Haqani
Haqani is the fourth planet in the Perithr system in Hex #0606and the home world of the Velan Ascendancy. It has a radius of 24,484 km (= almost 4x Earth's radius) and its rotation is 16 standard hours. The planet takes 444 Haqani days to make a complete circle around Perithr. Haqani has one natural satellite, the moon Pharos, which is also inhabited and houses much of the Velan Ascendancy's education and information infrastructure.
After the Conflict of 3200, Haqani fell under rulership of House Fornax and underwent structural changes, see: Haqani after 3200.
Orbit[]
Both Haqani’s surface and orbit show signs of prior habitation. An alien ruin, registered with the Great Library Server as Sumgin 2, can be found in high orbit around the planet. The Historic Society of Haqani is conducting archaeological excavations in these orbital ruins and asks space travelers to keep their distance.
Haqani’s orbit in general is rather crowded as all ships travelling to the planet are required to park here. Travel Controllers, temporarily located on the moon Pharos, are coordinating the parking orbits and travel routes to and from the planet, as well as the shuttle services and trade transports to and from Haqani and Pharos.
Space Station Seminole 6, usually the main trade and service hub around Haqani, as well as seat of the system’s Travel Controllers, is currently undergoing refurbishments and upgrades. The Velan Ascendancy thanks all space travelers for their patience, and promises that everyone is working at full speed and continuing their preparations to re-open the station as soon as possible.
In the meantime large maintenance ships are parked in stationary orbit around the planet. They provide refueling services as well as a wide variety of ship repairs and upgrades. Space travelers also have some opportunities to sample the local cuisine and acquire local products. Shuttle services to both Haqani (necessary for visits to Haqani's surface) and Pharos can be booked either directly with a Travel Controller, or on one of the maintenance ships.
Pharos[]
An extensive amount of the Velan Ascendancy's infrastructure can be found on Pharos due to its greater accessibility in comparison to Haqani's own hostile atmosphere and environment. The LINES facilities, the College of Navigation, and the Great Library Server are all found on Pharos. It is also serves as a secondary trade center and minor diplomatic crossroads.
For main article, see Pharos
Atmosphere[]
Haqani’s corrosive atmosphere makes it impossible for large spaceships to land on the planet. Only shuttles and small transport ships with a very special coating material, synthesized and manufactured locally, are allowed to enter the lower atmosphere. For this reason, almost all transportation to Haqani's surface must be organized with local transportation shuttle services, as the natural Haqani gases can do irreparable damage to vehicles that are not well-equipped. The pilots not only have to deal with poor visibility conditions due to acidic clouds, they may also encounter schools of floating jellyfish-like creatures, known colloquially as Haqani Heralds, that inhabit the Haqani skies. Ranging in size from a hovercycle to a small skyscraper, they are extremely hazardous to vehicles and small ships, especially when they are in their mating season.
Surface[]
The planet’s surface is a beautiful mosaic in green, turquoise, blue, and purple. The few rivers, lakes, and small oceans are easily visible due to their electric blue fluorescence, caused by several species of microalgae. A significant amount of alien ruins can be seen on Haqani’s surface, alongside the occasional remains of failed human colonies from many generations past.
Underground[]
Haqani's crust is curiously riddled with enormous natural cavern systems containing their own unique ecosystems and water ways, with fluorescent blue algae, fungi, and other fauna providing some degree of natural light - in some places, looking toward the earthen ceiling above is like looking up into the starry night sky. Natural cave accesses to this environment below, are dotted all across Haqani's surface.
Scientists theorize that this might be due to the Haqani consisting of lighter material than usual for a planet that size. Many of the larger cavern pockets are clustered with alien ruins, which led to speculations that Haqani's crust was changed by a large-scale alien terraforming project in the distant past. During the Scream, the original Great Library sank deep into several of these alien pockets and is now completely embedded in the planet's surface.
Early human settlers took advantage of this subterranean environment after their first engineering attempts on the surface failed, ultimately laying the foundations for the great environmentally-sealed underground cities of Haqani today. One major factor in this was the natural filtering effect of Haqani's soil, which makes the biome underground much more habitable. Where the corrosion effects are immediately noticeable on the surface, the atmosphere below ground only causes mild burns and rashes after about 1 hour of exposure.
