Malisk II

Malisk II
Malisk II before the Eteno coalesced into large settlements
Astrography
Star	Sius
Type	Ocean planet
Satellites	None
Gravity	0.8 G
Orbital distance	.43 AU
Day length	20 hours
Year length	382 days
Diameter	21,065 km
Axial tilt	13.0°
Temperature
Average	73.9° F
Minimum	-106° F
Maximum	119° F
Atmosphere
Atmosphere composition	51% nitrogen, 29% oxygen, 7% helium, 3% neon, 10% other gases
Surface pressure	2.3 atm
Demographics
Factions	Eteno Imperial Triumvirate
Population	20 billion
Major imports	Foodstuffs, luxury goods
Major exports	Some manufactured goods, fish

Malisk II is the second planet in the Sius system of the Moltke Cluster, and homeworld of the Eteno race. Once rich with natural resources and surface life, the planet's mineral wealth has been long since exhausted, and most of its surface fauna extinct. The planet has exsisted for only three billion years, relatively young for an inhabited planet. Malisk II's population has settled at about twenty billion souls, making it one of the most densely populated worlds in the galaxy, and the most densely populated in the EIT. The Supreme Commander of the Eteno Imperial Triumvirate's place of residence, the Imperial Household, is also located here.

Overview

Malisk II is the capital and homeworld of the Eteno empire. After a unification war that ended with the consolidation of the Eteno into a single state, the species began to spread throughout the Milky Way, with Malisk II as their capital. The planet's day is relatively short, having been reduced five hours after the destruction of the ancient moon Lebedjev millions of years ago, whose remains now make up a ring system around Malisk II.

The presence of greater amounts of carbonate in crustal rock destroyed the planet's continents, leaving only vast volcanic island chains the only land left. Hypercanes have been historically constant problems for the crowded islands, and over a thousand years effective countermeasures have been developed that render their effect on the cities minimal.

Geography and Atmosphere

Malisk II's surface is 93% water, 6% ice, and 1% land. Overcast weather is the norm and liquid precipitation is constant, drenching the few areas of the planet not submerged in the seas with torrential rains. As a result, the atmosphere is thicker than those of many other life giving worlds. Colonies of algae coat the surface of most of the planet's oceans, causing the water to carry a greenish tint, except at the frozen poles. Some types of algae are infamous for eating away at ship hulls, forcing seagoing vessels to be regularly cleaned, or coated with protective material. Malisk II's oceans are on average ten miles deep, and in their depths play host to exotic deep sea creatures.

Native Life

Presently, Malisk II's surface life is severely lacking in diversity. Almost all land habitats have been replaced by urban sprawl, and what little space remains at the frigid poles is home only to a species of small aquatic quadrupeds and large predatory birds who feed on them.

Before the dominant Eteno drove most developed surface species to extinction through encroachment, the islands and archipelagos were home to vicious predators who stalked their pray amongst expansive jungles and forests of yellow flora. Many native animals were toxic, or had some form of fighting other creatures, such as horns. Almost all plants and trees were toxic to some degree, which drove the Eteno to hunt herd animals to supplement their fish diets.

While most native surface life is extinct, aquatic life has remained unchanged since the Eteno took over the planet and began to carve out an interstellar empire. Overfishing threatened some sea life during and just after the Great War, but no species were rendered extinct and the Eteno fishing industry has only shrunk over time.

Sea creatures of all kinds inhabit the global ocean, ranging from algae whose colonies turn the water a tint of yellow to sentient deep-sea squid who regularly grow to measure thirty meters or more in length. Many different kinds of fish inhabit the oceans, and most species live in enormous schools sometimes miles in length and depth. When aggravated, the members of these schools can effortlessly swarm and kill a potential predator with thousands of tiny bites that tear apart their flesh. The sea life that preys on these fish have evolved different methods of safely feeding on these schools, such as imitation and exceptional speed to prevent or evade attacks.

Most notable of Maliskian sea life is the race of sentient squids who live close to the sea floor. Known as the Muurviun, or water ghosts, these squid remain mysterious entities, despite the presence of an Eteno embassy and research station on the Maliskian sea floor dedicated to unraveling their mystery. The age of their species is unknown, but estimated to be far greater than the dominating sentient life of the galaxy, including the Eteno. Muurviun have historically been seen as legendary guardians of sailors, as some would rescue ancient Eteno sailors lost at sea and bring them to shore. The Muurviun themselves have confirmed this.

