Tristkar System Data/Kraatar Planetary Brief

System Data: Tristkar

Spectral
Type: K0

Color: Orange

Habitable
Planets: Kraatar

Trade
Routes

<ul><li>Theseus – Distance: 5 light years</li><li>White Light – Distance: 6 light
years</li></ul>

System
History

Kraatar was first settled was first by
Human colonists from White Light about 220 years ago. Few ships visited the Tristkar system until 80 years ago,
when a Vrusk trade ship landed at Gozzorf City. Soon more Vrusk ships and
colonists arrived as Vrusk trade houses established factories on Kraatar. The
two other major planets in the system, Denzart and the gas giant Tridar, plus
the Shridkai Asteroid Belt are mostly unexplored.

Planetary
Briefs

Kraatar

Moons: Tivalla (Outpost, Shomitz Mining Colony); Setar
(None)

Orbit
Range: Close

Population:
Moderate – 450 million (60% Human, 38%
Vrusk, 1% Dralasite, 1% Yazarian)

Length of
Year: 272 local days (68-day seasons, affecting average temperature by
+/-10 degrees Celsius

Average
Surface Temp: Temperate zone: 20 degrees Celsius (day = 30 degrees, night = 10
degrees); Equatorial zone: 30 degrees Celsius (day = 50 degrees, night = 10
degrees)

Native
Life: No sentient native life.

Trade: AIT:
Farming, electronics, metal extraction and glassware

Planet
Description:

Kraatar is the only
habitable world in the Tristkar system. Lying in a close orbit to the star
Tristkar, it is lightly populated primarily inhabited by Vrusks and Humans.

Its economy is mixed with agriculture,
industry and high-tech all playing a role. It has a light atmosphere and
gravity (0.6 G's) and a relatively short day lasting only 18 GST hours. While
there are no space stations in orbit, two uninhabited moons – Tivalla and
Setarz circle the planet.

Water covers only 20 percent of the
small world and there is very little cloud cover. Being near the inner edge of
the system's life zone, Kraatar receives large amounts of stellar radiation and
temperatures at the equator range from 0 to 60 degrees Celsius.

The
majority of Kraatar is covered by high altitude desert plateaus and jagged
mountain ranges rising up to heights of 10,000 meters. The atmosphere in the
mountains is too thin to breathe without the aid of breathing apparatus, but
numerous “flatlands” – also called lowland depressions – exist around the
planet, many of which are below sea level.

Only in
the flatlands, which are scattered around Kraatar’s temperate zones – is the
air dense enough to breathe without assistance. However, the air is not as
dense as most newcomers are used to, and persons attempting any strenuous
activity (e.g. running, climbing or fighting) will lose 1 point of Stamina
every 10 minutes. If the Stamina reaches zero, they will fall unconscious for
1d10+10 turns. For each turn of rest, they can regain 1 point of Stamina lost
this way.

Natives
of Kraatar are not subject to these effects, but they cannot function in the
mountains without breathing apparatus, where unprotected persons lose 1 point
of Stamina per turn until dead.

Kraatar
was first settled was first by Human colonists from White Light more than two
centuries ago. They landed at Gozzorf, on the shores of
the Yatiz Sea. Soon small communities were established here, at Quazzt's
Depression and in the other flatlands.

Searches were made in the planet's
mountains for heavy metals, but no rich deposits were ever found, and only a
few iron and copper mines were established. Isolated in their communities many
of the colonists took to a quiet life, tilling the land for crops and herding
the few imported animals.

As the years passed, the colonists
lost many of their technological skills, and as machinery wore out, they were
unable to replace it. Gradually they were reduced to a simple, self-sufficient
existence where high technology was a thing of the past.

Few ships visited the Tristkar
system until 80 years ago, when the computer of a Vrusk trade ship suggested
Kraatar as a “world suitable for commercialization.” After a hesitant meeting,
the two races struck up a rapport and the Vrusk traded technological hardware
for agricultural produce.

The Vrusk soon left Kraatar, only to
return later with more machinery to trade with the Humans. Equipped with the
latest farm machinery, the Humans were able to increase production, and buy
more Vrusk goods.

Soon Vrusk trading ships were
flocking to Kraatar, trading up-to-date equipment for agricultural products.
Many came to trade, but others brought settlers and with them Vrusk trade
houses eager for new markets.

The trade houses established
manufacturing plants and conducted comprehensive surveys of the planet. This
research revealed that the sands of Kraatar's deserts could provide an ideal
source of silicon for computer manufacture, as well as producing some of the
most beautiful glass ever seen by Vrusk. If cut and polished, the glass
scintillates and sparkles with all the colors of the rainbow.

Soon Kraatar glassware was sought by
Vrusk art lovers all over the Frontier, and rapidly became one of Kraatar's
major exports. At the same time, the two seas were discovered to be rich in
mineral deposits. As news of these finds spread, more Vrusk trade houses came
to Kraatar to exploit its new found wealth.

In the early years, both races
benefited from these developments. The Humans were supplied with much needed
technology, and the Vrusk had markets both on and off planet with which to
enrich themselves. The Vrusk trade houses established hospitals and a
university at Gozzorf. They discovered the remains of the original Human
settlers' ship, and set about restoring it. It would never fly again, but it
was lovingly rebuilt by the Vrusk with a museum around it to honor the Humans
on Kraatar and to display Vrusk art collections.

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