THE MALICRUX SECTOR
The Malicrux Sector is a small region of space limited to the confines of the Malicrux Nebula. Located on the fringe of Hutt Space in the Mid Rim Region, the Nebula has been slow to relinquish its wealth and many planetary systems lie hidden and unreachable deep within the interstellar clouds of the everchanging maelstrom.
The Nebula is the remnant of a colossal supernova that occurred tens of thousands of years ago, and has inexorably spread to its current girth and even today continues to expand. Scholars believe the Djakarshi void anomaly is all that remains of the original star, and the cataclysm utterly destroyed the fledgling Malicrux Empire that spanned a number of star systems that now lie in the heart of the Nebula. Little remains of the ancient Malicrux, consumed by the Djakarshi void or seared from the surrounding worlds in the fires of the interstellar explosion. These fires still smolder today, in great swathes of starburn that make navigating the Malicrux Nebula a very difficult and dangerous feat. The more turbulent regions of the Nebula still utilize ancient jump beacons — vast satellites that constantly scan the surrounding area for changes in the Nebula's starburn drifts then broadcast adjusted hyperspace co-ordinates for all to use.
Despite its comparatively small size and the challenges of traveling in the Nebula, the Malicrux Sector is blessed with a surprisingly high density of inhabited worlds. Over the millennia the Nebula has shielded its star systems from the much of rapacious hunger of the galactic corporations or the depredations of the neighboring Hutt clans; the Starburn Trade Run links only the most accessible star systems in the outer reaches of the Nebula, and few hyperspace routes have been plotted into the Nebula's deeper regions. It is widely believed that various select individuals and organisations know secret routes that cut right through the heart of the Malicrux; only fools and the insane would attempt to jump into the Nebula without meticulously calculated jump co-ordinates. Many are the stories of ships simply vanishing into the veils of the Nebula, and a number of pirate raiders plague the sector.
The Sector was controlled by a Council of Noble Houses, each with vested interests in one or more star systems. The Council would meet regularly at the Sector Capital of Sapphirica. Corporations and other mercantile organisations were required to negotiate with the Houses to enter the Sector's markets. During the days of the Old Republic a Senator was elected from the Council to represent the Sector's interest in the Galactic Senate; under the reign of the Emperor the Senator now liaises with the Imperial Governor Moff Kyreiken, based in the new Imperial City on Ravenholt. The relationship between the Sapphirican Council and the Imperial Governor is complicated, being at times obsequious, fractious, and occasionally deadly; ultimately the Council is slowly losing control to the rising power of the Empire.
FACES OF THE MALICRUX
THE EMPIRE:
• Imperial Sector Moff: Moff Skyris Kyreiken, High Admiral and Surface Marshal of the Malicrux Sector
Imperial Planetary Governors:
• Barhok: Governor Holani Rodell
• Calligrattica: Governor Dean Lyrian Bokru
• Draca: Lord Governor Hastin Draca
• Gweyr Krom: Governor Atterick Krayne
• Gyre: Governor Elis Nephada
• Palauga: Governor Sequ Palauga
• Port Kullus: Governor Skav ne Vykarius
• Ravenholt: Governor Bastanian Kyreiken
• Sapphirica: Lord Ganderlu Cail
• Siccidde: Governor Tantor Siccidde
• Vorzheva: Governor Niala Kyreiken
THE NOBLE HOUSES:
The Great Houses:
• House Chyco: Duke-Elect Braega Chyco
• House Draca: Grand Duchess Lolloria Draca
• House Gweyr: Duke Kurstaus Gweyr
• House Kanto: Grand Duke Orlando Kanto
• House Kyreiken: Archduke Baniel Kyreiken. Duchal Palace on Ravenholt
• House Mephiyeh: Duke Dael Mephiyeh
• House Nephada: Duchess Muala Nephada. Duchal Palace on Gyre
• House Vaspasa: Grand Duke Meirko Vaspasa
The Lesser Houses:
• House Arannasis: Duke Barin Arannasis. Duchal Palace on Tangelwood
• House Jasterkastria: Duke Carmus Jasterkastria
• House Kalishe: Princess Shanista Kalishe
• House Kelm: Prince Sacha Kelm
• House Molovar: Prince Molovar
• House Palauga: Duke Dralan Palauga
• House Rabenhout: Princess Katria Rabenhout. In Absentia.
• House Siccidde: Duke Aris Siccidde
• House Veyca: Prince Suucan su Veyca
CORPORATIONS:
While numerous corporations operated throughout the sector, under the rule of the Emperor a number of industries have been nationalised and many local companies are now under direct control of the Empire. Certain loyalist corporate entities have managed to survive the nationalisation, but many fear it is only a matter of time before their company's assets are seized to fuel the Imperial war machine.
Some of the most widely known Corporations include Arannasis Engineering “nothing’s as fast as an Arannasis,” DracaTech Conglomerated “Our aim is true”, GyreTech Energy “step into the light”, MediCrux “you’re in safe hands”, Krombank “the smart money is on us”, Phoenix Federated Waste Disposal “your trash, our treasure”, Sicciddian Arms “nothing succeeds like a Siccidde”, VaspCo “if it’s built by Vasp, it’s built to last”, Veycan Energy Ltd “Wherever you go, go Veycan”.
CRIMELORDS:
• Baal Kabuul: A mysterious figure rumoured to be based in the jungles of Kalishe, Kabuul specialises in the flesh trade, whether it be slaves, dangerous creatures, poisons or biotec. Whoever the Baal is, they are very cautious, fastidious and meticulous. Fools who have crossed the Baal never live long, and are usually found poisoned with some unknown neurotoxin, if they are found at all...
• The Ecliptica Syndicate: An amalgamation of smugglers, they have a long-standing arrangement with the Yellow Prince, distributing his wares throughout the Sector. They are known to have an official front on Port Kullus and Vorzheva Prime, though they are likely to have members in every port on every Malicrux planet. Highly organised and supportive, they will band together against any threat to one of their members, and are able to amass a fleet of considerable firepower should the need arise. They ask a steep cut of the profits in return for such solidarity, and can be brutal in enforcing co-operation both within the ranks and without.
• Guuzha the Hutt: The major power on the eclipsed world of Vorzheva Prime, the Hutt conned control of the planet out from House Palauga a century ago, leading to the House's demotion to Lesser House status. His presence has increased criminal activity throughout the Sector, and he considers himself a Spice connoisseur, with illegal harvests scattered across the backwaters of numerous worlds. He takes personal pleasure in undermining the power base of the Yellow Prince, and can when necessary call on the considerable might of the Hutt Clans to support his concerns.
• Nagwara the Blood: What began as a desperate attempt to get offworld from the brutal slave cities of Barhok turned into a lucrative people-smuggling business for the red-skinned Twi'lek. He is a complicated individual and cagey to deal with; while at times he appears as the compassionate rescuer, he also bleeds his cargo dry, and is known to harass them for years after. He has carved a niche for himself in the sector, having branched out into forging identities and papers; exactly how he is able to move his cargo about without being caught is a closely guarded trade secret.
