Mnemosynia (FT)

Mnemosynia is an inhabitable, terrestrial planet located in the Hyeonmu Archipelago in the Human Sphere, the third planet in the Helios System. The planet has one supercontinent, Rodina, and three smaller sub-continents.

Pre-Landings
Volkids expanded and shit.

In 2192 (124 BT) Mnemosynia was discovered by mass probe and marked for colonisation, the third planet in the Southern Sphere to be discovered, after Serenia and Airavata.

The Landings
The first human to set foot on Mnemosynia was Hassan Moghbeli from Central Escar on 11 February, 2195.

The First Landings were mainly soldiers, scientists, and engineers to get the colonies up and running. Volkid attacks began and life was very harsh. Nonetheless, the rich deposits of durganium drew great attention from the colonial powers.

Civilians were brought to Mnemosynia in the Second Landing, mainly as a workforce to mine durganium. There was something of a gold rush as people flooded in to make money.

Isolated Age
On the 25th of August, 2238 (85 BT), a freak asteroid hit the Mnemosynian Beacon and destroyed it. Due to the direct-jump system in use at the time and Mnemosynia's relative remoteness, all contact with Mnemosynia and even its location was lost. Many efforts were made to reach Mnemosynia, but all failed. This accident prompted humanity to begin the daisy-chain FTL beacon highway system.

Not much technology had been transferred to the planet, which was very much still in its early stages. No orbital elevators existed, and though there were already satellites, it took some time for a space program to be set up. In the face of this struggle, some technological regression occurred. For example, neural implants were less useful due to the lack of a global internet until the UN came along with Saranet.

On Mnemosynia, the communities needed to survive. Initially, they attempted a one-world government, but various separatist movements quickly emerged and various nation-states were formed.

At one point, a major war broke out between Milae, Lazarevo, and Jalangi. This eventually ended and the United Nations was formed to prevent further conflicts.

Recontact Age
In 162 AT, or 2533 in Ordic years, Federation scientists following the PAN MILSAT signal rediscovered Mnemosynia. They immediately welcomed the Mnemos with open arms, which means they wanted to have Mnemosynia join the Federation. So the Mnemo states joined the Federation and in exchange for a lot of tech help and getting up to speed with the modern sphere the Federation corporations began muscling in. The sweet Durganium mines of Mnemosynia were believed to be the edge the Federation needed to beat the rapidly growing threat of the Imperial Remnants. And then the Federation states started trying to colonise the uninhabited areas of Mnemosynia, surreptitiously at first, then trying to negotiate the original ownership of the planet in the Supreme Court when the Mnomos tried to contest this.

The Mnemosynians were immediately like fuck that and they collectively chose to secede from the Federation in 165. This quickly became a five-year-long drain on the Federation military, which faced hardened guerrillas and a population that for centuries had been hardened by their isolation. What they lacked in tech they more than made up for in grit and heavy firepower. Then in 170 the Imperial Remnant launched the War of Imperial Restoration and the Federation hastily made peace with the Mnemos. With foresight, the Mnemos also began relations with the Empire but kept them at arms length, beginning their long tradition of playing both sides.

2637

443.5 years

Geography and Climate
Average temperatures on Mnemosynia are cooler than on Ordis. Mnemosynia also features a higher than average rainfall compared to Ordis, with an intense rainy season that lasts from fall into spring. Winters are particularly harsh, with snowfall even in the equatorial regions.

Flora and Fauna
Mnemosynian life is somewhat similar to that of Old Ordis, though the harsh local conditions make the planet naturally hostile towards external species. Farming was difficult in the initial years of colonisation, with the ubiquitous genetically-engineered Crosswind Potatoes and wheat among the few Ordis crops that could survive the Mnemosynian soil, forcing the early colonies to rely on off-world food imports by the colonial powers. Following the Blackout, the colonies were forced to turn to domesticating the local plants from scratch for survival. Rassvet Buckwheat soon became the staple crop of Mnemosynia, the bitter pseudocereal eventually domesticated to its drastically more palatable modern incarnation over the centuries of the Isolation Age.

