Gio

Gio, the colonized moon of Avaleen, is a harsh and unforgiving place, its surface torn apart by endless mining and its people ground down by the relentless demands of a world that doesn’t care if they live or die. To Avaleen, Gio is little more than a rock in the sky, stripped of its resources and left to rot. It was colonized by the Onyx Council of Khorun about 300 years ago, but has since only served one purpose. Export.

Geography and Environment

Gio is barren and broken. Its surface carved with jagged wounds by centuries of strip mining and deep-drilling operations that cares little for the moon's geological health. The ground is dry and cracked, covered in fine red dust that clings to everything and fills the air with a choking haze. Because of this most colonists move around with a thick leather mask that covers their nose and mouth.
The atmosphere is barely breathable thanks to ancient terraforming rituals constantly in need of refinement, lest the air grows thin, the temperature plummets and survival becomes even more of a fight.
The enormous scars of Gio, the mining pits, plunge deep into the moon's core and here miners work long hours in brutal conditions, extracting the rare minerals that keep Avaleen flourishing. Beneath the surface, the claustrophobic tunnels stretch on for miles, dimly lit and poorly maintained. Collapses and accidents are common, and when the alarms blare, no one knows if it is yet another drill or the start of a death sentence.

Society and Culture

Gio was never meant to have a society, nor a culture, but such things happen when a group of people are secluded together for a long time with little else to do. Children were never meant to be born on Gio, yet they are. Which makes the conditions they have to live in even more intolerable, giving rise to more disgruntled voices and strikes. Gio's people are tough because they have to be. Life is not about living, it's about surviving another day.
Their settlements are ramshackle and grim, thrown together from scrap and debris, with every surface worn from use and weather. But it is sturdy, and while not pretty, it keeps its inhabitants alive and somewhat warm. The air smells of oil, sweat and desperation, and laughter is rare outside of the schools, and the bars where workers drown their misery and memories in cheap booze and loud music.
Despite the harshness, there is a fierec sense of community here. Gio's people stick together because they know no one else is coming to help. Gods know they have tried many times. They patch up their failing equipment with ingenuity and grit. They create their food and water with little arcane means and gardens they can muster. They bury their dead with solemn understanding that life is finite and the end can be within an hour for anyone. Festivals, when they happen, are raw and wild. A moment of defiance against the crushing weight of their reality.
There are factions that oppose each other on Gio. Traders, guilds, organizations and much more. But one thing that unifies them is their resentment towards Avaleen which runs deep. At first it was just against the Onyx Council, the home of the first settlers, but it has quickly come to encompass the entire world. Supplies trickle in, often too little and too late, and when they do the best tend to go toward the overseers and the Onyx administrators. The people of Gio live on scraps, struggling with outdated tools and crumbling infrastructure that no one on the planet below seem to be bothered to fix.

Political Tensions

Anger boils just beneath the surface. Avaleenian officials come with polished boots, fresh clothes, bright eyes, false smiles, and empty promises. But everyone knows their only job is to squeeze Gio harder until there is nothing left to take. Corruption is rife. Mineral shipments go missing. Bribes grease the hands of inspectors. Rebellious leaders go missing all the time.
By 138 CE there is a new strike almost every week because of the bad conditions. There is a new generation on Gio, born and bred, who are done with Avaleen's indifference. Hardened by a lifetime of exploitation, they speak of sabotaging the mines, cutting off the precious export that Avaleen requires. The old guard warns them of the consequences, but desperation is palpable. For many, there is nothing left to lose. And they begin to find friends and allies on the surface too. But is it too late or too little?
Gio is a place on the edge, teetering between survival and collapse. They know no help is coming unless they demand it. And if Avaleen won't listen? Well, Gio's people are ready to make some noise. In the end, this moon is not just a moon but a pressure cooker ready to explode. When it does, the shockwave will finally reach Avaleen, no matter how much its rulers pretend they're safe.

Type

Planetoid / Moon

Included Organizations

• The Veinstone Guild

Owning Organization

The Veinstone Guild

Characters in Location

• Zeke Eleazar