Yronwode

Planet located in the Orion Quadrant in a binary system consisting of an F-class yellow dwarf and a white dwarf. The planet has no moon.
Yronwode is the first planet of a binary star system located in the Orion Quadrant. Although it has only two-thirds the diameter of Sapphire, it has am much larger iron core, which gives the planet an extremely strong magnetosphere. One of the stars in the system is artificial, a gas giant ignited by the Commonwealth. There is one other planet in the system, a rock the size of a small moon. There is a comet and asteroid field at the edge of the system. 
Yronwode has a pure white sky in the daytime. Stars are not visible in the night-time sky. Yronwode has almost no axial tilt, no seasonal variations in temperature. Above 57 degrees in latitude is tundra and ice cap. Between 33 degrees north and south latitude is desert.
Yronwode is the primary setting of Worlds Apart Book 07: Yronwode
Geography
Yronwode has two continents; a large northern continent, mostly above 57 degrees, and mostly tundra, and a smaller desert continent that straddles the equator. Eighty per cent of the land mass is in this large continent in the northern hemisphere. Most of it is sub-arctic tundra, except for the part that’s polar ice. Its marginal regions are heavily forested with giant trees. 
The smaller continent is mostly made up of arid desert and scrub, but contains the majority of the planet's inhabitants. 
Civilization
Yronwode is inhabited by approximately 100,000,000 humans. They are divided into two primary ethnic groups; the Xirong and the Midians. 
The Xirong
The Xirong make up 95% of the planet's population. They are a tribal culture, and their tribes inhabit settlements throughout most of the arid subcontinent, as well as some of the marginal lands of the north continent. Some of the tribes are peaceful, and moderately advanced. Many of the tribes are savage and primitive. Others live in large cities such as New Babillon, Djajanena, Izzan-Al-Izzan.
Several Xirong tribes live on the edges of the Northern continent. They are less belligerent than the tribes on the subcontinent. They trade with the Midians, though they have no affection for them. 
The Midian
The Midians are descendants of missionaries who traveled to the planet in ages past in hopes of bringing salvation to the Xirong. They inhabit a peninsula on the eastern edge of the subcontinent. They are moderately advanced, and have a culture built on a trade, development, and a moderately strong religious subtext. Their cities have advanced tranportation systems, communication networks, energy grids, and social infrastructure. They are heavily fortified against Xirong attacks. Their captal city is Xiyyon. 
History
Yronwode was a Commonwealth penal colony, designed to be impervious to escape. Millions of prisoners were transported here. They were landed in settlements on the surface and provided with a minimum of supplies. The planet was equipped with a complex security system that made it impossible to escape or communicate with the rest of the galaxy. 
Thousands of religious missionaries (Redeemers) representing a variety of faiths came to Yronwode to minister to the Xirong exiles. They won some converts, and with those converts, moved in among the Xirong in several cities and settlements. However, the majority of Xirong resisted attempts to change their ways, and they remained a savage, partially nomadic culture, although many also lived in cities of their own establishment. 
The two cultures were able to coexist for many centuries. Over time, however, the Redeemers became notably more prosperous than the Xirong. 
Around the Solar Year 6900, a Xirong Chieftain called Tsi told his people that the cause of their misery was the Redeemers. He was an anti-theist. He told them that false promises of spiritual redemption kept them in a state of poverty, violence, and misery. He stoked their resentments into a kind of blind hatred. He used the hatred to unite several bands of Xirong into a single tribe, the largest tribe of Xirong that had ever been. He led them in a war against the Redeemers. He overran several settlements and outposts. When he conquered a city, he would put any Redeemer to the Sword. In his honor, the most radical of the Xirong call themselves ‘Tsi Bai,’ meaning, Tsi’s People.” 
Some Xirong Chieftains recognized that Tsi was a threat to their power. They formed an alliance among themselves, counter-attacked, and killed him. They wiped out most of his tribes. For a time, those Redeemers in the cities and settlements of the other Cheiftains felt safe.
