SQUALLIA/DISTRICT 268

ER 3

Law Level 4

Tech Level 9

Resource Level 0

Non-Aligned

Terrain: Well-inhabited, Backwater

Introduction

Squallia is a low gravity world with a gravity of about 0.5g, a very thin atmosphere and huge oceans. It is a balkanized world with a population of around 9,000,000 and several small starports. Some of the nations of Squallia are pro-Imperial in outlook, while others are fairly neutral, or pro-Sword Worlds. This is frequently a cause for conflict. Although the Ship's Library(tm) will tell you that the world has a Tech Level of 9, some of the nations on Squallia have much less advanced industrial bases, such that they can only produce to a level of 7 or 8.

Squallia is a convenient stop-over for ships plying the Bowman Arm as well as being a useful source of mid-tech spares and equipment, so, although the facilities are basic and there is some danger of getting too close to a local brushfire war, it is still a fairly busy planet. Given work, it might also be possible to utilise the vast resources that must be contained in the planet's oceans.

The atmosphere is very thin, requiring the use of a respirator outside the home. The respirator is a small compressor that extracts oxygen from the atmosphere in sufficient quantities for a person to breathe. Homes on Squallia are fitted with industrial compressors, and the requirement for these compressors has led to the construction of housing collectives, a cluster of several homes sharing the same compressor within a single sealed environment. The housing collectives usually consist of 4 or 6 homes with a communal hallway or atrium, each with an access to the hall, while the hall has the only access to the outside world. Most of the housing units are built underground because this makes sealing the homes easier. Some richer people have their own individual homes, but these are the exception rather than the rule.

Within the Squallian home, the windows are all sealed. Doors automatically close after you, permitting a minimum of good air to escape into the outside world and the environment is fully climate controlled.

Political Background

Squallia is a balkanised world which actually boasts several small starports. Each has its own advantages and quirks since each serves a different state. Some of the nations of Squallia are pro-Imperial in outlook. Most are fairly neutral. What they all have in common is that they are all small, more akin to city-states than Terran nations.

Not all the states on Squallia possess the TL of 9 listed in IISS charts. Some are TL 7 or 8. Exports are limited, mainly due to low production, but all the same the world serves as a convenient source of mid-tech spares and equipment for those working within the Arm. Ships from Bowman are fairly common, exchanging metal ores for spares and foodstuffs.

Geography

Eighty percent of Squallia is covered by liquid oceans and the largest landmasses are at the poles, which are pretty much uninhabitable due to the cold. The habitable landmasses on Squallia are divided into two large archipelagos and a number of smaller islands outwith the archipelagos, all scattered around the equator, where it is warmest. The majority of the population live in the western archipelago, Arxsis. The islands of Arxsis are controlled by five nations; Arcus, Frankia, Gullstrand, Karmoy, and Vindey. Frankia and Arcus occupy the largest island in the archipelago, as well as having several outposts on some of the smaller islands. Six million of the world’s nine million inhabitants live in these five nations. These nations also form the main industrial base of the planet, such as it is. Even here, farming and fishing are the mainstay of the economy.

Arxsis

As previously stated, there are five states in Arxsis. These are detailed in the table below and on their own pages.

Warfare on Squallia

Due to the small size of the nations involved, the geography of the place and the high firepower available, warfare more often involves raids on facilities than outright open hostilities. GEVs are popular for their amphibious capabilities and most nations maintain small standing armies backed up by a citizen militia.

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