Difference between revisions of "User:NewOriginalSchwann/Sandbox2"

From Aurora Information Uplink
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Line 2: Line 2:
{{Navbox Human Lore}}
{{Navbox Human Lore}}


<center>[[File:Luceism-small.png|small|link=]]</center>
<center>[[File:Luna_pixel.png|link=]]</center>


<center>''The Luceian Square, a holy symbol of Luceism representing the extinguished but all-seeing Star of [[Assunzione]]'s system that is simply waiting for the right moment awaken''</center>
The only natural satellite of Earth, Luna is the oldest colony of humanity and has fascinated humanity since long before the dawn of space travel. Luna is humanity’s oldest colony and one of its wealthiest, due to the moon’s significant corporate presence. Cities on Luna are often partially underground due to the planet’s lack of an atmosphere, but many great domed cities exist on Luna as well. The primary language of Luna is either Sol Common or Tradeband, depending on which Lunarian you ask.
 
<center>'''"So that the Star may someday return."'''</center>
 
An unusual syncretic religion originating upon the planet of Assunzione, Luceism is a quasi-Abrahamic religion descended from a variety of faiths held by the original colonists that first emerged following the unexpected extinguishing of Assunzione’s star in 2274. While arguably a branch of modern Abrahamic religions, Luceism is a hard-to-define religion dedicated to the worship of an abstract representation of light referred to as the Ennoia. Though it is, unsurprisingly, strongest on Assunzione, followers of the faith can be found throughout the Orion Spur alongside their houses of worship.


==History==
==History==
While humanity has been obsessed with Earth’s moon for untold millennia before the invention of the most primitive spacecraft, historians generally regard the modern era of Luna as beginning on 16 July, 1969 - when American Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first humans to ever land upon another celestial body. These pioneers were quickly followed in late 1970 by the Soviet N1/L3 Soyuz 7K-LOK “Pervoprohodets” mision, which landed the third group of humans on the Moon. The “Moon Race” would continue for the rest of the 20th century and result in the first permanent settlement on Luna by the early 1980s - the Soviet “Zvezda” moonbase. The Moon Race ended in an arguable draw in the early 21st century, due to increasing economic instability on Earth.


Luceism remains closely tied to the planet’s history in a general sense.
Luna was mostly ignored by a humanity more obsessed with survival at home until 2070, when colonists from United Orbital Enterprise (a unified space agency between the USA, China, France, and Mexico) landed on its light side. Colonists from Cosmonaut Enterprises (a successor to the Soviet space program of the 20th century) landed on the dark side of Luna in 2072. With this the colonization of Earth’s moon had formally begun, and it would see significant use as a waystation for other points in the Sol system over the course of the upcoming decades and centuries. Due to its low gravity, the Soviets and UOE used Luna as a major shipyard and proving ground for deep-space equipment.
 
The founding year of Luceism is generally agreed to be 2274 in the immediate months following the Star’s extinguishing. The religion itself has no true founder as it originated from a meeting in Malaga referred to as the Council of Clergy intended to address the spiritual and societal crisis that had resulted from the star of the system going out. The faith exploded across Assunzione in the following years and by the early 2280s had become the dominant faith of the planet. In the 2460s Luceism remains the dominant religion on Assunzione, with upwards of 90% of the planet identifying with it. It also remains closely wedded to politics in the Republic of Assunzione, with many prospective politicians requesting blessings from clergy for their campaigns.


==Houses of Worship==
Further colonization to Luna took place during the 21st and 22nd century as climate damage gradually worsened, with many wealthy families and companies simply moving offworld to Luna when able to do so. The booming economy of Luna - supposed by Helium-3 and titanium mining efforts on it - helped create the environment for the foundation of humanity’s first megacorporation, Einstein Engines, in 2155. Luna’s prosperity has continued since then, and it remains one of the wealthiest planets in the Sol Alliance to this very day, despite its small size and small population. The Luna of today is, in many ways, the ideal colony. Rich, prosperous, and unfailing in its loyalty to the Sol Alliance.


