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Venus is a microcosm of Solarian culture with its glittering cities floating above the clouds and a dirty underbelly below them. The capital of Venus is Binyaria, the largest aerostat and home to the best Sol has to offer in holovids, VR, orchestration, engine parts, and weaponry. Venus is starkly divided between Cythereans, the entertainment class of Venus that work in or adjacent to its entertainment industry, and Jintarians, the working and middle-class residents of the planet that are primarily employed in the planet's mining and engineering sectors. The primary language is Sol Common.

Environment

Venus is an incredibly hot and miserable planet. The mass of its atmosphere is 93 times that of Earth's, equivalent to the crushing depths of the deep ocean. This atmosphere is extremely thick and toxic, composed primarily of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, and this generates the strongest greenhouse effect in the Solar System, creating an average surface temperature of at least 462 C (864 F). Despite this, there have been genetically-modified organisms introduced to the surface and upper atmosphere that can withstand the extreme conditions, such as the Yudina, otherwise known as the Jintarian Dragon Mole.

A Venusian year lasts 225 Earth days. A normal day on Venus lasts much longer than that of Earth due to the slow rotation, taking 243 Earth days to make one Venusian day. Venus spins backwards when compared to the other planets in the Sol system, causing the sun to rise in the west and set in the east. It rains sulphuric acid on the surface and the atmosphere is so thick that it exerts massive amounts of pressure on the surface. This crushes all but the most structurally reinforced of habitats below the cloud layer, with the rest destroyed by caustic acid rain. The planet hosts massive amounts of volcanic activity, which spew more toxic gases into the atmosphere. Almost no sunlight reaches the surface of the planet, despite the temperature.

Cytherean Culture and Society

Cythereans dwell in aerostats floating in the habitable layer nicknamed “the Zone” above the sulphuric acid clouds masking the surface. These floating cities are primarily held in place by their natural oxygen content and large bags of hydrogen. Though they vary in size the largest aerostats are no bigger than four miles across and many take the shape of an upside down teardrop. The topmost section hosts a large, open-air park dedicated to help with the claustrophobic feelings in the aerostats and to maintaining a large amount of oxygen to keep the city afloat in the carbon dioxide. Below the park lies a mass of apartments, offices, shops, and other-such buildings arranged in a similar fashion to a shopping mall. There are numerous open spaces built into aerostats that provide both public space for citizens and more air chambers for buoyancy. Aerostats are mobile, possessing both microthrusters and rudders for stability and the occasional docking with surface elevators or tethers. The other less common format of aerostats are donut-shaped and are used for the immensely lucrative farming business. These aerostats are equipped to collect sulphuric acid and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, often taking cloud dives to produce fertilizer and water.

Despite their precarious living situation, Cytherea is the primary pop culture center of Sol, with a populace often dressed in bright, dramatic clothing. Many Solarian celebrities either live or were born on one of Venus’s aerostats, growing up in the privileged Cytherean culture. The best actors, comedians, chefs, musicians, and pop stars enjoy almost constant coverage on holo-screens, only occasionally replaced by adverts for startup beauty products, cutting-edge gaming hardware, or the newest diet fad. These celebrities enjoy high class treatment and something akin to worship from the Cythereans. Many come from across the galaxy, human and alien alike, seeking to turn their fortunes around. However, Cythereans are not immune to poverty and hardship in their laissez-faire society. Those looking to become the next big thing sometimes wind up on the opposite end of the spectrum, relying on morally and legally ambiguous means to get by. Aliens, although welcome, are typically sidelined in favor of human actors and models due to most moguls desiring to “play it safe." They are typically seen as understudies, extras, dancers, and occasionally backup singers or instrumentalists.

The Cytherean environment is very cutthroat as both culture and copyright law change rapidly to suit whoever is rich and whatever is popular at the time in any given arcology, given the heavy celebrity-based culture. Law enforcement, while much more strict and present than on the surface, are easily evaded. In the end, one can get away with almost anything as long as one has the right contacts and enough money. The party culture thrives in the aerostats, with the grand cocktail parties and fundraising schmooze-fests toward the top of teardrop slowly fading into the high-energy festivals of the lower sections. Toward the top, one can overhear the latest gossip and glimpse envelopes of credits sliding under tables. Toward the bottom, one can see the most hedonistic displays of luxury.

