions, remained untouched.

Rampart: This frontier world was once owned by the League but was seized by the Li Halan during the Emperor Wars. The independent guild that once ran the planet is still powerful, but choking under the reforms of the Li Halan governor, who seeks to clean up what she perceives as social decay and moral licentiousness. The Li Halan are attempting to enforce onto the frontier-minded residents of Rampart the sort of social laws they expect on their other, better-behaved worlds. But the rigid caste structure they impose is resisted by the residents, and the call for a major uprising is spreading despite the best efforts of Li Halan information police.

This League world was seized by the Li Halan during the Emperor Wars to increase their technological base. Despite Li Halan reforms (often an attempt to civilize largely unruly frontier people), there are seeds of rebellion in the air. Small skirmishes between the Li Halan military authorities and "Leaguers" have occurred in the Nordrist region of the tundra world. The technology gained from Rampart has greatly added to the strength of the Li Halan fleet.

Ungavorox (Vorox): The homeworld of the Vorox is a vicious environment composing many conflicting biomes. The planet breeds some of the fiercest and most dangerous predators in the Empire, many of them poisonous with toxins even most assassins dare not use lest they be turned against them. Amid this chaos of competition, the Vorox reign. While not as big as some Voroxian predators, they learned early on to use teamwork to take down their prey and defend themselves from their own predators  - on this world, no one is above the food chain. The planet is owned by Li Halan, who are careful only to allow civilized Vorox offworld.

Church Worlds

Artemis: Home of the head Sanctuary Aeon monastery, Artemis is a holy world with strict immigration policies. While nobles and guild members live on Artemis, they must follow church law, which imposes strict behavioral rules. Every law is designed to minimise conflict, including such penalties as exile to far continents if the two parties cannot govern their relationships with each other. Despite the seemingly harsh rules, the best medical technology in the Empire is found here. The sick and the dying who can afford the journey to Artemis for healing usually return whole again (although with a samritan penance they must perform as payment).

De Moley: An inhospitable and barren planet, De Moley has little atmosphere (about as much as Mars).  Terraforming was incomplete when the Second Republic collapsed.  Nonetheless, De Moley is home to the prime Brother Battle monastery.  Visitors must negotiate the treacherous paths up the high crags to reach the monastery, since the howling winds are too much for most skimmers to handle.  The valleys between the high mountains are calmer, hosting the atmosphere domes in which a small population lives, helping to reap De Moley's resources.  A hard life is all the peasants of De Moley know.  Those few who escape from this world are valued for their hardiness.

• Brother Battle monastery

Holy Terra (Urth): Also known by its old name, Urth. It is the capital of the Church and the cradle of humanity. But the planet is overcrowded; teeming masses of the faithful crowd into the cities that dot the globe.   Immigration is strictly controlled by the Church, and those born on Holy Terra are given special consideration over foreigners. It is the prime planet for pilgrimages, however, as holy sites important to human history are found on every continent.

Pentateuch: Terraformed by the legendary Doramus, Pentateuch is considered by many to be a magical planet, the ultimate wedding of magic and technology.  There seems to be strong evidence that Doramus deliberately designed the terraforming to create ley lines and energy centers, although most of these are little understood today, for Doramus left no records of his secrets. The Eskatonic Order claims the cathedral and rulership of this world, although the planet is a frequent target for Inquisitorial scrutiny.  Capital: Heliopolis.

• Weltgeist phenomenon
• Sirocco Wind
• Basilica of Saint Paulus and Horace

Apshai: A joint human and Vau world. Apshai has many citizens of the Empire living upon it. The Vau rarely leave the one continent they forbid humans to enter, where the G'nesh live. Human colonisation of Apshai was allowed during the Second Republic, a secondary result  of years of diplomatic negotiations concerning an affair long since forgotten. Empire spies are sent here to observe the Vau, but they are never allowed close enough to see anything of worth. A 'mission to Apshai' is equivalent to a vacation or retirement.