The chapels, cathedrals, and other assorted temples of Luceism range in size from simple rooms placed in the sides of buildings found throughout the planet’s habitation domes - - to formal churches to grand cathedrals dedicated to the worship of the Custodian of Light - they all have one trait in common. In the center of every properly consecrated Luceian house of worship dwells a constantly lit flame maintained around the clock by the clergy of the faith. This flame is, to true believers, a representation of Assunzione’s mostly-extinguished star, and the hope that they will be able to rekindle it somehow, someday. Their places of worship are - due to their distaste for the dark - generally extremely well-lit, often with no truly dark areas in them.
==Environment==
Luna is a barren rock with almost no atmosphere to speak of, and its surface is extremely cold. To perform activities outside without a spacesuit is suicide, and much of its population lives underground or in massive “dome cities” on its surface. The moon is tidally locked to Earth and takes 28 days to make a full rotation, leading to it possessing both a light and dark side. The Lunarian surface is also home to heavy amounts of helium-3 and titanium, which have made it an ideal target for mining. Less populated areas often feature huge strip mines where materials for humanity’s expansion into the greater Orion Spur have been retrieved from the Lunar soil, with the resulting strip mines simply left unfilled - particularly on the dark side of Luna.


The design of Luceian churches and temples is an unusual one that indicates the faith’s roots in old Earthbound religions before the arrival of settlers to Assunzione. Formal churches will generally follow an X pattern in their construction, with a circular tower rising from the middle of the X and above the church. This tower generally houses the eternal flame of the church, and has been termed the “lighthouse” by outside observers. The inside walls of these churches are often lined with ornate stained glass windows depicting both the history of faith and of Assunzione itself. Areas of worship feature a raised central pulpit that is typically lavishly decorated, with followers seated in circular pews around the pulpit. Beneath this is what followers of Luceism refer to as a greater warding sphere - a large, circular object filled with luce vines that constantly fills its surroundings with a ghostly white light. Followers state that if one is experienced with reading the shadows cast by a lesser warding sphere, it will always point you back to Assunzione.
==Life on Luna==
The population of Luna is minuscule compared to that of Mars and Venus, with roughly 1.3 billion permanent residents scattered across its surface. However despite its small population the residents of Luna are, on average compared to the rest of the Sol Alliance, wealthier and happier than anywhere else. Menial labor has been taken over by IPCs produced by Einstein Engines, which dominates the economy and politics of most settlements on Earth’s satellite.
Unlike elsewhere in the Sol Alliance Lunarian, culture retains connections to Earth itself despite the mish-mash nature of its settlements. As a result of this many locations on Earth’s satellite proudly boast of their connections to the Blue Planet while striving to maintain a culture similar to their Earthbound origins, though some cultural drift has occurred over the past centuries. Physical drift has occurred as well, with Lunarians typically being taller, thinner, and paler than their Earthbound counterparts as a result of their existence in artificial gravity slightly lighter than that of Earth itself due to the widespread usage of artificial gravity on Luna. Some Lunarians view this as a point of pride, with a tall stature being viewed as desirable amongst its plutocrats.


Though much attention is rightfully given to the grand houses of worship of Luceism, the most common area of worship in the faith - by quite a large margin - are small shrines commonly found in the homes of the faithful. These shrines are typically quite small, the size of a dresser or typical closet in order to conserve space within the limited living areas found under Assunzione’s biodomes, but are able to contain everything a small group of followers would need for their prayers, ranging from incense to prayer mats, to warding spheres. It is not uncommon to find these shrines in the homes of Luceians travelling far afield from their planet.
Most cities on Luna are actually located on its surface, particularly those descended from UOE colonies. The oldest typically use large shielded domes that remain clear due to the materials used in their construction - generally made of super-reinforced glass microthreaded with titanium - centuries ago. More recent domes utilize phoron-reinforced glass for a better view of the outside, and improved durability, and some domes even use solely force fields created by superheated plasma to create miniature atmospheres. The uniquely spectacular views provided by these domes are a point of pride amongst Lunarians, with the best views (particularly those of Earth) being reserved for the most elite of Luna’s elite.


==Doctrine==
===Culture===


Due to the nature of Assunzione - primarily, the division of it into the seven great domed cities - Luceism itself is divided into two major doctrines: Pyramidical and Astructuralist. Despite this split, both follow the same core principles and follow the same god, but manner in which they go about honoring those principals and Ennoia, their god, varies between the two schools. Both doctrines coexist peacefully on Assunzione, despite major doctrinal differences in their worship of Ennoia.
'''Ethnic Groups:'''
* 77.8% Lunarians
* 13.1% IPCs (various frames)
* 9.2% Non-Lunarian humans
* 1% Skrell