Though many work in the entertainment industry as stars and producers, there are great opportunities for a Cytherean scientist. The development of pharmaceutical drugs and new medicines is a common field for Cytherean scientists, with celebrities and talent agencies needing a constant stream of narcotics for parties and stimulants to keep shooting sessions going for days at a time. Cytherea additionally has a booming genetic engineering field that is primarily centered around the biomodification of celebrities in order to ensure that they are always at their physical peak, no matter which direction the ever-shifting winds of Cytherea's celebrity scene blow. Stimulants, such as cocaine, are the Cytherean drug of choice and are typically genetically modified by various Cytherean pharmacies to create more desirable effects. When exported these so-called "designer" drugs can fetch an extremely high price on the interstellar market. Cytherea's pharmaceutical industry is estimated to produce upwards of two-thirds of all narcotics consumed in the Republic of Biesel, even after the First and Second Solarian Invasions.

Celebrity Culture

The celebrity culture of Venus is extraordinarily demanding for those that choose to involve themselves in it. Climbing the rungs of the Cytherean entertainment industry from mere extra to A-list celebrity able to star in the likes of Monkey King is no small feat involving raw acting talent, an incredible amount of social networking, and no small amount of backroom dealing between agents, celebrities, and producers. This process can often take years if one is unlucky, and the top celebrities often undergo extensive biomodifications to ensure that they remain attractive enough to be considered for the greatest entertainment products of the industry. The amount of resources, time, and commitment needed to reach - and stay at - the top of the celebrity culture of Venus is truly astonishing, and the rat race of keeping up with the ever-shifting and constantly changing standards of what makes a celebrity an A-list celebrity results in many hopeful stars simply washing out or leaving the industry.

The process of becoming a celebrity that actually matters on Venus, rather than a simple local celebrity known on Venus itself, is a grueling one that has built up an industry around itself that is commonly referred to as the "red treadmill" by local pundits as a way of mocking the entertainment industry's common red carpets. These red treadmills refer to themselves as celebrity training programs and exist as the primary method through which many young hopefuls attempt to enter the Venusian entertainment industry. These programs, which serve as agents in addition to marketers and trainers, exercise an immense amount of control over their prospective celebrities: trainees will have their daily schedules determined by their trainers, will spend hours a day attempting to achieve an attractive physical form, and have little to no privacy in their lives. Plastic surgery is a fact of life in these programs. Those that are able to endure the red treadmill often find themselves safely positioned in the Cytherean entertainment industry and can be found in almost every Cytherean production, ranging from music to film.

Famous Cytherean Celebrities

Those that are able to survive and thrive as celebrities in the cutthroat and demanding environment of Cytherea's entertainment industry reap a truly massive amount of rewards ranging from accolades to millions of Solarian Credits. But, perhaps more importantly than anything else, they are some of the most famous people in human space and the greater Orion Spur. The individuals listed below are just a handful of Cytherea's most famous residents, and will be known throughout the Orion Spur.

One of the most famous Cytherean is perhaps Min Jee, the renowned frontwoman and singer of INTERSTELLAR✰GIRLS: a famous all-female pop group based out of the Binyarian aerostat. Min Jee's famous voice, which has been biologically augmented to have a wider range, can be found on dozens of INTERSTELLAR✰GIRLS albums. The band's most famous album, Interstellar Heart, currently holds the record for most copies ever sold. Despite her successes, which include having been named the Venusian cultural ambassador for four years in a row Min Jee's personal life has been the subject of some speculation in the Cytherean press, and repeated plastic surgeries have left only a sliver of resemblance to the woman that began her pop career ten years ago. But for the moment, she and her band remain the undisputed queens of the Cytherean musical scene.

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Quu'xuu "Kwoo" Vol'rii is something of an oddity in the Cytherean entertainment scene due to her status as a skrell. Having recently flown into the highest ranks of Cytherea due to her highly-rated performance as the main villain of Monkey King VII, Doctor Yana Vashtu, the diminutive doctor of human cultural studies has found a following thanks to both her haughty and evil attitude on-camera and her awkward yet earnest attitude off the set. Kwoo, as she is affectionately known by her fans, has found further fame thanks to her charitable donations to Mars following her success in Monkey King VII. However it remains uncertain how long her fifteen minutes of fame from Monkey King VII will last, if Kwoo will choose to remain in Cytherea at all, or if he unfaltering support for the Jargon Federation will be her eventual social downfall.

