Kua (Planet)

Kua is the largest planet in the system, and an important seat of power because of the mysterious Monolith, home to the Zenithian Hegemony. Kua is a planet full of contrasts, with the decadent members of the Hegemony living in affluence in the Monolith while the lives of the Firstcome plantation workers are hard and short, full of bitter toil in the relentless monsoon rain. The palaces of the Monolith, the gleaming spires of the factory complexes, and the moldy river barges are all locations full of intrigue and conflict, but also possibilities, which only strengthen Kua’s role as one of the leading planets in the Horizon.
Before the arrival of the Zenithian arkship, Kua was a backwater planet. None of the groups that later would become factions had their bases here. The native Sogoi and other Firstcome peoples were the only inhabitants of the green jungle world. A few expeditions from Dabaran and Algol had attempted to examine the gigantic stone pillar that stretched all the way up through the clouds and had founded some smaller settlements, but overall, the dangers of the dark jungles were too great for the planet to be of any interest for large-scale investments.

THE FIRSTCOME

The Firstcome on Kua are almost exclusively different nomadic peoples that live in the jungles around the equator. The most well-known group is the Sogoi, a proud tribe of warriors and trackers. The Sogoi are the group that the Zenithians and their allies exploit the hardest on the plantations, and they are the majority group in the Conglomerate slums. 

THE ZENITHIANS

The arrival of the Zenith changed the fate of Kua forever. The “empty” planet was deemed a possible home for the sleeping colonists. What happened next is history. A quick and well-planned mutiny, led by what would later become the Draconites, divided the crew. The different groups that formed in the chaos were all given reasonable materials and technology to found colonies of their own, but the Quassars, the captain’s family, made sure the best ships and resources stayed with them. The Quassars led the group known today as the Zenithian Hegemony down to the planet below the Zenith, to a place on the equator where a curious black monolith rose from the jungle. Through silver-tongued negotiation and superior firepower, they quickly subdued the Algolan trade colony Sheva that was constructed around the base of the column. The Algolan colonists were hired as agents for the Zenithians. The city that began to grow around the black obelisk attracted fortune seekers and colonists from all across the Horizon, and eventually evolved into a giant amalgamation of new and old buildings, quickly losing its original name and becoming known only as “the Conglomerate”.

THE JUNGLE

“The jungle is Kua, and Kua is the jungle” is a Sogoi saying that sums up the general view of Kua in the Horizon: heat, damp, rain, and gigantic trees are what make up the jungles that cover most of the planet. The jungles are inhabited by

wild beasts, crazed Firstcome tribes and, if the holodramas are to be believed, mighty Portal Builder relics. The immensely popular Bulletin series, The Plantation Owner’s Daughter, is set on Kua, and this is usually where most people’s knowledge of the planet ends. Life deep in the jungles is a completely different world from the city life in the Conglomerate or elsewhere. Every day is a struggle against the wild forces of nature in the form of heavy rains, monsoon storms, and flash floods, as well as more slowly eroding effects such as damp, rust, mold, and the diseases that thrive in the humid climate. But the jungles can also be benevolent, with their rich supply of fruits, lumber, and other raw materials.

EKILIBRI

Ekilibri are small, lemur-like semi-intelligences that can be trained to work on plantations. They are indigenous to the planet and roamed wild in the jungles before the Sogoi began training them. Some zoologists say that the ekilibri are much smarter than they let on, but the slummers who have seen the little creatures rummage through the Conglomerate’s garbage piles know that scientists can’t be trusted. A rare variant is the silver furred ekilibri who are popular pets  because of their beauty and docility. Silver furred ekilibri are considered a status  symbol both on Coriolis and in the Monolith.

FACTS ABOUT KUA

• DIAMETER: 12,578 km
• EQUATORIAL CIRCUMFERENCE: 39,495 km
• SURFACE AREA: 510 million square kilometers
• GRAVITY: 1 standard gravity
• DAY LENGTH: 26 hours
• SIDEREAL YEAR: 336 days
• AXIAL TILT: 3 degrees

Type

Planet

Location under

Kua System

Included Locations

• Terenganu Valley
• The Monolith

THE SOGOI

The Sogoi are a proud people who view themselves as the true heirs to Kua. Their stories describe how they turned their back on the stars to lead a simple life in the jungles, and they regard their way of life as the opposite of the hubris of the arrogant Zenithians.

REBELS AND MERCENARIES

Nature is not the only danger in the jungles. Many of society’s outcasts have banded together and live as raiders or rebels here. They can be freedom fighters from the slummers’ movement in the Conglomerate or Syndicate mercenaries guarding opor factories. Either way, running into them will most likely end in death or imprisonment. The exceptions are some of the rebel groups that fight for the rights of the plebeians who live around the Monolith. The 3rd Popular Brigade under general Zasra Namoul targets only the corporations, mainly their enemies in the Nestera defense forces led by Colonel Jamina Abram.