Now, if you’ve turned to this section to find out
all there is to know about the planets and moons
that make up the ‘Verse—how much each planet
weighs, what the percentage of oxygen is compared
to hydrogen, how many continents each planet
has, that’s bai lih mohn. Truth is, we just plain don’t
have room for all that in this book. Someday we
might come out with a book that does have room.
But this ain’t that day. We’re going to give you the
information on each world you might need to land,
do the job, then pack up and leave.
After all, no one gets paid for sight-seeing.
Central Planets
The central planets are a wonderland of peace
and technology. All citizens have enough to eat.
They work in glistening skyscrapers and live in highrise
apartment buildings. The grass is green and the
skies are clear and no one wants for anything. That’s
if you believe the Alliance propaganda.
To be fair, the propaganda is mostly true. Even
the poor who live on the Core worlds rarely want for
shelter or food. Still, contrary to what the Alliance
might want everyone to think, not everyone on the
Core worlds is well-to-do. Those who aren’t wealthy
don’t find life much better than those living out on
the Rim. They may be better schooled, and their
work might not involve dirt collecting beneath their
fingernails, but there are plenty of folk who don’t
much like their lot in life.
Trapped in repetitive, unimaginative jobs,
viewing nothing but the four low walls of a cube all
day, they have the watchful eye of the Alliance on
them at every turn. There is so much surveillance
on a Core world “to prevent crime and ensure the
safety of citizens” that almost everything a person
does is recorded on a monitor somewhere.
The authorities will tell you that crime is almost
non-existent on the Central Planets, since their
scanners are almost everywhere. Still, folk being
folk, there are some who manage to find a way to
poke the Alliance in its electronic eye now and then.
Most folk on the Core worlds are content. They
lead comfortable lives, with time and leisure to
spend with their families. Their children all have
access to the best quality education and health care.
They have found the peaceful, prosperous existence
that mankind has been seeking since he left the
Garden of Eden. If they have to trade away some
of their freedom to get this, they would tell you it
was worth it.
These are the same folk who can’t understand
why other folk on the outer worlds fought so hard
against it.
ARIEL
Like the rest of the Core worlds, Ariel is a
paradise of technology. Tall buildings constructed
of gleaming glass and steel reach into the sky.
Holographic billboards advertise all manner of
wonders. The night is filled with light. The day with
the hustle and bustle of business.
Ariel is known among the central planets for
its excellent medical facilities. The technology in
Ariel’s hospitals is the very latest, featuring such
fancifications as holographic scanners and lots of
machines that you gotta shout “clear!” to use.
The restaurants on Ariel are so good that folk
travel here from other worlds just to have dinner. All
the famous chefs come from Ariel or go to Ariel to
open their own restaurants. It is said that even the
hot dog vendors on Ariel are gourmet.
As with most planets in the Core, Ariel is a
restricted landing zone. Only those with legitimate
business (such as bringing in a Companion for a
yearly check-up) are allowed to land. (Though, in
most cases, if you look like you belong on a Core
world, no one asks many questions.)
BERNADETTE
After the initial colonization of Londinum
and Sihnon, Bernadette was the first planet to be
terraformed and settled by humanity. The only
remaining ship that brought the folk who made the
Exodus stands in the capital city of New Paris as a
monument to their courage. The ark is a monstrous
starship, at least five times the size of an Alliance
cruise. The sheer sight of the ark inspires all manner
of awe and jaw-dropping. The inside of the ark
is a museum containing information about the
journey, and also information on the cultures and
history of Earth-That-Was. The great ark is named
Prometheus, after the legendary god who gave man
fire.
Bernadette is a traditional launching point for
those leaving to settle on other worlds. Settlers
arrive here from other planets on the Core and make
preparations to set off for a new life on the Rim.
Many businesses cater to these settlers, selling tools
and supplies.
Best watch your step here. There is an
underground slave-trade on Bernadette. Settlers are
captured and hauled off to work on terraforming
stations. The slavers are smart enough to leave locals
alone. They figure outsiders won’t be missed.
Bernadette is also home to many churches and
religious groups. Buddhists and Christians rub
shoulders with Islamic clerics and Hindu fakirs. In
addition, the planet is home to a number of fringe
cults and fanatical devotees.
Bernadette is a restricted landing zone. However,
if you claim to be a settler or you have a group of
kiddies on board for a field trip to see the ark, you’re
usually welcome.
