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Qerr'Malic

Qerr’Malic is the name given to the moon of Qerrbalak, and was the first stellar body explored by Skrell during the early years of their Space Age. Since ancient history, Qerr'Malic was seen as a benevolent figure watching over the Skrell, especially because of its relationship with the tides. In modern times, even though it’s a bustling hub for tourism, and transport to the colony from nearby Qerrbalak costs as much as a bus ticket for most, the moon has remained a fascination for many. Followers of both Qeblak and Weishii hold a special reverence for the moon, especially those who live on Qerrbalak. It is the only natural satellite around Qerrbalak, with a surface area of about fifty-six million square kilometres -- about twice as large as Luna. The colony is separated into two parts: a surface colony made up of arcologies that host the entertainment and tourism industry of the moon, and a ‘Second Surface’ underground which houses most of the equipment and personnel supporting the surface settlements.

History

Qerr'Malic was often the focus of those on the parent body far below, even before the time of the modern Skrell. Its foreboding presence and effects on the tides eventually earned it the name Protector of the Homeworld; In the early days, when Qe'qlak was the predominant religion practised by the Skrell, Qerr'Malic was often revered as a powerful entity created by Nralakk to protect the Homeworld.

During the height of the Cold War in Qerrbalak, in 1980 BCE, the first Skrell-made surveillance probe managed to land on the surface of Qerr'Malic. Soon after this, the moon was swarming with synthetic creations sent by the various factions of Qerrbalak as part of their intelligence networks. The few probes, drones, and satellites that survived over the centuries remain on the surface as monuments to this part of Skrellian history.

Only centuries later did the Skrell begin efforts to colonize its surface, shortly after a few settlements had been successfully established within the crust of Aliose. Qerr'Malic would be a bit more difficult to colonize compared to Aliose, primarily because it lacked an atmosphere. Partial records recovered post-Glorsh state that both Aliose and Qerr’Malic were formally established sometime around 1100 BCE. The moon was earmarked to be a research colony and religious site due to the significance of the moon in Skrell culture, but this plan was soon scrapped as prospectors discovered rich mineral deposits deep underground.

Qerrbalak had been intensively exploited for its natural resources since the beginning of the species’ industrial revolution, so it was only a matter of time before colonies like Qerr'Malic became the focal point for Skrellian expansion. Most of Qerrbalak's diminishing resources were redirected to prop up the establishment of Qerr’Malics burgeoning resource extraction industry. Soon, most of the colony’s population found themselves reassigned to the moon’s new mining and refining operations, exploiting the moons mineral wealth.

In order to properly manage the colony and its output, the "Qerr'Malic Mining Consortium" was established. This Consortium was made up of several of the top-performing Consultant Agencies at the time that focused on mining and manufacturing, which became part of the formation of the ruling body that would manage Qerr’Malic’s operations. The establishment of the Commonwealth of the Three brought a number of changes to the moon, while still retaining its more corporate ruling structure. As Skrell across the colonies began expressing their desire for independence, the colonial ties were broken, spawning a conflict that would encompass the whole Commonwealth. Following the replacements of several instigators with loyalists, the Consultant Agencies' services helped rapidly regain control of the moon.

Over time, Qerr'Malic began to shift away from its resource harvesting operations and began franchising its use as a "waypoint" between extraterrestrial colonies and the Homeworld. Gradually, the infrastructure of the cities began to capitalize on the touristic opportunities available. By 2002 CE, Qerr'Malic wasn't known for its mining might, but for its luxurious entertainment facilities and tourist activities. Eventually, many of the old mines developed into stopping places for transportation, or were repurposed to house the various utilities required for a bustling colony, creating what is known as the “Second Surface”. Almost none of the original surface settlements on the moon have survived, and what remains of the first colony structures are maintained and promoted as museums for curious tourists to visit.

Just before the reign of Glorsh Omega, Qerr’Malic had hosted a large server farm which the AI had used to access all other Artificial Intelligences within the Federation. This server farm was bombed in the initial attempts to stop Glorsh Omega, and what’s left of the facility that housed it is classed as a heritage site, with the Jargon Federation forbidding any attempts to expand near the site or otherwise disrupt it.

