Antenora

Antenora
Astrographical
Region:	Mid Rim
Sector:	Hutt Space
System:	Cocytus
Suns:	Imperius
Moons:	Ugolino Sereia
Coordinates:	R-11
Rotation period:	20.4 standard hours
Orbital period:	359 standard days
Physical
Class:	Terrestrial
Diameter:	13,800 km
Atmosphere:	Type I (Breathable) elevated oxygen levels, large amount of dust
Climates:	Arid Semiarid
Gravity:	Heavy (1.275 Standard)
Primary Terrain:	Deserts Canyons Mountain Ranges Volcanos
Points of interest:	Peaks of Fire Blood Plains Cliffs of the Fallen Sea of the Rising The Forgotten Temple Azar’s Looking Glass Well of the Dragon Hollow Lands Pit of Despair Kilgore Ridge Tamalar Air Compound
Societal
Native species:	Antenoran (Jilruan and Human hybrid) Homoglyphs (extinct)
Immigrated species:	Various
Primary language(s):	Basic Formerly: Antenorae
Population:	13.5 million nomads 1.4 million civilians
Major cities:	Suzel (Capital) Vum-Kep Nas Modeh Aknah Wekraneh Patz-Ah Uvem Lamen Ognen Sheh Hohk Vuhm Kehs Zef Demoht
Major imports:	Water Foodstuffs Technology
Major exports:	Ore Minerals Foodstuff
Affiliation:	Scholae Palatinae Acclivis Draco
[ Source ]

Antenora is the closest planet to the Imperius sun (0.8 AU) in the Cocytus System. It is the home planet of Battle Team Acclivis Draco.

History

Antenora is thought to have been the second planet to have formed in the Cocytus System, not long after Judecca assembled out of the debris orbiting Imperius. Antenora is the closest planet to the white star. Evidence suggests that life appeared early on Antenora, possibly in the form of hyperthermophiles which evolved as the planet's crust cooled, and then gave way to higher forms of life after the oceans formed. Between 40,000 and 30,000 standard years BBY, a sapient species of humanoids is thought to have begun proliferating upon the planet. Very little is known about their biology and society, but two relics on Antenora have been speculated to be the remnants of this species: the un-deciphered inscriptions in the Rune Hall of the Ebon Cloak base of operations, the Sedes Doctrinae, and the unexplored sacred cavern of the current city of Aknah. Because their inscriptions are all that they left behind, these extinct people are called by historians "Homoglyphs".

A member of the Rakata, a Humanoid race that once dominated the galaxy

Approximately 30,000 years BBY, Antenora was invaded by the Rakata. At that time, the Rakata ruled a vast interstellar empire, the Infinite Empire. They conquered and enslaved hundreds of worlds, their superiority given by the incorporation of the dark side of the Force into their technologies, such as hyperspace travel and energy shields. When the Rakata arrived on Antenora, they found a tropical planet populated by primitive humanoids. The Rakata enslaved the Homoglyphs and also imported large numbers of Humans and Jilruans from other conquered planets. With this slave labour force, they terraformed the entire southern hemisphere of the planet and started cultivating an unknown crop. Sweeping fields of this mysterious plant were thought to have covered the entirety of the Blood Plains.

The climate change caused by the terraforming, and the harsh rule of the Rakata, brought about the extinction of the Homoglyphs, while the Human and Jilruan slaves interbred and eventually evolved into the Antenorans currently inhabiting the planet. These 'modern' Antenorans threw off the shackles of the Infinite Empire when, in around 25,200 BBY, the Rakata were hit by a devastating plague. When it reached Antenora, the plague severed every Rakata's connection to the Force, thus making them almost powerless. This calamity caused the Rakata to lose their control over the terraforming machinery that maintained the planet's climate. The ozone layer protecting the planet from Imperius' harsh glare was torn apart, and the expanses of green fields withered and burned. Only the northern continent of Li Gandor escaped the cataclysm, due to the planet's axial tilt.

While Antenora burned, and its seas evaporated and plunged into huge chasms that rent the earth, the Rakata fled the planet, and the Antenorans were left to fend for themselves. At first these liberated slaves scattered across the planet and reverted to a bronze-age type of culture, the technology of the Rakata useless to them and survival their only objective. As the deserts of Batnare and Etnare and the bare rock of Af Demizon consolidated their hold on the planet, the Antenorans slowly gathered in small communities and developed nomadic tribal societies. They adapted to the harsh environment and learned to use the planet's scant resources parsimoniously. Despite the tantalizing richness of Li Gandor, the Antenorans never ventured beyond the lush fringes of the Oasis, because they were certain that the Rakata still reigned in that continent. Over the millennia, this misconception developed into the many religions that are seen today on Antenora.

Until 19 ABY, Antenora was left relatively unaffected by galactic affairs, and the Antenoran tribes were able to repopulate the planet undisturbed. However, this growth began to stretch severely the planet's scant resources, and the tribes started to wage wars for the control of land and water sources. The constant conflict impeded their technological advancement, and they did not progress much beyond the status of hunter-gatherers. The brutal wars led to a succession of mighty but short-lived empires, which rose to dominate the planet through military prowess, only to crumble as they attempted to hold together the many disparate tribes and peoples of the planet. The practice of subjugating people of other tribes was perhaps the most vivid relic of the Rakata.

The most enduring empire on Antenora was forged in around 300 BBY by the Pacre Datship tribe. The Ognerate, as the empire was called, controlled almost all of Antenora, apart from Li Gandor. The Pacre Datship ruled through the power of their religion, the worship of the god Hatza. To 'communicate' with Hatza, the subjects of the Ognerate regularly consumed an hallucinogenic substance, which made it easy for the Pacre Datship to control their empire and to keep its people docile and compliant. This hallucinogenic was produced in almost industrial quantities by Tribe Nogarsh Hatzamin of Aknah.

The only tribes that had managed to resist the Ognerate were the northern tribes of Hoka Dachu, Haka Lakuis and Malar Denovi. They owed their independence to the fact that they lived in the Oasis of Li Gandor, which was forbidden land for the followers of Hatza. As long as the three tribes remained within Li Gandor's boundaries, the Ognerate could not touch them. The northern tribes themselves did not have a problem with staying in the traditionally sacred lands of Li Gandor, because they had developed a religion peculiar to the other tribes, which involved animism rather than deism.

In 16 ABY, the apparent safety of the northern tribes was shattered when the Pacre Datship commenced a massive project of deforestation on the borders of Li Gandor. The tribespeople of the Ognerate joined in with fervor, because they believed that in Li Gandor lived the Gandoruri, the 'Dragon Devils' (probably originating from sightings of living Krayt dragons), who were the mythical foes of Hatza. They held Li Gandor to be the home of these Dragon Devils, a kind of hell on earth; thus they strove to destroy the Devils' realm by burning down large swathes of the Oasis' lush forest.

The three northern tribes responded by periodically raiding the Ognerate's border settlements and by sabotaging the Pacre Datship's efforts to raze Li Gandor to the ground. However, the Ognerate was a vast and powerful empire, and the three tribes could only delay the destructive advance of their enemies.

Cuchulain Darkblade Palpatine, Consul of Scholae Palatinae

In 19 ABY, the Cocytus system was chosen as Clan Scholae Palatinae's new home after their mass Exodus from the Emperor's Hammer. Consul Cuchulain Darkblade Palpatine granted a planet to each House of the Royal Clan, commanding the Quaestor of Acclivis Draco to take control of Antenora. The Dark Jedi of the House approached the arid planet on their ships and landed in the Northern Oasis, as it appeared the only continent capable of sustaining life. No one from the Ognerate saw the ships land, and the tribespeople of the Hoka Dachu were the first to meet with the Dark Jedi.

At first the tribespeople, seeing the giant flying crafts and the fluttering dragon banners, came to think that the Dragon Devils really did exist, and they had come to punish the tribe. However, the perspicacious Chief Naktia saw the truth and proposed an alliance with the Dark Jedi, to join them in the fight against the Ognerate. The House Summit seized the opportunity and accepted the pact, which would later be called the Dragon Treaty. The House marched on the Ognerate, and most of the empire's vast army routed at the sole sight of the dragon banner flying high. What remained of the spear- and bow-armed soldiers was quickly and efficiently slaughtered. The capital of the empire, Ognen, was occupied and the whole Pacre Datship tribe was rounded up and imprisoned. In less than a month, dominion over the whole of Antenora was yielded to the three northern tribes. With the Quaestor now in a position to govern Antenora through the northern tribes, the House Summit set about performing the Consul's orders, which were to investigate the rumors of an extinct race of Force users upon the planet.

It would be countless years before the rumors proved true and a relic of the Rakata - and their Infinite Empire - would be discovered. But a fervor would spread across the members of the House, enhancing their lust for knowledge and power - and the continued search for ancient artifacts. Their searches proved fruitful as a group of explorers - Rasilvenaira, Impetus, Laurus and Ood - discovered a monument of great antiquity that would later become known as the Forgotten Temple. Pillaged by the touch of time, much of the valuable history and knowledge had been erased; however, the discovery forced the Clan to redistribute resources that would bring both technology and resources to the barren lands of Antenora.

It would be during this era, under the guidance of Quaestor RevengeX Palpatine, that Antenora would see an increased presence in the Dark Jedi who claimed the world as home.

In 33 ABY, Quaestor Exodius mobilized a complete relocation of the Aghasett Art Gallery from the Northern Oasis Campus to the city of Wekraneh. The Gallery was rebuilt, brick by brick, on the city's northern hill, and many of its artists were called to oversee the exact repositioning of their artworks. This relocation was intended to encourage the artistic development of Wekraneh, whose economy had already formed around tourism from Antenora and nearby systems.

Physical Geography

Continental

Unlike planets with a vast array of temperate zones, Antenora’s water supply has withered away and retreated deep into the confines of the planet’s depths. This creates a peculiar topography, where ‘continents’ are actually the major tectonic plates floating atop the magma layer below. In principle, there are four major plates; although it is believed several smaller ones exist.

Without the presence of water to determine what land is livable, or rather, not beneath water, vast canyons and massive mountain ranges have become the norm upon the surface. Some believe that should a solution ever be sought out, the water hidden deep below may reduce the landmass to an astonishing twenty seven percent.

Etnare

The Blood Plains of Etnare

A massive tectonic plate that reaches from the Northern Plate of Li Gandor to the Southern Plate of Af Demizon, and then east to the mountain range that separates it from Batnare. Through various tectonic shifts, or plate movements, the continent of Etnare has collided with other plates on all sides; forcing its mass upward. This has resulted in a vast, though varying, mountain range to rise about the borders of the plate. The mountains in the west are worn and weathered, time and wind taking their toll on the ancient mountains as they mold the stone. In contrast, the mountains to the east and south are jagged and rocky, as they have been freshly formed over the last several thousand years.

Several passes and openings have been created by both erosion and man during the last century; however, access into the Blood Plains is not a pass to salvation. The massive, dry wasteland of sand is known for several features and a habit of slaying those who are unprepared to cross its brutal and treacherous surface.

Etnare stands as the Western Hemisphere for the small, desert planet. Opposite is its twin, Batnare.

Batnare

One of the various deserts of Batnare

A massive tectonic plate that reaches from the Northern Plate of Li Gandor to the Southern Plate of Af Demizon, and then west to the mountain range that separates it from Etnare. Through various directional shifts, or plate movements, the continent of Batnare has collided with other plates, forcing its mass upward. This has resulted in a vast, towering mountain range that stands guard over the plate. The mountains to the east are smaller, less compact - erosion has withered its once proud peaks into a rolling series of mountains and valleys. In contrast, the western range stands above the neighboring mountains of Etnare - as the plate slid under its twin plate, the reaction resulted in few, but higher, peaks.

Natural tunnels and gaps span the northwestern border of the range, allowing one access to the lands of Li Gandor or passage into the vast, desert sands of the Sea of the Rising. While this land plays host to many of the primal tribes of the planet, there are several mysteries embedded in its rock and relics hidden beneath its sands. Its stark, harsh landscape is known to kill explorers who lose their way or become disoriented as they march across its bleak surface.

Batnare stands as the Eastern Hemisphere for the small, desert planet. Opposite is its twin, Etnare.

Li Gandor

Heimdall Mountain Range in Li Gandor

A small tectonic plate - in comparison to Etnare or Batnare - that encompasses the North Pole of Antenora and claims the title ‘Northern Oasis’ is the continent of Li Gandor. Due to axial tilt, the region of the planet is spared from the constant, harsh sunlight that has made the remainder of the planet a desolate, unforgiving land.

Spanning just over 1,100 klicks (700 miles) in diameter, the oasis reaches out in a near circular shape to provide life and diversity for the planet of Antenora. In this portion of the planet, water has reemerged from the vast caverns below the planet’s surface and out through the continent's other major feature, the Heimdall mountain range. This water source infuses life into the planet which can be found nowhere else. Due to such a small area with lush greenery and water, a high concentration of flora and fauna has centered itself about this cap. While scientists labor to record the countless species, there is no telling just how many secrets the northern cap holds.

Within the mountain range and part of the Oasis stands the Dragon's Citadel, headquarters of the now defunct Acclivis Draco. The site was specifically chosen by the House leaders, as the mountain range provides a natural defense against bombardment (both orbital and atmospheric), as well as ground assault. In addition, the natural resources in the area provided for the members of the House.

Li Gandor stands as the Northern Pole for the small, desert planet. As such, it experiences a period of polar night and a period of midnight sun each year. At the true North Pole the sun never sets for six months (total daylight at midnight) and never rises above the horizon for the other six months (total darkness at midday). At lower latitudes (traveling southward from the North Pole), the duration of the polar night and midnight sun decreases, and eventually the polar night becomes polar twilight, where there is a small amount of light at midday instead of total darkness. Cloud cover may render the midnight sun at lower altitudes less apparent.

Af Demizon

The rolling hills of Af Demizon

A small tectonic plate - in comparison to Etnare or Batnare - that encompasses the South Pole of Antenora and claims the title ‘Ancient Land’ is the continent of Af Demizon. Due to axial tilt, the region of the planet has suffered the worse as its features have been demolished by savage conditions, harsh exposure to Imperius and a general lack of water. However, it is believed that nearly ten thousand years ago the polarity of the planet was reversed and the southern cap served as an oasis from the brutal conditions.

Spanning nearly 1,600 klicks (1,000 miles) in diameter, the Ancient Lands spread out in a starburst design - the land defiant of life itself. Vast amounts of rocky formations and rolling hills spread across the southern lands. Once believed to be a jagged, rocky outcropping, scientists hypothesize that the vast deserts of Etnare and Batnare funneled through the porous openings in their southern ranges to fill the canyons with sand. Testing their theory an archeological dig was begun in its northwestern region which uncovered various relics of an unknown race - later to be classified as Rakata. One building, a temple, stood above the sands, however, a testament to the longevity and defiance of the Infinite Empire. Many of the passages are still sealed, yet scientists and Dark Jedi work continuously to unblock its path.

Af Demizon stands as the Southern Pole for the small, desert planet. Like Li Gandor, it experiences a period of midnight sun and a period of polar night during the year, although there are far fewer inhabitants to observe it. Unlike Li Gandor, there is never cloud cover, so the polar twilight is often brighter and the midnight sun never obscured.

