Den'omu Sector

The Den'omu Sector is a large sector of space in the Skelow Trade Federation. Its coreward, galactic west corner has been the most extensively developed, being nearest the other STF sectors, while the area in the opposite corner of the map--closest to Avart and the Machine Sector--has seen very little development until recently, due to the danger and perceived lack of reward inherent in the Machine Sector. The Den'omu Sector is one sector coreward and galactic west of the Machine Sector, connected on the diagonal and developing largely westward and coreward from there, and is therefore the closest STF sector to Sol. It is one sector rimward of the Verrantin Sector and one sector galactic east of the Skelow Sector.

The space to the galactic east is part of the Dark Reach, which ends theoretically at the beginning of Akeck space, according to reports from the Earth Republic. The Dark Reach east of the Den'omu Sector and coreward of the Machine Sector is largely devoid of stars, making hyperspace treacherous and extremely dangerous. Some remnants of the Machine itself can also be found in this area, pushing into the expanse of the Reach, and even spacefaring Skelow rarely venture there as a result. The region directly rimward of the Den'omu Sector is considered to be the origin point of the disease that decimated the Draor, as well as infested by the Infernal Machine, and hyperspace connections with this area have been intentionally sabotaged, degraded, and allowed to collapse, creating a sort of galactic quarantine. The only reason Avart was built and that tenuous connection with the Machine Sector was maintained is because the STF correctly believed there to be other sentient species on the other side of the Machine.

The Den'omu Sector is named for the Den'omu, a founding people of the STF, whose home star No'mura can be found in this sector in the coreward galactic eastern corner. Due to some similarity between their languages and technologies, the Earth Republic believes there may be old connections--either cultural or biological--between the Den'omu and the Z, likely long before the advent of the Infernal Machine. The Radeit and their home star, Radhos, can also be found in this sector, and the Den'omu have long acted as their preservers and protectors, preventing the push of the Machine into their sector or the greater STF.

The Den'omu are not a highly technological species, but the names of many of the stars in their sector have titles granted to them by the Den'omu, having been used for aquatic navigation by night for thousands of years, and they have asked respectfully that these stars retain their names. They have been rendered as intelligible and legible as possible for humanoid and other species to pronounce by the Skelow, and maps generally present them in this corrupted standardized form. Apostrophes here represent symbols added by the Skelow to signify breaks between concepts.

## Constituent Stars

No'mura: The home star of the Den'omu species. The name means "ocean origin" in the Den'omu language. Like the Skelow, the Den'omu see space as a kind of ocean, and in that ocean, their star is their home.

Lar'resha: A star near No'mura, Lar'resha means "nearby resha." A resha is a species on the Den'omu homeworld that is similar in appearance to a seal, and they gather on exposed rocks near Den'omu homes. This name denotes a friendly feeling toward this star. Den'omu sometimes call a close friend or a good neighbor a lar'resha.

Mar'ima: A mid-sized blue-hued star, the Den'omu have named it "sky-blue bubble." A mar'ima is a bubble seen from below that captures the light and color of the sky in the nearby surface, and it is considered a transitory delight or treasure.

Shee'hesa: This star is home to a non-spacefaring but technologically advanced seal-like species known as the Hesana, and the Den'omu have named their star "home of the Hesana" as a consequence. This species is under the Den'omu's protection and tutelage, and they are treated as their client species by the rest of the Federation. Theirs is a waterworld, and while the Skelow want very much to trade with the Hesana people, they must work through the Den'omu to do so, and are not allowed to set foot on the planet.

Hon'kulae: Used in the southern hemisphere by Den'omu as a guide star during certain parts of the year, Hon'kulae means "light of kulae," kulae being a school of small, delicious fish much enjoyed in the autumn, when this star shows the way east at the horizon.

Mo'anae: A large, crystalline white star easily seen from the Den'omu homeworld, Mo'anae means "glacial beauty." The word "Anae"--beauty in the one widely communicated Den'omu language--was popular for a time on Kalur, and there are many restaurants, bars, salons, and nightclubs featuring this word in Belvar.

Hu'danae: Meaning "call of a danae," the danae being a common seabird on the Den'omu homeworld, this star is often one of the last to be seen in the northern hemisphere in the mornings, as it is extremely large and luminous.

Ro'shee'an: An old red giant with several rocky worlds of great interest for archaeological digs, Ro'shee'an means "treasure ruins of the Syhoii," and is therefore avoided by the Den'omu. The star is part of the Mera asterism, and would otherwise be known as Tan'mera, or "jetty of the bay."

Kor'lana:

Su'mera: Meaning "shallows of the bay," Su'mera is part of the Den'omu asterism Mera, which to their eyes looks like a well-traversed bay on their planet. This bright white main-sequence star is near its apex.

Shor'tanam

Ghen'shela

Ten'delan

Nam'kelar

Mo'esham

Nae'omel

No'tanam:

Radhos/ Shee'radae: The Skelow name for this star is Radhos (Radeit Star), and the Den'omu name is similarly "home of Radeit kind."