Gamble
Home System
Gamble, known locally simply as "Planet," orbits a K0-class main sequence star. Its star system has seven major planets in total: three rocky, terrestrial planets in the inner system plus two large gas giants and two ice giants in the outer system. Gamble is the middle of the three terrestrial planets.Population
The total planetary population is roughly 200,000 people. About 40% are nomadic essene miners, 20% live in underground mining settlements, and the other 40% live in permanent settlements near the poles. The planetary government is run as a business venture with the intent of maximizing profits from essene exports. Law enforcement is relatively unknown among the nomadic miners.Geography
Gamble is larger but less dense than Earth, leading to a lower overall surface gravity. Active plate tectonics have produced dry ocean basins and elevated continental plateaus with high mountain ranges. The land surface is mostly covered in exposed bedrock or sandy deserts. Most erosion is aeolian in nature.
Ecosystem Cycles
Gamble has active essene and carbon cycles. Although neither is fully understood, it thought these two cycles are linked, with atmospheric carbon dioxide being reabsorbed into the mantle through the crust and essene being formed in the upper mantle and released into the atmosphere through volcanic activity.
Climate
Gamble is in the process of becoming tidally locked to its parent star and has extremely long days. This results in a hot daytime side and a cold nighttime side with strong winds blowing from west to east between the two hemispheres. Gamble's axial tilt leads to a wind shear between the northern and southern hemispheres during the summer and winter. This wind shear produces seasonal storms that subside during the spring and autumn. The atmosphere is relatively thick and consists mostly of nitrogen with trace amounts of oxygen and essene. The atmosphere is breathable but respirators are required to increase oxygen intake.
Natural Resources
Essene is a valuable, naturally-occurring gas used as a coolant on starships. Geochemical reactions deep within Gamble's mantle produce solidified essene, which becomes gaseous and is released into the atmosphere via volcanic activity. The planetary economy mostly consists of essene mining utilizing large, floating collection bags and artificially bred spores. There is also limited mining of metals and minerals for local industrial usage. Essene miners are nomadic and remain on the move to stay within the planet’s twilight zone. Most essene miners also engage in subsistence farming.
History
Gamble was first settled nearly 200 years ago. The first inhabitants were attracted by the naturally occurring essene, which is used as a coolant on starships. The first settlement was situated around the north pole. As the potential profits from essene mining became clear, within a few decades miners were venturing farther south and living as nomads to gather essene. Miners established claims along lines of latitude, until eventually the entire planet was ringed by mining claims.
The sun was setting. The sun was always setting.
Alternative Name(s)
Planet (locally)
Type
Planet
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
Semi-major axis: 92,000,000 km
Sidereal rotation: 1940 standard hours
Orbital period: 190 standard days
Local year: 1.35 solar days
Physical Parameters
Age: ~0.3 billion years
Radius: 7,654 km
Gravity: 0.9 g
Albedo: 0.17
Average temperature: 13 C
Atmospheric pressure: 1.4 atm
Cloud cover: 5%
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