The god of Luceism is known as '''Ennoia''', and the faithful of Luceism regard it to be the entity that is responsible for ensuring that Assunzione’s Star will someday be restored to its former glory. Ennoia is a genderless entity that is often depicted as a series of interlocking wheels representative of the orbits of planets in the system surrounding a flaming eye representative of its long-extinguished Star. Ennoia is said to be a silent deity that is always watching Assunzione, waiting for the moment when the time is right for it to reignite the long-dormant Star. The matter of the Star’s name is an interesting quandary for Luceians as they do not believe in referring to it by its original name until it reignites. Followers will typically refer to it simply as “the Star” or “Assunzione’s Star” instead of its true name.
There is no truly unified “Lunarian culture” beyond wealth and pride in their close connection to Earth due to the diversity of its small-yet-rich population, but there are some common traits beyond having an average familial wealth greater than entire colonies on the frontier.


The central basis of Luceism shared between both denominations is that one must achieve mastery over their internal dichotomy between lightness and darkness in order to become one’s best self. Though this struggle for mastery has many dimensions, the largest “parallel revelations,” are referred to as the '''Four Flames of Luceism''', and those with true mastery over the Pillars are said to be able to enter a state of extreme concentration where they are said to commune with Ennoia itself in a process referred to as Ennoic ision. The Four Flames of Luceism are Self, Community, Faith, and Light; and they both have an aspect of lightness in addition to an aspect of darkness -- as such, the Flames are often represented in Luceian art as a set of four scales rather than literal flames. It is important that a faithful Luceian focuses upon all flames rather than simply one as neglect of one can lead to the crumbling of others. For example if one focuses upon themselves and neglects their community in the process, they unintentionally feed into aspects of darkness in their quest for lightness.
One of these is Danza de la Luna, an extremely popular holiday on Luna said to date back to the 2070s. The holiday is originally rooted in the Chinese New Year, itself imported by Chinese immigrants to Luna, but has since grown to be a common holiday designed to celebrate the success of humanity’s first interstellar pioneers.


The Flame of Self is divided between understanding -- the aspect of lightness, where one accepts oneself for their flaws and learns to live with and overcome them -- and bliss -- the aspect of darkness, where one remains unaware of their flaws and unable (or unwilling) to improve. The Flame of Community is divided between charity -- the aspect of lightness, where one works with others to improve the community as a whole -- and patronage -- the aspect of darkness, where one works to improve the community while expecting direct benefits in return regardless of the cost to the community. The Pillar of Faith is divided between truth -- the aspect of light, where one supports their faith-- and surrender -- the aspect of darkness, where one abandons their faith. The Pillar of Light is the last of the four and is divided between light -- the aspect of light, and all associated with it -- and darkness -- the aspect of darkness, and all associated with it.
Apollo Day is another common holiday, taking place on the sixteenth of July. Similarly to Danza de la Luna, this holiday celebrates the success of humanity’s interstellar pioneers. However, this one celebrates the success of Apollo 11 specifically rather than explorers more generally. A variation on Apollo Day named Pervoprohodets Day is instead celebrated in Soviet-colonized areas, with this holiday instead taking place on the fifteenth of December - the date the USSR’s LK lander touched down on the Lunar surface.


'''Pyramidicalism''' is the largest of Luceism’s two doctrines, and is strongest in the great domed cities of Triesto, Guelma, Makarska, and (most importantly) Malaga. Pyramidicalism derives its name from its faith structure - with Ennoia forming the peak, the clergy between, and the followers forming the all-important base - and a belief it shares with Astructuralism: that followers must master their base instincts before developing a further understanding of the principals intrinsic in Luceian faith. Pyramidicalism is based around an established series of consecrated temples of worship staffed by a dedicated clergy. Members of this doctrine meet for worship at times of dawn and dusk on every Sunday. Pyramidicalists do not have a formal leader, but rely upon a system of autocephalous seven metropolitans to determine who is fit to lead the faithful of a great domed city.
Lunarians are, as a general rule, a tightly-knit people due to the barriers associated with entry into what is considered by some outsiders to be the "ultimate gated community." Loyalty to one's family is seen as a desirable trait, and the standing of a family in the pecking order of Luna can be relatively static due to what prestige is often based upon: how long the family has resided on Luna for. Some of the wealthiest and most prestigious families on Luna are the descendants of rich climate refugees from the late 21st century that have dwelt on Luna for as long as humanity has maintained offworld colonies.