Government

During the rule of the Commonwealth of the Three, Qerr’Malic was ruled by a Consortium of Consultant Agencies, essentially corporate entities that managed the colony and its mining industry. With the formation of the Second Jargon Federation, Qerr’Malic transitioned to a political structure more in line with Qerrbalak and other Skrellian colonies. Qerr'Malic is unique in that it only has two regions: the surface section and the Second Surface section. Both regions have regional Governors who answer to Aleq Val'monn, the current Planetary Governor for Qerr’Malic, who has ruled since 2250 CE. Val’monn has been heavily criticised for their apparent lack of action regarding Gasriders on Qerr’Malic in recent years, but so far there has been no action taken by Nralakks System Councillor to replace them.

Environment

A map of Qerr'malic and its cities

In an early stage of Qerrbalak's evolution, Qerr'Malic was thought to have originally been two satellites orbiting one another but eventually collided to form what it is today. In addition to the abundance of craters across Qerrbalak, geologists conducting research into the so-called "Collider Theory" have found some small pieces of evidence here and there. Mineral-rich Qerr'Malic supported Skrell in its expansion across Nralakk. However, centuries of resource extraction has left the moon barren and has forced the colony to rely almost solely on the income it receives from its tourism industries.

The terrain in Qerr'Malic is bumpy, with deep cracks and craters littering the landscape. Originally its terrain made colonization challenging but after the initial expansion, these crevices were soon home to a wide network of facilities focused on the extraction and refining of the moons mineral wealth. Once they ran out of mineral resources, these facilities became entrances to the "Second Surface" of Qerr’Malic, an expansive sprawl of facilities geared towards supporting the surface settlements and the moon’s tourist industry. Several Jargon Federation members have expressed an interest in terraforming Qerr'Malic, but it is considered that the resources required to do so are better used in developing infrastructure in Jargon's non-core sectors. Because of this, the surface settlements on Qerr’Malic consist solely of arcologies similar to those seen on New Gibson and Aliose

With the introduction of the C'thur, Qerr’Malics Second Surface has seen rapid growth; many new facilities have been established specifically to house Vaurca workers, and its transport network has been revitalised to be more efficient in meeting demands for the surface settlements.

Seasons

Due to the lack of atmosphere on the moon, there are no seasons. ‘Artificial’ seasons are simulated within the settlements of the colony, based on the current season on Qerrbalak: Qu-Paalq or Lu-Paalq. During Qu-Paalq the humidity and temperature rise above Skrell standard levels maintained in most artificial environments, and Lu-Paalq sees the inverse, with humidity and temperature lowering below normal standards. In the areas not designated as living spaces, such as utility and storage facilities, temperature and humidity are maintained at standard levels typically seen on Skrellian installations.

Cities and Landmarks

Zuvl'Qlip

Zuvl’Qlip is the Planetary Capital of Qerr’Malic, and is located within the Sea of the Void, on top of the isolated mountains on its eastern fringe. Despite its geographic isolation, the capital is well-connected to all the other settlements dotted across the surface, with a robust travel network that utilises the Second Surface to provide a connection to other cities. Zuvl’Qlip is also the location for Qerr’Malics primary shuttle port, making it the first city most tourists to the Qerr’Malic or the Jargon Federation will experience.

The city itself is typically not the place most tourists come to Qerr’Malic for, but despite this it hosts many entertainment venues, focusing on the historical and cultural significance of Qerr’Malic. The most popular of these establishments is the unofficially named ‘Explorers’ Museum’, which is part of the Jargon Federations Archive Project. This facility houses most of the cultural artefacts and history of the Skrell species, and has physical displays showcasing artefacts from Qerr’Malics initial colonisation, archaeological samples, as well as diaries of the first colonists that permanently lived on the moon. The Explorer’s Museum also provides high-class dining facilities that focus on providing authentic Skrellian cuisine, as well as multimedia viewing rooms showcasing popular examples of Skrellian cinematography. As the first established city after the moons shift from resource extraction to entertainment, Zuvl'Qlip has the highest population on Qerr'Malic.

