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Tau Ceti

An image depicting Tau Ceti.

Tau Ceti – the centre of the Orion Spur’s economic powerhouse in the Republic of Biesel – is a G-type main-sequence star, located approximately 12 light-years from Sol. Despite being slightly smaller and cooler than Sol, it has remarkable similarities, despite being an estimated 5.8 billion years old. The reduced luminosity places its habitable zone closer to Tau Ceti, where life has thrived under its steady light, at least on Biesel. It has been known to humanity for millennia, where its brightness and position make it an easily identifiable star, it was catalogued as early as the classical era.

It wasn’t until the early 22nd century that humanity set its sights on Tau Ceti as part of the rapid expansion of interstellar colonisation following the development of faster-than-light propulsion technology. In 2147 CE, one of the early colony ships reached Tau Ceti, landing on Biesel, marking a significant milestone as it was among the closest systems to Sol to be settled outside humanity’s immediate stellar neighbourhood. Its moon, Valkyrie, was settled shortly after that as a base for supporting mining and exploration efforts across the system.

Caprice

See: Caprice

The closest planet to Tau Ceti, Caprice is a scorched volcanic world dominated by relentless heat and ceaseless tectonic activity. Its surface is a chaotic landscape of blackened lava plains, towering volcanic peaks, and glowing rivers of molten rock. For centuries, it was largely ignored – not even scattered mining colonies or research outposts existed. Everything changed with the arrival of the Zo’ra Hive. Beneath the volatile surface, the Vaurcae have transformed Caprice into a thriving subterranean metropolis. Known as New Sedantis, the underground city is a testament to the ingenuity and resilience of the Zo’ra. It has often been reflected by Vaurcae that the design evokes nostalgia to Sedantis. It serves as the capital of the Court of Queens, the central seat of Vaurcaesian political and cultural power within the Orion Spur; and under the leadership of High Queen Vaur and Queen Zoleth, Caprice has become more than a home – it is a statement to the strength and survival in the face of extinction. While humanity views Caprice as a volatile and resource-poor rock, for the Zo’ra, it is a rebirth. The High Queen’s vision sees no end to this subterranean construction, even in the shadow of the Phoron Scarcity.

Luthien

Wind-scoured and barren, Luthien is a desert world cloaked in a thin nitrogen-heavy atmosphere, entirely unbreathable by most sophonts within the Orion Spur. Despite its inhospitable nature, Luthien has become somewhat of an up-and-coming development within Tau Ceti – and to an extent, the Republic of Biesel. Its surface was once littered with sprawling corporate facilities owned by NanoTrasen – at least within the planet's northern pole, where easy access to the frozen water allowed for quicker expansion of a nascent mining industry. It wasn’t until the collapse of the Solarian Alliance, and the subsequent announcement of the creation of the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate, that Luthien also became another facet of Hephaestus Industries’ mining facilities – with several facilities in recent years dotting Luthien’s south pole; far enough away as to not interfere with NanoTrasen’s ongoing mining efforts. Both the poles are now scarred by enormous open-pit mines, subterranean extraction facilities, and towering refineries – where the megacorporations fiercely seek to exploit the rich veins of rare metals and minerals beneath the earth.

NanoTrasen’s facility at the northern pole of Luthien – named the NanoTrasen Mining Facility Arctic Crown, is designed to maximise the efficiency of the extreme desert environment and is known throughout the Republic of Biesel for their cutting-edge mining operations and high-tech refining processes, focused on rare mineral extraction essential for the megacorporation’s border interstellar operations. It was established in 2439 CE, following negotiations with both the Solarian Alliance and the Republic of Biesel. It is composed of a series of interconnected complexes designed for large-scale industrial activity, alongside research divisions that focus on mining-adjacent research and development. Complex Alpha is situated at the edge of the northern pole’s shifting dunes and largely seeks to extract heavy metals and rare earth elements buried deep beneath the earth – modular mining rigs are a common sight, with hundreds, if not thousands, of miners across the entire complex operating them. Complex Beta holds a state-of-the-art refinery that churns the raw miners into highly refined materials for NanoTrasen’s use; strict environmental controls are utilised to limit exposure and emissions of toxins, with round-the-clock atmospheric technicians constantly monitoring. Lastly, Complex Charlie hosts the Shuttleport – receiving both shipments and personnel, but also offloading the same. It is not structured too dissimilar to an extremely large warehouse, except by hosting nearly six separate docks – with only one “passenger” terminal for the personnel, leading to excruciatingly long waits for most personnel signing off of their shift.

