Korinth (Terran Planet)

Korinth is a planet located in the Terran system of Al-Fayijah, and is the defacto capital of the system. Korinth is the only populated celestial body in the system, and excluding a few stations and refueling ports, is the only notable population center in the system. Korinth is a highly isolated world, with there being little commercial traffic in the area, and no substantial industry off world. Korinth's population of just over 7 million are employed primarily in Shipbreaking. Korinth has a long history as a ship graveyard, dating back to before the AI rebellion, with both the Terran government and many corporations using the world as a dumping ground for damaged or retired ships. Today most of Korinth's GDP comes from the salvage and sale of these abandoned vessels.

## History

Korinth was first discovered by Terran pre-warp scouts in the year 2280. The first attempt to settle the world was in 2305 after the introduction of the first warp drives. This effort was led by a group colonists from Earth who were seeking relief from the conflicts and over-crowding on the world. These colonists selected Korinth as the world was known to have a human-breathable atmosphere and was classified as habitable by the United Nations Planetary Directory.

Colonization efforts on the world ranged from the first in 2305, up to the 2500's, with several dozen independent expeditions attempting to establish permanent civilization on the world. All of these expeditions encountered difficulty, thanks in large part to the world's lack of surface water, extreme summer temperatures, and hostile native fauna including the Korinth Worm, an invasive species which has since spread across the galaxy. Global population stayed relatively steady in the low hundreds of thousands through the 2500 and 2600's.

During the AI Crisis of the mid 2600-2700's the world became a staging point for the Triple Alliance, which used the world to stage and prepare military assets for containment assaults into the AI Sector. Damaged or otherwise unsuable military hardware was often left abandoned on the world, leading to a decades long build up of scrap metal, and damaged military components across the surface of the world. Following the conclusion of the AI Crisis after the AI Stability Collapse, large volumes of military assets were mothballed on Korinth as a precuationary measure against a resurgent AI threat which never materialized.

    Over the following century and as the Triple Alliance collapsed after the loss of its motivating threat, the population of Korinth began to grow again. Through the mid 2700's and into the present day Korinth's population began to grow off the back of salvage, first driven by the salvage of the vast fleets of mothballed vessels and abandoned wrecks from the AI Crisis, and eventually through the growth of new abandonments. Korinth became a standard dumping ground for both the Terran Navy, as well as for various Mercenary and Mega Corporations which often opt for retired vessels to be cheaply disposed over after critical components are stripped.

Today Korinth has grown to around seven million residents, with the majority of these employed in the shipbreaking industry. Korinth maintains little other industry as the world has few accessible minerals, and is nearly entirely barren of agricultral potential. Merchants from Atlantica and Terra will occasionally visit Korinth, trading food and goods for scrap and components salvaged and often repaired on the world. Korinth is classed as an 'Anarchic' world by the Federation, and has no official police presence. Al-Fayijah system currently has one Delegate who is elected by residents by locally administered elections. Korinth's current representative is Rahel Nozari, a member of the New Republicans.

### Fauna

Korinth has developed several unique species adapted to its harsh biosphere. These include but are not limited to:

**Korinth Worm**

A large carnivorous worm-like creature generally ranging from 1 to 2 meters in length. Korinth Worms have an armored exoskeleton which serves to protect them from predation by the small fauna native to Korinth. Generally considered an Apex predator on their homeworld, the Korinth worm hunts by stalking in shaded or otherwise hard to see locations in the deserts of Korinth.

**Thorn-Tail**

A large armored mamal, similar in appearance to an armadillo. The Torn-Tail is a herbivore eating primarily grasses, moss, and small shrubs which grow in the rockier climates of the world. The Thorn-tail's name derives from a series of spikes which run down its shell, and protect it against its natural predators, including the Korinth Worm.