Tidal

The two moons of Antenora

The gravitational pull of Ugolino and Sereia, Antenora's two moons, causes tides in the underground seas that lie beneath the planet's major continents. On a normal terrestrial planet, a moon would cause a high tide in the planetary water masses facing the moon and in the water masses on the opposite side of the planet, and a low tide in all the other water masses. However, the peculiar orbit of Antenora's moons and the fact that the water masses are underground rather than in an open basin makes the planet's tides quite different. Being underground, Antenora's seas respond much more slowly to the moons' gravity, as they have to move through soil and rock, but they also take much more time moving back to their original state. The gravitational pull is strong enough to cause a noticeable tide only when the two moons are aligned with respect to the planet. Since Sereia makes two orbits per year and Ugolino two orbits per day, the tide is significant only twice a day. For the rest of the day, Ugolino's orbit around the planet makes little difference to the tides. This means that there is a net tide towards and opposite to Sereia. Since Sereia makes two orbits per year, the planet's tides are basically seasonal. The strongest tide occurs when Antenora, the two moons and Imperius are all aligned, since the gravitational pull of the system's star will be added to that of the two moons. This lasts for approximately a month each year, and marks the start of a new year in Antenoran culture.

All of the Antenoran nomadic tribes base their migrations on these seasonal tides. A high tide provides water for desert plants like the eberru, which in turn provide nourishment for the tribes' herds. Most tribes will follow a high tide from the eastern boundary of their continent to its western boundary, then they will travel back to the east, crossing the deserts, to meet the next high tide.

Because of its geography, Li Gandor is affected very little by the tides. Af Demizon practically lacks water so it is not affected either.

Climate

Drought seaon of Antenora

Antenora's climate is characterized by long periods of global drought, broken every three years on average by two to six months of rain. Most of the moisture in Antenora's atmosphere originates from Li Gandor, and it is blown across the planet by northerly winds. It takes approximately three years for these winds to gather enough moisture so that, when they pass over mountains and highlands, the water condenses and falls as rain. However, this "accumulation" period can vary greatly; for example, around three hundred years ago the tribal ballads told of an eight-years-long drought followed by two years of uninterrupted rain.

This rain mainly precipitates over Antenora's mountains and hills and the surrounding flatland, and seldom reaches into Batnare's and Etnare's deserts. It is believed that the central regions of the Blood Plains and the Sea of the Rising have never seen rain since the terraforming catastrophe twenty five thousand years ago. Also, the moist winds seldom reach the inner regions of Af Demizons, so that precipitation on that continent is very scarce.

Cities

Suzel

A map of Antenora

Suzel, the Marble City, resides in a wide U-shaped valley in the Heimdall mountain range of Li Gandor. The valley is about seventy klicks north of the border between Li Gandor and north-eastern Batnare, so it is surrounded by the lush vegetation of the Oasis on all sides. It has a wide flat bottom and steep slopes to the north, east and south, while it opens to the west. At its eastern end a rocky, gently-sloped hill juts out of the valley's slope like a shelf to form a high plateau. The city surrounds this hill and spreads out over the bottom of the valley. It the largest, grandest and most populated city on Antenora.

The city as it is now was built by Tribe Hoka Dachu after the Dragon Treaty of 19 ABY, when the Ognerate empire fell and Hoka Dachu was named Antenora's Sovereign Tribe. Before, Suzel was no more than a seasonal encampment site and place of worship for the nomadic tribe, but now it is the seat of government of the Kingdom of Dachua and the planetary capital, if only by name. Dachua is the largest kingdom on Antenora. This vast nation stretches from the portion of Li Gandor just north of Batnare, it includes almost all of Batnare itself, and ends south of Vum Kep, incorporating a strip of Af Demizon. Its eastern border runs along the gentle hills between Etnare and Batnare, while southern Denovica and the Dragon's Teeth mark its western frontier.

Suzel, being Hoka Dachu's first permanent metropolis, was built on a grand scale, principally using massive slabs of golden-veined white marble cut from the northernmost slopes of the Kilgore Ridge. Long colonnades of marble face wide tree-lined boulevards, statues and engraved obelisks stand tall in the open plazas, and verdant rooftop gardens crown the majestic marble palaces. The Ras Daub, Suzel's "High Street", bisects the city from west to east and leads straight to the flat-topped hill at the end of the valley. On the Ras Daub are the planet's wealthiest commercial institutions and the city's most opulent hotels. In the boulevard's side-avenues markets, cantinas, clubs and restaurants run their business until the small hours.

After crossing the city, the Ras Daub rises up the hill at the end of the valley and widens into the Water Plaza, thus named because of the towering black marble fountain at its center. The unceasingly gushing water of this fountain is one of the most powerful symbols of Hoka Dachu's affluence on this desert planet. On the southern side of the Plaza is the Royal Palace, residence of Qeen Naktia du Libache Dachu, and behind it are all the government buildings and offices required to direct the planet's greatest nation. The Royal Palace (or Al Hokabre) is built around a central dome and made of ivory-white marble, with wings that extend to encircle almost half of the Plaza.

On the northern side of the Plaza, behind a high stone wall and a screen of thick vegetation, is the Black Fane, or Black Temple. This colossal temple of dark stone rises to overlook the whole city. Its exterior walls are composed of straight vertical ridges and grooves that run from its summit to its base. Facing south, a wide set of steps leads up to an enormous entrance, whose giant stone doors have never been opened in Hoka Dachu's history. The Fane has been dated to the age of the Rakata, or even before. However, its edges remain sharp and its surfaces glossy smooth, possibly because the vegetation refuses to grow on it and the valley itself protects it from windblown sand.

According to Hoka Dachu's religious histories, the Black Fane was in ancient times a residence of the "Gods of Flesh". When Hoka Dachu migrated to Li Gandor, the Gods of Flesh were chased away by the "Gods of Spirit", whom Tribe Hoka Dachu came to worship. Now, the Gods of Spirit supposedly linger around the Fane to ensure that the Gods of Flesh do not return. The tribe erected a wall where they thought the influence of the Gods of Spirit ended and the lingering dark energy of the Gods of Flesh begins. This wall still borders the northern side of the Water Plaza and encloses quite a large area around that side of the hill. The tribespeople seldom venture beyond the wall, so that the vegetation inside it has been left to overgrow. Despite the increasingly secular orientation of Hoka Dachu, the walled area has remained an out-of-bounds zone. This is likely a reaction to the Dark Side aura that even non-Force-sensitives can sometimes feel emanating from the Fane.

Since Suzel lies within the northern polar circle, it experiences a one-month period of midnight sun (where Imperius is still on the horizon at midday) and a one-month period of polar twilight (where Imperius is just below the horizon at midday) each year.

Suzel is the most majestic city on Antenora. It would fully deserve to be the planetary capital, if only Tribe Hoka Dachu had the audacity to rise above the other two northern tribes and truly earn the title of Supreme Tribe of Antenora. As things stand, Tribe Malar Denovi of Wekraneh and Tribe Haka Lakuis of Patz-Ah hold just as much power and political weight in planetary affairs as Tribe Hoka Dachu. The title of Supreme Tribe still remains an empty epithet.

Wekraneh

Hall B or the large sculpture hall at Aghasett Art Gallery

Wekraneh is Antenora's city of fine arts, and the residence of Tribe Malar Denovi. This magnificent city is built around four low hills, situated far north of the border between Li Gandor and Batnare, and north-west of Suzel. Wekraneh is Li Gandor's northernmost metropolis, making its cooler climate more agreeable, especially to off-worlders.

The first buildings of the city were erected long before the arrival of House Acclivis Draco to Antenora; however, Wekraneh was allowed to truly flourish only after the fall of the Ognerate in 19 ABY. The Kingdom of Denovica now governs most of northern Li Gandor, and also a strip of land east of the Dragon's Teeth and north of the Peaks of Fire.

Wekraneh is split into four districts, each built around one of the four gently-sloped hills of the city. Atop three of these hills sit the three palaces of the one Chieftain of Malar Denovi. These intricate architectural wonders are works of art, with their slender pillars, pointed arches, lancet windows and shaded courtyards. On the slopes of the hills, the nobles of Malar Denovi have built their villas in the model of the Chieftain's palaces. The centerpiece of all these villas is their cloister-like courtyards, where the tribal families tend small but elaborate gardens, often with a small pond and domesticated animals. The wealth of a tribal family is measured by the beauty of their garden, and the rarity of the plants within it.

Atop Wekraneh's northern hill is the Aghasett Art Gallery, which was relocated from the Northern Oasis Campus in 33 ABY by Quaestor Exodius. This building dominates the city's northern district, but it is not the only museum in the area. The northern portion of the city is in fact dubbed the Art Quarter, and within it are museums of every type of artwork, most of them created by Malar Denovi tribespeople. It is also the site of Wekraneh's textile industry, with its luxurious products often exported to other cities and even off-world.

The eastern district of the city, also called the Music Quarter, is home to the prestigious musical academies of Tribe Malar Denovi. Here, traditional Antenoran music is studied and enhanced with the styles from other planets in the galaxy. The southern district, or Stage Quarter, is where these academies execute their performances. Despite having gained access to holovid technology, the people of Wekraneh have developed a keen taste for live performances in this district's grandiose theaters.

Wekraneh's western district, or the Palate Quarter, is where the choicest restaurants can be found. Here food is made both an art form and a professional study, with local and off-world cuisine combining to create extraordinary dishes.

Being the city at the highest latitude, Wekraneh experiences a long four-month period of midnight sun (where Imperius is still below the horizon at midday) and a three-month period of polar night (where Imperius is well below the horizon at midday) each year.

Wekraneh is a city of luxury and pleasure. Tribe Malar Denovi have become veterans and professionals in the disciplines of hedonism. The tribe deems the commerce and tourism that follows from this a profitable but secondary consideration. It is the attainment of decadent contentment for themselves and their guests that is considered the highest form of virtue for Tribe Malar Denovi.

Patz-Ah

Sandstone and granite used for buildings of Patz-Ah

Patz-Ah, the Granite City, is the home of Tribe Haka Lakuis, the most militaristic of the northern tribes. The city lies on the border between Li Gandor and northern Etnare, where the lush vegetation of the Oasis begins to give way to the red sands of the Blood Plains. The city is built on a high ridge (called the Ahk), which slopes gently towards the north but presents an almost vertical granite rock face to the south.

Before the rise of the Ognerate, Tribe Haka Lakuis resided in Vuhm Kehs, and it vied for dominance over Antenora with Tribe Naa Ugo of Vum Kep. These remained the two most powerful tribes on the planet until the Ognerate laid siege to Vuhm Kehs in around 300 BBY and decimated Tribe Haka Lakuis. The shattered tribe fled into Li Gandor and built Patz-Ah upon the ridge of Ahk. From here they were able to regain their strength, and until 19 ABY they relentlessly raided and harassed the Ognerate's northern borders. After the Dragon Treaty and the fall of the Ognerate, Haka Lakuis was able to lay down its weapons. However, the militant spirit of the tribe endured. House Acclivis Draco recognized these tribesmen as experienced warriors, so Haka Lakuis was the first tribe to be trained in the use of modern blaster technology. In return, Haka Lakuis agreed to keep Tribe Pacre Datship under guard in the towers of Ognen, which they continue to perform admirably to this day. Another responsibility of Tribe Haka Lakuis is the administration of the Kingdom of Lakua. This nation spans from Patz-Ah in the north to Ognen in the south; its eastern frontier is the Dragon's Teeth and to the west it borders with Dachua.

Even though Patz-Ah had always been protected by its position in Li Gandor and by the Ahk, the city was originally built to withstand a siege by land. Thick embrasured walls surround the city to the east, north and west, while the slope of the Ahk protects it to the south. The walls are built of pale rusty-red granite, and all along their outward surface are bas reliefs depicting Haka Lakuis's exodus from Vuhm Kehs to Patz-Ah. Originally the only gate was in the northern section of the wall, but now several openings have been built in the western and eastern walls, after the Yuuzhan Vong destroyed large sections of the fortifications in 27 ABY.

Inside the walls, the sandstone buildings of the city are laid out in concentric semicircles. Originally, only one road crossed the city, and the outside wall of each semicircle was uninterrupted, with windows and doors only in the inside wall of the semicircle. From the North Gate, the road curved to the eastern side of the first semicircle of buildings, where it went through the semicircle's only gate. Then it curved between the first and second semicircle until it reached a gate in the western side of the second semicircle, and so on. This ensured that, should an enemy have broken through the North Gate, they would have had to travel the longest distance possible to reach the center of the city. After 27 ABY, however, new streets have been opened through the semicircles that radiate like a starburst from the city center.

Within the last semicircle of buildings is the Vuhm Hakabre, the Chieftain's Citadel. It is built of the same granite as the outer walls, and it was originally intended to be where the tribe made their last stand in the case of a siege. Its walls are higher than any other structure in the city, including the outer walls. Within it are garrisons, armories and storehouses, and recently a concealed tunnel was discovered leading from the Citadel to the bottom of the Ahk. However, these days the Citadel is used primarily as the center of administration of Lakua and as the residence of tribe's Chieftain.

The three semicircles of buildings closest to the Citadel are occupied by the Academies of War. These institutions were founded in Haka Lakuis's ancient history, long before the birth of Patz-Ah. Within the Academies the tribe researched the latest weapons and machines of war, they passed on the knowledge and experience of war and combat from the veterans to the learners, and they trained in the most developed combat forms of Antenora. Many of the Academies' technologies and techniques became obsolete when Antenora opened up to the rest of the galaxy in 19 ABY, but they have changed and adapted in order to preserve their role as schools of warfare. Now they study and teach Haka Lakuis tribesmen the use of modern weapons, combining them with the time-honored styles and forms of the tribe. Almost every Haka Lakuis tribesman trained at the Academies is appointed as officer in the native militia force of Antenora, unless they are assigned to guard the towers of Ognen.

Patz-Ah is the southernmost city of Li Gandor, but it still experiences a week of midnight sun (where Imperius is visible at midnight) and three days of polar twilight (where Imperius is just below the horizon at midday) each year.

Ognen

The Sibil'hatzabra

The once proud towers of Ognen stand far to the south of Etnare, where the rocky fingers of Af Demizon sink into the red sands of the Blood Plains. The tall white towers are scattered across the sand-filled valleys of this region, some connected by bridges and some standing alone. The tallest of these towers is called the Sibil'hatzabra, "Hatza's Needle", and it was once the center of operations of the Ognerate, the empire of the Pacre Datship tribe.

Around three centuries BBY, the Pacre Datship conquered almost all of Antenora, apart from Li Gandor, and subjugated all its tribes under their rule. Many tribes before them had tried and failed in this endeavor, but the Pacre Datship succeeded because of the power of their religion. All the subjects of the Ognerate were bidden to worship the god Hatza, and to properly communicate with Hatza they were given an addictive hallucinogenic substance each time they congregated to pray. This kept the population docile and content; if there was any unrest, the Pacre Datship would simply withdraw the weekly rations of the highly addictive drug until the agitators came begging for forgiveness. This drug, called Hatwa, "God's Spit", was manufactured in large quantities by a sect of priests in Aknah, but each batch had to go to Ognen to be "sanctified".

