New Sci Fi Setting Seeds

[AlexanderHowl]

It would be more plausible if the different creatures had been genetically engineered (perhaps by other factions) to fill the ecological niches of extinct species. With the right genetic engineering, very strange species could exist.

[AlexanderHowl]

The Temporis system is a scientific oddity that escaped discovery until the advent of interstellar travel. Within 10,000 AU of Temporis, time slows suddenly by a factor of 100, meaning that the star and its satellites appear to emit 1% of the energy of comparable systems. The cause of the time distortion is unknown, though the laws of physics appear to be normal within the system, suggesting that the system is one of the few examples of 'special' frames known to human civilization.

While such a system might appear to be useless, the Federation uses it for its 'deep time' projects. Volunteers agree to spend one subjective year within the system, so they can return to the Federation after 100 objective years have passed and restart interstellar civilization if it has failed. The Federation has also stored several archives within the system, as it knows that the time distortion within the system will maintain the archives for millions of objective years. Finally, the Federation maintains the Omega Rotation within the system, where 1% of the Federation Fleet spends a one week subjective rotation (two year objective rotation) in the system at all time, so that there will always be a surviving Federation Fleet to seek revenge against anyone who attempts to conquer the Federation.

[PTTG]

Dateline: Today.

An alien probe enters earth orbit and offers advanced technology specifically to ensure the protection of Terrestrial cultures and biology. A wave of alien colony ships is passing through our section of the galaxy, bringing with them TL 11 tech and trillions of (very diverse) sentients. It would be infeasible to leave homeworlds such as Earth secured until they reach the tech level of the colonists, so instead the aliens uplift the native life they encounter in order to allow it to protect itself, and join in with the larger civilization.

The probe apologizes for the late arrival -- it was supposed to provide somewhat more of a head start until the colony ships pass through. Only 983 years remain until the settlement begins...

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by PTTG

Dateline: Today.

An alien probe enters earth orbit and offers advanced technology specifically to ensure the protection of Terrestrial cultures and biology. A wave of alien colony ships is passing through our section of the galaxy, bringing with them TL 11 tech and trillions of (very diverse) sentients. It would be infeasible to leave homeworlds such as Earth secured until they reach the tech level of the colonists, so instead the aliens uplift the native life they encounter in order to allow it to protect itself, and join in with the larger civilization.

The probe apologizes for the late arrival -- it was supposed to provide somewhat more of a head start until the colony ships pass through. Only 983 years remain until the settlement begins...

Lovely! We launch right into a sci fi future and upend every culture on Earth. With our world's cultures and issues as the adventure background.

[Astromancer]

{The Farfarers}

Jump Points around any star that has them (and no one knows why more than 85% of the stars have them) tend to come in set patterns that seem to be based on the simple solids. Tetrahedron patterns with jump points on each of the four points make of about fifty percent of the stellar populations' jump points. Cubes, with eight jump points, make up another 30% of the stellar population. Octahedrons, with six jump points, are about 15% of the stellar population. Earth has one to the rare dodecahedron patterns, with twenty jump points. It is assumed that icosahedrons with 12 jump points are out there somewhere.

The planet Jarylo (the name comes from a variant name of a Slavic spring/agriculture god) has a minor starbase on it which mainly serves the Scout base established there and allows agricultural exports from the planet.

The Starbase is on a high plateau toward the center of a temperate climate Greenland sized and shaped island by its East/West axis. On the North/South, the plateau is about two-thirds of the way down from the Northern Coast to the Southern Cape. The Plateau is high enough (0.81 Kilometers/ 2,700 feet) to be much cooler than the surrounding lowlands.

The lands North of the Starbase are mainly used for growing grains like wheat and cattle ranching. The lands South of the Starbase tend to have a wider variety of crops and livestock. The population of the island ( named Koliada after another Slavic fertility god) is mainly of Northern and Eastern European descent. The communities typical of Koliada are religious communes and similar quiet isolated groups living at Tech Levels 5 through 7 for religious or philosophical reasons. The coasts of Koliada are ringed with fishing villages. The local seas are very rich in transplanted sealife from Earth and other worlds. The high quality and abundance of the local seafood makes it a vital export.

The planet Jarylo has two sorts of lands beyond Koliada. Tropical islands mainly settled out of Indonesia (mainly Bali and Sumatra) and polar islands covered in deep ice. The Tropics allow only limited contact. They trade spices and silks for imports from off-world and the wines, beers, meads, and other agriculture products of Koliada.