Manitou: A joint human-Vau protectorate, Manitou is home to some of the few psychic covens which dare to operate openly. The Vau do not allow the Inquisition to enter the system, and so criminals and outcasts from across the Known Worlds desperately seek to find their way here. The Vau either do not care or have planned it this way, using the world as a viewing glass into the underbelly of human culture. The human government is run by a local guild, although it has strong ties to the League and claims fealty to the new Emperor. In theory anyone can be elected to a seat on the Joint Administrators' Guild, but in practice open elections never take place anyway.  Seats are created or deleted on a vote from current JAG members, votes and seats are constantly traded as favours, and some seats carry more votes than others.  As a result, it is difficult to known who really controls the JAG at any given moment. 

• Haunted Chapel
• T'shrang'ameen – the arcology where Vau presence is concentrated

Vau (Shaduveen'Lan Tuomani): A closed world; nobody is allowed into Vau Space without diplomatic permission. They rarely kill invaders, though. They simply snatch them up with their plasma nets and deposit them back on their side of the border. Repeated attempts to enter, however, may be met with deadly force. This said, black market trade does take place between the nations, but mainly in Human Space, on worlds such as Manitou or Vril-Ya Vau is home to the mandarins who venture into Human Space on missions for their leaders. It is rumoured that one of the Vau leaders is placed on this world, sent from one of the many Vau worlds beyond the planet's border.

Vril-Ya: The Vau ambassadorial world. Humans are allowed here to discuss matters of state, but they must stay on the single island reserved for their use. Certain lower caste Vau run a secretive blackmarket, selling Vau tech items to those who can afford them and are discreet enough not to bring the deal to the attention of the mandarins. They rarely deal openly, using alien go-betweens instead, such as Hironem or other minor races. Plus a bunch of planets in the Hegemony which no player character will be invited to for a while.

Other Vau Worlds: Rumours exist that the Vau worlds number more than those of the Known Worlds. This is a staggering thought.

According to the amazing (and most probably untrue) travels of some of Emperor Alexius' Questing Knights, the following Vau worlds exist:
Worlds of the Hegemony

Symbiot-Controlled Worlds

Absolution: This world has been compromised by the Symbiots. It is outside the Stigmata Garrison's direct influence, and the people of Absolution have been abandoned by the Known Worlds. Travel to Absolution (and all compromised worlds) is forbidden. Any ship caught trying to enter the Known Worlds from these planets is destroyed by the Stigmata Garrison.

Abydos: Symbiot-infested Lost World with night roads to Hargard (Vuldrok) and the Lost World of Eridol.

Chernobog: The Symbiot homeworld. Little is known of Chernobog, for the last humans to set foot upon the world never returned. The Jumpgate to Chernobog from Stigmata is blockaded: no one is allowed in or out, although the occassional Symbiot force breaks  through nonetheless. It is said that the planet is a steamy jungle teeming with Symbiot lifeforms of all kinds, fighting each other tooth and claw for dominance.

Daishan: Compromised in the Symbiot War, Daishan was scorched by the Stigmata Garrison. Symbiotes cannot grow anything on scorched worlds, but neither can humans. Daishan has sinced been recolonised by a small force of soldiers and Brother Battle monks, operating out of atmosphere facilities built on the planet. The planet seems to have been deserted by the once prevalent Symbiot forces, but the Imperial Army is not stupid - they know Symbiot seeds surely lay waiting to burst forth tendrils of new horrors. But there may also be a clue to beating back the  monsters, and for such a clue the faithful will risk all.

Independent Worlds

Grail: Ruled by House Keddah (a minor house), Grail's vast forests and mountains are home to the Etyri, a sentient avian race. Grail is where the Prophet was healed by Amalthea of the darkness which had infected his soul on a Lost World beyond the border. The planets name comes from the symbol for the Amaltheans, and there is a Sanctuary Aeon monastery on the planet at the site of the Prophet's healing.

Grail is the only planet held by the Keddah. Hardwoods from their vast estates, especially the beautiful red-gold Baryana, are much prized on Kish, Pyre, Cadavus and other planets whose wood resources are severely limited. Blue veined marble from the Etyriani Mountains is sold throughout the Known Worlds, and even appreciated by the barbarians of the Kurga Caliphate. Keddite, a rare metal, was once used extensively in Second Republic manufacturing, but is now used to make adornments.

