History
For years Morroth has been used as both a military training facility and a prison colony for the Jusadih Defence Force. The harsh climate and strong gravity is ideal for training the hardened soldiers needed to defend this important system. The mountainous and inhospitable terrain also adds an extra layer of defense and secrecy to this planet that is already rife with mystery.
The only official compound on the planet was cleverly named “Alpha Base”. From here the military commanders and prison wardens control every action taken by the planet’s personnel and prison population. Very few civilians are present on the planet at any given time, and those that are there don’t stay around for long. The strong military dictatorship lends to a very efficient, but very unforgiving atmosphere.
It is here that House Satal Keto has found its new home, and it is here that the warriors of Satal Keto will mould the Jusadih Defence Force into an army of the Dark Side. What happens within the confines of Alpha Base is known only to a few, but the rumours are known throughout the galaxy. Only time will tell what plans are being concocted by the leaders of House Satal Keto and what horrors are waiting to be released from this planet some call Hell.
Historians have concluded that prior to entering the hands of HSK, Morroth has served as some form of penal world for centuries. Ship’s logs gleaned from residual hyperspace transmission analysis suggest that the planet first came under the mantle of “prison-world” some nine centuries ago by an unidentified society within the core. Originally intended to house political prisoners and other social deviants, the world eventually came to be the primary repository for any and all undesirables including prisoners of war, aberrant genome possessors, and even debtors.
Four centuries later, well before the rise of the Empire, Morroth would play host to one of the sector’s most notorious criminals: Beln Candor. Though he never fired a weapon, harmed another sentient, nor had ever said so much as an unkind word to his victims, Beln was considered the most dangerous man in the sector and, some say at the time, the galaxy.
Beln was a confidence man of such artistry that when finally captured after 25 years of bilking the sector for every credit he could, the aging human was remanded to Morroth prison or what was then known as “Hell’s Freezer”. Then under the control of a Coruscanti Viceroy named Kaln, Morroth held an impeccable record of no successful escape attempts. Fiver years after being imprisoned there, Beln would slightly mar that record.
Though there is no proof Beln ever left the planet, it is known he left the prison, then known as Far Ice—where the ruins of Gryffon prison now stand, and never returned. Kaln was humiliated and forced to resign his post. He was immediately replaced by Dorn Cleban, a warden fresh from Coruscant who implemented strict security protocols that allowed no one but himself to freely roam the prison. Under this system, no more escapes were made, successful or otherwise, and the prison enjoyed relative, though dull, peace.
It is assumed Beln died of exposure in the frozen wastes beyond the prison’s walls.
Continents
Annwfn
Little is known about the south-western continent, as the only people allowed here are the House Satal Keto Summits and members given special permission to conduct missions in the area. There was a mysterious presence located deep underground on this continent, which recently revealed itself to be a grand temple of Darth Plagueis. It is also the location of an abandoned outpost, Galthain. Clan historians are working to divine the connections between Darth Plagueis and this particular region of Morroth. Early speculations lean toward the theory that in the tradition of many powerful Sith lords, Plagueis constructed for himself a refuge to which he could retreat in times of peril or meditate in to further his power in the dark side of the Force.
Cernunnos
The coldest of the landmasses, this north-eastern continent has a rather dangerous trait: it is extremely difficult to distinguish where the land ends and the ice-covered sea begins. This has caused many an inhabitant to plunge to his death in the frigid waters awaiting him beneath the ice. It is also the home of Beta Base, and the only official pre-HSK cities. The location of the two cities (Lemuria and Ashen) on this continent makes this the most resistant of landmasses, and as such, a great military presence is located here.
Cerridwen
Home of Epsilon Base, this is logically the most educated and intellectual continent, as well as the most religious, as it is the training base of HSK’s Krath. Outpost Nu is also located here, to provide basic military support to the Krath here. The ancient Temple of Kol’mai can be found along the Southern coast in the Dul’qai region of this continent.