This planet has two basic game uses. A) It's the kind of place that many of Robert Heinlein's young heroes came from. Farm kids running off to see the world/universe. Heck, maybe they ran off from the tropical islands or some little fishing community isolated on an otherwise ice-covered isle. B) There's a small but vital school of magic on the far Northwest cape of Koliada. If you use my, as yet unfinished, magic supplement for the setting, or have psionics or other powers, this school, the Green Adytum, teaches these powers. But has little or no public reputation. If your setting has no magic, this school has a reputation much like Findhorn and is a major New Age foundation. Of course, a real school of the mysteries could easily hide behind a fairly silly New Age center's goofy facade.

[Astromancer]

{The Farfarers}

More on the planet Jarylo.

The Starbase, the city built up around it, and the plateau it is located on, all have the name Zvezdno Mesto (star town).

Most local communities on Koliada speak either a Germanic, Nordic, or Slavic, language, some of which are artificial reconstructions. Other than the isolated western islands of the coast of Koliada, which are home to communities of Scots and Irish fisherfolk, there are no native speakers of English on the planet. And even those fisherfolk mainly speak Gaelic languages. However, English is the trade tongue that about forty percent of this planet's people know and use.

The Southernmost town on Koliada is called Kirschhafen (Cherry Harbor). Because of the color of the local rocks. It's though this harbor that the rest of the planet ships goods to Koliada and on to Zvezdno Mesto.

There's a chain of islands extending south of Koliada, the climate is much like Southwestern France or Northwestern Spain. The locals speak Breton. The exception is the large island at the southern tip of the chain. This island, Laranjal (Orange Grove), is inhabited by Portuguese speakers. They raise cattle, citrus fruit, olives, avocados, pomegranates, and sugar cane. They tend to use robotics to do most of the work and mainly enjoy leisure activities. They say they live in utopia. These are the only people on the planet, other than the citizens of Zvezdno Mesto and Kirschhalfen that regularly use the normal level of Galactic technology.

Almost all the rest of this planet's inhabitable land is in the tropics and is inhabited by isolationist cultures settled out of Indonesia. The people aren't hostile, but they are reserved and demand to be left alone. Kirschhalfen's ships mainly go to the port of Pintu Luar (Outer Door). Though some other ports are open, some only at long intervals.

[Astromancer]

{Hi Honey . I'm Home!}

This idea starts with supers but goes somewhere else.

Basically, supers show up in the late 1930's and are all over the place during WWII. One powerful wizard/scientist (Doctor Zenith) sees why the heroes came when they did and the threat that was moving toward his Earth. In 1947 Doctor Zenith proves the existence of the threat and gives a solution.

The solution is twofold. First, he can move the Earth out of the path of the oncoming threat in such a way as to cause no harm to anyone on Earth except the Supers. In fact, no one but the supers will even notice a difference. Second, to reduce resistance to the shift and to guarantee Earth's safety, he's set up an off-world (Hy-Brasail after the Irish fairyland) colony in a distant star system for those supers who want to retain their powers to flee to. He also created a group of portals to get there.

The Portals were first places in the cities of New York, San Francisco, Washington, and Honolulu. Strong requests by NATO allies led to extra portals being placed in London, Toronto, Edinburgh, West Berlin, and Paris. Later, due to the prompting of a friend, a Portal was added in Dublin. Hy-Brasail was run as a group of American territories, with territorial legislatures and governors. They were unusually autonomous territories and combined a very American culture with European style social spending. The largest towns formed around the universities which were normally founded at either ports or railroad centers.

From 1947 to 1976 the doors stayed open, providing Earth with a new frontier and allowing the Supers contact with their old home. Several million people settled on this new world. Doctor Zenith also persuaded certain isolated groups of "people" (think of Marvel comic's Inhumans, DCs comics Gorilla City, either company's Atlantis, or any other lost world/race setting) to move to Hy-Brasail for their safety.


However, Doctor Zenith, who stopped aging in 1895 when he was already forty years old, realized he would either have to quickly age to his true age or close the portals or let the Earth be consumed by the threat that motivated his creating the portals in the first place, he gave up and closed the portals down. This ended an age of wonder. Few new supers and none of them very powerful showed up after 1947. And no supers of any kind showed up after 1976.

But there seemed to be a change just recently. A few new supers showed up. They were all psions of some sort or other.

