BER'KANA

Type: Terrestrial Forest
Planet Function: Homeworld, Exploration
Government: Provincial Lords
Planet Type: Terrestrial
Terrain: Ocean, Forest, Mountain, Wetland
Gravity: Standard
Atmosphere: Type 1 (breathable)
Length of Day: 21 standard hours
Length of Year: 288 local days
Hydrosphere: Moist
Temperature: Temperate
Population: 2,000,000
Starport: Landing Field
Tech Level: Feudal
Sapient Species: Kanans
System: So'welu
Star: So'welu (Yellow-white)

Orbital Bodies:

World Summary

There are many types of terrain on Ber'kana, but there are four major features mapped by a local trader. The ocean coverage is approximately sixty percent, and there are numerous rivers and massive lakes that dot the landscape. The land masses are mostly connected, and there are five major masses and three major oceans. The land is mostly forest, dense and teeming with a variety of life forms. There are three massive mountain ranges, constantly covered with glacial masses, ice, and snow. Aside from the polar ice caps, there is one other major terrain that is mythical even to the native Kanans. On one mostly uninhabited continent lies a vast wetland, known as the Perth, roughly "the Unknown." Legends of enormous and savage predators circulate the tribal community. Coasts on every continent are completely uninhabited, as the tidal turbulence resulting from the gravitational influence of Eih'wz and her moons makes living near the oceans impractical and dangerous.

So'welu System

Ber'kana and Eih'waz share the same three moons, J'henna, Na'jas, and Yan'nir. One of Kano's moons, Nollostro, has three satellites of its own. Another of Kano's moons, Bagnobas, has a small moon as well. Thurisaz's two moons, Kortyq and Sallfgutirris, have poisonous atmospheres.

Ber'kana and Eih'waz are sister planets, and have close orbits which frequently intersect. Twice during the Kanans' calendar, the two planets orbit each other and switch places. These events coincide with two seasonal festivals on Ber'kana. Eih'waz has an atmosphere capable of supporting life, but since there are only a few scattered islands on the surface no intelligent life has been discovered. Fehu's atmosphere is toxic, and dense clouds constantly rain poisons and ash on the smoldering terrain. The gravity on this planet is very strong, adding to the hostility. Kano is a gargantuan gas planet. The red-orange surface swirls and writhes constantly. The gravity is equally enormous. Thurisaz is calm enough to support colonies, but the atmosphere is thin and there is no water save for what is frozen in the polar caps. Ha'gall's atmosphere is habitable, but the temperatures are arctic and the land is covered in glaciers and snow. Isa is a barren wasteland, cold and lifeless, with a thin, frozen atmosphere containing high levels of toxins.

Visitors

Visitors to the system should be aware of the Nauthiz belt, a ring of asteroids between the gas giant Kano and the sister planets. After navigating this obstacle, You are advised to touch down as close to one of the walled cities on Ber'Kana as possible; the dense forests can be deadly to the unwary traveler.

There are no starports, as the tech level of the Kanans is somewhere in the iron age. Some towns are highly xenophobic, so caution is advised when travelling.

KANANS

Kanans are large horned bipeds, covered in light blue to gray fur and for the initiated, runic tattoos. They have three fingers on each hand, two toes per foot. Typically, males grow to have long red or golden hair and dark beards, with towering black horns. Females tend to be smaller, with golden to light gray fur and small, curved horns. Juveniles go through long stages of growth, and a typical life-span is about 300 standard years.

As almost no Kanans have left their homeworld, almost no one has encountered them. Those who have journeyed to the planet describe a stoic and majestic race. They speak and live simply and eloquently. They are a religious people, and have a strict code of ritual. Their native language is used only in such ritual and prayer.

Kanans

Attribute Dice: 13D
DEXTERITY 2D/5D
KNOWLEDGE 1D/3D+2
MECHANICAL 1D/4D
PERCEPTION 1D/4D
STRENGTH 2D/4D+2
TECHNICAL 1D/3D
Special Abilities:
Horns. Kanans have sharp horns that do STR+1D+2 damage.
Move: 11/15
Size: 2.0-3.0 meters tall

Kanan Society

Until very recently Kanans were completely mythological to even the most well-traveled Outer Rim worlds. The tales tell of the planet called Ber'kana, a world of tremendous and untouched beauty. The colonists on the asteroid Danbre (in the Frontier system of the same name) tell of the dark forested world of religious fanatics, a world few space travelers come away from without a sense of dark mystery and secrets.

Kanan society is feudal, divided into provinces by Lords and Magistrates. The iron age is at its peak, but it is clear that civilization will advance quickly if more traders and explorers are allowed to visit. The Lords are scrambling to create new laws regarding these off-worlders, some with an uncharacteristically open policy, others with open hostility towards the "unholy ones." In addition, many Magistrates are still hunting the "death cults" that thrive in the deep forested regions of the outlying lands.

