Rhylanor

Planetary Data

Expanded Characteristics

Planet Name

Rhylanor

Size

5,440 kms

Hex

2716

Atmosphere

Very Thin.

Subsector

Rhylanor

Hydrographics

40 %

Sector

Spinward Marches

Population

1,122,268,761

UPP

A434A34-F

Government

Self-Perpetuating Oligarchy

Trade Class

Hi Cp

Law Level

Light assault weapons prohibited.

Travel Zone

Green

Tech Level

Technical Imperial Maximum

Affiliation

Imperial

Gravity

0.500

Installations

Navel and Scout base

Temperature

21º C

RICE Data and History

Rhylanor (Rhylanor: Spinward Marches/2716)
A434A34-F A Hi Cp 110 RE M2 V
G=0.28, Day=1d 3:26:42.72, Year = 46d 17:16:47.71
Atmo=0.16, Controlled Weather
Temp= +21.3 (5/lat +15 to -35) (season +28.8 to -48.0, 48 deg lat)
Daily temp range 120.56
Ores; Metals; Durables, Consumables; Recordings, Software
Conservative/Advancing, Unaggressive/Neutral, Harmonious/Aloof
Legal: 4-07540 Tech FE-FGFFE-FDFG-FE-F

    Upon entering the system, the first thing travellers notice about Rhylanor is its bleak-looking slate and obsidian color and a scarcity of active weather patterns. Rhylanor's very thin atmosphere, rocky composition and mineral-rich oceans make it as gray as jump space. Scant meteorological activity can be accounted for by weak stellar emanations coming from Rhylanor's solitary dying main sequence star, Icarus.
    Despite the planet's humble appearance at 100 diameters, as travellers approach close orbit they begin to notice immense amber and brown splotches of urban sprawl on the small world's surface. Rhylanor's linear and hard-edged coastlines stem from massive terraforming projects performed over generations since Rhylanor was settled in the frontier days of the Spinward Marches (ca. 250). Urban areas include scores of arcologies, gravitic cities and even undersea settlements, whose main business is the distillation of valuable ore products that seep forth from Rhylanor's multitude of undersea vents.
    Before planetfall, travellers may want to stop at Rhylanor Orbital Starport (R.O.S.) or "Ross," as it is affectionately known. Ross is home to some 600 million inhabitants. Ross is unique in that it is a modular orbital city, comprised of three separate units. Normally the three units are united into one cohesive orbital starport/city, but during major fleet maneuvers or wartime, the three modules divide into separate entities that are strategically placed at equidistant vertices in point defense of Rhylanor proper. Each module is equipped with a 2-G maneuver drive and dozens of PAWs, missile launchers and meson-gun mounts for such exercises.
    The three starport modules are called Vord, Emberheim and Xao, named for a famous scientist, entrepreneur and military leader, respectively, drawn from Rhylanor's colorful history. Emberheim, the
largest of the three modules, contains Rhylanor's massive orbital shipbuilding yard. Administered by the system government, major portions of the yard are leased to Ling Standard Products and General Products LIC. Many smaller indigenous shipbuilding outfits also lease manufacturing space at the facility. Each of the three modules contains space leased to the Regency Navy and Regency Interstellar Scout Service (RISS) as well. The majority of Rhylanor's SDB squadrons are docked at Xao.
    Do not let the military presence overwhelm you, however. Over 70 percent of Ross' permanent population is civilian. Most of the civilian population is employed in some capacity by Rhylanor-based
subsidiaries of Regency megacorporations. Numerous merchant lines including such notables as Oberlindes lease or own major lots in each of Ross' modules. Two arcologies are mounted on each module, housing approximately 85 percent of the civilian population. The remaining 15 percent live in settlements located in scattered areas of Ross' immense lattice-like structure.
    Let the free trader be forewarned that highly competitive trading blocs operate on each of Ross' modules, each with its own dominant bloc. The blocs are very turf-sensitive and will take quick and
decisive action against any offworlders who come into their territory and trade without paying an appropriate obeisance to the dominant bloc on the module. The blocs are known to employ their own assassins and on occasion independent mercenary groups to enforce their unwritten laws.
    In addition to the dangers posed by the blocs, the powerful Rhylanori Ministry of Trade (MT) keeps a watchful eye on all mercantile activity. The export of Rhylanori technology, especially cutting-edge Rhylanori computer and robotics technology (see below), is heavily policed by law enforcement agents assigned to the MT.
    Despite the clannish trading blocs and intrusive MT on Ross, free trade manages to flourish, with offworld goods constantly flowing into Ross' ports from throughout the central portion of the Regency.
    Proceeding to Rhylanor itself is a simple task. Rhylanor's bicameral government prefers to keep a hands-off approach for the most part, allowing easy passage on and offworld. Liberal weapon possession and personal freedom laws are intended to encourage offworld trade and touristry. The MT presence is every bit as intrusive as it is on Ross, but the moblike trading blocs do not have a presence on Rhylanor
proper.

