Introducing Maddans World

Hello and Welcome back,

In recent months I have been working on a background for my wild Galaxy setting that will allow my collection to get into trouble with each other. Introducing Maddans world.

Maddans world exists on the frontier of GELF space and has only been recently colonised.

A few standard Earth years ago an exploration probe from an vanished independent exploration company began transmitting information about the scanned world. The probe belonged to the Maddan Expedition which gave the world its name. As the Maddan Expedition vanished over 100 standard Earth years previously the world lies unclaimed. 

Tengun forces try to force independent miners out of a typical colony.

The data transmitted from the probe included information indicating that the world was rich in rare minerals, mainly Ultesium crystals which are used across human space in high energy batteries and the manufacture of high density pico electronics. Upon arrival on the world of the first colonists soon discovered that traces of the very rare Helostone gemstone were present sacttered across the surface (Helostones are very rare and created in the early stages of the birth of a certain type of star). These stones fetch a fortune on the market, with even small fragments allowing the seller to be able to retire in luxury. 

This information caused the galactic nations and corporations to scramble to get colonies to mine this exceptional world before a legal owner was found or came forward. Soon prospectors from all over human space arrived hoping to get rich quick. Meanwhile the space nations spent huge amounts of energy to try to find the descendants of the Maddan expedition in the hope they could convince them to sign it over to a particular nation or corporation. So far there has been no luck and Maddans world is pretty anarchic as a result.

Miner's firepower keep the Tengun forces back.

Maddans world is a largely arid world with the polar regions becoming semi arid towards the small polar caps. There are a few small salt water seas and fresh water lakes allowing some plant life to cling on in the harsh conditions. The wildlife is dangerous and numerous. The main wildlife hazards are the Greater and lesser sand worms, a couple of species of Ambull and the Sandtreader (a large reptile that can be tamed as a beast of burden). 

Near the ice caps there are swathes of strange alien forests which provide the world's oxygen. In these forests there are the strange Maddan pod trees. These trees sprout large fruit that can explode lauching spores causing anyone nearby to enter a hallucingenic psychotic rage. The Maddan pod trees are valued by narcotics dealers and make the illegal drug Pong from it. There is a secondary trade from Maddans world in Pong and the Galactic powers raid and destroy any Pong production facilities on world. 

Due to the scramble to grab land, the world is largely Anarchic with no official government. Around 350 self governing and independent colonies currently exist on world exploiting the natural resources. The Ultesium crystals are not as abundant as first indicated but there is still a decent wealth to be mined. The few Helostones discovered so far appear to be scattered over the surface of the world and they strangely appear to be cut and polished. This has lead to many wild stories of where they came from including some theory’s that they were planted as bait, or that they are cursed.

There is some speculation that the missing Maddan expedition lies wrecked someplace on the world and the Helostones presence are the cause of why the expedition was lost. There is a theory that the probe was launched from the wreckage by a fault. Unfortunately the probe was destroyed when a Tengun battle cruiser, upon arrival in orbit did the space travel equivalent of a hand brake turn smashing the probe to tiny pieces. 

Currently the galactic powers watch each other waiting for someone to blink. They cant claim the world and can’t drive the independent colonies out, then claiming them without attracting the attention of the other power’s colonies. Going head to head could spark another costly galactic war. This has lead to the use of Mercenaries by the Galactic powers to drive out colonists and seize mined Ultesium ore while maintaining deniablity. 

Tensions are mounting between the colonies. The remoteness of the colonies from each other means that that they are largely independent. Several colonies have been lost leading to the galactic powers and independent colonies are pointing fingers at each other. Some detailed investigations have shown Sandworms, Ambull or other Maddans world wildlife have caused some of the lost colonies. There is some evidence that some of the destroyed colonies point to Bandit or GELF raids (most likely ORCS or Fae GELFs). Some colonies are now reporting trouble with Verman subterranean raiders. It is not known how or when the Vermen arrived or if they have always been on the world.

The colonies are village or small town sized, usually placed close to a mine. They are usually built from mud buildings or what materials the colonists brought with them with a ramshackle wall around the town. Recycled old star ship hulls also common sites in some colonies. Some richer colonies belonging to the Galactic Powers have pre fabs or imported stone and other materials. 

Unlike other worlds not all colonies have space ports, this is largely due to the land being too soft to land ships on large parts of the planet. This means that the crystals and supplies have to be hauled across the desert world to the nearest space port, which access to usually comes at a premium cost. The richer colonies use grav trains to haul their ore and supplies. Many of Independents make use of land trains or vehicle convoys with the poorer colonies making use of Sandtreader lizard trains. This has lead to convoys being lost to bandits (possibly covert raids by opponents) and Greater Sand Worm attacks.

I need to draw up a map when I have trashed out the various colony details. It might be fun to add some GELF colonies too, although Orks would operate more like off world raiders. Vermen are subterranean raiders living in or under colonies. 

Thanks for reading

Take care out there