Most notable animals on Mnemosynia are large mammals with thick hides and coats of fur due to the colder planetary climate. One of the most bizarre animals on Mnemosynia are the Mnemosynian Bears, which are generally biologically identical to bears that existed on Ordis, a statistical impossibility still not understood by scientists. Mnemosynian Bears include the Green Bear that stands two metres tall on all fours with greyish-green pelts, and the Golden Bear with a light brown pelt, long legs, and retractable claws. The Golden Bear is hunted by the Volkids as a rite of passage; Golden Bear pelts are some of the only clothing Volkids have been observed to wear, and the friendlier Volkid tribes sometimes trade excess pelts with human settlements for guns or other items.

Aurochs are large, four-legged herbivorous mammals that are used across the planet as both pack animals and for food, though tough Auroch meat is considered inferior to that of mainline Ordic beef. The Megaloceros is a herd mammal that stands 2.5 metres at the shoulder, with all adults sporting majestic antlers that they use to defend their herds, with their temperament and awesome power preventing them from becoming exploited by humans. The Muldoon Raptor combines avian and reptilian traits. Gliding for long distances before swooping down on its prey, the Raptor uses a tail-like stinger to lash at its targets while grasping them with its talons, transferring a paralysing venom to the captured prey. The Raptor proceeds to begin its meal while its victim is still alive, often tearing chunks out of much larger creatures.

In the freshwater lakes and rivers, the manatee-like Ozerkorova is a slow-moving mammal that feeds on fish. The meat of these animals is considered preferable to Auroch, and Ozerkorovas are therefore bred for food in lakeside communities. These animals are also hunted by Volkid tribes that live near rivers, with some communities also having discovered a smoking process to create a form of jerky that they carry with them while travelling long distances. Beyond the river systems, the oceans teem with wildlife in the deep waters, and the Mnemosynian Tiger Shark is a voracious predator known to be highly territorial. Even the whales on Mnemosynia are massive and uncaring creatures, and the Thunderwhale is a massive giant known to accidentally capsize unwary fishing vessels.

Besides these examples, Mnemosynia has a full biosphere with numerous introduced Ordic species. Following the Recontact, various other alien species have also been brought to Mnemosynia through trade with the hyperpowers, chief among these the highly adaptive Komodo Rhinos from Imperial Kanagawa, which serve as hardy mounts for wilderness scouts.

Volkids
Volkids are a sentient species of aliens native to Mnemosynia, though it was only recently that Volkids were recognised as sentient beings, retroactively making them the first sentient alien race encountered by humanity. Volkids are a carnivorous, mammalian species that bear a superficial resemblance to canids, but are much larger. The apex predators on Mnemosynia, Volkids have a keen sense of smell that can detect and locate prey from 2 km away, as well as large rending claws with some capacity for fine manipulation. Volkids can walk on two legs, freeing their arms to use tools, or move on all fours for greater speed and agility. They are also able to replace their teeth throughout their lives, and some parts of their fur also has a limited chameleonic camouflage capability. Volkids live in primitive hunter-gatherer societies in the Mnemosynian wilderness somewhat analogous to the early Human stone age, with varying degrees of intermingling and relations between the various communities. The largest tribes in Rodina maintain roughly similar cultures and a shared language.

Originally, Volkids were assumed to be simply a highly dangerous species of local wildlife and were relentlessly hunted as the initial colonisation of Mnemosynia occurred, though the uncommon organisation in which Volkids continuously raided human colonies was noted. During the land-grab expansions in the Isolated Age, evidence of primitive dwellings and even written language in some cases was discovered in areas where Volkids had been driven out of. Soon, Volkid settlements were observed with complex social structures, tools, and languages, leading Mnemosynian scientists to reclassify Volkids as a sentient race. Despite attempts to leverage this and make peace with the Volkids, this has had varying levels of success between different communities.

It is known that the bulk of Volkids remain highly aggressive to humans at least partly due to humanity's past violence against their species, which has been enshrined in a rich musical tradition in some of the larger tribes of Rodina. Some Volkid subspecies have also been discovered across the planet that continue to behave animalistically, attacking human and Volkid alike. At the other extreme, some Volkid tribes like the Singing River Tribe have even managed to make peace with humans and have entered human society, particularly in Milae, where some Volkids have learned to communicate in written Yeonggeo. Three Volkids from the Singing River have even left Mnemosynia, touring the Federation, Empire, and Heavenly Kingdom with MUN ambassadors for one year in 246 before they returned home. This team of Volkid ambassadors, consisting of Quiet-Leaf-Recorder, Thundering-Water-Fighter, and Calm-Fish-Collector, underwent special training by the MUN before they embarked on the journey.

