Kalus

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Kalus
Astrographical
Region:	Expansion Region
System:	Rybanloth System
Suns:	Rybanloth
Moons:	None
Rotation period:	32 standard hours
Orbital period:	470 standard days
Physical
Class:	Terran
Diameter:	12,369km
Atmosphere:	Type I
Climates:	Frozen
Gravity:	1.2G
Primary Terrain:	Ice caves Tundras Frozen plains Mountain ranges
Surface Water:	100% (Ice)
Points of interest:	Spaceport Force Nexus Prison
Societal
Native species:	Wampas Pantran whitefangs Tauntauns Various rodents
Immigrated species:	Sentients (Taldryan Affiliation) Ancient Sith (formerly)
Primary language(s):	Galactic Basic Sith (formerly)
Population:	x% indigenous x% indigenous x% indigenous 1% Taldryan Jedi
Government:	Military Dictatorship
Major cities:	None
Affiliation:	Taldryan
[ Source ]

Kalus is a habitable world located in the Rybanloth System. Kalus is the final planet in the Rybanloth System, but also the most habitable. Kalus’s surface is all kinds of frozen, making navigation and exploration of its surface a difficult task. It’s earliest known entry in Galactic history saw the planet put to use as a prison world for the Sith Empire of the Old Republic Era. Millenia later Kalus would fall under Taldryan's rule.

Description

Kalus is a barren, ice-encrusted rock with little economic value, all attempts to mine its resources have proven fruitless. It’s proximity to the Subterrel sector, and thus the Rimma Trade Route and the Hydian Way offers a meager tactical value. Its atmosphere contains nearly equal parts oxygen and nitrogen and contains trace amounts of various harmless gases. The planet is 12,369m wide and has a gravitational pull of 1.2g due to a dense inner core. One Kalus day is nearly 32 hours and it completes a full rotation of the Star in 470 days.

Volcanic steam freezes instantly and forms massive spires

The planet’s surface is entirely covered by a frozen ocean, except where volcanic fissures open up steam vents, depositing rock and minerals in darker patches on the glacier plains. A few mountain ranges pierce the permanent ice shelves, some being geologically active. Massive oceanic currents beneath the hemispheres cause regular seismic activity, resulting in a constantly shifting landscape of caves and tunnels as well as causing fissures in the ice-layers, sending jets of ocean water into the freezing Kalus air. The intense cold freezes these jets into spires of ice, suspending primitive ocean algae within these tall columns and glaciers.

Its orbit and axial tilt result in consistently icy weather patterns. Daytime temperatures reach levels unbearable to most species and rarely rise above freezing, even in the planet's relatively mild equatorial regions. The gale force winds and intense snowstorms that regularly wrack the windswept surface magnify the extreme cold of Kalus.

The only region of Kalus capable of supporting life exists along its equatorial region. Volcanic fissures vent warmth, vapor, and rich topsoil to the surface, providing limited protection from freezing winds. lichen and fungus give nourishment to smell herds of tauntauns and icetrompers, which in turn become meals for Kalus’ bestial predators.

Due to the Sith Empire’s former presence on the planet, vast empty complexes were left behind beneath Kalus’ forbidding surface. These cavernous shelters and subterranean construction sites offer temporary safe havens from the biting cold. Kalus sports a wide variety of dangerous terrains. Certain regions, like the desolate Shiverpeaks (name pending), hold great strategic value due to their natural formations and geographic location.

The frigid biosphere includes a minimal food chain: the predatory wampas and pantran whitefangs, the omnivorous tauntauns, the herbivorous icetrompers a few rodent species, including snowmice, ice scrabblers, iceworms, and lichen

History

Old Republic Era

Kalus first entered Galactic history under the Sith Empire, where it saw use as a gigantic prison world for the Empire’s enemies. A myriad of prisoners, both Republican, neutral, and Imperial were incarcerated underneath the planet’s frigid surface. Imperial Intelligence and Sith Inquisitors no doubt had a strong presence on Kalus, as they went to work interrogating millions of sentients - whether that would have been for valuable intel or their own personal amusement remains subject to discussion by historians.

