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[[File:Newvisegrad.png|thumb|A photograph of Visegrad circa 2461 taken from a passing research craft. It has been digitally edited to reduce the clouds which shroud the planet's atmosphere.]]
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==Overview==
An outer ring colony of the Solarian Alliance, Visegrad was first colonized by the Warsaw Pact during the early Interstellar Era and used as a dumping ground for the Pact’s politically least-desirable, before evolving into a noteworthy world in its own right. Since then it has been wracked by two civil wars: first in the face of the Interstellar War, and then in the wake of the Solarian Collapse of 2462. Today, the rainy world exists as the base of Fleet Admiral Klaudia Szalai’s power, serving as the capital of the Southern Solarian Reconstruction Mandate.


'''Due to Visegrad's history as a former penal colony housing Eastern European political dissidents and its current status as the de facto capital of a warlord state hostile to outsiders, characters born on Visegrad will have names and appearances consistent with the peoples of Non-Soviet Eastern Europe, East Germany, and the Non-Yugoslav & non-Greek Balkans. Only native Visegradis may take the Visegradi accent. This is enforceable by server moderators and admins.'''
On the eastern edge of the Empire of Dominia lies the least-populated major world of its domain: the '''Imperial Viceroyalty of Sun Reach''', fully integrated into the Empire in 2422 following an invasion of the Mithra System by the Imperial military in response to piracy against the Empire by the planet’s former rulers. Over the past forty years the planet has become a major source of Helium-3 production for the Empire’s war machine and, as generations of Reachers have come over age under Imperial rule, the planet’s identity has become more and more entwined with the Empire that both aids and exploits it.


==Geography & Climate==
Reachers are '''Ma’zals''' of the [[Empire of Dominia[[: commoners of non-Morozian descent. Unlike their counterparts in the [[Novi Jadran|Imperial Mandate of Novi Jadran]], the majority of Reachers are not honorary Secondaries, and are instead simply common Ma’zals.
<center><i>“Danube-2 is… Habitable, but marginal. It’s much, much wetter than Earth, considerably colder, and unremarkable geologically. In short: not really the lucrative find we were hoping for...”</i> — Starshey Leytenant Petrik Szoke, science officer aboard the Warsaw Pact survey ship “Vizsla”.</center>
Visegrad is a sullen and tempestuous world of ultra-dense temperate rainforests, frigid bogs, and swamps so thick with murk and mire so as to render a crossing by land impractical. Located on the cooler side of the goldilocks zone in the Danube star system, Visegrad’s defining trait in the eyes of the average observer is the profound moisture of it all. Perpetual and torrential storms rack the surface of the world, which feed the enormous forests and the vast equatorial ocean spanning the surface of the planet. Much of the precipitation can ultimately be traced back to Visegrad’s prominent and exceptionally dense planetary ring— consisting mostly of ice, the debris here often crashes to the planet’s surface and is promptly introduced into the water cycle.


Most settlements are located in the northern hemisphere— the temperate and boreal rainforests there are far more suitable to human habitation than the south’s vast bogs, swamps, and ice caps. The blackwood forests here stand taller than any on Earth, providing ample coverage and soil anchorage for buildings and other structures. The planetary capital, Fellegvar, is located in one of these forests. Other notable settlements include Nowa Bratislava, a coastal city in the far north, and Sloboda, the planet’s largest commune, which was built on the remains of a long-term survey outpost.
==History==
 
Aside from Visegrad itself, the Danube system is relatively unremarkable - the star itself is a yellow dwarf, and two other unnoteworthy, barren planets orbit it, along with a moderately-sized gas giant. Though all three have been exploited in the past, these efforts were unprofitable and most attention has been paid to Visegrad itself. Along with its ice belt, Visegrad also possesses a modestly-sized moon called Morana, which is host to a number of research and development outposts, formerly owned by Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals which now sit abandoned, being mothballed after the Solarian Collapse and not yet put back into regular use.
 
==Flora & Fauna==
<center><i>“I’ve never seen so much green in my entire life. The trees seem endless! To see them sway during a storm - it is mesmerizing.”</i> — Oda Jakuchu, writer for “The Spur’s Many Sights”, a Solarian travel guide.</center>
===Flora===
 
Life native to Visegrad all shares a common nature in their adaptations: they are prepared for the rain. The flora on Visegrad takes advantage of the constant rainfall, growing as quickly as it can. Trees here anchor themselves with resilient networks of roots, growing tall and strong. The overgrowth on Visegrad is stifling, and the soil is rich. Wildfires are common in spite of the rain as lightning strikes are frequent.
 
Especially notable flora are the blackwood trees, which are similar to the sitka spruce of Earth but with wood the color of rich ebony. Visegrad is famous for blackwood trinkets which are supposedly carved by hand— or as the more honest vendors would say, by sophisticated machines. A notable accoutrement to the trees themselves is raindrop moss, a plant which strongly resembles spanish moss from Earth in both form and biology. This moss is moisture-rich, and is frequently pressed to yield (grassy-tasting) drinking water.
 
Carpet moss, on the other hand, blankets the ground alongside the planet’s many fern species. Thick and plush, it exists in a semi-aquatic state, weathering flooding until the water recedes. Before the advent of prefabricated homesteads, early treehouses frequently used carpet moss for sod roofing as its sponge-like qualities helped prevent leaks.
 
===Fauna===
 
To describe the bulk of Visegradi fauna would be to describe a great number of mammalian or otherwise endothermic creatures with thick waterproof coats of fur or feathers and either an arboreal or semi-aquatic lifestyle. However, amphibians are also common as well. 
 
No creature registers in the curious minds of the public as the Skriatoks: a species of arboreal bipeds, remarkably intelligent and standing at around four feet tall. Hunched, covered in slick black fur, and possessing a pair of bulbous eyes and jutting horns, they are seldom seen in the civilized portions of the world. Some suggest that they are a pre-sophont species as tool use, outpacing even the most sophisticated of non-human apes, has been alleged by some xenobiologists.
 
Also infamous is the Szazlabu, a creature that defies typical taxonomic classification. Possessing dozens of gripping tendrils, this three-meter long beast is wholly arboreal and glides from tree to tree using its many limbs to grab branches. While terrifying to many by virtue of appearance, startling speed, and the large groups it congregates in, the Szazlabu is a harmless, intelligent, and even affectionate herbivore that has even been domesticated for transportation in remote areas.


Marine life is not so dissimilar to life on Earth, with the same niches seen there being fulfilled in a similar capacity. One of the sole exceptions is the Turul, an apex predator that spends much of its time in the air, yet dives into the ocean when hunting, capable of holding its breath for hours at a time in the search of prey. While capable of killing a human, the creatures typically do not target them; most attacks seem to be a case of mistaken identity, usually when the victim’s silhouette is altered or obscured enough to resemble a fish.
===The Solarian Republic of Sun Reach (2189-2302)===


One freshwater amphibian often loved by children is the Przewoznik, a portly disk of a creature that is just as clumsy in the water as it is out of it. Its distinctive screeches are heard all throughout the day and night and can occasionally be loud enough to disrupt the sleep of those who live close to courting pairs.
<center><i>“This is almost certainly an advantageous position for us to hold in the Arcadian Frontier, Prime Minister. Through it we can secure a future for shipbuilding in the region. Within a century, it will be a production center on the level of Neptune,”</i> -  Martin Clemson (2119 - 2230), [[Sol Alliance#Departments|Solarian Secretary of Colonization]], 2179.</center>
 
==History==
<center><i>“Centuries ago, when Visegrad needed the Alliance’s aid, it was there for us. And now, as Sol crumbles from threats within and without, we will answer her call and return the favor in kind! I speak to you now, my countrymen, and I say this - The Alliance is still worth fighting for! Your country is still worth fighting for!”</i> — Fleet Admiral Klaudia Szalai, addressing the people of Fellegvar shortly after the First Middle Ring Battlegroup’s arrival in orbit of the planet.</center>


Visegrad's history is a long and storied one filled with momentous events that span centuries, from its founding as a penal colony for political dissidents from the Warsaw Pact to its current status as the de facto capital of the Southern Solarian Military District. The planet's history is generally accepted as defined by certain phases which are listed below.
What would become the Viceroyalty of Sun Reach in 2422 was once one of the southernmost planets in the Solarian Alliance. Discovered in the late 2100s and colonized in 2189 due to extensive Helium-3 presence in its system, Mithra, Sun Reach was intended to support Solarian expansion into the Baltian and Arcadian Frontier Sectors through fuel processing and robust — though not military-grade — spacecraft production facilities built in orbit around it. Thousands of vessels were produced for the Alliance’s government, private corporations, and citizens throughout the 23rd century until the outbreak of the Interstellar War in 2278, when production was shifted to support the Solarian Navy and limited military production facilities were established in orbit.


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By 2287, when the Interstellar War ended, the Solarian Republic of Sun Reach was a comparatively stable and peaceful world compared to other Solarian frontier sectors, which has increasingly fallen into disarray as the War continued. A robust system defense force supported by the planet’s shipbuilding industry let it project an area of security around it alongside functional warp gates connecting it to Persepolis, Tau Ceti, and the Southern Reaches ensuring plentiful supplies. Assuming these connections remained stable, the Republic’s future was essentially secure. While the loss of the Coalition of Colonies had been a stark loss, the Alliance remained great — and the Republic imagined it would be the site of a new, bold expedition and expansion into the galactic south.
===Founding===
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[[File:Visegradflagpast.png|thumb|The flag of Visegrad during its colonial administration by the Warsaw Pact.]]
At the start of the interstellar era, the USSR along with the Warsaw Pact would emerge as one of the foremost human colonial powers. Wielding a huge chunk of the Earth’s population, economic power, and industrial capacity, the Soviets and their satellites would spread throughout the stars, settling world after world both in the Sol system and beyond. However, unlike on many of these worlds, not all of Visegrad’s colonists were volunteers. The foundation of the planet was a means to an end: a group of Warsaw Pact states consisting of Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and East Germany designed Visegrad as a dumping ground for political dissidents. Visegrad, with a name invoking notions of socialist unity and brotherhood, would become a drop-off point for much of the Pact’s unruly artists, subversive elements, religious figures, opposition intelligentsia and politicians, union leaders and members, and anyone else who could prove to be a problem to the state.  


Initially chosen because it was assessed as a relatively marginal planet, Visegrad was the world for the black sheep of the Warsaw Pact— where people could be sent to be out of public sight and mind. Development of the colony was no easy process, though. The weather complicated colonial development, but the worst of it was the foliage. Excavators, controlled explosions, and herbicides were all put to use in the creation of Fellegvar, the cramped and highly vertical initial colonial site. Besides those technical complications, the colonists themselves would present a number of issues ranging from general discontent to underground subterfuge. Not only were they being forced to live on the planet, but it would also prove to be a harsh home, and the capital itself was even harsher. Fellegvar resembled its namesake: a fortress with bleak and functionalist design, and one more designed to keep its population in rather than keep others out.
Over the remainder of the 23rd century the Alliance fell further and further from its prewar glories. A naval coup in 2289 led to more unrest in the Solarian Frontier, a terraforming disaster on Mars in 2298 shifted more attention to the Solarian Core, and the damage the Interstellar War had caused to the economy had not faded in much of the Alliance. As the 2300s dawned Sun Reach entered a new century in a more precarious state than it had ever been in.