Rumours among urbanite Mnemosynians and off-worlders often suggest that Volkids have some form of hive mind that is formed when three members of the species are together, granting the trio heightened intelligence and senses. This is a misconception based on the Volkids' instinctive hunting tactics based on units of threes, rooted in the Volkids' species-wide high regard for the number three. This is believed to be due to Volkid mating practices, which require two males and one female for conception to occur.

Helios System

 * Star: Helios
 * Planets: 7 (Cheolma, Yuhwa, Mnemosynia, Ishikori, Saranyu, Thalia)
 * Settled Bodies: 2+
 * Total population: ~230 million

The Helios System orbits Helios, a yellow-orange dwarf star, and consists of seven planets and one asteroid belt. From closest to Helios outwards, the planets are Cheolma, Ushas, Yuhwa, Mnemosynia, Ishikori, Saranyu, and Thalia. The system is heavily developed, not only by the UNaM, but also by various foreign powers. Amongst other things, the Treaty of New Mijeon in 290 granted full control of the Helios Jump Beacon located in orbit of Saranyu to the UNaM, though permitted foreign investment in the system. As a result, the UNaM controls less than 50% of the exoplanetary holdings within their own sovereign system, and the system is a real melting pot of international players, from Interstellar Union mining operations to the Imperial corporate stations near the Jump Beacon.

Cheolma is a molten terrestrial planet, Ushas, is an uninhaba terrestrial planet, Yuhwa, a terrestrial planet, Mnemosynia, Ishikori, and the gas giants beyond the Belt, Saranyu and Thalia.

Mnemosynia

 * Satellites: Crest
 * Local Day: 18 Standard Hours
 * Local Year: 692.3 Local Days (402 Standard Days)
 * Population: 2.37 billion
 * Continents: Hengsha, Benshen
 * Islands: Renying Archipelago, Huangye Archipelago
 * Oceans: Chengqi Ocean, Yinjiao Ocean, Langhai Sea
 * Collectives: 7 (North Hengsha, South Hengsha, Zhubin, Haibin, Lanchang, Renying, Huangye)

Mnemosynia is an Ordis-like planet. It is the fourth from its sun. Its rotational period is roughly 20.6 Ordic hours and its orbital period is 260 days. There are two main continents, the large Geoje and much smaller Saruman. There are also uninhabited island chains across the planet's large oceans.

Farther from the sun than Ordis, the polar areas are larger and the planet is colder in general. The equatorial region is generally subtropical.

Omizium - Teseum

Amongst the local flora is Haemi, a supergrain that many scientists have declared the 'perfectly evolved grain food'. Boasting a high sugar content, the small bean-shaped grains grow in pods of up to 50 grains each, collected in bunches atop thin yet sturdy yellow-green stalks. Haemi is a hardy plant that can grow and survive almost anywhere, with a relatively rapid ripening period as well, though the grains taste substantially better if the plants are given proper care and access to water. Haemi is a local staple across most of Mnemosynia as a carbohydrate, and can also be fermented into alcoholic beverages. Milaean Noju, Azovian Vodka from Lazorevo, and Kurokawan Hamizake are some examples.

Haniyasu Belt
The Haniyasu Belt is rich in resources such as iron, cobalt, frozen hydrogen, Omizium and even small amounts of Haruhium. The asteroid belt suffers from micro-meteor storms, unstable asteroids, and piracy, but the lucrative profits from asteroid mining attract prospectors and miners from Mnemosynia and the hyperpowers.

Sovereignty and sole mining rights over the Haniyasu Belt was asserted and by the UNaM after Federation prospectors discovered Omizium and Haruhium in the belt, but the UNaM's claims have been routinely ignored by the hyperpowers, which continue to carry out mining operations in the Belt to this day. The UNaM lacks a large enough space force to exert control over large parts of the belt, and the Empire-Federation Coalition has stepped in to deal with the rampant piracy within the belt, an action which the UNaM has accused of being gunboat diplomacy by the two hyperpowers to seize control of the Belt for themselves. Mining rights in the Belt remain a sore issue in all negotiations between the UNaM and the hyperpowers.