Partially Stars - The Galaxy

This month's lore post is an introduction to the galaxy in which Partially Stars takes place! There are a few planets in the system that aren't mentioned here as well, but they either don't have much human presence on them (yet) or there's nothing I can say about them that wouldn't be spoilers ;) You'll learn about those soon enough.

Special thank you to my spouse for typing this up for me while my arm was out of commission 💙

Arcalis

The gleaming capital planet Arcalis. A beacon of civilization. A cultural utopia, and home to the ruling Galactic Coalition who watches over the galaxy with a just and even hand.

Or that’s what the propaganda vids would have you believe.

Arcalis is the second planet from the sun, already perfectly suitable to human life before it was colonized and chosen as the first outpost when the galaxy was first settled due to its lack of hostile atmosphere. The first colony was named Elyse, and was built in the place that the capital city - New Elyse - stands now. It’s a fairly mountainous planet, with very little land usable for large cities outside the capital. It’s dotted with smaller towns throughout the mountains, all connected by underground railway systems.

New Elyse is the largest and most populous city in the galaxy. Shining glass and steel skyscrapers, pristine streets. It contains centers of higher learning, museums of science and art, state-of-the-art medicine, and the highest crime rate in the galaxy. Progress is a double-edged sword - the brighter the light, the larger the shadow it casts.

Besides New Elyse, the largest city on the planet is Saican. It’s the central hub of the planet’s railway system, as well as being the busiest trade port in the galaxy. Most goods, no matter where they come from, will pass through Saican before continuing on to the galaxy at large.

New Elyse can be the home of the player character from either the Professor or Retail backgrounds. Arcalis is also the home planet of Captain K Akani and Dr. McTaggart.

Petthra

Petthra is the galaxy’s breadbasket. The third planet from the sun, it boasts a large temperate belt, seas of grassland, and great underground rivers that make it an ideal planet for cultivating plantlife and livestock. Nearly 80 percent of the food eaten anywhere in the galaxy is grown on Petthra.

It also boasts the largest defense force in the galaxy, a legion of guardsmen and scientists whose job it is to make sure nothing - be it natural disaster, disease, or human meddling - can cause harm to the harvest. One particularly bad earthquake or spiteful person could cause unconscionable harm to all life in the galaxy.

The largest city on the planet is Thansea, which is mostly a collection of silos and barns surrounded by fields, but it also boasts a thriving marketplace and the most renowned restaurants in the galaxy. Though it’s one of the most important planets in the system, Petthra is also the least populated (by humans anyway - the animal population outnumbers the people almost 20 to 1).

Thansea can be the home of the player character from the Farmer background. Petthra is also the home planet of Adiona’s second-in-command, T Ahmed.

Sondilla

Sondilla is a lifeless rock, the farthest planet from the sun, with a poisonous atmosphere, dangerous extreme temperatures, and a surface wracked with earthquakes. It’s in the early stages of terraforming now, though experts expect it will be at least a decade before it’s safe enough to even consider colonization. There is a small orbital station that houses a few dozen scientists that are in charge of the terraforming efforts, but except for that Sondilla doesn’t have anything that could be considered a “population.”

It also has two large moons, both of which are much more habitable and which have small populations living on them.

Tallos

One of Sondilla’s moons. Tallos is a lush jungle that has yet to be fully explored. Only a few human settlements exist on the moon so far, as the native flora and fauna have been resistant to colonization efforts.

Due to high rainfall rates and a large network of rivers, Tallos has regular flooding seasons. To compensate for them, most building has been done within the canopies of the forest, creating a network of treehouses connected by ladders. In areas less densely forested, building on stilts is highly recommended.

Tallos’s largest city is Leda, a trade hub known for its Floating Markets. A large cliff bisects the city, splitting it into twin districts colloquially named “Castor” and “Pollux”. The Castor district mostly deals in intergalactic trade, importing goods and items from across the system - and some even from neighboring systems - and distributing it, either sold through its sprawling marketplaces or shipped from its active spaceports. The Pollux district deals in more local fare; those daring enough to brave the wilds of Tallos can find places to process and sell what they manage to bring back, and there’s never a shortage of scientists and thrill seekers hiring bodyguards to take them into the jungle.