The Arctic Crown, the jewel of Luthien, near the planet's northern pole.

At the southern pole rests Blackridge, Hephaestus Industries' own network of highly profitable mining and refining facilities, focusing instead on the extraction of minerals for drydocking, and shipbuilding. The atmosphere is abundantly clear, with a direct focus on utilising Luthien’s resources for mass production on an industrial scale – with sprawling mines seeking the vast reserves of minerals highly sought after. Its location near one of Luthien’s most active geothermal zones has resulted in Blackridge relying on automation predominately – artificial intelligence and integrated positronic chassis being the majority of the workforce, besides a growing minority of non-synthetics. Having only been established in 2462, shortly after the collapse of the Solarian Alliance, Blackridge is still a rather small operation as opposed to the sprawling facility of the Arctic Crown; however, plans have been submitted to rapidly begin expanding, particularly as Hephaestus Industries comes under the control of the Unathite Guilds, and becomes the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate’s primary shipbuilders.

Luthien is also home to a burgeoning population of Aut’akh, known as the Pacters. Refugees that forged a working relationship with the megacorporations operating on the planet – the central tenet of the Pact is the agreement signed between the Aut’akh, NanoTrasen, and Zavodskoi Interstellar – which secured the Aut’akh labour in exchange for basic provisions, accommodation, and a biodome in which they could live and work. While the Pacters have found a degree of prosperity in this arrangement, the reality of corporate exploitation remains clear: wages are low, and most of their earnings are quickly consumed by the cost of living on the planet, leading many to seek off-world employment to send funds back to the commune. Despite these hardships, the Pacters have tempered their revolutionary ideals against anti-capitalism – thanks to the deep dependence on the corporate sponsorship of NanoTrasen and Zavodskoi Interstellar – the only facility of the latter that exists on Luthien.

Besides the Pacters, the brood of Xakt has become a pivotal roleplayer for Vaurca within the Republic of Biesel – known for their cultivation of K’ois. Dozens, if not hundreds, of K’ois farms are scattered across the desert landscape of Luthien, maintained by both Bound and Unbound Vaurcae – the fungus’ yellow sheen can be seen creeping through the dunes, far away from the inhabited poles, and the Aut’akh. It is typically grown under controlled conditions, however, its ability to spread is often unpredictable and requires constant vigilance so as to ensure it doesn’t invade the safety of the aforementioned habitations – the potential for mycosis on Luthien is a constant debate within the Republic of Biesel, with calls for a complete cessation of K’ois farming often being echoed, but so far there has been no plans set forth to restrict nor interfere with the farming of the fungus, especially when considering other avenues for phoron acquisition have come to a halt.

Calyx

The barren and frozen moon of Luthien, Calyx serves as a quiet outpost for Zavodskoi Interstellar’s subsidiary – Confiance Technologies. Research Station Theta is the only structure that exists on the moon. It specialises in artificial intelligence and synthetic research; and has become a key hub for advancing their interests in synthetic beings, focused on developing AI systems, robotics, and synthetic biology in extreme environments. It operates at the frontier of corporate experimentation, conducting research aimed at pushing the boundaries of what is currently understood as synthetics. Though the work conducted on Calyx is highly confidential, and fiercely protected by Zavodskoi, there have been reports of researchers working with IPCs – testing their limits in ways that could be seen as morally questionable. Many of the Pacters of Luthien have come to find work within Research Station Theta; a brief trip between the planet and its moon, often only eclipsing a couple of minutes – and technically, still encompasses the terms of the agreement between the megacorporation and the Aut’akh.

