A Beautiful Jewel of a Garden World
Welcome to Kinorb, a beautiful planet near Regina in the Spinward Marches sector. The Kinorb system is somewhat remote and considered a backwater. It is the end of the X-Boat communication line towards coreward. It is also situated towards the edge of Imperial control, with the Vargr clans of Gvurrdon close by, making the system a potential target in any future border conflicts.
Kinorb was primarily settled to support a naval base to counter any insurgency, though this has since been abandoned[1], and the first settlers were the families of the naval personnel. Early settlers were very aware of their precarious position, despite the protection of the naval base, and a long-standing tradition, even to this day, of drills and preparation for conflict is intrinsic to the society of Kinorb as a whole.
Today, Kinorb is known as a tranquil system with little external excitement, and it is seen by many people as an ideal retirement world, with its lush countryside and low population. The government maintains this idyllic attraction through strict immigration requirements and planning controls[2] to prevent heavy industry. Agricultural production dominates much of the world, with much of the six million inhabitants spread across the globe in farmsteads, an underclass of expatriate Vargr performing many of the labour roles. Despite its shallow and scattered oceans, the world features lush plains and expanses of wilderness. A temperate climate provides a perfect platform for this thriving agricultural community, bolstered by a distinct lack of hostile native wildlife or pathogens. Most of the species on the planet have been imported, with many different types of vegetation available to trade and many high-class wines.
Arrival in the system typically involves docking at the orbital highport, an Imperial Starport Authority-run facility stationed in a geosynchronous orbit above the equator and the major downport, Riesling Down[3]. It is constructed as a series of three bulky rings, some two kilometres in diameter, one above the other, connected by thick braces. They surround a central tower a kilometre in diameter and almost five kilometres tall. The highport is not a new construction, but is well serviced and provides excellent facilities.
From the highport, shuttles can be taken down to Riesling Down starport, which is less than an hour’s journey away, and is a large, sprawling mass of warehouses, docks and trade offices, with the boil of Kinorb Startown clinging to its eastern flank. The downport sits at the southern tip of a small continent, close to the equator. The only other significant points of interest are the city of Gangburg[4] and the fashionable (if somewhat expensive) Silver Beach Resort[5]. Spacecraft are permitted to land at Riesling Down after an in-orbit customs check. However, the remainder of Kinorb's airspace is restricted to local traffic under the control of the governing technocracy.
The starport of Riesling Down is a key trading post this far coreward of the Imperium, particularly with any merchants dealing with the Vargr. The hustle and bustle of the port is in stark contrast to the serenity and quiet of the countryside, which has led to a social divide between the traders and many of the early naval settlers. Neither hold the Vargr with much respect, treating them as an underclass worldwide.
Laws and regulations within the downport, Gangburg and Silver Beach areas are strict and well policed; however, once out into the wilderness, there is less enforcement, and some of the larger homesteads have a private security detail, albeit small, as a precaution.
As expected of a garden world, the climate is broadly temperate. With the warm and shallow seas, the skies are often clear and produce only a mild breeze. The conditions are near-ideal for most of the world's farming and agricultural facilities. A large amount of grains, beets, root vegetables, and fruits are produced, but it is the wines of Kinorb that are known throughout Regina and beyond.