Sub'Quleq

Sub'Quleq, or Settler's Paradise, lies within the Second Surface of Qerr’Malic, and is the primary living space for non-Skrell workers on the moon. The city primarily houses C'thur workers but is also home to a sizeable Diona community. Settler's Paradise has a reputation as a known hotbed for illegal scams and disreputable entertainment enterprises hosted by both species.

C’thur hive cells are known to manage gambling dens, where the machines and games are all rigged, scamming unsuspecting tourists. The Vaurca population is also known for managing bars and clubs that are more ‘legitimate’, although these establishments are known to price-gouge non-regular patrons. Dionae taking part in the city’s underground entertainment industry are commonly buskers and grifters. Dionae are renowned for their utilisation of mimicry and ability to detach nymphs to become stage or street performers. Tourists visiting Sub’Quleq will commonly see Diona singers in clubs or on sidewalks, using their mimicry to perform covers of popular songs, as well as grifters performing magic tricks while their nymphs pickpocket members of the audience.

Despite the illegality of some of the practices these businesses deal in, it has been notoriously difficult for the Nlomkala to do much regarding them due to the lack of evidence. The C’thuric gambling dens, in particular, are an issue since they are set up as ‘pop up’ businesses, where they close down after a few days of operation only to re-open at another location. Tourists are discouraged from visiting Sub’Quleq, and there are several informational displays warning of the scams typically utilised by the locals. Despite this, the city is still a popular location for ‘slum tourism’ due to its reputation. The authorities on Qerr’Malic are notorious for being unhelpful when tourists report having their money stolen while visiting Sub’Quleq, only reminding them of all the warnings given regarding the Second Surface and the risk you take travelling there.

Examples of posters issued by the Qerr'Malic Tourism and Hospitality Authority warning tourists against visiting the Second Surface.

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  A poster warning tourists to Qerr'Malic about the Second Surface

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  A poster warning tourists to Qerr'Malic about scams, specifically regarding Diona

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  A poster warning tourists to Qerr'Malic about scams, specifically regarding Vaurca

Toqleq'wesi

Toqleq’wesi is the second-largest city on Qerr’Malic, and can be found nestled within the deepest trench in the Sea of the Stormcloud. The city is the primary entertainment venue on the planet, with most tourists reason for visiting the moon being here. Toqleq’wesi advertises itself as the entertainment capital of the Jargon Federation both domestically and internationally, with advertisements for trips to Qerr’Malic mostly focusing on Toqleq’wesi in particular. It’s quite common to see advertisements for discounted trips to Qerr’Malic on Viv-ID or on the extranet, with Toqleq’wesi and what it offers to visitors prominently displayed.

The initial expansion that led to the formation of Toqleq’wesi took place within a tectonically unstable section of the trench - unearthing a geothermal vent with properties unique to Qerr’Malic. The vents produced what was later named ‘Xu’Xi’, a gaseous substance with intoxicating effects on Skrell.

Ban'zlip

Ban’zlip is the name given to what remains of the server farm that allowed Glorsh Omega to assume control of all synthetics within Jargon Space. This facility has a ground area of 256 square kilometres, and is meticulously maintained by a permanent local workforce numbering in the hundreds. Most of the ruins are closed to the public due to safety concerns, but short-range shuttlecraft are utilised to provide tours of sections deemed safe. Ban’zlip has been declared a heritage site, preventing any attempts of expansion or otherwise disrupting the ruins. Despite this, there are still small archaeological projects underway in an attempt to recover pre-Glorsh data that may still be housed in the more intact servers.

