Gruna-Garu System

From Star Frontiers Network

by Scott “Danger” Nelson

Star Data
Star Type	G8 V Yellow Main Sequence
Radius	6.45 x 105 km
Mass	1.31 x 1030 kg
Temperature	5,600 Kelvin
Luminosity	6.10 x 1026 W

Contents 1 History 2 The People 3 Notable Personages 3.1 Momma Ciss 3.2 “Red” 3.3 Captain Ben Ellis 3.4 Lance “Gunner” Todd 3.5 Priest Aenzur 4 Places of Interest 4.1 Whaley Fields 4.2 Little Vela 4.3 The Tulleo Mines 4.4 Breyton’s 5 Other Items of Note 6 System Data

History

Yazirians from Pavor discovered Gruna Garu in their burgeoning explorations beyond their own world early on, but the system itself was left relatively untapped save for small, wildcat mining operations that worked under the aegis of the government.

After the Yazirians relocated to Hentz from Pavor, and more and more planets (and other species) were discovered, the Hierarchy began to enact a scheme that originated with the High Priest Noal. This scheme involved the creation of buffer systems around what was now considered the “home” system of the Yazirians. While the general plan was agreed upon by the Church Elders, the specifics were left for future High Priests and their Elders to work out, but the intent was to be able to finally have a planet all to the Church’s own. The “others,” as the Hierarchy referred to the non-believers or those the Church thought they could do without, were to be allotted planets close by, but far enough away to shield them from the “unsavory,” and “unclean” alien species which were found to be populating the same stretch of the universe as they were.

Athor was populated by exiles; of all of the systems which had been found, this one suited the “malcontents,” the best. Scree Fron was sold to the merchants and lastly, Gruna Garu was given to the warrior clans which had served the Church so well through the years. Of all the groups, the warriors were the ones most regrettably released from direct control by the Church, but it was felt that they (the Church) could generate an equally effective fighting group from within their own ranks.

So, in and around 68 PF, colonization and expansion of existing infrastructure on Hargut began in earnest by the newly arrived clans. The set-up time for the new colony (to include creation of viable star ports, agricultural selfdependence, and other such things) was expected to take at least three decades by Hierarchy estimates. The Harguttans, as they were referred to now, aided by their counterparts on Hakosoar and others only took around two decades to get the ball rolling.

And roll it did.

One of the initial exports that Hargut had, besides the ores and minerals pulled out of the ground, were the people themselves. Numerous Yazirians from all of the warrior clans who had relocated to Hargut found their livelihood by becoming security forces for Pan-Gal and its subsidiaries. Others wound up as part of space-borne security forces patrolling the wild-n-wooly space lanes in the Frontier. It was also not uncommon for merchants from Hakosoar to hire out Yazirians from Hargut for their own security purposes.

The first Common Muster found quite a few Yazirians from Hargut, but the one event which cemented Hargut’s reputation for solid, dependable soldiers was the First Sathar War. Yazirians, along with Humans, provided the bulk of fighters against the dreaded worms in ground combat situations during this time and it is not an accident that an mixed Yazirian/Human unit (the Amum Rifles which was a highly respected and feared mercenary unit out of Prenglar whose Yazirian contingent hailed from Hargut) gained immortal fame by engaging Sathar ground forces that were twice the Rifle’s numbers, beating them, and then keeping Sathar troops involved with running guerilla battles until the Sathar were defeated on what is now Morgaine’s World. This group was absorbed into the UPF at its creation and have served as the honor guard for the UPF President and Council of Worlds ever since.

And this is just one example with Yazirians from Hargut.

The People

(An excerpt from a sales program by WarTech Inc. representatives during the 35th Annual Frontier Arms Expo held near Heston at the Whaley Fields proving grounds)

“…if you look to your left, you’ll see our new Fenris model Armored Personnel Carrier which is multi-role capable via the modular armament package which can be easily swapped out depending upon mission parameters in around 30 minutes by any trained personnel. Speaking of armament packages, we are able to provide the customer with everything from simple pintle mounted machine-guns to complex surface-to-air missile batteries. Whatever the mission, WarTech has the answer. Now, on your right, you’ll notice one of our people in our Vanguard Mk. 4 personal armor…”

If anyplace in the Frontier typifies the Yazirian love of competition, it’s the system of Gruna Garu.