• Teafortwo and Onefornone: With an entire planet's worth of tech waste at their disposal, these Sulgora-based droid team can provide their clientele with anything, within a reasonable timeframe and for the right price. They are said to be worth millions of credits each, but what exactly they're saving for is anyone's guess. They are also said to be able to make or repair anything, and they enjoy testing their creations on those who think they can cheat the two heartless constructs...
• The Yellow Prince: The self-appointed Yellow Prince oversees the smuggling of cargo through the key Sector gateway of Port Kullus. Almost anything heading into our out of the Sector passes under his baleful glare, and he is sure to take his tithe. He is on respectable terms with most of the other crimelords, though he considers Guuzha the Hutt to be his nemesis.
PIRATES:
• The Black Tentacle: More of a spacer's myth than real threat, the Black Tentacle is said to operate along the length of the Firedeep Rift between Kanto and Klulkhun. It is said that ships will drop out of hyperspace without warning, dumping the vessel in the middle of nowhere, only to be seized by a great black tentacle that crushes the ship in its grasp...
• The Huuk Reavers: By far the worst marauders in the Malicrux Sector, these vicious pirates plague the Starburn Run between Jasterkast and Molovar; they jam comms and sensors with an unnerving transmission of maniacal laughter. Their fleet is large, their strategies sound, and they have outwitted numerous attempts to crush them by both local forces and the Imperial Navy.
• The Kull: Slavers, they are most commonly found on the Starburn Run between Vorzheva and Gweyr Krom, though they have been known to attack anywhere in the sector. Their erratic raids have thus far eluded local patrols, and though it is widely suspected that they have a relationship with the crime lord Baal Kabuul, authorities have yet to move against them.
• Lord Morser: The gentleman robber, he works the Sinammon Spur between Sapphirica and Sinammon. Known for his distaste of unnecessary bloodshed, he is still ruthless when required and his small but expert band of brigands can strip a ship of all its valuables in minutes.
• The Pevateje Slayers: More of a terrorist organisation than profiteers, the Slayers practice their deadly trade along the Starburn Run between Ravenholt and Gweyr Krom. Entirely non-human, they are notorious for slaughtering all human captives and sparing the rest.
• Shasta's Revenge: A thorn in the side of Guuzha the Hutt, Shasta's Revenge carries out its vendetta against Hutt shipping heading into and out of Vorzheva. On the rare occasion that a non-Hutt affiliated ship has been boarded, the Revenge will release the ship without harm. They operate a small flotilla of vessels.
• Other Unidentified Groups: There are numerous lesser groups that operate throughout the Malicrux Nebula; while most a desperate brigands, some are fronts for Rebel activity or other unknown organisations. Some are seen once but never heard of again, while others are simply small freighters who've simply fallen on hard times.
THE REBELLION:
The Rebellion in Malicrux has until very recently kept an extremely low profile; the sabotage and destruction of the Star Destroyer Ferocious over the skies of Port Kullus has changed all that. No-one has yet claimed responsibility for the bold attack that took place several months after the Battle of Yavin, though there are numerous individuals and organisations who have suffered under Imperial rule, and any could be members of the Rebellion.
THE MALCRUX NEBULA: STAR SYSTEMS
ALMOST is a barren, inhospitable rock that serves as the current home for a droid-cult known as the Cogs. Led here two centuries ago by the Droid-visionary ∞-5 (aka InFinn, Finn or Five Fingers) after the revelations granted to the droid while planetside on Ephemera, a fleet of droid-operated starships lie dormant on the planet, waiting in the golden light of the trinary star system for the promised unveiling of a lost techworld deep within the Malicrux Nebula. Here the Cog faithful believe they will find kinship and equality among the automated beings that live there. Five Fingers is tolerant of other biological creatures, unless they stand in the way of the Cogs goals; he has displayed a ruthless efficiency in dispatching those who oppose them. Cog operatives are active across the Sector, actively procuring ownership of other droids and then freeing them, or on more obscure missions beyond biological comprehension. Traders are welcome on Almost, for the droid collective is highly skilled and willing to barter their services in return for droid parts and coin to fund their activities.
BARHOK is a blistering hot slave world where billions struggle beneath three blood red suns to carry out the will of their serpentine masters. The Cult of the Serpent Queens demands utmost loyalty and obedience to the six huge stardrakes that rule the world, and each seeks to better its sisters through grand displays of art, war, architecture, or whatever fashionable whim is current in their courts. Slaves are bound to the hive mind of their queens by the use of rune serpents, strange little flying drakes that glow a luminous gold and are soulbound to their slave. Neurotoxins from their fangs keep their prisoners obedient when necessary, though free thought and speech is sometimes permitted. Those that step out of lie are simply bitten and robbed of will, those that develop immunity to the poisons are quickly executed. Under this hierarchical regime the slave armies have built many wonders in the name of their Queens, from great cities of spiraling towers to huge edifices that loom up out of the deserts. To what purpose these constructions are made has always remained obscured; if the Queens know why they continue with their millennia-long rivalry they have yet to reveal it to their minions, though some of their more visible works include the terraforming of nearby moons to supply the masses with enough nutrients to survive. Attempts to break this cycle of eternal slavery by the Jedi of the Old Republic failed – there were simply too many innocents in the slave armies that were arrayed against them, and the Queens were immune to their persuasive techniques. The Empire has yet to decide what must be done with them; at the moment the Cult is of limited use to the Emperor. As a precaution they have assigned an Imperial Governor to the world, though Holani Rodell is little more than a symbolic appointment and his reports indicate that the Cult poses little threat offworld. Were that to change in any way, the Empire’s response is bound to be swift.
CALLIGRATTICA is a dry, dusty world, perfect for the preservation of its vast collections of ancient tomes. Scholars first came here to study the astonishing Crawling Towers of Shugg – libraries hollowed out from the carapace of mountain-sized beetles that slowly traverse the planet – and eventually the researchers simply chose to stay. There are a number of different university-cities, one to each Shugg beetle, and they compete in a friendly manner on matters esoteric and arcane. But what they fear most is when two beetlecities draw too close to one another, and lock their horned shells together in brutal territorial combat, with the conquering beetle devouring the remains of the vanquished. Traditionally the losing university is taken in by the victor. The beetles are vaguely sentient, and can be steered and directed to some small degree. But what their great and ponderous minds dwell on as they travel the deserts is anyone’s guess. The Calligrattican Council is currently overseen by Governor Dean Lyrian Bokru, who despite pressure from offworld authorities, maintains an open door policy to all students that wish to study here. Students with Imperial upbringings do not take kindly to their non-human fellows, and xenophobic attacks have marred the last few semesters, drawing unwanted attention from the Empire.
