The Desdaemona System

[ThePenitentOne]

When I began work on the Chronicles of Saint Katherine's Aegis, I planned for the action to take place on a single planet. As I started trying to write background, however, I discovered how hard it is to write about a planet in isolation. I started thinking about other planets in the system as sources for additional story ideas and bases of operations for factions who would have periodic intersections with the main action of the campaign.

What follows is the Desdaemona System, which was developed using the rules found in Size, Scope and Building a Star System.

I have arranged the elements of the system from the closest to the sun to the most distant, rather than the order in which they were randomly generated, ensuring that heavily populated worlds found themselves at an appropriate distance from the sun to support human life, whereas research stations and mines can afford to rely on small populations relying on life support systems further into the void.

 

Maryllion's Hammer- Mining World

• Diplomacy: 3
• Military: 4
• Resources, Resources, Community, Industry
• Biomass 6 (3D3), Resistance: 2

This planet is too hot and the atmosphere too thin to support human life, but it is a haven for rare minerals; there are exposed lakes of molten magma all over the rocky surface of the planet and and sealed STC habitation, processing and extraction units are required to maintain mining operations. The planet has small numbers of Guard Equivalent military forces, possibly a Votann enclave. 

 

Orison's Wake- Agriworld

• Diplomacy: 2
• Military: 3
• Resources, Resources, Religion, Religion
• Biomass 7 (3D3), Resistance: 3

This is the primary setting for the action of the campaign, so I played with it a bit, modifying some of it's characteristics to account for the high concentration of Adeptus Sororitas forces on the planet. In addition to being the world that provides critical support to the rest of the system, this planet is home to the Chapel of Saint Katherine's Aegis- a Holy site consecrated by Katherine herself in the Age of Apostasy. 

 

The Consecration Crusade: Fleet Installation

• Diplomacy: 5
• Military: 5
• Industry, Industry, Military, Religion
• Biomass: 2, Resistance: 6 (3D3)

This fleet is divided, with half orbiting Orison's Wake and half orbiting the Military Base at Sycorax Delta. Both halves of the fleet consist of both Warships and Commercial vessels, as well as defense array platforms, communication relays and dock and repair facilities.

 

Sycorax Delta: Military Base

• Diplomacy: 4
• Military: 6
• Military, Military, Politics, Resources
• Biomass:  2 (D3), Resistance: 5 (D6)

Sycorax delta is the Moon of Miranda Regent, the political center of the Desdaemona system. This small moon is a heavily fortified hard target. The military facilities include Imperial Guard, Adepta Sororitas, Adeptus Mechanicus, Deathwatch and Inquisition forces. When defending itself, or Miranda Regent, the base at Sycorax Delta is augmented by forces from The Consecration Crusade.

 

Miranda Regent: Political Center

• Diplomacy: 6
• Military: 3
• Community, Community, Industry, Politics
• Biomass: 6 (3D3), Resistance: 4 (D6)

Miranda Regent is the beating heart of the Desdaemona system- every decision affecting the system as a whole is made here, as are many of the decisions impacting other Imperial assets throught the system. While Miranda Regent boast its own planetary defense force (Guard Equivalent), it also benefits from forces stationed at Sycorax Delta and The Consecration Crusade.

 

Desdaemona Prime: Civilian World

• Diplomacy: 3
• Military: 2
• Community, Community, Industry, Politics
• Biomass: 8 (3D3), Resistance: 4 (D6)

This is the largest planet in the system, both physically and in terms of its population. Desdaemona Prime does not export products- rather it exports people. Many of the citizens living and working elsewhere in the system were born on Desdaemona Prime.

 

Echo Station: Trader's Hub

• Diplomacy: 4
• Military: 4
• Community, Military, Politics, Resources
• Biomass: 4 (3D3), Resistance: 2

This planet lies on the fringe of the system, but it is close to an exit point for a stable warp corridor that leads back to the Western fringe of Sector Pacificus. Prior to the collapse of the Pacificus relay station that identified the warp corridor, this base served as an Intersystem Trade Hub. Without the beacon, the Desdaemona system has been cut off from the rest of the Imperium since Cardinal Bucharis launched the Plague of Unbelief during the Age of Apostasy.

Fortunately, for the citizens of the Desdaemona system, a seventh Blackstone Fortress far beyond the limits of Imperial space has begun to broadcast a distress signal back to the Imperium, and it is drawing attention back toward this warp corridor, and the eventual rediscovery of the Desdaemona system itself.

And there you have it, my first star system!

Much of this material will sit in the background of the campaign, waiting for a trigger from the story before it becomes relevant. From here, we'll be zooming into a single planet- Orison's Wake.