Lemuria

Lemuria is home to many colossal vineyards.

• World: Lemuria
• Location: Core Worlds
• Type: Civilised world
• Tithe: [Monetaria] Lemuria exports fine delicacies such as rare wild game and high-quality amasec. Though not great in quantity the value of these delicacies is high. A percentage of these valuable exports are tithed to the Administratum, who use most of it for their own trading interests (though much of it finds its way to Administratum store rooms as well).
• Population: 28 Million [28 000 000]
• Government: Due to its low population Lemuria does not have a traditional centralised government. Instead each land owner rules & administrates their own lands as they see fit.

Description

Lemuria is a temperate paradise world, thick with lush and mostly harmless vegetation. It was discovered only recently in approximately 500.M40 and the colonisation effort was mostly funded by Nobility, Rogue Traders, and the Merchant League. These entities were mostly interested in the financial opportunities that Lemuria's ecosytem presented, primarily the large regions of land well suited for vineyard growing and the presence of rare animals that had several valuable traits such as fine meat and furs.

The majority of the planet remains as it was before it was discovered, but large swathes of land have been converted into vineyards, amasec distilleries, and hunting reserves. Of particular note is the Lemurian Tuskbear, a hulking mammal found in the planet's dense forests. All attempts to industrially farm this valuable beast have failed due to their large size and seemingly uncontrollable levels of aggression. But the Tuskbear's delicious taste, luxurious hide and high value means much of the populace makes their living by hunting the beast in the forests.

The holders of power on Lemuria are various landowners who hold near-absolute power over their territory. These landowners are primarily noble dynasties but some areas are instead owned by Chartist Captains, Mercantile Corporations, or even Imperial Officials. These landowners employ the people within their lands who are typically skilled workers such as farmers, brewers, and hunters.

Lemuria is also a popular tourism destination for wealthy imperial citizens, its lush vineyards and fine game reserves offering entertainment for those who seek it.

• Technology: [IV - Imperial] Aside from any advanced technology possessed by visiting nobles, the locals use simple and robust tools to ply their trade.
• Military: Most territories have a basic guarding force that watch their own borders and maintain internal order. However against outside attackers Lemuria's only real defence are Mercenaries under the employ of the landowners. There are also a few armed docks and defence platforms in orbit, and the large variety of voidships owned by or in the employ of the landowners may also be available to defend Lemuria if needed.
• Strategic importance: [Minima] Lemuria has very little importance to the Imperium at large. However it represents a significant investment to a large number of wealthy individuals and corporations.
• Loyalty: [Imperial 60%] [Nobility 65%] Lemurian citizens can afford excellent living conditions and comfortable lives thanks to the high prices paid for their wares. However the minimal presence of the wider Imperium leaves room for separatism.

Notable Locations

Lemuria's land is dominated by vast regions of forest and arable plains. While there are chilly regions at the poles and a small band of tropics around the equator, most of the land is contained within the milder regions in between. Dotted throughout these regions are the claimed territories, though there remains much unclaimed lands between them all. This is because as soon as land is officially claimed the claimant becomes obligated to pay an imperial tithe proportional to the size of the claimed land. This ensures that only those who can afford the initial investment and who have the means to effectively farm & work their claimed lands can do so.

• Lemuria Precinct - Located on a clear, chilly tundra north of the mild regions, this massive ferrocrete fortress is an Adeptus Arbites precinct and the only official Imperial presence on the planet. From here and from dozens of smaller watchposts across the planet's claimed territories the Arbites ensure Imperial Law is kept, tithes are paid, and heresy is not allowed to take root. Due to the lack of a local Schola Progenium, most of the Arbites stationed here are from Sarris V. Notable inhabitants:
  • Marshal Willard Lang - The highest ranking Imperial official on the planet, Marshal Lang is an elderly Arbitrator from Sarris V who was posted to Lemuria as a form of semi-retirement. Nevertheless he is still a sharp and strong-willed individual, utterly devoted to keeping Imperial Law.
  • Administratum Master Caylea Hyperboros - Lemuria's administratum offices are located within Lemuria Precinct, and Master Hyperboros the highest ranking adept within. Hailing from the Hyperboros Dynasty, Caylea's primary duty is to calculate the tithes owed by the planet's landowners and liase with Marshal Lang to ensure they are paid in full. She also oversees the general record keeping and other administratum duties.
• Nithica - The largest and most populous claimed territory, owned by Lord Barnabus Brumm of the Merchant League. Nithica has a large guard force and mercenary complement, ensuring total security for the legion of farmers & hunters who dwell within. Containing large vineyards, distilleries and hunting grounds, Nithica represents a fair chunk of the Brumm Consortium's assets and they would be the most powerful voice for Lemuria's defence.
• Estuwazi - A pure hunting reserve that encompasses a large area of forest densly inhabited by Tuskbears. Hunting here is a lucrative but dangerous profession, as hunters may well find themselves stalked by one tuskbear even as they track another.
• Veimhold - A relatively small region near the equator, consisting of densely packed vineyards that produce an extremely popular fruity wine.
• Semeline - A moderately sized region of vineyards and hunting grounds owned by a dozen different Nobles. In 359.M41 Magos Fram of the Adeptus Mechanicus - with assistance from the Ghosts of Retribution - investigated the appearence of a strain of extra-dangerous, extra-aggressive Tuskbears in the region. The strain was traced back to deliberate genetic tampering by one of the Nobles, seeking to unleash them on her neighbouring rivals to damage their lands and 'tamer' Tuskbear populations. The offending noble was quickly executed for Geno-Heresy on the order of Magos Fram.