Pagonia

Pagonia is an icy Feral World located deep in the Koronus Expanse, within the Heathen Stars sub-sector, and is a Client World of the Tremorisians Miners Union, with little to offer beyond manpower and raw resources, and as a training ground for a specialized Mine Guard units trained for winter combat.

Overview
Pagonia is the ninth planet in its system, and the furthest from its star, the planet is coated in a thick layer of permafrost, and frozen oceans, with large land masses being home to most of the planets life. It has no moons, but does have a single Orbital Station, that refuels and resupplies ships in the area, controlled by the Miners Guilds.

Climate and Atmosphere
Due to its distance from its star, the planet is constantly locked in a frozen state, and is constantly wracked by blizzards, that block out most of the stars light that does make it to the surface.

The planets atmosphere is compatible with human life, with a higher than average oxygen content, giving the natives of this world greater energy levels to help combat the cold, though the constant temperature from the wind chill can cause frostbite within moments on unprotected skin.

Geology
The dominant landscape of Pagonia is a barren tundra that spans the planets super continent, with only a handful of areas capable of supporting plant life. The planets only mountains are located along the edges of the great frozen oceans that span the majority of the planet.

Resources
Pagonia has an abundant reserve of heavy metals and valuable minerals located below the permafrost layers, which as made mining difficult, before the inclusion of heavy Mining Meltas. Pagonia also has a large number of local humans whom were inducted into the Miners Union, after their planet was subjugated. Trading technologies and weapons in return for not only resources, but access to their people as well to serve as laborers and soldiers.

Biosphere
Despite its frozen and inhospitable nature, Pagonia is home to an array of strange life, adapted to survival in the endless winter.

Flora
Isch - This classification covers much of the smaller shrub sized plants that dot the tundra of Pagonia. Generally these bushes produce small berries or simply act as homes for a variety of Sthena. They were often used for fire starting and bedmaking when enough could be found before the appearance of the Tremors.

Thysia - These “plants” are simply the dead remnants of the Zoi that are found in abandoned Peina lairs. Devoid of the warmth that the Peina give it, along with it’s constant supply of nutrition, the Zoi plant withers up. Not losing root, simply dying where it stands. This however presents a unique opportunity to the natives here. As the Zoi plant in this state, is actually useful for many things. It’s dried, fibrous construction ideal for sewing, tying, and supplying virtually all needs for any kind of thread on the planet. This in conjunction with it’s ready state for combustion. Made it an staple of Pagonian survival for the millennia before Tremors made their presence known on the planet.

Zoi - This is the most notable plant on Pagonia, as it’s often the only thing which breaks up the endless seas of white that are the tundra. Granted such a plant isn’t much larger than a small tree, it’s a welcomed sight to any native on this planet. Standing at roughly 5 feet in height, these sturdy plants thrive off the minimal mineral content within the permafrost. It draws much of it’s nutrition from nearby corpses, which is why such plants are often near the lairs of the Peina. The blood of each kill soaking into the roots of the plant, producing it’s unique magenta-like hue. It’s structure is that of a very fibrous stalk plant, each stalk however being roughly 6 or so inches thick and multiple offshoots coming from the stalks. This plant, despite it’s hue and the way it takes roots. Is known more for it’s fruit, it being the only fruit seen upon the icy wastes as only the ice caves of the Peina have enough “warmth” to warrant such growth. The fruit that this plant bears, called Ain, is a thin, pepper-like fruit in appearance. It’s color is a stark white, the fruit itself maturing when no remnants of it’s initial blue hue remain. This fruit, while inedible to the natives, is crucial to the survival of most fauna, specifically the Geronta, which often lead it into conflicts with the Peina that resides near this.

Fauna
Thrafstis - Long worm like creatures, their heads are often lined with incredibly dense plating with razor edged ridges. These are the burrowers of the Pagonia, often breaking through the permafrost to snatch a smaller creature for it’s own needs. Little is know about them as they were just recently discovered en masse by the Tremors during their mining of Pagonia. They are a welcomed supplement to the meager diet that the natives already had, and their plating is useful for a few specific tools.

Sthena - This group of animals consists of the vast number of smaller rodents that are seen scurrying across the wastes. Generally consisting of small quadruped creatures with a substantial amount of fur given their size. These animals are usually fodder for either the slightly larger creatures or even the Peina in times of desperation.

Oiono - These animals are treated as embodiments of nature over actual wildlife, for they are rarely seen and when they are, usually a great or terrible event follows such a sighting. These beasts are the one witnessed aquatic life form on Pagonia. Living in the ancient seas which have been long frozen over by ice measuring more than 100 or so feet thick. Resembling whales, these beasts have dense bone plating on their heads, which presumably is used both in breaking the thick ice on their breaching the surface, or in combat with others of their kind or whatever else lurks beneath the unforgiving ice. Next to nothing is known about these animals save that when one is seen, a significant event always follows their sighting. The last time one was sighted occurred days before the Tremors made landfall onto the wastelands.

Geronta - The other of the two great beasts, Geronta are larger, herbivorous creatures. Subsiding on Pagonia’s odd version of plant life. Most of which is small yet a few plants in particular have proven to sustain it. Standing at a mere 6 feet. The hooved beast is somewhat revered by the natives of Pagonia even through their assimilation into the Miner’s Union. These beasts are often seen wandering near the ice caves. Prominent antlers and snouts braving the biting winds as they sniff out both food and predator. The only animal witnessed to have resisted a Peina attack, their hardiness is seen as a blessing and rarely a Geronta is taken into a clan. The gentle creature sharing a mutually beneficial relationship with the natives. It’s fur being extremely warm and the food gained from the clans enough to keep it coming back

Peina - One of the two great beasts that roam the icy surface. Resembling a Terran wolf, each predator stands at a massive 8 ft in height. They are a grey color and have massive amounts of fur. A predatory species, the Peina hunt the few smaller animals that subsist in the ice wastes and rarely feasting on one of the Geronta. 1/3 of each Pagonian “year” is spent hibernating for these beasts. Needing to conserve their energy for the “summer” should such a thing even remotely exist. They are solitary predators and have been seen killing one another in times where food is very scarce. To the natives of Pagonia, Peina are seen as a rite of passage for the young males of each family. Being hunted as their meat is often enough to sustain a clan for the better part of a week, their fur and bones being used for clothing and crude weapon making. At least before landfall of the Tremors.

Population
The vast majority of the human population now lives within the newly established Mining Colonies, partially submerged into the planets ground to not only help retain heat, but to also slowly introduce the natives to thought of living below the surface, these colonies are spread across the planets super continent, with talk of even designing colonies to be built below the oceans to harvest resources from there.