Einwold

System: Vanaheim

Sector: Rimward Expansion Zone (a.k.a. Free Colonies)

Einwold is a beautiful, ringed world relatively close to the borders of the Terran Protectorate and the remnants of the Empire of Many Suns. It is known for its expansive farmland and for its strong corporate affiliations. Tightly controlled by the Yoarashi Clan, Einwold is said to have two faces. In the lowlands, Proletaran farmers produce bountiful crops that help feed the Free Colonies and some worlds in the old Empire. They also do some mining as well, as the planet is rich in heavy metals, though nothing exotic. The highlands are where the few major cities are located, and these are bastions of corporate power. In the cities, corporate law is law, and each city is its own insular community, usually tightly controlling the farmers and workers in the surrounding low lands. There are several space stations in orbit, including two completed Sky Cities, and a third under construction, a Frontier-Class space station, Inari, and two large space docks. Several types of ship are constructed here, mostly for corporate sales and use.

The leadership of Einwold, based out of the capitol city of Sato in the northern highlands, have signed the charter allowing the Guardsman Interstellar Security Service to operate in the system, but say they do not need a constant presence there, and GISS operatives have to check in with local leaders of the Yoarashi Clan with pretty much everything they do in-system. The Yoarashi employ their own defense fleet to take care of most of their defensive needs, and generally intercept any smugglers and pirates before the GISS can. Still, the GISS maintains a small presence on Inari, and have a squadron of fighters, three L-750 patrol ships and a Holstein stationed there. There is also a GISS base in a neighboring star system just two and half light years away which is home to a GISS border patrol fleet, as there is a large amount of smuggling and piracy, as well as a large mercenary presence, on the smaller colonies on both sides of the border.

Life on Einwold takes two forms, the relatively sedate and reasonably comfortable lives of farmers and agricultural communities in the low lands, and the fast-moving, intrigue-filled corporate power struggles in the highland cities. The Proletarans keep the Yoarashi supplied with food and resources and generally are left alone to their own devices, though they are fairly powerless in controlling the fate of the planet. The corporate executives try to pretend the Proletarans aren’t the lynchpin to the planet’s success, while trying to outmaneuver and plot against each other. Only the tight control of the Yoarashi and their Saburau, the samurai-like planetary law enforcement agency, keep some corporate disputes from becoming openly violent.

Executives living on Einwold, due to the massive amount of open land, build massive estates with tight security, and extensive grounds and luxuries. These estates are small towns, gobbling solar and geothermal power, and make the planet appear, from space, to be massively more settled than it actually is.

Population: 80 million

Controlling Clan: Yoarashi

Diameter: 6,549 miles (10,539.5 km)

Atmosphere: Earth-identical (terraformed), slightly more oxygen rich.

Average Temperature Range: 32°F – 80°F (0°C – 26.7°C)

Gravity: .85 G

Calendar: A day on Einwold is 25.7 hours, and a year is 391 days, making it one of the planets closest to earth’s original calendar.

Satellites: Two natural moons, Izanagi and Izanami, with combined populations of about 500,000, mostly miners. There are two Sky Cities, both corporate-owned (one by Orion Arms Industries, maker of the Pulsar Cargo Cruiser, and another by Right Ascension Corp., a major trading company that focuses on alien ventures and investments). There is also the Inari space station, the main star port and defense platform for the planet.

Defense Assets: The Yoarashi maintain a heavy presence here, and control the planetary defense fleet. There are 12 Ranger Defense Corvettes, two light carriers, three Stalwart Heavy Cruisers and a pair of heavily modified Venture-Class exploration ships. The fleet is headed by the Yoritomo, a heavily modified Pulsar Cruiser that is the equal of almost any heavy cruiser. The fleet and planetary defenses employ a large number of R-80 Starchaser air and space fighters, which are manufactured planetside. The Einwold fleet has never seen heavy action, except in a border skirmish with the alien Fahreen about 15 years ago, but they are constantly drilling, very disciplined and have been hell on local pirates and smugglers. The government of Einwold has pointed out that they border the relatively unstable Empire of Many Suns, and need a strong defensive force, but the fleet still makes some other Free Colonies nervous.