Despite the Ognerate's size and power, the Dragon Treaty of 19 ABY spelled the empire's doom. The Dark Jedi of Acclivis Draco destroyed the Pacre Datship's primitive armies and captured every single Pacre Datship tribesman, imprisoning them in the towers of Ognen. Now, Tribe Haka Lakuis (of Patz-Ah) has the task of guarding what remains of the Pacre Datship tribe, under the orders that none of that tribe is to leave the towers of Ognen. Each prison-tower has a unit of Haka Lakuis warriors on both the ground level and the topmost level, and the Sibil'hatzabra is now the main garrison of the Haka Lakuis soldiers. These warriors were among the first to be trained in the use of modern blaster technology on Antenora, so they have no trouble in keeping the local population in check.

One of the decrees imposed by the Hoka Dachu tribe (of Suzel) after the fall of the Ognerate was the prohibition of the production and consumption of Hatwa. Suddenly deprived of this addictive substance, millions of tribesmen across Antenora migrated to Ognen, desperately hoping to find stashes of Hatwa in the holy capital of the fallen Ognerate. By now, these tribespeople have either overcome their addiction or died from withdrawal. However, the millions of survivors are unable to leave Ognen because of their poverty, and they now reside in sprawling slums where plague and starvation run rampant. The wretched inhabitants of these slums are contemptuously called Zetora, "The Scum of the Water", by the other Antenoran tribes.

Ognen has declined from its seat at the heart of Antenora's most glorious empire to a slum and prison city crushed beneath the heel of Tribes Hoka Dachu and Haka Lakuis. Most of the tribespeople of the Pacre Datship have lost their pride and have resigned to life in their prison towers. However, there are still believed to be individuals who aspire to throw off the shackles of Haka Lakuis's oppression and who foolishly believe that, one day, the Ognerate will once again rise to rule Antenora.

Aknah

The deserted city of Aknah

Aknah is an almost deserted city that clambers up the steep rocky face of a peak of the Dragon's Teeth. In terms of latitude, it is situated about halfway between the Peaks of Fire and the border of Af Demizon, on the eastern side of the Dragon's Teeth (the far west of Batnare). The city is the residence of the pious tribe of Nogarsh Hatzamin, although it lies within the Kingdom of Dachua.

The city originated about four centuries BBY, when nomads of the Pacre Datship tribe discovered an extensive cavern high up the peak of the Dragon's Teeth. The cavern's walls were covered in peculiar glyphs, which the nomads took to be the words of their God, Hatza. The nomads travelled to the sacred cave regularly to worship, and several years later a group of Pacre Datship's clergymen settled permanently at the mouth of the cave. They became known as the Nogarsh Hatzate, the "Glyph Priests of Hatza", and their renown grew when they begun producing an hallucinogenic drug called Hatwa, "God's Spit", which they distributed to Hatza's worshipers to "take them closer to the God".

By 361 BBY the Glyph Priests had grown in number and power, so that Tribe Pacre Datship granted them independence as Tribe Nogarsh Hatzamin. However, with this nomination came the agreement that the Glyph Priests would send all their Hatwa to Ognen before it was distributed to the worshipers. This is what allowed the Pacre Datship to rise to power in around 300 BBY, and then maintain the coherence of their Ognerate empire for more than three centuries. It is during this time that Aknah grew, below the entrance to the sacred cavern, into a city bent on the almost industrial manufacture of Hatwa. While it was refined into the final product by the citizens of Aknah, the origin of the substance is still unknown, since the Glyph Priests appeared to produce it from deep within the cave. Even to this day, no one has been allowed beyond the entrance of the cave but the Glyph Priests themselves.

With the fall of the Ognerate in 19 ABY and the prohibition of Hatwa, Aknah's economic and social structure crumbled. Since most of Aknah's citizens had been addicted to the hallucinogenic drug, riots broke out almost immediately. After the disorders subsided, many of the inhabitants slid into a severe delirium, probably a symptom of withdrawal, and countless of them died. The survivors migrated to Ognen, towards rumors of remaining supplies of Hatwa. Through all this, the Glyph Priests remained composed and calm, despite that it was believed they too had been addicted to the drug. Tribe Nogarsh Hatzamin still resides in Aknah to this day, even though it has become a ghost city for the most part. It has been reported that certain nomad tribes still visit the Glyph Priests regularly to worship at the entrance of the sacred cavern.

Vum Kep

Vum Kep is the Stronghold of the South, and within its high walls resides the Over-Tribe of Naa Ugo. The fortress city stands on a long and narrow ridge that juts out from Af Demizon into the south-eastern corner of Batnare. The ridge has steep slopes of reddish stone and two narrow ramps at either end.

Vum Kep was erected around one and a half thousand years ago when six southern tribes decided to merge together to form an Over-Tribe. All of these tribes had been almost exterminated in their war against Tribe Haka Lakuis of Vuhm Kehs, the major power on Antenora at that time. By uniting, the southern tribes hoped to amalgamate their unique fighting skills into a single unstoppable war machine. Each of these tribes had a deeply embedded tradition in the use of a specific weapon: tribesmen of Naa Derg were experts with the war axe, those of Naa Vabi were masters of the scimitar, Tribe Naa Ord wielded the morningstar, Tribe Naa Sibi the dirk, Tribe Naa Yaba the spear and Naa Raon, the largest tribe of the six, the javelin. Through their unification all these became sub-Tribes of Over-Tribe Naa Ugo. Each sub-Tribe maintained its individuality, but they were all directed towards a single goal by the Naa Ugo Council, on which stood the Over-Chieftain and the sub-Chieftains of the six sub-Tribes.

By virtue of this union, Naa Ugo was able to defy the veteran army of Haka Lakuis and push them back to a frontier along the planet's equator. Thus Antenora was split roughly in half between Tribe Naa Ugo and Tribe Haka Lakuis, and despite almost constant surges of violence neither tribe succeeded in gaining the upper hand on the other. This state of balance continued until Tribe Pacre Datship of Ognen begun its crusade of planetary conquest around three centuries BBY. The first major tribe to be targeted by the Pacre Datship war machine was Haka Lakuis, so naturally Tribe Naa Ugo came to stand by Pacre Datship's side in the war, and the Naa Ugo warriors were the first over the walls when the Ognerate laid siege to Vuhm Kehs. However, while Pacre Datship consolidated its hold on all but northernmost Antenora, Tribe Naa Ugo too fell under the soporific spell of the drug Hatwa. They became just another one of the vassal tribes to the Ognerate, kept obedient and docile by the hallucinogenic drug.

In 19 ABY, with the ruination of the Ognerate and the prohibition of Hatwa, Tribe Naa Ugo begun to wake from its stupor. They revived their warrior traditions and over the years they have once again become masters of the six arts of war. Nevertheless, their hate for Tribe Haka Lakuis remains unabated, and as a consequence their dealings with the other northern tribes and House Acclivis Draco have always been terse and strained. They have even refused to accept the modernization that came to Antenora after 19 ABY, because of its association with House Acclivis Draco and thus Tribe Haka Lakuis. No Dark Jedi has thus far been able to tap into the Over-Tribe's invaluable expertise in the arts of war; primarily because of the House's relationship to Haka Lakuis, but also because of Tribe Naa Ugo's claim that their arts of war cannot be revealed to those who have not been trained in the tribe since childhood. The situation is only exacerbated by the fact that now Vum Kep is not independent but under the rule of Tribe Hoka Dachu.

Vum Kep viewed from the west

The stronghold city itself crowns a steep-sided ridge of rust-colored rock shaped like a spearhead. The ridge tapers to a point both towards the ivory sands of Batnare to the north and to the rocky crags of Af Demizon to the south. Only two narrow ramps lead up to the stronghold, at the northern and southern extremities of the ridge. The thick sandstone walls that top the escarpments of the ridge are one and a half millennia old, but they are always kept in good repair by the Over-Tribe. Between the walls the ridge is flat and never wider than half a klick; however from tip to tip the ridge is over sixteen klicks long.

The main street of Vum Kep crosses the whole city and connects the southern and northern gates in an almost straight line. In the center of the city, this street passes below an arch through the base of the Council Tower. The sandstone Tower, on whose model the towers of Ognen were built, is where the Council of Naa Ugo gathers and deliberates on the affairs of the Over-Tribe, and it is also the residence of the Over-Chieftain. The rest of the city is divided along its length into six cantons, housing each of the six sub-Tribes. The low, flat-roofed mudbrick buildings of the cantons are the tribespeople's residences, while the two-story sandstone buildings serve as training halls and workshops. Each canton has a central training hall, and also several smithies to forge the sub-Tribe's specific weapon. There is very little in the form of entertainment in any of the cantons, because the tribespeople are expected to spend most of their time training in the arts of war.

Naa Ugo is recognized by all the tribes of Antenora as a warrior tribe equal in skill to Haka Lakuis, if not greater. It is not a tribe to be trifled with, even if they still fight with such primitive weapons as axes and javelins. It is rumored that a number of the sub-Tribes have begun training in the use of their weapons against modern blaster and vibroweapon technology, although this is made difficult to confirm by the Over-Tribe's hostile attitude.

Vuhm Kehs

The sprawling city of Vuhm Kehs

Vuhm Kehs, the Scholars' Keep of Tribe Nasa Mui, is a fortress surrounded by a sprawling city which spreads over the sides of a low circular hill. This hill is situated in north-west Etnare, where the northern extremity of the Kilgore Ridge lowers into the gentle hills that border the continent to the west. The city lies within the Kingdom of Lakua.

The Keep is believed to be the oldest fortification built by the Antenorans. Its exact age is unknown, but Tribe Haka Lakuis claim to have inhabited it for two millennia before their exodus to Patz-Ah. In the time of Haka Lakuis, the fortress was known as Vuhm Wah, the Star Keep. During their residence in Vuhm Wah, Haka Lakuis became the most powerful tribe on the planet, through their highly trained, modern (by pre-Dragon Treaty Antenoran standards) and efficient military. Due to its reputation as the planet's most impregnable stronghold, Vuhm Wah also attracted intellectuals and scholars who sought a safe place away from the fighting of the warring tribes. These learned tribespeople gradually organized into small academies and became known collectively as Tribe Nasa Mui.

In around 1500 BBY, after decades of victorious campaigns and subjugated tribes, Haka Lakuis seemed set to become the Supreme Tribe of Antenora, when six southern tribes united against it (under the name of Over-Tribe Naa Ugo) and drove its armies back to equatorial Antenora. A violence-riddled stalemate endured until the Ognerate of Tribe Pacre Datship surged to prominence around 300 standard years BBY. Tribe Haka Lakuis was not quick enough to respond, so that Tribe Pacre Datship was able to siege and capture Vuhm Wah. Tribe Haka Lakuis managed to flee into Li Gandor, while Tribe Nasa Mui, which had kept itself neutral in the war, was permitted by the Pacre Datship to stay in the Keep. This is why, over time, the name of the Keep changed to Vuhm Kehs, the Scholars' Keep.

Vuhm Kehs struggled to develop under the rule of the Ognerate, because Tribe Nasa Mui refused to submit to the addiction of the drug Hatwa. Since the academies of Vuhm Kehs were held in high esteem by the learned circles of all the major tribes, the Pacre Datship could not aggressively coerce the principled scholars of Nasa Mui into taking the drug. Instead they used taxation, intrusive policing, tedious regulations and marginalization from trade to break the tribe's spirit. However, this had the unexpected effect of generating support for Tribe Nasa Mui. Many nomads sympathized with Nasa Mui's silent protest against the almost compulsory consumption of Hatwa, and they came to settle outside of the walls, where their descendants live to this day. After the Dragon Treaty in 19 ABY the suppression of the Ognerate disappeared, and the Scholars' Keep was allowed to grow into a full academic institution: the University of Kehs. This was partly thanks to the help of Tribe Haka Lakuis who, from Patz-Ah, aided the development of Vuhm Kehs in exchange for a partnership between the University of Kehs and the Academies of War in Patz-Ah.

These days, Vuhm Kehs refers not only to the Keep, but also to the rammed-earth buildings that spread out on the slopes and plains around it. The Keep itself is shaped like a four-pointed star. The four chief Faculties of the University of Kehs, History, Science, Architecture and Philosophy, occupy each of the Keep's starbursts. Since the introduction of Antenora to the galactic society in 19 ABY, the four Faculties have been faced with the choice of adapting to modern academic teachings or adhering to traditions and limiting their studies to Antenora. The Faculty of Science, whose main concern had always been progress in their field, almost immediately begun to study modern technology and to delve into modern scientific understanding. It is now on par with many other scientific academies across the galaxy. The Faculty of Philosophy has taken a keen interest in the conflict between Jedi and Sith in the history of the galaxy, but beyond this it has not much deviated from its study of the many religious philosophies of the tribes of Antenora. The Faculty of Architecture has been reluctant to assimilate modern building design, which they see as extremely ugly; however, they have acquired certain basic technologies, which they work to fit to their own unique Antenoran style. The Faculty of History (the largest of the four, since it also includes culture and language) has remained unstable as scholars quarrel over whether to continue studying Antenoran history, culture and languages, or if to start delving into the myriad cultures of the explored galaxy.

Nas Modeh

The Trade Dome In Nas Modeh

Nas Modeh is the mercantile city of Tribe Soba Karemu; it spreads along the bottom of a long and narrow valley (the Mod Valley) between southwestern Batnare and southeastern Etnare. The northern slope of this valley is the southernmost peak of the Dragon's Teeth mountain range, while the valley's southern slopes are of the ragged cliffs of northern Af Demizon.

In the time of the Ognerate Nas Modeh was one of the most wealthy and successful trading towns of the planet, principally due to its advantageous position between the western and eastern continents. The Mod Valley is the only viable pass across the Dragon's Teeth between the southern regions of the two continents, thus Tribe Soba Karemu made large profits by monopolizing trade between the southern tribes of Etnare and Batnare. After the fall of the Ognerate and the assimilation of Nas Modeh into the Kingdom of Dachua, trade dwindled due to the increasing taxes on Tribe Soba Karemu itself and the toll on large caravans passing through the valley. However, the city is still able to thrive on the small but frequent caravans of the desert nomad tribes of both continents.

The most distinctive aspect of Tribe Soba Karemu, apart from their acute mercantile skills, is their concept of good luck, "Ba", and bad luck, "Bo", and the way that their daily lives revolve around these strong superstitious beliefs. For example, over the doorway of every adobe dwelling in the city is a sprig of wabame (a spiny evergreen plant with small white berries), which is said to bring Ba to everyone who passes beneath them. Another peculiar example is the rabishi, the meter-long stalk-eyed lizards that are left to wander the streets of the city freely, because they are considered to be very lucky animals. It is said that the wealth of Nas Modeh can be determined at any particular time by the fatness of its rabishi. The most prominent expression of Soba Karemu's Ba and Bo is the Trade Dome. This enormous sandstone structure is supported on the inside by tall pillars that spiral like five-sided helixes, a lucky configuration, and the hemispherical shape of the Dome itself is considered Ba. Furthermore, every square inch of the inside of the Dome is painted in bright colors with lucky shapes, animals and symbols. Its function is to create a "Ba atmosphere" in the place where almost all of the city's transactions are carried out.

