New Serpentum

" *The brightest bastion of hope in the northern regions, it stands as the Imperium's most gilded, most regal realm. A planet of undefinable beauty*."-Grand Inquisitor Krieg

## Description

New Serpentum is a planet located in the Imperium sector near the edge of the outer rim of the northern edge of the galaxy.Before the arrival of the Varanus worldship it used to be a lush forest world frequented by pirates and smugglers. Today it's a terrestrial world filled with lush jungles on the northern and southern polar ends with a vast desert on the equator and a large saltwater ocean that makes up most of the tropical coastlines where the population resides.

New Serpentum is the adopted homeworld of the Varanus and the capital world of the Serpentum Imperium,being the hub of power for the Imperos and the Imperial Court who rule from the halls of the Eternal Eyrie in New Serpentum City.

## Inhabitants

"*Living in the capital is great,as long as you are a citizen*."-Unknown trader on the strict citizenship laws on the planet.

The cradle of Varanus civilization and housing the majority of their race within the confines of the city sprawl in massive districts that extend vertically below and above ground. Many other species do make their home here usually residing within the Nuvarr District built to originally house refugees during the Helix War many of whom conformed to the ruling Varanus culture or the mainstream Imperial way of life. Today however any culture that does not undermine another or the rulings of the state is freely practiced and often intermingled with that of the Varanus. Many 'Throneworlders' tend to be wealthier then other Imperials as many positions of civil importance is situated on the planet,while this is not true in every case it would seem to be the status quo.

The Imperium being a stratified society has this reflected into the design of the capital city with the rich and powerful usually nobility and political figures situated in the upper districts closest to the Eyrie,living in lavish homes adorned with treasures of material or spiritual wealth. The majority of the citizenry live across the various districts usually working in administration,trade or in the military and going about their lives enjoying the fruits of the empire's labours. It is extremely difficult to secure permanent residence if you are neither Varanus nor born on the planet by a family of other racials. Serpentum City has strict population control laws to maintain the local ecosystem between the expansion of the city,as not to damage the fragile terraforming process that was partially completed during the Helix War. Because of this many of the lower castes of the Imperium do not reside on the planet itself but rather are redistributed to colonies across the empire where their hard labours in securing the planet would yield them a place in higher society. The only low caste that reside on the planet are the domestic slaves of the nobility.

"*The City must remain a jewel in the galaxy,it shall not suffer the same footfalls as that of cities across the galaxy. For if it does,what jewel would have worth*?"-High Governor Julian Alexiad

The citizens on New Serpentum enjoy high degrees of social autonomy,with the responsibilities of their careers and the status of being Throneworlders usually in careful balance. And much in contrast to what many of the lower castes believe,the high nobility are also trapped in the constant struggles of power between the rival houses. Many nobles at birth are groomed for their positions,their personal dreams and ambitions tend to fall short the closer they are to the succession line of their house,only few can find the opening to pursue personal desires over that of their bloodline. The same tends to fall for the military families who provide generation after generation of soldiers to the Imperium's armies,most if not all volunteers wishing to uphold that family pride.

## History

Before the arrival of the Varanus the planet was an uncolonized alpine world with vast forests inhabited by non-sentient anthropoids.

The arrival of the Varanus and their uncontrolled collision into the planet with such force that it ignited the planet's biosphere turning the once lush forests into ashen waste. The planet's new inhabitants would struggle to merely survive in the barren desert wastelands they now knew as home,forming militias to defend against extraterrestrial threats that sought to take advantage of this crippled race. Using their fallen worldship they eventually terraformed the atmosphere and climate to be habitable and slowly began to construct a city around the fallen worldship they now called the 'Ceaseless Citadel',under the stern leadership of their Emperor they would push to rebuild their civilization and even prosper and progress back to the Space Age in the span of 50 years using the vast and untouched mineral wealth the planet possessed.