Many people diffused into the countryside, seeking refuge from the oppressive situation in the cities. The simple fact of geography meant that there could be no suburban sprawl. Colonists either stuck to the cities or embraced a rural way of life, creating settlements referred to somewhat inaccurately as “communes” and individual structures referred to as “homesteads.” Generally, anyone living outside of an urban center was referred to as a Homesteader, and those who stuck to them were the Stadters.
===The Pirate Lords (2302-2422)===


As the colony grew, so did the problem of keeping people in line. Unrest began to become unmanageable as many of the worst troublemakers began to migrate into the countryside. With most of the population being politically unreliable to begin with, it became clear that a centralized, domestic policing apparatus would be necessary. As a result, the '''Visegradi People’s Security Service''' would emerge as the solution to the Warsaw Pact’s governing woes. While fulfilling the niche of a typical colonial defense force, it also doubled as a highly militarized police force, wielding an expansive surveillance network that reached all walks of life. Furthermore, the office of '''Colonial Premier''' would emerge, serving as both commander of the Security Service and the governor of the planet.
<center><i>“I will take what is mine through my strength of conquest, and your planetfolk weakness. Disobey my command, and my crew will have the run of your capital, ‘Duke’ Glavan,”</i> - High Captain Ernst Zhang during a raid of Novi Jadran during the mid-2380s. </center>


As time passed and natives began to outnumber imported dissidents— and the Security Service waged its campaign of dissident suppression— the situation on Visegrad gradually normalized. While rabble-rousers and recusants would continue to be sent to the rainy world, it became less like the Siberia of the stars and gradually shifted to a state of being more typical of a colony of the Warsaw Pact. Below the surface, however, aggressive police actions and authoritarian scheming worked to crush dissent, yet paradoxically and simultaneously contributed to it as many grew to resent the tyranny that the administration presented.
With the secession of the Republic of Elyra in 2302, Sun Reach was thrown into chaos as its supply routes collapsed and the broader Alliance began a messy, chaotic withdrawal from the Southern Solarian Frontier which left many planets to fend for themselves. The republican government of Sun Reach ended in early 2302 when the system defense force couped the civilian government and installed a military “emergency government” which was essentially a dictatorship. Desperate to sustain their naval strength without the external supplies they had depended on, and unable to produce new shipyards, the military government turned to “requisitioning” supplies from nearby systems under Solarian emergency regulations. But as the years dragged on and the defense force began to loot further and further territories, their goal became less to sustain their strength and more to enrich themselves while maintaining their dominion over nearby worlds, who they forced to pay protection money. By 2310 the Reacher Guard had become the Pirate Lords, the scourge of the Badlands.
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As the Pirate Lords further established their authority over the planet and enriched themselves, they neglected to support the civilian population of the planet and instead focused on their planetary refineries and the orbital facilities from which they ruled. The broader population, deprived of any external support and forced to pay their own tithes to the Pirate Lords and their crews, gradually became unable to support the advanced technology many settlements had. By the mid-2300s most had resorted to living off the land in small villages they often built around desalination facilities or the rare natural aquifer. By 2422 a solitary urban center – Sun Reach, the former capital of the planet – remained, with others having fallen into ruin and many having been reclaimed by nature. These villages would nominate a single family to deal with the Pirate Lords, who demanded material support and recruits from the planet itself. Tribunalism arrived on the planet during the 2300s and was mostly an underground religion, with the Pirate Lords viewing it as potentially dangerous to their rule.
===The Interstellar War===
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The fragile facade of peace and unity crumbled when the Second Great Depression struck the Pact and the greater Alliance. Almost immediately, the Warsaw Pact’s hold on Visegrad began to dissolve. With prosperity down the drain, those who fought against the colonial government were emboldened by a sudden wave of support. Mass protests and strikes seriously challenged the government’s hold on power. Eventually a leak of Security Service information exposed the extent of their actions, and public order began to fall apart and eventually collapse with the assassination of Colonial Premier '''Andrzej Nowak'''. When a bomb in his office killed him along with some of his ranking staff, elements of the security forces were charged with responsibility— many anti-government groups simultaneously claiming the bombing as their own. Nowak’s legacy would prove to be one of civil strife as his successor, '''Jarmila Szwedko''', engaged in a merciless purge of suspected opponents. This exacerbated the issue of questionable loyalty: in response, an attempted coup to stop Jarmila’s rule by officers of the Security Service turned into civil war.
By the 2380s the Pirate Lords’ influence had reached another major former Solarian world: Novi Jadran. Jadranic and Reacher forces fought several battles between 2380 and 2389, with most being won by the Pirate Lords and Novi Jadran squeezed further and further by raids. But the victories of the Pirate Lords over Novi Jadran would, in a twist of irony, become their undoing when Novi Jadran petitioned the young Empire of Dominia for aid and was annexed into it peacefully. Deprived of the industrial tithe they could gain from Novi Jadran, the Reachers were put on the backfoot as they tried to avoid deliberately raiding Morozian-flagged vessels. But by the 2410s the Pirate Lords, greedily seeking more wealth, had begun harassing Imperial vessels. The Empire and Pirate Lords were now set upon a course which would inevitably bring them into open warfare and, following a skirmish between the Imperial Fleet and Pirate Lords in 2422, the Imperial military launched a punitive expedition with the aim of conquering Sun Reach, ensuring the Empire’s control over the Badlands and the end of the Pirate Lords as a serious threat to its expansion in the region.


There were three predominant factions in this conflict: the Loyalists, Regionalists, and Secessionists. The Loyalists were those who remained aligned with the Warsaw Pact. Despite enjoying some initial successes, the Loyalists collapsed after a few years— with support from both the Pact and the populace drying up. The Regionalists wished to remain within the Alliance, but did not support continued Pact control. The most radical faction were the Secessionists, who desired unilateral secession from the Alliance and realignment towards the fledgling Coalition. Support for each faction was heterogeneous, with allegiance varying greatly between city, commune, homestead and individual. In the end, the Regionalists received support from a key outside party: Sol.
===The Imperial Viceroyalty of Sun Reach (2422 - Present)===


With the Secessionists taking the side of the Coalition during their guerrilla war against Solarian rule, the Alliance backed the Regionalists, sending them strategic and material aid. Reorganized and wielding the Visegradi National Defense Force, forged from elements of the Security Service, the Regionalists continued their war against the Secessionists. After a grueling insurgency which saw countless deaths, the Regionalists eventually gained total control of the planet. With the Warsaw Pact out of the picture, and the Secessionists defeated, democracy— albeit illiberal, in the typical Solarian style— finally came to the rainy world.  
<center><i>“For crimes against the citizenry of the Imperial Mandate of Novi Jadran I sentence you, Captain Zhang, to death by hanging! To your crew, the beneficent Emperor has seen fit to offer them their choice of service in the Imperial Fleet or fifty years’ labor in the Imperial Territory of Fisanduh’s mines. With Her as my witness, I pronounce judgement!”</i> - Naval Magistrate Hitomi Kaneko during the military trials of the Pirate Lords, 24 March 2423.</center>
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It took the Imperial military under a month to defeat the Pirate Lords and occupy the planet, with their dated equipment and poorly-trained forces falling apart after the first engagements of the expedition. Some, unwilling to surrender to the Empire, fled abroad or into the swamps surrounding the Algae Belt, becoming the first rural bandits of the planet. Many of the Pirate Lords were captured, tried, and quickly executed by the Empire. Imperial forces were, in some areas, greeted with open arms by a population which had long hidden their Tribunalist faith and was now free of the tithes paid to the previous government. In other areas, the Empire was viewed as little more than a replacement for the Pirate Lords and a shallow reminder of the democracy which once flourished under Solarian rule.
===The Solarian Collapse of 2462===
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Being a Solarian outer colony, the Solarian Collapse struck Visegrad with full force. For the most part it largely avoided the military’s phoron seizures, as there existed only small stores of the resource on the planet. Instead, the real trouble began with the death of Frost and the tragedy on Mars. The Secessionist cause, suppressed since the end of the Interstellar War, flared up once more. Protesters took to the streets all throughout Visegrad, demanding unilateral secession from the Alliance and a realignment towards the Coalition. The government found itself hard-pressed to control the unrest, which grew even worse after the military garrison abandoned the world and began a sudden retreat to the Sol system.
With Sun Reach’s conquest of Dominia came immense investment by the Empire’s economy, particularly Houses Zhao and Caladius. For the first time in over a century neglected Helium-3 refineries and orbital shipyards which had fallen into disrepair were brought online, and thousands of Reachers moved into cities to seek employment in better-paying urban industries. Others, seeking to redeem — or perhaps continue — their piratical past, joined the Imperial Fleet or the Goddess’ Flotilla. Most residents of the planet view life as better under the Empire than it was under the piratical former government, though some dissent. Those who opt to fight against the Viceroyalty often take to the swamps and mangroves around the Algae Belt, risking disease, weather, and dangerous wildlife to avoid the Imperial Army and Home Guard. Derided as outlaws and rogues by the government, and by most Reachers, these men and women often become little more than bandits.


The world’s colonial assembly was led by a Sol First Party minority government which collapsed nearly immediately, a motion of no confidence leading to its dissolution. With a defunct assembly, the head of the National Defense Force, Commandant '''Mariusz Kovacs''', declared the government adjourned in perpetuity and that a state of martial law would be in place until a Solarian relief force would arrive, of which there was no guarantee would ever happen.
In the Helium-3 industry, which is concentrated in the planet’s cities, there are few regulations and many are made to work long hours in hazardous conditions for less pay than workers in the Imperial Core. Meanwhile, the rapid growth of urban areas over the past 40 years has caused a rural decline in many areas as young algae farmers leave for higher-paying jobs to pay off their Mo’ri’zal, disrupting the planet’s traditional way of life. While their system of ruling their villages through notable families remains, some Reachers are concerned their culture will be consumed by the Empire by the end of the century as more and more of the planet’s inhabitants grow up only having known Imperial rule.  


This was a measure that proved deeply unpopular with the anti-government populace and other pro-secession groups, and the protests turned to riots and riots to firefights. NDF troopers and police engaged in combat with Secessionist militias, echoing the state of affairs during the Interstellar War. Monorails were bombed or captured, major and minor starports seized or sabotaged. A general state of anarchy ruled on Visegrad, much like on many abandoned Solarian worlds, and no unified planetary government existed by the time the conflict in Tau Ceti ended. Secessionist militias controlled Sloboda and vast swathes of the rural countryside, while an uncertain peace existed in the rest of the world, ruled by the colony’s defense force. While the NDF’s fleet was still operational and capable of fighting off rogue military vessels and pirate fleets, Kovacs and his clique knew they stood no chance against an invasion by one of the wildlands’ warlords. On Visegrad, the few months of interregnum were a bloody and uncertain time, and nobody knew what the fate of the world would be.
As the Empire looks towards the 2470s it considers how to best continue to develop the Viceroyalty, and to quash its issues. Whether or not it is successful remains to be seen, though as more and more Reachers are raised knowing solely Imperial rule it is less and less likely any serious efforts will be made to throw off its rule. For now, at least, the Viceroyalty is solidly in the hands of the Empire.
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==Environment==
===The First Middle Ring Battlefleet===
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Being one of the better-trained and equipped battlegroups in the Alliance Navy, and most certainly the best in the region, the First Middle Ring Battlefleet (FMRB) under Fleet Admiral '''Klaudia Szalai''' was in the middle of peacekeeping duties when the order to retreat to the Sol system was given to many of the Alliance’s remaining forces. Thinly spread out and one of the few effective units in a region normally patrolled by the Navy’s worst, the battlefleet was in no position to retreat in good order, phoron shortages aside. When the collapse came, the chaos would’ve destroyed a lesser unit— but the high level of cohesion and comparative quality of the soldiers under Klaudia’s command allowed for a sluggish but successful rendezvous.
<center><i>“Soldiers! This environment will be unlike your homes in the Imperial Mandate. Expect humidity, insects, and constant rain in some areas. Remember your training and watch yourself and your comrades for signs of heatstroke. Dismissed!”</i> - First Lieutenant Henrik Novak of the 122nd Jadranic Infantry Regiment prior to their deployment to Sun Reach, 2457.</center>


By the time Szalai’s forces had reconstituted, however, Sol’s withdrawal was all but finished and the wildlands had become a place without any clear governmental authority. The Fleet Admiral was given a difficult choice: attempt to make her way back to the Sol system through now-hostile territory and with a severe lack of fuel, or attempt to restore order and find safe harbor in the southern wildlands. The choice for Klaudia was obvious; a committed Solarian loyalist, she strived to preserve the Alliance however she could. As for the safe harbor, the choice was equally apparent to the Fleet Admiral. Kovacs, in the end, was right, and a Solarian relief force would eventually make its way to Visegrad.
Sun Reach is a hot, humid, and wet world dominated by swamps and mangroves. It has long, hot summers with short, cool winters and temperatures rarely drop below freezing even during winter. Much of the planet’s surface outside of its limited landmasses is covered by shallow oceans. These oceans are home to floating islands of organic plant mass which, while rarely encountered, represent a stunning example of Reacher biodiversity. Rain is frequent and many areas flood seasonally, being dry during the winter and underwater during the summer months. Building any serious infrastructure on Sun Reach is difficult due to these seasonal floods and the swampy conditions of much of its land. Much of the planet’s water is salty, which leads to further infrastructure issues due to corrosion and a need to build desalination facilities — historically, Reacher settlements are often based around these plants.


When the FMRB’s detachment to Visegrad arrived, the NDF’s beleaguered government welcomed them with open arms. Most Secessionist militias were unprepared for the all-out assault that came with the District’s arrival, and many surrendered outright in the face of the overwhelming force suddenly sent their way. Some well-equipped, fanatical, or isolated hardliners that went underground persisted in their efforts, but for the most part the Secessionist insurgency was abruptly extinguished. Almost immediately, Visegrad would serve to be one of the springboards of Szalai’s stabilization of the Southern Solarian Military District.
The equatorial region of Sun Reach is known as the Algae Belt, and is where most of the planet’s population can be found. Year-round dry land is found more readily here than in any other region of the planet and, while still swampy and humid, permanent settlements are easier to construct and infrastructure is easier to maintain. However, regular maintenance is still required to counteract the planet’s climate and the mostly-sunken remnants of rail lines and roads from the pre-Imperial era are frequent sights in more rural regions of the Algae Belt. Aquaculture has historically been the dominant industry in this region due to the abundance of shallow, relatively calm waters and natural hardiness of the Reacher staple crop: algae.