Kanans tend to be xenophobic, largely due to a great civil war which divided the people thousands of years ago. Shortly before the Great Sith War, a handful of Sith Masters set out in secret across the vast unexplored regions of the galaxy, out into the Galactic Frontier, beyond the eyes of the Jedi. Their plan was an ambitious and far-reaching one. The Masters were to settle on uncharted worlds with preexisting civilizations. There, they could establish schools devoted to the dark Sith ways with relative impunity. They knew that one day the worlds would, through exploration and colonial settlement, be drawn closer to the Core Worlds. They knew that one day, they would have several worlds dedicated to the Sith Ways that they could exploit from the depths of the galaxy. It was a clever and risky move, but the Sith Masters who left the Core for these unknown worlds were convinced that the tactical advantage would someday prove to be highly beneficial. Ber'Kana was one such settled world.

The Sith Master Grenari ErDel touched down on Ber'Kana to find a species in an agricultural revolution. The species was highly attuned to their gods, but they were also keenly aware of the Force's presence. They quickly adapted their religion. Soon the Sith ways were their ways. The Sith Master appointed a Kanan replacement, and when he died the Kanan took charge of the priesthood. The Kanan, however, was not prepared for the responsibility. He became obsessed with trivial matters, and soon went insane. He led a revolt, a zealous eradication of the ancient Kanan culture. However, the devotees of the old ways resisted, and civil war erupted. The mad priest was executed, and the old ways were restored. The Sith ways were outlawed, and the followers hunted to extinction.

A thousand years or two passed before the hidden Sith stronghold on Perth was rediscovered. Soon a cult of the Sith reformed, but since the knowledge of holocron "magick" was lost, the views and methods of the new priests was distorted. However, they began practicing the dark magicks in the forests, away from the cities and their rulers. The cult thrived in secret for a long time. Eventually, however, they desired to practice their religion openly and safely, and so made themselves known to the rest of the culture. This did not sit well with the Lords and Magistrates. They once again began a crusade against the "black magick" and arrested any priests. They created a new form of punishment called the "sawing." For a species proud of their great horns, the painful removal of these symbols of wisdom and strength in the public squares was no laughing matter. The monasteries were burned, and many young initiates were imprisoned for life.

Today, the "Sith" are not remembered. The dark ways exist only as "heresy" and "demon worship." The eradication of this "off-worlder evil" is one of the primary concerns of many of the provinces. The other is most often to keep the off-worlders away from their otherwise peaceful society.

Creatures of Ber'Kana

Vori
Type: Domesticated farm animal
DEXTERITY 2D
Running 4D
KNOWLEDGE 0D
Intimidation 3D
PERCEPTION 3D
STRENGTH 3D
Stamina 4D
Special Abilities:
Hooves. Do STR+1D damage
Horns. Do STR+2D damage
Move: 16
Size: 1.0 meter tall at the shoulder
Scale: Creature
Orneriness: 4D
Capsule: The vori have long been a source of food and wool for the Kanans. Long ago the creatures were revered for their horns, and many ancient carved drinking horns still exist. The vori resemble sheep or mountain goats, and many still live in the wild. These wild vori can be dangerous, as they are larger and quite territorial. Add 1D each to Strength, Intimidation, and Stamina to wild vori. Also increase horn damage (due to the size) to 3D.

Ssariss
Type: Carnivorous predator
DEXTERITY 5D
KNOWLEDGE 0D
Intimidation 7D
PERCEPTION 3D+1
Search: Scent 6D
Hide: Swamps 5D
STRENGTH 5D
Swimming 6D
Stamina 7D
Special Abilities:
Claws: Do STR+3D+2 damage
Teeth: Do STR+3D damage
Bite: The bite of a Ssariss is venomous. A character who sustains damage from a teeth attack must roll Stamina (difficulty 17) each successive turn to keep from passing out (and can do nothing else). If the character should lapse into unconsciousness, they may roll Strength+Stamina (difficulty 30) to revive themselves (to avoid being eaten). Consider these characters automatically Incapacitated. Revived characters return to their previous damage level. Others may revive a bitten character with standard antivenins. If the character cannot be revived after 8 hours, the character's biological functions slow to a halt, and the character dies.
Move: 14 Size: 4.0-6.0 meters tall
Scale: Creature
Capsule: This is the legendary predator of Perth. It lives only on this island, but millennia ago its predecessor stalked every corner of Ber'Kana in search of prey. The reptilian quadruped has a keen sense of smell and hearing, but poor vision. It can often be repelled or distracted by fire or bright lights (as it is nocturnal). The blood of the Ssariss is highly prized as an aphrodisiac, cold remedy, and the key ingredient of the infamous Kanan beverage Im'et (blood wine). Hunters will often consume the heart's blood before it grows cold; to do so is an act of true courage and a symbol of the triumph over this incredible adversary.