Skadi
Here can be found Gamma Base, Outpost Mu, and the Boneyard of Wyrms. An unforgiving frozen waste, it’s the perfect training facility for HSK’s Obelisk, and any other standard military forces, at that rate. It has a single large peak, upon which is found Gamma Base, overlooking the entire continent. As Skadi is a very long continent, it requires an outpost toward one end, as any defence force deployed from Gamma Base could find itself against an entrenched opponent otherwise. Also, Outpost Mu overlooks the one thing Gamma Base doesn’t: the Boneyard of Wyrms. Most of the Obelisk training exercises take place here. Not exactly the nicest of places, but still somewhere an Obbie can go to get himself hardened for battle.
Skatha
The central continent of Skatha is the largest landmass on Morroth, and the Headquarters of House Satal Keto. This continent is very mountainous, as opposed to the other relatively flat continents. This rough terrain, as well as the continent’s size, makes it the optimal choice for the Quaestor’s Base. There is a very large clearing in the middle of a mountain ring where Alpha Base is located. The only possible way to access the clearing without climbing mountains of 1000-3000m in height is by virtue of a single valley corridor, which is conveniently occupied by the near-impenetrable Outpost Zeta. This is, without a doubt, the safest location on the entire planet.
Isles
Isles of Satal
These western islands are found smack in the middle of the Sea of Calamity, a very rough body of water, as it is constantly being disrupted by the massive cliffs of ice it crashes against that would otherwise be a sea. As a result, the tides on the islands make them almost uninhabitable, as at high tide, the islands are submerged under almost one hundred metres of freezing-cold water, and at low tide, all water vacates the islands, making them cold, dry, and so solid that it is hard to drill anything at all. If any type of foundation were placed, it would be an exceedingly difficult task, as any hole dug would be near-impossible to dig, and it would be eroded by the water 9-and-a-half hours later. Any foundation that was set would erode almost immediately, due to the constant freezing and half-thawing that would occur due to these tides, as well as the regular water erosion.
Isles of Aleema
The eastern set of islands were named after Satal Keto’s sister, and adequately so, considering Morroth’s primary occupants. These isles are rather warm for the planet’s climate. They are a hotspot for vacations as far as the indigenous people are concerned. Outpost Iota maintains law and order here.
Isles of Tyr
The Isles of Tyr are the second-coldest set of islands. The only thing keeping them in second is the fact that they are not encased in ice. The Jusadih Defence Force often uses these islands for extreme cold climate exercises, and for cold beach landing training. These exercises are based from Outpost Kappa.
Triton Isles
Also a hotspot for travelers weary of the city life, the Trition Isles sport a single resort town, Neriak. It is more popular among the indigenous Morrothans than the Isles of Aleema due to its greater proximity to the planet’s equator.
Frozen Isles of Nemesis
Very little is known about these islands, as they are permanently encased in ice, due to their location in the Frozen Ocean. Scans have shown evidence of possible ruins of an ancient civilization that may have possibly lived on these islands thousands of years ago. However, as the islands are permanently encased in ice, it is impossible to determine anything that cannot be gleaned from scans.
Oceans
Sea of Tears
Cold and placid, but not completely frozen, the Sea of Tears has long been a bane to seafarers of all varieties. It bore its current name long before HSK arrived on Morroth, and the sailor types of the indigenous people still fear it with a burning terror and avoid it like the plague. The region is highly susceptible to freak storms that can generate massive squalls. The indigenous sailor’s simple craft are easily broken and sunk under these climatic conditions.
Sea of Sorrow
This large body of water contains most of the current trade routes, as it is the safest of the four oceans, and also connects Skatha with Cernunnos. This makes the Sea of Sorrow the most traveled body of water on Morroth, and consequently, more sailors have gone down here than any body of water except the Sea of Tears.
Sea of Calamity
The Sea of Calamity is aptly named: it is the roughest body of water in the entire Jusadih system. The reason for this is that where the waters would normally merge with those of the Frozen Ocean, they clash with the sheer cliffs of ice, causing great tides. The level of water can change up to one hundred metres over the course of two or three hours.
