Inaria

World: Inaria
Location: Core Worlds
Type: Ocean Hive World
Tithe: [Aether] [Industria] Inaria's primary export is natural gas fossil fuels that are mined from beneath the Inarian oceans. It also has substantial output of common-use goods and natural gas derivitaves - most importantly fertilisers.
Population: 28 billion [28 000 000 000]
Government: Imperial Dictatorship. Former PDF Colonel Glabius Zarikoff retained power by force after losing the general election in 333.M42 and rules Inaria to this day. Formerly a City-State Democracy, where all four underwater Hives - Neptune, Poseidon, Scylla and Charybdis had democratically elected councils that together composed the Great Council of Hives that managed all the planetary business. Its last High Councillor was Arden Docates, but he was killed by Tacitarius in 330.M41.

Description[]

A massive ocean world covered in endless roiling seas and thunderous storms. Inaria's true origins are a mystery but by the time of the Great Crusade it was already home to large underwater habitats built on the ocean floor. With access to major crust resources, Inaria's burgeoning hives were expanded immensely until the highest peaks breached the ocean's surface. Enormous mining operations that chewed deep into the planet's crust were set up and in 10,000 years since Inaria has consistently been one of the most populous worlds in the Sector and one of the largest natural gas, nitrate, and rare earth mineral producers in the Sector.

In M41 Inaria is the second most populous Hive World in the Sector after Tachion Primaris, and deep within the oceans receives even less light than most hive environments resulting in the Inarian population having very pale skin akin to that of a voidborn's. Inaria has a long-held tradition of total democracy that is rarely seen on Imperial Worlds of such scale. It is also an insular world, with even the Inarian Nobility rarely venturing beyond their world for any reason, and therefore Inaria lacks the interstellar influence of other Hive Worlds. Inarians are therefore seen as an oddity by the Sector's elite, with little outside representation and strange practises of their own.

Nevertheless Inaria is still an enormous world and its economic influence affects the entire Sector. As the largest fertliser manufacturer in the Sector by a wide margin, Inaria has strong links with Agri-worlds and importance to all worlds that rely on them. Inaria's incredibly resilient & defensible environment along with vast fishing & underwater farming lands (that could feed almost half the current population if necessary) ensures that this planet is one of the most formidable Hive Worlds in Deus, and would fare much better than most should the Imperium in the region collapse.

It is for this exact reason that Inaria is also home to many reserve Sector Headquarters of Imperial institutions such as the Administratum & Ecclesiarchy, and one of these choosing to use their Inaria headquarters insted of Tachionian is seen as a major snub to the incumbent Sector Lord.

Culturally, Inarians are heavily tribalistic and hold great loyalty and pride in their families, and in turn hold alleigences to their hab floor, hab block, hive level, and entire stack. While in the middle hives this is mostly expressed in the form of friendly competition and rivalries, it becomes far more extreme in the highest & lowest regions of Inaria. Noble Dynasties often partner with underhive gangs from their own regions, financing and supplying them to help fight proxy wars against gangs vassaled to rival Dynasties. These proxy wars are almost entirely for vanity & pride's sake, Noble Dynasties contesting each other's standing with the blood of their vassal gangs, but in many cases the discovery of underhive treasures or resources can result in Nobles using their gangs in exceptionally large and vicious wars for loot & territories.

In many cases the Noble Dynasties do not keep a distance either. Spyrers frequently delve into the underhives to kill member's of a rival Dynasty's gang, like hunters whittling away at each other's pets, and when rival Spyrers meet it could end with duels of honour, violent combat with horrific collateral damage, or they may simply ignore each other and continue to hunt each other's gangers. In many Dynasties it is seen as a Rite of Passage to support their Dynasty's vassal gang in person by overseeing underhive battles as if they were sporting events, giving out weapons and other boons as they watch the conflict unfold. Should 'their team' lose however, the consequences can often be dire for the stranded Noble.

Technology: [V - Good] Like any Hive World Inaria has a high tech manufacturing base. However availability varies wildly between hive levels.
Military: Inaria's PDF is highly suited towards amphibious and close quarters combat in cramped hive environments. The Inarian PDF eschews heavier ground vehicles in favour of more heavily armoured infantry formations, and has a massive terrestrial navy that patrols the endless oceans with missile ships and aircraft carriers. The planetary orbit is defended by a major military space station named Parnassus along with a few squadrons of defence monitors.
Strategic importance: [Maxima] A major Hive world, and very important to the Imperium because the gas it supplies provides fuel for much of the sector's industry.
Loyalty: [Imperium 70%] Inaria is relatively loyal for a hive world, but because of its constant rivalry with Tachion Primaris it always harboured a sense of separatism.

