1915   Gatina   C-765876-7     Ag, Ri                    110       Na     F7V

Gatina at first glance would appear to be an idullic world, perfect for human habitation and rich with resources. Indeed, she has a rich history of trade with her more advanced neighbors, and in the distant past has been a cosmopolitan hub, second only to Eronirabo for consideration as capital of its star cluster. Lagging technology and internal strife, as well as a weak interstellar economic environment have kept Gatina mostly unvisited and unimportant in recent decades. Only a small amount of Zhodani sponsored trade filters through the planet, linking Consulate markets up with Eronirabo and Cotalu, normally hostile worlds toward Consulate trade. Additionally, almost all trade is filtered through the Confederation of Holk at its capitol of Afedilus. Little else filters into the other 11 other major governments of Gatina, though the technology base is fairly well distributed.

Confederation of Holk (Tech Level 7, with TL 8-9 imports, Government 3, Law Level 5)

The confederation of Holk is an island country, consisting of Alchus Island in the north and Slocumb island in the south. Other nearby islands are disputed territories, with the Kusk Empire being the other primary claimant. Port Averdeen (Population 1,300,000) is perhaps the oldest known settlement on Gatina, dating back some 500 years (Circa 610 Imperial - exact dates and records at this tiime are current unknown), when a small colony ship from the 3rd Imperium landed and laid claim to the world 'In the Emperor's Name'. Subsequent wars and treaties have long since abolished Imperial claim on the world and indeed, most Imperial contact. To date the Zhodani are content to allow things to develop in Holk without interference.

Afedilus (Population 2,750,00) is the capitol of the CoH, and home to the world's primary starport, at least as far as the Zhodani are concerned. Most goods from Eronirabo and Cotalu are delivered to Sapphiricus to the south, then shipped to Afedilus to be picked up by merchants operating out of the Fonda system. Zhodani goods are likewise delivered to Sapphiricus for export to otherwise anti-Zhodani worlds. This system for the most part works well, but a rise in good old fashioned ocean-based piracy has been ongoing for the last few years, driving prices up and trade volume down considerably.

The Holk Islands are a virtual paradise with heavily forested highlands on the larger isles, and jungles on many of the smaller isles. Despite its collection of representatives from the smaller islands surrounding Alchus, 97% of the entire population of the CoH lives and works solely on Alchus. Slocumb's biggest city is Maratuf (Population 120,000), and lies on a peninsula southwest across the sea from Afedilus.

The Kusk Empire (Tech Level 6, Government A, Law Level 6)

The most warlike of the peoples of Gatina migrated from Alchus to the Persaj continent in the middle of the second century of habitation. These people which called themselves the Kuskali, started out nomadic, but with no competition for the land they roamed began to settle down and farm the Horaj Valley about 788 Imperial. By the end of the 800's the tribal Kuskali had given way to a hereditary empire spanning the entirety of the continent, and proscribed to manifest destiny over all of Gatina (892 Imperial marks Year 1 of the Kusk Imperial Calendar). After several citystates fell to this new menace, the Kusk Empire found itself checked at the Straights of Cornish. The Manjat Caliphate, with the advantage of nearly a whole tech level over the Kusk and a skilled and determined military, held off Kusk advances onto their own continent for more than a decade before an Armistice was signed. Since the 'Peace of 850', sporadic brushfire wars have been fought between the Kusk Empire and the Caliphate, much to the collective relief of smaller citystates that would otherwise have fallen under the focus of either power.

Kusk (Population 5,325,000), the capital of the Emnpire of the same name, has the distinguished status as the world's most populous city. It also happens to be the most polluted, sprawling, unkempt of the major metropoli. Despite this, each Emperor endeavors to spend generously from his coffers on 'improvements' to Kusk, which includes statues, public works, small parks, triumphal columns and arches, and colossal works of art to function as his personal legacy and 'gifts' toward his people. The current ruler of Kusk is referred to as 'The Kusk', Prejef Assaud.

Scorpish (Population 1,170,000), on the shores of the Lotus Sea, is world renowned for its romantic atmosphere. Gondolas pole through the docks and between the buildings built right on the water, and the scents of a thousand different spices are said to prefume the byways and alleys of the city. Though once a conquered citystate, Scorpish has since assimilated into the Kusk Empire as a loyal province. The older portions of Scorpish are considered rather racy, and the local officials are commonly characterized as being overly corrupt, willing to sell their own grandmothers into slavery to make a Florin (the local currency, roughly 1/10th of an Imperial credit).