Key to Pyramidicalists is the pursuit of ''Alêtheia'', or the destruction of falsehood to reveal the truth. Alêtheia is the Luceian term for mastery of one’s base instincts in order to gain an understanding of how to master one’s internal dichotomy between lightness and darkness. Mastery of Alêtheia is heavily emphasized in Pyramidicalist sermons and litanies, but can take years -- if not decades -- to achieve. Many of the truly faithful will often retreat into solitude to achieve a state of extreme concentration; focusing on the given values and concepts to redeem themselves and improve their own Alêtheia free of the influences and distractions of the wider world. Despite the difficulty inherent in the pursuit of true Alêtheia it remains a key tenant of Pyramidicalism to this very day. Many outside scholars believe this long-standing dedication to self-improvement in Pyramidicalism dates back to the uncertain months following the Star’s destruction, where the fate of the very planet itself tenuously hung in the balance.
As a result of their typically-esteemed pedigrees Lunarians are known across the Solarian Alliance - and human space more generally - for their immense pride in their home and mind-blowing wealth, with some families rumored to be richer than entire member states of the Coalition of Colonies. Due to this Lunarians are often stereotyped as haughty, arrogant people that look down their noses at others - even other wealthy Solarians such as Cytherean Venusians - and brag incessantly about their origins on humanity's first colony. A common joke in the Coalition of Colonies is that you always know a Lunarian: they'll tell you they're one very quickly after meeting you.


'''Astructuralism''' is the smaller of Luceism’s two denominations, and is strongest in the great domed cities of Guelma, Dalyan, and Said. Astructuralism derives its name from its lack of a formal hierarchy in its faith beyond informal spiritual leaders that command respect - and followers - through their own ability to master their internal dichotomy and their piety. Astructuralism is sometimes referred to as “Mystical Luceism” due to its greater emphasis on ritualism and the individual pursuit of the mastery and perfection of one’s internal dichotomy between lightness and darkness. Despite its emphasis on personal faith and smaller-scale worship over Pyramidicalism’s focus on structure and order, Astructuralism technically has a formal leader, though one with loose control, in the form of the First Sacristan - an elected individual responsible for ensuring Astructuralism’s traditions are maintained for future generations.
===Major Locations===
'''Harmony City''' is the official capital of Luna, with a population of roughly ten million, and is situated in the Sea of Tranquility near where Apollo 11 landed centuries ago. Notable locations within the city include the AESCO-L Museum of Aeronautics and Astronautics, which preserves the original Apollo 11 landing site within itself. Another major feature in Harmony City is Einstein Engines’ headquarters. Harmony City is located on the light side of Luna, and is regarded as one of the Sol Alliance’s wealthiest areas. It is viewed by Lunarians as a highly desirable as a location to live.


Astructuralist rituals tend to be centered around sites that have not seen much use since the Star of Assunzione extinguished itself centuries ago: the large solar panel arrays that could be once found throughout the great domed cities, but have been mostly destroyed in the years following the Star’s extinguishment. Astructuralists fervently maintain these sites in preparation for the inevitable return (in their eyes) of Assunzione’s Star, and the glut of power that it will produce for the solar panels to lap up. Unfortunately for Astructuralists, the larger size of the Pyramidical doctrine and the constant need for more space means that there are very few solar panel farms suitable for use ritual sites outside of Iraklio, Dalyan, and Said. Solar sites within these cities are fiercely protected by Astructuralists, due to their holy status.
Located outside Harmony City, the '''Einstein Engines Robert H. Goddard Administrative, Commercial, and Research Facility''' is large enough to be considered a separate municipal area from Harmony City itself. The facility is one of the largest, and one of the most well-guarded, corporate buildings in the Orion Spur, and dates back to the founding of Einstein Engines. Dr. Noella Lopez-Zhang, the current CEO of Einstein Engines, has her office at the peak of the facility’s tallest spire.


===Synthetics===
'''Gagaringrad''' is the largest and greatest dome founded by Cosmonaut Industries. Most of the “dome” is actually underground, leading to it being seen as very unattractive by Luna’s plutocrats. Despite this Zavodskoi Interstellar - perhaps attracted by the nearby colonial-era weapons testing facility at Shajin Crater - has a significant presence in Gagaringrad, and is the dome’s primary employer. Like Harmony City, Gagaringrad has its own slice of Lunar history - a museum centered around the Zvezda moonbase, one of the first permanent settlements on Luna.