Maintenance Work[]
It is very rare to see human maintenance workers on the surface, repairing air locks and ventilation systems. For short-term work they are usually wearing airtight suits and equipment coated in an alkaline substance harvested and synthesized from the local fauna, which must also be applied to vehicles. Longer repairs requiring heavy equipment often make use of materials developed from native creatures, like hide for protective gear and certain fluids for bonding agents. Respirators are always a necessity.
Flora and Fauna[]
Haqani’s flora and fauna have adapted to the corrosive atmosphere, leading to a biosphere that is so alien to any human biology that Velan scientists are still debating the classification of certain species as flora or fauna. It also means that eating the local wildlife is not an option, even the microalgae in the water which disturbs the human digestive system. While many Haqani citizens have adapted to this, it is strongly recommend that visitors from off-planet only buy purified bottled water if they don’t want to risk a “Haqani Tsunami.”
Most of Haqani's local fauna is extremely dangerous, with a wide variety of megafauna. Please be advised that many of the larger species will react with extreme hostility to anyone entering their territory or interfering with their migration. Pay close attention to the Haqani Watch radio station to get the latest updates on movements and sightings.
For main article, see Haqani's Flora and Fauna
Transportation[]
The unique nature of Haqani subterranean cities and the non-existence of a rural countryside, caused the development of many different ways to get around underground.
For main article, see Haqani Modes of Transportation
Underground Habitats[]
The shuttle ride through Haqani's corrosive atmosphere was more than a bit eventful. The pilot making jokes over the intercom couldn't deflect people's attention from the ominous and enormous moving shadows of the jellyfish-like Zimsemi.
Several fast evasive maneuvers later, the small shuttle flies across a bright turquoise coloured plane towards a dark green mountain range. Shortly before arrival, a huge door opens in one of the mountains, revealing an airlock hidden inside a cave.
From there the flight only takes a short time, until the shuttle lands in a city, that at first glance looks more like a shanty town. Everything seems slightly improvised, and yet people in the long flowing gowns so typical for Velan culture seem to be busily going about their business amidst the chaos. Above you, an archway reads: "Welcome to Babili".
Human life on Haqani happens almost entirely beneath the surface of the planet. Shuttles and small transport ships use the many numerous and massive natural tunnels and caves to access the airlocks to Haqani’s underground habitats, which are connected with each other by monorail and underground canals.
Food Production: Haqani Mushrooms[]
Life underground is not easy, and the Velan Ascendancy’s scientists are working hard to optimize their food production, which almost entirely relies on mushrooms and microfungi. Several types of mushrooms were reacting so positive to the Haqani environment, that they spread outside of the the original nutrient cultivation areas. Both the cultivated and wild growing mushrooms have reacted with Haqani’s fluorescent water, and are now glowing in a blue fluorescent light as well. They often form “groves” and “woods” of glowing fungi around underground rivers and lakes.
Interior Design[]
To make up for the often dire circumstances of life underground, Velan interior design is often very elaborate and colorful. Organic shapes and bright colors try to mimic natural vegetation. Elaborate illumination systems try to create the illusion of sunlight.
(Expand gallery to the right)
Cities[]
While many Haqani citizens live in smaller settlements centered around a souq or bazar, there are also some remarkable cities hidden under the planet’s surface. Here some of the most impressive ones.
Eskendria[]
Where Babili was chaotic and seemed improvised in design, Eskendria is grandiose and glamorous in its blue and white splendor. Haqani's capital is located in a cave so enormous that it seems unnatural. It almost makes you forget that you are underground. Richly decorated houses and meritorious citizens in expensive clothing signify the importance of this city.
On the way to the Grand Forum you pass several museums, libraries, memorials, antique shops, art galleries, and a busy congress center, hosting an event around the building of the first cities on the moon Pharos.
Eskendria is the capital city of Haqani and was built underneath the original landing site along the underground river Aldatesh. It is the seat of the Grand Forum, the parliament of the Velan Ascendancy.
Haqani’s citizens are incredibly proud of their beautiful capital, all decorated in Velan blue and white, and many wish to live in one of the beautiful homes. But only the most meritorious citizens can afford it, nevertheless there are long waiting lists for even the smallest apartment.