Then the ships showed up. Hy-Brasail hadn't been just across space, it was in the past. For the people settled on Hy-Brasail three centuries had passed. They now had starflight and advanced technology (TL12^). They want to reconnect with Earth.

Basically, this is the Earth in rapid transformation. Psionic powers are suddenly available. Nations respected by the people of Hy-Brasail are gaining access to TL12^ technologies. Old industries are becoming obsolete. Whole nations are finding themselves out in the cold. Like any period of rapid uncertain change, war is likely.

The people of Hy-Brasail have many worlds open for settlement. Worlds they've terraformed into garden worlds for rapid easy settlement. The poor of the world are being invited to new futures in TL12^ paradises (well it looks like that to them). Suddenly, just as wars seem likely, vast numbers of young working class people (the sort they fill armies with) are heading out to the stars for the opportunity of a new life.

In fact, so many young people are leaving for the stars, that it causes a significant population reduction. Many nations are restricting the right of military age men to leave their countries. Some refuse to allow women of childbearing age to emigrate either. People smuggling soars to new heights.

As society is shaken to its roots and wonders flood in, what will your PCs do?

This idea is really two settings. A) The alternate Earth with an easily accessed extrasolar frontier and that frontier itself. A 20th century American frontier with a smattering of supers and sci-fi bits here and there would be its own interesting thing. B) The post recontact world with the culture suddenly being upended.

If I follow up on Idea B, I'll use the {Hi Honey . I'm Home!} tag. For idea A I'll Use {HHIH:Hy-Brasail}.

[Astromancer]

{HHIH:Hy-Brasail}

Some details on Hy-Brasail. These cover the period just before the Portals are closed.

Doctor Zenith used a relic roughly as powerful as Doctor Fate's Helm or Spectre's Ruby Ring (Which the Spectre said was far more powerful than he was) to terraform and shape Hy-Brasail. The relic was destroyed by the amount of power Doctor Zenith drew out of it. So, although Doctor Zenith built Hy-Brasail, he couldn't do anything like it again.

Hy-Brasail has many small continents, 14 to be exact. The seven Northern ones are called the Pleiades and the Southern seven are called the Hyades. The smallest of these continents is a little larger than Australia, and the largest isn't twice as large as Australia. The Pleiades generally have mild to cool temperate climates. The Hyades generally have tropical to warm temperate climates. Chains of islands near the poles keep ice packs more or less stable. Which stabilizes the oceanic currents.

In 1949 the US Congress passed an Act setting up a distinctive territorial government system for Hy-Brasail. There was a main Planetary governor with authority over all the over territorial governors. The system also had sub-governors for unorganized and semi-organized territories. Unorganized territories having no territorial government, nor any elected officials for the territory. Semi-organized territories do have state legislatures and other state-like features but have little real authority. There is a Planetary legislature provided for in the law. But it will only meet if the Portals to Earth are closed for more than a year. Once the legislature is operative elections will be set up, however, the territorial legislatures have appointed emergency legislators to start the planetary legislature up if need be.

The Hyades and all islands south of them are part of the Hyades Unorganized Territory. At this time no human settlement is allowed, although there are military bases mainly engaged in some form of research or support of research scientists. In practice, communities of "Lost Races" live in isolation, generally self-imposed, in this territory.

With the exception of Maia, the six other continents of the Pleiades and all lands north of them, or in equatorial seas and not considered part of Maia, are in the Unorganized Territory of the Pleiades. Again, except for military bases fulling similar functions to those in the Hyades, these lands are supposed to be empty. However, various Wizards, Mad Scientists, and reclusive Supers live in these lands.

Most of Maia is the Territory of Maia, a semi-organized territory. Most of the inhabitants prefer to be left alone. They except government services like Postal services and weather reports, but prefer isolation. The territorial legislature has yet to have a quorum. It's allowed to meet anyway so that those locals with problems and grievances may get them aired and addressed.

There are four full territories that mainly function as US states. Two are on Maia's east coast, one is composed of the islands between Maia and Polyxo (the most northerly of the Hyades) and south of the other east coast territories, and number four is a peninsula of Maia's western coast. Each of these territories is meant to be broken up into states as their populations grow. However, as the GOP believes, not inaccurately, that these new states would overwhelmingly vote Democrat and strongly promote social spending programs, they've seriously blocked statehood for any of these potential states.

The East coast territories North to South are Avalon, New Arcadia, and Les Isles des Dames. The West coast territory is named Calafia after the woman Califorinia is named for.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

{HHIH:Hy-Brasail}

Some details on Hy-Brasail. These cover the period just before the Portals are closed.