Luceism has a neutral stance on positronic life. It lacks the vitriolic hatred of the Moroz Holy Tribunal or the fervent acceptance of the Trinary Perfection, instead walking a somewhat unsteady middle path that is often left up to the individual member of the faith. While some Luceians will dislike a positronic’s inorganic nature, and “diet” of consuming power used to produce light, they might admire their capacity and drive for work. While small the Assunzionii robotics industry operates with the blessing of Luceism, and Pyramidical clergy often bless fully-completed IPCs before they are activated. Most IPCs produced on Assunzione go off-world, those that remain are typically programmed with an adherence to Luceism in order to make them more attractive to other Assunzionii. IPCs can be seen in many industries on the planet, and free positronics are not unheard of.
'''Nouvelle Caen''' is one of the largest and most modern domes, located in the Mare Serenitatis on the Moon’s light side. Its usage of phoron-reinforced glass in its dome allowed for a larger dome than Harmony City’s, and it has remarkably managed to create an artificial “sea” inside of the Mare Serenitatis, which has become the only body of water on Luna itself. Nouvelle Caen is seen by the Lunarians as the peak of luxury on Luna and is regarded as the premier location to live on the moon, despite not being its capital. Many corporate higher-ups have penthouses here with the notable exception of Hephaestus CEO Titanius Aeson, who still resides in his Martian apartment.
Clergy


The clergy of Luceism hail from every one of the great domed cities and while not everyone affiliated with the Luceian faith itself is a direct member of the clergy, many find themselves working under the umbrella of religious organizations affiliated with the faith. The clergy of Luceism are allowed to be of either gender, but they must be celibate and cannot marry while remaining an active member of the clergy. The clergy of Luceism primarily originate in the Pyramidical school of thought, as Astructuralists reject the need for a priesthood.
===Corporations===
Corporations are just as present amongst the elites of Luna as they are in the rest of the Sol Alliance, but the age and wealth of Earth’s only natural satellite has led to corporations being treated slightly differently here than on New Hai Phong or Silversun.


The Pyramidical clergy are divided into a series of ranks, ranging from simple initiates and trainees to spiritual leaders of entire areas. However, Astructuralist will often have guides and spiritual leaders in their communities that play a role similar to typical clergy albeit often without the splendor that often accompanies Pyrimidalist priests. Astructuralist, lacking a formal hierarchy, utilize one’s piety as a measure for how esteemed a spiritual leader should be..
Despite the creation of the Solarian Corporate Authority and aggressive nationalisation measures undertaken by the Alliance's emergency military government Luna has, through its extreme wealth and influence, managed to retain much of corporate presence, which primarily consists of upper-end white-collar jobs supported by masses of owned IPC workers to fill less important roles. The one exception to the ongoing presence of megacorporations on Luna is the NanoTrasen Corporation, which was unable to escape the mass nationalisation of its assets even on Luna.


Before one becomes a fully ordained Luceian priest in the Pyramidical tradition one must first be educated in a seminary which can take upwards of four years. Following the completion of a hopeful priest’s seminary schooling they are ordained in a Luceian temple and complete their ascension to the priesthood of Luceism. Priest, in Luceism, is considered a gender-neutral term used by both male and female clergy. Astructuralists vary in their requirements to become a religious leader due to their decentralized nature, but many follow a structure of apprenticeships in which a leader will train a follower to assume his or her position in the future; in essence, handing down their piety and traditions to their successors.
'''Einstein Engines''' is the undisputed hegemon of Luna, with Governor Kristen Anuja thoroughly at the beck-and-call of its CEO and most non-plutocrat Lunarians employed by it. Recently the Luna branch of Einstein has expanded through the absorption of NanoTrasen's limited assets on the moon.


Above the typical priests of Pyrimidal Luceism are the seven Head Keepers of Luceism, the men and women responsible for maintaining the seven metropolitans of Luceism. With each metropolitan corresponding to one of the seven great domed cities, the Head Keepers wield an incredible amount of influence in Luceism - even, arguably, amongst Astructuralists. While the Head Keepers are considered to be equals, the Head Keeper of Malaga is considered to be something of a, “first among equals,'' due to the city’s status as the birthplace of the faith. The Head Keepers are elected by the priests of their metropolitans for five year terms.
'''NanoTrasen''' previously had a fairly small presence on Luna, with offices in Harmony City and not much else. The local government is extremely hostile towards the megacorp, due to the local dominance of Einstein, and in the aftermath of the events of [[KING OF THE WORLD]] the Solarian government has nationalized all NanoTrasen facilities on Luna and elsewhere in Sol. NanoTrasen now has no presence on Luna.