The history of House Vela, the Velan Ascendancy and Haqani make themselves particularly felt in Eskendria. Museums, memorials, antique shops, art galleries, and libraries, as well as a multitude of events and symposiums in the state-of-the-art congress center, give the Haqani capital an aura of dignified sophistication.
Locations in Eskendria: The Grand Forum, Anandibai Joshi Medical Facility, The Midnight Dagger
Kilwa Kisiwani[]
Art by Mark Bulahao
Deep underneath the surface, Haqani hides a little geological miracle: a small tropical ocean, ideal for relaxation and short-term vacations. The early settlers soon enclosed this space with a environmentally-sealed dome, simulating the blue skies and clouds of old Earth.
A crescent-shaped city grew on one of the smaller sides of the ocean, which lets the ocean and city combined look like the crest of the Velan Ascendancy when viewed from above. Kilwa Kisiwani is deliberately old-fashioned, with only a few parts of the city allowing modern transportation. Charming little train systems, buses, as well as a multitude of sailboats and ships provide mobility for the many tourists and few full-time residents.
Babili[]
Several holographic ads highlight sport events, the start times for expeditions and races, or promote nightclubs in the area. Information boards across the arrival point warn outsiders from drinking the natural water of the planet.
A group of young Velans can be seen, wearing suits made of coarse white fur. They carry respirator systems and seem to make their way to the airlock. Behind the group a map shows the way to the nearest monorail station and underground canal.
Babili is the Haqani city closest to the planet’s surface. This makes it the first port of call for all trade vessels. Large warehouses and distribution hubs make sure that the trade goods are delivered to all Haqani settlements.
But all this mercantile activity is almost unnoticeable and happens on the outskirts of Babili. What the city is really famous for is its libertine and thrill seeking community of extreme explorers and athletes.
Babili is not the most beautiful city, especially in bright light. Many sectors have the flair of an expedition base camp, or even look like a shanty town. But expeditions onto the surface, hunting parties, or slingshotting events, usually accompanied by gambling and betting, as well as a lot of nightclubs and party activities, make it a popular destination for young space travelers.
Many members of House Pyxis can trace their heritage back to Babili, and it should be no surprise that it is the only municipality on Haqani that gives out residence permits to aliens. Much to the embarrassment of the rest of the planet.
Tyros[]
The city of Tyros lies in eternal twilight, only illuminated by the bio-luminescence of two of the biggest underground rivers. Delicate bridges connect small islands with the riversides, and many cloaked figures can be seen on the streets and in gondolas on the glowing water.
Located at the con-flux of two of the biggest underground rivers, Tyros is built on the riversides and on little islands in the streams, connected by delicate bridges. Its main mode of transportation are small automated gondolas.
The large amount of water present in Tyros illuminates the city in a natural way. The citizens are proud of their connection to the rivers and likewise illuminate their homes with lamps filled with glowing, natural water. This casts the alleys and waterways in permanent twilight.
There are rumors that these are not the only shady things going on in Tyros, and some speak of illicit drugs and goods, produced and sold here. The only “drug” you can officially buy in the city, is the bright blue glowing Tyrosian Whiskey, also known as Haqani Blue Whiskey, made out of mushrooms.
Caverns near Tyros are the venue for the annual Night Run, the culmination of all hoverbike races on Haqani.
Locations in Tyros: L'Heure Bleue
Iram[]
Iram has multiple habitation levels on top of a multitude of natural and artificial pillars in a huge grotto-like cave. Many lifts and bridges connect the multi-storeyed city, confusing not only all tourists but also quite a few locals, who use small hoverbikes to get around.
Derinkuyu[]
Closest to the planet’s core, Derinkuyu is the main hub of Haqani’s food production and the city with the highest population on the planet. Its naturally warm climate benefits the growths of mushrooms and microfungi. Several research centers, a multitude of food storage areas, a renowned culinary institute, as well as it being the main seat of the Kumbukani Mushroom Company make it the food capital of the planet.
But Derinkuyu also has a more sombre role to play in the life of Haqani’s citizens. Every Haqani knows that in case of a planetary emergency, they are immediately supposed to make their way to their best protected city near the heart of the planet. Derinkuyu can easily house 20 times as many people as its current citizenship.
“No Scream can be heard in Derinkuyu,” is a saying Haqani children learn from a very early age. It serves as both a warning and a rallying cry during emergency trainings.