Most of Maia is the Territory of Maia, a semi-organized territory. Most of the inhabitants prefer to be left alone. They except government services like Postal services and weather reports, but prefer isolation. The territorial legislature has yet to have a quorum. It's allowed to meet anyway so that those locals with problems and grievances may get them aired and addressed.

There are four full territories that mainly function as US states. Two are on Maia's east coast, one is composed of the islands between Maia and Polyxo (the most northerly of the Hyades) and south of the other east coast territories, and number four is a peninsula of Maia's western coast. Each of these territories is meant to be broken up into states as their populations grow. However, as the GOP believes, not inaccurately, that these new states would overwhelmingly vote Democrat and strongly promote social spending programs, they've seriously blocked statehood for any of these potential states.

The East coast territories North to South are Avalon, New Arcadia, and Les Isles des Dames. The West coast territory is named Calafia after the woman California is named for.

Before Doctor Zenith opened the portals, Earth was a low mana world with very few mages. Until the 1850s no one had been born a mage since before the days of Summer. All of the very few mages there were achieved Magery by initiation of some sort or other. After the portals to Hy-Brasail are opened in 1947, the rate of people being born mages, never very high, dropped to one-quarter of what it had been since 1850. After the portals close in 1976, the Earth is no mana until the people of Hy-Brasail recontact the Earth.

Hy-Brasil has mixed mana levels. These are roughly, sixty percent low mana, thirty percent normal mana, and ten percent high mana. No naturally occurring areas of either very high or no mana have been found.

Throughout the period of the portals being open the planet of Hy-Brasail had a tech level of either 7+1^ or 7+2^, largely depending on who you were dealing with. Many mad scientists and supers were pretty much tech levels unto themselves. Earth proper pretty much had TL7 throughout the period.

The continent of Maia is about half again as large as Australia. It is temperate in climate and gets regular rainfalls typical of the temperate climate zone on Earth. The soils are highly fertile. The Northern third of Maia has snow in winter on a regular basis. The Southern third of Maia only has frost in the higher elevations. And, unless those elevations are very high, frost is rare.

When the portals first opened, large numbers of rural Americans and Canadians went to Hy-Brasail for the free land and a chance to start over. Many Europeans and large populations from Japan, Korea, China (mainly the diaspora), the Philippines, Mexico, and the Carribean region soon followed. There are many small communities that hardly seem like your on American territory let alone a distant planet settled under American authority. As industry grew up, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England, all sent large numbers of factory hands to Hy-Brasail.

Religious groups preferring isolation, like the Hutterites or the Doukhobors flocked in for the free land and isolation. Later on, isolationist groups of other faiths also sought free land and isolation. Groups like the Yazidis and the Druze seeing a chance for a greater security and a fuller community, also moved to Hy-Brasail.

Most people chose to live in the organized territories. However, those seeking isolation went into the semi-organized territories and stayed there.

Les Iles des Dames is made up of all the islands of a series of chains that extends from Maia to Polyox. There are some inconsistencies in this as several large islands south of Maia are part of New Arcadia. However, each of those islands is linked by either bridge or tunnel to the mainland or another island linked to the mainland.

The islands that make up this territory are named for mythological women, mainly goddesses, nymphs, fairies, peris, Valkyries, etc..., with only one or two exceptions. The climate in the territory ranges from being like Bermuda in the north to like Trinidad in the south. The availability of free land drew in a large number of people from the Caribean islands but also tropical Asia and Europe. This is the most linguistically diverse area of the planet.

Les Iles des Dames is the only human settled area of Hy-Brasail that has regular contact between ordinary humans and "Lost Race" parahumans. The Laki-Laki Terbang from Benteng Awan regularly fly over to the southernmost islands of Les Iles des Dames from Polyox. The Laki-Laki Terbang or Flying People look like a cross between Orangatangs and Fruit Foxes. The Laki-Laki Terbang stand about eight feet high, the average young male can lift about a metric ton, they are telepathic, and have a sonic attack much like that of a dolphin, which can knock human beings out. People tend to be quietly respectful in their presence. Between the military, the local supers, and their elders, the young males know not to cause to much trouble. There are other far more dangerous groups of parahumans that also visit from Polyox, many of which look totally human, even when they are far more inhuman than the Laki-Laki Terbang.