Soba Karemu is a difficult tribe to deal with if one does not know the myriad gestures, expressions, rituals and customs that are classified as either Ba or Bo. Even the most innocent action can irate an attentive Soba Karemu host. Because of this, the tribe has not done well in its transactions with off-worlders, even though they are aware that great wealth can come from interplanetary trade.

Zef Demoht

Durasteel used for armor

The industrial city of Zef Demoht spreads out over the north-eastern feet of the Peaks of Fire, in the western region of the continent of Batnare. Although the actual metropolis lies several hundred klicks east of where the Peaks of Fire meet the Dragon's Teeth, its factories and mine shafts extend over a very wide area of the north-eastern slopes of the Peaks. The city is the commercial center of Tribe Glamiavad, although it is under the rule of the Kingdom of Denovica.

Zef Demoht was founded in 19 ABY, at the same time that the spaceport of Lamen was being established. The city's development was funded by some of the richest tribesmen of Malar Denovi. These tribesmen worked in partnership with the companies who were financing the construction of Lamen, so that as soon as the two cities were built the production of metal alloys and their off-world export could begin. In the following years the Malar Denovi tribesmen of Zef Demoht formed a separate tribe, which they named Tribe Glamiavad, or "Tribe of the Mountainborers". This sobriquet is not entirely appropriate, since the tribesmen of Glamiavad were, and still are, exclusively the administrators of Zef Demoht. The actual miners, laborers and factory workers of the city were nomads who relinquished desert life in search of fortune and a less insecure lifestyle. Instead they are now stuck in ceaseless toil and serf-like conditions, with virtually no pay and only the bare minimum required to live and work another day.

The off-worlders who come to Zef Demoht usually secure better jobs as technicians, mechanics and foremen, because they are generally more skilled than the native tribespeople. However, even the off-worlders are subordinate to Tribe Glamiavad, whose members compose the CEOs of the city's numerous mining operations and metallurgical industries, and the governors of Zef Demoht's various districts. Two years after the construction of Zef Demoht, the original members of this tribe decided that they had accrued enough wealth and that they could no longer tolerate the city's black smoke, the clanging drills, the spouting furnaces and the dirty inhabitants. Therefore they moved back to Wekraneh and to Tribe Malar Denovi, while new eager entrepreneurs left Tribe Malar Denovi and filled the empty seats in Tribe Glamiavad. This process is still going on approximately every two years. This highlights the fact that little of the profit produced in Zef Demoht remains in the city, as most of it is carried away by the retiring "Mountainborers" to Wekraneh.

Zef Demoht was built on the model of the mining facilities of volcanic worlds like Mustafar, although on a much more extensive scale. All the structures are made of heat-resistant permacrete, which can withstand the frequent lava flows from the Peaks of Fire. Some of the lava flows are channeled in canals and tunnels, where energy collection farms harness the geothermal energy used to power the whole city. Permacrete tunnels connect every structure of the city, even to the remotest mining complex, because outside the atmosphere is too toxic and the rock too scorching to traverse. All of the city's buildings are sealed from the outside for the same reason. Higher up the Peaks, shield generators screen the most exposed parts of the city. Most of Zef Demoht's buildings are short and squat, with foundations as deep as the buildings are tall. This is to minimize damage from the frequent earth tremors that afflict the Peaks. Tribe Glamiavad has also employed a team of researchers from the Faculty of Science of the University of Kehs, who are able to predict the occurrence of aftershocks. The residences of Tribe Glamiavat itself are to the north of the city, on the foothills of the Peaks of Fire. Here, the lava, toxic fumes and tremors are less of a problem to the greenhouses, pleasure palaces and grand theaters of the "Mountainborers".

The primary product of Zef Demoht's metallurgic industry is durasteel. The metal ores carvanium, cubirian and lommite are mined from the Peaks of Fire and the surrounding mountain ranges; carbon is extracted from coal, which is mined from substantial deposits in Af Demizon, and neutronium and zersium are imported from off-world through Lamen. All these materials are then processed in Zef Demoht to produce durasteel. Recently, Tribe Glamiavad has begun to expand their production into more specialized alloys, like steristeel, duralumin, crystasteel, laminasteel, flexisteel and hybrid plexisteel.

Lamen

XQ Platform used by the city of Lamen

The city spaceport of Lamen is composed of twenty grounded XQ Platforms, located in the center of the Sea of the Rising in Batnare, and within the territory of the Kingdom of Dachua. The twenty Platforms are divided into five groups of four Platforms called "Quads", with each Quad's four platforms arranged into rough squares. The four Platforms in each Quad are connected by durasteel-enclosed bridges, and the five Quads are connected to each other to form a cross shape. The twenty XQ Platforms were old unused space stations which were bought by a number of off-world companies to invest in the off-world export of Antenora's rich mineral resources. The Platforms were brought into orbit around the planet and then purposefully sunk to the ground in 19 ABY, and firmly anchored to the bedrock beneath the Sea of the Rising. Now Lamen functions as Batnare's main off-world trading spaceport.

The four central XQ5 Platforms compose the Admin Quad, where the City Administration holds its offices. These Platforms also contain the main residential modules of the city, with entertainment venues and residential quarters. The other four XQ6 Platform Quads, pointing north, south, west and east, contain landing platforms and hangars for bulk freighters and large depots for the mainly mineral and metal cargo being exported. All of the metals and alloys produced in Zef Demoht make their way off world via Lamen. Batnare's major cities, as well as Suzel and Wekraneh, receive most of their off-world imports through this city.

Inside the Platforms the temperature and humidity is regulated to imitate the atmosphere of a normal space station. This benefits the largest part of the city's inhabitants, who originate from off-world. Many of Lamen's citizens came from the poorer classes of other planets to seek their fortune on Antenora after 19 ABY, while a few are rich entrepreneurs who have come to harness the planet's mineral wealth. The handful of natives in the city are those who have decided to forgo their Tribal and Antenoran heritage in order make their way into modern galactic society. The city also comes in contact with the still quite primitive nomad tribes of the Sea of the Rising. They are permitted to set up camp in the open areas inside each Quad, which are somewhat repaired from the wind. Lamen has become an important source of water and farmed foodstuff for the nomads, as well as a major trading post.

Uvem

The city spaceport of Uvem is composed of six grounded XQ Platforms, located in the center of the Blood Plains of Etnare, and inside the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Lakua. The Platforms are laid out in an hexagonal arrangement, so that two of the three projections of each Platform join to the adjacent Platforms, while one of the projections of each Platform juts out of the ring of Platforms and ends in a hangar and landing platform. The six XQ Platforms were bought by off-world investors who wanted to exploit Antenora's natural resources, in partnership with several off-world universities who had organized to set up several research projects on the planet. The space stations were purposefully sunk from orbit to the ground in 19 ABY, and then they were connected to each other through durasteel-enclosed bridges, as well as anchored to a rock formation deep below the sand. Now they function as Etnare's off-world trading port and research base.

Layout of Uvem

The northernmost XQ2 Platform serves as the main residential module. It contains several cantinas and entertainment venues, as well as the residential quarters for Uvem's inhabitants. The north-western and south-western XQ4 Platforms house the research facilities. These are run by off-world universities and companies, but they work closely with the University of Kehs, especially the Faculty of Science. The most prominent project of Uvem's research stations is the documentation and study of Antenora's flora and fauna. The southern XQ1 Platform and the south-eastern and north-eastern XQ3 Platforms provide hangars and warehouses for commercial freighters, and the southern XQ1 Platform also contains the residential quarters for spacers.

All the Platforms store a team of droids which are employed to halt the advance of the sand dunes after each sandstorm, which would otherwise submerge parts of the city beneath sand. Inside the Platforms, a normal space-station atmosphere is maintained, since Uvem's main inhabitants are off-worlders who came to settle on Antenora after 19 ABY. The few natives in the city are those who have decided to forgo their Tribal and Antenoran heritage in order to enter modern galactic society. In addition, in the open space inside the ring of Platforms, nomad caravans and traveling tribes are often allowed to make camp. This allows the citizens of Uvem to trade water, food and modern technology for traditional Antenoran crafts (textiles, ceremonial tools, weapons etc.) which can be sold off-world as curiosities and artifacts.

Sheh Hohk

Shadowport of Sheh Hohk

The shadowport of Sheh Hohk is a smuggling haven that hides somewhere in Etnare. It is thought to be an underground city concealed beneath the rust-colored sand dunes of the Blood Plains, but its exact location is known only to Antenora's lowlife. All the criminal organizations, bands of outlaws and smuggler crews of the planet have a base in this city. Most of these malefactors originate from off-world; they came to Antenora after 19 ABY because they saw untapped opportunities, just like the entrepreneurs of Lamen, the researchers of Uvem and the laborers of Zef Demoht. Yet, it is rumored that House Acclivis Draco facilitated the establishment of Sheh Hohk, so as to allow the House Summit to delimit and control the planet's black market operations and even benefit from them.

Sheh Hohk's main venture is the spice trade, especially in Yarrock and Muon Gold. The spice is sold to both the off-worlders and the natives of Antenora. It is known that several nomad tribes of the Blood Plains carry out regular business transactions with the smugglers of Sheh Hohk. There are even rumors that Hatwa has found its way into the city. Sheh Hohk is believed to hold a well organized mercenary defense force, which keeps some kind of order in the shadowport and guards against a potential encounter with police forces.

Antenorans

Physical appearance

Antenoran of the South

The Antenorans currently inhabiting the planet descend from the Human and Jilruan slaves carried to Antenora by the Rakatas thirty thousand years ago. Since that time, the Antenorans have interbred and evolved to become humanoids well adapted to the varied environments of the planet.

There are minor physical differences between northern and southern Antenorans. Southern Antenorans tend to show more Jilruan traits: they have a bluish-tinged skin, almost metallic in color; they have almost no nostrils, only thin slits that can close to keep sand out, and their eyes distinctly glow yellow in the dark. They are also able to withstand heat, sun and dehydration much longer than a normal Human. The northern Antenorans, especially those who evolved near or within the Northern Oasis, show more distinct Human traits: they have a rough coppery skin, they have flattened noses, and their eyes do not glow at all. They are also less able to withstand the hardships of the desert than their southern cousins. If one travels from the planet's north to the south, the gradual regression of Human features and the increasing prevalence of Jilruan traits will be apparent.

Language

Galactic Basic Standard used by Antenorans of the North

Another difference between the north and south of the planet is the language spoken by the natives. Since 19 ABY the northern tribes have made an effort to learn Basic, and most tribespeople of the Northern Oasis can now speak a passable Galactic Basic, albeit with a strong accent. However, in the south Basic is spoken only by the few tribespeople who come in contact with off-worlders.

The language spoken by all natives is Antenorae. Each region of the planet has a different dialect of this language, but speakers of different dialects can usually communicate without problems. In addition, each tribe often has a slightly different accent or idiom than neighboring tribes. The largest difference would be found between a northern and southern tribe, where communication is impeded by strong accents and unfamiliar expressions.

Attire

An open and closed cafful

The traditional Antenoran tribal gear consists of long, loose robes, calf-high sandals and the cafful (head-shell in Antenorae). This headgear is made from the shells of young mountain byeruas, and its main purpose is protection against sandstorms. It is composed of around a dozen curved overlapping shell segments which fit over the skull, the face, the back of the head and the neck, with a slit or gap for the eyes. The segments which cover the face are fixed on hinges, runners and strings which allow them to slide above the forehead and below the chin, so as to uncover the face if needed. The wealthier tribes often fix finely crafted glass covers over the eye slits. Uncovering one's face is considered shameful outside of one's tribe, but acceptable within the tribe. The traditional Antenoran salute and greeting is to touch the tips of one's fingers to the shell segment below the eye slit, conveying that there is enough trust to uncover the face, even though this may not physically occur. The color of the robes worn by the tribespeople range from grey in the Sea of the Rising to white in the Blood Plains. In the Blood Plains, the whiteness of a tribesmember's robes represents their wealth, since only the most expensive fabrics are able to keep the rusty stain of the Plains out of the cloth.

The tribes of Li Gandor have mostly ditched the custom of covering one's face, but they still wear headgears similar to the cafful, usually made of cloth or chitin. They also wear more colorful and heavily ornamented robes.

Society

Tribes

Almost all native Antenorans are organized into tribes (Kafi in Antenorae, singular Kaf), whether nomadic or city-dwelling. Many of the urban tribes have remodeled and modernized their social structure, but they still retain strong tribal bonds. Each tribe is subdivided into Quodi, Antenorae for 'courts' or 'courtyards', originating from the way tribal families used to pitch their tents around a central open space when they camped. Nomad tribesmembers belong to the court into which they are born, while in urban tribes the courts resemble more tradesmen's guilds than houses of shared lineage, with tribesmen joining courts according to their skills and profession.

Nomadic tribal courts, if large enough, may be further subdivided into family groups (Drushi in Antenorae) of up to three dozen closely related tribesmembers. The most senior married couple in the Drush functions as the ruling body, with the titles of Drush Father (Drurun) and Drush Mother (Druweh), collectively called the Drush Vigil (Drusha). They manage the day-to-day operations of the Drush, they handle relations with other Drushi and, most importantly, arrange marriages. Traditionally, the Drusha could do this without the parents' permission, but in practice they usually ask the father before making the decision. Marriages are used to create or strengthen bonds with other Drushi. In urban tribes, Drushi exist only to show family relations, and have no administrative power.

A Quorun of sub-Tribe Naa Raon

Marriages between courts of the same tribe are arranged by the Quorun (Court Father) and Quoweh (Court Mother), collectively Quosha (Court Vigil). In many tribes the Quoharu (Court Priest, literally 'god's voice in the court') is also part of the Quosha. Unlike the Drusha, the Quorun and Quoweh are elected after each rainy season by the court members, and they are not necessarily married. Their main duty is to represent their court in the tribal council, and to manage the court's internal affairs and its relationship with other courts. The Quoharu is not elected but chosen by the tribe's head priest, and their duty is to monitor and maintain their court's devotion to the tribe's patron god. In urban courts, the Quosha (which seldom includes a Quoharu) basically functions as the court's CEO.

The tribe as a whole is headed by the Karun (Tribe Father), the Kaweh (Tribe Mother) and the Kaharu (Tribe Priest), collectively the Kasha (Tribe Vigil). Despite their translations in Basic, the positions of Karun and Kaweh can be filled by tribesmembers of any gender, as the Antenorae words 'run' and 'weh' describe the perceived duties and roles of a father and a mother rather than the subject's gender. For the Kaweh, these duties are the day-to-day management of the tribe, the provision and distribution of resources, food and most importantly water, the welfare of the byerua and other livestock, and the organization of the tribe as it travels and when it sets up camp. The duties of the Karun are the relationships with other tribes, the general direction of travel of the tribe, and when it becomes necessary the Karun will become the tribal war-chief. The Kaharu is the supreme religious authority in the tribe and is considered the tribe's connection to their patron god. He or she communicates the god's will to the tribe and ensures that it is carried out through the Karun and Kaweh. Generally, in times of peace the Kaweh holds more power, while during war the Karun has more authority. However, whatever the situation the Kasha is expected to reach important decisions collectively, and also with the advice of the tribe's Quoshai.

