Ferven

The Terminus Conglomerate began not too long after The Grand Disarmament, when the concerned denizens of Ferven IV – primarily Humans – elected to find new ways of waging war against the entities destroying their civilisation, pulling together to craft an interplanetary oligarchy with members of each planet’s military brass at the head. In the wake of the recent apocalyptic event to have wracked the people of the Ferven System, this swift re-shaping of their government was met with little to no resistance, with most people simply happy to have somebody in charge after the last ruler – Fuhrer Thomas John Kieffer – was obliterated along with the entirety of their previous civilisation. Since then, The Terminus Conglomerate has only consolidated its power, cementing its place in Salus as the primary dealer of weapons technology throughout all five systems and utilising its increased strength to keep the peace between those who would seek to fight one another, instead of the creatures that drift beyond.

Geography

The Ferven System is considerably populated, resulting in five of their seven planets serving primarily as population centres. As for the other two – the closest orbiting bodies to their central star – these planets have been turned into what the Conglomerate like to call “Forge Worlds” on which the system’s weapons, armour, vehicles and machinery are constructed, made all the easier by the planets’ immense heat. Their planets have been named via numbering, in order of their proximity to the sun.

Ferven I and Ferven II are the system’s patented Forge Worlds. Ferven III is the planet from which the Conglomerate receives the majority of its ore deposits, being a body covered almost entirely with mountains and gorges, its ocean floors lined with gemstones.

Ferven IV is the system’s agricultural centre, and the second-highest populated body in the Conglomerate. Ferven V is the capitol of the system, hosting the ruling council, the majority of the system’s population and their centre for luxury and entertainment that spans an island several hundred miles wide.

On Ferven VI, the system’s military are primarily stationed, outfitted, and trained, with facilities for nearly all training environments existing across the planet; and even on its moon, for low-gravity exercises. Finally, there is Ferven VII. This planet exists too far from the sun to sustain any life or allow any machinery to function on its surface. As a result, it is the Conglomerate’s home for confidential experimentation, special forces operations and political prisoners alike, all three of them held a kilometre below the icy surface, in a network of tunnels and bunkers that runs the circumference of the entire planet.

Fauna & Flora

Most things that live on Ferven are dangerous beasts that survive well in harsh, mountainous areas. Plant life is rare and mostly consisting of plants feeding on insects and small animals, or are able to sustain on little sunlight and water. Efforts have been made in the past 60 years to introduce plant life from places like Tranquin onto Ferven, but the results have been less than promising.

CULTURE AND SOCIETY

Within the Terminus Conglomerate’s jurisdiction, Ferven’s population of mystics are shipped off to Ferven VII as soon as they graduate from secondary education. They are, of course, forewarned of this before such an event, a sizable sum paid to their family for the child they are taking away. Upon the mystic’s arrival on the ice planet, they are sent underground to one of two places; either the Conglomerate’s classified laboratories, where they are drained for their natural energies for however long they survive the process, or to the headquarters of the A.R.U. (the Arcane Response Unit). In the case of the latter, the mystics are trained to be soldiers, spies, and special operations units – both in the confines and simulations of Ferven VII, and on one of the moons of Ferven VI. The life expectancy of an A.R.U. operative is somewhere around six years after their training is complete.
Ferven is a deeply militaristic system, believing that all people should learn strength and patience from a young age. As such, the youth of the Conglomerate are not coddled. It does not take long for a child of Ferven to enter into mental and physical education, typically completing both by the age of sixteen and going on to further education or the military almost immediately afterwards. Once one comes of age in Ferven, they are immediately sent in search of a career – a function to benefit the Conglomerate as a whole. After all; a lazy citizen is a citizen not worth feeding. Whatever one’s career path, it is relatively unlikely that they will ever change from it.
One exception of this, of course, is the armed forces. Many citizens of the Conglomerate join the military for a couple of terms of service as a way of earning respect amongst their peers and securing an addition to their curriculum vitae. Despite the combat training most of the Conglomerate’s people receive from a young age, it is typically expected that the military will handle all of the fighting and risk unless entirely necessary. As such, possession of a firearm beyond a pistol in Ferven is a crime punishable by death – as are a great many transgressions in the system. A population crisis naturally turns a civilisation to any means of culling that they can muster.

POLITICS

The Terminus Conglomerate is not a democratic society, opting to give the vote only to members of the military brass possessing the rank of Major or higher. Every five years, the military brass vote on who shall represent the Forge Worlds and Ferven III-VI. These selected individuals form a ruling council – the deciding voice on all matters of state in the Terminus Conglomerate’s Ferven System. While the electoral system in Ferven does not allow for a party structure, existence of certain political factions within the system is inevitable. Some of the most prominent factions in Ferven are listed below.

• The FDF: The Ferven Democrats’ Front carry a rather self-explanatory goal; the institution of a democratic government within the Ferven System, as voted for by every adult member of society.

• March for the Monarchy: A group advocating the return of an established Fuhrer and a monarchic rule over Ferven. Often host protests on Ferven V, outside of government buildings and military bases.

• The Valiant Return: Dubbed terrorists by the majority of the Conglomerate, this militaristic group seek the same ends as March for the Monarchy, but believe the only true way to catch and hold the council’s attention is through violence. They operate out of a military-grade dreadnought named for their faction, keeping themselves hidden beyond the reach of the Conglomerate. Some even theorise that their ship resides beyond civilised space – in the Void.

Natural Resources

Most of Ferven's natural resources come from Ferven I, II and III. Majority of metals such as iron, steel and adamantine come from Ferven. They also are the largest exporter of gems, and make a large amount of money from selling large deposits of dimonds to Vita. As such, jewellery with gemstones is commonly used as a sign of affection on Ferven, with materials such as wood being reserved for eccentric members of the upper class.
More recently, the Conglomerate have been in the midst of a population crisis, and are relying very heavily on Tranquin's exports to support their ever-increasing population. Food, clothes, and sustainable fuel are all in high demand in Ferven. The third of these resources is temporarily being accounted for, with a simple draining of the occasional mystic. Between the energy these arcane beings can provide, and the often-fatal results of their drainage, this effectively kills two birds with one stone.

Type

Star System

Included Organizations

• The Buccaneers