Xenosea

## Geographical

   Xenosea is a small icy moon of a gas giant in the Ealam Jadid system, located around 30 lightyears away from earth. The moon is entirely covered in ice, with a rocky core. Tidal heating keeps the inner core molten, releasing enough heat to keep liquid water in a layer surrounding the core. This liquid layer is host to a variety of alien life, as well as the human colonists.

### Ice Crust

The moon is entirely covered by an icy crust. This varies in thickness from dozens of meters along the equator, to kilometers at the poles. Modern humanity is restricted to the sea that exists around the equator beneath the ice crust. Even along the equator however, there are rises in the seafloor and mountains that reach up into the icy crust, forming an impassible barrier.

### Depth Levels

Xenosea is a small moon, and the water pressure is correspondingly weaker at depth. Even so humans are limited into how deep they can travel. The typical human exists in an environment similar to a saturation diver on earth, breathing a helium-oxygen mixture instead of the nitrogen-oxygen of Earth's atmosphere. Combined with the lower surface gravity, this allows trained divers to operate at depths of up to 2,500 meters. Most divers wear armored diving suits, however, which allow operation at depths up to 5,000 meters. Human habitation is effectively impossible below that depth, but typical submarines can operate down to 8,000 meters without risking implosion.

### Biomes

There are five major biome types on Xenosea, determined by the local pseudoflora and fauna.

#### Ice

Shown in light blue on the above map, the ice biome is a catchall for areas where there is no liquid water, either due to the ice crust reaching down to the seafloor (such as at the poles), or due to the seafloor rising up into the ice crust (such as around mountains).

#### Barren Dunes

Shown in tan on the above map, the barren dunes are mostly lifeless. They lack enough nutrients to support stable populations of life. Typically the only creatures seen are passing through on their way to other biomes.

#### Plains

Shown in light green on the above map, plains are areas of low bio activity. Scavengers feed on the scraps of nutrients flowing in from more lively areas, while more cautious and sedentary life forms enjoy the reduced risk of predation.

#### Pseudokelp Forests

Shown in dark green on the map, these are forests dominated by Pseudokelp and other pseudoflora feeding on plentiful nutrients drifting from the smokers and reefs. They are quite full of life, with some animals feeding off of the pseudoflora, others using it to hide, and yet others actively hunting.

#### Reefs

Shown in pink on the map above, reefs are concentrated areas of life directly down current from the smokers. Here the water is rich in chemicals, nutrients, and autotrophs. Hardy filter feeders scoop a veritable feast out of the water, but many creatures find it too acidic for them.

#### Smokers

Shown in red on the map, the smokers are the cornerstone of xenosea ecology. Here plumes of chemically rich water pour out of the ground, powered by tidal heating on the moon itself. The water is quite toxic to most life this close to the smokers, but several varieties of small autotrophs thrive here. These autotrophs are the base of the food web, as currents blow many of them away from the smokers to become food in the reefs and forests.

## Political

Human society in Xenosea is largely grouped into four large political groups called the Colonies. Each colony can largely trace it's culture and heritage back to a nation on Earth that sponsored one of the original colony ships. A small population lives outside of these colonies.

### Hudson Republic

The Hudson Republic is a federal republic formed by the union of five stations at can trace their heritage back to the Greater Canadian Union on old Earth. Each colony has a large amount of individual sovereignty, with the Republic as a whole being largely concerned with interstation commerce and foreign relations.

Hudson is mostly Redeemist, and historically has close ties with Scandav.

### Scandav

Scandav is a corporate republic that can trace it's heritage back to the Scandinavian Union on old Earth. Voting shares in the colony are held by the wealthiest citizens who typically also operate the colony's major corporations. In Scandav profit is king, and everything is privatized.

Hudson is mostly non religious, and historically has close ties with Hudson.

### Novarus

Novarus descends from neo-imperialist Russia on old Earth. It's an imperial autocracy, with a heavy emphasis on serving the state and the emperor. Novarus is bordered by both Scandav and the Hudson Republic, who have historically limited Novarus's options for expansion, as such there is a long history of conflict with it's neighbors.

Novarus is mostly Havenite.

### The Principalities

The principalities are a pair of very similar princedoms located far to the west of the other Colonies. They are both monarchies descended from the Antarctic commonwealth. Both principalities are Havenite, with a strong religious component to everyday life.

#### Merek Principality

The Merek Principality is the more industrial of the two, and exports raw materials to the Colonies.

#### Falseem Principality

The Falseem Principality operates in a legal grey area. Being so distant from the prying eyes of the Colonies, Falseem offers a safe haven to smugglers, pirates, and rebels of all description.

### Major Non Colonial Entities

#### Baryth Principality

Baryth can be traced back to the Antarctic Commonwealth like the other two Principalities, and was even once coutned among them. However their Redeemist faith caused friction with the others, coming to a head in the late fifth century when Baryth was expelled from the principalities as part of the Great War.

Since then they've operated in the shadows and become one of the most powerful criminal entities in Xenosea.

#### Gennis

Gennis is a small nation situated between Novarus and Scandav. It's what remains of the Redeemist Crusade of the early seventh century. Gennis is largely disliked by it's neighbors, but has amicable relations with their fellow redeemists in Hudson. Hudson not only trades with Gennis, but likes to route clandestine supplies to Novarussian rebels through Gennis.

#### The Sherrifs

The sherrifs are an extracolonial group of bounty hunters, dedicated to combatting the rise in piracy following the devastation of the Great War and Redeemist Crusade. They have offices on most civilized stations, and even a few independent fortresses in the unclaimed regions.

#### Seekers

The Seekers are a fringe group of Havenites who believe that God physically exists on Xenosea, and can be down if humand venture deep enough into the crushing ocean depths. They've been accused of several terrorist attacks in the past, and are generally considered criminals in Colonial territory.

#### Independent Miners Union

The Independent Miners Union is a loosely affiliated group of freelance miners operating in the unclaimed regions. They work together to keep safe from pirate attacks, and ensure safe delivery of rare minerals to the colonies.

#### Freeholds

The Freeholds are free spirited independents who, for a variety of reasons, have chosen to live outside of the colonies. They operate several independent stations open to any visitors. They don't care much for colonial laws, only that the freeholds remain safe and free.