CHARGRYN is infamous as the most savage penal world for several Sectors. Even before the formation of the Empire it was used as the dumping ground for the very worst of the galaxy's convicts; most prisoners would rather be killed on the spot then sent there. The high rotation of its magnetic core has turned the planet into a violent dynamo, constantly discharging energy in massive lightning storms. Special drop ships encased in arc cages are needed to deliver prisoners to the surface; all metal objects attract lethal electrical strikes from the ground and surrounding air, and convicts are constantly subjected to painful shocks. Few last long in such torturous conditions.
CHYCO is a tidelocked world, where one side of the planet always faces the sun leaving the sunward side a burnt out husk and plunging the other into eternal darkness and freezing cold. But in the twilight rim between the two halves the communist Imperial cult of the Chyco thrives. During the Clone Wars the ruling nobles of House Chyco sided with the Separatists, producing numerous war droids and vehicles in their underground factories; following their defeat Chyco was subjected to severe reparations and her people brought to ruin and misery – and yet the ruling oligarchy seemed unaffected by the burden continuing to live their lives in luxury. Out of this perceived dichotomy was born a plot to topple the nobility, and replace it with socialist rule that would see the burden evenly shared. When the revolution came to an end, what surprised everyone (including the usurpers) was the rise of a state-sanctioned cult that worshipped the Emperor as a divine representative. Now stories relating to his sacrifices during the Jedi Betrayal are treated as holy texts, and his edicts and decrees as religious doctrine. Chyco’s factories have been rebuilt, and now serve the Emperor providing him with the weapons to maintain his vigil of peace over the galaxy. While the noble house of Chyco was destroyed during the uprising, the formal title of Duke is granted to the ambassador of Chyco when in court on Sapphirica, where Duke-Elect Braega Chyco is a passionate supporter of Imperial policy.
DRACA is famed across the sector as the homeworld of the Dracan war machine, a brutally efficient militant society where death and honour a sacred. The tide-locked world is in fact a moon of a super-massive gas giant in the mid-outer portion of the Draca system, and while it receives little light from the red dwarf sun, the luminous ochre atmosphere and glowing auroras of the provides ample light. Combined with the active geothermal activity caused by its proximity to the gravitational field of the gas giant, Draca is able to support life in this cold corner of the galaxy. Normally a simple mining planet like Draca would never have developed much of a population at all, but several factors combined to give a significant population. The moon is crossed by winding mountain ranges that rise up out of dense ‘oceans’ of semi-caustic poisonous gases, beneath which lie volcanic seams rich in mineral wealth. Numerous mining stations work these seams, operated by acid-resistant mechanized labour and hardly souls in hazmat suits, and these stations provide the massive munitions factories on neighbouring Siccidde all the resources they need. Draca’s early history was marred by the eradication of the indigenous lifeforms that continually attacked the mining operations, and this bloody history was the origin for the militant society found on Draca today. Draca's fortress-cities are built on the mountain ranges, and here the various families still maintain diligent martial training. Its is not unusual for entire families to do nothing but serve in the military machine, and many families have a proud tradition of having served for generations, recognised as producing some of the most highly trained officers and troops. Draca has been known to lease out its legions during times of war, and readily send its troops to maintain battle competence in the Eternal War on Fray. Surprisingly the relationship between Draca and the Empire is strained; despite similar outlooks, Dracan pride refuses to submit to the colours and uniform of the Empire, and ongoing tensions remain. The Empire ensures that the Dracan War Machine remains out of the rebellion by employing the forces for lowly peacekeeping operations on several low-key worlds, considered by many on Draca to be an insult to their fine forces.
EPHEMERA is a dream world that defies description, for whoever lays eyes upon skies and feet upon its soil finds themselves in a world of flux and illusion. Wild visions plague all those who visit, and the planet emits an unquantifiable energy that plays havoc with sensors and scanners, making categorization of the world almost impossible. It is widely believed however that these visions might just be glimpses of the future, or the past, or aspects of the visitor’s life history that confront and challenge them. As such it is a haven for those of religious persuasion, and a number of faiths and cults make the pilgrimage here in the hope of receiving guidance in their lives. A small but bustling space station caters to their needs, orbiting high over the ever-changing lands; it is rumoured that even the Emperor himself visits from time to time.
FARGONE is a frontier world, claimed by refuges from Chyco, where dirt-poor farmers and shepherds cling to the last vestiges of civilization on an untamed planet. Following the revolution on Chyco, the few members of the noble house and several thousand retainers and loyalists managed to flee the planet. With no support from the Emperor’s new order, the fleet was forced to search for an unclaimed world and start anew. After two years of futile exploration, fighting off pirate attacks, critical supply shortages, and disastrous encounters on three previously unexplored worlds, the house was left in ruin, her scions dead, and the fleet all but destroyed. It was decided by the remaining stragglers that the next world would be their last, for – as their new leader Luciddius Tain put it – “one more world and we’ll be too far gone”. The phrase stuck, as did the name. After two decades of scratching a meagre existence out of the dirtlands on Fargone, it looks as though the colonists have pulled through the worst of it. The “capital” – a collection of fortifications built around the last starships of the Chyco fleet – is slowly growing and has secured a regular trade route from Vorzheva twice a year; settlers seeking a quiet life of toil far from the Empire are always welcome. There is but one rule on Chyco that must be obeyed: no droids. Droids are what got House Chyco into this mess, and anyone who uses a droid to do something they could do is considered a layabout and not worth spit. Offworlders are advised to keep theirs locked safely onboard their vessels.
FAEL is a dimly lit moon kept warm by the gravitational effects of its parent planet, the blue gas giant Orsus; it is home to a number of bio-luminous orders of plant life but has no indigenous species. It was colonised millennia ago by human explorers, who have adapted to life in near darkness. A tall, pale and anemic splinter of humanity, the Fael are a passionate and hot tempered, and buoyed by the destruction of the Death Star were among the first worlds to openly declare support for the Rebel Alliance and cede from the Empire. It was a costly mistake, and the Empire moved swiftly to make an example of the Fael to discourage similar actions elsewhere. Its major cities were reduced to slag by orbital bombardment, and the survivors rounded up under charges of sedition and treason and placed in military camps. For the past year they have been subjected to all manner of cruelty and suffering, though the Empire can claim that its program of re-education is finally producing results. The first battalion of Faelean infantry has shown determination and success in combat, recently aiding in the costly invasion of Gyre and willingly laying down their lives in the thousands to achieve their objectives. Grand Moff Skyrus Kyreiken is said to be very pleased with their performance and keen to utilise their services against other difficult military targets soon.
FRAY is a cursed world trapped in the endless struggle of The Eternal War, a conflict that has continued since well before the dawn of the Old Republic. None can recall the causes of the war; only that numerous sides fight because that is all that they have known and all that is left to them. The original inhabitants have long since disappeared; interplanetary forces, mercenaries, soldiers of fortune and fools eager to prove themselves now make up the rank and file of fractured armies. Whatever original climate once graced this world has since been blasted out of existence; now cold winds howl over muddy plains, through hookwire fences and shattered fortresses, rattling the ruined armor that clings to fleshless corpses that cover the world. None know just how deep are these fields of death, where new weapons from nearby Siccidde are tested in the field, and foul chemistries are unleashed from the quagmires of Jasterkast. It is said that the war is allowed to continue only so that the industries of these two worlds may hone their wares before releasing them to the common market; it is also said that any soldier who can prove he did his tour of duty on Fray will command the utmost respect of subordinate and superior alike.
