Planets of the Solar System
Mercury
Mercury is a rather small settlement, whose main exports are high quality miniature electronic components and metal-rich ore. Their merchant fleet is also impressive. Mercury's population is a strange mix of people. Some came here attracted to the rich mineral resources of the planet; others came here to escape the elitist Venusian society.
The most notable characteristic of Mercury is that it is the headquarters of the powerful Merchant Guild, a large association of merchant companies which provide most of the transportation throughout the solar system.
Venus
Venus was terraformed by a consortium of major corporations to create a safe haven for their organizations. The initial phases of the project were surprisingly fast and successful, and Venus is now a marginally habitable planet - although terraforming won't be finished for a couple of centuries yet. In the meantime, the Venusian upper class and their workers live in huge polar arcologies, surrounded by factories and terraforming processors.
The best way to describe Venusian society would be "aristocratic." The inhabitants are the descendants of a large group of people who left Earth and came to Venus mainly to protect their fortune and influence.
Earth
The birthplace of Mankind is a planet damaged by centuries of overpopulation, environmental abuses and civil wars. Only recently has order been restored in the form of the Central Earth Government and Administration (CEGA), a bureaucratic planetary government as ruthless as it is efficient. Earthmen as a whole have an arrogant attitude about them and believe the Earth should lead the solar system as befit its position as the cradle of all humanity. In reality, the Earth needs the colonies' resources to sustain its shattered ecosystem and economy.
Orbital Colonies
The orbital colonies were the salvation of many who fled the Earth during the troubled periods of its recent history. The colonies are huge O'Neil stations parked at the Lagrange points around the planet. Orbitals, as these colonists are referred to, are hard-working, peaceful people who follow the CEGA's lead as a means of protecting their fragile homes.
United Solar Nations
The USN evolved from the old United Nations to provide a neutral meeting ground between the various settlements. In time, it acquired political weight and even founded a private peace-keeping army, the USN Guard, and an interplanetary law enforcement agency, the Solar Police (SolaPol). The USN is now a recognized force in the politics and events that shape the history of the solar system. USN headquarters are located in Earth's orbit.
The Moon
The Moon is the CEGA's industrial center. Its inhabitants are living in huge complexes buried beneath the soil, shielded against solar flares and cosmic radiation. Many of the Earth's heavy industries were moved to the Moon long ago to benefit from the abundant solar power and large mineral deposits found there. The Selenites are disciplined, strong people used to carving their living out of the inhospitable surface of Earth's satellite. They are part of the CEGA but only because it provides them with military protection and new business opportunities.
Mars
Mars is peculiar in that it is divided into two distinct political entities: the Martian Free Republic and the Martian Federation. The Republic is populated by freedom-minded individuals who are used to think by themselves and who prefer to rely only on their close relations.
The Federation is a much more oppressive place, as the government and the population believe in strict social discipline to help them prosper. Border clashes between the two are frequent.
The Belt
The myriad of asteroids which make up the Belt are populated by mobile nomad communities, each a micro-society of its own. Most if not all live in large asteroid stations carved right out of the rock. Belters are independent and distrustful of strangers.
The Belt is also home to pirates, who find a haven in its anarchy. Pirates usually prey on passing merchant ships or nomad communities. Both Jupiter and Mars are aware of the problem and frequently coordinate patrols to cover more ground.
Jupiter
The Jovian Confederation is home to the thinkers and workers who have fled the troubled Earth of the past centuries. Their enormous space stations, orbiting Jupiter and protected by sturdy screen generators, are a sight to behold. The Confederation was the first to develop and field exo-armors.
Jovians are community-oriented, intelligent and reliable people. Their ancestors, having taken refuge from wars and misery, have made the Jovian society a peaceful one, dedicated to the study of science and the betterment of life. Although they get along well with most of the other settlements, they distrust both the CEGA and Venus. It is also rumored that certain factions within the Agora (the Jovian government) are hungry for power and may take actions that could put the safety of the Confederation in jeopardy.
Titan
Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, is famous for having an atmosphere. Though it lays almost twice as far as the Jupiter settlements, Titan plays an important role in the industries of the Solar System. It is the main source for complex hydrocarbon compounds, which are mined on the surface and bulk-shipped by large clipper tankers to the industrial complexes in orbit around the major planets.
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