Prime

The Planet

Physical

Prime was so named because it represented the prime location for the first interstellar human colony. It is a very earth-like world, located a mere 5.687 parsecs from Earth. Its slightly smaller size and similar composition give it a somewhat lighter gravity than Earth. The atmosphere is a bit higher in oxygen concentration, but the lower air pressure gives it roughly the same partial pressure as on Earth. Prime's sun is the K4 V star Sigma Draconis, visible from Earth in the constellation Draco.

Prime is a warm world, with no permanent icecaps. A roughly 50% split between ocean and land areas provides many different terrain types. Prime is more tectonically active than Earth, and volcanic eruptions and minor planetquakes are not uncommon.

Biological

Prime was the first world discovered by humans with macroscopic life. Dense tropical jungles of red-brown vegetation blanket the equatorial zone, with equally rich temperate forests covering much of the rest of the planet. Grass-like ground covering plants are unknown.

The jungles and forests are filled with the hoots and calls of ectothermic vertebrates, similar in physiology to amphibians. Some species up to horse sized are known, but most are rat to dog sized. Six limbs are standard, but many forms have reduced or lost limbs. These amphibious creatures also fill the smaller ecological niches - there are no insect-like scavengers. All Prime's native animals must return to water to breed. There are no flying forms.

Amidst the sprawl of native life, humans have imported significant numbers of earthly plants and animals. Many of these have "gone native" over the years and can now be found mixed with the native ecosystem. Several native species have suffered, and at least 500 species are believed to have been rendered extinct as a direct result of imported fauna.

Civilisation

Prime supports just over 8.2 billion humans and 750,000 sentient aliens. Large cites abound in any suitable area of land, and several arcologies float in the oceans. With more land area than Earth, and a livable climate everywhere, Prime is often considered even more suitable to a large human civilisation than Earth.

Economy

Prime has the capacity to generate vast quantities of food, some of which is exported to worlds such as Deux-Sevres. With such a huge population, it is also a cultural melting pot and source of much art and philosophy. Technical research is also top class, and high technology manufacturing is a major income earner.

There is little that Prime lacks. The major imports are luxury goods which are native only to other worlds. With few other imports required, Prime is in a good economic position to take a lot of luxury products.

Politics

Prime is heavily balkanised, made up of 46 recognised nations, plus other states clamouring for recognition after variously seceding or reclaiming old territory. Prime's history has been long and bloody, with many wars between various factions representing nations historically imported from Earth. In the 500-odd years since colonisation, Prime's nations have had time to relive old grudges and invent new ones aplenty.

The current time is relatively peaceful, with only two or three ongoing military actions between nations, but as always it pays to keep an ear to the ground when on Prime, lest one be caught up in a revolution, invasion, or declaration of war. Prime's nations run the full gamut of government types, from repressive religious dictatorship, through feudal monarchy, to loosely governed liberal democracy.

Most of Prime's nations make independent representation to interstellar councils, since many of them have their own significant populations to back them up. The nations of Prime are far too busy bickering amongst themselves to mount any sort of interstellar rivalries or hostilities.

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