Shortly after the Tsi Wars, the religious leader of the Redeemers, (the Pontifex) claimed he had received a vision that his people would not long be safe, and he led his people to the Midian peninsula, a desolate peninsula on the eastern seaboard of the subcontinent. He founded the Holy City of Xiyyon, and proclaimed that only here would Redeemers be safe from persecution. Many Redeemers and their Xirong converts moved there, but many did not. 
A generation later, several of the Xirong Chieftains embraced that Tsi’s philosophy of focusing hate against the Redeemers. They began stripping the rights and property of Redeemers who remained among them. Some Redeemers were attacked, while other Xirong Chieftains began demanding money in exchange for protection. 
More and more Redeemers and converts moved to the Midian peninsula. Those who didn’t want to settle in Xiyyon, which was a strict Theocracy, built the twin city of Xenthe, which was an open city, where people could live according to their conscience. 
The Kariad
Around the Solar Year 7150, the planet Yronwode was visited by humanoid aliens who called themselves ‘the Kariad.’ They promised to bring peace to the planet by arbitrating the disputes between the Midians and Xirong; which they blamed on social and economic inequalities. 
Under the terms of the Kariad Accord, the Redeemers were obliged to give up all property and territory in any land claimed by the Xirong. The Redeemers were pledged to assist in the economic, social, and cultural development of the Xirong. And the Xirong were to be permitted to live on the Midian Peninsula if they so chose. In return, the Xirong agreed to stop attacking. For their part, the Kariad provided both the Redeemers and the Xirong with advanced technology.
Once the Kariad departed, however, the Xirong resumed their internal fighting as well as their attacks against the Redeemers. The most radical among them, the Tsi Bai, vowed to push the Redeemers into the sea and "reclaim" Midian for the Xirong. 
Visit by Pegasus 
The Pathfinder Ship Pegasus arrived in the Yronwode system around the solar year 7220. Its commander was captured by a Xirong Tribe and became their cheiftain. He led a massive attack against Midian. Midian was defended by the recently-appointed Pontifex, who had been the ship's bartender. After an immense battle, the Xirong were defeated. 
Yronwode is the first planet of a binary star system located in the Orion Quadrant. Although it has only two-thirds the diameter of Sapphire, it has am much larger iron core, which gives the planet an extremely strong magnetosphere. One of the stars in the system is artificial, a gas giant ignited by the Commonwealth. There is one other planet in the system, a rock the size of a small moon. There is a comet and asteroid field at the edge of the system. 
Yronwode has a pure white sky in the daytime. Stars are not visible in the night-time sky. Yronwode has almost no axial tilt, no seasonal variations in temperature. Above 57 degrees in latitude is tundra and ice cap. Between 33 degrees north and south latitude is desert.
Geography
Yronwode has two continents; a large northern continent, mostly above 57 degrees, and mostly tundra, and a smaller desert continent that straddles the equator. Eighty per cent of the land mass is in this large continent in the northern hemisphere. Most of it is sub-arctic tundra, except for the part that’s polar ice. Its marginal regions are heavily forested with giant trees. 
The smaller continent is mostly made up of arid desert and scrub, but contains the majority of the planet's inhabitants. 
Civilization
Yronwode is inhabited by approximately 100,000,000 humans. They are divided into two primary ethnic groups; the Xirong and the Midians. 
The Xirong
The Xirong make up 95% of the planet's population. They are a tribal culture, and their tribes inhabit settlements throughout most of the arid subcontinent, as well as some of the marginal lands of the north continent. Some of the tribes are peaceful, and moderately advanced. Many of the tribes are savage and primitive. Others live in large cities such as New Babillon, Djajanena, Izzan-Al-Izzan.
Several Xirong tribes live on the edges of the Northern continent. They are less belligerent than the tribes on the subcontinent. They trade with the Midians, though they have no affection for them. 
