Cara

## Planet Overview

The planet Cara has a very thick atmosphere that is very oxygen rich. Cara is a temperate planet and is very habitatable . It orbits a pair of two stars that are super close together. One star is much larger and is blue, the other is dimmer and red. Because both stars and the planet orbit on the same plane, the stars eclipse each other seasonally, and therefore cause changes in temperature and sky color. The sky changes color from light blue when the large star is visible, to white when both are visible, to light orange when the small star is most visible then back to white. The seasons would each have a name. Han for the blue season, Hut for the white inter season and Hetch for the orange season. Cara has two small moons, each roughly 50 miles in diameter that orbit the planet.

## Akani

#### Overview

Along the coast of Cara’s more tropical areas there is a region called Akani that relies on fishing, ocean farming, and nautical navigation and engineering for its economy. This region is located in a low lying and tropical coastal area. Almost 95% of the population lives within 5 miles of the coast. The region has a rough population of 650 million people, and is an independent nation from the rest of the planet. The region relies heavily on its fishing and shipping industries. There are several sea and space ports dotted around the region.

#### Minona

The largest city, Minona has a population of 23 million people, and is home to the largest sea and space ports on the planet. This city is home to Minona Harbor, and much of the goods that go to the interior cities flow through there. The space and sea shipping industries make up most of the city's GDP, but Minona is also home to a thriving tech center. There are several schools dedicated to nautical and maritime technology and travel. Many of the students who graduate from these schools either work in the local ports and ships, or go to another planet for several years before returning. Minonian captains employ special techniques to keep shipping costs as low as possible, and are employed all across the galaxy. While the city is mostly populated by native Akanians, there is a diaspora community of Kaskichians who have fled the Kasui Desert. Although many Kaskichians have been living there for generations, and the community was founded 500 years ago, they experience lots of prejudice from the Akanians. Kaskichians are often regarded as second class citizens, and don’t have equal representation in the government, which leads to their oppression.

#### Ashel Castle

Ashel Castle is a large casino located just off the coast of Akani. The castle was built on an island 1200 meters off the coast. It is surrounded by an outer wall, and inside the wall there is an array of domed towers, small buildings, and colorful gardens with a domed building in the center. All of the buildings are constructed of white hand carved marble, white stucco, and blue domed roofs. The marble is very intricately carved, and there are many statues that dot the gardens, most statues are carved of red marble quarried from the Karst. Inside the walls there is an assortment of expensive hotels, expensive restaurants, and casinos. The restaurants all serve expensive delicacies such as lupine. The central dome houses a theater where shows are performed, and there is also a small space port for shuttling VIP members in and out of the castle. The castle is very technologically advanced, and uses expensive and advanced technology to do everything. It is also staffed by thousands of servants who cater to the needs of the guests. Both of these factors have resulted in Ashel Castle being considered the pinnacle of luxury throughout the galaxy. While the guests of the castle live in the highest luxury, the workers and servants are slaves who work in horrid conditions. Ashel Castle is owned by Darkan Conchsworth, a man who is incredibly wealthy, and is the lead of a large ring of illegal and unethical business. The castle is used as a base of operations for the people involved, and a lot of human and drug trafficking flows through the castle.

#### Flora and Fauna of Akani

Much of the land in this region is either swampy wetlands, or low lying plains. Along the coast, farmers cultivate the wetlands and marshes by creating shallow pools, often no deeper than two feet. These pools grow a fast growing cereal crop that grows in stalks. At the top of each stalk is one large circular leaf, and the seeds for the plant are attached to the stem underwater. The seeds are stripped from the plant, then ground to flour and baked into a flatbread. There is a type of mammal called an aukkard that lives in the wetlands. Aukkards are raised as livestock that grazes in shallow beds of reeds. They have 4 long skinny legs that blend in perfectly with plantlife when seen from the water. They have round fat bodies that are eaten for meat. Their necks are long, and positioned in a way so their heads are almost always under the water, grazing for food.

## Kasui Desert

#### Overview

here is a massive empty desert located just north of the equator called the Kasui Desert. It is primarily composed of large baren sand dunes with the occasional dry shub. The sands are an orange red color from the iron in them. About 500 years ago the desert was a large plain, but wind currents shifted and stopped bringing rains to the land. There are a few scattered buildings and tree trunks that have long since been abandoned. The city of Kaskichti used to house 2.5 million, but now only holds 20 thousand. The existing buildings are all made of stone, and the rest have crumbled. At the center there’s a large stone temple that used to be the center of worship and government. The entire city is now covered in a thick layer of dust from a lack of upkeep, and some buildings are almost entirely covered by sand that has been blown from sandstorms. Many of the Kaskichtians have fled to Akani, and most have ended up in Minona.

#### Flora and Fauna of the Kasui Desert

An extinct species of grass called Uthingark used to populate the plains. This grass picked up the vast iron ore deposits situated under the desert, and almost shined a silvery color because of it. There was once a species of animal called Mumingark that roamed the plains. They resembled large armadillos and had very hard shells that were partially infused with iron. They were herbivores that roamed and ate the grass on the plains. They lived for hundreds of years, some were as old as 700, and grew 30-40 feet long and 15-20 feet high. As the rains stopped falling and the grasses died, all of these creatures died off. They are now an extinct species, but their shells still dot the deserts, and many thousands are scattered across the continent.