LONDINUM
Of all the planets, Londinum is the most like
Earth-That-Was and was therefore one of the first
two planets to be settled, since it needed little work
to make it ready for human habitation. Most of the
original colonists from the European and American
continents came to Londinum, where they honored
their roots by combining old tradition with new
technology. All the buildings are constructed of the
most modern material, but they look as if they were
built of stone and are of archaic design. The general
look of the cities is what book-smart folk call the
“imperial gothic” style of London from Earth-That-
Was. May not look so shiny to those from the Rim,
but it still makes the place popular with looky-loos
and picture-snappers.
The Parliament building and government
complex that surrounds it are the most impressive
sights on the planet. As big as a small city, the
Parliament building contains the great debating
chamber (“The House”), while the surrounding
building complex provides offices for all the
ministers and civil servants. It also features a huge
clock tower that has become the planet’s symbol.
Seems like almost everyone on Londinum works for
the government or for businesses who deal with the
government.
Government is not the only business of
Londinum, however. The planet is also home to
some of the greatest collections of western art in
the system. The Londinum Museum, which contains
the Museum of History and the Museum of Art, is a
splendid building that holds all manner of treasures.
Most come from the early days of colonization, but
the most valuable pieces are the ancient artifacts
from Earth-That-Was.
As the center of Alliance control, Londinum has
a strong military presence. The Alliance flagship,
Victoria, patrols its space. The planet is home to the
elite SAS (Special Alliance Support) troops. The
Ministry of Intelligence also has its headquarters
here.
Londinum is heavily restricted with “no fly”
zones above and around government buildings.
Any ship venturing near these areas is shot down,
no warning given. Tourists arrive on Londinum via
authorized shuttles that travel to and from the other
Core worlds. Tourists may visit only those areas that
are approved. Anyone caught venturing outside the
approved areas without proper ID is immediately
arrested.
OSIRIS
Osiris is the heart of the Alliance’s judicial
branch. Here the High Court hears important
cases. Their decisions affect the interpretation of
parliamentary law with repercussions throughout
the system. The Court is housed in a large pyramidshaped
building (honoring the Egyptian god of the
dead for whom the world was named) in Capital
City. The most important law firms are also based
here, linked to their branch offices on other worlds
by the Cortex. The University of Osiris boasts the
most prestigious law school in the Core, as well as a
fine medical school.
The corporate offices of the Blue Sun
Corporation are also on Osiris. Originally
on Sihnon, they were recently moved into a
massive structure that is attached to a combined
manufacturing plant, distribution center, and
spacedock. The Corporation complex is off-limits
to everyone except employees. No one enters, even
on business, without first undergoing a thorough
background check. The very latest in security
systems makes this complex nigh impossible to
break into.
Landing on Osiris is restricted, though not as
heavily as some planets (just so long as you don’t
go near Blue Sun). If you claim you need to see
your lawyer, you’ll usually be permitted to set down.
University students and their parents are always
welcome.
SIHNON
The world of Sihnon is known for its beauty.
Words alone won’t do the great city itself justice. At
night, it is said to be an ocean of light.
Sihnon is the heart of the Buddhist religion, a
fact made obvious by the many monasteries and
temples located here. Those seeking to learn more
about Buddhism travel here to study.
Sihnon is also the central hub for the guild
system. The Companion’s Guild is based here, with
multiple houses in the large cities, and a massive
temple dedicated to the schooling of young girls and
boys.
All other guilds have headquarters on Sihnon or
maintain a large presence here. Guild business takes
place behind closed doors. Disputes are handled by
registered arbitration houses. The city of Chang’Pei
is given over completely to trade administration,
making it the largest civil bureaucracy in the ‘Verse.
The penalties for bribes, taking or giving, are
harsh, but that doesn’t stop some folk. Officers of
the Sihnon Trade Commission work undercover to
root out the worst offenders. The officers know that
they cannot stop the corruption completely, but they
work tirelessly to see that it doesn’t get out of hand.
These folk take their jobs seriously. They are well
trained in combat and interrogation procedures, as
well as espionage and accounting.
The capital of Sihnon is Lu’Weng. Local legend
maintains that Lu’Weng was once a fire-breathing
dragon that fell from the sky and was bound to the
planet with silken ribbons. The numbers of hot
springs here seem to bear this theory out, and every
home traditionally has a silken awning or a curtain
across the door to keep the dragon bound. Lu’Weng
(the city) is one of the largest producers of silk in
the system. Raw silk is farmed all over the planet and
then sent to Lu’Weng, where it is refined and bolted
or made into beautiful clothing that never falls out
of favor with the rich throughout the system.
