Nova Canterbury

Sometimes considered a garden world, Nova Canterbury exists on the periphery of the Saturn Sector in the Canterbury Reach (named after the world), and is only half-terraformed.
Despite this, it is still a vibrant world: the founders were fleeing the Immortal Empire's decline and materials ran out, so they adapted themselves to their world instead of adapting the world to their needs.
While still resembling baseline humans, the @Neocanters have modified respiratory systems and mucosal membranes to prevent the atmosphere from corroding their lungs. Off-worlders adjusted to the altitude can survive for a short time without a mask before suffering the effects of the atmosphere while above the mists, but outside the peaks where the Neocanters have settled the conditions quickly prove fatal.
Of particular note is the fact that the Neocanters, due to their religious beliefs, do not accept the use of magic. Penalties for magic use are lenient, but repeat offenders are usually asked to leave. Since the world and its colonies officially joining the Empire as a protectorate, magic is tolerated in private spaces and Imperial enclaves, but due to the odd phenomena of the planet and the popularity of antimagic devices among the populace few magicians are able to muster any significant effect.
Nova Canterbury's primary exports are its exotic materials, which are used in FTL drives and psionic equipment, and its elite mercenaries, who leverage an exception to the rules governing human augmentation to push themselves beyond what is possible for citizens of most other jurisdictions. Agricultural exports take a close second, though off-worlders point out that Nova Canterbury has a non-Terran ecosystem, which causes the food to "taste funny" to most palates. Naturally, it is considered a delicacy among the Empire's elites who favor the exotic and interesting, and shunned by most of the common-folk.

Geography

Nova Canterbury is mountainous and rocky, with thick clouds (the locals always refer to these as "mists", since they occur beneath human settlements) that occur at about 14,000 feet of altitude above "sea level". The planet has relatively little liquid water available on the surface, and moderate temperatures. There are twenty-two peaks that reach above this height, which boast most major human settlements on the world.
Most human settlement is in the peaks, where the corrosive atmosphere is less dense and will not bother equipment. Despite this the valleys are littered with outposts, most of which are automated. The world is synonymous with rich natural resources in its immediate stellar neighborhood. The natural beauty of the land is unaffected by mining, which takes place deep underground with limited surface entrances and exits.
The gravity of the world is slightly above Terran levels. It is prone to violent winds, a consequence of extreme tidal pressures exerted by the world's moons, and the atmospheric density at high altitudes is low enough that the winds, though violent, rarely cause any significant damage or inconvenience.

Fauna & Flora

Nova Canterbury is home to a variety of flora. Above the mists, the primary fauna is a grass analogue, but beneath it deep primordial forests grow. While the plants resemble Terran varieties on the surface, they're adapted to the air of Nova Canterbury and a largely sunless existence.
The plant life, unlike the fauna, comes from two separate colonization efforts.
Before the Neocanters showed up, Nova Canterbury was XW-85b-23, an Imperial prospect. The environment proved too hostile for the Empire, and initial surveys failed to detect the deposits of minerals in the planet's crust.
A token effort to reduce the extreme environments' impacts by planting engineered flora was undertaken, but never reached fruition. The Empire left for greener pastures, but not before leaving behind the purple-leafed first generation plants.
The Neocanters had a more traditional viewpoint in mind, and when they settled the world they attempted to make it look more like Terra. Bio-engineered plants with little genetic resemblance to their ancestors were scattered. Evergreens fared better than broad-leafed trees, so many of the valleys are covered in what would look to the casual observer to be rolling hills of pine trees and dense shrubbery.
In addition, cultivated regions on the world offer beautiful panoplies of flowers and blossoming plants. Generally these exist above the mists, but a few private estates beneath the mists have spectacular views that the rich and famous from across the Empire have begun to visit.
In addition to the flora, transgenic fauna were introduced. Some of these are intended to recreate a Terran environment, while others were originally defense mechanisms. The famous drakes and dragons of Nova Canterbury were intended to sabotage any effort by the Empire to create secret bases beneath the clouds. Although generally considered a folly by more practically-minded citizens, most Neocanters consider the "monsters" of their predecessors a part of Nova Canterbury's cultural heritage, and mercenary organizations like St. George's Third often theme themselves around the symbols of dragons and knights who oppose them.

Nova Canterbury is featured in the core Legacy of Eight content as one of the Successor Empire protectorates.
It is also featured in Dragon in the Mists (WIP title?), the Legacy of Eight quick-start adventure, which depicts its transition from an independent nation to a protectorate of the Successor Empire.

Type

Planet

Location under

Canterbury Reach

Owner/Ruler

Neocanters