Blaggat (Population 1,150,000) is a major trade mecca, and controls the canal at the Straights of Cornish. It is also the primary staging area for military operations against Manjat and a primary bone of contention when the Caliphate and the Empire are at relative peace with each other, as Blaggat routinely charges obscen amounts of money for Caliphate ships to pass.

Sapphiricus (Tech Level 7, Government 6, Law Level 3)

Sapphiricus (Population 650,000) is a tiny technolgoical and trade powerhouse. It hosts the 'primary' of the world's two starports (Class C), and often looks the other way when goods of questionable nature come into its port for sale or export elsewhere. Sapphiricus was initially founded as a territory of the Kusk Empire in 927 but broke away declaring independence with the help of the Caliphate in 999. For this, Kusk Empire has sworn to one day bomb the island into oblivion and salt the earth as a warning against traitors everywhere. Despite this threat Sapphiricus remains defiant, and to some extant, somewhat bored by the Empire's posturing. The Tech Level 9 Air Superiority fighters bought through Zhodani contacts, of course, goes a long way toward this air of nonconcern. President Lycus presides, as of 1100, just beginning his first 10 year term in office.

Gark'Ralzsh (Tech Level 4, Government 0, Law Level 0)

The sole Vargr settlement of any size on Gatina, Gark'Ralzh (Population 745,000) was settled sometime during the late 800's by a large corsair ship that ditched in the ocean off the coast of Torment Isle. From its original population of 500 or so, Gark'Ralzsh grew rapidly in isolation until its discovery by a Kuskan tradeship in 1017. Since then, its clan leaders have gone out and traded with their human neighbors, though almost as often as not, have begun to prey upon ocean based trade in their mdoest, diesel and sail operated cutters. Various protests to the nominal ruler of the city have been replied to with apologietic helplessness. Gark's population has sprouted a successful human quatter in recent decades as the port becomes known to -human- outlaws and pirates.

A 'Museum of Government' building exists near the governor's mansion with the various treaties drawn up with every power of Gatina since Gark's discovery, recognizing its right to exist as a sovereign state. The governor herself, Sirtha Kreshveg, is little more than a popular figurehead, a charismatic symbol of Vargr unity on a human dominated planet. Though an elected position, the position of Governor tends to be a life-long position, depending on the popularity and ability to bribe the governor can maintain while in power. Sirtha is the fourth of her 'dynasty' and lives in relative debauched luxury, disdaining the outside world except when she feels like exercising her unusually powerful penchant for oratory. Her family owns several human operated shipping companies and legal companies in other citystates through a series of shell companies that keep her wealthy without having to so much as lift a paw.

Tormanti (Tech level 5, Government A, Law Level 3)

Tormanti (Population 905,000) is a small 'republic' run by a dictator, Gomenji Hajjeff, with most of its resources tied up in strip mining, forestry, and farm plantations. The island is beautiful, but its cities' crime, poverty, and oppression is not. Rumors that some of the piracy attributed to Gark'Ralzsh is really based out of Tormanti seem to be surfacing of late. If true, then the pirates are using a hidden anchorage for, to date, no visitor to Tormanti has spied any known outlaws in port. Tormanti is also a suspected 'Bliss' producer. Bliss, a powerful, addictive, and dangerous euphoric is considered a growing problem in urban areas all over Gatina.

Bristol (Tech Level 7, Government 4, Law Level 7)

Bristol (population 645,000) is an idyllic agrarian city-state settled in the mid 700's. Numerous banking institutions and 'offshore' corporate headquarters have been based here, as businesslaw is relatively lax locally. Though the island of Bristol's wildlife was never quite as diverse as the other major islands on Gatina, the local flora and fauna have been thoroughly inundated with offworld strains, and numerous parks and gardens representing famous worlds in Foreven function as tourist attractions, though some note that not all of the specimens are what they're labelled as, nor even originate from the worlds represented, and the local university is desperate for someone with offworld expertise in xeno-horticulture to catalog and help care for these projects.

The Kingdom of Feckt (Tech Level 6, Government A, Law Level 7)

The Kingdom of Feckt is actually a Constitutional Monarchy, run by various elected officials given tacity approval by the hereditary heirs of the Ulko Family. Despite its lagging technological base, Feckt is the government most interested in exploring space, and is quickly gathering its resources toward building and launching its own independant satellite network.

