Hailstorm

**Hailstorm** was an arctic, planetary penal colony in the Cassiopeia Galaxy that was subject to the sovereignty of Borealis. The planet was nearly completely populated by convicts under Borealan law, save for the planet's Sentinel.

## Description

A frozen terrestrial planet, Hailstorm was situated in the Ice Quartz Sector within the Outer Core region of the galaxy. Hailstorm was a planet in the Hailstorm System, which contained a star that Hailstorm orbited at quite a distance, explaining the planet's cold temperatures. Further out in the Hailstorm System was planet Graupel, an ice giant with several rocky moons.

Hailstorm had no known flora or fauna because of its freezing climate. The entire planet was blanketed in ice and snow, ranging from vast frozen plains to mountains that reached beyond the clouds. There existed no settlements on the planet, save for a single building: Hailstorm Prison, operated by a Borealan Noble House, House Sauler, under the unofficial order and jurisdiction of House Stone.

## History

c. 5897 ASA, Hailstorm was colonized and utilized by the Borealans as a remote penal colony for their political prisoners. The planet achieved its first Sentinel, Herman Sauler, after reaching a prison population of one million. As Sentinel of Hailstorm and Lord of House Sauler, Herman Sauler also served as the warden of Hailstorm Prison. He remained in this position for many decades, at least by the year 5957 ASA.

In the year 5947 ASA, an elaborate scheme conducted by House Stone and its political allies forced the noble House Lafayette into imprisonment. These prisoners included the patriarch and matriarch of the noble house, Alden and Marie Lafayette, along with the remainder of the clan. The only members of House Lafayette who were not imprisoned were Agatha and Horace Lafayette, who were the parents of Alden that lived safely away from Borealis on the planet Cassiopeia Prime, and Amber Lafayette, the only daughter of Alden and Marie who managed to flee Borealis during the time of arrest and found safety with her grandparents.

### Drazarian Attack

In the year 5957 ASA, Drazarian forces launched an assault on the planet Hailstorm. This attack was conducted after tensions regarding the disputed New Augustine colony between the Drazarian Empire and the Borealan Aristocracy, and was only fueled by the presence of captured Drazarians who were being held as prisoners on Hailstorm. The atmosphere and the nearby space surrounding Hailstorm was lit up by bright lights as a sign of a great battle between the opposing forces.

A small band of freedom fighters known as the Dawns used this assault from the Drazarian Empire as a cover to infiltrate Hailstorm Prison. Amber Lafayette, the daughter of the imprisoned Lafayette Lord and Lady, was a member of the Dawns. Amber was determined to free House Lafayette after their wrongful imprisonment for a decade.

## Inhabitants

The inhabitants of Hailstorm consisted only of two distinct groups: the hundreds of thousands of prisoners kept at Hailstorm Prison who made up the overwhelming majority of the population, and members of House Sauler and their close associates that made up the minority of the population.

## Locations

### Hailstorm Prison

**Hailstorm Prison** was a massive penal colony built by the Borealans to house prisoners deemed high-priority criminals by the Borealan Aristocracy. The prison held an outrageous 1,000,000 prisoners at any given time, which was enough to grant the planet a Sentinel; Herman Sauler, the warden of Hailstorm Prison and Lord of House Sauler.