House Keddah has ruled Grail since the Fall, but its other holdings have been consistently eroded.  Now it only has Grail, and a few other minor fiefs on other planets.  The Keddah are determined to defend their last world against all those who would rob it from them. Taxes are presently high, fueling the build-up of the navy and army.  The Keddah are aware that the Jacobian Agency has its tentacles firmly wrapped around every level of government.  They have begun a program of counter-intelligence, rooting our the cancer.  It is slow work, but already they have had some small successes.

The cathedral, situated in the capital, Copher, is a beautiful structure, the second highest in the city.  Although not as large as some of the cathedrals on more prosperous worlds, some of the tapestries are preserved from the time of Nicholas the Second, the famed artisan-king.  Many pilgrims stop by here on their way to the site of the healing of the Prophet.

The agora is quite large, and very rambling.  There is much in the way of spices, and Etyri curiosities.  The Muster have a firm grip on the economy at large, due to the massive labour requirements due to the extensive mining and ship-building programs.

The garrison is quite respectable for a minor house, although many of the ships date back to the Second Republic, and are in desparate need of repair or replacement.  A small force hunts smugglers and pirates through the asteroid rings, a dangerous and underpaid task.

The route from Pyre carries much traffic from Byzantium Secundus and Criticorum.  Despite the slight increase in the level of Avestite scrutiny, the Keddah largely manage to avoid the worst suspicions.

Kurgan Caliphate Worlds

Hira (Kurga): This world can be reached through the Vera Cruz jumpgate. It is the Lost World being fought over by the Hazat and the Kurga Caliphate (a barbarian regime beyond the Lost World).  The world actually has many names, depending on who you talk to (a native, a Hazat soldier, or a Kurgan); whomever wins it will surely rename it anyway. The jump route from Vera Cruz to this jungle world has closed and reopened more than any other.  House Chauki controlled this planet prior to the Hazat uprising, and before the Hazat could consolidate their hold, the Kurgans closed the jumpgate.   When it reopened centuries later, the Hazat branch on the planet had changed dramatically, and controlled very little of it. The Justus branch sent a number of legions over to reassert control, and the jump route closed again. It reopened again shortly after the birth of Vladimir, and the Hazat found that something called the  Kurga Caliphate had risen to power.This began the war between the two groups.   During this 500-year feud the jumproute has opened and closed on numerous occasions - usually whenever the Kurgans are losing. The last reopening was almost 100 years ago, and Hazat scientists believe that the Kurgans somehow caused this change, and the house believes that only a concerted effort to retake the planet can keep it from happening again. Hazat holdings on the planet are centred around the uranium-rich mountains of the south, where they have made an alliance with House Shelit, a minor house which has long been at odds with the Caliphate. The Hazat have been trying to push into the fertile lowlands to the north of their holdings, and the farms here have been the scene of some violent clashes.  Still, the Hazat are only now beginning to bring the full weight of their military to bear, and most off-planet Hazat feel a full offensive is imminent.

Khayyam: A once polluted and heavily indutrialized world, Khayyam is once again rising from the slumber of Kurgan Caliphate control. Now struggling to become an autonomous republic, Khayyam is is awaiting the wrath of the Caliph. Khayyam is rumoured to be the birthplace of Saint Horace.

Al Fashir: A desert world of vicious kurgan tribes fighting over territory and water. The deep deserts are the home of the mythical and deadly Dwa Regh tribes. The Ahgar Caliph rules much of Al Fashir, and is an opposing factor to the Caliph of Irem. Al Fashir symbolises all which is Kurgan culture and was the birthplace of the holy woman Sata Natura, who greatly enhanced the Kurgan culture.

Beliah: A barren Mars-like world where the majority of its populations live in great subterranean cities who fight over vital passages, mines and other valuable resources. The strange implastrite extrusion fields can be found on Beliah, as well as bottomless seas of statically loaded sand. These bottomless seas are impossible to swim and are said to hold an entire Vuldrok fleet that was lured to land there by the first Caliph. Some cities are inhabited by ukar tribes.