Landing on Sihnon is restricted, though there
is so much traffic coming and going on this busy
world that the government issues passes to those
who come here on a frequent basis. Such passes
aren’t hard to get, nor are they hard to forge.
Border Planets
The Border planets are near enough to the
central planets that they have business dealings with
those on the Core. However, the Border planets are
far enough away from the Core that the eyes of the
Alliance can’t always make out what’s going on.
Thus, these planets are excellent locales for
certain unscrupulous folk from the Core to conduct
business dealings “in private.” They don’t have to
move to these planets, thank God! (Though there
are those eccentrics who travel here from the Core
to “get away from it all”—the kind of people who
build strong fortresses to keep out the riffraff and
would never dream of socializing with the local
yokels.) The irony is that these same folk are all
in favor of the rules and regulations that govern
business dealings throughout the system—just as
long as those rules and regulations don’t affect them.
To give the folk on these planets credit where
credits are due, there are plenty on the Border
worlds who are eager to do business with those on
the Core. And there are always countless numbers
without a silver in their pocket here looking for
work.
Landing on Beaumonde and Persephone is
supposedly regulated, but the traffic is so heavy
that the harried Alliance officials who try to police
it have mostly thrown up their hands in frustration
and sometimes don’t even bother to ask what your
business is. (Perhaps they figure it’s best they don’t
know!) Landing on Bellerophon is more difficult,
since the world is basically off limits to all who don’t
own one of its elegant estates. Still, there are ways...
The Border planets are the best and worst of
all possible worlds. Tall, elegant skyscrapers and
magnificent mansions stare down their steel noses
at cardboard hovels and crowded slums. You can
buy anything on the Border planets, from someone
to pick off your worst enemy to a pink ruffled
dress that looks like a layer cake. (Just don’t buy the
“Good Dogs” from the vendor in the Eavesdown
Docks. Not if you care that the sausage inside the
bun was once actually a good little dog.)
BEAUMONDE
The heavily industrialized planet of Beaumonde
is the manufacturing hub of the system. Its cities
are surrounded by factories that produce everything
from computer parts to ceramic coffee mugs. Some
of the factories are owned by Blue Sun, though
there are rumors that a few of these are not really
factories at all or, if they are, that they’re turning out
something other than canned beans. Security is tight
at all Blue Sun plants, so no one has ever been able
to get inside one of these buildings to find out. Or
least if they did, they never got back out to tell the
tale.
Due to the high industrial output, pollution is
a problem. Beaumonde’s cities are covered in a
perpetual haze. Weather control systems process
the worst of the pollution, but the science-minded
reckon the long-term effects may not be quite so
simple to take care of. Every year more pollutants
find their way into the water and the soil, causing
all manner of difficulty for those who live off the
land. Some people have moved their homes and
businesses underground to escape the air pollution.
Once you get away from the cities and out into
the countryside, the air quality improves a mite.
Farmers and ranchers manage to make a good living.
There is also a thriving spaceport on Beaumonde,
much like the more famous port on Persephone.
New Dunsmuir is the capital of Beaumonde.
The city is the only one on the planet that has no
factories. Located on an ocean, New Dunsmuir is
a popular tourist destination. Many wealthy factory
owners make their homes here, as do those who
work in the tourist industry. New Dunsmuir is a
beautiful city with avenues of trees and carefully
maintained flower gardens.
BELLEROPHON
Bellerophon is a world home to the private
estates of the system’s wealthiest folk. Anything they
want is shipped in from off-world, so they have no
need for shops or local color.
The estates themselves are each the size of a
small town and float gracefully a mile above the clear
waters of Bellerophon’s oceans. Each estate is a selfcontained
world of its own. They all share a similar
basic design and standardized amenities—such as a
rubbish collection system.
The wealthy pay well for their privacy and the
skies above Bellerophon are patrolled by both the
Feds and private security companies. Visiting the
estates is by invitation only. Those who come to
work on the estates have to provide a damn good
reason why they’re here. (Fresh flowers anyone?)
However, there is a lot of empty desert on this
planet—a nice, quiet place to meet someone if you
can sneak past the Feds.