Between the Head Keepers and simple priests rest the Keepers of Luceism, those individuals entrusted with the running of an officially consecrated Luceian religious site. Keepers are typically experienced priests or charismatic newcomers, as they must be elected by the clergy under them after the “period of grace,” following the first five years after a new site has been officially consecrated by the faith. Before a Keeper is elected, the founding priest will serve as an interim Keeper of the site. Due to this system of elections the list of Keepers is constantly changing and shifting as new ones come into favor and old ones fall out of it.
'''Hephaestus Industries''' maintains small presences on Luna, particularly in Harmony City.


==Warding Spheres==
'''Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals''' remains the primary sponsor of the venerable Lunar University of Medical Science, and maintains some research facilities on Luna dating back to its early colonization that are used for low-gravity experiments. Often Zeng-Hu's researchers assigned to [[Europa]] are based out of facilities on Luna, to avoid the long-term stress associated with the planet.


Warding spheres are religious artefacts almost universally carried by Assunzionii traveling afield from the planet itself. These small, crystal ball-esque, objects produce a ghostly whitish-blue light due to their internal lux vine bulb that, to followers of Luceism, symbolizes the eternal and undying flame that still dwells within their Star awaiting its reignition. It is considered extremely bad luck to not carry a warding sphere while abroad, to have one’s warding sphere break while abroad (or to have its flame otherwise dim and extinguish), or to relinquish one’s warding sphere to an unbeliever. For the truly faithful, it is said that the lights within one’s warding sphere will always point towards Assunzione.
'''Zavodskoi Interstellar''' maintains a presence on the dark side of Luna, where its weapons testing is less likely to cause a disturbance.


Warding spheres are constructed out of crystal mined from the surface of Assunzione and luce vine bulbs harvested from outside of its domes and are assembled beneath the dome of Guelma. The typical warding sphere has one bulb inside its crystal sphere, and is carried in a light metal ball for safe-keeping. The crystal and bulb held within the metal is very, very fragile and care must be given to ensure that it does not shatter through carelessness. Treatments given to the lux bulb held within ensure that a singular sphere can burn for decades at a time if properly cared for. Greater warding spheres, which can be found in Luceian houses of worship, follow the same principal of construction but on a far larger scale.
'''Idris Incorporated''' can be found throughout Luna, due to its consistent focus on luxury in all things.


{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Lore}}
{{Navbox Human Lore}}
{{Navbox Human Lore}}
[[Category:Planets_and_Systems]]

Revision as of 22:07, 28 March 2021

Luna pixel.png

The only natural satellite of Earth, Luna is the oldest colony of humanity and has fascinated humanity since long before the dawn of space travel. Luna is humanity’s oldest colony and one of its wealthiest, due to the moon’s significant corporate presence. Cities on Luna are often partially underground due to the planet’s lack of an atmosphere, but many great domed cities exist on Luna as well. The primary language of Luna is either Sol Common or Tradeband, depending on which Lunarian you ask.

History

While humanity has been obsessed with Earth’s moon for untold millennia before the invention of the most primitive spacecraft, historians generally regard the modern era of Luna as beginning on 16 July, 1969 - when American Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first humans to ever land upon another celestial body. These pioneers were quickly followed in late 1970 by the Soviet N1/L3 Soyuz 7K-LOK “Pervoprohodets” mision, which landed the third group of humans on the Moon. The “Moon Race” would continue for the rest of the 20th century and result in the first permanent settlement on Luna by the early 1980s - the Soviet “Zvezda” moonbase. The Moon Race ended in an arguable draw in the early 21st century, due to increasing economic instability on Earth.

Luna was mostly ignored by a humanity more obsessed with survival at home until 2070, when colonists from United Orbital Enterprise (a unified space agency between the USA, China, France, and Mexico) landed on its light side. Colonists from Cosmonaut Enterprises (a successor to the Soviet space program of the 20th century) landed on the dark side of Luna in 2072. With this the colonization of Earth’s moon had formally begun, and it would see significant use as a waystation for other points in the Sol system over the course of the upcoming decades and centuries. Due to its low gravity, the Soviets and UOE used Luna as a major shipyard and proving ground for deep-space equipment.