Modern Malisk

The planet's twenty billion inhabitants are packed into modern, vertical cities that consume nearly all of the available land on the planet's scattered island chains. Many of these cities stretch from island to island, connected by a system of ports and ferries developed and honed over a thousand years, while some urban sprawls actually form artificial bridges across some narrower channels.

Massive starports in orbit are the receiving points for most of the goods the inhabitants of Malisk II need, whose corporate crews transfer unload the cargoes of space haulers ranging in size from a few dozen meters to several kilometers in length. These cargoes are transferred to mid-sized atmospheric haulers, which constantly shuttle goods from orbit to the surface of the planet.

Major Cities

Vyzalinkh-Bogdana

The capital city of the EIT, as well as the most heavily populated, home to over three billion people across two equatorial islands separated by a wide channel. Up to 421 ATGW, the city was two separate settlements, Vyzalinkh and Bogdana. Vyzalinkh, situated on the island of the same name, was the historical capital of the Unified Kingdom of the Race, the victor of the Great War. Its neighbor, Bogdana, shared an island with eight other small towns, and was independent. While the population of Malisk II dropped steadily for nearly five decades after the colonization of worlds outside of Sius, the annual change in planetary population became positive by 63 ATGW. In 421 ATGW, Vyzalinkh had grown to occupy all of the space on its island, and Bogdana had swelled to absorb all other cities on its own island. Both began seeing urban sprawls connecting the two over the channel that separated their islands, and it was decided that the cities would combine. Since then, Vyzalinkh-Bogdana has grown little in terms of population, but the vast technological and economic advances since the merging are ever-present. The city's infrastructure and architecture are constantly replaced and updated, and even a three-year period of catastrophic urban fighting during the Battle of Malisk II did little more than encourage a firestorm of new developments and expansions further fueled by the post-war economic boom.

Hytmaven

Considerably smaller than the other mega-cities of Malisk II, Hytmaven is the planet's primary receiving point for imported goods. Situated on a large, cold northern island, and with a population of only 120 million, Hytmaven has space for shipping infrastructure that no other cities on the planet have. The bulk of the planet's imports, and many of its exports go through its vast ports.

Danielius

Devastated at the end of the Great War when warships of the city-state Vyzalinkh leveled it through two weeks of constant shellfire, Danielius has since then made a recovery as a center of commerce and high-tech business. With a small population of only 160 million, composed mostly of the ancestors of the impoverished survivors of Danielius' destruction, the city has the second-highest GDP per capita of any city on the planet. As a center of commercial prosperity, Danielius is a hive of activity for the EIT's major financial crime organizations.

Bara-Kalyna

For centuries bitter rivals, Bara and Kalyna combined in 41 ATGW to form a single city to cover their relatively prodigious island. The old bunkers and terraced farms of Bara continue to operate, while the ancient trade consortiums of Kalyna never cease to provide the new city with wealth. The Bara district, built into the mountains of the mega-city's island, is dominated by bland, militant architecture, reflecting its history as a fiercely independent hermit state. Old bunker and tunnel systems upgraded with modern war-fighting technology still keep watch over the island, but unlike the times when Bara and Kalyna were rivals, their weapons are not pointed at fellow Eteno. The Kalyna district maintains some of the galaxy's largest trade centers and corporate headquarters, which have done little but expand over the centuries.

Waltraud-Mimmi

Waltraud-Mimmi was formed in 103 ATGW when the port city Waltraud merged with several small towns on the nearby Mimmi Islands. Waltraud-Mimmi dominates much of Malisk II's fishing industry, and is the planet's sole producer of food products. Waltraud and the Mimmi towns have both historically produced skilled naval and marine infantry, and the Imperial Marine Corps' largest Maliskian base is a partially-submerged fortress on one of the Mimmi Islands.

Mimmi-Muurstalchek

Located seven miles underwater off the coast of the most heavily populated of the Mimmi Islands, this city, whose name translates into Mimmi Ocean Station, is a settlement built around a small diplomatic mission and research station originally built to study sea life until contact was made with the Muurviun. After that, it was dedicated to studying and negotiating with the squid race.

Solveig

Considerably smaller than Hytmaven, with a population of only 90 million, Solveig is one of the only cities on Malisk II with enough space for manufacturing industry to take root. While small, Solveig is one of the richest cities on Malisk II. Its economy is focused on the manufacturing of high-quality consumer goods, which fetch high prices in the large Maliskian cities. The GDP per capita of Solveig is greater than any other city on Malisk II, second only to Vyzalinkh-Bogdana.

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