Being Visegradi herself, it might be possible to level an accusation of bias against Szalai for her pick in a base of operations, but Visegrad was a fair choice. The established shipbuilding industry and starports would allow for maintenance of the battlefleet’s vessels, and the populace stood a chance of being easily pacified by one of their own. Perhaps the most significant factor in the strategic decision to occupy Visegrad was the nature of the aforementioned shipbuilding industry: Visegradi shipyards specialized in vessels that would be exported to the frontier, and therefore typically used warp drives instead of bluespace drives. With phoron supplies already nearly depleted, the option to refit the FMRB’s ships with obsolete-but-effective warp drives was key to Szalai’s long-term strategy, and likely equally important to other competing warlords in the region.
Beyond the Algae Belt, as one travels further towards the planetary poles, the environment becomes less hospitable as human settlements begin to grow more sparse before eventually ceasing entirely. As one travels towards the poles weather becomes more extreme, with frequent storms and rain which is rumored to never cease at the poles. At the same time flora begins to steadily increase and eventually becomes too dense to reasonably travel through unless one spends days clearing the foliage meter by meter. Some Imperial expeditions have recorded foliage which appears to deliberately grow in their path and thin out behind them, as if it is trying to deliberately block their progress, but House Volvalaad has dismissed this as outlandish and unscientific. Much of this area is poorly explored and few accurate maps exist, with orbital photography ineffective due to the density of foliage and frequent cloud cover. Cartographic efforts by Imperial scholars have been frustrated by a lack of funding, Reacher superstitions about the poles, and the hazardous conditions of the far reaches of the planet. The Alliance is rumored to have completely mapped Sun Reach during its hegemonic era, but no maps are known to have survived to the modern era. Rumors have long circulated that the poles contain lost Solarian research facilities where terraforming was researched centuries ago, and that equipment gone awry is the source of the freak weather near the poles.
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===Flora and Fauna===
===The Southern Solarian Military District===
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From 2462 to 2465 Visegrad served as the bona fide seat of command for the SSMD’s leadership apparatus, and a base of operations for the military forces of the military district. Every day, ships flew in and out of the planet’s orbital facilities, receiving repairs and supplies—and what phoron that can be gathered from trade or storage, for ships that haven’t already been refitted.
The '''Reacher Gar''' is a large, typically 2-3 meter long and relatively slender carnivorous fish found across Sun Reach’s shallow waters. Commonly known as the “gar fish” (or garfish) among locals, it is a frequent source of food for the rural populations who live near the mangroves gar prefer to nest in. Reacher garfish are capable of moving at surprising speeds while striking at their prey — typically smaller fish or aquatic mammals — and their scales armor them against most predators. These scales are used by Reachers to fashion small blades and limited amounts of bite-proof clothing. While not actively hostile towards humans, gar fish will defend their nests and can inflict painful bites on unprepared humans.
Meanwhile, Szalai’s anti-corporate agenda saw Zeng-Hu’s previously profitable and expansive operations on the planet completely shut down. Additionally, many Visegradi secessionists were m indefinitely detained for their rebellion. A substantial portion of the SSMD’s replacement troops are Visegradi recruits, as the people of the rainy planet recently put out of work are forced to find an alternative livelihood. Even the Visegradi National Defense Force was disbanded as a distinct entity, quickly being incorporated into the FMRB’s structure following its arrival. Conflicts with Biesel and the Southern Fleet Administration put a crosshair over the rainy planet: as the lynchpin world of Szalai’s regime, defeat here would have been a harsh blow to her forces and the Alliance’s influence in the Southern Reaches. Finally, hardliner secessionist cells continued to operate, trying — and failing — to derail the path to Solarian reintegration.


The SSMD’s rule over the planet lasted until July 2465, when the rainy world was reintegrated into the Alliance through the creation of the Southern Solarian Reconstruction Mandate (SSRM).
An apex predator alongside humanity, the '''Reacher soostatom''' closely resembles the alligators of old Earth. It is a large, quadruped animal which can grow anywhere from six to nine meters long depending upon the environment, with soostatoms growing larger as one approaches the poles. Soostatom are carnivorous and easily capable of killing a human if threatened. However, attacks are generally rare. Reachers historically hunted soostatoms for their meat and their tough, leathery skins which are used to make clothing. In the Imperial era soostatom hunting has dropped as many urban areas have moved to adopt more traditionally Morozian styles of clothing.
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The '''mangrove-creeper''' is a common semi-aquatic plant which is found growing along the bottoms of trees in mangroves or bayous. A symbiotic species with the larger trees, mangrove-creepers are carnivorous plants which lure small animals beneath them with their fruits and use grabbing “mouths” to latch onto their prey and dissolve them with a digestive acid. While their mouths are too small to harm humans, mangrove-creepers have historically been viewed as a pest by rural communities. However, since 2422, they have become valuable cash crops due to their acid being an effective industrial solvent which is commonly used in the planet’s Helium-3 refining industry. Villages which once cursed these plants now grow rich from them.
===The Southern Solarian Reconstruction Mandate===
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Since July 2465 Visegrad has officially rejoined the broader Solarian Alliance following the formal end of the Solarian Civil War, and now serves as the capital world of the Southern Solarian Reconstruction Mandate. As it reenters the Alliance most Visegradis are full of hope for the future, though many problems remain unresolved and must be addressed: the gradual withdrawal of the Navy from ruling, the trialing and releasing of secessionist actors, the fate of corporate facilities, and the potential re-establishment of the National Defense Force as the civilian government prepares to begin leadership of the planet.
==Culture==


Furthermore, Szalai must work to rebuild much of the Southern Reaches while protecting the SSRM from pirate raids originating in the nearby Wasteland and balancing the political influence of other actors in the region, such as Fleet Admiral Myo Yunso and Sankt Frederick Governor Adrien MacPherson. But the majority of Visegradis are confident their Fleet Admiral will see them through this, and towards a better future.
<center><i>“Reachers are, due to neglect by their former masters, less culturally advanced than the Imperial Core and Novi Jadran. In this volume, I will discuss how these primitive beliefs emerged and how they can be eradicated,”</i> - Doctor Rahela Lemnaru, Jadranic sociologist employed by House Caladius, in her introduction to Cultural Backwardness on the Imperial Frontier Vol. XII: Reacher Customs and Beliefs (published in 2559).</center>
</div></div>


===Visegradi-Plutonian Enmity===
While Reachers follow the broader cultural trends and holidays of the Empire, their recent entry and unique history has given them a culture distinct from the broader Morozian-influenced culture of Dominia. Those from the rest of Dominia often stereotype Reachers as rural, conservative, and prone to superstitions while at the same time being hardworking, loyal, and faithful to the Goddess. Internationally, some regard Reachers as simply another planet subjugated by Moroz while others view them as having received a justified punishment for their actions as pirates. Reachers themselves are generally Imperial loyalists, viewing the Empire as better than the Pirate Lords, but some wish for further autonomy and more radical dissidents wish for a return to the era of piracy.
A longstanding sense of enmity exists between the people of Visegrad and Pluto, owing largely to the ideological differences between the two planets’ populations, and also for the Warsaw Pact’s tendency to use Plutonians as additional manpower in the Security Service due to the ever-present shortcomings in drumming up local support end enlistees.


Visegradi people see the Plutonians as emblematic of the institutions that deported their ancestors to Visegrad in the first place, and as jackbooted thugs who oppressed the population of the rainy planet. Plutonians, on the other hand, view the Visegradi people as reactionaries and hereditary criminals, a belief only steeled by the fact that the Plutonian guards and government employees unlucky enough to be left behind during the Pact’s withdraw found themselves sent to Visegradi prisons at worse, or unceremoniously exiled to the nearest inhabited planet at best.
Historically, Reachers have lived in small rural communities numbering from a few hundred to several thousand. Built around either desalination plants or natural sources of water these communities relied on aquaculture to survive and the Reacher diet remains mostly unchanged from this era, favoring algae, aquatic plants, and seafood. Under the Pirate Lords these communities were expected to pay a tithe of resources to the captain who controlled the area, and a single family was chosen to be the point of contact for the community. Over a century of paying tribute, these families have morphed into the dominant political class of the planet and many were kept in place by the Empire out of convenience. Modern rural communities on Sun Reach do not look very different from their counterparts a century ago, though many have died out due to depopulation as Reachers immigrate to urban centers for higher-paying work. Large families are a common sight in rural communities on Sun Reach and rural families are often very connected to one another, with multiple generations and branches living in close proximity to one another.


==Society, Culture, and People==
Rural village life on Sun Reach is often challenging, with little in the way of outside help and overland travel difficult due to swampy terrain and poor weather. Travel is traditionally done over water, often by airboat, and navigating the mangrove-filled waters of Sun Reach can cause even simple journeys to take days. Investment by the Empire has brought limited rail infrastructure to Sun Reach and some particularly remote villages are now more connected to the broader planet via air travel, but the difficult terrain of the planet has ensured infrastructure is slow to expand and expensive to maintain. Regular passenger rail services are only available between major settlements along the Algae Belt, with other areas serviced much more infrequently. Travel by wheeled vehicle is rare, with the exception of Imperial Army equipment, due to persistent swampy mud which mires all but the hardiest vehicles.
<center><i>“Don’t mind the suspicious looks. Trust is earned here, not freely given. Don’t worry - let them get to know you, and you’ll see how the Visegradi really are. And if someone invites you out to get a bite to eat along the way, accept!”</i> — Ambroz Gorka, for “Does the Red Banner Yet Fly?”, a documentary about Warsaw Pact and USSR colonies.</center>
===Societal Overview===
Visegradi society is notably characterized by geography. The urban population lives in cramped high-rise apartment buildings and typically travel by suspended monorail. They form the bulk of the educated specialists in the workforce and have a lifestyle more typical to heavily developed worlds. Homesteaders, on the other hand, are the group that constitutes the rural population. While many communes exist on the periphery of more developed urban centers, those further away from the cities live a rugged lifestyle not too dissimilar from the less-developed worlds of the Solarian outer ring or human frontier. Suburban sprawl is completely non-existent due to the complications of the biosphere, hence the relatively clear line of demarcation. Another notable aspect of Visegradi life is the somewhat high concentration of higher education facilities relative to the planet’s fame— Visegrad is well-known for having a fair number of universities, esteemed for their focus on xenobotany, xenobiology, and other life sciences.


===People===
Reachers who move to its sole urban center, itself named Sun Reach, often find work in the Helium-3 industry which has come to dominate the Viceroyalty’s economy in the decades since its conquest. While it pays far more than aquaculture work, the He-3 industry is poorly regulated and dominated by off-planet nobles such as House Zhao. Injuries are common among laborers in the field and hours can be long, with plants working round-the-clock to fulfill the fuel nerve of the Imperial Fleet. Injured workers are often let go without severance fees or benefits, returning to their villages as cripples or living off of charity provided by the Tribunal in the slum districts of Sun Reach – sometimes without permanent housing, creating a homeless issue on a planet which had no such issue prior to 2422. The rapid expansion of the planet’s only city has created a housing crisis and resulted in many urbanite Reachers living in ramshackle apartments in poorly-designated, overcrowded slums. Urban families are much smaller than their rural counterparts, and many urban Reachers will only see their broader families on holidays. Imperial sociologists and urban planners estimate the Viceroyalty will not have a second major urban center until the early 2500s, potentially later, due to its environment being poorly-suited for major urban projects.
In terms of ethnic makeup, the overwhelming majority of the population are ethnic Visegradi, being people who are the descendents of the original colonists and outcasts from the Warsaw Pact. There are almost no aliens on Visegrad with the immigration process for any non-human being as difficult as it was anywhere else in the Alliance. Almost always, any alien found on Visegrad would be a Skrell, typically one affiliated with the academic community. This has become even more noticeable as Visegrad’s separation from Sol between 2462 and 65 stopped nearly all immigration of any species to the planet, human or not. It did not stop emigration, and with the SSMD’s borders being essentially open with Sol, some have taken the opportunity to flee to safer Alliance space for the time being. Secessionists who would find themselves unwelcome in Sol have a more difficult journey with refugees resorting to braving the Wasteland m and then attempting passage through or around Elyran space to get to the Coalition. Some secessionists have opted to remain in the Wasteland, believing its anarchy represents true freedom. Regardless of where one goes, Biesel is a logical next step for some looking to start a new life.


===Expressions, Attitudes, and Superstitions===
Due to neglect of the planet under the rule of the Pirate Lords leading to widespread poverty, Reacher cuisine has historically revolved around aquaculture and local fish — reliable food sources which can be found easily at all points of the year. Wild game from the swampy forests of the planet is part of the diet of Kent rural communities and the ends of successful hunts are often community celebrations where the entire village participates in a feast. As the planet’s population has urbanized since 2422 and off-world foods have become more common, Reacher urban cuisine has been influenced by the similarly seafood-based diets of Novi Jadranic soldiers and engineers who have been brought or come to the planet’s cities to support the Viceroyalty.
One common aspect of Visegradi conversation and culture is the mention of geography, weather, and flora to describe a subject. A common statement would be something akin to, “it’s a rainy day.” In a figurative sense, this means it’s a normal, boring day. Other examples might be to say that “a storm is coming,” if someone feels uneasy, or that “The clouds are clearing up,” if someone’s mood is improving. Additionally, this extends to more physical things too, such as describing being outside, as “under the clouds,” even if no clouds are actually present, or going on a walk often being called “going rainspotting.” In general, Visegradi people are frequently described as being a rather gloomy, suspicious sort with a generally pessimistic outlook. Decades of oppression by an authoritarian government has also instilled an intrinsic distrust of authority and government in some communities and people. This extends to new people as well as many supposed “friends” worked as informants for the Security Service during the Pact era. Also notable is a general predisposition towards superstition: Visegradi culture places a substantial emphasis on luck and fatalism, and there are a number of perhaps unusual traditions that relate to this. There is additionally an emphasis on hard work, recreation, and living; it is not uncommon for natives to turn their noses up at softer lifestyles and those who live them. Backpacking and hunting, in particular, are pastimes strongly cemented in Visegradi culture.