In urban tribes, the Kasha serves to protect the interests and secure the profit of the tribe's courts. The Kasha of the numerous tribes of a single city often convene to form a general council which decides on city-wide matters.

Ballads

A Ballad

The Antenoran tribes transmit their history, knowledge and ideals through mabrigai, or 'ballads'. These ballads are typically long poems composed to be sung, and they either state precise information or convey a message through an allegorical story. Ballads are not usually written down; the most popular ones are known to the whole tribes and the others are learned by mabrigashi, balladeers in Antenorae. There are many familiar ballads that are known by all of Antenora's tribes, but most are peculiar to a single tribe. Each tribe usually has its own set of traditional ballads; from the similarities of ballads of different tribes, Antenoran historians can study the origins and history of each tribe.

Balladeers are either bound to a tribe or work freelance. The tribal balladeers are charged with learning and passing on the tribe's ballads, and their high standards and severe training has ensured minimal change in the ballads through history. The freelance balladeers travel between tribes, learning different ballads and retelling them to new audiences.

Religion

Religion is very important to Antenoran lifestyle

One of the most distinctive features of Antenoran culture is the wealth of different deities worshipped by the tribes. While almost every tribe had its own particular god at some point in its history, the Antenorans believe in the existence of the gods of other tribes. They simply favor their own patron god. All the tribes also agree on what happens after death: if they have lived according to the teachings of their religion, their patron god will petition the God Gatekeeper to grant their souls entrance to the Shahafa, the 'Sea of Water' (the Antenorae word for sea, 'sha', normally indicates the sea of sand, the desert). The Shahafa is the equivalent of paradise, where the souls of the dead float in eternal contentment. The exact form of this state of ultimate well-being changes according to each deity. If the Antenoran's life has not pleased their patron god, then their soul will be cast to the Gandorur, demonic dragons which will devour the soul and thus extinguish it from all planes of existence.

During the three centuries-long reign of the Ognerate all but the Li Gandor tribes were forced to convert to the worship of Hatza, the God Gatekeeper. When the Ognerate fell in 19 ABY, many tribes maintained the worship of Hatza, but most reverted to their old deities. Others yet had managed to conserve their original deities during the Ognerate and now worship two deities as their patrons.

The only tribe which does not officially worship a god or gods is Tribe Hoka Dachu. Instead, they believe in imperceptible spirits which inhabit certain holy places and which influence the material world in subtle ways. However, in practice most inhabitants of Suzel are nonreligious. They may attend regular religious services, celebrate religious festivities and carry out religious ceremonies on special occasions, but only for the sake of traditions. Many northern tribes are following this example, seeing it as a way to progress in modern interplanetary society.

Below is a representative sample of significant Antenoran deities.

Hatza

Hatza

Hatza is the God Gatekeeper of the Sea of Water, he who grants passage only to stalwart souls. When an Antenoran dies and is cremated, their soul or spirit travels to the God Gatekeeper, who will decide their fate in the afterworld. If Hatza deems that the person has led their life according to his commandments, he will allow their spirit to pass through to the afterworld. However, if the person's spent conduct in life does not gratify the God Gatekeeper, he will throw their soul to the dragons of hell, who will eat the spirit and end its existence forever.

The three commandments of Hatza (the Hatzerade), which are transmitted orally by the Priests of Hatza (the Hatzate), dictate how every Antenoran should sculpt their "soul" (the soul being a person's character and behavior). The Hatzerade can be translated thus:

1. The soul must be strong to withstand the passions of soulless nature.
2. The soul must be tender to embrace the passions of pious souls.
3. The soul must be faithful to rectify the passions of impious souls.

The first Hatzerad says that a worshipper of Hatza (a Hajji, plural Hajjia) must be able to withstand the assaults of nature. The Hajjia believe that every natural adversity, from a sandstorm to a drought, from an ill byerua to a pack of hungry lykaxes or a hackwyd bite, are challenges set by Hatza to test the strength of their soul, and that they must overcome these challenges if they are to comply with the first Hatzerad.

The second Hatzerad says that a Hajji must be loving and compassionate towards other Antenorans. They must treat others as brothers and sisters, and they must help their siblings in times of need, knowing that the assistance will be reciprocated.

The third Hatzerad says that a Hajji must strive to teach the Hatzerade to all who do not know it, so that they may have a chance to enter the Sea of Water in the afterlife. Basically, it is a call to spread the worship of Hatza to all Antenorans.

When a Hajji dies they are cremated, because it is believed that the whole body will rise with the smoke to stand in Hatza's presence. The God Gatekeeper, to discern if the dead person had followed his Hatzerade in life, will insert a long needle deep into their skull (this is why Hatza is often represented holding a needle), where the person's soul and whole life memory is thought to be enclosed. To facilitate this "divine examination" the Hatzate will often break open the dead person's skull before cremation. To further ease the task of the God Gatekeeper, the Hatzate always try to space out the cremation ceremonies, so that Hatza has enough time to examine each soul fully. This is especially true for important people and for serious criminals.

The first worshippers of the God Gatekeeper were the tribespeople of Pacre Datship, who begun to travel under that name and patron god over five thousand years ago. Hatza's first commandment, to endure the adversities of nature, bred a tribe for which resilience was the paramount virtue. The Pacre Datship could walk through sandstorms and barren deserts unperturbed; they could survive droughts and famines, and they held no fear in battle.

The second Hatzerad ensured that the Pacre Datship remained a very cohesive tribe, with very little internal strife. However, this comradeship did not spread to nomads of other tribes. This, combined with the message of the third Hatzerad, encouraged the Pacre Datship to lead a number of "crusades" against neighboring tribes. Because of the Pacre Datship's intrinsic hardiness and stamina, they were almost always victorious in these campaigns. However, they did not spread much beyond their ancestral land on the southern margin of Etnare because, after they subjugated a tribe, they dedicated decades, sometimes generations, to teaching the Hatzerade to the subdued tribespeople and to integrating them into Tribe Pacre Datship.

The worship of Hatza changed drastically when, after 400 BBY, the Hatzate first began producing the addictive drug Hatwa. The Glyph Priests (the Nogarsh Hatzate, the sect of priests which first conceived the production of Hatwa) preached that Hatwa directly imbued the virtues dictated by the Hatzerade into the soul of the Hajjia who consumed it. At first, some Hatzate were reluctant to believe the Glyph Priests, but not long passed before all the Hatzate had become addicted to the drug. Either because of this addiction, or because they were truly convinced of the drug's power, the Hatzate begun distributing Hatwa to all Hajjia, during the habitual weekly prayers. With the ability to propagate the virtues of the Hatzerade so quickly, the Pacre Datship begun to subjugate and assimilate other tribes at a much faster rate, and this is what led to the creation of the world-encompassing Ognerate empire. The dependency of the subjugated tribes on the drug Hatwa is what allowed this empire to endure for more than three centuries.

When House Acclivis Draco destroyed the Ognerate in 19 ABY, the production and consumption of Hatwa was prohibited. As the largest part of the former subjects of the fallen Ognerate suffered in the throes of withdrawal, many of them lost faith in Hatza, and either reverted to their old patron gods or became areligious, along the same path of Tribe Hoka Dachu.

Hakang

Hakang

Hakang is the warrior god of Over-Tribe Naa Ugo. He is represented with six arms, each holding the weapon of one of the sub-Tribes: scimitar, war axe, morningstar, dirk, spear and javelin. In the eyes of Naa Ugo, he embodies the ultimate champion of battle, because he is master in all six weapons. The Over-Tribe believes that all combat forms are conceived by Hakang, and that he transmits them to the respective sub-Tribes through the combat masters and through experience in battle. Therefore, the Naa Ugo worship their patron god through training and battle.

Hadadin

Haladin holding a cup of sweet abeffe sap

Hadadin is the patron god of hedonism and of Tribe Malar Denovi. He is always represented holding a cup of sweet abeffe sap. His teaching to Tribe Malar Denovi is that it is a sacrilege to spend one's time in the material world in anything but pleasure. The virtues of a worshipper of Hadadin are not bravery or strength, but extravagance, self-indulgence and immoderation. This attitude has led many southern desert tribes to despise Tribe Malar Denovi and their patron god.

Harun

Harun is the 'Father God' who, according to the traditional histories, created first all the other gods, then the planet Antenora and its surrounding celestial bodies, and then the plant and animal lifeforms on the planet. He then brought the Antenorans from the stars onto the planet to populate it. Thus, the Antenorans believe that they were not created by Harun and were already in existence before the creation of the material universe. The religious authorities of all the tribes have historically debated on the origin of Antenorans, and they have not come to an agreement to this day.

Harun; The God of the Gods

Harun is not the patron god of any tribe. Rather, it is acknowledged by all the tribes as the progenitor of all the patron gods.

Notable Landmarks

Peaks of Fire

A lower section of the Peaks of Fire

Sprawling across the equator of the desert world is a vast mountain range said to reach half way across the world; interconnected between both the Eastern and Western continents, or tectonic plates, before falling away before the vast, savage sands of their respective deserts.

Amongst the highest of the peaks, where the land juts upward at uneven angles and is nearly impassible, except by the most skilled of travelers, stands the Peaks of Fire. Due to the overlap of tectonic plates and the naturally occurring vents, tremendous amounts of acidic gases spew forth from the planet’s belly making the air toxic. Additionally, the vents give magma the ability to chew upward through the weak mantle and seep out over the mountain range.

The dark, black peaks stand above all other landmarks on the planet; however, the molten lava pouring from the vents gives the range the appearance as if the ground was afire. With the air choking off life and the lava destroying any that should crop up, it is easily understandable why the range is off-limits to outsiders.

Dragon's Teeth

The Dragon's Teeth

Arising from the constant tectonic activity, this massive range of high peaks and sharp drops runs from Li Gandor in the North, to Af Demizon in the South, merging with the Peaks of Fire at the Equator. This range has been formed from the tectonic movements of Etnare and Batnare, with Batnare rising over Etnare and creating a thermal subduction zone. These mountains are very young, only a few thousand years old, and as such are very steep on both sides, with few navigable passes. The weather phenomenons in this area make passing through or near the Teeth extremely dangerous, as the massive storms in the area are highly unpredictable. Occasionally, the water caverns deep beneath the surface of Antenora come into contact with lava tubes that result from the constant tectonic movement, causing a sudden storm of absolute ferocity to form. These storms can last from hours to months depending on how long it takes for the water supply to exhaust or the plates to shift further. Travel between Etnare and Batnare is restricted to orbital flights, as only a few natives dare to risk the Teeth.

Blood Plains

The Blood Plains

In the Western hemisphere, upon the tectonic plate of Etnare - which is encircled by various mountain ranges - is a lifeless expanse of desert, in the center of the bowl of mountains, known as the Blood Plains.

The sand has taken a darkened tone, as red as the blood of fallen tribesmen, which is attributed to an abundant amount of red clay found below the coarse, brown sand. Over thousands of years, the desert has uncovered vast deposits of the organic clay and blown it across the vast plains to mix with that of the tope sand. Casting a red hue to the lands, the native tribes believed that this change was accompanied by the thousands of warriors whom had died during great wars at the fall, or beginning, of respective eras in their history.

It was once believed that the lands were infested with rot and worms, as the beasts fed on the fallen warriors - depositing the vast, red pockets across the desert where the respective tribal wars had occurred. At first, scientists scoffed at this oral history of the tribes until further research suggested the clay had been organically manufactures opposed to being a bi-product of the world’s formation.

Cliffs of the Fallen

Cliffs of the Fallen

In the Western hemisphere, upon the tectonic plate of Etnare, it is known that vast mountain ranges encircle the continent. However, to the far western edge of the Blood Plains are a series of mountains that differ from the gentle, rolling - aged, if you will - peaks.

A series of high, vertical cliffs appear along the edge of the desert. The texture of the range is peculiar due to the steep angle and the seemingly perfect face carved from the top to the bottom. Historians believe the face to have been carved, by hand, during the reign of the Rakatan rule of Antenora. By manually carving the face of - what is once believed to be a long slope - the rock vertically down and relocating the chunks, it was believed this was done under forced labor. The exact use of the monument, or cliff, is unknown; however, remains of both alien and Human at the base indicate sacrificial ceremonies.

Other scientists speculate it may have been a defensive feature carved to prevent, or eliminate, an attack from a superior force - one that may have surrounded the defenders, instead. While many guess at the mystical meaning, several of the remains have been labeled ‘recent’ as dating technology suggests the sacrifices to have occurred in the past decade.

Sea of the Rising

The Sea of the Rising

In the Eastern hemisphere, upon the tectonic plate of Batnare - which is encircled by various mountain ranges - is a lifeless expanse of desert, in the center of the bowl of mountains, known as the Sea of the Rising.

The white, almost ivory, sands sprawl as far as the eye may travel, rolling with the symmetry of the natural rock formations below. While the opposing continent’s expansive desert is prone to routine sand storms that disturb the land, the Sea of the Rising is rarely displaced in such a manner. Though, recorded history shows that when the white sands blow, a wave of sand will reach countless lengths in height and swallow those whom were not wise enough to take cover.

Legend tells that when the ivory sands rise up, it is as if the dead of Antenora race behind - skeleton minions of their former selves - and devour the living foolish enough to risk its peril. Scientists attribute the ‘sightings’ of such minions to shock, trauma and paranoia of seeing such a cataclysmic event of such proportions. What science cannot explain, however, is the fact that trading lanes have been continually ambushed - to disappear without a trace - over thousands of years. The members of House Acclivis Draco, with an affinity for animals, believe it may be the work of great, lurking beasts hidden beneath the sands.

The Forgotten Temple

The Forgotten Temple

In the far reaches of the South, upon the small plate known to be the cap of the Southern Pole, on Af Demizon, rests a temple of great significance. While countless pieces of debris have been harvested from the sands, indicating what may have once been a series of structures, one monument of the Infinite Empire remains.

A sand blown citadel of great proportions, which remains elusive from afar as it is buried under a great dune, was uncovered during an exploration of the planet’s most southern expanse. The exterior is uniform in its carving, great lengths carved to provide many recesses into the stone - believed to be an aesthetic feature - which has darkened under the brilliant sun. Jutting high, just above the relentless sands, are a series of steps leading to the mouth of an entrance.

The entrance has been ravaged by time and sand, as well. Though, once inside the great temple, the walls are covered with intricate carvings and cuneiform that pre-dates the Republic Records. The origin is believed to be Rakata, at this time, though historians believe it could be from an era before the Infinite Empire. Many of the connecting passages are blocked off, while several lead to additional chambers. Some of these chambers have relented their secrets, allowing explorers to open additional, hidden paths that lead into the bowels of the temple itself.

A great power resonates from the temple, begging to be discovered. Perhaps as archeologists further uncover the connecting the chambers and explore the temple, the members of Acclivis Draco will be able to determine the source of the ancient power.