Jintarian Culture and Society

While Venus is primarily known for the glowing neon lights, cameras, and actions of its Cytherean population the planet is also home to a significant working and middle-class Solarian population in both aerostats and on the surface of Venus. These residents are typically referred to as Jintarians by the Cytherean population of Venus, though they will typically simply refer to themselves as Venusians. Many Jintarians resent their Cytherean counterparts for their absurd habits and consistent sidelining of Jintarians and their interests in favor of the entertainment industry.

Work for Jintarians, however, remains mostly practical and physical. Engineering jobs are an essential part of hab-complexes, with some even managing to work their way back above the clouds to upkeep the floating Cytherean cities. Industrial work is also common, with many factories making shield generators, firearms, and vehicles for exportation. Because of the extremely hostile conditions of Venus and the incredibly quality materials required to build homes on the surface, Jintarian products are known for being highly reliable, durable, and of great quality.

There are also a fairly large number of farmers and gardeners from Venus, some of whom leave the planet for a more relaxed atmosphere. Many of these scientists are enticed to NanoTrasen by recruiters. Other Cythereans work in the massive hyroponics aerostats that can be found on Venus. With much of the farming rings dedicated solely to growing crops, the living quarters of donut dwellers are somewhat more open, and very scenic. Farmers often come from families with a history in hydroponics and are usually raised to carry on the family legacy. Typically, these aerostats take on a country-clubesque approach, having just as egotistical an atmosphere as typical Cytherean environments: wealthy farmers with massive crop arrangements; automated sprayers; and plenty of robots, aliens, and otherwise-poor Surfacers to help out. Freetime is ample, and this is spent on all sorts of frivolities: shooting, swimming, Terran and alien animal husbandry, playing sports, and doing plenty of social activities. Life here can be just as stratified as the teardrop aerostats with dwellers either being “members” or “helpers” depending on their connections and charisma. (INTEGRATE THIS SOMEHOW)

The Surface

Despite the crushing pressure and the lead-melting nightmare that is the surface of Venus, locally referred to as "Downstairs," many habitats and other facilities exist there. Compared to the many independent aerostats that lurk above the cloud layer there are few individual habitats on the surface, and settlements are typically structured as sprawling industrial complexes. Facilities tend to lack windows due to the immense pressure and the windows that do exist are primarily in the form of thick, expensive borosilicate used solely in expensive scientific observatories. In order to stave off depression green areas aided by artificial means are a common sight in these complexes, and many recreation areas feature large holographic ceilings designed to imitate the sky above the surface. Lighting is tuned to simulate a relatively Earth-like environment.

Those that reside on the Venusian surface tend to be researchers, miners, engineers, those who couldn’t make it in the floating Cytherean palaces, or criminals from the cloud layer. Most that work and reside on the surface will only reside on it for several months to a year before being rotated off due to the stress and wear and tear that immensely hazardous environment of the Venusian surface inflicts on those that reside on it. The economy of the surface is dominated by the mining and chemical industry, and most surface facilities are built for in order to exploit the immense mineral wealth of Venus' intensely volcanically active surface. Mining on the Venusian surface is - even at the best of times - an extremely hazardous venture that pays extremely well: surfacer miners can expect to be paid more than any other miner in the Sol System. The other major industry is processing the retrieved ores and chemicals in the surface's massive industrial facilities before shipping it into orbit in heavy-duty freighters able to endure surface conditions.

The desolation of the Venusian surface has lead to a culture focused on escapism amongst its residents. Crafts made using spare mining equipment are commonplace, and are typically referred to as "Surfacer Art" off of Venus. Parkour and freerunning inside the surface facilities are also popular pastimes, with annual and casual competitions often held in holodecks. Runners duck through cramped maintenance shafts, shimmy inside air vents, and slide through industrial complexes. Surfacers additionally consume a great amount of Cytherean media in order to forget their environment, often escaping into holopod studios that house dozens of holopods which let a viewer into and experience their favorite movies and shows in AR.