Some notable superstitions among Visegradi people are an apprehension or even offense to having one’s photograph taken without one’s knowledge, it being considered a bad omen due to the historical trend of the old Security Service photographing people without their knowing. Similarly, due to the history of Security Service members wearing face masks, masked people or those who otherwise obscure their faces are seen as particularly suspicious in the culture, to the point where many from Visegrad will outright avoid people who wear facemasks for purposes outside of necessity and profession, such as doctors or those who work around harmful particulates. Even then though, explanations are usually warranted. Lastly, a notable superstition among some Visegradi people is to never leave doors or windows open, believing that it may let bad luck, or more practically, rain, inside.
===Reacher Tribunalism and Folk Beliefs===


A more sinister superstition revolves around the idea of the “Leszy”, or forest spirits, which are said to take the form of large green Skriatoks - with leaves, branches, and other plants growing from their bodies. Leszy can be benevolent or malevolent, and are considered to be somewhat unpredictable; they have been credited with guiding people through the thickest of storms back to civilization, while simultaneously blamed for the disappearances of lost travelers. One common method of warding off or gaining the favor of Leszy is to tattoo oneself with a depiction of a Visegradi animal, or likewise to carry a wooden carving of a Visegradi creature on your person, which is said to appease the Leszy and serve as a sort of guardian charm. Leszy have been historically used as a euphemism for the security service’s forced disappearances during the Pact era - and the word continues to be used as a tongue-in-cheek way of referring to malicious or bumbling governments.
Tribunalism has been present on Sun Reach since the 2300s, first arriving via merchants and visitors from Moroz and gradually spreading throughout the planet over the following years, though it would only become the majority faith of the planet after 2422. Suppressed by the Pirate Lords as a potential security risk, the pre-Imperial Tribunalists of Sun Reach were forced to practice in secret to avoid punishment. These individuals — known as Old Tribunalists on Sun Reach — form a kind of social elite on the planet under Imperial rule, being viewed as more loyal and more faithful than the typical citizen of the planet. Reacher Tribunalism has, due to its isolation from the broader Tribunal prior to 2422, acquired several unique characteristics born from a merger of Tribunalist and Reacher traditions.


===Language===
Unlike Morozians, Reachers traditionally cremate their dead due to the difficulty of ensuring corpses remain underground in the soft, swampy terrain of the planet. Those corpses which are buried will, unless properly buried in stone crypts, often return to the surface after the first heavy rain. The ashes of the corpse are collected and preserved by the deceased’s relatives, then stored in a family shrine. Often located on the edges of Reacher villages and towns, these shrines are the closest equivalent Reachers have to traditional graveyards and serve as an important gathering point for Reacher families. Reachers believe that unless a corpse is burnt and its ashes returned to the family shrine, it will wander the Spur as a wandering spirit for all eternity. While Reachers believe these spirits are not always malicious, traditional belief holds they will do anything to have their ashes returned to their proper resting place — including killing or harming the living.
Visegradi Creole is the dialect of Tradeband native to Visegrad. As a result of the unique origins of the planet's colonists, Sol Common never had an opportunity to cement itself on the rainy world. Instead, communication with outside traders led to an eclectic, harsh, and relatively unique version of Tradeband to take hold as the local lingua franca, a position that it has held to the present day. Sol Common in spite of this still sees heavy use in schools and in the government as an official language mandated by the Solarian Alliance before its collapse. While the Warsaw Pact experimented with Tradeband as a language to unify the linguistically-diverse population, a different variant took hold in the planet’s population, one heavily influenced by the many languages of the founding population. Visegradi Creole was originally intended to act as an argot language, one designed to be incomprehensible to the planet’s Warsaw Pact guards - at one point, a whole unit of the Security Service was dedicated to deciphering and understanding the ever-changing creole language. After the end of Pact rule, Visegradi Creole was rehabilitated and standardized, being made the planet’s official language alongside Sol Common.


Music on the rainy world is somewhat notable, with folk and polka being popular styles, almost always being sung in Visegradi Creole.  
Reacher Tribunalism has a strong religious tradition of faith healing, particularly in rural areas, which combines folk medicine with the Tribunalist faith. Locally known as Kaivijadii, or Roamers, these individuals grew to prominence under the Pirate Lords’ neglect of the planet and were the only chance many Reachers had to receive medical care. With the arrival of the Empire in 2422 and the increasing presence of modern medical systems, the Kaivijadii now coexist alongside conventional medicine with the Tribunal’s blessing. A Kaivijadii’s healing abilities are said to be derived directly from the Goddess and their connection to Her is strengthened through prayers passed down from practitioner to practitioner, generally through familial ties. The rituals of the Kaivijadii are unique to each practitioner and have often been passed down since the early 2300s.


===Cuisine===
While most Kaivijadii are regarded as benevolent practitioners who wish to aid the faithful of Sun Reach, the Madalin-Kaivijadii, or Roaming Sculptors, are a group of malevolent Kaivijadii said to live in the wild, sparsely populated areas beyond the Algae Belt where they can avoid the gaze of the Tribunal and the Viceroyalty. Madalin-Kaivijadii are said to be able to cast curses via black magic taught to them by witch-spirits, and sustain their powers through ritual sacrifices which ensure the victim becomes a wandering spirit in the thrall of the Madalin-Kaivijadii. Unexplained disappearances in rural communities are often blamed on these magicians and Reacher parents commonly tell their children that if they misbehave, a Madalin-Kaivijadii will abduct and sacrifice them. These rituals are said to give the Madalin-Kaivijadii eternal youth, so long as they continue them, and render them immune to any weapons not blessed by a faithful Tribunalist clergymember. The Viceroyalty’s government holds that the Madalin-Kaivijadii are simply fiction and do not truly exist, but many Reachers continue to believe in them. Whenever a person disappears without explanation, crops fail, or misfortune occurs, they are often blamed.
Visegradi cuisine is famous for the heavy use of paprika in many recipes. Adapted versions of paprikash, goulash, and marhaporkolt are famous in some culinary circles and any visitor to the rainy world is bound to enjoy the food, at the very least. One uniquely Visegradi dish is Stormbreak Eggs. A form of street food popular amongst Stadters, they are fried in paprika-infused cooking oil alongside kielbasa and served on lye bread toasted in that same oil. Also famous are the Visegradi Coffee Houses, which were copied from Viennese tradition by some Hungarian colonists. These rustic and comfortable cafes are a defining aspect of the rainy planet’s social life. Notable menu options include items such as einspanner coffee and pine needle tea. Additionally, Visegradi agriculture is somewhat unique in that it revolves around the cultivation of fungi, most often different kinds of mushrooms endemic to the rainy world.


Borovicka is by far the most popular liquor on the planet, owing both to Visegrad’s pine tree-analogues and the Slovak origins of some of the original settlers. The gin-like beverage is so popular that it is said to be something that any alcohol-inclined traveller should enjoy, with it often being exported to other Solarian colonies or even further abroad. Spritzers (called froccs, in the local dialect) are also popular if one is in search of a more mild drink.
==The Viceroyalty==


===Drugs===
Since 2422 Sun Reach has been part of the broader Empire of Dominia, and is known as the Viceroyalty of Sun Reach. The Viceroyalty itself is an odd state which is divided between a civilian-run colonial administration and an extensive military administration which rules alongside it, both of which are under the leadership of Governor-General Hermann Gaufried-Meinrad Strelitz — a career military officer who has found himself awkwardly balancing competing interests from native Reachers, the great houses, the Imperial government and military, the Tribunal, foreign corporations, and others. Below him is the civil-military administration of the planet, itself divided between Morozians and loyal Ma’zals, both from Sun Reach itself and elsewhere in the Empire. The civil-military cleavage in the Viceroyalty’s administration has led to many conflicts of interest between the government itself and has allowed notable Reacher families, through the patron-client system established under the Pirate Lords, to maintain their grip on power in many areas. But all know that, for the Viceroyalty to continue to succeed, one thing must not change: the flow of Helium-3 from Sun Reach to the broader Empire must continue, no matter the cost.
Drug usage rates on Visegrad are similar to other Solarian worlds, but uniquely the most popular illicit drugs on the planet are native psychoactive fungus. Visegrad has been referred to as “the psilocybin capital of the spur” by some self-proclaimed drug “experts”, though such a moniker may be seen with embarrassment or disdain by a native Visegradi. Another recreational drug that has a uniquely Visegradi system of use is tobacco - actual cigarettes one would smoke are essentially extinct on the planet, as the endless drizzle and moisture makes using them nearly impossible outdoors. Instead, chewing tobacco, nicotine gum, specially-designed smoking pipes, and electronic cigarettes are all far more popular.


===Clothing & Dress===
The civilian administration of the Viceroyalty is concentrated in its urban centers and the more developed regions of the Algae Belt, and has two primary responsibilities: the first is to ensure the planet’s development continues, and the second is to ensure its fuel industry continues to be profitable. Work on Sun Reach for the civilian administration is often unpleasant, with its primarily Morozian and Jadranic staff unused to the stifling heat and humidity of the planet and expected to work long, often irregular hours to ensure development of the countryside continues. Nobles prefer to avoid Sun Reach’s administrative postings, and almost all are instead filled by Secondaries or Integrated Ma’zals. The civilian government, with its focus on development, is expected to work with and alongside the military government, which focuses upon security.
Clothing on Visegrad is quite utilitarian with the most popular garments being warm, waterproof, and, if a Homesteader is the one wearing it, rugged. Woolen flannel is a popular material, in spite of the headaches that come with grazing sheep in an ultra-dense forest. Also popular is any sort of water-resistant synthetic fiber. One particularly universal article of clothing is the lavvu ponczo, or simply ponczo. Originally popularized by the shelter-halves of the original colonization effort, the ponczo has evolved into a common tool for everyday wear— many people wouldn’t be caught dead leaving their home without one. A similarly ubiquitous piece of headwear is the Nyakas. A derivative of the flap hat, it is designed to keep rain off of the neck and head. While not strictly clothing, arborescent cologne is very popular on Visegrad.


===Architecture===
The military government of the Viceroyalty is concentrated in its less developed and more sparsely populated areas, where control is often weaker and rural banditry continues to persist. Throughout the Viceroyalty’s history most of the troops stationed there outside of an Imperial Flying Corps contingent are Jadraners. While loyal and effective soldiers these troops are often unprepared for the tropical environment of Sun Reach when they first arrive. Sunstroke and other ailments are a common issue, particularly in the harsher environments on the edge of the Algae Belt, and the swampy terrain of Sun Reach makes travel difficult for the heavily mechanized Imperial Army, which must rely upon riverine forces and local militia units to bolster its strength and defend isolated regions from banditry and other nuisances.
Architecture on Visegrad is a notable attraction, or at least a feature of the planet's cities. The style is unique, a sort of fusion between socialist realism and stripped classicism. Known as "Visegradi Contemporary", architects and critics are divided on the look— some praise it as a striking and dignified style that pairs well with the planet's stormy weather, while detractors pan it as a reminder of the oppressive past and a sign of reluctance to go forward. In terms of the design of settlements themselves, cities are compact and highly vertical, with narrow streets home to only bicyclists, police patrol carts, and pedestrians. Instead, monorails are used as the primary method of transportation. With flooding and the rain being such an issue, most highly trafficked surfaces are protected by a complex network of retractable awnings and gutters that safely divert much of the water away from populated areas. Additionally, most structures and even cities themselves exist on raised platforms, to minimize contact with the ground and prevent flooding. Homesteads and communes on the other hand are organized around the kabina, a prefabricated treehouse structure assembled in parts and placed on stilts, wrapped around the trunk of a sturdy tree for support and for protection from ground-level flooding and the elements.


==Government==
Below these civilian and military administrators are trusted Reachers, often Old Tribunalists, who are expected to carry out the day-to-day tasks associated with direct management in a twist on the patron-client model originally used by the Pirate Lords. These Old Tribunalists form a social and economic elite on Sun Reach through their work with the colonial government and are the closest equivalent Sun Reach has to a native nobility in the style of Novi Jadran. Reacher culture expects these families to work towards the goals of those below them and expects those below them to not question the ruling family a survival mechanism originally from the era of the Pirate Lords, where being perceived as a threat to their rule could see a community wiped out. In the Viceroyalty era this means the Old Tribunalist families often leverage their political and economic influence to gain concessions from the colonial government.
[[File:Visegradflagcurrent.png|thumb|The de facto current flag of Visegrad used by most to represent the planet.]]
<center><i>“With my signature on this document, we begin the Visegradi democratic tradition, ending decades of Pact and military government. We must never again let a tyrant rule this world - from now until the end of time, this planet will be governed '''solely''' with the consent of the people.”</i> Visegrad’s first Chancellor, Pawel Lehmann, on signing Visegrad’s first democratic constitution after the end of the Visegradi civil war.</center>
Originally a one-party socialist state subservient to the Warsaw Pact on Earth, Visegrad’s government changed after it broke away from the Pact’s rule. Prior to the Solarian Civil War and the FMRB’s takeover of the planet, the political structure of Visegrad was the same as it was on many other Solarian planets: an illiberal representative democracy. Unique, though, was the Electoral Service system, the method of voter registration on Visegrad.