The Midian
The Midians are descendants of missionaries who traveled to the planet in ages past in hopes of bringing salvation to the Xirong. They inhabit a peninsula on the eastern edge of the subcontinent. They are moderately advanced, and have a culture built on a trade, development, and a moderately strong religious subtext. Their cities have advanced tranportation systems, communication networks, energy grids, and social infrastructure. They are heavily fortified against Xirong attacks. Their captal city is Xiyyon. 
History
Yronwode was a Commonwealth penal colony, designed to be impervious to escape. Millions of prisoners were transported here. They were landed in settlements on the surface and provided with a minimum of supplies. The planet was equipped with a complex security system that made it impossible to escape or communicate with the rest of the galaxy. 
Thousands of religious missionaries (Redeemers) representing a variety of faiths came to Yronwode to minister to the Xirong exiles. They won some converts, and with those converts, moved in among the Xirong in several cities and settlements. However, the majority of Xirong resisted attempts to change their ways, and they remained a savage, partially nomadic culture, although many also lived in cities of their own establishment. 
The two cultures were able to coexist for many centuries. Over time, however, the Redeemers became notably more prosperous than the Xirong. 
Around the Solar Year 6900, a Xirong Chieftain called Tsi told his people that the cause of their misery was the Redeemers. He was an anti-theist. He told them that false promises of spiritual redemption kept them in a state of poverty, violence, and misery. He stoked their resentments into a kind of blind hatred. He used the hatred to unite several bands of Xirong into a single tribe, the largest tribe of Xirong that had ever been. He led them in a war against the Redeemers. He overran several settlements and outposts. When he conquered a city, he would put any Redeemer to the Sword. In his honor, the most radical of the Xirong call themselves ‘Tsi Bai,’ meaning, Tsi’s People.” 
Some Xirong Chieftains recognized that Tsi was a threat to their power. They formed an alliance among themselves, counter-attacked, and killed him. They wiped out most of his tribes. For a time, those Redeemers in the cities and settlements of the other Cheiftains felt safe.
Shortly after the Tsi Wars, the religious leader of the Redeemers, (the Pontifex) claimed he had received a vision that his people would not long be safe, and he led his people to the Midian peninsula, a desolate peninsula on the eastern seaboard of the subcontinent. He founded the Holy City of Xiyyon, and proclaimed that only here would Redeemers be safe from persecution. Many Redeemers and their Xirong converts moved there, but many did not. 
A generation later, several of the Xirong Chieftains embraced that Tsi’s philosophy of focusing hate against the Redeemers. They began stripping the rights and property of Redeemers who remained among them. Some Redeemers were attacked, while other Xirong Chieftains began demanding money in exchange for protection. 
More and more Redeemers and converts moved to the Midian peninsula. Those who didn’t want to settle in Xiyyon, which was a strict Theocracy, built the twin city of Xenthe, which was an open city, where people could live according to their conscience. 
The Kariad
Around the Solar Year 7150, the planet Yronwode was visited by humanoid aliens who called themselves ‘the Kariad.’ They promised to bring peace to the planet by arbitrating the disputes between the Midians and Xirong; which they blamed on social and economic inequalities. 
Under the terms of the Kariad Accord, the Redeemers were obliged to give up all property and territory in any land claimed by the Xirong. The Redeemers were pledged to assist in the economic, social, and cultural development of the Xirong. And the Xirong were to be permitted to live on the Midian Peninsula if they so chose. In return, the Xirong agreed to stop attacking. For their part, the Kariad provided both the Redeemers and the Xirong with advanced technology.
Once the Kariad departed, however, the Xirong resumed their internal fighting as well as their attacks against the Redeemers. The most radical among them, the Tsi Bai, vowed to push the Redeemers into the sea and "reclaim" Midian for the Xirong. 
Visit by Pegasus 
The Pathfinder Ship Pegasus arrived in the Yronwode system around the solar year 7220. Its commander was captured by a Xirong Tribe and became their cheiftain. He led a massive attack against Midian. Midian was defended by the recently-appointed Pontifex, who had been the ship's bartender. After an immense battle, the Xirong were defeated. 
Category:Worlds