Colonized primarily by the traditional warrior clans, the planet of Hargut offered an unprecedented chance for these groups to do something unique and something of their own. Before this, they had generally been at the beck and call of the religious aristocracy on Waloo and then Hentz.

Historically, the Warriors from Pavor fought. Nothing more, nothing less. Their whole existence revolved around the act (or implied act) of violence.

The impact of civilization, of modernity and technology began to make their (the warrior clans) more and more irrelevant in the scheme of things. For example, Workers could make missiles which flew by remote command from someone to strike a target hundreds of kilometers away. An “Agoa” (the slang in the warrior clans for someone who would dare to pick up arms and act like a Warrior) could be as effective as a Warrior thanks to all manner of advanced weaponry. By the time of the beginning of the Yazirian exploration of space, the warrior clans still produced soldiers and other such similar individuals, but these clans had been eclipsed by most of the other types of “vocational” clans operating in the traditional Yazirian way.

This fact had a profound impact on the psyche of the warrior clans for a number of years; it is a testament to their personal code of honor that more of the warrior clans didn’t explode into violence than what did prior to the expansion into space. But, as any elder Chief in any of the warrior clans will be quick to point out, the colonization of distant stars reinvigorated the warrior clans into regaining the prominence that they once had and for that, they are indeed thankful. When the call went out for explorers to seek out these far horizons, the warrior clans applied en masse¹.

This whole concept of challenge is one of the key motivators for a native of Hargut. That is why, on average, there are any number of contests, sports events, or political races taking place on Hargut at nearly any time.

This love for challenge (or “Iywoao hkyeer” as its termed in their native language) is also a factor in the high number of beings with betting addictions on Hargut, but that is a subject better covered in a psychology text.

The continuous competition that a native Harguttan endures has had an interesting impact on the honor duel. Rather than Yazirians dueling constantly in the streets of Heston (as some of the more unenlightened media people have been reported as saying) over any slight, the duel has been elevated to a more refined and deliberate act. This has, in effect, created a legally recognized duel that all must honor and protocol must be followed to a “T” when instigating a duel or the results could be made mute by public opinion2. A good example of this is when the chiefs of two neighboring clans got in a duel over land rights, the chief of one clan failed to correctly honor his opponent when citing his petition for duel. This same chief also made a slight slur on his opponent’s family at some point in the heat of the duel. Even though this chief won the duel, his honor claim was not recognized and the other, losing chief got the land in question for his clan.

A down-side to iywoao hkyeer is that Harguttans cannot easily turn this competitive drive off, and that has led to any number of misread signals from other species. But, this sort of accident is more commonplace on Hargut than if the Yazirian was on another planet as they are reasonably able to realize that they need to dial their behavior back around strangers.

In matters of fashion, food and the like, Yazirians from Hargut are a solid, if unimaginative, bunch. For real Yazirian haute couture, a visit to Hakosoar is in order.

In summary, when one visits Hargut, be prepared to experience a variety of fast paced and intense activities; these Yazirians do indeed work and play hard. Remember your manners, though, but don’t be afraid to stand your ground if you feel you are in the right.

Notable Personages

Momma Ciss

The often-mentioned-but-never-seen “Matron of Little Vela,” Momma Ciss is the glue which binds all of those former refugees together in their current community in Little Vela. Keeping the headstrong members of her extended family (which is how she views her community) in check against the continuing advances of the Yazirian nationals is wearing hard against the precepts which Momma Ciss was raised. But, she also knows that given enough provocation, she’ll be more than happy to turn her people out against those “arrogant monkeys,” any day of the week. She just doesn’t know what the outcome of such an even would be, so she cautions her lieutenants to keep it quiet for now.