Tallos is also the home planet of R Walker.

Sonntos

Sondilla’s other moon. Sonntos is almost completely covered in ocean, and what land it does have is rocky and mountainous. To compensate, settlers have built barge cities, floating amalgamations of boats and bridges that drift along the shifting waters.

It’s most infamous barge city is Nyx. Located near the moon’s north pole, it keeps in constant motion, following the sunset. Due to this, the city is kept in constant near-darkness, earning it the nickname The Twilight City. Nyx has a reputation for lawlessness, of being out of reach of the strict rules of Arcalis and the Coalition. If you need something found or someone to disappear, the Twilight City is the best place for both, but watch your step. Walking down the wrong alley or talking to the wrong person can mean that the person disappearing is you.

Sonntos can be the home of the player character from the Criminal background. It’s also the home planet of Adiona’s pilot, Q Elliot.

Cycon

While New Elyse boasts the highest population for a single city, the fourth planet Cycon has the highest total population in the galaxy. Dotted with sprawling metropolises and smaller mining towns, Cycon is a large planet with very little surface resources or wildlife to speak of, so it was an obvious choice for rapid urban development by early colonists.

Cycon’s capital city, Locan Tacal, possesses neither the careful planning or the pristineness of New Elyse. It’s a city that grew organically over time, a labyrinth of twisting streets and meandering districts of towering buildings. Few can find their way around without a local to guide them, and adventurous tourists flock to Locan Tacal every year to test their skill against the city’s. Despite its chaos, Locan Tacal is a beauty to behold. A love of stained glass and a resurgence of nouveau architecture have earned it the nickname Jewel of the Outer Rim, and it’s a beacon of art, beauty, and culture for those who are brave or lucky enough to find their way.

Outside of the cities, Cycon is known for its mines. Metals, gems, minerals and gasses alike, Cycon is the most resource-rich rock on the planet. Mines are carefully regulated by the capital so they don’t do damage to what remains of the ecosystem… at least, in theory. In practice, Cycon is a long way away from Arcalis, and what the Coalition doesn’t know won’t hurt them.

Locan Tacal can be the home of the player character from either the Extranet Star or Mercenary backgrounds. Cycon is also the home planet of Sun Jin and Adiona’s mechanic Cid “CJ” Juarez.

Umarni

Umarni is the latest successfully terraformed planet, and the closest planet to the sun. Settlement campaigns began less than fifty years ago, and as such it’s still in a constant state of construction and development. A dangerous and mostly-unexplored frontier, it’s home to thrill-seekers and scientists, as well as those who are simply looking for a place to call home. Umarni suffers from dust storms and perilously cold nights, but also beautiful vistas and a few scientific discoveries that may shape the future of humanity as we know it.

The largest city - if it could be called that - is Kaanthry. Still in the early stages of development, Kaanthry is a sparse, sprawling shanty town. It has an active spaceport, always full of new colonists and supplies coming and going, and an equally active hospital for much the same reason; the rest of the city is pretty quiet, made up of people who are just trying to settle in to their new lives and figure out how to make a living on the frontier.

Kaanthry can be the home of the player character from the Doctor or Musician backgrounds.

Novo Station

Technically a series of connected stations and ports instead of the single point the name would imply, Novo Station is the halfway point between the Inner and Outer Rims of the system, and almost all traffic going from one to the other has to go through it first. A station for refueling, restocking, and repairing ships, as well as a place to deliver bounties or letters or pick up a ride or some work, Novo has it all - as long as you know where to look, and are willing to pay. Many of the system’s best engineers find their way to Novo, either to find work repairing ships (or the station itself) or to join the competitive and dangerous Carapace racing circuit.

Novo Station can be the home of the player character from the Racer background.