Azar’s Looking Glass

Azar's Looking Glass

Lost in the oasis of Li Gandor rests a cave, which only the residing and former Quaestors of Acclivis Draco know the location of. It is presumed to have only one access, which is hidden under water in one of the countless lakes or streams dotting the surface of the seven hundred mile - in diameter - northern tectonic plate.

Several paces away from the water’s edge, within the cavern, rests an orb of considerable size. The precious stone, considered to be a diamond with thousands of cuts, casts an illustrious aura when light refracts through it. It is believed to be an alchemy creation of a sorcerer, or Force-user, of considerable skill; utilized, in conjunction with the Force, to view the multiple futures resting before the user.

One of the safest secrets of Acclivis Draco Quaestors, this stone’s existence and location is only passed on from one Quaestor to another… and only if the previous Quaestor believes the new candidate capable of using the knowledge for the benefit of the House. Countless rumors have popped up within the House, speculation of a powerful Sith Master known as Azar and his infamous jewel that held visions of the future. The residing Elders of the House encourage the rumor as it keeps prying minds from discerning the true mysteries and location of the precious tool.

Well of the Dragon

The Well of the Dragon

Resting on the fringe between the lands of Li Gandor and Batnare, in the deep wilds of undergrowth that gives way to desert, is a brilliant pool of water. The depth and purity of the water is unknown, but believed to be of the greatest depths and cleanest quality to exist on the surface of Antenora.

With water being a revered resource, the pool attracts some of the largest groups of animals - thirsting for the life-giving water. However, as usual amongst significant waterholes, some of the most ferocious, and tenacious, predators utilize the water as bait for unsuspecting victims. Amongst the predators whom lair about the hole, it is believed that at its deepest point rests a Greater Krayt, or a similar beast, whom rises from the depths to take a victim - before retreating to the depths, once more.

For House Acclivis Draco - whom bears the Seal of the Dragon - this spot bears incredible significance. In the past, the members of the House were known to bring forth capture Yuuzhan Vong to feed the giant beast lurking below the surface.

Hollow Lands

A view of the Hollow Lands.

To the far southern reaches of the Eastern hemisphere, a tectonic plate known as Batnare, rests a land of peculiar interest. As the expanse known as the Sea of the Rising fades into the rocky outcroppings of Af Demizon, a series of tunnels, cliffs and caverns exists.

Another view of the Hollow Lands.

Reaching nearly five hundred yards in width and eight hundred in length, a vast complex of tunnels rupture the surface and retreat to the depths of the rocky base hidden below. Whether the land was carved by hand, beast or erosion, we will never know; however, the antiquity of the formation is not in doubt as geological dating confirms the network to date back thousands of years.

While vast amounts of the tunnels are collapsed or lead to dead ends, several open to deep caverns that hold water, minerals and even small collections of fungus. Others jut high out over the surface of the land, creating a miniature cliff before a new hole opens directly below. Moderate traces of sand appear in the tunnels, but the majority of tunnels are clear of the fine, coarse substance littering the surface of the planet.

Geologists speculate that similar portions of the planet may be covered in these networks, should they ever become uncovered by the large tracts of sand. Several requests have been made to begin an excavation in the Blood Plains; however, the residing Kings of Antenora have declined such an endeavor, using the funds to further other ambitions.

Pit of Despair

Pit of Despair

Hidden within the collection of mountains ranging across the planet’s equator rests a great recess within the land. Once believed to be the work of erosion, researches now have reason to believe the large pit was hand dug. Though, the evidence suggests that those whom were responsible for creating such a gorge were much greater in size than the Humanoids whom populate the planet’s face.

Curious, and intent on discovering the secrets hidden below the planet’s surface, one Dark Jedi scouted the ancient crevice to find massive skeletons. Taking samples and providing accurate accounts of what he saw, it is believed the pit - also now known as the Dragon’s Graveyard - is the final resting place of Greater Krayt Dragons whom have finished their life’s cycle. The beasts are believed to seek out the desolate pit, burrow a new recess and lie in wait for the final moments before their heart ceases to hammer.

Kilgore Ridge

The Force Blade of Drynwyn

In the Eastern hemisphere of Batnare rests a mountain range of considerable girth with a seldom few peaks towering above the remainder. From a distance, it appears as if the land is a dragon at rest - his massive spikes along his back reaching to the sky. These are the peaks known as Kilgore Ridge.

Of greater interest, and value, to the members of House Acclivis Draco is a temple, or base of operations, known to once house the legendary members of Drynwyn's Flame. A group created in recognition of the powerful, Force blade of Drynwyn, capable of coming alit with the power of the Force. It is said the temple is still maintained; though whether in honor of the past or due to the infamous blade residing there, cannot be determined.

Valley of Silence

Revengex, The proclaimed founder of the Valley of Silence

Located on the Li Gandor continent, this naturally carved valley is one of the very few pieces of evidence that Antenora used to have a lot of flowing water on its surface. It was named the "Valley of Silence" or "Valles Silenti" because it is a known fact that if you make loud noises when inside the valley, big rocks teetering on the edges at the top will crush the maker of such noise by means of a large avalanche.

This geological formation eventually joins together with the Heimdall mountain range, which contains the House headquarters facilities, itself located on an oasis in the mountains.

The original discoverer of the valley remains unknown, but the geologic formation was named by RevengeX Palpatine when he visited there while hiking through the mountains.

During the Reclamation of Judecca, the Valley of Silence was the site of a major battle between Acclivis Draco forces and Yuuzhan Vong forces.

Notable Lifeforms

Fauna

Flora and fauna that can be seen in this valley of Antenora

Despite being labelled as a desert planet, Antenora is replete with a myriad fascinating life forms. The Northern Oasis is the continent with the highest density of animals; however, the most interesting species are certainly found in the planet's arid deserts and ragged bare mountains, perhaps because of the extraordinary adaptations evolved by these animals.

A puzzling question posed by life on Antenora is how it was able to survive the terraforming cataclysm caused by the fall of the Rakata around 25,200 BBY. When the Rakata lost control of their terraforming machinery, huge quakes submerged the planet's oceans, and drastic changes in climate caused almost sudden desertification of all but the Northern Oasis. The current theory, the simplest and most credible, is that extensive deserts already girdled Antenora, just south of the equator, long before the arrival of the Rakata (in around 30,000 BBY), and many animals had already adapted to living in these deserts. When the catastrophe came, the animals in more temperate zones of the planet died, but the animals of the desert saw little change in their environment, and in fact their natural habitat expanded to cover the majority of the planet. Thus, these animals spread to populate the whole planet and still roam its deserts to this day.

Some Antenoran animals are known to originate from worlds which used to be under the Infinite Empire. These are likely to have been imported by the Rakata to Antenora before the catastrophe, for reasons unknown. Of all the Rakata's imported animals, only those already adapted to desert environments and those already living in the Northern Oasis must have survived to our days.

Byerua

The byeruas are a family of titan tortoises, the different species of which have adapted to all of Antenora's environments, from the dry deserts to the lush Oasis, from the mountains' foothills to the ragged cliffs. There are three main species, the desert byerua, the mountain byerua and the oasis byerua.

The desert byeruas roam the Sea of the Rising and the Blood Plains, and they are the species which grow to the greatest sizes. An average adult can measure over one hundred meters (109 yards) in length. The largest living byerua of Antenora is Byeru-Tara, a female of Tribe Ser Gaa which measures 174 meters (190 yards) from snout to tail, while Tribe Daber Vobi uses the ancient 240 meter (263 yards) shell of a dead byerua as the chieftain's hall in their permanent encampment. Desert byeruas are also known for their longevity, with the oldest specimens living over two centuries. The byeruas of the Sea of the Rising are encased in a broad flattened bone shell, with only limbs, tail and head jutting out. The carapace and plastron of this shell are composed of a number of scutes which are fused together to form a rigid shield. They store water in lumps of spongy porous bone underneath rounded humps on their carapace. Their hide is of smooth, tan round scales, wrinkled around the neck and joints. The tail is short and stubby, and the limbs are thick and robust, with broad flat feet and stout triangular claws. The long neck supports a blocky head, with black eyes that can look to the sides and below. All byeruas have a strong, hard beak and serrated ridges which serve as teeth. Desert byeruas can close ears and nostrils, and shut the eyes behind thick secondary semi-transparent eyelids, to protect them during sandstorms. Young desert byeruas can withdraw limbs, tail and head into their shells, but they loose this ability as they grow in age and size. Byeruas of the Sea of the Rising have pearl- or ivory-colored shells, but on the carapace (as the byerua ages) each scute darkens to an auburn color towards the center. Byeruas of the Blood Plains are similar to those of the Sea of the Rising, but for the dorsal humps towards the edge of their carapace, which taper to a point like stubby curved horns, and the color of their skin and shell, which varies from rusty-brown to russet.

Byerua of Antenora

Because of their docility, desert byeruas have been used as a means of transport by the tribes of Antenora for thousands of years. They are easy to tame and train, and the broad carapace of the larger specimens can bear a whole encampment. To ride them, reins are attached to metal hoops that pierce their nostrils. A single tribe, depending on its wealth and size, usually travels with more than one byerua, camping on the largest ones and using the younger byeruas to transport goods and supplies. Although byeruas travel quite slowly, they can plod on for weeks, day and night, without rest or food before showing signs of fatigue.

The mountain byeruas populate the foothills of the Dragon's Teeth and the Kilgore Ridge, the hills between eastern Batnare and western Etnare, and the cliffs of Af Demizon. These byeruas are smaller and less long-living than desert byeruas, measuring thirty meters (33 yards) at most and rarely living beyond seventy years of age. Their shell is composed of long separate segments which can slide over each other, somewhat like the Kalarba armadillo, which allows them much greater movement when climbing rocks and cliffs. The number of segments can range from the three segments of the Af Demizon byeruas to the twelve segments of the Kilgore byeruas. Their carapace forms the shape of an elongated dome, rather than being flattened like that of the desert byeruas. The hide of mountain byeruas is covered with long pointed and keeled scales. They have a long tail and limbs, with strong fingers and long curved claws. Their neck is short, and their head is elongated, with a curved beak which they sometimes use to hold on to rocks. They have horny ridges over their eyes, at the top of their skull, on their chin, at their elbows and knees, and along their tail. Their color can range from brown to grey, but male specimens also have red or yellow stripes along their head, neck and tail.

Mountain byeruas are more aggressive than desert byeruas, and are thus more difficult to tame. However, several mountain tribes are able to train these byeruas if they are born in captivity. These captive byeruas are bred mainly for the shells of their young, which are used in the traditional tribal headgear used by most Antenoran nomads. The adult mountain byeruas are also sometimes used to cross the planet's various mountain ranges.

Oasis byeruas are only found in Li Gandor, within the green fringes of the Northern Oasis. They are the smallest byeruas, on average measuring five meters (5.5 yards) in length and two meters (2.2 yards) in height (from the ground to the top of their domed carapace). However they can be even more longevous than desert byeruas, reaching life-spans of over four centuries. The carapaces of oasis byeruas are dome-shaped, while their plastron is flat. They have an olive-green, wrinkled skin with very small round scales. They have short, thickset limbs and tail and a long neck. Their shell is green, but the center of each scute displays a colored pattern. The colored patches are the same color in a single byerua, but from byerua to byerua it can change from purple to blue, green and yellow. Oasis byeruas are sometimes used as pack animals by the tribes of the Northern Oasis.

Abar

Abars are a class of minute animal organisms which typically form large colonies on the edges of Antenora's two deserts and in Af Demizon. They bear a marked resemblance to the marine corals found in worlds such as Baralou, but they are able to grow in some of Antenora's most arid environments. A single abar is a multicellular polyp, cylindrical in shape and radially symmetrical, with a number of tentacles around the opening to its gut. The bottom of the gut is closed off by a layer of tissues involved in the secretion of the hard exoskeleton. The epithelium of the polyp is waxy and impermeable, and its body is mainly composed of a jelly-like tissue. Depending on the species, polyps can range from 2 mm (0.08 inches) to 3 cm (1.18 inches) in diameter.

The mouth and gut of abars produce fluorescent proteins of differing colors (according to the species) which glow in the dark. During the night, this fluorescence attracts insects of many kinds, which the abars prey on. The tentacles of abars are covered in stinging venomous cells which can paralyze insects and other small animals. This venom is painful to humanoids but normally not fatal. Once the prey is paralyzed, the polyp pulls its tentacles over its mouth, thus drawing the prey into its gut, where it is digested.

Three species of abar

The most distinctive feature of the abars are the extensive hard exoskeletal structures constructed by the abar colonies. Each abar species forms an exoskeleton of a different shape and color. They can be rounded, bulbous, knobby or with ridges, barrel-shaped, rod-shaped, tree-shaped and fan-shaped. Bright colors such as blue, red, green and yellow are only seen in young colonies, since the sun bleaches the color out of older ones, and abandoned exoskeletons are often completely white. The porous exoskeletons are structured so that they can soak up moisture from the relatively humid northerly winds, which provides the colony's main source of water.

Colonies originate when a single fertilized egg attaches to a solid bedrock, hatches and begins to excrete an exoskeleton. The single polyp then divides to form another genetically identical polyp, and this division continues as the colony grows. The polyps are connected to each other by sheets and tubules of specialized cells that run through the exoskeleton, allowing them to share nutrients, nerve signals and hormones.

In addition to dividing asexually, abars can reproduce sexually. Colonies are either male or female. Male colonies produce wind-borne sperm, which they release all at once when the wind blows towards a female colony (it is not yet known how male colonies can detect colonies of the opposite sex, but hormonal signals are thought to be involved). The female polyps catch the sperm on their tentacles and fertilize the eggs, which they then release in the wind. To survive, the eggs must alight on a solid foundation from where their colony can grow. If they alight on sand, they will be carried away by the wind until they dehydrate and die. As such, abar colonies are prevalent in Af Demizon and on the mountains and hills at the edges of Etnare and Batnare.

Because they are sessile (fixed in place, immotile) for most of their lives, abars have developed several defenses against predators. The first is their hard exoskeleton, mainly composed of calcium carbonate gathered from wind-blown sand. The energy that would be required to break a colony's exoskeleton open would greatly offset the nutrients gained from the minuscule polyps inside, and the ryshatri are the only animals known to do so. The polyps themselves can retract their tentacles and compress into their holes in the exoskeleton, to escape the many thin-beaked birds which try to extract the polyps one by one. Some species of abars also build spiked structures around their hole to deter predators. The polyps normally only come out at night, as they cannot withstand the heat and direct sunlight of daytime. Even during the night, if any one polyp feels threatened, the whole colony retreats into the exoskeleton, at the same time covering their fluorescent guts with their tentacles.

Inexperienced travelers sometimes use the pinpoint lights of abar colonies to navigate out of the desert, but Antenoran nomads know that the fickle lights are too unreliable. Instead, the nomads use the flickering of colonies to determine the position of hunting quarry. The Antenoran natives mistakenly believe abars to be a plant rather than animals. They often use the abar's colored exoskeleton for decoration and jewelry.