The Forbidden City - Residence of the Royal Šāh[]
Art by Stefan Stankovic
Deep inside Haqani's crust lies a vast underground ocean with one single island. On it the Forbidden City, residence of the Royal Šāh and the Royal Family of the former noble House Vela. All way points to this city as well as its outer walls were fiercely guarded by Shamshir who have sworn a lifelong oath to protect the Forbidden City.
Outside of the Royal Family, only members of the Council of 12 had access to the Forbidden City and their Council Chamber was part of the city's structures. On very special occasions, once or twice in the lifetime of a Royal Šāh, highly accomplished members of Velan society got an invitation into the Forbidden City as a reward for their life's work.
While the Royal Family is still residing in the Forbidden City, there are talks about lifting the veil of secrecy for guided tours for especially meritorious citizens.
Gamma Velorum - The Floating Cities[]
Gamma Velorum (coll. Velorum) is a cluster of floating cities in Haqani’s orbit.
For main article, see Gamma Velorum - The Floating Cities
Lost Cities[]
Human life on Haqani is always in peril and nothing brings that to the eyes and mind of the populace than the many failed, destroyed, and lost cities littering the surface and caves of the planet. Here some of the most noticeable ones.
Kanaan - The Fallen City[]
Unwittingly built near a long-dormant super-volcano by the early Haqani settlers, Kanaan was destroyed in an enormous, cataclysmic geological event due to major seismic activity and the inevitable eruption some time during the Scream. The ruins have become a popular destination for local thrill-seekers and the more adventurous tourists.
Tumbutu - The Abandoned City[]
Tumbutu was built along the same fault line as Kanaan, but managed to survive the seismic event that devastated Kanaan. Nevertheless, the Velan government at that time ordered the total evacuation of Tumbutu in the wake of the great devastation and loss of life from the Kanaan disaster, leaving Tumbutu as a “ghost town” ever since. Rumor has it that criminals and synthetics may be hiding out in the shadows of the abandoned city, though such hearsay has never been confirmed by Velan authorities. However, there have been reports of occasional Velan military exercises taking place there, but the exact nature of these exercises has remained classified.
[Classified Data - Expand to the Right]
In generations past, the abandoned city of Tumbutu functioned as an underground railroad and refuge for escaped serfs and criminals, as well as a secret haven for smugglers and pirates due to the old emergency shuttle airlock tunnel running to the surface. Much of this activity was largely ignored by the prior governing body of House Vela for a number of reasons. First, moderate criminal activity could be monitored and funneled through a controlled location, lessening the impact on the Babili port authority and population. Second, dissident elements often found what they assumed to be safe harbor in Tumbutu - long term, it was more advantageous to Vela to simply observe such potential threats as they developed there, waiting to take action when the time was right to strike. Third, the black market, smuggling, and general criminal networking value of the location had often proved useful to Vela over time in special operations. Lastly, any major Velan covert operations that needed to bypass imperial observers and authorities had easy access to and from the Haqani tunnel networks through Tumbutu. Due to all of this, it was a very rare occurrence for Velan security forces to commit to combat operations in Tumbutu, though such events were not unheard of.
In recent decades, the abandoned city has become something of an “underground railroad” for escaped synths and Cygnus personnel. Most of this activity was still largely ignored by House Vela as the former nobles did not see it as a valuable use of their resources to pursue them beyond the limits of their population centers. Further, any notion of such a thriving criminal community within a controlled location on Haqani harboring synths or Cygnus refugees getting out to the public, and Crux by extension, would ultimately jeopardize the delicate operational balance maintained over Tumbutu.
Not much has changed in the wake of the Reformation with the rise of the Ascendancy, though information security regarding the site has become somewhat lax due to the threat of Crux enforcement and oversight becoming an entirely moot point.
Kailasa - The Warped City[]
There are ruins of a city on Haqani’s surface dating back to a time long before the Scream, though much of it has corroded with exposure to the elements since. The particular site has become a unique micro biome composed of a metallic swamp soup, with what little bit of the city that still remains having become warped and blended into the biosphere in strange ways over the centuries. Towering trees of living mutant bio-steel, like the skeletal frames of pretech giants, cast their shadows over the silvery mire of liquefied metal. Even the fauna in the area are marked by this polluted evolution of pretech steels and neo-plastics, splitting off into their own sub-species. The Velan Ascendancy has dispatched numerous scientific research teams to the site over the years in an ongoing attempt to develop new resilient materials designed to withstand Haqani’s elements, but they have made very little progress.