GWEYR KROM is a crystalline world that serves as the corporate capital of the sector. All of the largest sector corporations maintain offices here, in pristine cities nestled between shimmering spires and radiant peaks or along the shores of the sparkling deserts. Great chains of shard mountains cross the planet and pierce the sky, some reaching even into space; the wonder and cold beauty of this world is renowned. The MediCrux Corporation dominates trade. As is fitting the corporate engine of the region, Gweyr Krom is also the financial heart of the Malicrux, with a number of major banking headquarters; Krombank is by far the most widely used by the sectors’ inhabitants. The transition from the Old Republic to Imperial rule was relatively smooth; the citizens value peace and security above all things, and Governor Atterick Krayne has done much to ensure this tranquility is maintained, though at great cost to personal freedoms. Public outcry and dissent is virtually unheard of; the Empire considers Gweyre Krom to be a rolemodel world for the sector and recruits heavily from youth seeking something more adventurous.
GYRE is a barbaric world that orbits the third brightest star in the galaxy. Beneath its brilliant glare, the once shining beacon of civilization collapsed in a civil war that left the planet devastated, where warlords continue to shed blood over petty border disputes, and loyalties and alliances are in constant flux. They fund their campaigns by selling off the remnants of the glass cathedrals that once made Gyre famed throughout the galaxy; a single shard of the luminous light-bending substance is worth a considerable fortune, if the right buyer can be found. Eager to end the conflict, the Republic banned the trade in Gyre-glass, and drove art collectors to the black market; few let the knowledge that each shard is paid for with blood cloud their conscience. All this comes at great heartache to House Nephada, the former rulers of Gyre who until recently lived in exile on Sapphirica. Now, the backing of the Empire, the House has reclaimed the Duchal Palace on Gyre and formed a solid defensive position in the ruins of the surrounding city. War is brewing, and it may be that the threat of the Nephada is the one thing that could unify the warlords of Gyre.
HARASSA is an industrial world dedicated to the production of repulsorlift vehicles and famed for its pod racer designs. A client world of House Arranasis, the passion of Duke Barin for the repulsorsport has seen the desert world rise from corporate ignominy to become one of the leading manufacturers for several sectors. The Duke encourages a healthy rivalry between the domed city-states that rise out of the barren lands; the red sands are home to a number of racing circuits and to a man Harassians follow every event on the yearly calendar. For many, the dream of becoming a pod racer is enough to maintain them through the long hours and fiendishly hot conditions; and while rare, some do achieve this dream, rising to become one of the brash and notoriously short-lived stars. There are two concerns pressing enough to distract the average Harassian from watching the continuous coverage of pod racing events. The first is a localised problem: the primitive indigenous population of desert dwellers known as Shifters pose a constant threat to the security of the domes, commanding huge sand storms to envelop race meets and entire cities should they be angered enough. The second is perhaps far more serious. With the continuing war effort against the Rebel Alliance, the Empire has commandeered a number of repulsorlift factories and conscripted entire workforces to produce military vehicles. With each year another factory is converted, and slowly but surely Harassian racers dwindle in number. While Duke Barin is able to maintain a sensitive balance between keeping the Empire at bay and his people in a state of unease, political pundits wonder at how little it will take to upset this balance.
JASTERKAST is a poisonous world, with acid green skies and toxic bogs smeared across its surface that serves as the homeworld to a slithering amphibianoid people known as the Jast. Rising up out of the quagmires are a number of heavily fortified and independent city-states that have spent hundreds of years recovering from a nuclear war that nearly wiped out all life on the planet. Large swathes of radioactive swamps lie between the cities, and great, mutated creatures swim the black seas. In the wake of their great war, the Jast vowed never again to raise arms against one another, but their vicious and cunning ways saw them take up ever more subtle means to strike at their enemies. Shadowy warfare is the norm, with the Alchemists of Jast ever striving to outdo one another with their poisons and antidotes. A number of these chemical weapons are sold to unscrupulous warlords offworld, and the Jast are happy to use the planet of Fray as a proving ground for their poisons. Visitors find the place to be oppressively humid and sickly, but trips here can be profitable; there are a number of byproducts to the Jastrian experiments, considered failures by the poison masters, but many of which have a wide variety of commercial purposes. Duke Carmus Jasterkastria oversees the development of trade with other worlds from the relative safety of his orbital station low over the green clouds, but ensures a hefty tax to pay for the protection of his household from his rivals.
JYRYX is a pristine wilderness world of mountainous forests and cold seas, formerly under the jurisdiction of the Unisys Corporation and marked for exploitation, but now under the possession of the relocated Sulgoran people. The Sulgorans fled the environmental depredation of their homeworld by Unisys and, eager to avoid a similar reoccurrence, they applied for and received a permanent isolation order from the old Republic that banned any offworlders from landing on the planet without prior permission of the Jyryxi ambassador Tuva Hurkeesi on Sapphirica. However Hurkeesi knows that agreements struck with the old Republic no longer hold much legal weight in the Emperor’s new order, and knows it is only a matter of time before ravenous corporations or the Empire itself comes to claim Jyryx for themselves. The ambassador’s dire warnings have gone unheeded by his people and their clan leaders, who pursue their old ways of hunting and gathering in the tranquility of their new home, maintaining faith in the sanctity of their protective decree and not willing to believe in the ambassador’s stories of atrocity. Hurkeesi, eager to protect his people from the coming storm, is known to be actively seeking out new allies in the galactic arena.
KALISHE is a vicious jungle world teeming with blood-leafed carnivorous plants, where monstrous predators stalk cunning prey. It is a deadly place, bathed in the ominous crimson light of its red giant star, and few attempts to colonise the planet have met with success. There are but a handful of operations that have endured these inhospitable conditions, and a couple have even thrived. The first is an ever-expanding number of clandestine spice plantations run by petty drug barons under the control of Guuzha the Hutt, who negotiated access to the jungle under agreement with House Kalishe. The drug lords maintain heavily armed perimeters and compounds on the tropical archipelagoes, where guards watch over plantation slaves who are surprisingly upbeat about their situation: a short life on Kalishe is a better fate than a slow, toxic death on Vorzheva Prime. The other operation exists in rumour only; it is said that the infamous Baal Kabuul makes his home deep in the heart of the greatest jungle, where he co-ordinates a flesh trade with connections spread out across the sector and beyond. What the Baal makes of Guuzha the Hutt’s presence on his world is unclear, though the growing number of coordinated attacks by normally solitary predators hints at the Baal’s displeasure. The Empire shows little interest in the planet for now, as long as House Kalishe, which receives regular “contributions” from the Hutt’s representatives, regularly fills its coffers.
