Fthughu

The Galaide Worlds were once an ethnic Altairan sovereign state, located to the galactic north, of the area in which the Carrick Grand Marches is located (the most southerly Galaide World, Cadon, is reachable via safe jump from Riesefels, Shahar and New Vesta, and of course, New Rodinia. The original Galaide Worlds territory includes eight systems, and a ninth has been added (Tawasy) in recent years as a settlement of traditionalist Galaide culture. Galaide is not a sovereign state today, although it is still primarily an Altairan state, it is a satrap of the Dhangetan Cartel. Most Galaidians are not overly inconvenienced by peaceful transfer of power wherein their morally bankrupt leaders sold out their worlds to the Dhangetans for enormous piles of money, so while they're not happy to no longer being political independent, in actuality, in many ways they are probably more free than they used to be, as the Dhangetans are largely indifferent to anything going on locally on their worlds. This also, of course, has meant that the unique Galaide culture has been largely erased by a more cosmopolitan hybrid culture that is Galaidian and Dhangetan both, and large numbers of aliens and alien humans now come and go regularly on the Galaide worlds, and even live here permanently—although the population is still well over 90% Altairan of original Galaidian stock across the region.

System: Fthughu

Hex Location: 2223

Star Type: Single B3 VI

Number of Worlds: 7

Gas Giants: 2

Planetoid Belt: Kuiper belt and two asteroid belts

Starport Type: B high class

World Size: Earth-sized

Atmosphere Type: Dangerous; slow poison (takes days to have effect) requires breath mask

Surface Water: 62%

Population: Medium sized 650 million

Political Affiliation: Dhangetan Cartel

Tags: Tomb world, Xenophilia, Agricultural world

Notes: For many years, the monarchs of the Galaide Worlds would bury their dead on Fthughu, which was not initially colonized except by a few scientific and clerical personnel due to the slow-acting poisonous atmosphere. All buildings had to have air scrubbers installed and strictly maintained, and anyone walking outside needs at least a filter to keep toxins from entering his body, unless his excursion outside of protected areas is extremely brief. Later, as the Galaide Worlds expanded, the agricultural potential of the planet was realized, and farmers moved in. They never grew to an enormous number, however, and much of the population is robotic even still; constructed by the farmers to help them do their work, but gradually grown into a semi-free sentient population block all its own

As time went on, however, the population did grow to a respectable size on its own, although spreading relatively slowly—there are still vast swaths of the landmasses that are completely wild and some that are even unsurveyed. Because of their relative isolation of free farmers, the Galaidians of Fthughu never developed the attachment to some of the Galaidian religion that flourished prior to the takeover of the state by the Dhangetans, and they think that the Tawasy exiles are, at best, bizarre extremists who embrace a kind of "fake Galaidianism" and champion it. They are also unlikely to have been very changed by the advent of the Dhangetans, although some of the young people have left the farms and live now in the sin city cosmopolitan centers where the Dhangetans are most likely to have attracted their own type of offworlders and established their own cultural centers.

This conservatism meant that they didn't really respect the last rulers of the Galaide Monarchy enough to care what happens to their graves, which are littered across the landscape. Many of them indeed have already plundered them for stones, or any grave goods that could be useful, and they have hardly stood in the way of others who have come to the planet to do the same. In the minds of the Fthughians, the corrupt Galaidian nobility made their own bed and now can lie in it.

In the minds of most, Fthughu is therefore a rather boring farm world, without much going on, but in reality, there are many dangerous predators in the wilderness, and there are more riches to be found in forgotten tombs than most realize. A handful have started to recognize the potential and are actively searching for tombs to raid, but it is a long way away from being a boom town economic situation still. And the presence of a high quality port have made it a stopover that has replaced much of the business that used to travel through Cadon; although those who stop here find the place boring, and many barely leave their ships if they can help it.