Zerzura Aeden - The Lost City[]
There are conflicting records of another, smaller city somewhere out in the southern polar reaches, but this report could only be sourced from a handful of corrupted files recovered following the Scream. The validity of these fractured files has been hotly-disputed, some believing that it is simply a hoax or human error from the file recovery process. Many explorers have made it their goal to rediscover this “Lost City” over the centuries since, but none have ever been successful, despite the occasional rare discovery of collapsed tunnel networks stretching far and wide beneath the surfaces of the southern extremes. The Velan Ascendancy has never officially supported, funded, or sanctioned any of these efforts, with many officials referring to Zerzura Aeden as nothing more than rumor.
Tags[]
Moon[]
Pharos[]
Only moon of the planet and home of the scientific community of the Velan Ascendancy, as well as much of the major administrative records and education infrastructure.
Orbital Ruin[]
Sumgin 2[]
The Historic Society of Haqani is conducting archaeological excavations in these orbital ruins and asks space travelers to keep their distance.
Space Station[]
Seminole 6[]
Usually the main trade and service hub around Haqani, but currently undergoing refurbishments and upgrades.
Alien Ruins[]
The world has significant alien ruins present. The locals may or may not permit others to investigate the ruins, and may make it difficult to remove any objects of value without substantial payment. Any surviving ruins with worthwhile salvage almost certainly have some defense or hazard to explain their unplundered state.
Enemies:[]
- Customs inspector
- Worshipper of the ruins
- Hidden alien survivor
Friends:[]
- Curious scholar
- Avaricious local resident
- Interstellar smuggler
Complications:[]
- Traps in the ruins
- Remote location
- Paranoid customs officials
Things:[]
- Precious alien artifacts
- Objects left with the remains of a prior unsuccessful expedition
- Untranslated alien texts
- Untouched hidden ruins
Places:[]
- Undersea ruin
- Orbital ruin
- Perfectly preserved alien building
- Alien mausoleum
Great Work[]
The locals are obsessed with completing a massive project, one that has consumed them for generations. It might be the completion of a functioning spaceyard, a massive solar power array, a network of terraforming engines, or the universal conversion of their neighbors to their own faith. The purpose of their entire civilization is to progress and some day complete the work.
Enemies:[]
- Local planning to sacrifice the PCs for the work
- lLocal who thinks the PCs threten the work
- Obsessive zealot ready to destroy someone or something important to the PCs for the sake of the work
- tags.greatWork.enemies.3
Friends:[]
- Outsider studying the work
- Local with a more temperate attitude
- Supplier of work materials
Complications:[]
- The work is totally hopeless
- Different factions disagree on what the work is
- An outside power is determined to thwart the work
Things:[]
- Vital supplies for th work
- Plans that have been lost
- Tech that greatly speeds the work
Places:[]
- A bustling work site
- Ancestral worker housing
- Local community made only semi-livable by the demands of the work
Preceptor Archive[]
The Preceptors of The Great Library Server were a pre-Silence organization devoted to ensuring the dissemination of human culture, history, and basic technology to frontier worlds that risked losing this information during the human expansion. Most frontier planets had an Archive where natives could learn useful technical skills in addition to human history and art. Those Archives that managed to survive the Silence now strive to send their missionaries of knowledge to new worlds in need of their lore.
Enemies:[]
- Luddite native
- Offworld merchant who wants the natives kept ignorant
- Religious zealot
- Corrupted first speaker who wants to keep a monopoly on learning
Friends:[]
- Preceptor adept missionary
- Offworld scholar
- Reluctant student
- Roving preceptor adept
Complications:[]
- The local Archive has taken a religous and mystical attitude toward their teaching
- The Archive has maintained some replicable pretech science
- The Archive has been corrupted and their teaching is incorrect
Things:[]
- Lost Archive database
- Ancient pretech teaching equipment
- Hidden cache of unacceptable tech
Places:[]
- Archive lecture hall
- Experimental laboratory
- Student-local riot