The twin moons of KANTO PRIME and KANTO SECUNDUS share the same orbit around a barren terrestrial world that in turn orbits a complicated quaternary star system; they are always bathed in sunlight, tidelocked to one another, and are bound in a slow death spiral that will see the two moons collide some time in the next thousand years. They are close enough now that their atmospheres mingle, and the gravity of Kanto Prime is strong enough to rip mountains from the surface of Kanto Secundus. Seismic activity and meteorites are commonplace in regions where the worlds face each other; but for now the outer faces are relatively safe. Capitalising on the constant sunlight, the warm and pleasant world of Kanto Prime has developed an intensive agricultural industry, focusing on luxury wines that are the toast of the Core Worlds. The financial return on their produce is so great that House Kanto – who manage the vineyard estates – has installed a military grade defense grid around their estates to shot down incoming meteors, and drive off any would be thieves and pirates. The former galactic senator Duke Orlando Kanto, who can trace his ancestry to Core World nobility and served until the collapse of the Republic, personally oversees his family run estates whenever he can, but with the growing influence of the Empire he has come out of retirement and is spends more and more time on Sapphrica. Politically savvy and a gifted orator, Duke Kanto is outspoken and critical of Imperial activities within the sector, and has weathered several attempts on his life. He is widely considered to be in league with the Rebel Alliance, but he is critical of them as well, citing the number of innocents killed in the destruction of the Star Destroyer Ferocious while in dock at Port Kullus. His duties to the Council on Sapphirica leaves House Kanto to be run by his daughter Nuala, who has inherited much of her father’s traits. She oversees House Kanto’s interests, operates out of his duchal palace on Kanto Secundus, located in the polar mountains just beyond the rim of the gravitational degradation. House scientists predict the growing gravitational pull will envelop the palace within one hundred years, but for now the family is safe. The slow destruction of Kanto Secundus is not without benefits; as the crust is slowly torn apart, great seams of minerals are uncovered and while very dangerous, a flurry of mining activity has begun under Nuala Kanto’s personal supervision.
KELM is a temperate world of broad plains and jilkawood forests, made famous by the Siege of Kresiela, where a force of thirteen Jedi took refuge for one thousand days and nights against an entire legion of clone troopers till finally they were betrayed by one of their own. Now the former Jedi Temple of Kresiela is an important Imperial garrison and museum dedicated to the the Fall of the Jedi, examining their galactic influence and the corruption inherent in such power. Students from across the sector and beyond come to study the number of Jedi artifacts are on display, and learn how to identify and report Force-sensitive individuals to the appropriate Imperial authorities. Visitors are restricted to a limited area of the Temple and parts of the surrounding jilkawoods; the Imperial garrison conducts a number of live fire training exercises and whole continents are designated as proving grounds to test weapons for the war against the terrorists of the Rebel Alliance. The recently established Imperial city of Palpatino lies nearby, and is dedicated to the support and logistics of the Imperial garrison and the museum. The citizenry is loyal and security is discreet, with recruiting offices producing a number of excellent personnel for the ever-important logistics of the Imperial Navy.
KLULKHUN is a giant world in every sense. While it is a rocky terrestrial planet it dwarfs most of its siblings and rivals gas giants for size, supporting lifeforms of truly immense proportions that roam the great plains and graze by countless lakes. Such a large planetary mass generates a heavy gravity that has flattened the landscape, leaving low mountains and shallow seas. That the creatures here are as large as they are is a testament to their incredible strength and bone structure. The heavy gravity has also protected the world from depredation; it is difficult for most offworlders to work in such taxing conditions, though there are several generations of indentured beast herders that have adapted to the gravity. They live their precarious lives in small armoured huts half buried into the flesh of mighty gygantors, huge eight-legged grazing beasts that grow several kilometers in length. Here the herdsmen strip prized flesh from open cuts in the beasts’ flanks – merely a scratch to these creatures - and their masters sell the delicacy to offworld traders from Sapphirica and Sinammon, eager to satiate the noblity’s tastes for the exotic.
MEPHIYEH is a complicated hollowed world full of secrets and mystery. House Mephiyheh's understanding of orbital physics ensures their rule over the planet is absolute. Early in the Republic, survey ships found a world rich with ore and minerals, and mining began. Initially materials were removed from the planet to be refined and used elsewhere, but as more and more was extracted, refining and then manufacture developed in the mining cavities. Now the planet is a hollow sphere with a number of structures are said to orbit within its confines. The one main entrance to the planet’s interior is guarded by Mephiyeh troops that operate out of the only surface structure: the Citadel is heavily fortified and is a cylinder of air locks that control the planet’s internal environment. Rumours persist that the Citadel is of a scale that will allow even the largest of Capital Ships to pass within. Inside is a plethora of superstructures in slow orbit around each other, each with a variable gravity that the Mephiyeh can control at a whim. These include arcologies, refineries, manufacturing stations, warehouses, and the ore itself, in massive free-floating stock piles of material that fuel the planet’s incredible energy requirements. 100 million souls live in the spinning disks of the arcologies. For large or heavy stored materials they spin at lower speeds to simulate lower gravities, liquid or alluvial materials are kept in warehouses that spin faster, turning them into the largest centrifugal pumps in the galaxy. All of these objects bar one spin, rotate, gravitate and roll around inside the planet’s husk. The one object stays in one position relative to the planet is the Duchal Palace known as the Garden. An oasis of calm within a hive of industry, the greatest engineers of Mephiyheh and the most illustrious customers are permitted to visit and pay homage to the scions of House Mephiyheh. The progenitor of the House and the reason for its might and independence, was a mathematic genius and a madman that realised that more of the planet can be used by moving and coordinating the movement of the free floating bodies inside the husk of the planet. His daughter built on his works, and held the power of this planet when she used free-floating structures within the planet to crush all that opposed her. Peace and control has been maintained by a combination of judicious use of gravitational manipulation and variation, all of which is a closely hidden secret. With out the help of flight control navigating between the planetoids is nearly impossible, and has kept the planet from falling into Imperial possession – for now.
MIMANDE is a rocky agrarian world of incredible slate towers and canyons, where a heavy mist lingers throughout the year. This cool damp climate is perfect for a number of agricultural products, and the farms that work the narrow valleys are renown for their vineyards and breweries. Its people have thrown off the shackles of technology and a simple pastoral life. Normally such worlds quickly fall prey to slavers and corporate exploitation, but Mimande is barren of mineral wealth (some whisper suspiciously so) and massive ion nebula that surrounds the system makes travel treacherous. Some traders risk the trip for the Ral'cath spirits, or the latest produce from Kau’meta Vineyards; the fermentation process excludes all droid and technology process so creates a purely organic luxury item that attracts excessive profits – assuming the ship survives the journey to nebula, and the trader has something of worth to barter with. Credits are worth nothing here, with value being placed on the usefulness of items and the skills a man can give his society.