Oslo (population 2,790,000), capital of the kingdom, was founded in 698 Imperial and has grown to be a powerhouse of trade in the northern hemisphere. Though Bristol's banking industry is extensive and growing, Oslo's is larger, better established, and more respected worldwide. Oslo was settled and built at a time when its primary settlers were barely above tech level 2. Castles, cobblestone streeets, and many old fashioned public works of wonder are spread throughout 'old Oslo' giving it an otherworldly, ancient feel.

Dominion (Population 1,105,000) was an independant city-state until 1050 Imperial, when a political referendum allowed it to become part of the Kingdom of Feckt. It serves as the Kingdom's primary port of trade with the other 'Inner Sea' cities, such as Caira, and Qin.

Track's End (Population 1,210,000) was nothing more than a ghost town until a century ago when a few local prospectors found rich platinum veins in the World's End mountains. The boom that followed depleted the intial veins, but enough people enjoyed the arid climate, however stark the landscape, that the community has stabilized at is present size. Tracks End was originally built 400 years ago as part of an attempt to settle and expand the frontier into the Golgathar Wastes and beyond, around the Indigo Sea. Lack of funding and a small recession led to the project's cancellation, as well as the settlement's name. Ancient tracks actually continue some 327 mils beyond Track's End, though no vehicals pass that way anymore.

Tanjit Democratic Republic (Tech Level 7, Government 4, Law Level 6)

The TDR was incorporated in 913, though its territory had been established as an entity a century in advance. In the early 700's, a large trading firm out of District 268 in the Spinward Marches established a downport and a small base of operations called Tanjit Down. After several fiascos involving vessels lost to piracy, the company went bankrupt and stranded its operatives on Gatina. Though they had an operating merchant ship in their possession, the three hundred or so settlers opted to remain in Tanjit Down, using their ship to gather friends and contacts within the neighboring worlds of their star cluster. Though never wildly prosperous, the community grew gradually and attracted workers and a great many settlers to help with the initial colony. By the time their starship dissappeared somewhere in the Bava Cluster in 845, the settlement had become a fiercely independant and self sufficient country in its own right. Tanjit Down (Population 1,121,000), though no longer a starport by any stretch of the imagination, remains a bustling, busy city and a major exporter of quality manufactured goods to the rest of the planet.

Caira (Population 1,001,000) serves as the TDR's primary gateway to the sea lates of Gatina and is growing fast enough that it will be bigger than Tanjit Down within the next decade or so.

Manjat Caliphate (Tech Level 7, Government A, Law Level 7)

For years an isolationist, backwater set of settlements, The Caliphate formally announced itself to the world in 841 when its warplanes began dropping bombs of Blaggat to stem the Empire of Kusk's quest of world domination. Strangely enough, counter to the Kusk Manifest Destiny, the Caliphate believes itself to be the 'caretaker' state of Gatina, bent on ensuring no citystate or country takes more than its 'due'. Some local scholars note that this is a somewhat hypocritical claim since Kesku (Population 1,117,000) and Riolas (Population 1,587,000) were both very early conquests of the earlier Arabas Caliphate which evolved into the Manjat.

Arabas (Population 3,850,000) is still the seat of the hereditary Caliph of the Continent of Manjat, and a center of higher learning and the state religion, which Arabas happily exports to the rest of the world through missionaries, radio stations, and state sponsored civic awareness programs in every major city on Gatina.

Moshandal, also called simply 'The Faith' speaks of a world leader that will one day rise on Gatina to become divine emperor, in the flesh, of all of creation. In the present, the honor of one's family and one's deeds serve to set the stage and position for one's descendants in the future Eternal Paradise. Reincarnation, humility, revenge and divine justice are considered the hallmarks of Moshandal.

Fippen (Tech Level 6, Government 8, Law level 6)

Fippen (Population 2,250,000) is a large city that shares some kinship with the peoples of Kusk, though it remains independant of the Empire. Fippen primarily exports rare and precious stone such as marble, jade, onyx, and a highly sought after form of blue quartz called Spareye, found in quantity only in the hills around Fippen.

The last two centuries of trade have seen Fippen's economy boom, and the city is filled with extravagant monuments, temples, museums, playhouses and other symbolic gestures of its rise to wealth, almost all of it paid for out of the pockets of philanthropic citizens.

Qin (Tech Level 6, Government 9, Law Level 7)

Qin (Population 998,000) is an agricultural city-state, though it exports a fair amount of finished wood products, medicinal crops, spices and cheap plastic goods.

While nominally neutral in world events, Quin does maintain a larger military than its size would necessitate. Qin lately has also been making overtures to the government of Fippen to stregthen ties between the two cities, and has been providing military escort services for Fippen shipping in the northern hemisphere.

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