El-Kera

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El-Kera is a habitable planet located in the El system, deep within the Ele Dominion. It serves as the territory's capital world. The diffuse and decentralised nature of the Ele Metanation is such that the concept of a capital world carries less weight than it would to the Coreworlds Conglomerate or the Empire of the Queil. El-Kera's capital designation appears to largely be for the benefit of outsiders, in the context of political negotiations and astrographical charts. El-Kera is also believed to be the original homeworld of the Ele species. Within the thought-space of the Metanation, El-Kera manifests as a bright, star-like knot of thought-threads.

Orbiting the star El, El-Kera is characterised by a warm, temperate climate, iron-rich red soil, deep freshwater lakes to the north and south, and abundant flora and fauna, including tall trees approximating the height of skyscrapers found on Aglostarros. Nere trees are common to El-Kera, believed to be an invasive species introduced from elsewhere in the Dominion centuries ago, and can be found in particular abundance in a region known as the Greyghost Marches. The picking of nere tree leaves for tea and perfume is a common pastime in El-Kera, though the plant's abundance means that traditional farming methods are unnecessary to its cultivation.

The main population centre is the city of Korus; outside the city walls, the planet is sparsely populated. Most citizens of El-Kera live in apartments with a close community of neighbours, and some apartments include small courtyards. Most local areas are also served by venues dedicated to hosting the Feast of Elforsht, like the Elorra Banquet Hall. Korus also hosts the Ele Congregate, the nominal government of the Dominion in large-scale or interstellar matters, in its own bespoke Halls.

One unusual feature of El-Kera is a series of towering, featureless obelisks apparently made from a similar opaque, glass-like material to the masks of the Ele. These obelisks have a circumference akin to a standard colony habitat, but are taller than El-Kera's already towering trees. The obelisks have no windows, doors, lights, moving parts or visible circuitry. Former Aglostarros University Museum Curator Endelle Stroth speculated that these structures may be an integral part of the infrastructure of the Ele Metanation, perhaps as data storage or transmitters. She hoped to have the chance to research the obelisks further, despite ambassador El-Deen's warnings that to approach them is forbidden.

Early in the year 2270, after being apprehended at the border of the Ele Dominion, bounty hunter Tren Krellos and Stroth were transported to El-Kera aboard the starship 'Arrowhead'. While travelling together, Krellos agreed not to pursue his contract on Stroth until after whatever was set to transpire on El-Kera.

Stroth did feel notably different when setting foot on El-Kera, though it was difficult to say in what way. After about one week of living on the planet, she reported that routine life there seemed surprisingly "normal", albeit with a greater sense of community. This lifestyle included regular communal meals and the sharing of goods and labour in place of currency and commerce. She became closely integrated into the community of her apartment building, and used her personal memories and connections among her neighbours to travel instantaneously back to El-Kera via thought-threads, from the planetoid El-Phyyr.

When one of Project Centennial's Centurions was captured by an Ele Excision Team on the conservation world El-Saire, it was brought back to El-Kera for further study.