Byut

A byut

Byuts are a family of large herbivores which typically live in domesticated herds tended by nomad Antenoran tribes. The adults can measure up to six meters (19.7 feet) in length, including the tail, and weigh over three tons (472 stones). They have large, muscular posterior legs and slightly shorter and more agile anterior limbs. Their long tapering tail grants them the balance to walk on either two or four legs. Their short, thick neck supports a stocky, large-boned head with a robust beak and small eyes protected by bony ridges. On the top of the head of byuts, between the eyes, grows a horn which differs in shape from species to species. Some have a short horn shaped like a rose-thorn, some a long straight horn, some a sharp vertical ridge, and some simply a large bulbous protuberance. They use this horn for self defense and in courtship fights between bulls. The tan hide of byuts is covered in hard round scales, but for the last portion of the tail, which is coated in darker hair. This portion of the tail is thin and agile, and it is constantly fluttering and swaying in the air when the byut is awake, as it serves to communicate the limited range of emotions experienced by the animal.Wild byut herds do not exist anymore, as the Antenorans have been domesticating these animals as cattle for more than 20,000 years. A single byut herd is usually composed of one bull and about twenty cows. Separate herds violently compete for food and mates, so that only the larger tribes have the resources to tend multiple herds, and many smaller tribes tend herds of less than twenty byuts. The female byuts lay a large number of eggs, partly because when their ancestors reproduced in the wild, few offsprings would survive the desert, and partly because they have been bred by the Antenorans to produce more eggs. The tribes herd byuts for their large and nutritious eggs, their meat, their scaly hide, their feces for fuel, and the sinews and bones which are used for bows and tools. The Antenoran pastoral nomads herd the byuts according to the availability of eberru, the byuts' staple diet. The byuts use the broad and blunt claws of their front paws to dig up the water-rich bulbs out of the sand, and their hard beak to break the shell open. Byuts also eat foliage and green vegetation when the herd stops at oases.

Ryshatri

Magax, relative within the family of Ryshatris

Ryshatris are bipedal flightless reptavians which roam central and southern Antenora in small herds. They are believed to descend from the Tatooine mawgax imported to Antenora by the Rakata. They are often domesticated by the nomad tribes and used as mounts. The adults can measure up to two meters (6.7 feet) in length and 1.6 meters (5.2 feet) in height. They stand on two robust legs with broad hooves, and they have two small vestigial wings. Their back and legs are covered in large bony scales, but the rest of their skin is coated in feathers, which can range in color from white to dark brown. Their tail is longer than that of a mawgax, and it helps to keep their balance. They have a large elongated head on a thick neck, and a strong hooked beak. The mandible has a downward pointing horn-like protuberance which the ryshatri uses like a pick to break the exoskeleton of abars and eat the polyps. This horn is also used for self defense. Abars enter the ryshatri's diet only in extreme circumstances, since their main food are eberru bulbs, which they dig out with the horn and crack with their beak.

Ryshatris are calm, level-headed beasts, which maintain their composure in the midst of commotion. Because of this, they are often used as war mounts by the nomad tribes. With a rider on their back, they can sprint for short distances and charge at an enemy line without batting an eyelid. However, they tire quickly when mounted and are thus unsuitable for long marches.

Eydin

Brackaset, Relative to the Eydin

Eydins are quadruped herbivore mammals which live in Af Demizon, Li Gandor and the deserts of Etnare and Batnare in small herds. They are thought to descend from the Dathomir brackaset brought to Antenora by the Rakata. On average, the adults measure 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) in length. They have four stout legs with thick, broad cloven hooves. Their thick neck supports an elongated head and lateral-looking eyes. Bony plates cover their head, neck, back and rear, with their legs and belly coated in tan fur. The bony plates serve as a protective armor and as a sunshade, and they are segmented so as to allow the eydin to move freely.

Eydins are very resilient animals, capable of marching for days without rest. Because of this, they are used as pack animals and mounts by most Antenoran tribes. The rare few nomad tribes who do not posses a byerua use eydins as their main mode of transport.

Lykax

Lykax of Antenora

Lykaxes are very fast bipedal reptile carnivores which hunt rodents and small reptiles in the deserts of Etnare and Batnare. The adults can reach three meters in length (9.8 feet), although almost half of that is their long thin tail, which gives them balance while running. They have a lean, streamlined body, long muscled hind legs and short arms. Their webbed feet grant them a solid purchase on the sand. Their front paws sport long curved claws which they use to catch prey. When running, they fold and tuck their arms into hollows along their chest, so as to decrease air resistance to a minimum. Their long neck supports an elongated head with forward-pointing eyes. Lykaxes are jawless, as they have a funnel-like mouth, with concentric circles of inward-curving teeth. Three longer fangs which poke out of their mouth are used to pull prey into their mouth. Similarly to birds, the bones of lykaxes are hollow to make them lighter.

Lykaxes are the fastest animals of Antenora, reaching speeds of 130 km/h (80.8 mph). They are slow to reach these speeds, however they are able to maintain them for long distances. They use such speeds to run ahead of sandstorms, so that they can snatch up all the animals that are running for shelter at the approach of the sandstorm. Lykaxes use their lightening-quick reflexes to pluck up anything that moves in front of them as they are running. However, they find it difficult to swerve while running at such high speeds; this trait has given birth to the Antenoran expression "straight as a lykax" to indicate stubborn and uncompromising individuals.

Lybix

Lybix of Antenora

Lybixes are quadruped reptile carnivores of the same family as lykaxes. Their habitats are the mountains and hills between Etnare and Batnare and the cliffs of Af Demizon. They are very similar to lykaxes; however, they are slower, smaller and more agile. They have a shorter tail and more robust front paws which they use to climb rocks. They move in leaping motions, from rock to rock, and they are renowned for their ability to scramble up the steepest surfaces.

Fybbi

Fybbi of Antenora

Fybbis are a family of one-legged flightless birds which populate almost every environment of Antenora. The adults are no more than half a meter (1.6 feet) tall. Their most peculiar feature is their single leg, which constrains them to moving in leaps and hops. The shape of their foot varies from species to species according to their habitat: Li Gandor fybbis have long digits with an opposable thumb which allows them to jump onto tree branches; mountain and cliff fybbis have curved claws and rough pads to grant them a better grip on rocks, and desert fybbis have wide feet with broad pads so that they don't sink in the sand. Their leg supports a spherical body, a broad flat head with a short neck, and two stubby wings. They eat flying insects and berries, which they can reach by leaping more than 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) in the air.

In Antenoran culture, fybbis are comical animals, and they often represent humorous and silly characters in their traditional ballads.

Shybbi

Shybbis are a species of one-legged birds found only in Li Gandor and certain desert oases. They are similar to fybbis, but they have larger wings which allow them to fly. Their one leg is not robust enough for jumping, so that on the ground the shybbis are almost stationary.

Wyd

Wyds are a family of hexapod arthropods which live in colonies in almost all of Antenora's environments. They are the most numerous insects on the planet. The adults can vary from half to seven centimeters (0.2 to 2.8 inches) in length. Their body is divided into head, thorax and abdomen, and covered in a hard chitinous exoskeleton. The thorax supports the three pairs of legs, the two pincers and, in many species, two pairs of wings. The feet have from two to four hooked claws each, which allow the wyd to adhere to most surfaces. The arms supporting the two pincers are thicker than the legs; the pincers themselves vary in shape and size according to the species. They are used to hold on to prey, to defend against predators and sometimes in courtship fights.

A wingless wyd

The head of the wyd displays a single dome-shaped compound eye at its top, and several antennae around it. Its mouthparts include a stylet, which is used to pierce the skin of prey or attacking predator, and a number of proboscides, thin tubes which can inject several different venoms. Each proboscis connects via a duct to a separate gland in the insect's enlarged abdomen. Each gland produces a different substance, each suited to a different purpose. The largest gland produces digestive enzymes which the wyd injects into a dead prey to liquefy its internal organs, which can then be ingested more easily. Other glands produce venoms which contain neurotoxins, necrotoxins, or apitoxins. The wyd demonstrates abnormal intellect and capacity to quickly process sensory information in deciding which venom to use in a particular situation. They use neurotoxins on their usual prey, smaller insects, to paralyze them; necrotoxins on larger prey to kill them gradually over a longer period of time, and apitoxins to deter predators with an excruciatingly painful sting. They are able to inject differing amounts and concentrations of each substance according to the size and perceived resistance of the prey or predator. It is still not known exactly how the wyd can produce such a variety of venoms.

Wyds live in half-male, half-female colonies, usually headed by a dominant couple. The size of the colony can range from a dozen wyds to more than fifty wyds, depending on the size of the wyds themselves (the larger the wyds, the smaller the colony). Most wyd species migrate around a large territory in search of food, which usually consists of swarms of other insects, grubs, arthropod eggs and sometimes carrion. When pushed to extremities, wyds are capable of targeting small reptiles and rodents. They obtain all of their required water from their prey. The dominant couple decides the colony's destination, the distribution of food, and what to do in case another colony invades their territory. In such an event, the larger colony will normally chase off the inferior one without physical conflict. However, if one of the colonies is desperate for food or territory, they may attack with their claws and venom. Normally, wyd colonies are aggressive towards other animals only if they feel directly threatened. Wyds will attack predators with their painful apitoxin venom, but if they feel repeatedly threatened they will use their deadly necrotoxin. Both on land and in air, wyds are not very fast, but they are very agile and they are exceptionally proficient at surrounding their prey or predator.

Some species of wyds, like the hackwyds and the bwowyds, have adapted to a symbiotic life with the hackebe and bwohebe respectively, which are bulbous carnivorous plants. In exchange for water and the left-over husks of the plant's victims, the wyd colony protects the plant from large herbivores, and plants their seeds after the wet season. The bwowyds, which are less common than the hackwyds, also provide the mean by which their symbiont, the bwohebe, catches prey: they produce a very sticky mucous substance with which they cover the bwohebe bulb, to which the plant's prey becomes glued.

Inexpert travelers often exaggerate the danger posed by wyds: as long as they are left alone, they will not normally attack. Misconceptions about wyds have caused extensive extermination programs around northern cities in recent times. The central role that wyds play in pollination and in the control of certain rapidly proliferating insect species means that their extermination has damaged greatly the environment in affected areas. Around Li Gandor cities the absence of flowering plants is quite evident, and it is a tragedy which Wekraneh, the city of myriad gardens, is trying to correct.

Lyssis

Lyssis are aggressive reptilian predators found only in Li Gandor. They are thought to be related to the Krayt Dragons brought to Antenora by the Rakata around 30,000 BBY. The adults can reach four meters (13.1 feet) in length, from snout to tail. They have four short, stout legs, paws with five fingers and long, sharp claws. They usually walk with their belly on the ground, but they lift themselves up when running. They have a short thick neck and an elongated triangular head. They have a crest of short straight horns at the back of the head and above their eyes, which are used more for show than to cause any injury. Their wide jaws have a double row of small, regular and very sharp teeth. A viscous, venomous saliva constantly dribbles over their lower lip. Their long tail is thick and ends with three vertical vestigial horns. They have green scales, with darker green or blue slashes across their back and tail.

Lyssis usually hunt in pairs, often choosing prey much larger than themselves. The first attack on their prey involves quick nips and bites, retreating as soon as the prey reacts. Despite their appearance as such large and lumbering beasts, the lyssis are able to leap forwards and backwards with surprising nimbleness, using their muscular legs and tail. The first light bites will allow the venom in the lyssis' saliva to penetrate into the prey's bloodstream. The two lyssis will then patiently follow the prey from a distance as its internal organs fail one by one. When the prey is too weak to cause injury, the lyssis approach it and finish it off with their jaws.

The lyssis' hunting technique has led to them being characterized, in Northern Oasis Antenoran culture, as cowardly beasts who are fully capable of facing their prey head on but instead choose underhanded methods to bring them down. For the majority of Antenorans outside the Northern Oasis, lyssis are known as the lesser servants of the Gandorur, the demonic dragons of Li Gandor, and any lyssis that stray outside the Oasis are hunted down and burned alive.

Rabishi

A rabishi

The rabishi are large omnivorous lizards which inhabit the southern reaches of Etnare and Batnare. They can reach two meters (6.5 feet) in length; they have a long tapering tail, short but thick limbs, a robust neck with an elongated triangular head, and a broad flattened body. A thin membrane that runs from head to tail is held upright by long quills.

The rabishi are considered sacred animals by many southern Antenoran tribes. Most tribal religions associate the rabishi with the ballad of the renegade Gandoruri. This legend tells of a group of Gandoruri (the demonic dragons that eat the souls of dead Antenorans) who rebelled against their way of life and fled hell (normally thought to be Li Gandor). These dissident Gandoruri travelled across the deserts and settled along the southern borders of Etnare and Batnare, coming to live peacefully with the Antenorans instead of devouring the souls of their dead.

Despite their holiness, the rabishi are often envisaged as symbols of laziness and benign lethargy, as they spend most of the day basking in the sun, dragging themselves around on their bellies and mostly being fed by the Antenorans.

Fyr

Fyrs are solitary feline predators which hunt in the foothills of the Dragon's Teeth, the Kilgore Ridge, the Heimdall Mountain Range, the hills between western Etnare and eastern Batnare and the cliffs of Af Demizon. Fyrs are one of Antenora's most fearsome predators, and they are the most revered animal in Antenoran culture. They are thought to descend from a relative of the Dxun Gharzr brought to Antenora by the Rakata.

The adults can reach 2.3 meters (7.5 feet) in length, not including the tail. They have a muscular, lissome body covered in soft rufous fur. Their sinewy neck supports a large head, feline in appearance but with an elongated canine muzzle. They have two rows of long, inward curving, serrated teeth, with four larger frontal fangs. Their jaws are powerful enough to snap bones. Their forward-looking slit-pupil eyes are usually yellow, brown or red in color, and their expandable pupils allow them to see in bright light or in darkness equally well. Their long, lancet shaped ears can swivel round independently to cover sounds from all around the animal. Their long segmented tail splits in two about halfway along its length. Each tip ends in a venomous stinger, with the venom stored in a specialized gland at the base of the stinger. The split tail is fully articulated and powerful enough to knock a humanoid off their feet. A ridge of long, thin curved spikes runs from the tip of their snout to both ends of their tail. These spikes are usually kept flat against the fyr's body, but they are raised when the fyr has captured a prey, as a display of aggression and during mating rituals. They have four powerful legs with large paws and sharp curved claws. They walk with a sinuous, graceful gait, but they can also sprint to enormous speeds within a few seconds.

Fyrs normally hunt on their own. Once they find a prey, they will stalk it to get as close to it as possible without being seen. They will then sprint on the prey and often catch it before it can react, and inject the venom, which will paralyze the prey's muscles and allow the fyr to quietly snap its neck. If the prey manages to escape the initial sprint, the fyr will chase it until it is within reach of its tail, so that it can inject the venom.

In the traditional Antenoran ballads, fyrs often represent the values of patience, stealth and quick, quiet strength.

Flora

The only places where plant life has taken a foothold on Antenora are the Northern Oasis of Li Gandor and the small infrequent oases at the edges of the desert. However, a small number of species have evolved to make use of the little water to be found in the arid deserts and bare cliffs of the planet, allowing them to survive in limited numbers in this harsh land.