Electoral Service was a concept inherited from the Warsaw Pact days - it is essentially a program that makes a public servant of the prospective voter for a period of eighteen months. Unlike conscription, though, there are a number of fields that the inductees can partake in. The most common choice is service in the National Defense Force, or since the planet’s induction into the SSMD, the armed forces of the military district. The other options for Electoral Service are the Medical Service, a public healthcare organization; the Development Bureau, which deals with public labor; the Agricultural Bureau, where inductees typically work as farmhands; and the Civil Commission, which recruits miscellaneous governmental workers like secretaries and pages.
Non-Tribunal law enforcement on Sun Reach is the responsibility of both the Imperial Reacher Colonial Constabulary (IRCC) and the Imperial Army’s military police (“MPs”), with the IRCC handling the capital, its surroundings, and many villages while the Army’s MPs handle much of the countryside outside of villages and more severe crimes. The reason for this odd arrangement is the relative inexperience of the IRCC: the Viceroyalty’s constable branch was founded in 2438 and remains mostly staffed by junior officers with little practical experience, and relies heavily upon Jadranic staff brought into the Viceroyalty to plug gaps in the IRCC’s abilities. During its past near quarter-century of existence the IRCC has struggled to establish itself as an effective policing force and likely will continue to do so without significant improvements to the Viceroyalty’s infrastructure and funding. For the time being it must rely upon the Imperial Army to handle major issues and assist it in maintaining order, to the irritation of many officers who would much rather be expanding the Empire than patrolling swampy roads for rural bandits.


During the Solarian Civil War democracy fell to the wayside in the wake of the SSMD establishing control on Visegrad. From 2462-65 a military junta ruled Visegrad under a state of martial law, much like in the rest of the Military District. Described as being a temporary measure until Solarian control can be re-established in the Southern Wildlands, the junta has declared they will step down when the region is more stable — whenever this may be. Electoral Service has notably been maintained by Szalai’s regime, though the goal has largely shifted to boosting the SSMD’s manpower in lieu of its original purpose. While electoral politics are irrelevant for the time being, Solarian Populism has strongly established itself as the dominant ideology among pro-government Visegradi people, while secessionists subscribe to a broad range of libertarian ideologies.
===Jadraner-Reacher Animosity===


==Defense & Law Enforcement==
Despite both being part of the Empire for decades, the poor historical relationship between Novi Jadran and Sun Reach remains a very real issue on the planet, with Jadranic colonial bureaucrats often looking down upon their Reacher charges as barely civilised ex-pirates who once harassed their world during its darkest era and only ceased their raiding when forcibly brought to heel by the Empire. Anti-Reacher bias manifests in relatively harmless manners — such as jokes told by Jadraners to one another in pubs on the tundra planet and very harmful manners — such as Jadranic soldiers and constables being much harsher on Reachers who break Imperial law than their fellow Jadraners, let alone Morozians.
<center><i>“Now is not the first time men and women in uniform have had to step in to save Visegrad from disaster. This is the Interstellar War of our times; and we will stand strong for the good of our homeworld and for our country, as our forebears did.”</i> — Commandant Mariusz Kovacs, declaring the imposition of martial law on Visegrad in the wake of the Solarian Collapse.</center>
Like many Solarian worlds, Visegrad had a System Defense Force. Created from the remnants of the Visegradi People’s Security Service, the Visegradi National Defense Force maintained much of its original power due to its influence among the Regionalists - it was still responsible for all policing on the planet, with militarized officers patrolling the streets and forests. This resulted in a degree of discomfort with some sympathetic to the Secessionist cause, who felt it too strongly echoed the repressive past of the planet. Many outspoken Secessionists even claimed that the surveillance network of old was never dismantled, and instead was kept in place to serve both the NDF and Alliance Strategic Intelligence. The Defense Force also fielded a number of patrol ships, some even rating destroyer classification, though the objective for this force was primarily protecting commerce in-system.


In spite of remaining loyal to the Alliance after the collapse, the NDF was disbanded when Szalai’s fleet took control of Visegrad; the admiral had no interest in taking the risk of allowing a parallel military organization to exist alongside her own. Those who seemed faithful to her goals were incorporated into her forces, and those assessed as being unreliable or outright seditious were dismissed at best, and detained with the Secessionists at worst. Ever since then, marines and sailors of the SSMD have taken over all policing and law enforcement on the planet and in-system. The state of martial law and intermittent curfews are considered a necessity by the authorities and those who support them, but those who reject District control consider it an intolerable transgression against their civil liberties. Regardless, their strength and level of control over the planet makes resistance difficult at the very least.
Attempts have been made by Imperial officials to crack down on this bias to varying degrees of success, with Jadraners who overreact or mistreat their Reacher subordinates rarely punished aside from being sent off of the planet to avoid further incidents. Complaints, even by the Old Tribunalists, have mostly fallen upon deaf ears in the colonial bureaucracy. Those few Reachers who have seen legitimate punishments — typically fines or demerits, rarely prison time — given to Jadraners have always been officers of the Imperial Fleet, and often have the assistance of a House Zhao patron. Even if they are commoners, the Fleet is nothing if not dedicated to protecting its officers.


Now, with the SSMD having been superseded by the SSRM, some have begun to discuss reforming the NDF and releasing its personnel from the Navy. Szalai’s government has, for the time being, begun talks with former NDF personnel — some in the Navy, some retired, and some having returned from fighting in San Colette — regarding its reformation.
===The Imperial Military on Sun Reach===


==Economy==
Like many planets of the Imperial Frontier, Sun Reach is home to a significant military presence. It has the single largest garrison on the Imperial Frontier due to the strategic importance of its abundant fuel resources and these forces range from local militia units to Jadranic units of the Imperial Army to elements of the Imperial Fleet and Imperial Flying Corps, all working to ensure the planet — and its fuel — stay firmly within the Empire’s control. All military forces in the Viceroyalty are de jure under the command of the Viceroy-General. De facto, control is split between several factions which cooperate with one another — the Army answers to the Viceroy-General, the Fleet to Grand Admiral Zhao, local militias to prominent Reachers who raise and fund them, and the IFC to their strategic command for the region.
<center><i>“Years of pharmaceutical research and millions of credits-worth of funding - gone, just like that. The marines showed up and took it all, and arrested half the team to boot! And for what - because we worked for Zeng-Hu?”</i> — Doctor Erika Kosmatka, in an interview for an SCC internal news bulletin.</center>
A socialist economic system had dominated the world throughout much of its history, though it liberalized to a substantial degree after the end of Pact control on the planet. The Visegradi economy is diverse, with every economic sector represented depending primarily on location. Communes often exist to extract resources, and the cities will process and market them. Lumber is a major resource on the rainy world and is the colony’s most significant export in terms of pure tonnage. Notably, there also exists an established shipbuilding industry on the planet, inherited from a Pact-then-Zavodskoi shipyard designed to serve as a hub for the middle and outer colonies. This fact along with its relatively central position in southern Solarian space made it into something of a center of commerce before recent events, though largely as a waystation to richer Solarian space and Biesel.


The megacorporation who had the greatest level of investment on the planet for many years was Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals, owing to the fact that substances potentially medically-applicable are found in great supply on a planet so rich in biological resources. Zeng-Hu employed a statistically significant proportion of the population in some way or the other and the rainy world was considered something of an economic stronghold for the megacorporation. Generally, reception of the corporation was mixed - many welcomed the economic prosperity they brought, while others decried the environmental damage that they caused. Of special note to Zeng-Hu was a species of rare arboreal fungi with potentially mind-altering qualities, and the corporation paid top credit in exchange for viable samples.
The largest military branch on the planet by numbers, the Imperial Army does much of the work required to keep Sun Reach secure for the Empire but suffers from persistent problems with the planet’s harsh environment and the resulting logistics headaches. While the Army has long favored mechanized forces the environment of Sun Reach makes these impractical, and the Jadranic troops who make up much of the planet’s garrison have instead opted to use riverine vessels — some officially produced by the Army and others made by arming and armoring civilian boats — to patrol the shallow waters of Sun Reach. The Imperial Army routinely conducts “smoking out operations” of suspected bandit groups where it will intensely patrol regions and burn down areas suspected of harboring bandit strongholds — a strategy which has drawn criticism from prominent native Reachers. Assisting the Imperial Army are the forces of the Imperial Flying Corps (IFC) under the command of Imperial Strategic Bomber Command - Viceroyalty of Sun Reach (ISBC-VSR). Unlike other IFC commands, ISBC-VSR is primarily logistic in nature and is staffed mostly by non-nobles, with Primaries instead wishing to be assigned to more prestigious locations.


Following the establishment of Szalai’s control over the world, much of the SCC’s property on the planet was seized. Many high-ranking employees found themselves on official watch or outright arrested, and the SCC’s influence on Visegrad has been diminished near-completely. Zeng-Hu in particular was very hard-hit, on account of their previous hold over the planet. It was seen as a key strategic decision to remove the corporation, in spite of its relatively acceptable working relationship with Sol. As a result of this, a lucrative smuggling industry arose, with former employees wanted by the District paying countless Credits to be trafficked into Biesel space; a difficult trip, on account of patrols that stop any ships attempting to cross the border. Furthermore, the healthcare industry has been completely reorganized, with naval doctors being used to fill the gap left by the ejection of ZH medical professionals. Following the Solarian reunification rumors have circulated regarding Zeng-Hu’s return to Visegrad, but no concrete information has emerged.
Acting in support of the Imperial Army are the militia units of the Sun Reach Home Guard. Often the first line of defense for isolated rural settlements against bandit attacks or raids, Home Guard units are outside of the Imperial Army’s formal command structure and instead managed by Reacher officers appointed by the militias — though they are often assisted by an Imperial Army officer. These militia troops are valuable scouts and pathfinders for the larger Imperial Army units, and service in them is seen by many Reachers as a way to prove their loyalty to the Empire and acquire further benefits. In an emergency such as a war with Elyra these militias can be integrated into the Imperial Army but, in practice, this would be a difficult task due to the poor infrastructure of Sun Reach and semi-independent structure of the Home Guard.


Some corporate assets, however, have survived the reorganization intact, albeit weakened. Due to their good working relationship with Sol, Idris in particular has seen relatively little in the way of losses, with substantial monetary and logistical aid being given to the military administration in order to continue operating on Visegrad to some degree. Idris has even tentatively been permitted to continue hiring new employees, some of whom were blacklisted from other fields due to prior involvement with other SCC corporations on the planet. Zavodskoi Industries, who had been operating on the planet for centuries on account of their origin in the USSR, has also survived, though on a very tight leash. In exchange for allowing them to keep some of their factories on the planet, they are required to provide armaments and ammunition to the SSMD’s forces at a rate far below market value. It is also through these two corporations that many people leave Visegrad for friendlier waters, either to the Alliance itself, or through Alliance space to get to Biesel. Personnel from both corporations can request transfers to other facilities controlled by the SCC, and many end up using this fact as an out.
===Reachers in the Imperial Military===


A newcomer to Visegrad is Einstein Engines, which has been allowed to take over the previously Zavodskoi-owned shipyards at no cost. In exchange, they assist with the refitting of warp drives onto the District’s military vessels. Due to Einstein’s extremely warm relations with Sol, the same enmity that the surviving SCC corporations on the planet suffer from does not extend to them. As such, EE is able to operate somewhat freely, with the administration allowing them to expand their operations as they see fit. Many of the planets’ citizens who aren’t getting involved with the military or Idris find themselves seeking employment with Einstein, as a result. Of those who previously worked on the shipyards and other heavy industries which weren’t promptly poached by Einstein, many have found employment off-world with Hephaestus, who welcome their skillset. As a result, Visegradi employees are becoming somewhat more common in Hephaestus employ throughout the spur.
As a world of the Imperial Frontier which was recently conquered by force, the inhabitants of Sun Reach are regarded as prime targets for recruitment by the Empire’s military forces. Many do choose to join its ranks, seeing military service as their best shot to see the broader Spur aside from working for Zavodskoi Interstellar, and find themselves in the ranks of the Imperial Fleet or, if they are less inclined towards military discipline, as a state-sponsored privateer of the Goddess’ Flotilla.


==Cities & Settlements==
In the stratified and hierarchical Imperial Fleet Reachers, as Ma’zals, are typically confined to the enlisted ranks. Some, either through entry into House Zhao-sponsored schools which train them from childhood to be naval officers or through truly exceptional abilities, serve as junior officers and adjutants to Morozian officers. Reachers will often attempt to “Morozise” their accents while in the Fleet, downplaying some of the “rougher” aspects of their dialect in an attempt to sound more “civilized” and appear more respectable to their officers. Fleet veterans are typically respected when they return home, and many easily find positions in the colonial administration or as management staff in the refining industry.
Visegrad's geography is home to numerous cities and rural homesteader communes which vary in size, scope, and local culture as well. Among the many, those listed below are the planet's most notable.


