Martian Civilization

On the red planet resides one of the oldest strands of the extraterrestrial civilization, born from the ambition of older centuries than any other interplanetary colony. Relics of older times still roam historical sites of the scathed and dusty desert, automatons, and machines probing the ancient soil.

Scattered across the planet are uncounted cradles of colonization, pioneering settlements, and bridgeheads built over centuries. As numerous as they are in number are too their descendants on the Red Wanderer Mars. A hundred lineages of transhuman souls emerged between the icy glaciers of the poles and the boundless canyons of the equatorial region. Surviving in a world dust, where high technology and air are scarce, the denizens of Mars have grown into some of the most resilient survivalists of the Solar System.

## Balance of power

### Red Dragon

Betrayed by their terrestrial patrons of the Central Realm, the Red Dragon spent 119 years slumbering in isolated exile. Their surface cities laid to waste, the erstwhile pioneers of the dragon turned toward the planet, venturing deeper than anyone into the labyrinth of caverns and hollows of Mars.

When the peak of Hadriacus Mons broke and the Dragon rose once more, it did so in a swift and red tide, sweeping across the southern Martian hemisphere within weeks, claiming its cities and territories as its own. Only the forces of Olympus Mons ground the surge of the Dragon to a hold. But even so, the peace is uneasy and the true power of the Dragon remains still untested.

### Olympus Mons

From the peak of the highest mountain sounds a voice of unification.

Beneath the slopes of Olympus Mons, a bond between the oldest martian nations was formed by those who share a common ambition. Their goal, to see the red planet bloom and become the second earth in millennia, fuels their ambition to dominate. By means of trade and war alike, the realms of the mountain seek dominion over all free peoples of the Red Wanderer and will not cease their efforts until Mars is made their utopia.

### Cult of the Red Wanderer

The wanderer cult is widespread among the nomads and merchants of the Martian surface. Its circles encompass high ranking members of all trades and countless cells in the sedentary realms of the red planet.

Whilst word of the cult and the teachings of its preachers are widespread among the peoples of Mars, the high ranking circles of its organization remain elusive to most authorities. The true reach of the Cult is not easily determined, but some whisper the people of the red desert may be united once and for all under its banner.

### Planitia Poleis

Between the rivaling powers of Mars stands the League of Planitia Poleis. In it are united the sovereign cities of red plains, centers of research and commerce, culture and diplomacy.

As the sole mediating force between two great powers, the Planitia Poleis advance their goals by diplomacy and commercial cunning, mastering the Great Games of power. Their ambition above all is to keep the order of their world in balance, brokering peace without ever resolving the smoldering feud.

### Other

Whilst these four great nations and factions of Mars wield power beyond that of all others on the planet, most known throughout the Heliopolis are the peoples of ice, basalt, and dust.

These are the nomadic and sedentary free lineages living on the polar caps, deep in the catacombs of Mars and those that wander the dusty deserts. Great in its number, their populace steadily transforms the planet visibly even from space. Their routes of journey and trade are illuminated by countless wayward stations and cities on the surface.

## Crucibles of civilization

### Crater Domes

Largest among the surface colonies of Mars are the craters sheltered by colonists braving the radiation, dust, and cold of the desert. Domes vaulting over the caldera of ancient impact sites are among the most magnificent features created artificially on the surface. Many such domes are reminiscent of Victorian designs for botanical gardens and give a similar impression from afar. Known as the green oases of Mars, these domes are known throughout the Heliopolis.

### Lava Tube Colonies

Grander and older than surface domes are colonies placed underground in Lava Tubes. The earliest colonies of humanity were placed underground to protect inhabitants from radiation and bring them close to deposits of frozen water.

During later centuries, the Tubes were formed to their greatest glory. Sealed and filled with atmosphere, they form labyrinth gardens of endless greenery, subterranean cities, and fields. Entire nations are placed within these underground vaults and sustain unique and wondrous worlds therein. Buried beneath the red deserts lie these catacombs filled with artificial light and stretch so deep that their full extent is to most souls unknown.

### Martian Cisterns

Much rarer than the Lava Tubes are the Martian Cisterns where once existed the last of the red planet's liquid groundwater. Existing since the days of a Martian surface ocean, enormous grottos and cisterns persist deep beneath the surface and feature some unique geological formations of the solar system. Connected to vast networks of underground caves, the Cisterns can equally house unique habitats just like Lava Tubes. Many, however, have only been discovered and explored much later, making them homes of more extraordinary and smaller cults.

It is said some pioneers ventured so deep into the crust of Mars, that they are entirely disconnected from the outside world and remain as hidden underground lineages far removed from the Heliopolis.

### Yurt Cities

Whilst worlds are built within the planetary crust, some choose to remain on the surface as it was forged by the universe itself. The nomads of the dusty wastes do not lead a sedentary life but are on an endless journey between peaks and valleys, canyons and water reservoirs. Where they halt, cities of tents and yurts are built, vast temporary settlements housing millions, produced and upheld by legions of automatons. The Yurt Cities of mars are legendary symbols of planetary nomads in the Heliopolis and have spawned a unique and thriving culture of their own.

### Wandering Desert Isles

Not all nomadic cities are temporary such as the Yurts. Some persist and move as a whole, on isles making their way through dusty seas. These isles do not wander quickly, but over years make their way kilometers through the basalt and regolith. The wandering cities follow determined pathways along trading routes and landmarks. Wandering desert isles are often compared to living things, creatures roaming the endless Martian desert, carrying with them the souls of humankind on a way to uncertain destinations.

### Glacier Cities

Harsh are the conditions on the Martian poles, where water ice is abundant but living space is scarce. Carved into the glaciers and rock below, cities of the most northern and southern population centers are unique technological endeavors. Crystalline palaces and spires are said to rise over golden and ardent domes, whilst deep within the ice beautiful murals and arcades are carved.

The glacier cities are among the wealthier ones of the planet and their resource deposits have made them often times the victims of proxy wars between the dominating powers. Some cities have therefore banded together to secure their independence and built great fortresses into the ice. These surreal castles and citadels watch over the valuable goods the polar caps have to offer.