Hackebe

The hackebe (literally "jawbulb" in Antenorae) is a carnivorous flowering plant that populates the deserts of both Etnare and Batnare. It grows in the dry sand of the two deserts and it lives in symbiotic mutualism with the arthropod colonies of hackwyd (jawclaw). The central part of the hackebe forms a hemispherical bulb, soft and spongy on the inside and covered with a porous pale green membrane. When the hackebe first germinates out of its seed, the bulb is divided into three segments, and on the surface of each segment grow several straight green branches covered in fine hair.

A hackebe in flower

The hackebe has deep roots which can draw moisture from below the sand, but the nutrients required by the plant are acquired from its animal prey. In the first year of germination, the bulb of the hackebe grows to no more than 10 cm (3.9 inches) in diameter, but its water-filled segments attract many kinds of small insects. When the insect alights on the bulb and pierces its soft surface membrane to access the water, a series of chemical pathways induce all the water in that bulb segment to osmose into the other segments. This causes the emptied segment to cave in on itself, and the hair-covered branches to collapse onto the offending insect, at the same time secreting a sticky mucilage which coats the hair. The branches then secrete digestive juices which digest the trapped insect, and the nutrients are absorbed by the porous membrane of the bulb. The trapping mechanism occurs in less than two seconds, while the digestion and absorption process can take from three days to a month, depending on the size and constitution of the prey. During this time the collapsed segment and the adjacent swollen segments will not react to other prey. The husk that remains of the digested insect is removed and eaten by the hackwyds, the arthropod symbionts of the hackebe.

As the hackebe grows, the size and number of its segments increases, and so does the size of its prey. After about a decade of maturation, the hairs on the straight branches of the hackebe will thicken and become inward-curved thorns. It is at this point, with a diameter of up to one meter (3.3 feet), that the hackebe can begin to ensnare mammalian and reptilian prey. The plant becomes insensitive to small insects and instead reacts to the bites of thirsty rodents and lizards. If an animal, too large to be trapped by the thorned branches, attempts to eat the bulb, the symbiont colony of hackwyds will attack the aggressor with their poisonous bites. However, there are instances of hackebe growing to such large sizes that they can trap even fybbis and young lykaxes.

The hackebe flowers approximately once every six years. The flowers bud at the top of long stems which grow from the apex of the bulb. They have round white or yellow petals, short yellow stamens and green stigmas. To stop the hackwyds from catching any pollinating insects, the flowers' stems are covered in thorns and prickly hair. The flowers last for the whole rainy season, at the end of which the plant produces a number of egg-shaped, smooth-shelled nuts about 5 cm (2 inches) long, each of which contains a single seed. When these nuts mature and become dark brown and hard shelled, they drop from the top of the stems onto the bulb, where they are gathered by the hackwyds. The hackwyds then take it in turns to take a nut and go off in search of a hackwyd mate from another colony, one male and one female going off in different directions each time. When they find a hackwyd of the opposite sex (which will also be carrying a hackebe nut) far enough from their colony, the two arthropods will dig a hole and drop the two nuts inside. Then they will copulate and the female will inject the fertilized eggs inside one of the nuts (usually the topmost in the hole), through a small capillary opening at the apex of the nut. The two hackwyds will cover the nuts and go back to their respective colonies. Just before the start of the next rainy season, the eggs inside the infested nut will hatch (usually from twenty to thirty eggs) and the larvae will feed on the seed inside the nut. When the rainy season begins, the larvae will metamorphose into adult hackwyds, at the same time that the second, intact, hackebe seed germinates. The newborn colony of hackwyds will remain with this hackebe and start a new cycle of symbiotic life.

Eberru

The eberru is the hardiest plant that grows in the deserts of Antenora. It has adapted to all but the innermost and most sterile sanctuaries of the deserts. While still sparse by normal standards, the eberru is the most common plant of the Blood Plains and the Sea of the Rising.

An uprooted eberru, showing flowers and cut root

The main body of the eberru consists of a round or oval bulb with a hard shell which grows beneath the sand. Its extremely deep-delving root is the key to its survival. The single gnarly root reaches from the bulb all the way down to the water table deep below the sand. In this way it is able to gain sufficient water to survive, and to store the excess in the well-protected bulb.

The seasonal tides provoked by the orbit of Antenora's two moons dictate how much water the eberru can access. When the tide is low and water is scarce, the eberru will use the reserves stored in its bulb, which will be replenished in the next high tide. Herbivores like the byut and the byerua are able to "smell" water-saturated eberru bulbs, and have specialized in digging the bulbs out of the ground and breaking open their hard shell with their beaks. The native Antenorans also use the eberru for food and drink. The spongy pulp of the bulb is very bitter and can cause mild inflammation of the mouth and throat, but it can still be eaten in extreme circumstances. The nomads more often squeeze and filter the juice, which is slightly sour and yellow in color. The excess juice is usually left to ferment to produce liqueurs flavored with different spices.

Eberru grow foliage above ground only during the rainy season. They produce a crown of long, lancet shaped leaves around two or three large flowers of varying colors. Once the rainy season ends, the leaves will shrivel and die, and the pollinated flowers will be drawn below the sand by the stalk that attaches them to the underground bulb. Until the next rainy season, the eberru will employ its energy and water to nurture and grow the seeds. The two to three seeds will become round and smooth, about 5 cm (2 inches) in diameter, with a shell so hard that few herbivores are able to crack it open. Within the nut, the eberru stores all the water, nutrients and carbohydrates that the future germinating plant will need to grow a root all the way down to the water table. The parent eberru will release the seeds only at the start of the next rainy season, by pushing them above the sand and letting the wind roll them away.

Ubresh

The ubresh is a family of hardy desert plants that grow in the less arid regions of the Antenoran deserts. They are succulent spiny plants, with large fleshy stems protected by a waxy green membrane and thorns. They are generally spherical in shape, but some also grow cylindrical offshoots. They are specialized in absorbing moisture in the air and retaining it in their fleshy bodies. Despite being filled with water, most animals avoid them, because their body is thickly interspersed with poison-filled glands, from the core to the epidermis. This poison is lethal to most animals, its main effect being severe hemorrhage of the whole digestive tract. The glands containing this poison are quite fragile, so any damage to the ubresh will cause the poison to be released. Some tribes have developed tools and techniques to extract the poison glands without rupturing them, but this is a risky process even for practiced experts.

An abeffe, showing hyphae root network and rontostool

Abeffe

The abeffe is the most common and characteristic family of woody plants of Li Gandor. It descends from fungi, but it is now more plant than fungus. The principal remaining fungal feature of the abeffe is its underground root-like network of hyphae, which constitute most of the plant's mass. Through these hyphae, the plant absorbs nutrients from the surrounding decomposing matter, like dead leaves, plants and animal remains. The hyphae sometimes grow to be as thick as tree roots, and they can spread to occupy whole hills.

The portion of abeffe that grows above the soil is its fruiting body, which produces its spores. A single abeffe usually grows more than one fruiting body, and in contrast to fungi it is perennial, often permanent through the abeffe's entire life. The fruiting body is shaped like a mushroom, and depending on the species it can grow up to twenty meters (65.6 feet) in height. Off-worlders often call it "rontostool" due to its size. The main stem of the rontostool resembles more a tree-trunk than a mushroom stalk. It is broad, often contorted and covered in rough brown bark; at the top it may directly attach to the center of the cap or it may divide into three to four thick branches to support wider caps. Most rontostools have only one cap, but some uncommon species of abeffe produce smaller secondary caps in a single rontostool.

The caps of rontostools vary in shape and size, but they all have the same two basic functions: spore production and dispersal, and photosynthesis. In general, shorter rontostools have wide, flat caps and taller rontostools have conical or bell-shaped caps. The underside of the cap may form lamellae, large pores or teeth-shaped protrusions which produce the spores and then release them into the atmosphere. These spores are normally light enough to be carried by the wind far from its parent plant. The upper surface of the cap is composed of several layers of photosynthesizing cells (which make the cap green). These cells contain chloroplasts which are now part of the plant, but they are thought to originate from endosymbiotic microbes which integrated into the cells of the abeffe's fungal ancestors. Below the upper surface is a plump layer of spongy cells, filled with a glutinous sugary sap. Ducts radiate outwards from the trunk through this spongy layer to carry nutrients and water to the cap and sugars down to the hyphae roots. As the rontostool grows these ducts become more woody and stout to support the weight of the cap. Some species of abeffe produce toxins in their sap and spongy layer as a defense mechanism. These poisons vary in potency, the symptoms after eating a poisonous cap could range from acute stomach cramps to momentary paralysis to slow and painful death. Poisonous abeffe are notoriously difficult to distinguish from inoffensive ones.

A small number of more resilient abeffe species grow sporadically in the small desert oases in the northern hemisphere. The rontostools of these desert abeffe only produce the fleshy cap during the rainy season; for the rest of the time only the rib-like sap ducts project radially from the top of the trunk.

Antenorans of the Northern Oasis cultivate abeffe for its sweet sap and the spongy layer of its cap. However, some of the finer abeffe species are only found in the wild, and a number of Antenorans make it their profession to forage for these rarer rontostools. These experts are mostly based at the Guild of Abeffe in the Palate Quarter of Wekraneh. Abeffe foraging is uncommon and discouraged outside of the Guild, since only specialists are able to discern the healthy rontostools from the outwardly identical poisonous ones.

Obode

An obode in flower

The obode is a peculiar family of plants found only in the lush verdure of Li Gandor. It can grow up to fifty meters (164 feet) in height in the span of twenty years, making it the tallest and fastest growing plant on the planet. The obode grows in the densest areas of vegetation of the Northern Oasis, where the canopy lets very little light through. This is why the obode specializes in breaching the canopy surface as soon as possible. It does this by concentrating all its growth in height rather than width; its trunk, technically a stem, is no thicker than a human arm, and since it is not woody the obode is not even classified as a tree. To keep this flexible and relatively fragile stem straight, the obode grows a large hydrogen-filled balloon at the apex of the stem, which, being lighter than air, stretches the stem (anchored by roots to the ground) to its full height. The balloon of a fully grown obode is around half a meter (1.6 feet) in diameter. If the balloon were to burst, the obode would sag and slump to the ground or get caught in the canopy, but before long the plant will have grown a new balloon to raise it back into the light. Most species of obode make their balloon more efficient by heating the hydrogen within, via exothermic chemical reactions carried out in glands at the base of the balloon. The thin but tough membrane of the balloon is green and also serves as a photosynthesizing surface, and it is run through by a network of veins. Some species of obode grow lightweight leaves on the balloon, which have the additional function of protecting the balloon from damage. Other obode species grow a crown of long leaves at the base of the balloon. During high winds, when the balloon may be damaged by surrounding branches, the obode fills the leaves with water and angles them to lie flat against the balloon, to create a protective shield around the balloon. Birds are normally careful not to burst the balloon, since the blast of hot air and the taut membrane can harm airborne animals.

The obode sheds its balloon each year, during the winter. It does this by gradually deflating its old balloon while it grows a new balloon just below the old one. This way, the upward pull remains constant. Once the new balloon is fully formed, it will grow above the old one, and the old deflated balloon will dangle to the side of the stem. At the end of winter, the deflated balloon will be reshaped into a large flower, with long, drooping petals blue, purple or magenta in color, depending on the species. Once pollinated, the flower will produce a long, tapering purple fruit, with wrinkled skin, sweet fibrous flesh and a core of small black seeds.

Obodes are cultivated for their fruit, which is a staple food for the Northern Oasis Antenorans. Huge swathes of oasis are cleared around the Li Gandor cities to make space for obode farms. The obode also features in several traditional ballads of the northern tribes.

Outlook

Political

The seal of Acclivis Draco

Throughout the history of the world, the ruling power - whomever it may be - has established an order through might. The countless eras have seen the powerful rule the weak; through what historians label as Empires.

For many hundreds of years, one tribe reigned supreme over its counterparts until time withered its advances and the warring nations became their equal. And, as with all empires, when one fades into legacy, another rises shortly thereafter to fill the void. Such was the evolution of politics since the Rakata disappeared from the face of Antenora. However, since the signing of the Dragon Treaty in 19 ABY an era has arisen with the stress on peace between the tribes. This era, called Drano by natives, has seen the tribes find peace with one another as they boom socially and artistically - a renaissance of the people.

Now, in place of warring tribes, civil war has begun to grow as the populace becomes restless. Their minds are no longer constricted with the thoughts of survival, but growth that has come with the presence of Acclivis Draco. Fearful of the wrath of the Royal Clan, the tribes bow to its might; however, their internal struggles continue.

There are whispers and rumors floating that the traditionally Krath House must make a bid for power over the tribes - to subjugate the people to their ironclad will. Should the House make a bid for power, bringing about a new era and a new Empire, it could serve as a rallying point in the history of the former slaves of the Infinite Empire. And serve as a powerful point of reference in the House’s history… when the people of the planet bow down to the will, and might, of the Quaestor of Acclivis Draco.

Military

The warbanner of Kraken Regiment

With the arrival of the Royal Clan upon Judecca, the military presence upon Antenora was bolstered considerably. Under the direction of the affluent King, or Queen, of Antenora - who serves at the bequest of the Emperor - the warring nations were brought to heel. While their numbers were not wholly accounted for, the presiding ruler of Antenora - the Quaestor of Acclivis Draco - had the power to call upon the tribes to fight.

Despite their humble beginnings and primitive nature, the people of Antenora have adapted to the new technology and weaponry given to them by the House of the Rising Dragon. Adapting to their natural style, the people of Antenora have created a militia that can stand at nearly one hundred thousand strong. Though, these individuals can be equipped with armor, there are not enough munitions to arm them. Instead, the officers are given blasters, and rifles, while the remaining soldiers are equipped with melee weapons. Most prevalent amongst these arms are the traditional pole arms, spears and javelins of the tribal nations.

In addition to the vast militia, Acclivis Draco may call upon the Storm Troopers of the Kraken Regiment. Standing at a minimum strength of four thousand battle-ready, seasoned troops, these warriors are more than enough to enforce the will of the House upon the small, desert world. These warriors are given the strictest of instructions to follow the commands of the Quaestor, or Surface Marshal, unless they receive a direct order from the Grand Marshal or Emperor, himself.

Additional troops are not stationed on the planet, but military assets can be moved to the planet at the Quaestor’s request with approval from either the Consul or Proconsul. Occasionally, the vast deserts are home to practice drills by the Scholae Palatinae Fleet as they practice space-to-ground targeting. It is also possible, albeit rare, for the Scholae Palatinae Corps to use the deep gorges and canyons to execute practice drills.

Trivia

• The name Antenora comes from the second zone of the ninth circle of Hell, as depicted in Dante’s Devine Comedy. It is named for Antenor of Troy who supposedly betrayed his city to the Greeks.

Scholae Palatinae Dominion
Star and System
Cocytus System - Imperius
Planets
Antenora - Judecca - Ptolomea - Caina - Iblis - Vassago
Moons
Ugolino - Sereia - Alberigo - Zanche - Barbatos - Brutus - Cassius - Judas Bolgia Satellites - Astaroth - Gressil - Marchosias - Nemea - Vetis Zepar - Zepar I - Zepar II