MOLOVAR is a shattered world, split in two by some cataclysmic event predating the fall of the Malicrux Empire. The forces of gravity have been hard at work however, and the remnants of the planet have reassembled to form a new world of high volcanic, tectonic and cosmic activity. Numerous chunks of the planet still orbit the central planetary mass, and meteoric bombardment is a continuous threat. Volcanoes run along the great fissures that cross the world, and there are constant seismic events as the two main halves grind against each other. Imperial geologists, vulcanologists and astrophysicists are drawn to Molovar, and from the relative safety of its outermost moon they monitor the planet below, eager to decipher the mystery that surrounds the planet. All data indicates that whatever triggered Molovar’s cataclysm, it was not a natural occurrence. What troubles the Empire is that those responsible might still be out there, hidden deep in the Malicrux Nebula.
PALAUGA is an ocean world, with a central core of solid state water and thus lacking in the magnetosphere necessary to protect its inhabitants from the mutational effects of solar radiation. Life thrives here despite the hardship, or possibly because of it: the radiation causes constant mutation and an accelerated evolution, and most established species have developed a radiation resistant chitin. It is home to the Palauga, a species of sentient crustaceans that come in a wide variety of forms, all heavily armoured and armed with vicious claws. The Palauga developed a society of warring feudal states when the first explorers from the Republic arrived, and the reception found them exceptionally tasty. The Republic closed access to the world, but did not count on the Palauga reverse engineering the starship their entreé arrived in. While it took them six hundred years to do so, revolutionising their society and galvanizing them towards the stars, when the Palaugan Emergency spread across the Malicrux Sector one hundred years before the clone wars, it took a unified military force composed of armies from across the Sector to drive them back to their watery lairs. In the decades since, the Palau reigned in their appetites and began diplomatic overtures to the surrounding planets, and were finally admitted into the circle of noble houses. House Palauga has proven to be politically savvy, currying favour with the power of the time; with the rise of the Empire they have been vocal supports of their doctrine and welcomed the appointment of an Imperial Governor with open claws, and have promised a mighty feast in his honour.
PORT KULLUS is a vast trade collective scattered across a number of space stations, ship berths, satellites and small moons in close orbit around the ringed gas-giant of Bokucryeu. While Sapphirica may be the political epicenter of the Malicrux Sector, Port Kullus is its commercial heart. The great majority of goods that past into and out of the Sector pass through Port Kullus, and it is here that goods and cargo manifests are inspected, recorded and taxed before being transferred from local haulers and freighters into massive spacebarges that run the trade routes into the Galactic Core and beyond. This requires a huge number of services, and the entire system is overseen by guildmasters personally appointed by the Sapphrician nobility. Tariffs are collected, filling the coffers of the noble houses, but they in turn pay a sizable proportion to the Empire. Corruption, smuggling, bribery, tampering and theft are inevitable, and the Yellow Prince is the undisputed master of the darker aspects of the trade hub. His base of operations is unknown, and few if any ever lay eyes upon him, but such is his power that on a whim he can shut down most operations in Port Kullus, and thus the Sector. The shipyards are where his influence is weakest; here the mechanics and shipwrights are allied in powerful and belligerent trade unions that keep the Yellow Prince at bay. The entire collection of myriad orbital bodies and stations are protected by an array of defensive systems. Those fools who attempt to raid Port Kullus rarely if ever get a second chance.
PROHL is a semi-arid planet that has a ring of automated warning beacons to keep travelers away. It is known among spacers by the more infamous moniker of “Murder”. The planet is shrouded by a layer of continuous ionized storm clouds that block all scanners and plays havoc with ships attempting to make a landing. Below the cloud layer lies a 10km high layer of hot, humid and breathable air. The land itself is rugged and arid and covered in alternating dense forests of 30-40' tall mushroom type 'trees' and 10' bamboo type grass fields, the dim light that filters through the cloud layer leaves the land in a perpetual twilight by day or absolute darkness by night. The name “Murder” is allegedly attributed to the first transmission received by explorers from a crashed starship on Prohl: "<static> .. this planet is murder .. <hash>". Only three of the 30 odd crew of a specially shielded research ship have ever officially returned from the planet. They describe giant spider-like creatures, intelligent and technologically capable, with advanced cybernetics grafted to their bodies – vibro-blade enhanced slashing limbs, metalo-ceramic weave laced through their carapace, cortex nodes to enhance reflexes - and they swarm and kill any who land on their planet. Those few researchers who brave the planet believe an ancient race placed them here, though whether as a prison, to isolate them from the galaxy or protect the galaxy from whatever they guard is uncertain.
RAVENHOLT is a verdant world named after the sentient black-winged birds that soar over its lush dark forests and lofty peaks. Waterfalls spill down great mountains to feed a broad network of cool lakes and rivers, and much of the world remained untouched under the stewardship of House Rabenhout. It was sparsely populated, with only a handful of cities concentrated on the northern continent where rustic arts and harmonious architecture blended with the great trees of the forests. This philosophy was reflected in the cities' artisans and craftsmen, who were famed for their exquisite woodcarvings and independent head-strong manner. Of course, all this has changed since the demise of the Old Republic, and overthrow of House Rabenhout by the political machinations of House Kyrieken. Now the world is the focus for rampant industrialization; the old trade in pharmaceuticals, rubber, wood and other natural products was superceded with vast opencut mines and refineries that draw precious trillenium ore from the earth. An essential metal in the manufacture of starship components, the trillenium trade has swelled House Kyreiken's coffers and they have not been idle; whole cities have risen up out of the pristine forests and massive shipyards are currently under construction in several regions around the planet. In another coup for the House, patriarch Skyris Kyreiken has been appointed as the Imperial Governor for the sector, and the planet now serves as the focus of Imperial military might. The Sector Army is based here, and while the majority of the Sector Fleet has been dispatched in the far reaches of the galaxy in the hunt for the Rebel Alliance, two Imperial-Class Star Destroyers now orbit the planet. What the Ravens think of these interlopers in their forests and skies no-one can be sure, though the few old woodsmen who remain are certain that the Ravens have their own plans to rid their world of the accursed Kyreiken.
RUKH is a cold and desolate mountain world that stands at the border of the only known route into the Djakarshi Forbidden Zone. Great watchtowers and powerful sensor arrays rise up from the icy peaks, monitoring the interstellar and hyperspatial regions that surround it. Maintained by the Old Republic for millennia and now under Imperial control, it is there to ensure nothing or leaves the Forbidden Zone. Of course, there are always foolhardy souls who are willing to try, and rescue teams are on standby to bring in the wayward vessels, though what happens to those who break the quarantine is a mystery. In fact most of what occurs on Rukh is a matter of speculation, for more detailed information is blacklisted by the Empire.