The Frozen Ocean
Found in the south of the planet, the ocean is completely covered in ice all year around due to the planet's rotation with its ice stretching from the coast of Cerridwen to the coast of Annwfn. More disheartening, or interesting, is the fact that scans of the ocean show not only a set of Isles, named the Frozen Isles of Nemesis, but ruins of a civilization long forgotten. Possible connection to the Frozen city has been theorized but without access to the Frozen Isles this has not been confirmed.
Moons
Triyal
A small barren rocky satellite with a very thin carbon dioxide based atmosphere that cannot retain heat or insulate against the solar day. The daytime highs are around 1000F and night time lows -1000F. The only time anyone can even be on the surface is during the dusk or dawn when the temperatures moderate in the range of 400F to -400F and only then in a full space suit.
Treyu
A frozen ball of ice with a solid core. The outer ice layer is 500km thick; under it is a sea of liquid water. In this sea it is thought that some life forms exist, but as yet it has been unexplored.
Large Bases/Fortress
Alpha Base
The House Satal Keto Headquarters is quite the fortress. Having been a prison before the House’s arrival, it was built to be of intense security. Behind its imposing walls, all major House business is dealt with here. Nothing gets in or out without the Quaestor’s go-ahead. Security here is ultra-tight, but once inside, it is fairly relaxed. The parapets of the outer walls are crawling with guards; anyone trying to sneak in will soon find himself under such heavy fire that ten metres around him will be scorched. There is only one outer gate, making overland entry almost impossible without Summit approval.
Inside the outer wall is the outer cloister. Located here are the hangars and the vehicle storage, as well as the rapid-response stations. The hangars here are the only ones capable of holding fighters other than those at Delta Base, making this location very defensible in aerial support, as fighters can be scrambled in less than 6 seconds. The two rapid-response stations are the only way to get from the inner cloister to outside the outer wall when the base is in lockdown. They too are crawling with guards, and are a one-way operation. They hold weapons and armour in a moderately-sized building, with corridors allowing access from the Inner Cloister, as well as corridors to outside the base. These corridors have self-sealing doors, and it is only possible to travel from the Inner Cloister to the Outer Cloister, or from the Outer Cloister to outside the base. This makes for a secure, yet efficient, system of assault response.
Inside the inner wall is the Inner Cloister. This is a compound of buildings connected with covered corridors, and is the safest part of the entire planet. The outdoor grounds have security patrols, but inside the buildings is fairly relaxed. It is in the largest structure that the Quaestor has his office and personal living quarters. The Inner Cloister is also where the primary armoury is located, which contains many varieties of weapons, from basic melee weapons such as staves and swords, to the most advanced of blasters and a few lightsabres as well. Any structure that can be found elsewhere on Morroth can be found at Alpha Base as well.
Beta Base
The second largest compound on Morroth, Beta Base is where the HSK Aedile runs the less-important HSK affairs. It is identical in construction to Alpha Base, save that the structures are more sparsely equipped (the armoury carries only swords, staves and basic blasters), there is only one hangar for shuttles, and the vehicle stores are inside the single outer wall. This base is in charge of keeping law and order on Cernunnos, as the populations of the two cities between which Beta Base is located can be rather hostile.
Military presence in Beta Base is almost as high as that in Alpha Base. Should any revolts occur in either city, large forces from Beta Base can be dispatched quickly and easily to quell the insurrection.
Prisons
Gryffon Prison
Gryffon Prison is an old, dilapidated system prison from before HSK arrived. It was where political prisoners and serious criminal offenders were sent. With the arrival of HSK, however, most of the occupants were inducted into the Conscription and Recruiting Program, where they were made obedient to the HSK military commanders. Those who were not moved into this program were transferred to Alpha Base Prison. As such, the structure of Gryffon Prison has slowly eroded and begun to crumble from a combination of harsh weather and lack of use.