BOROS
Ares, one of Boros’ moons, is home to
Iskellkian’s primary military shipyards. It’s no
wonder then, that the planet is crawling with all
manner of government agents and bureaucrats and
military folk. Ares is restricted to Alliance personnel
and Iskellian technicians. However, anyone who
travels near to Boros can lay eyes on the Alliance
cruisers being built in orbit around Ares. There are
usually five cruisers in production at any one time,
since it takes roughly six years to complete one. A
full battalion of Alliance troops is barracked here,
as the moon is a target for terrorist attacks and
corporate raiders seeking the newest technology.
Few ever manage to penetrate this perimeter, as the
Alliance is more vigilant here than anywhere outside
the Core.
The planet Boros is not as industrialized as
Beaumonde. It has a lot of prairie land where you
find sprawling ranches and farms. Boros’ cities have
some factories that manufacture goods, though the
products are meant mostly to be used on the planet.
The major industry of Boros is scrap metal. Parts
that didn’t meet the Alliance’s rigorous standards,
castoffs, damaged parts, and plain old junk find their
way from Ares to Boros. Smaller and less reputable
tech-companies hoping to pick up the scraps of
Alliance contracts keep outlets on Boros. Small
wonder that folk see Boros as a good place to find
parts for almost anything, often at a good price.
Better still, the planet has few landing
restrictions. Ares is, of course, off-limits unless you
can prove that you have a damn good reason to be
there. Assuming the patrolling Alliance doesn’t just
shoot you first to be on the safe side.
HERA
Hera is a largely agricultural world, considered
the breadbasket for the entire system. Food is
grown, processed and packaged on Hera.
The planet is also the home of the infamous
Serenity Valley, where the bloodiest battle of the war
was fought. Lying midway between the Core and the
outer planets on a major shipping lane, Hera was of
great strategic importance during the war, making it
an important staging ground for both sides. Taking
Hera was a key to winning the war, and Serenity
Valley became the turning point for the conflict.
The war devastated Serenity Valley. Seven years
past, the valley is still blackened and charred by the
fire storm that swept through it. The only landmark
is a graveyard on the hills next to the valley. Over
half a million men and women—Alliance and
Independent alike—are buried here, each with his
or her own small identical headstone. Some have
names. Most don’t.
The graveyard is located on the opposite side of
the valley from the town of Serenity View. Families
and friends of the fallen come to Hera to visit
the graves, which bloom with flowers, photos and
mementos. Even the unmarked graves have their
share. Plenty of families never saw their children
return, and many have picked an unnamed grave and
honor it, hoping someone else is doing the same for
their son or daughter.
Serenity graveyard is one of the most hallowed
and sacred pieces of ground in all the ‘Verse.
214
NEWHALL
Newhall is a newly-terraformed planet with large
oceans. Stands to reason that water is the planet’s
primary commodity. Newhall’s people live on small
island chains or on floating stations on the oceans.
Newhall’s water plants are always in need of
workers, hence the Alliance’s generous incentives for
settlers who move here. Terraforming new worlds
requires a lot of fresh water, and Newhall has water
to spare. Processing the water and preparing it for
shipping isn’t an unproblematic job, though. The
water needs to be collected, desalinated, purified,
packaged, then loaded for transport.
Those of Newhall don’t want to work the water
plants can make a good living fishing. And there’s
always the tourist centers, for those who like to
swim and cavort—or who want to tend to those
who do.
PAQUIN
Known far and wide as the “gypsy planet,”
Paquin is home to more carnivals and sideshows,
galleries and theatres than you could shake a cruisersized
stick at. It also seems to be home to every conartist
and swindler in the system.
When it was being terraformed, Paquin was
chosen to host a grand opera house. Paquin’s unique
atmosphere produces sunrises and sunsets the likes
of which would lift even the burden of death, with
colors ranging from purple to blue to red to orange.
This stunning display provides a wonderful natural
backdrop for the opera house, which is located on
the shore overlooking a vast ocean.
As the new opera house brought theater lovers
to the planet, more theatres were built to take
advantage of the new trade. Paquin is the place to
see all manner of entertainment from Noh theatre
to experimental dance. Many new plays debut here,
and those that become popular travel to the Core
where they play for the elite. Artists and writers
make Paquin their home to be “closer to the muse.”
Paquin is the artistic center of the Border worlds
and rivals Sihnon in terms of culture (though the
people of Sihnon will get all manner of indignant
denying this!).
Like other worlds, Paquin has a dark side.