## The Karst

#### Overview

There is a mountainous biome composed primarily of limestone karst formations known simply as “The Karst” to the people of Cara. There are many tall vertical cliff faces along the Karst. Streaks of red marble are laid within the tall spires and cliff faces. On top of the mountains and cliffs there are plants with colorful leaves that change each season, since it will be on the planet Urnth. The leaves change color to absorb the most amount of light each season. The whole biome is regarded as incredibly beautiful and colorful between the marble, plants and the sky. The biome has a central valley where the cliffs are highest, but still encompasses many miles of mountains. The central valley has a river running through it, and at one point there is a sharp bend in the river with a marble spire in the center. This spire has been carved into a statue by the Bhukali called The Statue of Thaksin. The statue was carved thousands of years ago by the ancient people living there, and is still worshiped by Bhukali today. The statue in the Karst is a statue of Thaksin the Warrior. He led and defended the Bhukali during the region's fight for independence against the Ancient Empire. He is depicted as holding a spear and commanding an army of nuks in the statue. Around the warriors statue is the largest city in the Karst, called Khong City. The city is a holy city for the Bhukali, and where the leaders of the region live.

#### The Bhukali

The Bhukali peoples of the Karst have their own distinctive culture and language from the rest of the planet. They live in small villages built into the side of cliffs. There are several small villages scattered around, and the biggest is built around the statue. The Bhukali mostly practice subsistence agriculture and don’t manufacture any goods. The Bhukali people harvest dkhimi as their staple crop. It grows as a vine on vertical cliff faces and grows massive yellow flowers that are picked and eaten. The yellow flowers have 5 thick petals and grow to be 1.5 feet in diameter. They are often served in a stew. The vines also change color seasonally with the plants on the mountain top. Because transportation and mobility are so limited, the Bhukali use a complex system of ropes and zip lines to move around. They have also domesticated a large species of bird called a nuk, and use it to carry cargo. Nuks have massive black wings with orange tips. They have a wingspan of about 15 feet. Sometimes, 8-10 nuks are harnessed together and hooked to a small carriage that is capable of lifting people. This method of travel is often restricted for the leader of the native peoples empire. The traditional clothing the Bhukali wear is white long baggy pants with a big yellow belt, and no shirt. Men wear bands around their arms woven from orange feathers that have been stripped.

In recent times, rich modern people have heard of the beauty of the Karst and now visit it as a tourist destination. Many of the Bhukali are happy because of the new influx of money that allowed them to install electricity and plumbing in some places, but others fear the destruction of their culture and landscape. This has become a conflict in recent years, as the traditionalist views of some clash with the new progressive ideals of the younger population.

## Naden

#### Overview

The largest nation on Cara by population is the nation of Naden. The cities of Naden are very densely populated and are mostly composed of slums. The largest city, Hanite, has a population of over 60 million people. Most Nadians are poor, but there is a small population of upper class people who live comfortably. A large river runs through most of the country and is used to connect places through trade.

#### Arkadia

In the interior of Naden there is a moderately large city named Arkadia. Arkadia produces almost all of the entertainment for Cara, and has the most amount of celebrities by far. The inner city is where most things are produced. Filming, recording, and editing of media happens in massive offices located downtown. Massive gleaming skyscrapers hold giant artificial sets and massive teams for filming and editing. On the city fringe, and in some small alleyways poverty is rampant. While the downtown region of the city is rich and prosperous, the rest of the city lives in poor conditions. City planners often design things to disadvantage the poor and keep them out of the nice downtown areas. Many of the wealthy and powerful people who live in the inner city are notoriously corrupt. They engage in shady business for the sake of growing wealth, and often embezzle and steal millions of taxpayer dollars and steal from the masses of Naden. There is a ring of drug and sex trafficing among the higher-ups and many are directly connected to Ashel Castle.

## Groups in Space

#### CIMC

A significant sector of Cara’s economy comes from the Cara Interplanetary Mining Corporation, or CIMC for short. The company specializes in the mining of medium sized asteroids that are primarily composed of expensive transition metals. CIMC is able to mine and transport massive quantities of metal at only a fraction of a price if they were mined on the planet. Because of this, CIMC is one of the largest companies on Cara, and has a monopoly on asteroid mining in Cara’s star system. While some of the metals stay on Cara, about 75% are shipped to other planets. CIMC has considerable power over the Akanian government as CIMC is able to pay massive bribes. All of the metals are flown to and processed at a massive space station orbiting Cara. The CIMC space station is massive and over 6 thousand workers live there. The station has the capability of processing 2 medium sized asteroids a day, and exports massive amounts of metal. The station is incredibly efficient and this ensures metals are sold at incredibly cheap prices.

#### Edenson University

There is a prodigious school that is extremely good in academics, but has a very expensive tuition called Edenson University. It’s a giant space station that orbits Cara. Despite the fact that artificial gravity wells are widely available, Edenson University has huge sections that rotate to create artificial gravity to better suit people’s needs, but plenty of sections aren’t spinning, so to move between places you pass between places with and without gravity. It was built this way to give the feeling of being in space. It was founded by an egotistical billionaire named Patrick Baron Edenson, or P.B. Edenson for short. This university was his vision, and he funded it entirely with his own money, and build it to his liking. Because a space station is incredibly expensive to maintain they manufacture and sell a bunch of really expensive materials that are made in labs such as clocks, mekanous shells, and carbon nanotubes. The school is home to the greatest sports team in the galaxy who is practically unrivaled.