Holidays

• Founding Day - Celebrated on the 22nd of Feburary, Founding Day is a celebration of the formal establishment of the Qerr’Malic colony in 2002 CE. Because Qerr’Malic relies on a service economy, Founding Day celebrations are staggered based on the typical shift; fireworks displays, as well as other public events, take place at 4AM for those on night shift and again at 7PM for those on day shifts, allowing the local population to take part in the festivities without having to take time off work. Founding Day on Qerr’Malic has evolved to include tourists in the celebrations, with many venues becoming themed on mining or astronauts, referencing the colony’s early history as a mining colony and the initial moonwalks that took place early in the Skrell’s Space Age respectively.

• Qerr’paq’uu - Celebrated in the last week of June, this religious holiday is held to celebrate the cultural and religious significance that Qerr’Malic has with Qerrbalak and the Skrell species as a whole. The holiday is fairly tame, with no officially held public festivities. Instead, Skrell neighbourhoods will come together for locally organised stargazing nights, as well as street parties and other small events. Qeblak and Weishii followers will typically try and have their coming of age ceremonies coincide with Qerr’paq’uu, believing it to bring them luck.

Demographics

As there is no water on Qerr’Malic, Axiori Skrell are an uncommon sight in its settlements both underground and on the surface. The majority of Skrell on this planet are Xiialt, with a minor amount of Xiiori Skrell. The majority of non-Skrell colonists on the planet live in the underground ‘Second Surface’ section of the colony, many of which are from the C’thur brood. The smallest citizen demographic that can be found on Qerr’Malic is Dionae, who typically live and work in the Second Surface. At any given time the total population of Qerr’Malic can have up to 4% being tourists.

There are a small number of humans that work on Qerr’Malic, specifically within the Special Economic Zone. These humans are employed by Idris and NanoTrasen, and only number in the hundreds.

Percentages

Skrell

Skrell make up roughly 70% of Qerr’Malics population, not including tourists. The percentages below are of the Skrell population only.

• Xiialt - 67%
• Axiori - 25%
• Xiiori - 8%

Non-Skrell

Non-Skrell on Qerr’Malic make up the other 30% of the moon’s population, not including tourists. The percentages below are of the non-Skrell population only.

• C’thur Vaurca - 87%
• Dionae - 12%
• Human - <1%

Culture and Life on Qerr'Malic

Qerr’Malic has a distinct divide both in culture and quality of life between the surface and what is known as the ‘Second Surface’. The surface cities such as Toqleq’wesi or Zuvl’Qlip are bustling metropolises underneath heavy-duty transparent domes, which cover the surface of Qerr’Malic. These locations are advertised to potential tourists as places of luxury, providing some of the best places to dine, shop, and engage in almost every form of modern entertainment. Visitors to Qerr’Malic have noted how pleasant these surface cities are, with a strong Nlomkala presence reassuring tourists that they are safe while they spend their vacation here. Almost all Skrell workers live on the surface, residing inside habitat domes connecting to the larger cities via the subsurface tram system. Qerr’Malic locals living on the surface have a tendency to be more sociable, mostly due to their work training regarding interactions with tourists.

This strongly contrasts with the often overlooked ‘Second Surface’, a network of transport stations, utility stations, storage facilities, and living quarters designed to support the surface section of the colony. The Second Surface has its foundations in the old mining complexes from Qerr’Malics days as a resource extraction colony, with most of its old infrastructure being repurposed to provide a robust support network for the entire moon. Nearer to the surface you will find tram stations, storage facilities, as well as utility stations controlling power, atmosphere, and heating systems for the entire colony. Further down you will find the habitat sections, mostly made up of repurposed mining complexes where most of the colony’s non-Skrell workers live. The C’thur on Qerr’Malic have flourished down here, working since their arrival on expanding and refurbishing the Second Surface. The environment of the Second Surface has been comfortable for the Vaurca, who are used to vast underground complexes - but the Dionae who live here find it stressful. The lack of natural light and reliance on artificial light to keep them alive has caused the Diona population to typically show signs of paranoia and anxiety. To confront these issues, Dionae will typically stay together in large communities, finding safety in numbers in the larger population centres of the Second Surface such as Sub’Quleq, where the fear of losing light is minimal compared to the more remote regions. Inhabitants of the Second Surface tend to be more work-orientated due to the emphasised importance of their work in maintaining the surface section of the colony, and are considered more insular than those living above ground.