    The Executive Proxy is the reigning government on Rhylanor, consisting of eight senators. The EP have historically been drawn from the ranks of retired flag rank Imperial and now Regency naval officers, native Rhylanori corporate executives, Rhylanori nobility and senior legislative-branch politicos. Upon taking office, each member of the EP prepares a preferred list of three successors. The senator may optionally alter his preferred list at the end of each eight-year term. Most do not, however, as altering one's list is seen by the electorate as a sign of weakness. When a senator dies or willingly secedes, the general population of Rhylanor votes for one of the three successors to replace the senator.

    The EP, for the most part, try to facilitate free trade and offworld touristry by maintaining a hands-off approach. Their primary function is directing the economy of Rhylanor, promoting industrial projects and public works and generally touting Rhylanor to the rest of the subsector and the Domain in general. Legal power and administration of the powerful MT is administered by the Magistracy, Rhylanor's lower governmental house and judicial branch. Magistrates are elected by popular vote in population bloc electoral districts.

    A division exists between the governmental approach and native Rhylanori sentiment to offworlders. While the government does its best to encourage free trade and touristry, the citizens of the planet are to known to be rather smug. In fact, "Rhylanori pride" is known throughout the Regency as the defining characteristic of this system's citizens.

    Rhylanori pride stems from historical events. Rhylanor served as the pivotal system in the Fifth Frontier War. Advancing Zhodani forces were stopped and turned back at its borders. This elevated the system to "godlike" status in the eyes of many, most especially the Rhylanori themselves. For a time, prominent local groups such as the Sisters of Rhylanorae, the local Brotherhood diocese and the Olavopolis Patriot
Guild even lobbied the Imperium to establish Rhylanor as the new capital of the Spinward Marches.

    Though Mora was eventually selected for astrographic and historical reasons, most Rhylanori believe their world is more deserving of the honor. To this day each of the above-listed groups and many other political action committees continue to pressure the First Regent for a referendum on the subject.

    One might infer that the Rhylanori end up feeling like a Regency stepchild, always coming in second best. In fact, just the opposite is the case. The Rhylanori are a progressive people and look at defeat as part of an ongoing struggle. Any and all recognition is quickly magnified and extolled. The Rhylanori are extremely proud, for instance, that their system is to be the location of the 1202 Regency Grav Ball Cup. This event, while important to the higher-population and technologically elevated worlds of the Regency, has become a full-blown historical event to the Rhylanori, who are always hungry for recognition and approval in the eyes of their peers.

    Offworlders may be put off initially by Rhylanori pride. Attempts to make trading pacts or, heaven forfend, establish permanent residency on Rhylanor, may well be rebuked in the courteous but decisive Rhylanori manner at first. Persistence, however, wins out on Rhylanor. Offworlders will discover that the exclusive and conservative Rhylanori greatly admire mavericks, entrepreneurs and frontiersmen.

    In the colonial days of the planet, tough settlers had to brave Rhylanor's harsh and unforgiving environment to establish the foundation of what is, in their minds, the greatest jewel and example of technological might in the Regency. As a notable offworlder who made his way on Rhylanor as an oceanic wildcatter once said, "If you dig your way in like a tick on a kian's back, hold tight and weather
the storm, you're a Rhylanori for life."

    The capital city of Rhylanor and location of its main starport is Olavopolis, named for the First Frontier War hero, Admiral Olav hault-Plankwell. Olavopolis is an immense city of five billion, and a planetary nexus for commerce, education and industry. The city is comprised of arcologies, floating gravitic residential and industrial centers and subsurface oceanic domes that extend beyond the coastline of Olavopolis' terrestrial sprawl.

    Arbellatracon, Rhylanor's largest city with eight billion souls, is the planet's manufacturing center. Consisting mostly of massed arcologies, dismal industrial Arbellatracon is for the most part a rough and tumble blue-collar city. Eighty-eight percent of the population are members of the Brotherhood church. On their weekly day of rest, Wonday, Arbellatrans don bright ritual compressor apparatuses adorned with fetishes and ascend to the surface of the planet to pray in the dim light of Icarus. Under the moonless violet Rhylanori skies, they engage in two to three hours of prayer and then return to their apartments for ritual feasting and drinking (read: gourging and boozing).