The island of Bethesda is one of the few islands of this territory not named for a woman or female entity. The Archbishop of Maia lives on this island. If Maia were ever to become cut off from Earth, the Archbishop of Maia, who is a Cardinal, is required to declare himself Pope of Maia, by papal decree of John XXIII.

The Territorial Capital is the City of Minerva on the island of Athena. Parnassus University, which is famous for its linguistic studies and its West Indian studies, is the Territorial University. It's also the university on Maia with the most "Lost Race"/non-human students. The keggers can get very strange.

New Arcadia is mountainous and is composed mainly of deep fjords and wide bays separating mountain ranges. The mountains tend to resemble the Southern Appalachians in climate, flora, and fauna. Or rather the Appalachians as they would be with no plains around them. The mountains of New Arcadia extend further south than the Appalachians, nearly to the same latitudes as Southern Florida on Earth.

The language of New Arcadia is mainly English, but there is a strong French-speaking minority. New Arcadia is closer to being split into smaller territories than any other territory because of this. The town of Cheval Mallet (often called Carnival Horse by English speaking locals) is the likely new territorial capital for a French speaking territory. The town is a center for the arts, the local university, Université de Nouveaux Rennes, has excellent Art programs. The Univerisity also produces feature length films and runs TV and radio stations.

The present territorial capital of New Arcadia is Erceldoune. Its local university, Abernethy University, is known for engineering department and solid humanistic studies. This university is also linked to TV and radio stations, but less directly so.

In spite of the mountainous terrain, New Arcadia has a highly productive agriculture. The deep fjords tend to be full of shellfish of various kinds and the broad bays tend to be rich in Cod and other tasty fishes.

Avalon and Califia next posting.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

{HHIH:Hy-Brasail}

Some details on Hy-Brasail. These cover the period just before the Portals are closed.

Most of Maia is the Territory of Maia, a semi-organized territory. Most of the inhabitants prefer to be left alone. They except government services like Postal services and weather reports, but prefer isolation. The territorial legislature has yet to have a quorum. It's allowed to meet anyway so that those locals with problems and grievances may get them aired and addressed.

There are four full territories that mainly function as US states. Two are on Maia's east coast, one is composed of the islands between Maia and Polyxo (the most northerly of the Hyades) and south of the other east coast territories, and number four is a peninsula of Maia's western coast. Each of these territories is meant to be broken up into states as their populations grow. However, as the GOP believes, not inaccurately, that these new states would overwhelmingly vote Democrat and strongly promote social spending programs, they've seriously blocked statehood for any of these potential states.

The East coast territories North to South are Avalon, New Arcadia, and Les Isles des Dames. The West coast territory is named Calafia after the woman California is named for.

Avalon is roughly as large as the Eastern United States north of Virginia and west of Ohio, with the Canadian Maritimes thrown in. In the Territorial Capital, Caerleon, on the river Usk, is the Portal back to Earth. Because this portal links directly to the cities of New York, Washington, San Francisco, Honolulu, Dublin, London, Paris, West Berlin, Toronto and Edinburgh, Caerleon is the most cosmopolitan city on Maia. Avalon also has the largest and most diverse population on Maia for this reason.

Allantide Univerity in the town of Kernow, is the only case of the main territorial university not being in the territorial capital. They are rightly seen as the best all around university on the planet. The school is especially strong in science, engineering, humanistic studies, and medicine. The Drama school, which encompasses theater, film, and TV, is justly famous. The school is very much connected to Public TV in Avalon.

Just below half of Hy-Brasail's industry is in Avalon. As Hy-Brasail lacks fossil fuels power generation is by hydropower and other renewables including alchemical power generation.

Avalon produces large crops of wheat and other grains. And true to the name, they are the main producer of apples. They also produce large amounts of cherries and other fruits that require frost to set the fruit.

Because of Avalon's proximity to the portal, many boarding schools catering either to the children of superheroes or young supers. Admittedly a small market. Because of the schools already being there, supers born on Hy-Brasail also go to these schools.

Certain government agencies talent scout these schools. Yes, supers can't stay on Earth long without negative consequences, some people don't care. Some far less savory groups scout these schools as well.

Califia is on a large peninsula on Maia's West Coast. The climate is much like California's only slightly less arid toward the southern end. Off the southern tip of Califia is an island chain called the Corsairs. The individual islands are named for famous pirates real or fictional.

Califia has a consistent mana level of normal except in the Corsairs and the northern mountain range called "The Shatas" where the mana level is high. Mages and wannabes flock to these areas.

