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Mid Rim
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Hutt Space
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Cocytus System
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26 hours
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354 days
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7,678 kilometers
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Breathable; Elevated oxygen levels
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Vast grey, rocky deserts interrupted seemingly at random by oases of lush green forests, tropical jungles, and rich farmlands. Jungles are found predominately in the south, forests in the north, and farmlands in the middle, though there is some overlap.
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The Eternal Stage, The City of Sorrows, The Caves of Pavlos, the Traveling Stage, and the Barbatos Unity Museum
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Humans; Human/Barbaton halfbreeds
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Species of the Dark Brotherhood
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Basic; Barbaton
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36.4 million
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Scholae Palatinae
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Barbatos is a small moon orbiting Ptolomea under the dominion of Scholae Palatinae, residing in the Cocytus System.
History
Much like the planet's sharp divisions between vast deserts and fruitful oases, the foundation of Barbatos' history is built upon dichotomy. Evolving alongside each other at essentially the same rate, two antithetical races struggled for eons against one another for supremacy of the planet: the Barbatons and the native humans.
The Barbatons were originally a distinct race of tall humanoids with slender bodies, large sparklingly eyes, and bright orange hair. Perhaps the most highly valued attribute of the Barbaton was their deep creamy skin that became the envy of human women. Because of their thin frames, the Barbatons were forced to utilize their mental capacities and focus on intellectual pursuits above all else. This led them to become a more stoic race of philosophers, artists, and theologians. Likewise, their few engineers were quite efficient in designing technology to perform menial tasks as well as building world renowned war machines. Their culture was centered around a nearly universally accepted monotheistic religion. Their God, for whom there was no name, was said to be the First Creator who refused to reveal himself until his people were ready. Because of this lack of revelation, religious dogma was limited to a minimum set of beliefs that most found easy to accept. Discovering how to make their race "ready" was the constant pursuit of philosophers and theologian alike.
In contrast to their stoic neighbors, the humans of Barbatos were a very passionate race of hard workers, fierce warriors, and charismatic heroes. Believing too much technology can become an impediment to character development; humans often enjoyed labor-intensive jobs such as farming and mining with only a few going into the fields of science. Likewise, recreational activities were mainly composed of various sports that gloried in impressive feats of strength and team play. In terms of religion, more than a dozen main gods, each championing a civic virtue, were worshiped by the various human tribes. Because many such gods had a multitude of wives and offspring, human males were often known to take to themselves more than one wife if tribal councils felt they were capable of providing for each of the wives' various needs. While their military technology left much to be desired in comparison to their fair skinned foes, humans exhibited a tenacity and bravery that led to countless seemingly impossible victories throughout their history.
Although the various Barbaton/Human wars produced more map changes than can be numbered, neither side could ever objectively claim the upper hand at any given point in time. At the time, most of the skirmishes were said to have been fought in order to settle land/resource claims. Modern historians, however, believe the majority of the underlying tension was simply due to unresolved xenophobia exhibited by both races. The universal use of racial specific terms and punch lines in war propaganda is used as evidence to support this claim. As warriors from both sides came to realize this and grew tired of the horrors of war, many laid down their arms and refused to fight. The more vocal opponents of war were banished from their respective societies and formed new bi-racial communities in the northwest deserts.
Over the years, however, such advocates were successful in becoming objective third party negotiators between the two sides. It was not long before peace treaties were signed between the different cities and interracial commerce began. Each side quickly learned that many of their weaknesses could be made up for by their neighbor's strengths. Thus, the Humans were content to play the role of the "lesser class" by doing menial labor while the Barbatons were given responsibility to lead culturally, teach philosophically, and govern politically. This led to a virtual golden age in societal development that has seen peace reign between the various cities for the last hundred years.
Because of their polygamous unions, the Humans managed to remain a distinct race throughout the centuries. In contrast, the Barbatons eventually interbred themselves either out of existence or into a new existence depending on how one looks at the situation. Although still called Barbatons today, the new halfbreed race has come to resemble the human race more in appearance while maintaining their bright, sparkling eyes and smooth, creamy skin.
Due to the artistic and intellectual nature of Barbatos' culture, the Krath of Scholae Palatinae were chosen to negotiate a relatively peaceful treaty between the two parties. Thus far, diplomacy has prevailed due to the citizens of Barbatos being impressed with the Krath's power and knowledge.
Physical Geography
Planetary
The two main continents of Barbatos, Hadassah and Natoli, run from pole to pole with the Meridian Ocean between them on one side and the Cynara Ocean between them on the other side. On a rectangular map, these continents would appear like two very wide hourglasses, the tops and bottoms of which meet together. Pavlos is a rather large island lying in the Meridian Ocean and is more or less shaped like an upside-down teardrop. This continent is often used as a frame of reference and placed in the middle of maps. The Cynara Ocean, on the other hand, contains a multitude of small islands with only a few being inhabitable due to rising seasonal tides.
