Chard

Chard is an occupied world in the Chardaan system. It is the only occupied planet, and is largely inhospitable. An extremely geologically active world, much of the surface is covered with lava oceans, with magma rising from the planet's core through large cracks, rifts, and volcanoes, and several newly forming continents emerging. The world is very young, comparable to Earth's Hadean-era. As part of the Confederate Systems of Lordania, it has its own colonial government, the Chard Colonial Republic. Despite its colonial status, it is a vital material producer for the Confederation, which makes up the bulk of the planet's exports. Very little human development has occurred on the planet, due to the planet's inhospitable nature and the frequency of natural disasters. The only long-term structures on the planet are the Chard Administration Complex, and the Nar Draedon Prison, an extremely controversial max-security prison established by the People's Republic of Lordania. Many non-permanent or mobile structures are present on the planet, largely used for resource harvesting, with most of the hard labour automated. It is hard to estimate the true population of the planet. While Confederate censures place the population around 30,000, it is widely speculated that many number of independent outposts exist across the planet, making the true number impossible to tell.

Geography

Chard is a hellish young world. While Chard is expected to become a more habitable world in several million years, scientific estimates predict it will more likely become a Venus-like planet. Much of the planet is covered in magma seas and volcanoes. Mountainous regions of rock create islands, on which several human settlements have been constructed. The largest of these volcanic continents is nameless, but is located in the northern polar region where temperatures are coolest. It is here that the Chard Administration Complex is settled, with the Nar Draedon Prison located on an island to the south.

Natural Resources

The planet is rich in minerals and materials from the young surface. There is an abundance of precious metals across the planet, much of which is autonomously harvested by remote control.

History

Chard was created around five million years ago, and as such the planet is extremely active and hellish, comparable to Earth's Hadean Era. The planet is undergoing cooling, and is expected to enter its Archean period in the next few million years. The planet was first colonised by humans in 2268, having previously been home to automated mining industries. It was chosen to be the home of the Nar Draedon Prison, with the Chard Administration Complex located nearby.