Venusian IPCs

EXPAND+REWORK THIS W/ NIENNA

IPCs enjoy a certain status above even working-class residents of Venus, lofted by the ethereal beauty and flawless movements of a Venusian-made Shell or the ability to make other frames as aesthetically pleasing as possible in the most avant garde ways, to say nothing of how easily they can be manipulated. Under the clouds, robots and IPCs alike are valued for their reliability in an industrial environment, even among potentially shady mining guilds. However, the love of the aesthetic of IPCs does not reach the surface, as those Downstairs consider them more as tools than art. This mentality of IPCs being the ultimate display of artistry or a handy piece of hardware hinders IPCs quite a bit; no free IPCs exist either in the Zone or Downstairs.

Fashion

The class divided on Venus between Cythereans and Jintarians is evident even in their clothes. Cythereans often wear avant garde, nearly-impractical clothing while Jintarians usually perfer comfort and function over style.

Cytherean Fashion

There a number of Cytherean fashion trends just entering the public eye, being sold by stores, and falling out of fashion at any time. Anything a non-Cytherean can put together that is appealing to the eye, and sometimes not, has been the height of fashion at some point somewhere in the clouds. There are a few popular looks and rules Cytherean fashion tends to follow, though.

The most important rule for an aspiring Cytherean fashionista is that the best part of the body is the skin. A lot of clean, unblemished, hairless skin is shown in Cytherean fashion whether it be through a high-slit dress, a translucent button-up shirt, a pair of short shorts, a fitted tank top, or a low cut blouse. More masculine figures tend to show off the upper body, especially the arms, while more feminine looks show off the lower body, specifically the legs. It should be noted that showing too much skin is a great faux pas; looks are often balanced so that if a lot of the upper body is shown, the lower body is mostly covered and vice versa.

Another important note that while minor body modifications are considered fine, a more natural appearance is preferred. Body-sculpting procedures are common, especially among celebrities. The most common body-sculpting procedures include improving facial features and structure, removing all body hair “below the eyelashes”, tightening the skin, removing excess body fat, reconstructing the teeth, enhancing or emphasizing musculature, and balancing body proportions, usually in favor of the legs. However, extensive piercing, more extreme body-sculpting, heavy tattooing, and other modifications that break the “pure skin” rule are frowned upon. In particular, tattooing, even minor tattooing in some cases, is considered unsightly due to its long-standing connection with criminals.

The source of many trends has stemmed from Binyaria’s Parabing District, named “wankukai” trends. Wankukai clothes are either what’s popular in the Parabing clubbing scene or, less popularly, something slightly more appropriate for streetwear. Masculine looks often have plain, solid colored pants in dark colors with slim, usually designer belts, and often have simple dress shoes or sneakers. Translucent button-ups with LED or neon-tubing designs up the arms or across the chest are popular, as well as similarly designed, fitted tank tops to accentuate the arms. Some even elect to go shirtless. Suit jackets matching one’s pants are also common, as well as leather jackets with LED or neon designs on the back. As for more femme looks, miniskirts, short shorts, and, for the brave, microskirts are commonplace, often paired with simple, low heels, flats, or sneakers. Colorful dress shirts, qipao blouses, and standard blouses are all common as well, featuring designs similar to masculine looks. Dresses of all lengths usually have a high-slit, reaching all the way up the thigh, and are often intricately decorated with LED and neon-tubing. Though suit jackets and leather jackets with designs are common among feminine looks as well, they are occasionally cropped to just below or at the ribs.

Recently, there has been a rise in traditional and “neo-traditional” clothes. For example, “faying” dresses and suits are based off Victorian Era British and French formalwear, but modified to better fit today’s fast paced society. Faying are less restrictive and faying dresses in particular have a much smaller bell skirt and are occasionally shortened to the mid-calf or knee. Another example are “neo-hanbok”, which are the traditional Korean hanbok similarly updated like faying. Feminine hanbok have a thinner bell and sometimes have a shorter skirt and masculine hanbok often have tighter sleeves and a pair of pants and vest instead of a robe. Another popular look is to add LED lighting, neon graphics, or simply different colors. Standard qipao/cheongsam, changshan, kimono, and yukata are also staples among the traditional fashion movement.