Mendell City, both the planetary, and system, capital.

Biesel

See: Biesel

A temperate, oxygen-rich planet, Biesel is the capital of the Republic of Biesel. Colonised in the mid-2100s, it is one of the most populated planets within the Orion Spur and is a major economic powerhouse, with a thriving urban landscape, and rich resource base. Its economy is bolstered by agriculture, notably the production of fresh crops and water, which are exported throughout Tau Ceti. The planet’s service economy also caters to its large workforce, with the megacorporations playing a dominant role in the planet’s economy, and to a large extent the entirety of the Republic of Biesel’s economy. Biesel’s capital, Mendell City, is a massive, bustling metropolis spanning thirty-thousand square kilometres and home to billions. It’s a centre of commerce with the headquarters of almost all megacorporations located in District One.

Biesel seen from orbit.

Valkyrie

See: Valkyrie

The moon of Biesel, Valkyrie was the third to be settled by the Solarian Alliance, and has become an essential player in the economy of Tau Ceti; though its industrial outpost doesn’t match that of Biesel or New Gibson, Valkyrie's location has made it a crucial hub for trade and commerce. Early development was messy, with miners and researchers living in cramped conditions. Over time, though, the moon began to grow, and what started as small mining camps expanded into busy industrial bases. Valkyrie became a shipping and manufacturing powerhouse, especially after NanoTrasen set up the Hyperion Data Nexus in the 2400s, which played a key role in the discovery and research of Phoron. In 2452 CE, after the Republic of Biesel’s secession, the moon achieved some independence, Valkyrie was declared a separate state - though remains a member of the Republic of Biesel - forming the Commonwealth of Valkyrie shortly thereafter.

New Gibson

See: New Gibson

The harsh atmospheric conditions of New Gibson result in many surviving in biodomes, or far beneath the planet's surface.

The second planet within Tau Ceti to be colonised, New Gibson serves as the industrial powerhouse of Tau Ceti – located just outside the habitable zone, it is an icy, barren world with a thin atmosphere incapable of supporting life. The majority of its population resides entirely in biodomes. It is rich in valuable mineral resources, making it a vital hub for shipbuilding, manufacturing, and various other industrial sectors – its massive mining operations, spanning vast pitlands, extract concentrated ores for its manufacturing facilities. The capital of New Gibson is the Hengsha Arcology which mirrors Biesel’s urban landscapes, housing corporate elites and providing a more hospitable environment – compared to its external landscape. Though it lacks tectonic activity, is frozen, and is largely desolate, the planet remains a key producer of critical goods and contributes significantly to the broader economy of Tau Ceti and, to a large extent, the Republic of Biesel.

Skjold

New Gibson’s barren and rocky moon, Skjold is a cold, lifeless satellite with no atmosphere and little in the way of natural resources. However, it has been transformed into a unique hub for off-world entertainment, attracting travellers and workers from across Tau Ceti, especially from the harsh industrial landscape of New Gibson itself. Despite its inhospitable environment, Idris Incorporated has made Skjold a destination, establishing a massive entertainment complex known as the Steelworks, shortly after the secession of the Republic of Biesel. The Steelworks is a sprawling recreational facility, built into the moon’s rocky crags, featuring luxury hotels, expansive casinos, high-end restaurants, and an array of recreational facilities, including zero-gravity sports arenas, and holo-simulation entertainment hubs. Designed to offer an escape from the gruelling work on New Gibson, it seeks to provide both leisure and relaxation to the weary working class. The Steelworks’ sleek, metallic architecture stands in sharp contrast to the moon’s desolate landscape, with vast domed structures offering panoramic views of the cold, barren surface. Besides the Steelworks, it is minimally developed. It has no permanent atmosphere, and most activities are confined to subterranean or enclosed environments offered by Idris Incorporated – those seeking to enjoy the cold, barren surface are required to wear environmental suits, offered of course by the megacorporation. Skjold's lack of significant natural resources has been offset by its status as a retreat, offering a rare opportunity for workers on New Gibson to take a break from their dangerous, high-stress environments.