Recent History[]

In 322.M41 Ghosts of Retribution came to Inaria under orders from Inquisitor Faceless and performed Operation Ghostly Justice. In 327.M41 food shortages created by the fall of Prothera caused riots that within months grew into a full scale armed insurrection that was halted by Captain Arcon and his company. However Arcon began purging the population of hive cities indiscriminately and disobeyed orders to report, culminating in Operation Smite the Serpent.

Notable locations[]

Inaria is an ocean world lacking any above-water landmasses, but the seabed has is riven with mountain ranges and other terrain. The human civilisation on Inaria is based within four colossal hive clusters, built on the seabed itself though stretching high up beyond the surface of the water. Each cluster is contained within a collection of enormous domes that house several hive cities & stacks, most of which are conjoined though some stand apart & distinct.

Hive Neptune - A vast mostly-underwater Hive cluster that is the centre of Inaria's bureaucracy & manufacturing. This colossal conglomeration's foundations are on the seabed and its topmost spires beach the ocean's surface. This bustling Hive of around 8 billion souls covers a broad area and has several peaks that stretch above-water, while entire fields of snorkel pumps circulate atmosphere through the structure's internals. Hive Neptune's exterior walls take the form of colossal rounded domes of starship-grade adamantium plating that can withstand enormous pressures. Inside these are dense tower & spire stacks and multilayered constructions just like a typical Hive. Notable locations in Hive Neptune:
- Planetary Palace - Located in the central spire and consisting of the entire above-water section of Neptune's central peak, this is the centre of Inaria's government. Once a grand hall of its democratic parliament, it now serves as the personal home of the planet's dictator and his own government. Though vulnerable above the water, the palace is studded with anti-orbital guns & shield generators and swift elevators to bring the planet's government down underwater to secure bunkers. Notable inhabitants:
  - Lord Councillor Glabius Zarikoff - Former Inarian PDF Colonel that became governor of Inaria following Operation Smite the Serpent, after winning elections for High Councillor and declaring himself ruler for life. He is still mostly popular and far from a harsh tyrant, loving his planet & people greatly, but some Inarians dissent against his undemocratic rise to power.
- Grand Ecclesia - The largest cathedral on Inaria and centre of the Inarian Synod of the Ecclesiarchy. This massive golden structure protrudes from the main body of Neptune's central hive stack on a colossal shelf. The most holy place on Inaria and home to a massive shrine & statue of Saint Drugar, this building is of major importance to the people.
  - Cardinal Mikhal Ullanor - A fierce and pious Iron Monk that dominates Inaria's Synod. Ullanor has inspired hundreds of thousands of Inarians into Imperial service and is capable of rousing a very large number of Frateris Militia when he needs to.
- Outer Defences - These massive towers & berths are studded across Neptune's domes and mount orbital defence lasers, missile launchers, flak towers, and more in large numbers. Large berths protrude from the waters and house Orbital Defence Wings, and shield generators protect the hive from bombardment.
- Industrial Districts - Hive Neptune's colossal manufacturing industry dominates most of its middle hives and is primarily based around making commercial goods for Inaria itself. However it is also significant in exporting goods that are derived from natural gases, especially fertilisers. Inaria is the largest single fertiliser producer in the Sector and this is arguably its most important role.
- Boldazz Stack - This broad hive stack - 4km across & 2km high, and once home to 6 million souls - was struck by a zombie plague in 323.M41. Almost half the stack's population was evacuated but the rest were trapped inside by quarantine procedures enacted by the Officio Medicae. Over a matter of weeks Boldazz destroyed itself in panic & infestation, and was quarantined for almost a decade until all things within - human and zombie - were fully dead. At the time of infestation many argued in favour of collapsing Boldazz with explosives, but its massive gas processor facilities were deemed too important to destroy. It is currently - and slowly - being cleansed level by level before it can be reinhabited.
- Neptune Underhives - The lowest levels of Neptune's hive stacks are colossal bilges, maintenance tunnels, waste channels, and geotherman energy shafts, inhabited by a large population of poor slumdwelling urchins, gangsters, criminals, trafficked slaves and all manner of human scum. The Inarian Underhives are unique as they exist practically on and beneath the ocean floor itself, gangs fighting across rocky dried-up seabed and the poor fishing from seawater coolant lakes as they scratch out existence. The areas around geothermal shafts are especially hazardous, filled with geysers and sporadic fire bursts, and this makes them favoured places for gangs to fight each other.
Hive Poseidon - This large well-spaced hive cluster is heavily militarised and plays host to the largest ammunition manufacturing industry in the Sector (outside of Nestorium). Inaria's own fuels and chemicals are major components of the propellants and explosives, while metal from Borshin and elsewhere arrives in large amounts for the ammunition itself. Rounds & shells of every calibre, cannon shells, grenades, rockets, missiles, and their many rarer variants are churned out by Hive Poseiden in vast amounts, and they see use across the Sector and beyond. Poseiden is naturally also home to the bulk of the Inarian PDF, and is filled with military bases & training grounds.