Continental
Hadassah
Lying west of Pavlos, Hadassah has dense mountain ranges alongside the Cynara Ocean's coast with several cities in the forest rich valleys. Most of these cities are converted military bases that once made use of the natural defenses of the mountains for protection. Desert wastelands dominate as one more towards the Meridian Ocean with a few fruitful farmlands scattered randomly across the landscape. The south is subject to almost seasonal earthquake including one massive quake that led to the formation of Lake Dosia. Because freshwater is a precious commodity on Barbatos, many settlements and cities were built around this lake despite the constant repairs necessary after each quake.
Natoli
From space, Natoli appears as Hadassah's mirror image to the east of Pavlos. Upon closer inspection, however, the mirror's reflection isn't nearly as similar as one might expect. North Natoli is a flat desert wasteland with little to no civilization. It is to these wastes that most of the peace-activists were driven during the Barbaton/Human conflicts. The south, on the other hand, features moist jungles and creeks with some of the most densely populated regions on the planet including the planet's capital, Basileios.
Pavlos
The rich farmlands and forests of Pavlos existed untouched by sentient hands for hundreds of years until the ancient Barbatons finally mastered the art of sailing the seas. While such a discovery provided the now extinct species with a momentary advantage in their struggles, it was not long before it became one of the main focuses of battle between the two races. It is often remarked that if all the soldiers who died on Pavlos could be resurrected to command the various broken war machines buried along the coasts, they could conquer the galaxy. Eventually, both sides began to use newly developed biological weapons as last ditch efforts to drive the other from the continent. Both were successful at the cost of inadvertently killing two thirds of all plant life on the large island. When reports of the aftermath reached the opposing camps, both sides issued statements of apology that reminded the other of how vital such resources were on the planet. Today, the few Barbatons that devote themselves to science are busy trying to redeem Pavlos for future use. Thus far, these scientists have seen little results.
Bodies of Water
Meridian Ocean
The Meridian Ocean is the largest of its kind on Barbatos. It surrounds Pavlos and is itself surrounded by both Hadassah and Natoli. For many generations, the Meridian Ocean stood as the supreme challenge to world travel until the Barbatons began to construct vessels capable of sailing across its great waters. To the north, large congregations of meter long game fish can be found swirling after smaller baitfish, causing the water to appear almost as if it is going down a drain. While the citizens of Barbatos have built long, flat boats to harvest such fish, some swirls are large enough to capsize the smaller vessels.
Cynara Ocean
The Cynara Ocean is a relatively shallow body of water extending from pole to pole between the coasts of Hadassah and Natoli. Literally thousands of islands are scattered across the breadth of the Cynara Ocean. However, because few of these islands are very high above sea level, rising tides prevent permanent settlements from being established. Evania and Urania are two exceptions to the rule. In the early days of sea travel, navigation from Hadassah to Natoli was difficult due to the maze of islands and sandbars impeding progress. Today, several reliable paths have been discovered and used to facilitate transfer of commerce.
Lake Dosia
Lake Dosia is a large freshwater lake lying at the bottom of a deep canyon formed by a catastrophic earthquake hundreds of years ago. The main backbone of the lake extends from east to west with many fissures jutting out all around. Because of the scarcity of freshwater on Barbatos, extreme efforts have been made to pump water up from the canyon to provide clean drinking water as well as to irrigate nearby farmlands. Edible fish from other lakes have been harvested and imported into Lake Dosia in hopes of making the lake even more useful.
Islands
Evania
Evania is a small island located in the northern hemisphere of the Cynara Ocean. Originally a safe haven for war refugees and dodgers, Evania is a peaceful island with little technology or infrastructure. Those who want to get away from it all often find their home on Evania. It is also the only place on Barbatos where one can find Tenuvah, a fruit that produces a very delicious and potent wine.
Urania
Roughly three times the size of Evania and located in south Cynara Ocean, Urania features one of the first permanent settlements founded after the Barbaton/Human wars. Most of the inhabitants live more or less in caves carved into Mount Urania which takes up over 70% of the island's surface. Because of the soft rock mixture that composes most of Mount Urania, Barbaton architects and stonemasons found it very easy to hammer out intricate homes, hallways, and marketplaces all around the base of the mountain. Outside, a thin ring of forests surrounds the mountain before giving way to the Cynara Ocean. Dignitaries from Scholae Palatinae often enjoy staying here due to the comfortable VIP rooms as well as the easy access landing plateaus at the top of the mountain.