Further colonization to Luna took place during the 21st and 22nd century as climate damage gradually worsened, with many wealthy families and companies simply moving offworld to Luna when able to do so. The booming economy of Luna - supposed by Helium-3 and titanium mining efforts on it - helped create the environment for the foundation of humanity’s first megacorporation, Einstein Engines, in 2155. Luna’s prosperity has continued since then, and it remains one of the wealthiest planets in the Sol Alliance to this very day, despite its small size and small population. The Luna of today is, in many ways, the ideal colony. Rich, prosperous, and unfailing in its loyalty to the Sol Alliance.

Environment

Luna is a barren rock with almost no atmosphere to speak of, and its surface is extremely cold. To perform activities outside without a spacesuit is suicide, and much of its population lives underground or in massive “dome cities” on its surface. The moon is tidally locked to Earth and takes 28 days to make a full rotation, leading to it possessing both a light and dark side. The Lunarian surface is also home to heavy amounts of helium-3 and titanium, which have made it an ideal target for mining. Less populated areas often feature huge strip mines where materials for humanity’s expansion into the greater Orion Spur have been retrieved from the Lunar soil, with the resulting strip mines simply left unfilled - particularly on the dark side of Luna.

Life on Luna

The population of Luna is minuscule compared to that of Mars and Venus, with roughly 1.3 billion permanent residents scattered across its surface. However despite its small population the residents of Luna are, on average compared to the rest of the Sol Alliance, wealthier and happier than anywhere else. Menial labor has been taken over by IPCs produced by Einstein Engines, which dominates the economy and politics of most settlements on Earth’s satellite.

Unlike elsewhere in the Sol Alliance Lunarian, culture retains connections to Earth itself despite the mish-mash nature of its settlements. As a result of this many locations on Earth’s satellite proudly boast of their connections to the Blue Planet while striving to maintain a culture similar to their Earthbound origins, though some cultural drift has occurred over the past centuries. Physical drift has occurred as well, with Lunarians typically being taller, thinner, and paler than their Earthbound counterparts as a result of their existence in artificial gravity slightly lighter than that of Earth itself due to the widespread usage of artificial gravity on Luna. Some Lunarians view this as a point of pride, with a tall stature being viewed as desirable amongst its plutocrats.

Most cities on Luna are actually located on its surface, particularly those descended from UOE colonies. The oldest typically use large shielded domes that remain clear due to the materials used in their construction - generally made of super-reinforced glass microthreaded with titanium - centuries ago. More recent domes utilize phoron-reinforced glass for a better view of the outside, and improved durability, and some domes even use solely force fields created by superheated plasma to create miniature atmospheres. The uniquely spectacular views provided by these domes are a point of pride amongst Lunarians, with the best views (particularly those of Earth) being reserved for the most elite of Luna’s elite.

Culture

Ethnic Groups:

  • 77.8% Lunarians
  • 13.1% IPCs (various frames)
  • 9.2% Non-Lunarian humans
  • 1% Skrell

There is no truly unified “Lunarian culture” beyond wealth and pride in their close connection to Earth due to the diversity of its small-yet-rich population, but there are some common traits beyond having an average familial wealth greater than entire colonies on the frontier.

One of these is Danza de la Luna, an extremely popular holiday on Luna said to date back to the 2070s. The holiday is originally rooted in the Chinese New Year, itself imported by Chinese immigrants to Luna, but has since grown to be a common holiday designed to celebrate the success of humanity’s first interstellar pioneers.

Apollo Day is another common holiday, taking place on the sixteenth of July. Similarly to Danza de la Luna, this holiday celebrates the success of humanity’s interstellar pioneers. However, this one celebrates the success of Apollo 11 specifically rather than explorers more generally. A variation on Apollo Day named Pervoprohodets Day is instead celebrated in Soviet-colonized areas, with this holiday instead taking place on the fifteenth of December - the date the USSR’s LK lander touched down on the Lunar surface.

Lunarians are, as a general rule, a tightly-knit people due to the barriers associated with entry into what is considered by some outsiders to be the "ultimate gated community." Loyalty to one's family is seen as a desirable trait, and the standing of a family in the pecking order of Luna can be relatively static due to what prestige is often based upon: how long the family has resided on Luna for. Some of the wealthiest and most prestigious families on Luna are the descendants of rich climate refugees from the late 21st century that have dwelt on Luna for as long as humanity has maintained offworld colonies.

