Cart'hen III
The third planet in the Cart'hen Star System, it is the only one permenantly inhabited.
History
A pre tech world when the Klingons added it to their Empire, the native population was around 300,000. They were quickly rounded up and put to work by their new overlords. Prior to that they were a scattered collection of tribes living off the land, nomad's for the most part with only a few small permanent settlements.
At one time the Klingons did have a very high population on this planet... that was before a better source of the mostly industrial metals was found closer to the heart of the Empire... at that time the Klingon empire left the world...
However they have maintained a mining facility and a military base on the planet's surface. Now they transport a large number of criminals of many races to the planet, useing the facility as a kind of penal colony. They also rotate Infantry units through the base stationed next to the mining facility. The harsh desert conditions makes it a natural for training purpose's.
The native population has decreased greatly both dureing and after the Klingons left... first through high deaths due to the harsh inhuman working conditions forced on them in the mines... then due to the destruction of their culture... values and way of life... they now number around 45,000 of which about 30,000 live in the cities... with the other 15,000 being rebels... liveing in the deserts... trying to recreate their culture and way of life... their population is finally on the upswing.
Natives
The natives of Cart'hen III are a hardy people, with the men standing on average 5'6" and weighting about 160 lbs. Females are on average 5'4" and weight about 130 lbs. They are covered in a very short course sandy fur, with double eye lids, one of which is transparent to protect the eye from intense light or flying sand.
They have the ability to store water within a special internal water storage organ, due to this they can on average go for as long as a week without needing to take a drink. They also have wide flat feet with 4 toes and hands with 3 long fingers and 1 thumb.
Those that still live in the deserts still wear long loose robes, usually tan or mixed light browns in color. These robes allow them to blend into their environment. Those that live in the cities wear a wide variety of styles.
Before the Klingon occupation they were a peaceful people and while it is unheard of for them to take any violent action against another native, regardless of tribe, they have been known to attack off worlder's. Those that have returned to the desert's have become excellent guerrilla fighters useing unpredictable, unconventional, deceitful and depriving combat tactics that use the environment to their best military benefit.
Environment
The entire planets surface is a blending of various browns. Sand, stone and rock with a scattering of native plants. In some areas sand is constantly on the move, blown around by the wind.
Rock outcroppings dot the entire planet, but they usually do not rise more than a few hundred feet above the surrounding landscape. These rock outcrops can be as small as a few dozen feet or extend over an area of a few hundred square miles. While a gradual slopeing rise is the norm it is possible to find steep drops and the occasional cliff deep among the larger groupings of rock.
Plant life is widely scattered, most with a outer surface that prevents water loss and roots that extend deep below the surface of the planet. Most of these plants are not edible by the natives but are eaten by some of the animal lifeforms native to this world.
Those plants that are edible by the natives are carefully maintained, cared for, with new plants planted in an effort to increase future harvests. Most notable among these is a fruit tree that produces a kind of fruit almost like a terran pomagranite.
Savage sand storms can last for a couple days but usually only last for a few hours.
Animals
Cart'hen III does not have many types of animals. The few they have are mostly vegetarians. The most common of these are the Itik, Gonan and Prat. The last 2 have been domesticated by the natives and are raised in herds, however they can also be found running wild.
The Itik is a small animal on average between 2 to 5 lbs. It is a mammal that can leap up to 10 feet. They have larger hind legs than front legs. They tend to be a pest eating anything they can get. They burrow into the sand to avoid the heat of the day as they are nocturnal.
The Gonan is on average between 20 and 40 lbs. A vegetarian they graze on the grasses and shrubs found just about everywhere outside the rock outcroppings and the shifting sands. They can eat more type's of plants than any other native life form.
The Prat is on average between 50 and 80 lbs. Their feet are large and wide with thick pads on the bottoms that allow them to traverse the drifting sands and the rock outcroppings with out sinking or suffering damage from any sharp rock edges. They also have a special water storage organ as well as a second stomack to store excess food. As a result they can go for almost 2 weeks with out needing to eat or drink anything. They have a second tranparent eyelid and a nasty disposition.
The only predator is called a Trith. This animal has short tan fur, large fangs and sharp claws. It can easily take down a person and is an extremely cunning beast. It weighs between 180 and 200 lbs fully grown. It tends to sleep for long periods and avoids the sands as much as possible, prefering to remain among the larger rock outcroppings. Here it can find shade. They tend to live alone, only getting together to mate. A female will on average have 2 cubs. These will stay with her until they are over 100 lbs at which time they are considered adults. During the Klingon occupation it was one of their favourite sports to hunt them. It is a testimont to their savagery and skill that they won the hunt more often than the hunters.
Economy
Almost all the food consumed on this world has to be brought in from off world. The various mining operations, factions and corporations ship raw materials off world. Most notable industrial metals which are extremely plentiful. The income from this is then spent to bring in food and other essentials which are sold to the workers at an outlandish cost.
Communities
On the surface of the planet are their are 5 large communites, only 3 of them could be considered true cities. The other 2 are just large mining colonies with dreams of greatness.
The largest city is Mith. They claim to be the Capitol city but with no central government none of the others agree. The other 2 cities are Pilith and Toith.
Each city is controled by a number of factions... these represent criminal organizations, corporations, mining companies, racial groups, etc... each group or faction has their own armed retainers... and have over the years worked out some form of mutual understanding... they all jockey for position... trying to improve or increase their power... these power struggles often result in open warfare...
Kri'dok is both a Klingon military base and a penal colony pretending to be a mining facility. Most of the Klingon population on the planet can be found here.
The last and smallest community is the Nor'anda mining community. A corporation controled facility.
Population
The planetary population breaks down as follows, 45,000 are Cart'hen natives, 30,000 are Klingons, 200,000 are from member worlds of the Federation, 300,000 are exiled peoples from among the subject peoples of the Klingon Empire and the last 25,000 are escaped peoples from among the subject races of the Romulan Empire, for a world wide total includeing the many small groups of nomads and tiny communites scattered over its harsh surface of about 600,000.
Mith is the largest city with a population of about 260,000. While Pilith has a population of about 140,000 and Toith has a population of about 90,000.
Kri'dok has a population of about 45,000 with 20,000 being Klingon troops at the base, 5,000 being guards at the penal colony mining facility and the last 20,000 being prisoners.
Nor'anda Corporation mining colony has a population of about 30,000.
Living as nomad's or in tiny communities scattered over the deserts are about 25,000 of which 15,000 are native's and the rest are mostly escaped prisoners from the Klingon penal colony or other newcomers to the planet who could not afford to leave or survive in the cities.
Mith
By far the largest city on the planet it also has the only thing even closely resembleing a commercial space port. As well as the only buildings that could even be considered skyscrapers. Towering over the city are 5 large gray towers. The tallest reaching to an impressive 55 floors of which 40 of them are above ground.
Over 3/4 of the city proper is actually below ground, built into the tunnels and mine shafts left behind by extensive excavations. This warren of passages, chambers and ramps are mostly slum like liveing conditions for almost 9/10ths of the cities population. Below this are the currect mine works, slowly tunneling ever deeper.
The top 7 levels in the tallest tower belong to the city council. This council has 11 members representing the 11 most powerful factions in the city. Each of these factions has their own armed forces, HQ and plans. This elite 11 are made up of members from corporations, gangs, fanatics and syndicates.
The council employs a group called the Enforcers, almost like a police force, they are well armed, dress like a police force but are in reality simply the councils club, with which they control all the other mobs, factions, gangs and corporations with in the city.
