System Manual:Sif

Sif is the primary food producer of the Phare System, and most of the Emperor's Hammer Territories.

Description

Its vast expanses of plains, moderate climate and seasons, short growing cycles, moderate precipitation, etc. have all allowed the planet to be literally "tamed" within 3 decades. In addition, due to its distance to Odin and its atmosphere, Sif is bathed each local day with a low-level, non-harmful ultraviolet spectrum illumination. Climatic change is an extremely rare occurrence on Sif. Apparently, Sif's peculiar atmospheric chemistry is highly effective at screening out the infrared light spectrum but not the ultraviolet. This effect casts the entire planet in a perpetual twilight, with a orange-purple hue to everything. However, humans without UV protection will sunburn rather quickly in the Sif sun, taking on a dark, almost native complexion and potentially contracting one of various skin disorders and cancers.

History

Early history

Prior to the arrival of the Imperials 30 years ago, the planet was covered with vast expanses of tundra, steppes and tall (5-7 meter high) grassy plains in its equatorial regions. Some of these original areas have been set aside, permanently designated as Imperial Parks, but these areas now amount to less than 15% of the total land mass. Almost no indigenous life remains across the remaining areas of the once giant continent, having been replaced by livestock (including the native Batkura) and genetically engineered grains and crops. The single continent, aptly named Pangea, is essentially one huge agricultural facility.

Recent history

Within the past 30 years, the Imperials have managed to completely partition, irrigate, and control the harvests of both crops and livestock. The production quotas have been met on Sif enough consecutive months to make 99th percentile for the Imperial Agricultural Standard Index. Quite an accomplishment for a race of natives, the almost benign Saraii.

The former Moff of Phare and Planetary Governor of Sif, Astronicus Aurelius Sadow founded House Naga Sadow on Sif. Since the Saraii are fiercely pro-Empire and the planet has been essentially cultivated, the Planetary Governor of Sif has one of the easier jobs in the Phare System. The Saraii became devoted to the Governor and were initiated into servicing Clan Naga Sadow as guardsmen. After Clan Naga Sadow left Sif during the Exodus, many Saraii left with them ever loyal to Lord Sadow.

Population

The Saraii, a once nomadic race, have eagerly adapted to the recent influx of Imperial technology and willingly serve the greater glory of the Empire. Since the arrival of the Emperor's Hammer forces less than 2 years ago, the local technology level has already gone from atomic age to Imperial levels.

Apparently, the Saraii had almost exhausted their own natural resources when their total population reached approximately 5 billion about 40 years ago. Without Imperial intervention, colonization, Imperial population control and improved agricultural technologies, the Saraii would have become extinct, or at the very best, reverted to ruthless barbarism and anarchy, as various tribes and clans fought over swiftly dwindling resources. Consequently, the Saraii generally look upon the Imperials as friends and ultimately, as their saviors. Many Saraii have since enlisted in the Imperial armed forces and the Emperor (prior to his death) had shown a certain leniency in this regard to the Saraii. The tall, blue dark-skinned and red-eyed Saraii are fierce fighters and make excellent workers for the massive agricultural facilities planetside. The Saraii have a long history of glorious internal castes and clan warfare. It is suspected that they are an off-shoot of the Chiss and perhaps and lost colony of the Chiss Ascendancy. Their confrontations (prior to the arrival of the Empire and the New Order), were epic. Millions of the warrior caste from each city state or nation would face off on opposite sides of a plain and charge at one another, typically armed with only slugthrowers or melee weapons. The venerated Saraii historians tell of the steppes irrigated in the spilled blood of these battles, millions of corpses left to replenish the parched Steppes. Imperial historians have theorized this may be why the Saraii feel so connected to the steppes and their homeworld. Since there are few geographic features and topographic relief on the planet, commanders of these armies had to be innovative and lightning-fast tacticians to survive and win victory.

Additional structures

One point worth noting are the Saraii cities. They are each an independent work of art, their tall wispy spires reaching hundreds of meters into the purple-hued sky. High canopies and walkways connect these spires in what can be best described as a spider web of a transportation system. In fact, the largest city on the planet, Juraas-Kur, was intentionally designed in a concentric geometric form to look and function like a web. Pulling all visitors into its center.