Cities
Basileios
With a population of nearly ten million sentients, Basileios is by far the most densely populated city on Barbatos and serves as the planet capital. Located in the tropical jungles of south Natoli, the Capital's ascetic has become a perfect mixture of life-giving nature alongside stone masonry with tall, large leaved trees hanging over smooth brick streets and granite based homes. The center of the city features a ten kilometer long mall constructed around a winding creek with the main capital road leading in on one end, the Eternal Stage on the other, and many other tall structures in between.
The Eternal Stage itself was built around a fifteen meter high waterfall that can be found flowing out of the building's lobby. While artificial lighting is used in most indoor settings, torches alone light up the mall's mosaic streets and artistically painted walls. As one descends into the suburbs, little changes in terms of artistic quality with increased spacing and smaller buildings being the only differences. Quaint art museums and theaters can be found on nearly every corner with music filling the air in the more commercial districts.
Balfor
Built around Lake Dosia, Balfor was originally constructed by humans as a farming community and has existed as such to this day with a quickly growing mining industry making it an even more profitable locale. Because of the abundance of earthquakes in the region, barns and civic buildings are often constructed of stone with the deepest of foundations whereas homes are generally thatch based for easy reconstruction.
Many families also live in the natural caves just inside the canyon walls above Lake Dosia. While few roads have been paved, an extensive collection of beaten paths allow the local population to get around without too much strife. Barbaton water pumps and pipelines have been installed along Lake Dosia's perimeter to help irrigate farmlands too far away to water by other means.
Although a bane to most inhabitants, the yearly seismic shifts have created many fissures which allow for easy access to underground natural gas reserves as well as coal-like energy resources. Like most rural settings, Balfor also has one of the lowest crime rates on Barbatos.
Helicia
Helicia is located on the very tip of Pavlos's up-side-down teardrop and is the premiere tourist location on the planet. Even though a great majority of the continent is still barren due to chemical warfare, Helicia itself is rich with a variety of fruit trees along with many delicious crustaceans that inhabit the coast's shallower waters. Near constant waves make for challenging water sports including the Pavlos Circuit, an annual race around Pavlos that begins and ends at Helicia.
Although downed war machines can be found all along Pavlos's coast, a concerted effort has been made by Barbatons and Humans alike to remove all such potential disasters from Helicia. The result of such an effort is that Helicia has become the one city on Barbatos where the war has been almost completely forgotten. Tourists from off world rarely even know that Helicia's beachhead has seen countless battles and tragedies as they discover peace and serenity under Imperius' sunny rays.
Kosoko
Kosoko, located in the barren deserts of north Natoli, is the original home of the first bi-racial community on Barbatos. Only a few shrubs here and there break the dull horizon around Kosoko. Although the original settlement consisted mostly of small lean-tos with only a handful of durable structures, Kosoko's precious history has led many to import a variety of stone and wooden building materials to construct permanent, air conditioned buildings.
The centerpiece of the town is the Barbatos Unity Museum which hosts an annual feast day to celebrate the peace between the two races of Barbatos. This day sees an influx of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who spend enough money to make the entire year profitable for the local merchants. Kosoko is also home to an enclave of Barbaton scientists who hope to discover a way to turn the gray desert sand into fruitful farmland. Thus far, however, their experiments have been unsuccessful.
Notable Landmarks
Landmarks
The Eternal Stage
While theaters and intellectual forums abound in the capital city, none compare to the Eternal Stage. Ascending higher than any building on Barbatos, the Eternal Stage is a tall cylindrical monolith of white marble and gold trim that stands out even amongst the most beautiful of the capital mall's many buildings.
The Stage is composed of seven tall floors, each featuring a large theater rotunda as well as many smaller rooms for more intimate plays and recitals. The bottom floor features a tall natural waterfall that flows out the front of the building into the ever busy capital mall. It also serves as a lobby and an open area for any seasonal event or performance.
The next four levels are divided into pairs tailored for musical and theatrical performances respectively. The sixth floor, however, is reserved solely for philosophical, theological, and political debates. Such constructive debates continue relentlessly year around with the Barbatos Unity Day causing the only momentary interruption.
The top floor, also called the Throne of Barbatos, houses the King as well as any local or foreign dignitaries that may be staying on the planet. Its amphitheater is only used once a year when the senates from all the various cities meet to discuss changes to the planet's constitution.
The City of Sorrows
The City of Sorrows was the largest city on Pavlos until it was laid to waste by relentless rocket attacks from Human armies. Originally, the city was inhabited by some of the brightest Barbaton architects of their age. Each house featured large columns spread across the porches and beautiful mosaics just above the doors.