Irem: Capitol of the Kurgan Caliphate. This blue hued world was heavily terraformed and is with its artficial system of rings, the most beautiful world known to exist. The majority of this star system neighbours the huge Simurgh-Nebulah, which symbolises the potency of the star-maker and the kurgan culture.

Rukh: An enigmatic world of mysterious anunnaki terraforming, used mainly by the Caliphate for cloud mining and extracing rare chemicasl from the chemical sea. Super huge organism exist in this world, most famous of these were the now extinct gargantuan rukh birds. Large geographical feaures resemble remains of huge beasts and the very landmasses seem to once have been huge cellular organisms. A truly mysterious and foul smelling world, inhabited by very pious Kurgans of squat and often Changed nature.

Tsuma: A nest of sin and decadence according to many Kurgans. This heavily industrialised world produces most of the ships and high technology needed by the Caliphate. Its only continent is nearly completely covered by a sprawling maxicrete city.

Hargard (Vuldrok): The world immediately past Gwynneth's jumpgate is referred to as Vuldrok, and is the source of recent barbarian raids. The Hawkwoods are currently hiring mercenaries to take the raiding back to Vuldrok.

Fingisvold: An arctic world of fierce warring Vuldrok nations. Home of the Kurmda's Might War College and several Maghtaw strongholds of high technology.  

Wolf's Lament: Heavily contested Vuldrok world of various tribal nations, most loyal to thane Wakan Mato. Known for its Ishkin and Tundra Wolves, as well as its great library of Vanaheim.

Raven: Mysterious anunnaki touched world and home of the Vuldrok ruling body known as the Great Allthing.

Frost: Another Vuldrok hot-spot of mixed tribal nations. Seat of power of Greolf the Grim who seeks to once again unite the Vuldrok.

Lost Worlds

Beacon: Another world that was heavily terraformed by the anunnaki. Beacon has an extreme axial tilt, providing it with a constant, freezing nightside and a sun blistered desert dayside. The small temperate zone exists between these extremes. Second Replublic terraforming created a force fence to ward of the cold temperatures of the nightside region to increase the temperate zone. Anunnaki pyramids dot the northern continent, the largest of which transmits a tachyon pulse signal towards a neighbouring yellow giant star (hence the planet's name). Once ruled by the strange Gatekeeper technocracy, the world sealed its gate from the chaos of the fall. After the exile and departure of the cyborg Gatekeepers, Beacon cleansed itself of high-tec and ultimately sealed its fate. Famine, wars and religious conflicts pushed the civlisations of Beacon back into a pre-industrialised era. The world was found by joint Imperial, Hawkwood and House al-Malik explorers, but ownership is still much debated.

Heaven's Ridge: An uncharted world said to neighbour the Kurgan Caliphate, but still remains unconquered. The Vox Igni people of Heaven's Ridge are said to live in a culture inspired directly by the anunnaki and hold many ancient secrets. Builders of uncanny AI's and ships with clearly anunnaki inspired designs.

Sky Tear: The no-mans land between the Vuldrok Star-Nations and the Kurgan Caliphate. The strange, fungus infested world of Sky Tear is protected by both Vuldrok and Kurgans for its sacred and important muazi flesh. However, all human inhabitants of Sky Tear become insane, sooner or later.

Antioch: Another world caught between the Vuldrok and Kurgans. Antioch is reputed for its beauty and extremely skilled diplomats. It is sometimes called the gateway to the Known Worlds.

Epiphany: Unknown lost world caught between the Vuldrok and Kurgans whom the Vuldrok claim is a water world of peaceful fishermen.

Novgorod: A hostile jungle infested world and a new Vuldrok colony.

Lamorak: A world of mythical heroes, magic lantern shows and ancient film industry greatly respected by the Vuldrok.

Twilight: An ex-Hawkwood world plagued by a post nuclear holocaust environment. Home to millions upon millions of desillusioned people wanting a new home.

Kun Lun: An uncharted world reputedly full of psychics and a sinister and largely unknown Overmind presence or intelligence.

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