Haragraf

View from Orbit

Haragraf is a yellowish brown orb with swirling clouds of dust moving across it's surface. Centuries of mining has thrown dust and gas into the atmosphere, permanently altering the planet. In near orbit can be found transfer stations for large freighters carrying ore from the planet, or from any of the other mineral rich planets in the system. Stretching above the planet is a scintillating series of rings made of ice and rock. Further out are two moons. On the closer of the two moons can be found a large settlement who's populace harvests ice from the rings and sends it planetward. The other moon is a small uninhabited rock.

Surface

The surface of Haragraf varies slightly depending on your location. Near the starports and the mining operations the atmosphere is filled with dust and gas from hundreds of mining operations. These large, automated, mining platforms dig into the planet, pulling out precious metals but also throwing up unused rock and dust as well as natural gas from pockets found with the ore.
In the area around the Shantoa Desolation the atmosphere clears somewhat but the temperature rises. Natural gas tends to settle in the Desolation and igniters can be found scattered around the only town.
Dust storms are common on Haragraf. These are made of high velocity wind that pushes dust at higher altitudes and larger, more heavy particles near the surface. The speeds are high but survivable if you can find cover against the wind. Low altitude structures have been known to be stripped of paint and coverings. In the open desert it is common to carry low, dome-like, tents that avoid direct impact from the wind.
There is an active fauna on the planet. In the mountainous regions this is composed of winged creatures that hunt smaller, rat-like, animals that scurry amongst the cracks and crevases. In the open desert are larger, carnivorous, creatures that lie hidden in the loose dirt and sand, waiting for creatures to come near.

Population

Most of the population of Haragraf lives in underground cities near the starports or in enclosed, interconnected, structures in towns near the mining operations. The larger cities provide services for the starport and visitors from off-planet or the other towns. Both the cities and the towns are usually warrens of passages without any descernable pattern.
The planet is managed by a planetary governor appointed by the Imperial bureaucracy. They reside in the capital and have extensive accommodations for living and planetary management. Within the capital can be found the military contingent of stormtroopers supported by starfighters, ground vehicles, and walkers. These are rarely used and act primarily as a deterent to the populous or off-planet raiders.
The population that lives in the Shantoa Desolation consists of outcasts, loners, and bandits. It produces no resources and has no connection to the capital. It survives off of wells reaching down to the water table and moss-rich, bubble-like, caves honeycombing the ground below the town. Imperial foces occassionally overfly the town and bomb it for no obvious reason. The town does not resist this aggression as it is likely to summon a more forceful response and anonymity is how the town survives.
While the atmosphere of Haragraf is not poisonous, it is not safe. Dust particles from mining operations are prevalent and filter masks are recommended for anyone operating outside an enclosure. Many of the residents do not where masks and Dust Lung is a common disease amongst longtime residents.

Industry

The primary industry of Haragraf is ore mining. Gems and crystals are also gathered but in lesser quantities. Despite the abundant natural gas concentrations it is not gathered as part of the mining process.
The orbit of Haragraf acts as a concentrated distribution center for ore collection throughout the mineral rich system.

Culture

The culture of Haragraf is based on susistence. The climate does not allow for outside activities other than risks associated with mining. As a result the populace lives around the mining process. Distractions and luxuries are based on survices that exist within the cities and towns, always dedicated to drinking, fighting, and other, darker, pursuits.
Law enforcement is the task of the stormtroopers and can be indescriminant and brutal, though they have learned not to go far from the more civilized sections of cities and never in groups smaller than four.

History

Despite its proximity to the Lipsec Run the system of Haragraf was not surveyed until 1,300 BBY, after surveyors worked their way north from Dalicron. The system was noted for its many mineral rich planets and moons. It's distance from the Hydian Way made it difficult, or time consuming to reach. The planet, at the time of survey, had a large fresh water ocean and an active biosphere within thousands of kilometers.
Once news of the mineral rich system reached more active sectors the entire system began to attract mining conglomerations. In the early years the mining was concentrated in the other planets and their moons, many of which could not sustain an atmosphere, or one that was habitable. Mining operations on those world were, and still are, automated.
In an effort to make the planet of Haragraf more livable an entrepreneur, named Kebner Shantoa, attempted to push ice from the rings into orbit and onto the planet. Preliminary work was promising but created a great deal of disruption to the planetary atmosphere. This was mitigated by large atmospheric processors that were brought in. During one terraforming operation a large ice asteroid was dropped into the ocean. It impacted the floor of the shallow sea and fractured a gigantic natural gas reservoir. The resulting explosion threw vapor into the atmosphere, enshrouding the planet for the next hundred years and creating severe lightning and occassional fire storms.
When the atmosphere finally clears the ocean was gone, blown into the sky or drained into empty gas pockets below the surface. The resultant area was named the Shantoa Desolation after the entrepreneur that was attempting to make the world a more pleasant place. Following the disappearance of the lake the mining conglomerates, no longer concerns with preserving the planet, started operations on the surface.

Notable Features

The Shantoa Desolation

The Desolation is the result of a failed terraforming operation, by Kebner Shantoa, centuries ago. The depression, now called the Desolation, was once a fresh water ocean surrounded by arable land. During a terraforming event a large ice asteroid was dropped into the ocean and pierced the ocean floor. Below that floor were a large number of gigantic natural gas deposits.
The compressed gas exploded upwards, the energy of the impact igniting the gas. Much of the ocean was vaporized or thrown into the sky, resulting in hundreds of years of storms encasing the planet. When the atmosphere settled the ocean was gone. What had remained of the fluid content drained into empty gas pockets below the surface.
The Shantoa Desolation is now a lifeless expanse stretching thousands of kilometers across the planet. Natural gas pockets can be found in some areas of the Desolation, either remnants of existing sub-surface pockets or from mining operations around the planet.
In the center of the Desolation is the town Misery. It is an independent town overseen by a mayor elected by the community. It is home to outcasts, loners, and bandits that have found a place they can live. The town survives on wells that go down to the remaining water table and moss-rich farms in sub-surface caves honeycombing the ground below the town.

Grid Location: O-3

Climate: Dry & Hot

Gravity: 0.8

Common Hazards: Heat, Native Animals

Atmosphere: Tainted, filter mask recommended

Temperature: Hot

Moons: Ring and 2 moons

Diameter: 8000 km

Length of Day: 12 hr

Length of Year: 255 d

Starport: Routine

Population: 900,000

Government: Imperial

Law Level: 4 - No laser or beam weapons

Major Exports: Ore, Gems, Crystals

Major Imports: Agricultural

System: Haragraf System