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Reachers have a much smaller presence in the Army than in the Fleet, with few Army regiments having been raised from the planet. Some have argued this is part of an exchange with House Zhao by House Strelitz, as Novi Jadran is the opposite: many Army regiments have been raised from it while few Jadraners have opted to join the Fleet. Neither great house has publicly commented on the matter.
===Fellegvar===
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The oldest city on Visegrad, Fellegvar is both the capital city of the planet and the most populous settlement. It was established in a sheltered valley where the planet’s meteorological quirks are lessened, allowing for the continuous operation of the city’s large and economically vital spaceport. In many respects, it also has the strongest visible resemblance to a Warsaw Pact city, especially in the walled and fortified city center - which is home to a Pact monument, Konev Tower, which has since been rehabilitated as Freiheit Tower, following the planet’s independence.


Fellegvar’s Pact-era fortifications, status as host of the headquarters of the National Defense Force, and place at the heart of Visegrad led to its status as the Southern Solarian Military District’s command center, both on-world and off of it. Through the Solarian Civil War District personnel were seen all throughout the city, busying themselves in service of Admiral Szalai’s government. Now things are much the same, but the SSMD iconography has been replaced by Solarian Alliance banners and flags. Some citizens appreciate the increased security and business the Navy brings, while others find themselves wondering when, and even if, this state of affairs will go back to the old normal.
===Rural Banditry===
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A broad term for both legitimate bandits and those who fight against the colonial government, rural bandits are the main concern for the Viceroyalty’s security forces. Banditry on Sun Reach began in the 2300s as the planet was neglected by the Pirate Lords, causing many desperate Reachers to turn to banditry to survive. After the Imperial military conquered the planet in 2422 these bandits, many of whom were simply petty criminals who did not pose a true threat, were joined by the former soldiers of the Pirate Lords who had escaped the Imperial Army. Better-equipped and often more brutal than their counterparts, these bandits began a campaign against the colonial government and any they perceived as loyal to it. In response, Imperial forces were deployed to counter them. However, the difficult terrain of Sun Reach and the lack of infrastructure across much of its surface has repeatedly frustrated the Imperial Army and allowed banditry to continue.
===Nowa Bratislava===
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Nowa Bratislava is Visegrad’s sole coastal city, and to understand why, one must merely look at the vast network of drainage canals and immense seawalls put in place to keep it from being swallowed up by the ocean. Established during an era where marine transportation was being considered as an alternative to monorail-based commerce and transit, Nowa Bratislava is also one of the planet’s northernmost settlements, and can experience snowfall instead of rain for a fair part of the year.  


Though seafaring ended up being a dead end solution to Visegrad’s logistical problems, Nowa Bratislava nonetheless found new life as home to many of the planet’s well-respected universities. One such example is the Nowa Bratislava Xenosciences Research Institute, the planet’s most esteemed university, and generally considered to be one of the finest universities to be found in the Alliance outside of the Jewel Worlds. Additionally, it was in Nowa Bratislava that former Fleet Admiral F.R. Beauchamp was found guilty of his myriad list of crimes and executed by firing squad, on the steps of the city’s top court.
Over four decades later banditry remains an issue for many on Sun Reach, but many of the Pirate Lord-aligned groups have collapsed due to pressure from the colonial government, infighting, or simply becoming too old to continue fighting. Now, banditry is much the way it was under the Pirate Lords: a last resort method to endure on one’s economic survival. In some areas, however, organized bandit groups have become such an issue that they are regarded as security risks to their regional governments. While some Reachers join these bandit groups out of a desire to fight the Empire, most join for economic reasons linked to the steady migration of Reachers to urban areas from rural areas. As communities shrivel away, there are some individuals who — unable or unwilling to leave — turn to banditry to sustain themselves.
</div></div>


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When the colonial government captures bandits it often attempts to rehabilitate them, often through hard labor in its development projects, but executes those found guilty of harming Morozians or Integrated Ma’zals. Those guilty of harming or killing other Reachers are instead sentenced to hard labor. Once these ex-bandits finish their sentences they are sent back to their home villages or given housing in an urban center. Regardless of where they go they are typically mistrusted and many opt to travel off-world, seeking employment with Zavodskoi Interstellar through contracts which offer lesser salaries and fewer benefits than other Imperials receive.
===Zbior===
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Although small, Zbior is the wealthiest city on the planet, located in the shadow of the rainy world’s tallest mountain range. The city’s main claim to fame is that it is the only settlement on the world where the perpetual drizzle and rainstorms cease more than a few times a year. Such a state of affairs is a natural attraction for those less precipitation-inclined - if they can afford to live there - but more importantly it allows for the mass agriculture of crops that are not as storm-tolerant. Immense greenhouses line Zbior’s broad and occasionally uncovered pathways, full of plants that might otherwise need to be imported from off-world.


Zbior is also home to Idris Incorporated’s fledgling foothold on Visegrad, having taken over the corporate facilities that were once property of Zeng-Hu, the city’s previous patron and benefactor. Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals was in fact responsible for much of the city’s success, having designed and funded the establishment of countless planting and growing facilities for their own gain. Zbiorians are generally held in contempt by much of the rest of the Visegradi population, both for their affluence and for a reputation of corporate snobbery.
==Settlements==
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Overwhelmingly rural, the Viceroyalty’s only major settlement is its capital city. Also named Sun Reach, this city is the center of its Helium-3 industry and administration. During the Solarian colonial era it was intended to coordinate shipbuilding efforts and was, unlike many frontier settlements, built around a central space elevator that was intended to assist in moving fuel to and from the planet. The elevator remains operational today and is still the center of the city’s economy, with tens of thousands of barrels of Helium-3 fuel traveling through it every day. While the administrative center of the capital is built in an elegant, somewhat Jadranic, style designed by House Zhao engineers — and their Jadranic subordinates — much of the working-class areas are hastily built slums which hate barely improved from the era of the Pirate Lords, and pollution from the city’s Helium-3 plants chokes the skies on many days.
===Sloboda===
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Sloboda, the planet’s largest homesteader commune, comes closest to depicting what a true city would look like if done in the homesteader-fashion. Kabinas are stacked upon each other, forming huge complexes that are all interlinked by a complex system of semi-permanent walkways. Linked to Fellegvar by the planet’s monorail system, Sloboda is nonetheless confusing to navigate and frequently changes, with kabinas constantly being dismantled, assembled, or moved.


Sloboda has a reputation for being a strongly pro-secession locality, and it was one of the first settlements on the planet to come under control of secessionist rebels after the Solarian collapse. The insurgents here refused to surrender after the arrival of Admiral Szalai’s forces, and instead a protracted battle for control of the commune took place, with countless homes damaged or destroyed in the process before an eventual victory for pro-Solarian forces.  
Even if the capital suffers from overcrowding and poor urban planning in many areas, living in it is an opportunity for Reachers to have access to more services and resources than their rural counterparts, with education and employment opportunities readily available for them. Some Imperial economists theorize that by the dawn of the 26th century these urban Reachers will form the base of a new middle class in the Viceroyalty which will be loyal to the Empire. For now, however, the urban residents of the capital remain a working-class group.
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  • On the eastern edge of the Empire of Dominia lies the least-populated major world of its domain: the Imperial Viceroyalty of Sun Reach, fully integrated into the Empire in 2422 following an invasion of the Mithra System by the Imperial military in response to piracy against the Empire by the planet’s former rulers. Over the past forty years the planet has become a major source of Helium-3 production for the Empire’s war machine and, as generations of Reachers have come over age under Imperial rule, the planet’s identity has become more and more entwined with the Empire that both aids and exploits it.

    Reachers are Ma’zals of the [[Empire of Dominia[[: commoners of non-Morozian descent. Unlike their counterparts in the Imperial Mandate of Novi Jadran, the majority of Reachers are not honorary Secondaries, and are instead simply common Ma’zals.

    History

    The Solarian Republic of Sun Reach (2189-2302)

    “This is almost certainly an advantageous position for us to hold in the Arcadian Frontier, Prime Minister. Through it we can secure a future for shipbuilding in the region. Within a century, it will be a production center on the level of Neptune,” - Martin Clemson (2119 - 2230), Solarian Secretary of Colonization, 2179.

    What would become the Viceroyalty of Sun Reach in 2422 was once one of the southernmost planets in the Solarian Alliance. Discovered in the late 2100s and colonized in 2189 due to extensive Helium-3 presence in its system, Mithra, Sun Reach was intended to support Solarian expansion into the Baltian and Arcadian Frontier Sectors through fuel processing and robust — though not military-grade — spacecraft production facilities built in orbit around it. Thousands of vessels were produced for the Alliance’s government, private corporations, and citizens throughout the 23rd century until the outbreak of the Interstellar War in 2278, when production was shifted to support the Solarian Navy and limited military production facilities were established in orbit.

    By 2287, when the Interstellar War ended, the Solarian Republic of Sun Reach was a comparatively stable and peaceful world compared to other Solarian frontier sectors, which has increasingly fallen into disarray as the War continued. A robust system defense force supported by the planet’s shipbuilding industry let it project an area of security around it alongside functional warp gates connecting it to Persepolis, Tau Ceti, and the Southern Reaches ensuring plentiful supplies. Assuming these connections remained stable, the Republic’s future was essentially secure. While the loss of the Coalition of Colonies had been a stark loss, the Alliance remained great — and the Republic imagined it would be the site of a new, bold expedition and expansion into the galactic south.

    Over the remainder of the 23rd century the Alliance fell further and further from its prewar glories. A naval coup in 2289 led to more unrest in the Solarian Frontier, a terraforming disaster on Mars in 2298 shifted more attention to the Solarian Core, and the damage the Interstellar War had caused to the economy had not faded in much of the Alliance. As the 2300s dawned Sun Reach entered a new century in a more precarious state than it had ever been in.

    The Pirate Lords (2302-2422)

    “I will take what is mine through my strength of conquest, and your planetfolk weakness. Disobey my command, and my crew will have the run of your capital, ‘Duke’ Glavan,” - High Captain Ernst Zhang during a raid of Novi Jadran during the mid-2380s.

    With the secession of the Republic of Elyra in 2302, Sun Reach was thrown into chaos as its supply routes collapsed and the broader Alliance began a messy, chaotic withdrawal from the Southern Solarian Frontier which left many planets to fend for themselves. The republican government of Sun Reach ended in early 2302 when the system defense force couped the civilian government and installed a military “emergency government” which was essentially a dictatorship. Desperate to sustain their naval strength without the external supplies they had depended on, and unable to produce new shipyards, the military government turned to “requisitioning” supplies from nearby systems under Solarian emergency regulations. But as the years dragged on and the defense force began to loot further and further territories, their goal became less to sustain their strength and more to enrich themselves while maintaining their dominion over nearby worlds, who they forced to pay protection money. By 2310 the Reacher Guard had become the Pirate Lords, the scourge of the Badlands.

    As the Pirate Lords further established their authority over the planet and enriched themselves, they neglected to support the civilian population of the planet and instead focused on their planetary refineries and the orbital facilities from which they ruled. The broader population, deprived of any external support and forced to pay their own tithes to the Pirate Lords and their crews, gradually became unable to support the advanced technology many settlements had. By the mid-2300s most had resorted to living off the land in small villages they often built around desalination facilities or the rare natural aquifer. By 2422 a solitary urban center – Sun Reach, the former capital of the planet – remained, with others having fallen into ruin and many having been reclaimed by nature. These villages would nominate a single family to deal with the Pirate Lords, who demanded material support and recruits from the planet itself. Tribunalism arrived on the planet during the 2300s and was mostly an underground religion, with the Pirate Lords viewing it as potentially dangerous to their rule.

    By the 2380s the Pirate Lords’ influence had reached another major former Solarian world: Novi Jadran. Jadranic and Reacher forces fought several battles between 2380 and 2389, with most being won by the Pirate Lords and Novi Jadran squeezed further and further by raids. But the victories of the Pirate Lords over Novi Jadran would, in a twist of irony, become their undoing when Novi Jadran petitioned the young Empire of Dominia for aid and was annexed into it peacefully. Deprived of the industrial tithe they could gain from Novi Jadran, the Reachers were put on the backfoot as they tried to avoid deliberately raiding Morozian-flagged vessels. But by the 2410s the Pirate Lords, greedily seeking more wealth, had begun harassing Imperial vessels. The Empire and Pirate Lords were now set upon a course which would inevitably bring them into open warfare and, following a skirmish between the Imperial Fleet and Pirate Lords in 2422, the Imperial military launched a punitive expedition with the aim of conquering Sun Reach, ensuring the Empire’s control over the Badlands and the end of the Pirate Lords as a serious threat to its expansion in the region.

    The Imperial Viceroyalty of Sun Reach (2422 - Present)

    “For crimes against the citizenry of the Imperial Mandate of Novi Jadran I sentence you, Captain Zhang, to death by hanging! To your crew, the beneficent Emperor has seen fit to offer them their choice of service in the Imperial Fleet or fifty years’ labor in the Imperial Territory of Fisanduh’s mines. With Her as my witness, I pronounce judgement!” - Naval Magistrate Hitomi Kaneko during the military trials of the Pirate Lords, 24 March 2423.

