Efate¸ shipbuilding capital of the Marches
They so want to be the capital it hurts."
Imperial Navy Admiral Dudley Pline
Efate is an industrial world with a tainted atmosphere. The system has a population over one billion. This world contains an archaeological site with artifacts suspected to be from the now-vanished Ancients. This is a high technology world with available technology over the standards for Charted Space. This is a temperate world¸ with a climate of average temperatures. It is a member of Third Imperium in the Regina Subsector of Spinward Marches Sector and in the Domain of Deneb. Efate¸ as a member world of the Third Imperium ¸ holds the estate of an Imperial knight and the feifdoms of a count and a minor duke. All three are members of the Imperial Nobility charged with overseeing the world.
- This world has a nearby Imperial Naval Base ¸ capable of handling warships.
- This world has a nearby Imperial Way Station.
General vibe
Efate is a coldish world; temperatures seldom rise above ten degrees Celsius but also very rarely drop below minus fifteen. The shallow seas remain covered in a layer of ice for most of the year as there is very little seasonal variation. The atmosphere is thin and tainted by too much carbon dioxide and requires artificial breathing apparatus unless you have had the genetic modifications of the locals. The light from its sun provides a weak orange tint to everything and the most common day on Efate is the overcast morning leading to snow or rain during the afternoon. Efates cities are extremely high tech and modern including artificial climate control and weather modification so it is pretty much the same temperate and climate as Regina in the major population centres.
Efate was settled around the same time as Regina and has seen itself as a contender for the sub sector capital in the past. This has led to a slight inferiority complex and competitive rivalry towards Regina however Efatians are very quick to adopt the latest styles and fashions from the capital plus are massive consumers of Reginian media.
Efates main industries are high tech manufacturing and the construction of starships most of which tacks place in orbit or on one of the less habitable rocks that make up the seven other planets in the system. The Imperial Navy has its fleet headquarters for the 214th fleet located in the system and there is an extensive Scout Waystation in orbit attached to the Highport. The Navy also maintains a ground station and Marine Training Facility¸ all these facilities have given Efate Startown a reputation as a bit of a liberty port.
Travelling around Efate is by the hyper speed Rapid Transit¸ a maglev system with multiple tracks for passengers and cargo that can reach speeds of up to six hundred kilometres per hour. In the cities and rural areas driverless vehicles rented by the hour in both grav and wheeled form (its illegal for most people to use self-driving vehicles) or when travelling on the plains; rollers. Rollers are large six¸ eight or ten wheeled fully self-contained amphibious habitats that the locals use to explore the huge expanse of the plains or steppes. Efatians revel in the frontier life and enjoy "getting back to basics" in a roller¸ even though most rollers are equipped with all the modern high-tech luxuries¸ the fact they are trundling across the wilderness in one gives the feel of frontier life and freedom.
Points of interest
- An Ancient site of some significance has been excavated on Efate leading to the interdiction of a large area of the planet. It is rumoured that the site contains the remains of a ship building facility and is yielding a large amount of shield technology. Locals who lived in the area many years ago talk of vast caverns full of half-finished starships.
- The Tanglewood forests are large tracts of veg