Skrell who end up falling below secondary in the social credit system, or otherwise find themselves on the wrong side of the law, will typically flee to the Second Surface. The maze-like complex makes it difficult for authorities to catch criminals who hide out in its deepest recesses, which also make it an ideal home for Qerr’Malics Gasriders; those who work in the manufacture, smuggling, and sale of refined Xu’Xi Gas native to the moon.

Skrell from Qerr’Malic will typically be from a service and hospitality background, with the vast majority finding employment within the surface cities. Because of Qerr’Malics importance as a tourist attraction and its popularity with foreign visitors, however, there is also a high population of Nlomkala stationed on the moon. Almost everyone who is employed on the surface has been trained to be friendly and approachable, regardless of their job, in the event that they need to assist tourists. Because of this, Skrell from Qerr’Malic will usually find opportunities to work abroad with Megacorporations such as Idris, who is more than happy to hire those with a more customer-orientated approach in both their service and their security branches. Vaurca and Dionae are both likely to be found in engineering or mining careers, but there is also a small number of Vaurca Virtual Reality specialists found on Qerr’Malic. These specialists excel in the maintenance and operation of the sophisticated VR centres found in the higher-end sections of the surface’s entertainment venues. VR specialists that end up going off-world with their hive cell will typically find themselves in IT careers or in general tech support.

Gasriders

‘Gasriders’ is a catch-all term for anyone who participates in illegal Xu’Xi Gas operations. Xu’Xi Gas is a naturally occurring gas produced in the geothermal vents of Qerr’Malic, and in small quantities has been noted to give the user a mild high comparable to chewing on Wulumunusha leaves. The gas itself is not illegal, and vape bars built around the more accessible gas vents are a common sight within Toqleq’wesi where the gas was originally located. What is considered illegal is the manufacture and sale of refined Xu’Xi Gas, as this version of this gas is a stronger and highly addictive narcotic.

Gasrider bases of operation are limited to the deeper, more remote areas of the Second Surface, which Qerr’Malic authorities are unable to fully search due to how vast the area is. It is here that Xu’Xi gas smuggled out of Toqleq’wesi, the city with the most accessible sources of the gas, is refined in large quantities. The gas is then shipped back to the surface for sale to locals and tourists alike by Gasrider drug dealers. Refined Xu’Xi gas is also sold in bulk to the less-reputable establishments found on Qerr’Malic, such as the C’thur gambling dens of Sub’Qoleq, or to smugglers who ship the gas off-world to other planets within the Jargon Federation or even beyond to places such as Mendell City’s Starlight Zone.

The Gasrider community outside of Qerr’Malic is also known to produce synthetic alternatives to Xu’Xi Gas, producing a similar high to the real product, but has been noted to give the user a nastier hangover as well as being potentially lethal depending on the manufacturer. Despite their efforts, the authorities in the wider Federation, as well as places with a high Skrell population such as the Republic of Biesel or Sol Alliance, have been unsuccessful in trying to prevent the proliferation of Gasrider operations. This has been attributed in part to the inactivity of Qerr’Malics Planetary Governor Aleq Val'monn, whose detractors claim is secretly benefitting from the Gasrider operations on the planet. These claims have not been proven by Federation investigators, but Governor Val’monn has started to receive pressure from the public and their superiors to take a more active approach towards the Gasrider issue.

Special Economic Zone

Toqleq'wesi, the entertainment capital of Qerr’Malic, is home to Idris' casino named ‘The Croaking Gambit’, a massive casino that hosts top of the line services such as restaurants, lounge singers, as well as gambling and stage performances. Idris has brought in many workers from human space but is also going out of its way to train and hire from the local population where able.

NanoTrasen also has a presence on the moon, hosting server farms and infrastructure here for the Non-Citizen extranet system within Nralakk. NanoTrasen has promised to only bring in a small number of workers from abroad as specialists, while mostly hiring the locals for unskilled labour as part of an agreement with the local Qerr’Malic Government.