**Sand Rat**

A small mamal rat, not native to the world but descendant from stow-aways aboard the original colony ships to arrive on the world. These rats have evolved thin, mattier fur than their ancestors, and have exceptionally good burrowing abilities. They typically eat small bugs or plants in both the rocky and sandy parts of the world. Sand Rats burrow underground, often several meters deep, and create nests there where water can be found.

**Rock Skink**

Reptilian animals, similar to small Lizards native to earth. As their name implies, Rock Skink live primarily in the rocky sections of the world, though some have migrated to the planetary wreck sites. They are carnivores with a diet of primarily insects, but have also been known to eat Sand Rats and other small animals.

## Geography

Korinth consists almost entirely of deserts, with large rocky outcroppings often surrounded by large seas of sand dunes. Surface water on the world is exceptionally rare, with only a few major oases scattered across the world, often forming the basis of major communities. Travel between cities can be challenging, as the establishment of permanent roads can be virtually impossible when combatting the ever shifting dunes. Further the extreme heats experienced during the world's summers in addition to scarce water or shade can make hard labor during the daytime exceptionally hazardous.

### Wreckage Clusters

One of the major biomes of Korinth are the wreckage clusters. Collections of abandoned or scuttled ships. These clusters tend to run along the equator of the planet. Terran law stipulates that atmospheric scuttling must occur in designated 'dumping sites' on world's where the practice is legal. Korinth has six of these sites, each located aproximately equidistantly across the world's equator. These sites are where the majority of wrecks may be found. Wreckage has built up over half a millennia meaning the surface is often covered by several layers of wreckages or ships, and is often virtually pitch black.

These clusters are extremely dangerous even for locals experienced with working in them. Hazards can include jagged metal which may cut or stab workers who are not careful around it. Unstable footing and surfaces are another common hazard, as damaged floors and ceilings may give way under pressure. Further wrecks may rest precariously atop others, and substantial disruptions may cause entire sections of wreckage or ships to collapse down to lower levels.

Finally local fauna, especially the infamous Korinth Worm, have moved into the wreckage clusters. The Korinth Worm in particular spends much of its life-cycle living underground. The multi-layer deep wreckage sites may simulate the sensation of living in the many caves deep beneath the world, and thus are an attractive site for these predators. Local workers may be attacked or even killed by adolescent or adult worms who view the laborers as a potential food source.

### Urban

Korinthene communities tend to be settled near to oases, or on top of the world's scarce aquifers. Major settlements on Korinth fall into one of two categories, the first being "Settlements", large conglomerations of often hundreds or thousands of people. Settlements on Korinth typically exist for the purpose of supporting the shipbreaking industry, with local jobs often including mechanics who repair tools or components removed from wrecks. Additional jobs can include tool makers, vehicle mechanics, bar keepers, and surgeons.

The second major type of community found on Korinth are "Work Camps". Since most wrecks tend to be extremely hazardous environments, highly polluted, and far away from water sources new settlements are often build near major wreckages clusters. These camps are differentiated from the major settlements by the transient nature of their populations. Individuals living in work camps often do not live there year round, with most being workers from near by settlements who live and work out of the camps in weeks or months long shifts. These camps also provide services for their workers, but at typically higher prices and lower quality. Local services include rooms for rent (Though often small, shared, and low quality), repair services for damaged salvage tools, workers bars, and basic medical services. Work Camps are often makeshift communities built out of the wreckages themselves, and typically move through the cluster year by year, which new camps being set up near fresher wrecks.

## Government & Culture

As Korinth is an anarchic world it has no top level government. Generally Korinthene communities are organized around a local mayor or sherrif, who are responsible for keeping the peace in their communties. In Work Camps local Foremen and Security Officers govern their work camps and ensure that violence does not impede local work efforts. However the vast majority of the world -- including wreckage clusters -- are ungoverned, and violence is common outside of major communities. Violence is particularly common in Wreckage Clusters, where law enforcement generally only applies within Camps and against existential threats to the work site. Shipbreakers compete for prime picks, and this competition can often lead to violence between break-crews.