As a result of their typically-esteemed pedigrees Lunarians are known across the Solarian Alliance - and human space more generally - for their immense pride in their home and mind-blowing wealth, with some families rumored to be richer than entire member states of the Coalition of Colonies. Due to this Lunarians are often stereotyped as haughty, arrogant people that look down their noses at others - even other wealthy Solarians such as Cytherean Venusians - and brag incessantly about their origins on humanity's first colony. A common joke in the Coalition of Colonies is that you always know a Lunarian: they'll tell you they're one very quickly after meeting you.

Major Locations

Harmony City is the official capital of Luna, with a population of roughly ten million, and is situated in the Sea of Tranquility near where Apollo 11 landed centuries ago. Notable locations within the city include the AESCO-L Museum of Aeronautics and Astronautics, which preserves the original Apollo 11 landing site within itself. Another major feature in Harmony City is Einstein Engines’ headquarters. Harmony City is located on the light side of Luna, and is regarded as one of the Sol Alliance’s wealthiest areas. It is viewed by Lunarians as a highly desirable as a location to live.

Located outside Harmony City, the Einstein Engines Robert H. Goddard Administrative, Commercial, and Research Facility is large enough to be considered a separate municipal area from Harmony City itself. The facility is one of the largest, and one of the most well-guarded, corporate buildings in the Orion Spur, and dates back to the founding of Einstein Engines. Dr. Noella Lopez-Zhang, the current CEO of Einstein Engines, has her office at the peak of the facility’s tallest spire.

Gagaringrad is the largest and greatest dome founded by Cosmonaut Industries. Most of the “dome” is actually underground, leading to it being seen as very unattractive by Luna’s plutocrats. Despite this Zavodskoi Interstellar - perhaps attracted by the nearby colonial-era weapons testing facility at Shajin Crater - has a significant presence in Gagaringrad, and is the dome’s primary employer. Like Harmony City, Gagaringrad has its own slice of Lunar history - a museum centered around the Zvezda moonbase, one of the first permanent settlements on Luna.

Nouvelle Caen is one of the largest and most modern domes, located in the Mare Serenitatis on the Moon’s light side. Its usage of phoron-reinforced glass in its dome allowed for a larger dome than Harmony City’s, and it has remarkably managed to create an artificial “sea” inside of the Mare Serenitatis, which has become the only body of water on Luna itself. Nouvelle Caen is seen by the Lunarians as the peak of luxury on Luna and is regarded as the premier location to live on the moon, despite not being its capital. Many corporate higher-ups have penthouses here with the notable exception of Hephaestus CEO Titanius Aeson, who still resides in his Martian apartment.

Corporations

Corporations are just as present amongst the elites of Luna as they are in the rest of the Sol Alliance, but the age and wealth of Earth’s only natural satellite has led to corporations being treated slightly differently here than on New Hai Phong or Silversun.

Despite the creation of the Solarian Corporate Authority and aggressive nationalisation measures undertaken by the Alliance's emergency military government Luna has, through its extreme wealth and influence, managed to retain much of corporate presence, which primarily consists of upper-end white-collar jobs supported by masses of owned IPC workers to fill less important roles. The one exception to the ongoing presence of megacorporations on Luna is the NanoTrasen Corporation, which was unable to escape the mass nationalisation of its assets even on Luna.

Einstein Engines is the undisputed hegemon of Luna, with Governor Kristen Anuja thoroughly at the beck-and-call of its CEO and most non-plutocrat Lunarians employed by it. Recently the Luna branch of Einstein has expanded through the absorption of NanoTrasen's limited assets on the moon.

NanoTrasen previously had a fairly small presence on Luna, with offices in Harmony City and not much else. The local government is extremely hostile towards the megacorp, due to the local dominance of Einstein, and in the aftermath of the events of KING OF THE WORLD the Solarian government has nationalized all NanoTrasen facilities on Luna and elsewhere in Sol. NanoTrasen now has no presence on Luna.

Hephaestus Industries maintains small presences on Luna, particularly in Harmony City.

Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals remains the primary sponsor of the venerable Lunar University of Medical Science, and maintains some research facilities on Luna dating back to its early colonization that are used for low-gravity experiments. Often Zeng-Hu's researchers assigned to Europa are based out of facilities on Luna, to avoid the long-term stress associated with the planet.

Zavodskoi Interstellar maintains a presence on the dark side of Luna, where its weapons testing is less likely to cause a disturbance.

Idris Incorporated can be found throughout Luna, due to its consistent focus on luxury in all things.