Reade

Within the outer reaches of Tau Ceti, Reade is known for its valuable hydrogen and helium extraction operations – critical to fueling warpdrives for those entering the system. The gas giant itself is sparsely inhabited, with most of the population living across its asteroid-sized moons, Xylth, Eryndal, and Zerion. The only population centre of the gas giant is Anemostrovilos,a massive, reinforced blimp-like aerostat that serves as both a city and an extraction hub, with a vast platform spanning a radius of 19 kilometres. The city, built within a biodome atop the aerostat, is anchored securely so as to mitigate the turbulent conditions of Reade’s volatile atmosphere – with most, if not all, of its professional opportunities revolving around gas extraction, harnessing the abundant gasses in Reade’s upper layers. Anemostrovilos is subject to intense storms every few years, caused by the rotational dynamics of Reade itself. These storms can lead to temporary shutdowns of the floating city’s platforms, sometimes lasting up to three days, disrupting both commerce and daily life. The storms have added an element of danger to living on the Anemostrovilos; often resulting in many who thrive on adventure and risk flocking to it during these periods -a once-in-a-lifetime experience, where people can enjoy unparalleled views of the swirling, colourful gases of Reade’s atmosphere, and the vast, ever-changing cloudscapes beneath their feet. The aerostat is home to the Anemostrovilos College of Pioneers, an esteemed institution that trains many drawn to the frontier of space exploration. Students and faculty contribute significantly to the ongoing efforts to optimise the harvesting of Reade’s gasses; with most students typically being apprentices alongside their studies.

Xylth

Xylth is the largest, most developed, of Reade's moons. It is a rocky, ice-covered satellite that is home to gas refineries. Despite its harsh, frozen exterior, it has become somewhat of a regional hub among Reade and its moons – where its proximity to the gas giant has made it an ideal location for its primary objective. Though its surface is riddled with craters, and typically enormous ice fields dominate the landscape, a burgeoning population has sprung up – with several subterranean tunnels not dissimilar to an underground metro even existing, which connect the facilities, and residential areas, and allow the working class to avoid the extremes of the surface. Most of the industrial facilities are deep within Xylth, with the residential biodomes on the surface.

Eryndal

Eryndal is the smaller, more enigmatic moon of Reade, characterised by its vast, frozen methane seas; and while not as industrialised as Xylth, it was set to become a strategic research outpost for Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals. Established at the beginning of the 2400s, Eryndal was thought to be a promising research outpost but has since become a symbol of corporate neglect. Slated to host research on biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, as the years passed, Zeng-Hu’s focus shifted, and funding for the moon’s operations dwindled. Eryndal gradually became a place where personnel were sent to cool off or to be sidelined after conflicts with upper management. Its research facilities, once cutting-edge, now stand abandoned or underutilised, while the remaining staff are often relegated to menial or less glamorous tasks. The moon has earned a reputation among Zeng-Hu employees as a punishment assignment—a place for those who have fallen out of favour with the corporate hierarchy. The sparse population now consists mostly of disgruntled researchers, low-ranking staff, and a few administrators. Despite its potential, Eryndal is now largely forgotten by the wider corporate world, reduced to a barren outpost in the eyes of many.

The Tau Ceti Armed Forces utilise Zerion as an outpost within Tau Ceti.

