Name of World: Praxas
System: Uriel
Year Initially Settled: 2237
Affiliations: Independent, but Coalition allies
Governmental Style: Socialist
Primary Languages: English, Hebrew, French, Arabic
Primary Industries: Education, Pharmaceuticals, Medicine, Medical Research
Current Leaders/Figures of Note: Administrator Ronin Golan
In-Play Characters from this Location: None.
Human Mutations: Psionic camouflage. This ability allows the user to be effectively invisible to living beings. While the user concentrates, living beings fail to notice the mutant’s presence. This has a chance of breaking down when they manipulate their environment or move too quickly, depending on their strength of will and how closely others are paying attention. They are always visible to robots and cameras.
Geography/Biodiversity: Praxas exists in the Goldilocks zone of its sun, and has a diverse ecosystem with temperate zones, equatorial jungles, and deserts. It has one large ocean and hundreds of inland seas. It has one large continent that covers much of the eastern hemisphere, and many scattered archipelagos. The sky is lavender and the grass blue, and much of the flora is in shades of blue.
The water on Praxas is naturally salty, and requires filters before it can be consumed by humans. When the planet was terraformed the native fauna adapted, but part of that adaptation was for all predators, even the mildest insect-eater, to become dangerously intelligent. The herbivores and insects adapted for stealth and speed, though none can camouflage themselves quite so well as a human. As a result of those predators and not wishing to destroy entire species just so that humans could live comfortably, Praxans built protected domes to live and work in.
The Coalition has a military base on Praxas as part of the treaty made when Praxas became independent.
History: Settled at the height of human expansion, Praxas was considered the jewel of the Coalition with its gorgeous vistas, vast waters, and unforgettable sunsets. The settlers quickly learned that beauty in nature is often dangerous, and humanity was not made to live on such a dangerous planet without precautions. The first domes were built in 2238, and connected domes have been the standard for long-term living ever since.
Terraforming had produced some interesting effects on the plants as well, which turned out hold the keys to treating certain ailments in humanity. Their unique proteins were the foundation of many breakthroughs in medicine, and Praxas became home to one of the largest pharmaceutical corporations in known space, Praxas-Clover Pharmaceuticals. Most of the employment on the planet is connected to PCP in some way, including the elite universities and medical schools that sprang up around the research facilities.
Praxans originated from a group of peace-loving people in search of a peaceful place to live, where they could live in harmony despite their disparate religions and beliefs. Over time, those beliefs shifted and changed into a paradigm of supporting ones neighbors and working for the common good. Most have at least a nodding acquaintance with the spiritual movement that began in 2269, with a philosopher who called themself Amoena. Their philosophies, based on old snippets of Buddhism, Judaism, and a mish-mash of random cosmology, became known as Amoena itself. Those who practice Amoena tend to be vegetarians and pacifists, and its practices have saturated Praxan culture to the point where Amoena is considered normal behavior, and acting otherwise is either merely rude or completely appalling, depending on the infraction.
The more communal nature of the culture on Praxas has lent itself to a tendency to form polycules rather than monogamous family groups. These are sometimes platonic in nature, but not always or even often.
Praxas declared themselves neutral ground when the Civil War began. They offered hospital ships and field hospitals to be available to both sides of the war. The Coalition not only rejected the offer, but came to occupy Praxas for a good part of the war to keep them from aiding the rebels.
When the war was over and the occupation came to an end, Praxas declared itself Independent and withdrew from the Coalition. Their treaty with the Coalition has evolved over the last fifty years, and some think that it will return to the fold soon - but for now, Praxas is holding firm.
Worker's Day - May 16, annually. A mid-spring celebration that honors the workers who make living on Praxas possible, like people who maintain the domes and desalinization plant workers as well as medical workers. This also extends broadly to blue collar workers in general, and if you go out to the pubs on Worker's Day you're likely to get a drink bought for you. Many workplaces have special skeleton crews who come in to give everyone else a day off, and not doing such is considered stingy and bad practice.
Linnea Arvalis' Day - September 4, annually. An early fall celebration of the xenobiologist responsible for systematically categorizing many of the major species of terrestrial megafauna on Praxas during early settlement. Has similar connotations to Earth Day or Arbor Day, and it's very popular along children. Many schools will put on plays that tell the story of Linnea Arvalis that involve large puppets or paper mache constructions to represent the various species of megafauna.
Solstice Celebrations - The summer and winter solstice are considered high holidays of revelry and contemplation respectively. Most if not all people will have the day off to spend with their family.
During the summer the vibe is a combined block party and Thanksgiving, with the common practice being to have your doors wide open for anyone to come inside and eat lavishly prepared meals. Carrying small gifts to give to children such as candy and toys is commonplace for adults, and looking the other way on acts of mischief is encouraged.
Winter Solstice is a time for family, contemplation of the past year, and prayer/well-wishes for the year to come. Traditions vary between households but some of the more common include: eating a bitter/sour food item with breakfast and then a sweet item with dinner to represent the passing of old hurts and the coming of new joys, fasting during the daytime and a celebratory meal after dinner, or whispering a hope and a fear into a paper lantern that is then released outside of the dome.
Parent's Day - The first Sunday of April, annually. As the name suggests, an early spring day to celebrate the parents in your life. People in good terms with their parents will spoil them with gifts and service, and for those without a family it is common to have impromptu "I'm your mom/dad/parent now" groups of close friends and other family members form to support you instead.