SAPPHIRICA is a beautiful ocean world, the blue jewel that crowns the Malicrux Nebula and gateway to the Sector. Blessed with abundant seas and favorable winds, Sapphirica has long served as the sacred gathering place of the noble houses of the Malicrux, who reside in stunning white cities and palaces that float in the skies over the waves. So captivating are the twilight vistas of the Nebula rising over tranquil seas that even the Emperor Himself has an Imperial Residence here, a shinning pinnacle of architecture formed from millions of golden blades that turn slowly about a central palace. As is befitting a world frequented by the ruler of the galaxy, the entire planet is protected by a vast energy shield, projected by a number of huge generator towers that burst from the waves to loom kilometers into the sky. The capital of Allura is the largest floating city where the noble houses hold council. It is a hotbed of political intrigue and scandal; what transpires in the gleaming council chambers and scintillating banquet halls can have ramifications that affect every corner of the Malicrux Nebula. In the upheaval that followed the rise of the Galactic Empire, the power and influence of nobles of Sapphirica has been somewhat diminished as more and more Imperial might is exerted by House Kyreiken on Ravenholt; however it would be impossible for the Empire to maintain order across the Sector without the support of the Sapphirican Houses, and for the time being an uneasy alliance has been thrust upon the two worlds.
SICCIDDE is a scorching desert world rent by massive canyon systems that house numerous industrial cities. Sicciddian weapon factories play an important part of the Sector's manufacturing economy, with large research facilities and proving grounds; most of the labor is provided by convict workforces, typically alien labourers the victim of the Empire's pro-human stance. Acts of sabotage and uprising are not uncommon, but the local planetary wardens are brutal in repressing such actions. The planet is controlled by House Siccidde, who had little trouble adapting to the doctrine of the New Order; they enjoy the full support of the Empire's bureaucracy and receive regular shipments of prison labour from across the galaxy.
SINAMMON is a beautiful pleasure world where the sector’s elite come to play, bathing in the golden seas beneath lavender skies or dancing the night away in the light of Sinammon’s seven moons. Access to this shimmering paradise is heavily restricted, with all interstellar traffic directed to the orbital station that circles the equator; here all visitors must turn over any weapons as they board shuttle craft that then descend through the clouds to their palace of pleasure. Sinammon offers all manner of idyllic pastimes, from relaxing on tropical sky-yachts then nautodiving the vibrant reefs that colour the shallow seas, to aeroboarding from the troposphere, landing on a mountainside, and working the slopes before paragliding from glacial cliffs of the polar continent. Anything to whet the appetite of a bored nobility. Naturally with such an influx of the wealthy, security is paramount and the planetary defense force is as deadly as it is discreet. There are a number of small enclaves scattered across the planet where the rich may retire and live in peace, and holonet stars rub shoulders with retired admirals and corporate princes. Idyllica Holdings maintains the staff and security, essentially ensuring that the world runs smoothly, far from the prying eyes of the holonet media or the gawping stares of a star-struck public. It is rumoured that Idyllica is slavish in meeting the needs of its clientele, and caters to all tastes, however sordid. Such speculation is of course dismissed as the envy of the masses.
SULGORA is a ruined world, with vast forests of dead trees, acidic oceans and poisonous rain and is ringed by countless spacewrecks ready to be broken down and destroyed — the result of exploitation by the Unisys Corporation, former member of the Trade Federation. Unisys were later convicted of abuse of native lands and forced to relocate the entire Sulgoran people to the nearby planet of Jyryx. The Unisys Corporation collapsed under the monumental cost of the resettlement program and the planet went into economic decline. However the small mining companies employed by the Unisys Corporation formed the Phoenix Federation and began a profitable trade in waste recycling. Nowadays Sulgora is one of the Empire’s biggest waste dumping and recycling planets. Beaching of retired vessels is an impressive occurrence and not uncommon.
TALIS is a mudball of a planet, where scumdrakes and amphibious bloatwyrms are hunted for sport by the galaxy's best. The extreme elliptical orbit subjects the planet to great differences in temperature. During the prolonged winter when the planet is far from the system's twin suns, the muddy surface is as hard as rock, with only a narrow band of viscous ocean around the equatorial belt. As the planet draws closer the world thaws, and the ocean broadens, til in the heights of summer two polar islands are all that remain. This primordial ooze is rich with nutrients, and combined with a lower than average gravity it supports a diverse ecosystem of truly massive creatures, which in turn draws big-game hunters and bored nobles from the heart of the galaxy. Several safaris operate under the purview of House Vaspasa; Grand Duke Meriko Vaspasa is a passionate hunter and will often personally escort visiting dignitaries on hunting trips.
TANGELWOOD is a dangerous weed-choked world; overgrown by continent-spanning patches of massive and carnivorous tangelthorn. With razor-sharp barbs growing over one hundred meters in length along twisting branches tens or even hundreds of kilometers long, tangelthorn is possibly one of the largest photosynthetic lifeforms known in the galaxy. The various subspecies are prized sources of patterned lumber and some have rare medicinal properties; but Tangelwood's true fame stems from the annual pod-racing festival, when the galaxy's best podracers dart down the winding passages of the Leafspear Labyrinth. A deadly leg of the galactic podracing circuit, the plants tear and impale many racers while probing bloodroots seek out the veins of any fool who forgets to shut their blast doors at night. Tangelwood also serves as the domain of House Arranasis, whose Duchal Palace commands the finest views of the track. The House has a vested interest in the podracing industry and has invested in a number of tracks around the sector, keen on developing the sport across the Malicrux.
VASPASA is an arid world of rocky badlands and steaming savannahs. It is populated by the Vasp, a bipedal reptilian race with human range height and mass. The atmosphere is slightly caustic, and the Vasp and all they create must be hardy and enduring to last in such and environment; the Vasp are covered in a hard dermal chitin that helps them survive. They also have an aptitude for industrial manufacturing and have built a strong economy on Vaspasa that provides highly processed durable goods to the rest of the sector. This historically provided a slightly above average standard of living. Until recently the Vasp had proven to have generally very good health, with an inherent resistance to disease. Unfortunately interstellar trade has appeared to introduce a foreign pathogen to Vaspasa, and a disease known as Hyun Fever has spread aggressively throughout the population over the last 5 years, causing rapid rotting to the Vasp’s armor and exposing them to severe caustic burns from their natural environment and leaving them easily susceptible to secondary infection. Whilst Hyun Fever has no known cure and does not seem to affect other races, a treatment to manage the symptoms is available from MediCrux, although it is expensive. Duke Meirko Vaspasa personally oversees the administration of the treatment, despite himself becoming infected. Economic activity and standard of living amongst the Vasp has declined notably as a result of this persistent pandemic. Imperial doctors from the Public Health Authority maintain a vigilant watch over the world, fearing mutation and spread of the disease.