Jintarian Fashion

Due to the rough life on the Venusian surface, Jintarian fashion is mostly practical. For the most part, Jintarians wear simple jumpsuits, overalls, t-shirts, and jeans. It is not uncommon, though, for Jintarians to decorate their clothes with pins, badges, armbands, or graphics. Military-style, bomber, and leather jackets are also common among fashion-forward Jintarians. Among Jintarian freerunners, it is a sort of tradition to hide one’s identity. Generally, freerunners wear fitted hoodies, plain athletic shorts, running shoes, and either a blank mask or a combination of an air mask and a lowered baseball cap, sunglasses, or tight beanie.

Major Aerostats and Habitats

Binyaria

Binyaria, the first and largest aerostat, is widely known as the jewel of Venus and houses just about 19 million people. Those from across the galaxy flock to Binyaria to experience Solarian culture, with tourists roaming the famous Binyarian vineyards and partying into the artificial, neon-lit night. It is widely known that Binyarians don’t get the best first; they make the best first. This reputation of being the most beautiful, the most cultured, the most advanced, and the greatest has lead to an extremely aggressive, cutthroat environment for those looking to get ahead. Actors, idols, politicians, and scientists all face heavy scrutiny by their fellow Binyarians and must constantly keep their mask polished and their persona unbreakable in order to become even the most minor celebrity. Like most aerostats, Binyaria is divided into layers, which are further subdivided into districts. The most well known districts on Binyaria are Wajiu District on Layer 1, Chiye-Gyo District on Layer 3, and Parabing District on Layer 6.

Binyarian Districts

Binyaria’s government developed Wajiu District with the utmost care and foresight, leading to the district’s gardens becoming one of the biggest tourist attractions. Pervasive genetic engineering has helped the plants become beautiful, delicious, potent, or a combination of the three and an aesthetic-based design philosophy has only furthered the plants’ appealing appearance. Among these gardens lie the famed Yuyuan Vineyard where tourists flock to see by far the most attractive and artistic garden in Wajiu District and, of course, try the excellent Yuyuan Wine for a discounted price.

Chiye-Gyo District, similarly, was helped to fame by corporate investment. For a long time, Chiye-Gyo District was in a strange place, being mostly made up lower-middle class housing and failing businesses. The government of Binyaria, set to improve the district, announced that in 2397 the district would be sold out to corporations. Early on in the redesign of the district, Nanotrasen Corporation and Idris Incorporated invested heavily into Chiye-Gyo District recognizing the emerging celebrity culture of Venus.

NanoTrasen and Idris formed and debuted various musical groups, all of whom gained a dedicated following whether big or small, and have achieved great financial success. More importantly, however, these pop bands, hip-hop groups, and solo ballad artists helped give rise to the celebrity-based culture Venus is known for today. In more recent years, Zeng-Hu Pharmaceuticals and Hephaestus Industries have broken into both the corporate battle and the hearts of Venusians with their own outrageously successful debut artists.

With all of Binyaria’s aspiring artists, it was only a matter of time before Parabing District became as popular as it is today. Though mostly focused on the lower- and middle-class, Parabing District holds a number of high-energy clubs, PC cafes, karaoke joints, laid-back bars, and fast food restaurants, all of which become progressively seedier closer to Binyaria’s hull. The district’s dynamic lighting is paused at midnight, but is lit up by the thousands of neon signs competing for attention.

Furthest from the hull, street food vendors set up their carts and offer drunk food to the exhausted, inerbiatered clubbers on their way out of the district. Toward the center of the district, host and hostess bars offer companionship to the many business people of Binyaria while young, attractive college students advertise themselves for compensated dates nearby outside. Along the hull, brothels hidden behind heavy curtains and tucked into alleys are frequented by people with intricate tattooing and expensive clothing. Anyone can find something fun in Parabing with a bit of luck and cash.

Subterranean Complex 74-F, “Rason”

A newer complex, Rason is one of the few built near-completely underground with only a single observational spire above the rocky surface. Civilian affairs here primarily deal in textiles and hydroponics, the work rather strenuous. Long hours are devoted to the creation of expensive clothes, polychromic fabrics, and holographic inlays that workers will never wear. A popular hobby is freerunning with a monthly (based on Terran months) Climb the Complex competition held where citizens must start at the bottom of the complex and make it all the way to the top of the spire.

