Talmar

Geography

Talmar consists of a single large continent with a few surrounding islands of varying sizes. The planet is prone to earthquakes as its tectonic plates shift, and geologists suggest millenia from now, river and eventually oceans will break the earth apart into separate bodies. It’s considered a temperate-cold planet, with 80% of its surface being covered in snow for at least part of the year. The remaining 20% is still arid enough to form a desert-like biome across the equator.  

History

Talmar's original settlers are believed to have been a small battalion of soldiers and their families fleeing from endless war. Some scholars believe they may have been deserters of the Argosian-Tianxing War of 2658 based on timing and insignia on the rusted warships decomposing on the planet’s surface. If that is correct, it’s likely these ancestral soldiers arrived on planet shortly before The Scream in 2665.   Without supply lines and stranded, their first years would have been fraught with setbacks and tragedies. Even Talmarian history books have little information on what transpired in this time period. Numerous settlements were attempted and failed, sometimes crushed in an earthquake or avalanche, beset by illness, or destroyed in combat with other settlements.   Eventually, the city of New Argos came to be founded. Evidence indicates this was originally established around 2860. By the year 3000, when other planets were restarting exploration of the cosmos, Talmar remained at TL1 with New Argos as the only successful settlement. Over the next couple hundred years, the city continued developing to TL2 levels, using gas and hydroelectric power to operate its factories. Multiple smaller villages began developing elsewhere along the river, specializing in livestock, lumber, and stonework.  

Unexpected Visitor

  Despite his attempts, the governor couldn't quell rumors of the interplanetary visitor. It was the first proof Talmarians had that humans on other planets not only survived, but had relearned the technology of space travel. Just as many saw it as an ill omen as were thrilled about the revelation. All requests to interact with the visitor were denied, and a week later, Tavari had made enough repairs to leave the planet.  

Involuntary Uplift

What nobody know, however, was that a 15-year-old Ryker Derrix also departed the planet as a stowaway. Ten years later, in 3105, he returned with his own ship. The re-elected Governor Welles refused the Protectorate's offer to uplift the planet, and Ryker's insistence on bringing further off-world technology home put the planet in a state of involunary uplift. The Protectorate kept the planet off maps and suppressed rutters to it, but couldn't stop a native from freely going to his own home.   Ryker's monopoly on advanced technology, combined with his military aptitude, allowed him to take over the local mercenary group the Unchained Armada. Many who followed the Armada's ideology flocked to the new banner with the promise of ships, gear, and better work than could be found on Talmar. The group quickly earned a hauty and aggressive reputation, as they flaunted their new weapons and came into frequent deadly contact with the local milita, the Yellow Jackets.  

The Night Knights

Among those recruited by the Armada was a trio that called themselves the Night Knights. Though none of them subscribed to the Armada's ideology, they all had their own reasons for wanting to get off the planet. The entire galactic cluster is glad they did. The trio, aided by Ryker, Tavari, and several others, uncovered the Emerald Legion's presence in the cluster and their plot to destabilize planets and take them over through subterfuge or force if necessary.   The Night Knights and others fought against the Emerald Legion in the Battle for Talmar. They used a pre-human planetary defense cannon to destroy the three Legion battleships in orbit around the planet, and modified the radio tower in New Argos into a massive EMP that destroyed landed Legion mechs.  

Modern Talmar

  The planet has become home to many refugees, including from Astronius, Rada, and even Emerald Legion defectors. Many Legionnaires fled the battleships in escape pods prior to their destruction, not knowing the full extent of their superiors' plans, and opted to help rebuild the planet they had a part in attacking. Any refugees who choose to settle on Talmar do so with the knowledge that it won't have all the ammenities they're used to.   The radio tower that saved the city has become a symbol for the planet. It's been rebuilt and is used as primary means of communicating news and audio artforms across the planet. It's now attached to a major community center that houses events and services for the city, particularly for the city's orphans who reside next door. Many of the orphans end up working at the community center once they're of age.