Essowyn

Location
Essowyn was the only planet in the Saurton system. The planet was located in the Trax Sector, situated between the Kanawyn and Graewyn asteroid belts.

History
Essowyn became a popular world when mining corporations discovered the valuable ferrous materials in the surrounding asteroid belts. The first of these companies was the massive Messert Mines Corporation; their arrival split the Saurtons into warring factions. Messert quickly arranged to purchase from the Tresycht (one of the local factions) mining rights to the Thergum pits, an area whose ownership was in dispute between the Tresycht and the neighboring Yistze. Messert sent in a mining expidition along with a few armed starfighter squardrons and subjegated the Yitsze in a matter of weeks. Eventually, all the other factions similarly succumbed to Messert's forces, until the entire planet was under the control of the Tresycht High Priest, Gellack.

Gellack tried to forge a new government, but eventually decided that re-empowering the priests of the old nations to govern their own 'sectors' would be the most efficient method. This evolved into the current Essowyn government, with the descendants of Gellack sitting on the Council of Elders. Mining companies flocked to the system, claiming parts of the belts as their own and setting up orbital platforms and even small bases on some of the larger asteroids.

Description
The surface of Essowyn is mainly covered by a massive ocean, broken up by four large continents, called Sorontill, Baslar, Steltout, and Macor, and a smattering of hundreds of smaller islands. These islands are covered in plains, temperate forests, and small mountains, all of which are completely pock-marked by meteorites that fall in from the surrounding asteroid belts. These constant bombardments make Essowyn a hard place to live, and all structures are built completly underground. The atmosphere's temperature varies drastically, due mainly to the planet's erratic orbit around its sun, a yellow star called Saurton. These temperature fluctuations breed terrible storms at the equator that spread to the rest of the planet, dissipating before they reach the polar zones.

Saurtons
Saurtons, a sentient species native to Essowyn, are a hearty reptilian race. Most are golden, or some combination of gold and brown, black, or green. Unlike most reptiles, they are warm blooded, though they reproduce by laying eggs. Their hearty immune system can tolerate a larger-than-usual amount of filth and as such it usually accumulates in and around their cities.

Cities
Cities on Essowyn are similar to those found on Sullust. Massive caverns are carved out of the planets crust, usually no less than one hundred meters from the surface. These caverns contain the rooms, buildings, city squares, markets, and other structures found on the planet. All of these cities have tunnels leading to the surface. After the advent of the hyperdrive, many cities under the surface of Essowyn chose to excavate large caverns to house starships.

Dangerous and disease-causing bacteria are a mainstay of the underground cities of Essowyn, mainly due to the amount of squalor that the native Saurton can tolerate. Most humans and other aliens must take precautions in order to avoid contracting one of several communicable diseases.

The Cold Civil War
The more warlike tendencies of the native Saurton have split the population into two factions; the Quenno, those looking back to tradition, and the Des'mar, those looking forward.

Quenno

The Quenno are conservative traditionalists. The believe that Essowyn, and the entire Saurton system, should be wrested from the control of the mining corporations and returned to the Saurton people. They espouse the belief that control of all resources should be given to the council of elders, just as it has been for centuries.

Des'mar

The Des'mar is the younger of the two groups, and its members are fewer in number, but they do have the full financial backing of the mining corporations. The Des'mar want Essowyn to continue as is, with the corporations bringing in galactic trade and culture.

There are many smaller groups with more temperate ideals, but most believe that the Saurton government is not powerful enough to put down a revolution, should one actually arise. Many groups stockpile weapons, and secret deals with the mining corporations and the Council of Elders are not uncommon.

Mining Corporations
Mining companies are granted charters to specific territories for a set number of years, and have exercise complete authority in those areas, known as Corporate Complexes. In exchange, the Saurton government gets a hefty percentage of the profit, which is due mostly to excavations of the metal quadrillium. Corporate Complexes are complete cities, and as such are completely autonomous.

The actual mines themselves are very dangerous and cramped. There is little light or air, and caves collapse all the time. Most of the work is done by droids, and what few living creatures venture into the mines do it because the danger brings with it an increased level of compensation.