“Red”

An old Yazirian who looks to have survived more than a dozen or two dozen honor duels on Hargut itself (his “wing” membranes are tattered, torn and completely useless thanks to all of the puncture wounds, slices and nicks he got while in the dueling circle), Red is a walking, talking encyclopedia of knowledge when it comes to one on one combat with an edged weapon. But, as is the case with such successful duelers who’ve lived past their prime, Red has a tremendous problem with alcohol and the psychological scars of his numerous combats. Red can be found drifting about the Heston star ports getting odd jobs here and there or he can be found in and around Heston at all manner of seedy dives on the South end of town. Red knows himself that something isn’t right with him, but is seeking the Warrior’s Way home by his own terms.

Captain Ben Ellis

Human Captain of Gamma Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Regiment of SpaceFleet Marines which is currently attached to the UPF forces that are established in the Hargut System. Captain Ellis is a highly decorated officer from the Second Sathar War. Captain Ellis is also an embedded Sathar mole in the UPF war machine that has had the luck to be stationed near the planet which houses the primary arms maker for the UPF. Captain Ellis currently has his (unconscious) motive to find out about the new weapons and such in check, but his desire to get down to Hargut and specifically be posted on the guard detail at either WarTech or Whaley Fields is starting to raise some flags in Cpt. Ellis’ command. Despite his record, if Cpt. Ellis can’t bring himself under control, a psych evaluation is in his future. [Note: Cpt. Ellis is a victim of deep Sathar programming thanks to a situation during the war and he doesn’t know a damn thing about it. However, if pushed hard, deep programmed agents may opt out of questioning either by suicide or by attacking their persecutors depending upon the circumstances.]

Lance “Gunner” Todd

CEO of WarTech Inc. “Gunner,” as he is known to most everyone on Hargut, is a human who has made G-G the home system / base for WarTech Inc. When asked why he did that, Gunner replied, “As a soldier in the UPF, I had the distinct honor to serve with several Yazirian heavy units. Their drive, their stubbornness, and their love to fight made me enjoy their company. I thought it was only natural to place my business on a world and in a culture which held warriors in such high esteem.” “Gunner” Todd is also rumored to have gained the respect of several warrior clans by participating in more than one honor duel; a feat in which humans are not really expected to partake. “Gunner” Todd takes great pride in his working relationship with the Yazirian populace on Hargut and is almost constantly in the news doing something for charity, donating to schools, or promoting goodwill amongst his adopted home. “Gunner” Todd has four children (three boys and one girl) all of whom are expected to be taking greater and greater roles in the company as they progress in age.

Priest Aenzur

The highest ranking Hierarchy official on Hargut, it falls on Priest Aenzur’s shoulders to try and maintain the traditional Yazirian religion amongst the “noble Warrior clans of the most honorable race.” His services in Heston are always fairly well attended, and his message seems to be well received by the masses. On the surface, Priest Aenzur leads a nice, quiet existence, but along with his regular duties, Priest Aenzur also reports directly back to the Hierarchy about the events on Hargut; he also does his best to influence politics in order to try and maintain a Hentz-friendly majority in office and to weed out any of those he deems dangerous to the Hierarchy’s plans. With his public persona to worry about, Priest Aenzur does not sully his hands with any direct activities in the cesspool of political office, but he works through numerous middlemen. Also, a cadre of church “special agents,” works at the behest of Priest Aenzur and it is commonly these Yazirians who keep the middlemen honest and tie up loose ends if and when they occur. Priest Aenzur is a kindly, wise looking old Yazirian who is almost always smiling politely and acting every inch the benevolent, elder church official.

Places of Interest

Whaley Fields

The testing area for WarTech’s many and various arms and armor, the Fields are under a Red Flag (Range Control’s traditional way to visibly signal that a range is “hot” and that care should be taken in the area) all day, every day. Considering what WarTech produces, the Fields are enormous; easily taking up several million acres in size. There are innumerable weapons ranges at the Fields, but they are grouped in a color scheme naming convention (R.O.Y.G.B.I.V.; surely we all know this one, eh?) which denotes the general level of weapons which can be safely used there. For example, Red Range 1 is an indoor pistol range near the main parking area at the Fields while Violet Range 53 is the main testing area for various air-to-ground weaponry. Also, a number of these ranges are equipped to simulate real-world conditions, so pop-up targets, moving targets, city-scapes, and all manner of things in between can be found at the Fields. Security in and around the Fields is severe and prone to be very aggressive against intruders. The UPF also has a vested interest in WarTech’s products and it is no coincidence that an (heavily) armed UPF space station hangs in orbit around the planet and that LandFleet troopers can often be found running exercises at the Fields with some of the weaponry and vehicles being developed there. In a related note, the Fields are open to the public on a weekly basis (during the third quarter of the Frontier Year when conditions permit) to watch the astounding live fire exercise held at Violet Range 1. Beings can see all manner of weaponry and vehicles in action, and sometimes even participate themselves in the activities!

