Atlas

Atlas is an old Sol colony world, which is somewhat unusual due to the fact that the planet’s gravity is much stronger than most Humans prefer. Over the generations, the colonists’ descendants evolved to better handle the increased gravity, growing squatter and more muscular even as their height shrank. Medical implants help their cardiovascular systems withstand the increased, unending stress imposed by heavy gravity. While the natives can now move easily in the increased gravity, most visitors need to rent a powered exoskeleton for the duration of their stay.

Atlas itself is terrestrial, with waterways the size of inland seas encircling the planet, resembling massive rivers with endless forks and islands. The largest are called Titan’s Rings, with various branches named separately. Most of Atlas’s inhabitants have settled along these waterways and the plains beyond, while above the waterways sit vast barren highlands. The heavy gravity tends to pull the atmosphere down closer to sea level, leaving the upper highlands dry and mostly uninhabitable.

Atlas has ample resources for trade and industry, and its strategic position relative to the Elysian Wormhole raises its profile from one of thousands of independent systems to one of at least regional importance. Unfortunately for the locals, this position plus its proximity to Sol makes it likely that the Federation will soon attempt to force Atlas to pay tribute to the Federation. A Sol cruiser squadron under Commodore Valquez has been “on maneuvers” in nearby systems for the past six months, heightening tensions planetside.