Ceryx System
The only thing that system has, that others don't... it's history. It's a mundane place, but it shaped the entire world, if not even more.
The Ceryx System is the gravitationally bound system of Ceryx and the objects that orbit it. Of the bodies that orbit Ceryx directly, the largest are the three gas and ice giants and the two terrestrial planets, followed by a large number of dwarf planets and innumerable small astronomical bodies. Of the bodies that orbit Ceryx indirectly—the natural satellites—three are almost as large as the smallest terrestrial planet.
The Ceryx system formed about 6.2 billion years ago, an average compared to other systems in the Elysian Star Cluster. The Ceryx system was initially settled in 169 with the first interstellar colony of Asteria, one of the three class V planet discovered throughout Elysium. It was then abandoned in the aftermath of the Interstellar War, and re-settled again in the 270s. The system now holds the third largest population in the cluster, and is under the sovereignty of the Vestan Federation. The city-state of Unity is also located in this system.
History
The Ceryx system was first discovered and catalogued in 48 by Navaran astronomers as a potentially habitable system. This proved to be correct in 146, when the first interstellar exploration vessels surveyed the star and its orbiting planets. Ceryx officially became a Vestan territory in 169 with the colonization of its class V planet, which became known as Asteria. The system's infrastructure slowly grew to supplement the influx of freighters from Auriga, with multiple mining stations established in the asteroid belt and in the two gas giant's vicinity.
During the Interstellar War, most of the system's infrastructure was progressively abandoned until only Asteria remained. The planet itself was also eventually abandoned and sustained a catastrophic environmental breakdown after the nuclear holocaust triggered by the Light Bringer. The radioactive particles and fine dust propelled into the atmosphere started a decade-long nuclear winter. This was eventually reverted in the 270s with the Asterian Restoration Initiative, making the planet habitable again. Since then, the planet has been re-settled by the Federation and is its only territory beyond Auriga.
6.171 billion years
Total population
101 448 191 (382 est.)
Nations
Vestan Federation
Unity Concord
Non-Aligned Nomad Fleets
Criminal Underworld
Known Planets
Asteria
Pyrrhus
Aegisthus
Actaeon
Charybdis
Major astronomical bodies
Pyrrhus
Asteria is an arid class V world and the closest planet from Ceryx. While far from the lush grasslands of Vesta, its surface has moderate amounts of liquid water and a breathable atmosphere. This changed in the aftermath of the Interstellar War, as the nuclear holocaust contaminated its atmosphere and froze much of the surface water. Restoration efforts performed in the 270s have since brought the planet back to its prime.
Pyrrhus is a dry and barren class III world and the second planet from Ceryx. Its low gravity and desolate surface is covered with an extremely fine dust that interferes with most mechanical components. While it is believe to have abundant raw minerals, only a handful of outposts have been established, which have since been abandonned after the Interstellar War.
Unity
Aegisthus
Unity is a space city and the first and only man-made megastructure. Its orbit is a fair distance away from the system's asteroid belt, safely serving as its main supply station and drydock. Most of the system's freighters pass through the city's docks to exchange goods before continuing towards Asteria or leaving the system. Due to a recent rise in criminal activities, Unity is also the first line of defense against pirate incursions.
Aegisthus is the third planet from Ceryx and the largest astronomical body within the Federation's territory, with nearly 430 times the mass and 17 times the size of Vesta. Initially planned to be another significant fuel source, the gas giant's meager infrastructure has been long abandoned since the Interstellar War. Pirates and outlaws have recently been roaming these abandonned stations and outposts.
Actaeon
Charybdis
Actaeon is the fourth planet from Ceryx and the second largest gas giant in the system. Like its bigger counterpart, it currently lies untouched by any government or corporation, with the few mining outposts built on its moons lying abandoned since the war. It is speculated that pirates and outlaws have established themselves in the region, but these reports have yet to be confirmed.
Charybdis is the fifth planet from Ceryx and the farthest planet in the system. It is an ice giant that, due to its distance and lack of any valuable resources, has been untouched by humanity ever since its discovery. Even the recent pirate incursions have show no sign of activity near the ice giant, leaving many to speculate that, unlike Aegisthus and Actaeon, it and its satellites have nothing of value.
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