Little Vela

A charming, quaint section of Klaktow where a great number of refugees from Laco/Dixon’s Star settled down and brought their culture with them in the wake of the first Sathar War. The cuisine, the music, the whole atmosphere of Little Vela revolves around this wonderfully dynamic group and the natives of Klaktow have taken to them wholeheartedly; but some of the more vocal rightwing groups have voiced an increasing amount of concern over what they consider to be “erosion of core Yazirian Warrior values,” and the like by the populace of Little Vela. So far, there has been nothing more but tough talk by the hot-headed on both sides of the issue, but a growing tension can be felt boiling behind the ferrocrete and windows of the shops and homes in Little Vela. One of the outstanding historical aspects about Little Vela is the role the citizens of this area took when the Blue Plague hit Hargut in 22 FY; without fail, each and every one of the “adopted sons and daughters” of Little Vela fell to the tasks of helping Klaktow along in any way that they could while the Plague swept through the streets. To this day, the price these immigrants paid (in loss of life, in time, etc.) while helping their adopted home is a tremendous source of pride for this group.

The Tulleo Mines

Found on Trefrom, the mines serve as both an expedient way to provide materials for the growing colonies on the moon itself, and a way for the more rugged individuals to eke out a living. And, as the mines themselves wind their way deeper and deeper into the planet, old tunnels are shored up, refurbished, and developed into living areas for the colonists coming in. The main bulk of the mines are beneath the city of Perim which is also the de-facto capital of Trefrom. These same mines (the ones which are active) are owned by Cascal Mining Corporation (CMC) which is a subsidiary of Association of Intergalactic Power Suppliers. CMC is known for their “business takes all” approach which has left more than a bitter taste in some beings’ mouths. Mines are, by nature, dangerous places. Mining operations on an airless moon triple the danger level right off the bat and the Tulleo Mines are no exception to this rule. Numerous accidents have occurred over the years that the Mines have been in operation; the most horrific event claiming seventy-three souls in what has been dubbed the “South Barracks Fire,” by historians and the like. Since the fire, there have been several sightings of apparitions and odd occurrences in the area of the mines in which the disaster took place. While dismissed as mere fantasy by most people and the CMC, there are quite a number of old miners who will insist that they’ve seen, heard, and experienced some strange things in that area too.

Breyton’s

Breyton’s is one of the more popular establishments for the up and coming “Extreme Sport” enthusiasts on Hargut. Flit Board racing, Floater Disk riding (or “Disking” as it’s called amongst its protagonists) and Sub Orbital Freefall are the current hot topics amongst the thrill seekers there. Being a hang-out for brash young beings full of their abilities, it isn’t too long before a group piles out the door intent on settling an argument in some spectacular way each and every night. Management of Breyton’s doesn’t try too hard to discourage this (as it adds a bit of “edge” to the place), and impromptu betting can run wild during these events; hefty bribes to Heston law enforcement authorities keeps these sometimes deadly occurrences from bringing too much heat down on an otherwise lucrative establishment. Seen in the seminal trivid “Loosin’ It!” and a staple of more than one expose on thrill seeking sports and “out-of-control” places programs found on any number of channels on the networks throughout the Frontier, Breyton’s is the model that all other similar establishments seek to pattern themselves by. While flattering, this has had the effect of diminishing the impact of the “Breyton” name and “Breyton” experience and current management is looking hard at a few ways they can recapture the imagination of an audience which is showing signs of looking for the next great thing and the next great place to celebrate it at.

Other Items of Note

As befitting its origin as a Warrior Clan colony, soldiers, fighters and those who generally make their living dealing with violence receive a decent bit of respect by Yazirians on Hargut (and to an lesser extent the colonies on Trefrom) almost automatically and despite the species of the creature in question. The flip-side to this trait is that those who are not dealers in violence tend to have to work harder to produce that same amount of goodwill.