Califia benefits from having a powerful and bored super amuse himself by building roads. He built much of the road systems elsewhere on Maia, but Califia is his home. He builds highways, railroads, and public transit systems, all with the skill of a brilliant engineer and the enthusiasm of a five year old on a sugar rush. Thus Califia has exquisite roads, bridges, tunnels, sewer systems, storm drainage, railroads, and other public works all out of proportion to the local population and government budget. many of the Corsairs are linked to the mainland by this "retired" superhero's homage to the Overseas Highway and the railroad the preceded it. The super in question decided to way overengineer all his public works to require very little maintenance. Mainly because he assumed that it might be a while before the local communities could afford proper maintenance.

Thus the island of Gráinne has highway and rail links to the mainland even though it is one hundred and seventy miles from the coast. Pugwash, the last island in the chain, asked not to be connected. The super in question, basically a decent Kansas farmboy at heart, agreed to leave them alone.

Gráinne has two towns on it. Fata Morgana, which is the tourist town, and Brocéliande a quiet college town with Brocéliande University as the main local industry. Brocéliande University is known both for its excellent psychology and xenology programs as well as its school of magic. Note: there is a strict vetting process for entering the school of magic. Mad Wizards and demon possessed Sorcerors are nobody's idea of fun.

Fata Morgana is a tourist town that doubles down on maritime and Arthurian themes. It has lovely beaches, clean safe amusement parks, lots of reasonably priced eateries, plenty of shows, and actual magicians casting spells to amuse the crowds. The fishing is good too.

The island of Morgan is also a tourist haven, but the mood is different. In Fata Morgana, you stay in a hotel or a tourist camp. In St. David's, the main tourist town on the Island of Morgan, you stay in a bed and breakfast or an inn. Restaurants in and around Fata Morgana have big colorful signs and extravagant displays like model pirate ships on the roof or towers like a fairytale castle. Restaurants and cafes in St. David's are far less flamboyant. Families often stay in St. David and ride the trolly through the tunnel to Fata Morgana for the evening shows.

Pugwash island is the anarchist haven of Maia (real anarchists probably leave Maia for someplace else in the Pleiades, or stay in unorganized territory). Pugwash is basically a hippy crossover between Libertatia and a rock concert. Much weed is smoked, and no one bothers about it.

Most of the residents of the Corsairs are fisherfolk or farmers.

Most of the western coastal plain of Califia is taken up with farming communities and the small towns that their banks and other needed services are in. If Avalon is the bread basket, Califia provides salads, fruit, excellent cheese, nuts, and herbs. Some of these farming communities are distinctive. Táo shù (Peach Tree) is Chinese in culture and population. The local liberal arts college, a Buddhist institution, is widely recognized as a center of Chinese studies. The CIA sends operatives here to study Chinese culture and languages. The town of Tanabata got its name when a little girl among the first settlers looked up at the night sky and said that it would be Tanabata (star festival) all year around here. The local community college here, a state institution, is known for its Japanese theatre courses. Excellent Kabuki, Noh, and Bunraku performances are regular events.

The Territorial Capital is Gordon, this city is placed at the top of the Gulf of Shasta. Which makes Gordon the territorial capital closest to the border of its territory with unorganized territory. In fact, Gordon's city limits extend into unorganized territory. Which means city ordinances are in effect in places that don't recognize territorial law. The eastern coast of Califia is Mediterranian in climate. Towns like Rogers, Bradford, Rhodan. and Omega, are all quiet farming communities with solid community colleges. Gordan has the Territorial University, Arden University. Well known for both its journalism school and its agricultural research. The Southernmost town on the Califia coast of the Gulf of Shata is Barbarella is known for its wines. The local community college specializes in Viticulture and Winemaking. Barbarella also produces excellent mustard, much like Dijon mustard, and excellent herbs and other xerophytes.

Caer Sidi Hy-Brasail's moon, which is as large as Earth's moon, is called Caer Sidi. Some supers live there, there is a Moonbase, and several "Lost Race" groups live there as well. The most notorious site on Caer Sidi is the Federal Penitentiary for Metahuman Offenders. Basically, this world's equivalent of Leavenworth. However, this lunar prison is reserved for superhuman criminals and those criminals who might as well be superhuman.

As Caer Sidi is an airless waste like Earth's moon, most space oriented supers go further afield. There is some mining on Caer Sidi. The Moonbase is a Tech Level 7+2^ institution researching improved spaceflight and longterm survival in space. They are on the edge of moving to Tech Level 8+1^.