Jorun Asteroid Field
The Jorun Asteroid Field includes several larger asteroids capable of maintaining a thin atmosphere, among them Ragh and Lisis II. The asteroids vary from large and rocky with enough density to maintain air—and even native flora and fauna (mostly in the deep caves and canyons that scar the surface)—to microgravity environments with precious minerals and ores. It is also the asteroid field where Ragh Gavar, known as the Captain of Hope, crash-landed with his crew just a few short centuries ago. The Saar were said to feel a literal yearning that began just a few years after his crash, drawing them to the quiet system on the eastern edge of the galaxy. The Saar believe the field to be what remains of their original, long-lost homeworld.
Lisis II
Named for a Saar colony wiped out by the N’orr long ago, this asteroid is best identified by the crescent of jade-green water that makes up the Valley of Gavar, easily spotted from orbit. The asteroid’s microgravity and chilly temperatures deep in the caverns make it a seemingly odd location for the Saar to colonize, but it provides the bulk of the food and water for the Saar on Ragh.
Rowgra
Typical of the villages on Lisis II, Rowgra is built into the sides and even ceilings of the asteroid’s wide crystal cavern entrances. Rowgra’s spaces are connected by webs of long cables, net walls, and metal platforms for magnetic boots that go deep into the caves. From the outside, the dwellings have a cobbled-together appearance. The Saar take full advantage of the microgravity to build in structurally unsound directions. However, most structures have technological conveniences on par with the rest of galactic civilization, and they utilize artificial gravity generators to keep everyone healthy and strong.
The caverns provide nearly everything the Saar need for survival. In addition to the natural shelter the caverns provide, deep within them are natural pools of mostly frozen water the Saar can melt and sterilize on-site before pumping it to homes near a cavern mouth. The caverns also grow a variety of edible lichens, moss, and molds the Saar farm, as well as infinite species of protein-packed insects, snails, and slugs, some of which grow quite large thanks to the microgravity environment. The Saar on Lisis II trade excess food and water to ships or Ragh for technology and other off-world items.
Rowgra's Howl
A sizable vessel, the Howl was a scrapper ship whose crew heard Ragh’s Call and traveled to the Jorun Asteroid Field to settle generations ago. The ship is still functional, and it flies once a year as part of Rolwa Shanan holiday celebrations honoring the Saar diaspora. The rest of the year, it functions as a sort of town hall for Rowgra, as it is one of the few structures that can fit most of the Rowgra population.
Valley of Gavar
Named for Captain Ragh Gavar, the Valley of Gavar was sealed over long ago with a tricrystal roof, and fusion reactors heated the interior to thaw vast ice deposits. Now it has one of the few fully liquid lakes on Lisis II, filling the crescent-shaped valley with jade-green water. The valley is remarkably underdeveloped thanks to its role in Saar spiritualism. It is said that a version of the Call can be heard by the Saar in and around the valley, and many visit to pray ahead of major life decisions, or just to feel spiritual. That said, some areas of the valley are zoned for commercial trawlers modified for the microgravity environment; the trawlers contribute large numbers of fish and crustaceans to the Saar diet.
Ragh
By far the most populous asteroid in the Jorun Asteroid Field, Ragh has several larger cities and is the epicenter of Ragh’s Call, the dominant religion among the Saar. The Saar nestle their cities within natural craters, organizing them in concentric rings. Many crater-cities feature mining operations at the center, where they extract raw ores and metals from deep mining shafts that still haven’t run dry after centuries of tunneling.
Roonragh
Roonragh is the spiritual center of Saar society and home to Captain Ragh Gavar’s crashed ship, which serves as the holy capitol for followers of Ragh’s Call. Religious services and educational tours occur at the preserved site and surrounding temples daily, just below the lip of Ragh’s Crater. The city’s largest thoroughfare runs between the crashed ship and the city center at the bottom of the crater, and is home to several marches and parades, particularly for religious festivals. At the crater’s center is a large square and a massive amphitheater and fire pit for Houw Shanan observances. Careful engineering hides the massive fans and filtration systems that make a great bonfire possible in a sealed and low-gravity environment, so once a year, the city’s children toss bugs into the fire and Saar howl into the sky to mourn the genocide at Lisis.
Grawharoo
The largest population center on Ragh is Grawharoo, which is in a large crater adjacent to Roonragh at one end and up against a deep crevasse that runs the length of Ragh on the other. The crevasse side is home to the bulk of mining operations on Ragh, and refineries and smelting plants occupy a slice that takes up nearly a third of the city from the crevasse to its center. The rest of the city is a mix of residential and commercial areas, many built around the frames of old cargo vessels that Saar elders landed at Grawharoo after hearing the Call centuries ago.
Around the crater city center are large platforms for traders, most of which are Saar vessels. However, Grawharoo is also the city with the largest non-Saar population, and many buildings around the landing-pad district cater to off-worlders. Bars, casinos, hotels, and entertainment plexes all flash garish lights that bounce off the undersides of the large platforms and the crystal domes above.
Gowlar
Gowlar is home to the Council of Captains, the Clan of Saar’s leadership. Every ship captain and city district captain is entitled to a seat at the table, but most only appear to speak on issues that directly impact their operations. As such, Gowlar’s population waxes and wanes depending on the decisions at hand. Otherwise, Gowlar is a military support city, with factories and facilities that support shipyards throughout the asteroid field.
Floating Factory 9
One of many asteroid factories, this semimobile space station selects a target metal-rich asteroid and anchors to it. One end of the factory structure latches onto the asteroid to mine the ore, while the rest of the facility contains processors and refiners that produce bundles of ferroplate ingots and frozen water flasks. Mostly automated, the facilities host a handful of elders and a few hundred other Saar who oversee operations for a few months at a time.
Star Name and Type
Jorun, yellow main sequence star
Population Status
colony, 1.01 billion (97% Saar, 3% other)
Government
admiralty under the Council of Captains
Major Imports
scrap, technology, medicine
Major Exports
minerals, metal, ore
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