Zerion

Both rugged and desolate, Zerion was an outpost for the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion, now the Tau Ceti Armed Forces, with its environmental circumstances making it unsuitable for large-scale civilian settlement. Strategically positioned, it serves as a refuelling depot for long-range patrols and logistical support, with its primary function to provide a secure, and remote, location for military operations. While it is not a heavily populated location, it hosts a dedicated crew of military personnel, engineers, and security forces who ensure the continuous operation of its critical infrastructure. It has played an indispensable role in ensuring those lurking within the outer reaches of Tau Ceti are dealt with in a timely manner. Currently, plans have been discussed by the Republic of Biesel to expand Zerion, and even include a civilian shuttleport to provide a safe, controlled entry point for travellers venturing into and out the outer rim of Tau Ceti, so as to reduce congestion on other, more heavily trafficked ports.

Chandras

With its remote location in Tau Ceti, Chandras offers unique advantages – particularly for Orion Express. The planet’s vast, icy surface is soon to be home to massive supply chain facilities, many of which are being constructed or expanded to handle the needs of the megacorporations operating in the Spur. These facilities will primarily be focused on maintaining a steady flow of goods, resources and materials between the planets within Tau Ceti. The frozen expanse of Chandras provides an ideal location for large-scale warehouses, storage tanks, and processing plants – all of which will be crucial to managing the immense supply demands of the megacorporations. Orion Express is making substantial investments in the planet’s infrastructure to accommodate its future growth. Transport hubs are being built to ensure quick shipments among Tau Ceti, with the intended goal of creating a logistics network that supports the increasingly fast-paced demands of the Spur’s economy, where the megacorporation has thought Chandras is the perfect location for a central logistics hub. While the majority of the construction on Chandras is still in its infancy, it is clear that Orion Express sees the icy planet as a vital long-term investment.

The Dust Belt

Surrounding Tau Ceti is a chaotic, swirling ring of debris that stretches far and wide, encircling the inner planets in the system. It’s a region where the laws of nature collide with the ambition of those willing to take risks. While many consider the Belt to be little more than an obstacle to efficient travel, it is a hidden treasure trove for those brave – or reckless – enough to stake their claim. Contrary to its menacing reputation, travel through the Dust Belt has become manageable with contemporary navigation technology. However, it's not the dust or smaller particles that pose the greatest threat, but the occasional rogue asteroid, drifting aimlessly through the Belt with unpredictable trajectories. These wandering giants can be catastrophic to the unprepared ship, and the Belt's sheer vastness means that the risk is never far from any passing vessel.

Despite the risks, the Dust Belt has become a hotbed of activity for independent contractors looking to make their fortune. No entity has laid claim to the belt, as the danger posed by rogue asteroids, the distance from Biesel, and generally the inhospitable nature, have dissuaded large-scale mining or commercial operations. This lack of central authority has given rise to a wild frontier of opportunistic miners, salvagers, and scavengers; typically operating in small, nimble ships capable of quickly darting in and out of the debris fields in search of valuable resources, lost cargo, and derelict vessels.

The primary allure is the wealth within its debris, where the Dust Belt is rife with shipwrecks, abandoned attempts of stations and rich rare minerals embedded in asteroid fragments – with the constant collisions within the Belt often exposing previously undiscovered caches of valuable resources. As a result of the lack of any recognisable claim, and the general lack of desire for patrols within the Dust Belt by the Republic of Biesel, or the megacorporations, it has become somewhat lawless – at least if one is careful. Those within the Belt live by their own rules, where the few protections within the Belt have cultivated a culture of self-reliance and fierce independence among those that consider the Belt their mainstream of income. It isn’t unheard of for these independent groups to form loose alliances, but these relationships can be as fleeting and volatile as the debris surrounding them.

Isolara

A colossal space station nestled within the Dust Belt, Isolara stands as one of the largest stations within Tau Ceti and one of the most populous and expansive installations within the Spur. Established in 2411 CE, it has swelled to a permanent population numbering in the hundreds of thousands and is a vibrant hub of activity, commerce, and life within the Belt. The majority of its residents are off-worlders, with a growing minority of non-humans beginning to appear within Isolara.