    It took the Imperial military under a month to defeat the Pirate Lords and occupy the planet, with their dated equipment and poorly-trained forces falling apart after the first engagements of the expedition. Some, unwilling to surrender to the Empire, fled abroad or into the swamps surrounding the Algae Belt, becoming the first rural bandits of the planet. Many of the Pirate Lords were captured, tried, and quickly executed by the Empire. Imperial forces were, in some areas, greeted with open arms by a population which had long hidden their Tribunalist faith and was now free of the tithes paid to the previous government. In other areas, the Empire was viewed as little more than a replacement for the Pirate Lords and a shallow reminder of the democracy which once flourished under Solarian rule.

    With Sun Reach’s conquest of Dominia came immense investment by the Empire’s economy, particularly Houses Zhao and Caladius. For the first time in over a century neglected Helium-3 refineries and orbital shipyards which had fallen into disrepair were brought online, and thousands of Reachers moved into cities to seek employment in better-paying urban industries. Others, seeking to redeem — or perhaps continue — their piratical past, joined the Imperial Fleet or the Goddess’ Flotilla. Most residents of the planet view life as better under the Empire than it was under the piratical former government, though some dissent. Those who opt to fight against the Viceroyalty often take to the swamps and mangroves around the Algae Belt, risking disease, weather, and dangerous wildlife to avoid the Imperial Army and Home Guard. Derided as outlaws and rogues by the government, and by most Reachers, these men and women often become little more than bandits.

    In the Helium-3 industry, which is concentrated in the planet’s cities, there are few regulations and many are made to work long hours in hazardous conditions for less pay than workers in the Imperial Core. Meanwhile, the rapid growth of urban areas over the past 40 years has caused a rural decline in many areas as young algae farmers leave for higher-paying jobs to pay off their Mo’ri’zal, disrupting the planet’s traditional way of life. While their system of ruling their villages through notable families remains, some Reachers are concerned their culture will be consumed by the Empire by the end of the century as more and more of the planet’s inhabitants grow up only having known Imperial rule.

    As the Empire looks towards the 2470s it considers how to best continue to develop the Viceroyalty, and to quash its issues. Whether or not it is successful remains to be seen, though as more and more Reachers are raised knowing solely Imperial rule it is less and less likely any serious efforts will be made to throw off its rule. For now, at least, the Viceroyalty is solidly in the hands of the Empire.

    Environment

    “Soldiers! This environment will be unlike your homes in the Imperial Mandate. Expect humidity, insects, and constant rain in some areas. Remember your training and watch yourself and your comrades for signs of heatstroke. Dismissed!” - First Lieutenant Henrik Novak of the 122nd Jadranic Infantry Regiment prior to their deployment to Sun Reach, 2457.

    Sun Reach is a hot, humid, and wet world dominated by swamps and mangroves. It has long, hot summers with short, cool winters and temperatures rarely drop below freezing even during winter. Much of the planet’s surface outside of its limited landmasses is covered by shallow oceans. These oceans are home to floating islands of organic plant mass which, while rarely encountered, represent a stunning example of Reacher biodiversity. Rain is frequent and many areas flood seasonally, being dry during the winter and underwater during the summer months. Building any serious infrastructure on Sun Reach is difficult due to these seasonal floods and the swampy conditions of much of its land. Much of the planet’s water is salty, which leads to further infrastructure issues due to corrosion and a need to build desalination facilities — historically, Reacher settlements are often based around these plants.

    The equatorial region of Sun Reach is known as the Algae Belt, and is where most of the planet’s population can be found. Year-round dry land is found more readily here than in any other region of the planet and, while still swampy and humid, permanent settlements are easier to construct and infrastructure is easier to maintain. However, regular maintenance is still required to counteract the planet’s climate and the mostly-sunken remnants of rail lines and roads from the pre-Imperial era are frequent sights in more rural regions of the Algae Belt. Aquaculture has historically been the dominant industry in this region due to the abundance of shallow, relatively calm waters and natural hardiness of the Reacher staple crop: algae.

    Beyond the Algae Belt, as one travels further towards the planetary poles, the environment becomes less hospitable as human settlements begin to grow more sparse before eventually ceasing entirely. As one travels towards the poles weather becomes more extreme, with frequent storms and rain which is rumored to never cease at the poles. At the same time flora begins to steadily increase and eventually becomes too dense to reasonably travel through unless one spends days clearing the foliage meter by meter. Some Imperial expeditions have recorded foliage which appears to deliberately grow in their path and thin out behind them, as if it is trying to deliberately block their progress, but House Volvalaad has dismissed this as outlandish and unscientific. Much of this area is poorly explored and few accurate maps exist, with orbital photography ineffective due to the density of foliage and frequent cloud cover. Cartographic efforts by Imperial scholars have been frustrated by a lack of funding, Reacher superstitions about the poles, and the hazardous conditions of the far reaches of the planet. The Alliance is rumored to have completely mapped Sun Reach during its hegemonic era, but no maps are known to have survived to the modern era. Rumors have long circulated that the poles contain lost Solarian research facilities where terraforming was researched centuries ago, and that equipment gone awry is the source of the freak weather near the poles.

    Flora and Fauna

    The Reacher Gar is a large, typically 2-3 meter long and relatively slender carnivorous fish found across Sun Reach’s shallow waters. Commonly known as the “gar fish” (or garfish) among locals, it is a frequent source of food for the rural populations who live near the mangroves gar prefer to nest in. Reacher garfish are capable of moving at surprising speeds while striking at their prey — typically smaller fish or aquatic mammals — and their scales armor them against most predators. These scales are used by Reachers to fashion small blades and limited amounts of bite-proof clothing. While not actively hostile towards humans, gar fish will defend their nests and can inflict painful bites on unprepared humans.

    An apex predator alongside humanity, the Reacher soostatom closely resembles the alligators of old Earth. It is a large, quadruped animal which can grow anywhere from six to nine meters long depending upon the environment, with soostatoms growing larger as one approaches the poles. Soostatom are carnivorous and easily capable of killing a human if threatened. However, attacks are generally rare. Reachers historically hunted soostatoms for their meat and their tough, leathery skins which are used to make clothing. In the Imperial era soostatom hunting has dropped as many urban areas have moved to adopt more traditionally Morozian styles of clothing.

    The mangrove-creeper is a common semi-aquatic plant which is found growing along the bottoms of trees in mangroves or bayous. A symbiotic species with the larger trees, mangrove-creepers are carnivorous plants which lure small animals beneath them with their fruits and use grabbing “mouths” to latch onto their prey and dissolve them with a digestive acid. While their mouths are too small to harm humans, mangrove-creepers have historically been viewed as a pest by rural communities. However, since 2422, they have become valuable cash crops due to their acid being an effective industrial solvent which is commonly used in the planet’s Helium-3 refining industry. Villages which once cursed these plants now grow rich from them.

    Culture

    “Reachers are, due to neglect by their former masters, less culturally advanced than the Imperial Core and Novi Jadran. In this volume, I will discuss how these primitive beliefs emerged and how they can be eradicated,” - Doctor Rahela Lemnaru, Jadranic sociologist employed by House Caladius, in her introduction to Cultural Backwardness on the Imperial Frontier Vol. XII: Reacher Customs and Beliefs (published in 2559).

    While Reachers follow the broader cultural trends and holidays of the Empire, their recent entry and unique history has given them a culture distinct from the broader Morozian-influenced culture of Dominia. Those from the rest of Dominia often stereotype Reachers as rural, conservative, and prone to superstitions while at the same time being hardworking, loyal, and faithful to the Goddess. Internationally, some regard Reachers as simply another planet subjugated by Moroz while others view them as having received a justified punishment for their actions as pirates. Reachers themselves are generally Imperial loyalists, viewing the Empire as better than the Pirate Lords, but some wish for further autonomy and more radical dissidents wish for a return to the era of piracy.

    Historically, Reachers have lived in small rural communities numbering from a few hundred to several thousand. Built around either desalination plants or natural sources of water these communities relied on aquaculture to survive and the Reacher diet remains mostly unchanged from this era, favoring algae, aquatic plants, and seafood. Under the Pirate Lords these communities were expected to pay a tithe of resources to the captain who controlled the area, and a single family was chosen to be the point of contact for the community. Over a century of paying tribute, these families have morphed into the dominant political class of the planet and many were kept in place by the Empire out of convenience. Modern rural communities on Sun Reach do not look very different from their counterparts a century ago, though many have died out due to depopulation as Reachers immigrate to urban centers for higher-paying work. Large families are a common sight in rural communities on Sun Reach and rural families are often very connected to one another, with multiple generations and branches living in close proximity to one another.

    Rural village life on Sun Reach is often challenging, with little in the way of outside help and overland travel difficult due to swampy terrain and poor weather. Travel is traditionally done over water, often by airboat, and navigating the mangrove-filled waters of Sun Reach can cause even simple journeys to take days. Investment by the Empire has brought limited rail infrastructure to Sun Reach and some particularly remote villages are now more connected to the broader planet via air travel, but the difficult terrain of the planet has ensured infrastructure is slow to expand and expensive to maintain. Regular passenger rail services are only available between major settlements along the Algae Belt, with other areas serviced much more infrequently. Travel by wheeled vehicle is rare, with the exception of Imperial Army equipment, due to persistent swampy mud which mires all but the hardiest vehicles.

    Reachers who move to its sole urban center, itself named Sun Reach, often find work in the Helium-3 industry which has come to dominate the Viceroyalty’s economy in the decades since its conquest. While it pays far more than aquaculture work, the He-3 industry is poorly regulated and dominated by off-planet nobles such as House Zhao. Injuries are common among laborers in the field and hours can be long, with plants working round-the-clock to fulfill the fuel nerve of the Imperial Fleet. Injured workers are often let go without severance fees or benefits, returning to their villages as cripples or living off of charity provided by the Tribunal in the slum districts of Sun Reach – sometimes without permanent housing, creating a homeless issue on a planet which had no such issue prior to 2422. The rapid expansion of the planet’s only city has created a housing crisis and resulted in many urbanite Reachers living in ramshackle apartments in poorly-designated, overcrowded slums. Urban families are much smaller than their rural counterparts, and many urban Reachers will only see their broader families on holidays. Imperial sociologists and urban planners estimate the Viceroyalty will not have a second major urban center until the early 2500s, potentially later, due to its environment being poorly-suited for major urban projects.

    Due to neglect of the planet under the rule of the Pirate Lords leading to widespread poverty, Reacher cuisine has historically revolved around aquaculture and local fish — reliable food sources which can be found easily at all points of the year. Wild game from the swampy forests of the planet is part of the diet of Kent rural communities and the ends of successful hunts are often community celebrations where the entire village participates in a feast. As the planet’s population has urbanized since 2422 and off-world foods have become more common, Reacher urban cuisine has been influenced by the similarly seafood-based diets of Novi Jadranic soldiers and engineers who have been brought or come to the planet’s cities to support the Viceroyalty.

    Reacher Tribunalism and Folk Beliefs

    Tribunalism has been present on Sun Reach since the 2300s, first arriving via merchants and visitors from Moroz and gradually spreading throughout the planet over the following years, though it would only become the majority faith of the planet after 2422. Suppressed by the Pirate Lords as a potential security risk, the pre-Imperial Tribunalists of Sun Reach were forced to practice in secret to avoid punishment. These individuals — known as Old Tribunalists on Sun Reach — form a kind of social elite on the planet under Imperial rule, being viewed as more loyal and more faithful than the typical citizen of the planet. Reacher Tribunalism has, due to its isolation from the broader Tribunal prior to 2422, acquired several unique characteristics born from a merger of Tribunalist and Reacher traditions.

    Unlike Morozians, Reachers traditionally cremate their dead due to the difficulty of ensuring corpses remain underground in the soft, swampy terrain of the planet. Those corpses which are buried will, unless properly buried in stone crypts, often return to the surface after the first heavy rain. The ashes of the corpse are collected and preserved by the deceased’s relatives, then stored in a family shrine. Often located on the edges of Reacher villages and towns, these shrines are the closest equivalent Reachers have to traditional graveyards and serve as an important gathering point for Reacher families. Reachers believe that unless a corpse is burnt and its ashes returned to the family shrine, it will wander the Spur as a wandering spirit for all eternity. While Reachers believe these spirits are not always malicious, traditional belief holds they will do anything to have their ashes returned to their proper resting place — including killing or harming the living.

    Reacher Tribunalism has a strong religious tradition of faith healing, particularly in rural areas, which combines folk medicine with the Tribunalist faith. Locally known as Kaivijadii, or Roamers, these individuals grew to prominence under the Pirate Lords’ neglect of the planet and were the only chance many Reachers had to receive medical care. With the arrival of the Empire in 2422 and the increasing presence of modern medical systems, the Kaivijadii now coexist alongside conventional medicine with the Tribunal’s blessing. A Kaivijadii’s healing abilities are said to be derived directly from the Goddess and their connection to Her is strengthened through prayers passed down from practitioner to practitioner, generally through familial ties. The rituals of the Kaivijadii are unique to each practitioner and have often been passed down since the early 2300s.

