Erdenet
| Map | Basic Data | Planetary Image | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Name: | Erdenet | 
|
| Segmentum: | Tempestus | ||
| Sector: | Eternum | ||
| Subsector: | Makerus | ||
| System: | Ravenholme | ||
| Population: | ~850,000,000 | ||
| Affiliation: | Imperial | ||
| Class: | Mining World | ||
| Tithe Grade: | Decuma Prima | ||
Overview
A mining world with a dismal reputation, Erdenet is the most isolated Imperial world in Eternum with nothing between it and the closest Imperial world the Poxwatch Fortress. Very few individuals willingly visit Erdenet such is its reputation, with even the charter captains responsible for picking up the world's tithe staying only as long as necessary to load the flogiston crystals. Erdenet's inhabitants, primarily composed of indentured serfs and prisoners shipped from other worlds, are led by the few remaining 'Old Families', themselves descended from the original colonists. Suicide is the largest cause of death on Erdenet, followed by homicide, owing to the oppressively bleak atmosphere. The world itself hosts dark and gloomy forests, cast in perpetual twilight by the twin dim suns, with all inhabitants living in poorly lit towns built in the gothic architecture the original colonists brought with them. No hostile native life has been catalogued here, nor any dangerous flora, yet persistent rumors float around that bloodsucking beasts prowl the night to feast on those outside their homes. This is not helped by the low technology level found on Erdenet, though not as regressive as a feudal world streetlamps are lit with flame, roads are cobblestone, and most machines are powered by steam operated engines. This does not interfere with flogiston mining however, as the low density and relative rarity of the crystals doesn't demand any overly advanced methods. Attempts to introduce modern Imperial equipment to improve yields has repeatedly met with failure as the machines are damaged and the sponsoring foriegn parties missing with no trace - hushed whispers state the Old Families have a hand in these, though nothing concrete has ever surfaced. Although a prime candidate for the Ordos Hereticus to investigate, especially considering evidence suggesting that Xenos ruins are hidden away on Erdenet, the more pressing demands of Eternum coupled with Erdenet never missing a tithe has placed any such investment of resources low. The planetary governor has consistently been of the same Old Family for recorded history, who has consistently met Erdenet's tithe requirement of flogiston crystals and manpower for the Imperial Guard. The Erdenet Mortuary Keepers have accorded themselves well through their utter fearlessness and borderline suicidal charges, though their eager willingness to die coupled with their odd behavior when among other Regiments (a fact which has on occasion resulted in Commissariat action, such as when the 66th Mortuary Keepers dug up recently laid graves of the Derringer Freedmen and thrust wooden stakes through each corpse's chest - an action the Derringer Freedmen reacted to violently, attacking several of the grave desecraters before commissars ended the unrest) has kept them from any prestigious assignments.