Alpha Base Prison
This maximum-security dungeon is located in the basement of Alpha Base, and is the only prison on the planet. It is relatively large, and can hold many inmates. The quality of life in the two cities on Cernunnos is surprisingly high, because all low-lives (anyone from panhandlers to petty thieves to the homeless) are sent here, where they endure months of bad rations and uncomfortable living arrangements, until they are called upon for Final Duty.
Final Duty is relatively easy, and marks the end of an inmate’s sentence in Alpha Base Prison. It consists simply of standing in one place, or perhaps jogging in a simple pattern. The trick is that HSK soldiers and warriors are firing on them as they do so. This makes the inmate an effective moving target, as they will use any evasive motion they can to prolong their life by a few more minutes. This causes the marksmen-in-training to learn how to effectively fire upon a moving target that is actually in evasive motion and running for their life. It also takes care of the nasty pest of the low-lives themselves.
Cities
Lemuria
The largest city on Morroth, Lemuria is located on the west coast of Cernunnos. This city is occupied by approximately 5000 citizens, who supply the majority of the mining crews for our iron, copper, uranium and silver mines. The city is located on the ice covered sea; borders have started to be placed near the boundaries of the city proper and the sea to alert citizens of the end of the landmass. Also this city is protected by a large garrison of troops who are well trained in extreme weather combat.
Ashern
This city almost rivals Lemuria in size. It contains close to 4000 citizens. There is nothing much to note about this city other than its citizens are used to discover new mining resources.
Towns
Neriak
This town, located on the sunny Triton Isles, is the planet’s primary vacation resort. It is top-of-the-line, as far as Ice Ball resorts go, and is quite popular with those on vacation. Average age at any given time is approximately eighty, and thus the town poses no threat to House Satal Keto.
Stormspire
An old town, the inhabitants of Stormspire remain faithful to the native religion, which remains only here and in a single self-contained temple community within Lemuria. The adherents of this religion believe that once they contact Dymestl, their god, an apocalyptic storm will rage across creation and destroy all those who are deemed unworthy by Dymestl. This is a very foolhardy faith, as a storm would be unable to extend beyond a single planet’s atmosphere. It is evident that it used to be very influential until space travel brought other beings to Morroth, as there is a massive spire in the centre of the town. This spire is at least ten thousand years old, and appears to have been a temple of some sort at one time. As such, this makes Stormspire of great interest to archaeologists.
Kartol
This town is mainly used as a training ground for the urban combat troops. It is only occupied by a small airbase for supplies and housing for the troops in training.
Satal's Landing
This town is relatively small, yet is located on an elevated plateau, making its name fit perfectly, especially with the fact that there is a small, single-shuttle landing pad in the centre of the town. This also serves as the town square.
Outposts
Outpost Zeta
This high-security outpost is literally crawling with soldiers, as well as a number of powerful Dark Jedi. This is necessary, as this compound guards the only overland route to Alpha Base and Gryffon Prison. Its twenty-foot-high walls have been built to take just about any incoming fire that an invading force throws at them. The front wall extends beyond the base itself, and spans the entire valley in which Outpost Zeta is located. Behind this wall is a large, heavily-armed force, which comprises a good number of powerful Dark Jedi, as well as a heavy strength of hardcore soldiers. This outpost makes Alpha Base almost impregnable.
Outpost Eta
This outpost is being set up for a "Freedom Run". This event is where specially chosen inmates of the Morroth Penal System are allowed to run through a specially designed course full of dangerous obstacles and soldiers to win their freedom. Either way, win or lose, they are free to go.
Outpost Theta
This outpost is found on the Isles of Satal, and is literally a floating fortress. It is anchored to massive, natural boulders by means of long durasteel chains. These hold the outpost in place when the tide is in. When the tide goes out, the outpost simply floats gently and comes to rest on the largest of the Isles of Satal. It has a single landing platform within its watertight walls, for transportation when the tide is in.