    While most Kaivijadii are regarded as benevolent practitioners who wish to aid the faithful of Sun Reach, the Madalin-Kaivijadii, or Roaming Sculptors, are a group of malevolent Kaivijadii said to live in the wild, sparsely populated areas beyond the Algae Belt where they can avoid the gaze of the Tribunal and the Viceroyalty. Madalin-Kaivijadii are said to be able to cast curses via black magic taught to them by witch-spirits, and sustain their powers through ritual sacrifices which ensure the victim becomes a wandering spirit in the thrall of the Madalin-Kaivijadii. Unexplained disappearances in rural communities are often blamed on these magicians and Reacher parents commonly tell their children that if they misbehave, a Madalin-Kaivijadii will abduct and sacrifice them. These rituals are said to give the Madalin-Kaivijadii eternal youth, so long as they continue them, and render them immune to any weapons not blessed by a faithful Tribunalist clergymember. The Viceroyalty’s government holds that the Madalin-Kaivijadii are simply fiction and do not truly exist, but many Reachers continue to believe in them. Whenever a person disappears without explanation, crops fail, or misfortune occurs, they are often blamed.

    The Viceroyalty

    Since 2422 Sun Reach has been part of the broader Empire of Dominia, and is known as the Viceroyalty of Sun Reach. The Viceroyalty itself is an odd state which is divided between a civilian-run colonial administration and an extensive military administration which rules alongside it, both of which are under the leadership of Governor-General Hermann Gaufried-Meinrad Strelitz — a career military officer who has found himself awkwardly balancing competing interests from native Reachers, the great houses, the Imperial government and military, the Tribunal, foreign corporations, and others. Below him is the civil-military administration of the planet, itself divided between Morozians and loyal Ma’zals, both from Sun Reach itself and elsewhere in the Empire. The civil-military cleavage in the Viceroyalty’s administration has led to many conflicts of interest between the government itself and has allowed notable Reacher families, through the patron-client system established under the Pirate Lords, to maintain their grip on power in many areas. But all know that, for the Viceroyalty to continue to succeed, one thing must not change: the flow of Helium-3 from Sun Reach to the broader Empire must continue, no matter the cost.

    The civilian administration of the Viceroyalty is concentrated in its urban centers and the more developed regions of the Algae Belt, and has two primary responsibilities: the first is to ensure the planet’s development continues, and the second is to ensure its fuel industry continues to be profitable. Work on Sun Reach for the civilian administration is often unpleasant, with its primarily Morozian and Jadranic staff unused to the stifling heat and humidity of the planet and expected to work long, often irregular hours to ensure development of the countryside continues. Nobles prefer to avoid Sun Reach’s administrative postings, and almost all are instead filled by Secondaries or Integrated Ma’zals. The civilian government, with its focus on development, is expected to work with and alongside the military government, which focuses upon security.

    The military government of the Viceroyalty is concentrated in its less developed and more sparsely populated areas, where control is often weaker and rural banditry continues to persist. Throughout the Viceroyalty’s history most of the troops stationed there outside of an Imperial Flying Corps contingent are Jadraners. While loyal and effective soldiers these troops are often unprepared for the tropical environment of Sun Reach when they first arrive. Sunstroke and other ailments are a common issue, particularly in the harsher environments on the edge of the Algae Belt, and the swampy terrain of Sun Reach makes travel difficult for the heavily mechanized Imperial Army, which must rely upon riverine forces and local militia units to bolster its strength and defend isolated regions from banditry and other nuisances.

    Below these civilian and military administrators are trusted Reachers, often Old Tribunalists, who are expected to carry out the day-to-day tasks associated with direct management in a twist on the patron-client model originally used by the Pirate Lords. These Old Tribunalists form a social and economic elite on Sun Reach through their work with the colonial government and are the closest equivalent Sun Reach has to a native nobility in the style of Novi Jadran. Reacher culture expects these families to work towards the goals of those below them and expects those below them to not question the ruling family — a survival mechanism originally from the era of the Pirate Lords, where being perceived as a threat to their rule could see a community wiped out. In the Viceroyalty era this means the Old Tribunalist families often leverage their political and economic influence to gain concessions from the colonial government.

    Non-Tribunal law enforcement on Sun Reach is the responsibility of both the Imperial Reacher Colonial Constabulary (IRCC) and the Imperial Army’s military police (“MPs”), with the IRCC handling the capital, its surroundings, and many villages while the Army’s MPs handle much of the countryside outside of villages and more severe crimes. The reason for this odd arrangement is the relative inexperience of the IRCC: the Viceroyalty’s constable branch was founded in 2438 and remains mostly staffed by junior officers with little practical experience, and relies heavily upon Jadranic staff brought into the Viceroyalty to plug gaps in the IRCC’s abilities. During its past near quarter-century of existence the IRCC has struggled to establish itself as an effective policing force and likely will continue to do so without significant improvements to the Viceroyalty’s infrastructure and funding. For the time being it must rely upon the Imperial Army to handle major issues and assist it in maintaining order, to the irritation of many officers who would much rather be expanding the Empire than patrolling swampy roads for rural bandits.

    Jadraner-Reacher Animosity

    Despite both being part of the Empire for decades, the poor historical relationship between Novi Jadran and Sun Reach remains a very real issue on the planet, with Jadranic colonial bureaucrats often looking down upon their Reacher charges as barely civilised ex-pirates who once harassed their world during its darkest era and only ceased their raiding when forcibly brought to heel by the Empire. Anti-Reacher bias manifests in relatively harmless manners — such as jokes told by Jadraners to one another in pubs on the tundra planet — and very harmful manners — such as Jadranic soldiers and constables being much harsher on Reachers who break Imperial law than their fellow Jadraners, let alone Morozians.

    Attempts have been made by Imperial officials to crack down on this bias to varying degrees of success, with Jadraners who overreact or mistreat their Reacher subordinates rarely punished aside from being sent off of the planet to avoid further incidents. Complaints, even by the Old Tribunalists, have mostly fallen upon deaf ears in the colonial bureaucracy. Those few Reachers who have seen legitimate punishments — typically fines or demerits, rarely prison time — given to Jadraners have always been officers of the Imperial Fleet, and often have the assistance of a House Zhao patron. Even if they are commoners, the Fleet is nothing if not dedicated to protecting its officers.

    The Imperial Military on Sun Reach

    Like many planets of the Imperial Frontier, Sun Reach is home to a significant military presence. It has the single largest garrison on the Imperial Frontier due to the strategic importance of its abundant fuel resources and these forces range from local militia units to Jadranic units of the Imperial Army to elements of the Imperial Fleet and Imperial Flying Corps, all working to ensure the planet — and its fuel — stay firmly within the Empire’s control. All military forces in the Viceroyalty are de jure under the command of the Viceroy-General. De facto, control is split between several factions which cooperate with one another — the Army answers to the Viceroy-General, the Fleet to Grand Admiral Zhao, local militias to prominent Reachers who raise and fund them, and the IFC to their strategic command for the region.

    The largest military branch on the planet by numbers, the Imperial Army does much of the work required to keep Sun Reach secure for the Empire but suffers from persistent problems with the planet’s harsh environment and the resulting logistics headaches. While the Army has long favored mechanized forces the environment of Sun Reach makes these impractical, and the Jadranic troops who make up much of the planet’s garrison have instead opted to use riverine vessels — some officially produced by the Army and others made by arming and armoring civilian boats — to patrol the shallow waters of Sun Reach. The Imperial Army routinely conducts “smoking out operations” of suspected bandit groups where it will intensely patrol regions and burn down areas suspected of harboring bandit strongholds — a strategy which has drawn criticism from prominent native Reachers. Assisting the Imperial Army are the forces of the Imperial Flying Corps (IFC) under the command of Imperial Strategic Bomber Command - Viceroyalty of Sun Reach (ISBC-VSR). Unlike other IFC commands, ISBC-VSR is primarily logistic in nature and is staffed mostly by non-nobles, with Primaries instead wishing to be assigned to more prestigious locations.

    Acting in support of the Imperial Army are the militia units of the Sun Reach Home Guard. Often the first line of defense for isolated rural settlements against bandit attacks or raids, Home Guard units are outside of the Imperial Army’s formal command structure and instead managed by Reacher officers appointed by the militias — though they are often assisted by an Imperial Army officer. These militia troops are valuable scouts and pathfinders for the larger Imperial Army units, and service in them is seen by many Reachers as a way to prove their loyalty to the Empire and acquire further benefits. In an emergency such as a war with Elyra these militias can be integrated into the Imperial Army but, in practice, this would be a difficult task due to the poor infrastructure of Sun Reach and semi-independent structure of the Home Guard.

    Reachers in the Imperial Military

    As a world of the Imperial Frontier which was recently conquered by force, the inhabitants of Sun Reach are regarded as prime targets for recruitment by the Empire’s military forces. Many do choose to join its ranks, seeing military service as their best shot to see the broader Spur aside from working for Zavodskoi Interstellar, and find themselves in the ranks of the Imperial Fleet or, if they are less inclined towards military discipline, as a state-sponsored privateer of the Goddess’ Flotilla.

    In the stratified and hierarchical Imperial Fleet Reachers, as Ma’zals, are typically confined to the enlisted ranks. Some, either through entry into House Zhao-sponsored schools which train them from childhood to be naval officers or through truly exceptional abilities, serve as junior officers and adjutants to Morozian officers. Reachers will often attempt to “Morozise” their accents while in the Fleet, downplaying some of the “rougher” aspects of their dialect in an attempt to sound more “civilized” and appear more respectable to their officers. Fleet veterans are typically respected when they return home, and many easily find positions in the colonial administration or as management staff in the refining industry.

    Reachers have a much smaller presence in the Army than in the Fleet, with few Army regiments having been raised from the planet. Some have argued this is part of an exchange with House Zhao by House Strelitz, as Novi Jadran is the opposite: many Army regiments have been raised from it while few Jadraners have opted to join the Fleet. Neither great house has publicly commented on the matter.

    Rural Banditry

    A broad term for both legitimate bandits and those who fight against the colonial government, rural bandits are the main concern for the Viceroyalty’s security forces. Banditry on Sun Reach began in the 2300s as the planet was neglected by the Pirate Lords, causing many desperate Reachers to turn to banditry to survive. After the Imperial military conquered the planet in 2422 these bandits, many of whom were simply petty criminals who did not pose a true threat, were joined by the former soldiers of the Pirate Lords who had escaped the Imperial Army. Better-equipped and often more brutal than their counterparts, these bandits began a campaign against the colonial government and any they perceived as loyal to it. In response, Imperial forces were deployed to counter them. However, the difficult terrain of Sun Reach and the lack of infrastructure across much of its surface has repeatedly frustrated the Imperial Army and allowed banditry to continue.

    Over four decades later banditry remains an issue for many on Sun Reach, but many of the Pirate Lord-aligned groups have collapsed due to pressure from the colonial government, infighting, or simply becoming too old to continue fighting. Now, banditry is much the way it was under the Pirate Lords: a last resort method to endure on one’s economic survival. In some areas, however, organized bandit groups have become such an issue that they are regarded as security risks to their regional governments. While some Reachers join these bandit groups out of a desire to fight the Empire, most join for economic reasons linked to the steady migration of Reachers to urban areas from rural areas. As communities shrivel away, there are some individuals who — unable or unwilling to leave — turn to banditry to sustain themselves.

    When the colonial government captures bandits it often attempts to rehabilitate them, often through hard labor in its development projects, but executes those found guilty of harming Morozians or Integrated Ma’zals. Those guilty of harming or killing other Reachers are instead sentenced to hard labor. Once these ex-bandits finish their sentences they are sent back to their home villages or given housing in an urban center. Regardless of where they go they are typically mistrusted and many opt to travel off-world, seeking employment with Zavodskoi Interstellar through contracts which offer lesser salaries and fewer benefits than other Imperials receive.

    Settlements

    Overwhelmingly rural, the Viceroyalty’s only major settlement is its capital city. Also named Sun Reach, this city is the center of its Helium-3 industry and administration. During the Solarian colonial era it was intended to coordinate shipbuilding efforts and was, unlike many frontier settlements, built around a central space elevator that was intended to assist in moving fuel to and from the planet. The elevator remains operational today and is still the center of the city’s economy, with tens of thousands of barrels of Helium-3 fuel traveling through it every day. While the administrative center of the capital is built in an elegant, somewhat Jadranic, style designed by House Zhao engineers — and their Jadranic subordinates — much of the working-class areas are hastily built slums which hate barely improved from the era of the Pirate Lords, and pollution from the city’s Helium-3 plants chokes the skies on many days.

    Even if the capital suffers from overcrowding and poor urban planning in many areas, living in it is an opportunity for Reachers to have access to more services and resources than their rural counterparts, with education and employment opportunities readily available for them. Some Imperial economists theorize that by the dawn of the 26th century these urban Reachers will form the base of a new middle class in the Viceroyalty which will be loyal to the Empire. For now, however, the urban residents of the capital remain a working-class group.

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