From that day New Serpentum remained the administrative seat of the Imperium and housed the Emperor and the high nobility all centralized in the singular city surrounding the Citadel with nothing but a few scattered fortresses in the surrounding wastes to ensure their safety from potential invasion. However all this changed in the Helix War as the planet was invaded and the Varanus who did not flee were slaughtered. The planet was brought under control of Helix who constructed spiraling factories in the ruins of the great city,recycling the debris and minerals left behind to feed the machine hordes it manufactured. It was retaken months later by an allied force of the Varanus,former Reich,Blackguard Mercenaries,Clan Kyodain and the remains of the Immortals who all later reformed into the Imperium that exists today. It became the forward operating base for a major offensive by the allied forces against Helix and was partially terraformed during the late periods of the war proving to the galaxy the might of the new Imperium to prosper even under the threat of extinction.

Today the planet remains the seat of power for the Imperium and arguably the political hub of the northern part of the galaxy.

## Flora & Fauna

As part of the active terraforming project the planet hosts a diverse range of flora and fauna re-engineered from samples of their former homeworld kept stored by the Varanus and introduced to populate the planet and form a ecosystem that is somewhat functional to the past.

The planetary flora is rich in ephiphytes,miliaceae and other tropical tree subfamilies that grow in the lush tropical coasts and jungles on the planet. The largest of these jungles {Juvian Jungle} is largely uncolonized save for the few Imperial watch posts placed for security within the untamed green. The jungle itself is also home to the largest collection of non-sentient life on the planet and is routinely protected by the state to prevent poaching and unsanctioned hunting from interfering with the delicate balance of the ecosystem. Many found guilty of these crimes are often stripped of their legal rights and forced into penal conscription or slavery.

The Citadel badlands is a vast desert that contains the ruins of the fallen worldship and the old city that surrounds it. There is almost no floral life in the badlands and the few creatures that thrive here are predators that feed on the creatures that travel across it to reach the other jungles or few water holes scattered around the wastes. The Kervexian Desert Wyrm and feral packs of Isonade hounds make their home here in the dusty sands of the badlands.

The Ebo'var Ashlands make up the weakest fault of the planet which was created when the worldship crashed into the planet. Despite the danger of hot molten magma oozing in lava lakes across the ashlands this biome is relatively safe as very little fauna thrive here,the only thing that thrives here are the Covelain Pod that feeds from the mineral rich soot and can survive without water for days.Water arrives here usually from brief rainfall that passes over from the tropical biomes and mountain ranges surrounding it.

## Locations

* Serpentum City/Throne City/The Capital/Sser'Ondra:

Serpentum City is the capital city and only significant metropolis on the planet,seat of the Imperial throne and home of the Varanus. Known by Imperials as the Capital and by outsiders as Serpentum City or simply the Throne City.

The 25 711 square kilometer city itself is considered a megalopolis divided into city-wide districts which is administered by several district mayors under the High Governor who in turn is appointed by the civil administration at behest of the crown. The city like many major settlements in the Imperium the city is designed vertically and reflects the stratified society of the empire by having the districts divided by platforms that sometimes double as buildings themselves.

The Upper platforms hold the administrative buildings and noble estates throughout the districts. Among these buildings are vast gardens and parks open to the entire city. It contains many towering structures that reach into the clouds above,it houses the upper class and upper middle class of the citizen caste and the entirety of the nobility present on the planet.

The Surface holds most of the residential and commercial buildings placed around open plazas traversed through foot and civilian aircraft. It is littered with statues and monuments showcasing the Imperium's history and might. It is where most of the citizenry practice their craft and enjoy recreational activities with friends and family,it is also the only district platform open to outside visitors and even then it is mostly restricted to tourism centers throughout the open commercial zones.

The Undercity contains the industry sectors of the planet with factories and other vital aspects of the city infrastructure such as the sewage treatment plants and massive reactors that harvest magnetic energy to power the hungry city. It is restricted mainly to the craftsman who practice their professions there and the occasional menial slave force sent in to do labour tasks should the automated systems of the undercity under-perform to projected quotas.Unlike Alitur the undercity of the capital remains a industry hub without containing criminal elements and the less fortunate mainly due to the strict deportation of such elements to other worlds.

The city is mainly traversed via the public Kurr-Rail tram system that connects the city districts and the outer settlements across the planet and through aircraft/starships.

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