ROCKY URBAN WORLD | CORE WORLDS

Features

Hyperlane. Malastaire is the namesake and primary beneficiary of the Malast Arc, a subsidiary of the larger Correllian Run hyperlane. It branches in several directions, and has made Malastaire a primary trade hub for the region, increasing its wealth significantly.

Rings. Malastaire is surrounded by a number of impressive rings, which complicate planetary approaches somewhat. However, a number of orbital relay stations guide space traffic into the planet utilising the relay stations’ advanced telemetric data.

Mountainous. From orbit, Malastaire looks to the naked eye largely barren and lifeless, covered in swirling mists and crackling storms. Yet not unlike the veins of precious minerals which are hidden within its rocky bulk, the snaking cities of the planet’s vast cities often glitter in the dark, or in daylight are surrounded by the few green wedges on the planet—none of which are visible from space.

Wealthy. Thanks to its position at the hub of a number of hyperlanes, Malastaire is unusually wealthy, particularly for such a rocky planet upon which space is limited. Further to this, Malastaire has developed a reputation for its art and culture, particularly in the form of gastronomy, for which an award called a Ring of Malastaire is offered to particularly prestigious restaurants. Millennia ago, this was likely a joke; however, it has become an incredibly serious business since.

Imperial Controlled. Like most wealthy planets in the Core Worlds, the Galactic Empire keeps a tight grip on Malastaire, and it is regularly patrolled by Imperial Fleets.

Locations

Tallek Canyon. Malastaire boasts a number of impressive natural phenomena, perhaps none more so than the expansive Tallek Canyon, which geologists surmise was formed by an ancient river system which either no longer flows or has been diverted elsewhere over time. Part of the canyon includes the Syrun Falls, a gigantic waterfall whose depth is several kilometres, a drop which allows parts of the fall to coagulate, spray and be whirled in small cyclonic eddies mid-way down.

History

The Second Emperor. The second Emperor of the New Order, Namu Tyrasta, was a native of Malastaire and its governor for decades before ascending to the throne. His reign was both remarkably short—lasting about a month—and punctuated both by escalating efforts to return true power to the Imperial Throne, as well as ostentatious displays of naked aggression and grandiosity. Tyrasta is usually now depicted as a true despot whom the Empire was lucky to avoid, an arrogant and scheming man whose death almost certainly at the hands of assassins is in hindsight seen as an unfortunate necessity.

Phenomena

A standard day on Malastaire lasts twenty two standard hours, and the length of its solar year is only two hundred and fourty two local days.

Native flora is distinct and varied, but largely limited to the “wild zones” in the mountains and deep river systems where urban environments are unsustainable or prohibitively expensive to construct and maintain. Most fauna has disappeared except for a variety of bird life; in particular, the scavenging grooks—large and ratty-featured creatures which bicker and fight over scraps left by the populace—are seen as a local menace in most cities.