Countless carnivals and sideshows dot the world,
providing good honest entertainment for the prairie
folk, featuring circus acts and magic shows, freaks
and jugglers. But there are those carnies who exist
purely to fleece their patrons of all their cash or use
their bright lights as cover for even darker activities.
PERSEPHONE
Persephone is an interesting mix of people and
cultures. The world’s environment is much like
Earth-That-Was: desert, rainforest, plains, tundra,
and such. While not as heavily populated as the
worlds of the Core, Persephone still seems a very
big place to those from the Rim. Persephone has a
tradition-oriented aristocracy, a small but thriving
middle class, a fair share of the poor and desperate,
and a shadowy underworld.
The Eavesdown Docks is the largest spaceport
on Persephone. Even folk who think themselves
hotshot pilots are confused now and again by its
chaotic layout. (And woe to the new pilot trying
to make his way to a dock for the first time!) Ships
often touch down only a few yards from street
vendors selling cheap goods to the crews and
potential passengers. The docks are situated in the
poor section of town (the nobles and other rich folk
have their own private airfields), but it’s just a short
drive or a long walk to the business district—in
which just about anything in the ‘Verse can be
bought for the right price.
The docks are home to several criminal “lords,”
who collect illegal salvage, move contraband offworld
and have hundreds of other ways to make
quick, if not Alliance-approved, easy cash. A good
crew with a flyable ship could make good coin
here, so long as their morals aren’t overly high and
they don’t mind avoiding the Feds. Not far away is
a famous racetrack that is home to a famous derby
that brings in folk from throughout the system (not
to mention the throngs of Cortex-viewers), offering
a huge cash prizes to the winning horse.
Like the horses, the aristocracy of Persephone all
lay claim to a pedigree. Then again, anyone with the
right stack of coin can purchase his own lordship,
what with its fancy sash and all. Noble families live
on large estates, attending to business, dancing at
opulent balls, playing golf or tennis, and settling
matters of honor in formal duels.
Persephone is an impressive cross-section of
humanity, which is just another way to say that it’s a
world with an over abundance of opportunity and
danger.
SANTO
One of the great triumphs of terraforming is the
planet Santo. The planet is picture-perfect, with clear
blue seas, azure skies and ideal weather. Though
it has a thriving agricultural base, Santo was once
known for the tourists who thought it a paradise.
The rich flocked to the planet as an exclusive
vacation spot, and resort communities commanded
every good view to be had.
The war ended Santo’s glorious days as a
destination for the rich and beautiful. Though the
planet escaped destruction, no one from the Core
worlds dared travel here while the fighting was
about. Hotels and casinos were abandoned. Those
that stayed open did so by finding other ways to
215
attract customers. Brothels, strip clubs, and other
ventures catering to less savory appetites opened
up. Santos has become known as a “fun” place, no
matter what pleasures you’re into. After the war,
casino owners found that they could avoid Alliance
restrictions by operating in this out of the way place.
The world became a Mecca for high rollers (and
those who were not so high).
Santo’s resorts are now beginning to recover. No
longer a playground exclusively for the rich, Santos
attracts a more middle-class crowd. Its resorts are
still beautiful, its small towns picturesque, its casinos
open twenty-four seven.
You’ll have a good time here, but you might not
want to bring the kiddies.
VERBENA
Verbana is a lush world of thick forests., making
the land difficult to clear and farm, though several
fruit-producers have done well with large orchards.
The world was largely underdeveloped until the
Alliance made it a centerpiece of its “rejuvenation
after Unification” campaign. Government incentives
funded new construction, including a factory to
supply parts for military vehicles.
The factory seemed a promising start
for Verbena, but that ended when a former
Independent soldier-turned-terrorist bombed the
factory, killing hundreds of people and destroying
the structure. The bombing sent the world into an
economic depression and—far worse—created
an atmosphere of paranoia, fear, and hatred for
Browncoats and the Independence movement.
There were riots, lootings, burnings, as both sides
lost their heads.
The Alliance has pledged to help the people
of Verbena, but the appropriate legislation and
resolutions are trapped in parliamentary committees.
The world is low on the government’s list of
priorities. Some folk have fled, hoping to find a
better life elsewhere. Many more would like to leave,
but don’t have the means, and so remain trapped.
A small security force is more or less
permanently stationed on Verbena. While ostensibly
there to guard against more terrorist action, it is
really there to watch a restless population.
Poll
5 (41.7%)
Author
Topic: Serenity RPG: Bout damn time, have fun getting this ready! (Read 13805 times)