Despite its isolation, Isolara thrives from the symbiotic relationship it has developed with Orion Express. With its industries largely focused on salvage operations and mineral extraction within the Belt, it relies on Orion Express to deliver essential goods, advanced equipment, and luxuries that can sustain Isolara’s massive population, in which the exchange has come to be the lifeline of its economy. Isolara was offered recognition as part of the Republic of Biesel shortly after its secession, to which they requested instead a semi-autonomous identity under the legal purview of Reade; which grants it the benefits of formal legal protection and representation, but allows its physical and cultural detachment from the rest of Tau Ceti to function with a degree of independence. The unique political dynamic of Isolara is largely influenced by a mix of local governance, industry-driven priorities, and adherence to the Republic of Biesel’s laws. It is led by Custodian Reida Veylan, having been in the position since 2457 CE.

Physically, Isolara is an awe-inspiring structure, with multiple layers of modular sections having been constructed over decades of expansion; where the outer sections are dominated by salvage and processing facilities — countless Isolarians can be seen working tirelessly to harvest and refine the resources present within the Dust Belt. The inner sections typically house sprawling residential quarters, bustling markets, recreational zones, and cultural centres, catering to the diverse needs of the Isolarians. Many Isolarians take pride in their ability to endure and thrive in the face of adversity, particularly being shaped by Isolara’s isolation. Their traditions and celebrations often revolve around the shared experiences of life in the Dust Belt and Isolarian culture is characterised by a strong sense of mutual support and resilience. However, this isolation also breeds a certain wariness of outside influences, with many preferring to keep their affairs separate from the politics and disputes of the wider Republic of Biesel, and the greater Spur.

Dumas

Bleak and unremarkable, located in the farthest reaches of Tau Ceti, Dumas exists. Its size, and harsh environment, make it an unattractive target for settlement or industrial development. With an almost total absence of natural light due to its position in the shadow of the Dust Belt, Dumas is perpetually shrouded in darkness, with temperatures that plummet to near absolute zero. These extreme conditions, coupled with the body’s lack of any significant resources or minerals, render it an inhospitable and unprofitable location for any major ventures. With no known resources to exploit and no infrastructure in place, Dumas is largely left to drift unnoticed, offering little more than a cold, desolate space.

Romanovich Cloud

The Romanovich Cloud is a vast, remote shell of icy, rocky, and metallic bodies that orbit the farthest reaches of Tau Ceti, beyond even the Dust Belt. It's a crucial source of raw materials for the entire system, with large deposits of precious metals, and radioactive elements, and was previously the largest deposit of Phoron outside of the Republic of Elyra. NanoTrasen had made the Romanovich Cloud a key part of its operations, at least until Phoron had dried up within it.

A notable location within the Cloud was the NSS Aurora; founded in 2459 by NanoTrasen it was a station built to replace its eponymous predecessor. Situated in a Phoron-rich asteroid, the Aurora was responsible for mining and researching the valuable mineral. Due to the importance of the Romanovich Cloud, the station was the site of important events related to Tau Ceti, including the latest Solarian invasion. The crew did not live on-site and commuted between the facility and the Odin during shifts. As phoron deposits began to run out, the NSS Aurora's importance quickly diminished. A share of its crew was transferred to the SCCV Horizon. The station remains open and is mainly used to scrap whatever minerals are left in its foundations.

Another notable location is the Grand Romanovich Casino, which opened in 2462 and is a Crevan-style casino floating in a touristic zone of the cloud. It was the first Adhomian casino to open in space. The Grand Romanovich has gambling spaces, a shooting range, a swimming pool, an indoor snowmobile circuit, a bar, a restaurant, and hotel rooms among its attractions. Despite the recent incidents - including deaths and two conspiracies - the establishment remains open thanks to its ties with Idris Incorporated. The Grand Romanovich has become a point of interest for those interested in the criminal and paranormal story of Tau Ceti.