As the Human army entered the city, Barbaton special forces detonated a chemical weapon that killed all warriors on both sides as well as the civilians who refused to leave. Today, the atmosphere around the city has cleared sufficiently enough for both Barbatons and Humans to enter the city and see the remains. Efforts have been made to turn the city into an ultra-realistic museum about the war, with most of the artifacts left untouched where they laid after the chem-bomb's detonation.
The Caves of Pavlos
The Caves of Pavlos, located deep in the densest of Pavlos's forests, have been of particular interest to the Jedi of Scholae Palatinae. It is said by the locals that the biological agents used in chemical weapons by both sides in the Barbaton/Human conflicts originated in these caves. However, because of their duties elsewhere, leaders from Scholae Palatinae have only been able to send Journeymen to investigate the caves.
All who have stood outside the cave report a deep sense of darkness radiating from within, but none who have gone more than a few feet inside have returned. Reconnaissance droids, on the other hand, have had no trouble entering the cave but have yet to have found anything of great importance.
The Barbatos Unity Museum
Located in the desert city of Kosoko, the Barbatos Unity Museum is a library of the history of the Barbaton/Human conflict featuring diaries, letters, and the original peace treaties signed more than a couple hundred years ago. Also, the Museum contains many artifacts from the original bi-racial community founded in and around Kosoko.
To all the citizens of Barbatos who have benefited from unity, the Museum is holy ground that everyone must make a pilgrimage to at least once in their lives. To facilitate this, the leaders of Barbatos established Barbtos Unity Day, an annual day of feasting and celebration hosted at the Museum itself.
The Traveling Stage
Because almost all of the cities on Barbatos are separated by more than an hour's journey, the Traveling Stage was developed as an enjoyable alternative to the regular means of transportation. Utilizing an advanced set of shocks and supports, the Traveling Stage is roughly the size of a Jawa Sand Crawler but features a fully operational amphitheater for plays and musical performances.
The amphitheater comfortably seats over a hundred people who are allowed to enjoy a show as they travel to see loved ones or to attend business meetings. The Stage has been such a success that a fleet of six Stages continually run across the Barbaton landscape, each one tailored for the different kinds of terrain. Some off world tourists enjoy the Stage enough to spend their entire vacations looping around the two mainland continents in order to see each show.
Outlook
Political
Monarch: King Tabus Loref
Governor: Fintus Gerent
Commander of the Garrison: Captain Tamor Sadaal
A constitutional monarchy governs the planet of Barbatos while pure republics govern the individual cities themselves. The King is chosen by a democratic vote of the people and serves until death or impeachment by a simple majority vote. The Barbatos Constitution consists mostly of lofty axioms rather than dogmatic rules. An example of this is the first axiom: "Life is the greatest commodity." The King is commissioned by the constitution to uphold these axioms to the best of his ability. New axioms are argued over in the Eternal Stage throughout the year, with a precious few being added each year by a vote of the city senates.
Peace has reigned on Barbatos for over a hundred years with the last scuffle being caused over a simple misunderstanding of a certain intellectual title. Although passionate debates take place year around in the Eternal Stage, the struggle for influence and power has been mostly constructive with few hard feelings to be found among the participants. A few racist groups still exist on either side, and from time to time they launch terrorist style attacks in attempts to play on their race's emotions. However, such attempts have thus far been unsuccessful.
Because of their appreciation for the House's intellect and artistic abilities, the citizens of Barbatos have been content to submit to the dictates of Scholae Palatinae. It is also possible that resistance is seen as fruitless due to Scholaeís superior firepower.
Military
Without a war to fight for over a hundred years, the military edge developed by both races had dulled significantly overtime. This was evident when Yuuzhan Vong reconnaissance units first engaged the military in the mountains of Hadassah. Upon hearing of the slaughter, charismatic Human generals from south Hadassah led an outraged force of a few hundred men armed with slug thrower styled weapons to drive the Vong back. What they lacked in training and technology they made up for in shear tenacity, causing the Vong to retreat until re-enforcements could arrive.
This incident led to a revival in military training that has produced a very well rounded and efficient military force. Playing to their strengths, Humans made up the majority of the army, the Barbatons the majority of the air force, and a mixture in the navy. Even though the Vong never returned in full force, the Barbatons have maintained their military edge at the urging and support of Scholae Palatinae.
Technologically, the Barbatons have developed simple energy based weapons and shields to defend the individual cities, whereas the Humans still favor their slug throwers and cunning skill. Both have fast, tank sized machines for land and simple ships for the sea. The Barbatons alone have developed aircraft using repulsorlift designs provided by Scholae Palatinae.