Much of the planet's history during this era is lost, the only remnants from the age being various ruins and the presence of a Force nexus. After the inevitable defeat of the Sith Empire, Kalus and the Rybanloth system as a whole disappeared from the annals of history for reasons unknown.

Imperial Era

Due to the remote nature of the system, it provided a premier location to harbor Palpatine's secrets. As such, it would see use as a remote sanctuary for the Empire's Dark Side Adepts. The presence of the ruined prisons did not go unnoticed for long and within months a number of construction teams were sent in to rebuild and renovate what was possible. Once again, Kalus would see use as a prison planet. The renewed exposure to the Dark Side of the Force would overtime strengthen the nexus, which would soon lead to it being discovered by an exploring Inquisitor. The discovery of the nexus was kept a secret from all the non-sensitives that were on, or would come to the planet.

Eventual decline and vanishing from history

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Dark Brotherhood Era

TalEx Troops survey the equatorial region

The planet, and the surrounding system would be rediscovered in 27 ABY, during a military exercise conducted by the Dark Jedi Brotherhood. After the conclusion of the exercise, Taldryan fought fiercely for control over the system. Eventually the council would put an end to the internal struggles. However, Taldryan would not be able to savor it's victory long as the Yuuzhan Vong were upon them - and the Brotherhood at large.

The Yuuzhan Vong Incursion put a temporary hold on Taldryan's plans for the Rybanloth system. Forced to retreat, the exploration of the Rybanloth system would be put on hold until 29 ABY when a group of veterans sent a pirate fleet to attack the Rybanloth System. In response, Taldryan launched a swift operation to repel the pirates and open up the system for their own use.

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There's at least 10 years of history here. So expand a lot.

Points of Interest

Taldryan spaceport

Entry point to Taldryan's base on Kalus

Shortly after Operation: Swift Justice, Taldryan resumed its focus on the exploration and control of the Rybanloth system. Even though Kalus was a harsh planet, it was also the most habitable. In order to solidify their hold on the system, they soon constructed a spaceport on Kalus. Due to horrid weather conditions, the initial plans for the spaceport were soon abandoned and a new approach was taken.

The majority of the spaceport is subterranean, leaving only a small part of the structure open to the volatile effects of Kalus' frequent blizzards. Limiting the exposure was vital to the long term plans of Taldryan. Twin, massive lifts connect the surface structure to the expansive underground areas.

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They also breed and domesticate tauntauns here - in case the weather takes a turn for the worst (which is 90% of the time) and turns the entire planet into a no-fly zone.

Force Nexus

It's so sexy, and darkity dark. We actually let journeymen play around here.

The Nexus itself is located in what may be a natural occurring ice cavern, or somewhere else, but a cavern system is just cool to hide stuff in. Since Taldryan’s takeover of the system, they have outfitted the cavern as a training facility, because nothing beats dark jedi training near a nexus.

Prison

Best place for journeymen hide and seek competitions yo!

Several wards - heavy Force imprints of pain and stuff. A few blocks may have been renovated and put to use by Taldryan. Many of Taldryan’s inquisitors and intelligence agents receive interrogation training here.

Much of the prison is still unexplored (much buried in snow and ice?), so a great many things may surface for the careful adventure that dares venture into these dark, metallic pits of horror.

Behind the Scenes

Originally created by Raken for Rite of Supremacy - Second Darkness
Revised by Aidan Kincaid and Kazmir Natas in 2014

Taldryan Republic
About The Clan
History of Taldryan	Taldryan Prospectus	Sons & Daughters of Taldryan	Taldryan's Vault
Republic Leadership
Clan	Supreme Chancellor: Ood Bnar • Vice-Chancellor: TBA
Magistrates of the Supreme Chancellor	First Magistrate: Meleu Karthdo • Second Magistrate: Morax Darkblade
Military Forces
Main	Taldryan Military • Taldryan Defense Force
Naval Forces	Taldryan Republic Naval Fleet
Armed Forces	Taldryan Republic Armed Forces
A brotherhood within a Brotherhood.