Outpost Iota
Outpost Iota has but a single purpose: to keep order on the vacation lands of the Isles of Aleema. It has a relatively weak military force, as a resort full of elderly pensioners is hardly a threat. Make no mistake, an assault on the Isles of Aleema would end in failure nonetheless, as Outpost Iota still has a fairly potent force, albeit a small one.
Outpost Kappa
This post is used for simulated beach landings for the troops of HSK. Also it is used in promotion rituals for certain Dark Jedi ranks. This outpost, like many of the others, is not manned year round and is left in hibernation mode until a need for its facilities arises. In times of war, it is reactivated and HSK troops drill here to prepare for any of the myriad tactical possibilities that could be presented them by the Plagueis High-Command.
Outpost Mu
Found on Skadi, this is the training ground for the House's Obelisk troops. Mu is home to the infamous obstacle course, The Rellion Queen, named for a revered trainer and taskmaster, Fog Rellion. The course consists of 26 obstacles stretched over 1 km. Bones, as well as one’s pride, are easily broken among the arduous course and it is said by those who’ve run her, Everyone Bows to the Queen.
Outpost Nu
Found on the Cerridwen, Nu is the main support base for Krath training centers on Morroth. Here the prospective sorcerers of HSK refine their dark magic among an expanse of open terrain particularly suited to the often violent nature of their spells. Holo-emitters in combination with complex algorithms are sometimes used to model the effects of a given power so that students may more closely examine its effects.
Points of Interest
Ruins of Avalon
Remains of a civilization yet to be explored, Avalon is found on the Isles of Satal. Constant tide changes and erosion make exploration extremely difficult. HSK Quaestor and Aedile are working extensively so that research teams can get in and possibly discover information about these ruins.
Temple of Kol’mai
The Temple of Kol’mai is an ancient temple, thought to be part of the old religion of Morroth. It contains some spectacular stone carvings inside its cramped tunnels, a large altar in the central chamber, and is thought to be dedicated to the god Dymestl. It resides on the coast of Cerridwen.
The Frozen City
Found on Cerridwen, this city was long ago a repository for knowledge on Morroth, until a disaster befell the city and locked it in perpetual ice. Attempts are being made to enter into the city and remove some of these frozen tomes for investigation.
Boneyard of Wyrms
A graveyard for large creatures called wyrms that roam the frozen wastes of Morroth can be found on Skadi. These animals seem to exist between the planes of life and death and are voracious predators known to attack anything except their own kind. Dark Side energy can be felt emanating from these beasts.
Mekduaa Valley
Found within the continent of Skatha this valley holds several mekduaa. It is unknown how these creatures arrived on the planet, but it is well known that even during the harshest of winters these beasts are alive and well, just looking for the unfortunate creature to become lost in a blizzard and fall into its gullet. Xenobiologists speculate the creature which resembles the fabled sarlacc, may in fact be a cousin of the species. The name mekduaa translates in seven known languages as “winter’s mouth”.
Ice Temple
Found on the Isles of Tyr, the temple devoted to the ancient gods worshipped on Morroth centuries ago, this temple is avoided by the troops training on the island due to rumors of beings residing in the temple still sacrificing those who stray too close to their ancient gods.
Abandoned "Galthain" Outpost
Near the newly found grand temple of Plagueis, on Annwfn, this outpost has since been abandoned. Arrangements are being made now to reopen this outpost, but it will be a dedicated research outpost for journeys into the temple.
Falls of Kirleta
The Falls of Kirleta are the only known set of waterfalls on the entire planet of Morroth, and are therefore a major tourist attraction. They are also popular due to the large amounts of amethyst frozen into the cliff. This amethyst makes the falls themselves purple in colour, and are completely safe from theft, as they are permanently encased in ten metres of solid, perfectly transparent ice.
Trivia
- Obelisk Prelate Daniel Stephens is the Duke of Morroth
- Obelisk Prelate Silent is the Baron of Skatha