VLATA YHOM is a dark and foreboding funeral world, where countless millions have been laid to rest beneath grim grey skies and cold stone. That any would chose such a forlorn place may surprise, until the strange power of Vlata Yhom is revealed: those that are swiftly interred within days of passing may live again, albeit in a ghostly form. Some great wonder is at work on this world, and the dead may continue to appear before the living and commune with them, though there are some limitations. The dead cannot learn anything new, only recall memories from their living days, and they must receive regular contact, or their memories will fade away, leaving only a ghostly husk behind. Coordinating the allocation of burial grounds is a presence known only as The Veil, a pale apparition that lingers in the great Temple of Yhom, the largest single structure on the planet. Here, in vast marbled halls filled with silence, petitioners can bring their fallen and seek permission from the Veil to bury them on Vlata Yhom. If the Veil approves, it instructs the fallen’s companions where to find their final resting place, and once interred in the soil of the world, the fallen may rise once more. There are sad tales of the living being unable to let go of loved ones buried on Vlata Yhom, remaining in the presence of the past, til they too pass away. All attempts to study the planet have met with failure; expeditions have been known to encounter extraordinary runs of ill luck and data corruption. For now, the secrets of Vlata Yhom remain undisturbed.
VEYCA is a tepid tropical world where great continents of fungal growth rise out of the seas. With no axial tilt, the planet lacks seasons, subjecting the warm equatorial regions to constant rain, creating perfect growing conditions for all manner of fungoid life. Layer upon layer of mycanoid detritus towers up towards the clouds, displaying a vast number of different species from giant mushroom platforms where starships can safely land to microscopic pathogens that can kill with one breath. Veycan air is dangerous; it is thick with spores that can easily overwhelm when subjected to prolonged exposure, and appropriate protective gear is essential when outside the domed cities of House Veyca. Within these domes Vecyan industrial centres extract all manner of biotechnological and pharmaceutical products harvested from the jungles of fungi; huge mining platforms slowly crawl across the landscape leaving great scars in their wake. These tracks do not last long: they are swallowed up with new growths within weeks. House Veyca runs a small but thriving trade with Jasterkast and the MediCrux Corporation on Gweyr Krom; there is a small Imperial research facility built on the southern continent that has been declared off limits to all outsiders. House Veyca can do little but accept the situation.
VORZHEVA is a sprawling urban moon locked in a perpetual eclipse, trapped in the shadow of its parent planet, warmed by geothermal power and lit by the blood gold hues of the Malicrux Nebula and the radiant light of nearby Gyre. At least, when the smog clears long enough for the stars to shine through. Otherwise the ruddy haze of neon lights and the glow of deathsticks is all that lights the way through the murk. Vorzheva wasn’t always this way; it was once under the stewardship of House Palauga, but a century ago the Duke staked the fate of his world against his vast gambling debts to the Hutts – and lost. Since the takeover of the planet by Guuzha the Hutt, Vorzheva has become a sordid backdoor into the Malicrux Sector and the prime source of vice and spice. The sprawling towers are filled to the brim with hapless peons, slowly choking and mutating in the foul chemical broth they call air. Gas masks are essential. Organised crime is rampant, corruption ever-present, and suffering to be found on every corner.
XANDERPAND is a dead world where lifeless oceans lap at dusty grey deserts; ill winds scour the ancient and ruined ziggurats that tower over the plains. Immense structures, the ziggurats are believed to one of the few locations bearing physical evidence of the Malicrux Empire to have survived the supernova that ended their rule. As such the world is of considerable interest to scholars from around the Sector, and a small starport caters to the needs of the archaeologists that search for the secrets of the Malicrux.
RAVENHOLT is a verdant world named after the sentient black-winged birds that soar over its lush dark forests and lofty peaks. Waterfalls spill down great mountains to feed a broad network of cool lakes and rivers, and much of the world remained untouched under the stewardship of House Rabenhout. It was sparsely populated, with only a handful of cities concentrated on the northern continent where rustic arts and harmonious architecture blended with the great trees of the forests. This philosophy was reflected in the cities' artisans and craftsmen, who were famed for their exquisite woodcarvings and independent head-strong manner. Of course, all this has changed since the demise of the Old Republic, and overthrow of House Rabenhout by the political machinations of House Kyrieken. Now the world is the focus for rampant industrialization; the old trade in pharmaceuticals, rubber, wood and other natural products was superceded with vast opencut mines and refineries that draw precious trillenium ore from the earth. An essential metal in the manufacture of starship components, the trillenium trade has swelled House Kyreiken's coffers and they have not been idle; whole cities have risen up out of the pristine forests and massive shipyards are currently under construction in several regions around the planet. In another coup for the House, patriarch Skyris Kyreiken has been appointed as the Imperial Governor for the sector, and the planet now serves as the focus of Imperial military might. The Sector Army is based here, and while the majority of the Sector Fleet has been dispatched in the far reaches of the galaxy in the hunt for the Rebel Alliance, two Imperial-Class Star Destroyers now orbit the planet. What the Ravens think of these interlopers in their forests and skies no-one can be sure, though the few old woodsmen who remain are certain that the Ravens have their own plans to rid their world of the accursed Kyreiken.
TANGELWOOD is a dangerous weed-choked world; overgrown by continent-spanning patches of massive and carnivorous tangelthorn. With razor-sharp barbs growing over one hundred meters in length along twisting branches tens or even hundreds of kilometers long, tangelthorn is possibly one of the largest photosynthetic lifeforms known in the galaxy. The various subspecies are prized sources of patterned lumber and some have rare medicinal properties; but Tangelwood's true fame stems from the annual pod-racing festival, when the galaxy's best podracers dart down the winding passages of the Leafspear Labyrinth. A deadly leg of the galactic podracing circuit, the plants tear and impale many racers while probing bloodroots seek out the veins of any fool who forgets to shut their blast doors at night. Tangelwood also serves as the domain of House Arranasis, whose Duchal Palace commands the finest views of the track. The House has a vested interest in the podracing industry and has invested in a number of tracks around the sector, keen on developing the sport across the Malicrux.
VLATA YHOM is a dark and foreboding funeral world, where countless millions have been laid to rest beneath grim grey skies and cold stone. That any would chose such a forlorn place may surprise, until the strange power of Vlata Yhom is revealed: those that are swiftly interred within days of passing may live again, albeit in a ghostly form. Some great wonder is at work on this world, and the dead may continue to appear before the living and commune with them, though there are some limitations. The dead cannot learn anything new, only recall memories from their living days, and they must receive regular contact, or their memories will fade away, leaving only a ghostly husk behind. Coordinating the allocation of burial grounds is a presence known only as The Veil, a pale apparition that lingers in the great Temple of Yhom, the largest single structure on the planet. Here, in vast marbled halls filled with silence, petitioners can bring their fallen and seek permission from the Veil to bury them on Vlata Yhom. If the Veil approves, it instructs the fallen’s companions where to find their final resting place, and once interred in the soil of the world, the fallen may rise once more. There are sad tales of the living being unable to let go of loved ones buried on Vlata Yhom, remaining in the presence of the past, til they too pass away. All attempts to study the planet have met with failure; expeditions have been known to encounter extraordinary runs of ill luck and data corruption. For now, the secrets of Vlata Yhom remain undisturbed.
