Utraneus

World of Wind and Waves

Mass	x1.5 (Standard)
Gravity	x1 (Standard)
Mass	x1.25
Location	The Vast
Atmosphere	Normal
Day	36 Standard Hours
Year	300 Days

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Utraneus is the third planet in the Suskillon system. Shallow oceans span most of the world’s surface, scattered with islands and small continents. Three moons with wildly differing orbits contribute to the planet’s complex tidal systems and harsh seasonal monsoons. This combination of constant wind, rain, and waves would cause rapid erosion to most landmasses, but much of Utraneus’s surface is composed of the compressed remains of coral and mollusks. Even as the tides wear down the land, the high mineral content of the water rebuilds it. The resulting karst landscape is riddled with caves and pits. Little surface water remains above sea level, due to easy drainage, lack of soil, and sparse vegetation besides lichen and algae. Wholly organic life is rare above the waves, and most such creatures have evolved magical traits to survive. In the seas, aquatic life flourishes, but the shallow depths limit the size natural evolution can attain, and no native life-forms have achieved sentience.

The frst intelligent creatures to set foot on Utraneus were the shirrens during their exodus from the Swarm. They constructed a shrine to Hylax on the largest of the planet’s landmasses (later named Aqanat), but a sinkhole caused it to collapse into an extensive cave system. Seeing this as an omen, the shirrens turned these caves into a ritual pilgrimage of their journey so far, with symbolic reenactments of events that would become shrouded in myth. They then moved on, joining with the residents of Suskillon, the fifth planet in the system, and leaving a more permanent colony in the Chuuva system for the Pact Worlds.

Decades later, as the population of Suskillon began to reach the limits of what the planet could bear, the world’s government began the process of settling Utraneus. In 121 ag, they established a space station in orbit around the planet. Called Oddrock, it traveled in an orbit geosynchronous to a proposed landing site on the continent of Aqanat. It took several decades of study to develop chemical and mechanical means of stabilizing Utraneus’s fragile land base, but settlers laid the groundwork for the city that would become New Grakka in 201 ag, named after the birthplace of the engineer who developed the final stabilization formula. Guided by shirren scientists involved with the project, New Grakka was built almost directly on top of the underground shrine to Hylax.

The first New Grakkans were determined. Managing the planet’s constant erosion and sediment deposition drove them to new heights of engineering and improvisation, and now the colony is a thriving metropolis. Powered by the abundant energy harnessed by wind and tidal turbines, factories near the city refne the planet’s silicates into computer and starship components for export.

Due to the limited organic material on the surface, most plant-based agriculture is hydroponic, while aquaculture provides most protein on the planet. Previous attempts to introduce nonnative species to Utraneus resulted in the airborne pests called muottas, so customs and imports are now tightly regulated. Utraneus’s seas are too shallow, bright, and turbulent for most sapient aquatic species and large underwater beasts, but some manage to survive in those waters. The original stabilization formula worked best on dry rock, but a new variant has succeeded with underwater limestone, and there is now a growing population of kalos from the Pact Worlds.

Places of Interest

Oddrock: Hub space station in geosynchronous orbit above New Grakka

As the Terminus Wild passes one of Utraneus's three moons, a fascinating sight comes into view: a massive space station built in and around a craggy asteroid. Dozens of starships are docked at the station, and more have been placed in a similar orbit as the asteroid, nearly creating a ring around the entire planet. Past the space station, the blue waters of Utraneus's oceans peek through banks of swirling clouds in the upper atmosphere.

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New Grakka: Capitol city and seat of Utraneus's government

LN metropolis

Population: 1,296,700 (55% human, 20% shirren, 25% other)

Government: Council

Qualities: technologically advanced

The constant erosion of Utraneus’s terra firma, caused by wind and waves, stymied early attempts of Suskilloners to colonize the planet, but in 201 ag, the discovery of a complex chemical formula to strengthen the brittle limestone provided a foundation for the first settlement on the continent of Aqanat. Named New Grakka, the settlement drew hundreds of colonists with the promise of rare components and low-cost, nigh-infnite wind and tidal power. It soon grew into a thriving metropolis and remains the planet’s largest settlement.

Founded as it was by engineers, New Grakka values practical solutions to problems. In its early days, the colony devised its infrastructure around robotics and automation, freeing its initially small population for more complex tasks. This heavy reliance on machinery has continued into the present day; locals claim their city has vending machines for nearly everything. Due to New Grakka’s entrepreneurial culture, one’s career feld and professional standing are the most important elements of social status, and given the many challenges facing any half-tamed world, most people spend more time with their coworkers than their biological relatives. Thus, the basic unit of social organization, often outranking the bonds of species and planet of origin, is the “shop.” A New Grakkan’s life typically revolves around their workplace, whatever their feld; one’s laboratory, office, or store is as likely to be called “the shop” as a traditional physical workshop.

New Grakka’s education system is closely tied to the planet’s industries, and nearly all students serve apprenticeships in the course of their secondary schooling. Young people are expected to explore career paths and choose a field early in life, while parents compete to place their children in the most prestigious workshops in their felds. The social ressure to succeed makes New Grakkans a competitive bunch, unafraid of taking risks. Opportunities for professional advancement are pursued vigorously, and “jumping shop” to a new job or company is one of the boldest moves a New Grakkan can make.

Now most New Grakkans are assisting with defensive preparations and welcoming the refugees; many of them have family ties to Suskillon, and the sudden brutality of the Swarm assault has aroused public sympathy. Nevertheless, sporadic riots are breaking out. Some of these are due to resentment of the temporary martial law: New Grakka has mobilized its reserve militia to support the defensive preparations, but many of these recruits are inexperienced, and there is a general lack of clarity regarding the chain of command between local officials and the SDF. Shortages caused by requisitions and the commandeering of strategically placed structures are also points of contention.