Andophael
Overview
The worlds of the Terastont System are an example of the catastrophic collapse which happened when the Scream cut off the worlds of the Terran Mandate. The people of Andophael very nearly suffered complete extinction, but by scavenging for resources among the factories they established a narrow band of arable land around the only major bodies of water on the planet.History
Andophael was a critical world in pre-Scream Leo Omega. The Jump Gate orbiting this world provided a steady stream of incoming agricultural products and outflow of pretech industrial products. When the Scream cut off this system, Andophael fell hard, along with the secondary inhabited planet in the system, Hasim . In the face of this disaster, elements of the Mandate government on Hasim stole or hoarded ships, technology, and supplies. The citizens of Andophael were left with precious little. They quickly fell to the lower limits of industrial age technology, eking out existence among bare rock and collapsed cities. This betrayal instilled a burning hatred for their brothers among the stars, and, despite Hasim's collapse soon after, the hatred remains to this day.Biosphere
The planet was developed as a manufacturing center due to its complete lack of a biosphere. At some point in the past a cosmic burst of radiation completely scoured the surface of Andophael (and Hasim) of even bacterial life. The breatheable atmosphere remained, however. This was a useful trait in the Mandate era, when warehoused products were protected from biological degredation. However, when Andophael suddenly had to produce its own food, the soil proved all but incapable of supporting vegetation. Certain specialty crops were grown in hydroponic factories, and other foodstuffs were painstakingly cultivated from seeds and cuttings from food stores for the factory workers. This resulted in the planet having almost 100% edible plant life, with a relatively narrow selection but wildly exotic flavors. There are two main sources of water on Andophael, leading to livable conditions around their shores and arid deserts beyond. A high differential in humidity and temperatures creates volatile weather conditions. During the dry season, even land near the water can be bone-dry, so the land must be irrigated using pumping stations (usually wind-powered and under the control of the Sur). Because the southern lakes spread out the hydrographic coverage, the south has more arable land despite an overall lower surface area of water.Culture
Extended family groups are the core social unit on Andophael, with a feudal governmental structure. Regional lords are known as Sur, and most families are generationally indentured to them. Some freemen or yeomen managed to attain some degree of independence, but because all arable land is owned by the nobility there was still little they could do to escape their Sur's control. The history of Hasim's betrayal is a very divisive subject on Andophael. The two main cultures that exist on Andophael are the Northern and Southern Surdoms. The northerners are much more hostile toward the people of Hasim, a situation which some agitators claim is a trick by the nobility to focus the anger of the masses on someone distant and untouchable. The Southern Surdoms still remember their history with Hasim, but the people generally don't harbor as much resentment. This may be due to the greater availability of land. Today, the star system is under protection of neighboring systems which survived with more of an intact technology base. Humanitarian missions with advanced medicines and tech components are sent regularly from Perithr and the Omega Union. Andophael has developed efficient irrigation techniques which suit the low-tech industrial base, as well as rail and airship travel. Medical knowledge is more advanced than Earth's Victorian/Edwardian era, but advanced pharmaceuticals and medical devices are not widely known. The situation is improving, but, absent pretech technology, Andophael will not return to a large-scale technological capability any time soon. A recent movement of rebellion against the Surs has taken hold, ironically due in large part to interstellar aid missions. The lords are seen by these elements as greedy and acting against the best interests of the people. Resistance cells organize independently to harass government operations and, if possible, assassinate the leaders. Support for this movement is mixed, and people don't talk openly about it due to the possibility of being turned in to the authorities. Some regions of Andophael have small quirks that developed as a way to express unity and identity. For example, on the eastern shore of the Northern Surdoms nearly all males are given names which start with a K.Notables
Kane Dummer's family lives in Sana in the Northern Surdoms, a free family renting land from Lord Taimur Salim, the Sur of Sana. They also claim land halfway between the North and South, hoping to develop it someday when technology allows the populace to expand beyond the lakes. "Kasim" is a freedom fighter in Sana. Abel Black and Kane Drummer hired an engineer named Omar Kasim on Heaviside Station. His family is on the western shore of the northern lake. There are many legends of ships lost in the outer solar system, but the most well-known in Terastont is the story of the Christian, a patrol boat captained by Jamie Dawson. This ghost ship is said to reappear from time to time in defense of helpless civilian ships.Places
Heaviside Station is the primary gateway to Andophael. Visitors are expected to check in here before descending to the planet. Docking fees for this mandatory stop help fund the station. Salaga is a gas giant mine that other star systems have helped Andophael set up to fuel space expansion. It is the primary source of fuel sold at the deep space station Eddy in the Stream.Planetary Data
| Atmosphere | Breatheable mix |
| Temperature | Variable temperate
to warm |
| Biosphere | No native biosphere |
| Population | 690,000 |
| Tech Level | 2 |
Maps
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Andophael Planetary Surface
Type
Planet
Related Reports (Primary)
Related Reports (Secondary)
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