This type of attitude has been slowly seeping out of the typical Hargut Yazirian conscious and behavior the longer this group is exposed to the wide variety of peoples and species that populate the Frontier, but in the more out-of-the-way towns and villages on Hargut, expect a little bit more oldfashioned mentality to dominate.

Thanks to the higher gravity on Hargut, Yazirians from here are afforded a little bit more “muscle” than the average 1g raised Yazirian. But, also thanks to the higher gravity, Yazirians from Hargut can expect to suffer arthritis and other such joint related pains earlier in life. A growing number of older Yazirians who don’t want to move from their home system are taking to Trefrom in order to take advantage of the lower gravity there. By lessening the wear and tear on their bodies, these “old apes in the sky,” (as the younger crowd on Hargut refer to the émigrés to Trefrom sometimes) have managed to extend their lives by quite a number of years. This, in turn, has fostered a mini economic boon in all manner of things on Trefrom thanks to the newly enervated, but older Yazirian crowd. A savvy business being can find all sorts of opportunity on the moon of Hargut, if they have the right goods.

System Data

Gruna-Garu I (Hargut)
Type	Terrestrial
Orbital Radius	1.26E+08 km (0.82 AU)
Year	349.16 Standard days
Gravity	1.10
Habitable World Data:
Day	19.5 hours
Hyrdosphere	81.7% (2.3% ice)
Atmosphere	Breathable
Climate	-8.7oC to 32.4oC, Avg. 12.4oC
Trade	Various. Also is home to numerous mining operations.
Native Life	No sentient life found. Native life has been reduced to the larger species being protected in various preserves around the planet. Smaller, less dangerous species common around planet. Introduced species have taken over and reduced native species in all of the settled areas and are looking to crowd the native species out of existence in around 20-30 standard years.
Government	Democracy where voting rights based on physical ability. Local elected officials report to regional caucus. Regional caucus determines national officials
Population	High density, 92% Yazirian
Notes
Has UPF Space Station “Stalwart” in orbit around it. Station is armed.

Gruna-Garu Ia (Trefrom)
Type	Rock; Tidally locked
Orbital Radius	1.2E+08 km (0.82 AU)
Year	349.16 Standard days
Gravity	0.25g
Notes	The only moon of Hargut. It is housing an increasing number of Yazirians escaping the higher gravity of their mother planet. Currently, the main population centers are Perim and Hul. Both have small capacity star ports available for use.

Gruna-Garu III (Usen)
Type	Ice; Low-G, cold, arid, cloudless, unbreathably thin atmosphere
Orbital Radius	6.7E km+09 (44.91 AU)
Year	113,49.94 Standard days
Gravity	0.45
Notes	Unusual methane-ice formations.
Gruna-Garu IIIa (Khadz)
Type	Moon; airless rock
Orbital Radius	6.7E km+09 (44.91 AU)
Year	113,49.94 Standard days
Gravity	0.16
Notes	odd fur-like silicon growths on surface.
Gruna-Garu IIIb (Oen)
Type	Moon; airless rock
Orbital Radius	6.7E km+09 (44.91 AU)
Year	113,49.94 Standard days
Gravity	0.14
Notes	Old fossils of giant reptiles found here, but no bones.
Gruna-Garu IIIc (Dhael)
Type	Moon; airless rock
Orbital Radius	6.7E km+09 (44.91 AU)
Year	113,49.94 Standard days
Gravity	0.14
Notes	Rock formation that resembles a pyramidal structure, not yet explored. Source of conspiracy theories.

Gruna-Garu II (Vaeen)
Type	Rock; Resonant spin locked
Orbital Radius	4.4E+08 km (2.94 AU)
Year	2,361.55 Standard days
Gravity	0.25
Notes	Site of a crashed pirate ship Kuttor.

Gruna-Garu IV (Gnilgu)
Type	airless rock
Orbital Radius	1.3E+10 km (89.73 AU)
Year	226,756.44 Standard days
Gravity	0.20
Notes	Nothing of measurable worth found here