- Trident - A huge triple-peaked fortress at the top of Poseiden that stands above the water. This is the headquarters of the Inarian PDF and home to powerful defences, orbital hunds, and Orbital Defence Wings. It is also the main anchorage for Inaria's substantial terrestrial navy.
  - General-in-Chief (PDF) Laventi Kruskov - A seasoned military veteran who led an Inarian Imperial Guard regiment - and later an entire Brigade - for several decades before retiring to the Inarian PDF, Kruskov feels snubbed that a far less senior officer under his own command was installed as his superior and Planetary Governor. However he and Zarikoff also see eye-to-eye on many issues and have large respect for one-another, and Zarikoff defers to Kruskov's advice often.
- Inaria Naval Academy - The most reputable Naval Academy in the Core Worlds and attended almost entirely by commissioned Nobles from Inaria, Tachion Primaris, and Kronos. Located within a massive broad spire above the ocean's surface, this Academy uses the ships of the Inarian PDF's terrestrial navy as training environments as well as Parnassus above and a number of Imperial Navy training ships. An ancient institution steeped in tradition and ceremony, for the esteemed Nobles of the Core Worlds there is no better place to enter the Imperial Navy and most of the Midshipmen here have even brought along their own servants. However this does result in a mixture of Noble cultures within the Academy that inspires fierce rivalries.
Hive Charybdis - The broadest and largest hive cluster by size but also the least populous, Hive Charybdis houses the majority of Inaria's crust mining operations. Colossal drilling platforms and deep boreholes pierce deep into the seabed, extracting enormous amounts of volatile gasses & fuels that are used across the Sector. Most of the population work in the state-owned gas mining industry but there are many smaller interests that extract ores & other fossil fuels for personal profit and scour this vast seabed as best they can without drawing the ire of the Inarian Government.
Hive Scylla - The smallest of the four hive clusters but the most luxurious, housing little in the way of primary or secondary industry and thus mainly a service economy. Scylla is the centre of Inaria's financial and corporate management systems and its broad, massive topmost dome breaches the ocean's surface completely, providing a vast dometop city of prime open-air real estate that homes the majority of the planet's Nobility.
- Atlantea - Name given to the palatial top levels of Hive Scylla that exist above the ocean's surface. These glittering spires, gantries, and roadways are open to the fresh air & natural sunlight, and play host to vast palaces and offices from which the highest levels of planetary nobility oversee their empires. While most dynasties are 'based' here, in practice they have many members in the other hive clusters to personally oversee their business holdings (and vassal gangs). Notable Dynasties:
  - Heliorr Dynasty - This powerful family were once close allies of the Belisarian Dynasty, but when the Belisarians fell from power the Heliorr's inherited their large industrial holdings in Hives Neptune, Poseiden & Charybdis. Their underhive vassals, the Heliorr Hawks, are far reaching and have a massive total strength but can be overpowered by more locally focused gangs.
  - Ruskof Dynasty - A Dynasty with massive munitions factory holdings in Hive Poseiden and a history of Imperial Guard service. They are known as stern & aggressive but also honourable & loyal Imperials, and freqently challenge rival Nobles to boxing duels before befriending them. Their gang, the Rusker Rhinos, are dominant in the Poseiden underhives and equipped with enormous amounts of conventiuonal projectile weapons (the Ruskof's primary product). While they are not the best on a one-to-one basis, the Rhinos have the largest number of adequately armed gangers.
  - Maxim Dynasty - A family of wealthy mine owners with large holdings in Hive Charybdis. The Maxims are one of the oldest families on Inaria and the Dynasty's patriarch is almost always a member of Charybdis' ruling council. They use their vassal gang, the Maxim Miners, to invade or defend potential mining & excavation sites in the underhives, and equip the Miners with unwieldy but horrifyingly powerful repurposed mining tools to use as weapons.
  - Stalan Dynasty - A textiles conglomerate with large manufactorum holdings in Hive Neptune. The Stalans also have close links to the Administratum with several Dynasty members serving as Adepts. While their business would seem mostly innocuous, their military contracts allow them to equip their vasssal gang, the Stalan Wraiths, with chameleoline & flakwave making them the most feared, while not the most numerous or powerful, gang in Neptune's underhives.
  - Volshoi Dynasty - A family of entertainers & performers whose wealth stems from their popularity and ownership of prominent publishing houses, sporting venues & theatre halls. They are well-known on Inaria from top-to-bottom, but have some bitter rivals within their own industry. In the underhives their vassal gang, the Volshoi Troupers, are known to control more primitive forms of entertainment and facilities, and are known for their acrobatics and athletics in combat.
Ruins of Quixos' Base - A former secret Inquisitorial underwater base close to Hive Neptune. It was destroyed during Operation Ghostly Justice.
Parnassus - This orbital defence station is as ancient as Inaria itself and is thought to date back to at least the Great Crusade, and possibly the Age of Strife. Unlike most modern patterns of Imperial Space Station, Parnassus has no logistical purpose and its adamantium frame is a pure military weapons platform operated by the Inarian PDF. Bristling with long-range lances, macrobatteries and torpedo tubes along with cavernous launch bays that house hundreds of attack craft, Parnassus is powerful enough to take on a small armada and a ferocious obstacle for any attacker to overcome.