Put something new here because you removed the old bad lore.

Ishtar’s Temple and the Babylon Garden

Only a short shuttle ride from Binyaria, Ishtar’s Temple functions as her perfect, albeit vastly smaller twin Binyaria. Ishtar's Temple serves as an entertainment aerostat; it sates every interest to people who have the time and credits to seek it out. Clubs, amusement parks, lounges and bars, sport centers and everything in between are open to the general public aboard the aerostat.

However, beyond the guarded elevators and hidden checkpoints, on the uppermost levels, elusive to most Venusians and those foreign to the system, sits Babylon Garden. Here, the more elite attractions exist for the rich, influential, or resourceful. With the right amount of credits, connections, knowledge, or influence, lucky patrons can gain one of the illusive key cards that provide access to Babylon Garden. It is rumoured that management will occasionally slip an access card to favored patrons who wouldn’t be able to get access otherwise. Outside of Venus the existence of the Babylon Garden is known to very few, and those that have seen it are fewer.

In Babylon Garden, the Venusian Shells of the Diamond are the aerostat’s most famous draw and specialty. These shells, designed with quality beyond those outside the aerostat, each sport a uniquely designed chassis in addition to carefully vetted personality matrices. As the hosts and hostesses of Babylon Garden, the shells go to great lengths to cater to each and every patron, from providing beverages and lighting cigarettes to flirtatious conversation. The purpose of these shells are to provide a space of respite, pleasant conversation and hospitality.

The Venusian Shells of the Diamond are not only popular, but occupy a highly unique role among synthetics in the Alliance. Contrary to common notions of ownership, the IPCs here can not only set their own prices and tasks, but have nigh equal rights to their employers. The clubs of Babylon Garden rely on the cooperation of their 'employees', and the safety of these synthetics is guaranteed by the funding and high demand of their wealthy consumers. While the Shells of the Diamond and their owners are somewhat at odds in their ability to influence each other; coming to an endpoint with the IPCs' inability to become free synthetics, the status quo has remained and relations are peaceful.

Ethnicity on Venus

Cytherean

The average Cytherean look is:

• Skin Tone: 50 - 140
• Average Height: 5'9" - 6'3" / 175 cm - 190 cm
• Black to dark brown hair, though often dyed.
• Dark brown to light brown eyes.

Jintarian

The average Jintarian look is:

• Skin Tone: 1 - 50
• Average Height: 5'3" - 5'9" / 160 cm - 175 cm
• Black to dark brown hair.
• Dark brown to light brown eyes.

Government

As with all Solarian holdings, Venus has a representative, currently Heidi Kim, in the SolGov Senate who handles most of the world's interaction with the Sol Alliance as a whole. At the planetary level, Venus is a Democratic Populist Technocracy. Each aerostat and surface habitat has its own elected governor who presides over a council. The council size varies from place to place, based on the population of the habitat. The high number of science personnel mixed with the planet’s celebrity-worship culture has lead to many influential scientists, celebrities, or some of both generally being elected. Many governors and councillors are elected via popularity and easily carry out their manifestos with gusto, lacking any real public opposition due to their position. Commercial and industrial industries are rarely targeted and thus remain stable, ensuring the planets profitability to the Sol Alliance.

Military

The Sol Alliance military handles all affairs of planetary defense, with the exception of only the VHEC Reg. Venus Hazardous Environment Combat Regiment or "VHEC Reg". Trained for orbital insertion into extremely hostile and hazardous environments, VHEC Reg serves as a Venusian special forces group. Recruits are trained in close quarter combat and are unsurpassed in their field with many hopefuls applying every month from across the Sol Alliance. The Venusian military is highly skilled, although only theoretically. It is noted that historically, they have had little to no actual combat experience.

History

Most of the early history of Venus has been lost to the ages, with the Cythereans viewing it as unimportant. However, it is generally accepted that the first aerostats were constructed for scientific purposes. The first built, and the largest even today, was Binyaria. The surfacer habitation complexes were built much later on, and all of them originally featured tethers to the aerostats before more efficient stabilization technology was made. The disposal of these planetary tethers allowed for the Jintarians to be gradually forgotten by mainstream Cytherean society.