DESERTIFIED CIVIL WORLD | OUTER RIM

Features

Tidal-Locked. Ryloth orbits its sun with the same hemisphere always facing the light, and its opposite perpetually shrouded in freezing dark. Ryloth’s solar cycle is only really experienced on the vertical equator, where the slight tilt of the planet does offer incredibly long days and nights. Only this narrow sliver of temperate terrain is capable of being endured on the surface; the so-called ‘brightlands’ are far too hot, the ‘nightlands’ far too cold.

Hyperlane. The Corellian Run passes directly through the Ryloth system, on its way through the Outer Rim.

Hutt Space. Early in its history, Ryloth found itself in the unenviable position of linking both the lucrative Corellian Run with the outskirts of the region which would soon be controlled by a powerful group of competing despots known as Hutts. Initially, their impressive, if hopelessly outgunned, resistance became something of a popular tale to be told among the enlightened élite of the Old Republic, until the superior forces available to the Hutt cartels crushed Ryloth and enslaved almost the entirety of its native Twi’Lek species.

Smuggling Run. Thanks to the ongoing underground resistance on Ryloth, and the inability of the cartels to control the local population absolutely, Ryloth is susceptible to a steady stream of smuggling. This traffic undermines the cartel’s commercial interests on the planet, but is primarily aimed at emancipating the local populace as much as possible.

Perilous. Because of the incessant smuggling and the ever-present threat of rebellion on the planet, the Hutt overlords on the planet are almost paranoid in their efforts to stamp out disobedience. They track and trace ships approaching the planet, and suspicious behaviour is not treated with a degree of innocence until proven guilty—the slightest sidelong glance or mysterious circumstance has the potential to trigger retributive action.

Hutt Cartel Controlled. Since its acquisition and subsequent absorption into what is now known as “Hutt Space”, the criminal organisations which enforce their will in the region have turned Ryloth into something of an example for other resistant planets in their sphere of influence. The populace are brutally oppressed, slavery is rife, and the entire planet is controlled by what has essentially become permanent martial law.

Slavery. If the inclement conditions on Ryloth weren’t harsh enough, the Twi’Lek also endure the shame of being enslaved on their own homeworld. Worse, when the Hutt cartels finally crushed the resistance, they began exporting Twi’Leks across the galaxy as forced labour, encouraging the “natural law” that such beings were helpless dross good for little more than servitude. This crass stereotype has only persisted since the rise of the Galactic Empire. The brutal reality of this history has led many Twi’Leks to become either habitually servile, or fiercely independent-minded and resistant to discipline.

Heat Storms. Due in part to its very slight axial tilt and being tidally locked, as well as the influence of its several moons, Ryloth suffers highly turbulent seasons, which cause both extremely high winds and unpredictable bursts of hot weather known as heat storms. These blistering storms can be seen from hundreds of kilometres away, and even from orbit, and can sculpt and scour the landscape on the sunward side of the planet. However, this process also melts some of the frozen liquid on the dark side of the planet closest to the terminator, allowing runoff to be collected in the planet’s many underground reservoirs.

Locations

Kala Un. One of the largest permanent settlements on the planet, Kala Un is located within the Canyon of Five Chains which shelter the largest spaceport on the planet. Kala Un is completely controlled by the Hutts, though it also has a considerable Imperial presence in parts. Why this is tolerated by the cartels is not fully understood, but assumed to be a part of the deals which limit conflict between the Hutts and Imperial interests on the Outer Rim. No doubt it also facilitates the frequent slave trade which the Galactic Empire subtly engages in outside of their sphere of influence.

Canyon of Five Chains. The largest natural depression in the habitable zone along the planet’s terminator, the canyon appears from above to bulge in five distinct points along its winding path, giving the impression of links in a chain. Unfortunately, this natural formation has since been turned into an icon which aptly represents the oppression of the native populace. In a practical sense, the canyon’s openings allow larger starships to enter the many starport facilities beneath, whereas only smaller craft can navigate the narrower sections of the canyon.

Phenomena

Because it is tidally-locked, Ryloth is quite unlike most planets in that its solar patterns are almost completely fixed. Technically, a day on Ryloth lasts over twenty thousand hours. Though, in practice this is more like several hundred hours—several days—of full daylight, or complete darkness. The bulk of the time rests within a perpetual twilight period where there is some light, but not complete daylight. Ryloth is one of the very few planets in the galaxy whose solar year is shorter than a local day. Compared to a Coruscanti Standard Day, however, its solar year is equivalent.