Other notable planets in the system[]

Seraphia[]

World: Seraphia
Type: Garden World
Tithe: [Nix] This world is funded by the Nobility that dwell here, and has little to offer.
Population: 12 million [12 000 000]
Government: Feudalism. Each noble landowner has total control over their territory.
Description: A tranquil world of lush grassland, harmless forests, and pleasant climates. Seraphia is used as an escape from Inaria's submerged drudgery for the wealthy and affluent. It is located in roughly the same orbital band as Inaria though half a rotation displaced, meaning Seraphia is always on the other side of the star to Inaria itself.
Technology: [V - Good] The wealthy inhabitants of Seraphia only use higher technology.
Military: The nobles have their own house troops of highly varying training and equipment. Military support from Inaria in times of crisis is by no means assured, though lobbying pressure from Nobles may force it. Naturally Inaria's defence would take priority though, so Seraphia is in trouble in the event of a large system-wide invasion.
Strategic importance: [Minima] With nothing in the way of resources or strategic positioning, Seraphia would be no great loss.
Loyalty: [Imperial 80%] As a peaceful, tranquil world most are loyal and complacent. But with the wealth & power available to Nobility they always find ways to push the boundaries.

Borshin[]

World: Borshin
Type: Gas Giant
Tithe: [Ferrum] Borshin's moons send industrial metals to Inaria for use.
Population: 105 million [105 000 000]
Government: Imperial Dictatorship. Borshin is controlled by a representative of the Inarian government.
Description: A relatively small Gas Giant, Borshin has multiple habitable moons - several of which are rich in ferrum deposits. The moons of Borshin have been extensively colonised over the millennia and are home to large ongoing mining operations, though a few of the moons are relatively untouched and used as pleasant places to live. The operations skim gas off Borshin itself to power their machines and society.
Technology: [IV - Imperial] Rugged, dependable equipment scours the depths of the moons.
Military: Borshin has a reasonably sized PDF of its own, and would likely receive support from Inaria.
Strategic importance: [Media] Borshin's minerals are an important part of Inaria's industry, but industrial metals can always be found elsewhere.
Loyalty: [Imperial 75%] Though not as festering as the hive world of Inaria itself, the harsh conditions lead some on Borshin to disgruntlement.