    Rhylanor boasts several smaller cities as well, the largest of which, Fuirmidh (pop. 90 million), is the home of the University of Rhylanor. A referendum to rename the city Norriscon, after the Fifth Frontier War hero and former Duke of Regina, was defeated in a landslide vote in 1110, after opponents of the referendum successfully reminded the citizens of Rhylanor that Norris too clearly represented Regina to be worthy of such an honor.

    As for Rhylanor's technological might, almost all of the planet's industries operate at TL-15, with Rhylanori specialties such as computers, robotics and many aspects of starship building, achieving early to mid-TL 16.

    After the Rape of Trin in 1139, Rhylanor's robotics industry was pressured to close down due to widespread hysteria. Regency citizens predominantly from pre-stellar to early stellar systems understood the capabilities of the robotics industries of Rhylanor and other high-stellar systems, and demanded that the Regency shut them down until further notice. Only within the last five years has Rhylanor been able to finagle its way back into the business of creating robots with its high-tech manufacturing infrastructure.

    In 1196, Rhylanor successfully plea-bargained the First Regent for limited robotics production rights. Part of the agreement includes unlimited use and sale within the Rhylanor system and limited robotics trade with its preferred trading partners: Risek, Porozlo, Macene and Jae Tellona. Many of the leading-edge robotics firms, including several divisions of LSP, have reestablished Rhylanor's benchmark TL-16 robot production capabilities.

    Part of the agreement with the First Regent includes a clause that all robots built by Rhylanori companies must be fitted with a special "dumb firewall failsafe" device that activates itself if any virus activity is detected within the robot's CPU. The system is free of volatile AI chips and thus labeled "dumb." This clause is overseen by the bureaucratic Regency Robotics Commission (RRC), who maintain an office in Olavopolis that oversees all Rhylanori robot manufacturing activity. In the beginning of Rhylanor's new age of robotics, many prototype robots mistakenly firewalled due to the sensitivity of their systems. Defects of this sort have since been eradicated.

    Word on the street has it that a lucrative black market Rhylanori robot trade exists to serve buyers outside the RRC-sanctioned realm. Buyers beware: the RQS mercilessly prosecutes offenders of the RRC
regulations.

    Research in virus-proof robotics has consequently put Rhylanor on the cutting-edge of virus-proofing computer technology as well. The Regency Navy, with a large presence in the system, takes full advantage of their proximity to this technological advancement. Local computer companies bid aggressively for naval contracts.

    Members of Rhylanor's highly technical planetary navy, COACC and 23rd fleet Regency naval personnel staff are drawn primarily from the population of Rhylanor proper and other planets in the system. Conversely, Rhylanor's army and marine regiments are only about 20 percent Rhylanori. The bulk of Rhylanor's soldiers are volunteers and conscripted troops from nearby Porozlo and Jae Tellona systems. The highly disciplined Jae Tellonan units are known as the "Rashakhras," named for a long-dead Vilani warrior caste that fought in the Interstellar Wars. The Rashakhras are respected and feared throughout the Regency and are known to be some of the toughest soldiers of the Domain.

    The majority of Rhylanor's technological R&D talent comes directly from each graduating class of the University of Rhylanor in Fuirmidh. A hotbed of ideas and liberalism, UR has long been a place where innovation and intellectual freedom flourish. The conservative population of Rhylanor often sneer at the mention of the university, but grudgingly accept it for its merits. Known during the Fifth Frontier War for pro-Ine Givar student protests, the university remains a place where dissenters can voice their opinions. UR is Rhylanor's bastion of liberalism.

    The very thin atmosphere freely admits stellar radiation from Icarus, making the planet typically hot, averaging 21.3 degrees C. The atmosphere and extreme axial tilt of Rhylanor (48 degrees), however, result in large daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations. Because of these extremeties, nearly all Rhylanori own and frequently use compressors. Those who engage in prolonged exposure to the elements
own vacc suits and PLSS systems.

    Rhylanor's weak natural gravity (0.28 G) is augmented in urban areas by immense artificial gravity grids. Rhylanor's urban artificial gravity level is about 0.6 G. Rhylanori technology also defies the planet's weak planetary electromagnetism for the purpose of maintaining its maglev public transportation network. EMP generators are maintained at intervals along the maglev public transportation web. The generators enable maglev to operate on the planet despite Rhylanor's weak natural electromagnetism.

    The Rhylanori are essentially a proud and forward-thinking people whose world is just reaching maturity in the galactic scheme of things. Though commercial enterprise and legal bureaucracy have made their imprint on the system, native Rhylanori long for the days of colonial freedom and the wild frontier. Consequently, most Rhylanori greatly admire the adventurer's spirit though most are loathe to give up the golden handcuffs of their technologically advanced and liberated society.