The Haven System | Haven: The Lost Star

The Haven System Aug 24, 2020 23:00:56 GMT -5

Post by LaxKnight on Aug 24, 2020 23:00:56 GMT -5

The Haven System

The Haven system centers around the Hearth Star, simply called the Hearth by those in the system. The Haven System is part of the Imperium Nihilus, the side of the Imperium cut off from the Astronomican’s light thanks to the Cicatrix Maledictum, most commonly known as the Great Rift. The system near the edge of the Segmentum Obscurus between old the Storm of the Emperor Warp storm and the newly formed Bleak Coils Warp storm which have grown large enough to surround the entire system, making travel in and out extremely hazardous. Most Imperial Forces that ended up here have done so by accident. There are 5 planets in the Haven system. Going from closest to furthest they are: HP-01, Laramie’s Hope, Haven’s Garden, Anchorus, and Saint’s Gate.

HP-01
Type: Dead World
Position from sun: 1

HP-01 is a small, barren, useless dead world incapable of life. It’s been largely ignored throughout its history, even during this time of turmoil. A testament to this is that the planet has a number designation instead of a name.

Laramie’s Hope
Type: Shrine World
Position from sun: 2

A modest world that originally boasted several hive cities of some considerable size. In centuries past it experienced a volatile increase in pyskers and related phenomena. Hundreds of thousands died and a minor crusade was called and led by a passionate woman, Laramie Renalta. Though she died soon after the crusade came to a close, her purges left a bloody mark and her name was exalted as having saved the planet and perhaps the system. She was elevated to sainthood and the world was designated a shrine world, to which the faithful flocked to hear of her exploits and leave tokens of their appreciation at shrines dedicated to her and the God Emperor. In current times the surviving hive cities are under siege by the followers of Chaos, and the faithful are defending their holy planet with zeal.

Haven’s Garden
Type: Agri World
Position from sun: 3

Haven's Garden is a agri-world that produced food for the entire system. The planet itself was a bastion for peace and one with few complaints about its place in the sector before the war came to Haven. The planet is currently ruled by a council of the Imperial faction. These in turn are waging war to retake portions of the planet since several opposing forces have made claim and invaded. However, these newcomers are fighting each other as much as the Imperium, which in turn has led to a sluggish quagmire of a warzone. Chaos is the most wide-spread threat, with the T'au being caught on different parts of the planet since their crash. Genestealer cults, while known and concerning, have proven difficult to track and seem hesitant to make any appearances in force. The forces of the Imperium currently battle across the planet and the capital Harvest sits as a main base for all planetary activity as well a resting point for soldiers taking a break from the front lines.

Anchorus
Type: Ocean/Forge World
Position from sun: 4

Anchorus is a Forge World situated on a planet largely dominated by an ocean. It’s earned its name from the many space docks it has in orbit that often serves as a hub for ships to visit before they go off further into the galaxy. Along with the various Mechanicus forces on the world, it also exports crystals unique to the planet. It’s currently under siege but the Mechanicus are so far holding their own against Chaos.

More information about the world and the Mechanicus on the world can be found here.

Saint’s Gate
Type: Gas Giant
Position from sun: 5

Saint’s Gate is a large, ringed gas giant filled with mining stations to supply its neighbors. It earned its name for being the first planet Saint Laramie visited on her crusade in the system and often it is the first world ships see when entering the system. Since the Great Rift opened, several of these stations have rebelled or forcefully taken over while others remain loyal.

The Haven System Aug 24, 2020 23:16:46 GMT -5

Post by Fate's End on Aug 24, 2020 23:16:46 GMT -5

The Cities of Haven's Garden

Harvest

Haven’s capital, Harvest, is the most secure city on the planet and features an impressive SpacePort. The Guard has secured and is defending the city as well as providing the Navy with a viable space port from which to operate atmospheric craft.

The city of Harvest also boasts several key landmarks; however, the Guardsmen are based right in the heart of the city. The outermost city walls are now marked with heavy bolter and mortar positions. Snipers and scouts roam the farmlands radioing in to patrols or artillery when needed. Further outside the cities are companies stationed at towns and manning checkpoints to help deter any large scale attacks. This has also allowed at least some farmers to keep working. They pray the war does not come to their homes.

The city features three rings of walls, which were built in intervals as it grew. The heart of the city features what were once many noble manors, decadent meeting places, and more. Now, however, the Guard has turned manor homes into officers quarters, armories, company barracks, and storage. Restaurants, bars, and public buildings were also converted, many serving as mess halls, training halls, gun ranges, and even a few of the biggest nobles' estates now act as regimental barracks for the larger units.

At the center of the city is the Governor’s Palace, where the ruling council and highest ranking members of all factions meet. Not too far away is the Imperial Spaceport, the largest and most capable dockyard on the planet currently boasting a modest fleet due to needing to save room for supply ships to dock. Finally, having stripped dozens of warehouses and the secondary repair yard, the Adeptus Mechanicus have created a motor pool and repair yard to base their work in supporting the Guard.

This entire section of the city is off limits to civilians and acts as the headquarters for operations across the planet. Its walls also boast the most impressive defenses and its most dependable defenders. The middle section of the city hosts all the former residents and many of its shops. Guard patrols are frequent and only fully checked civilians can even enter it. The former nobles, merchants, and other persons who lived in the city are crammed in trying to act as though nothing is wrong. The outer part of the city is where much of the trading and bargaining is done with those who bring in supplies from outside the city. Outside the city are shanty towns and farms that help sustain the people. These outer villages are often full of people too scared to risk trying to enter the city or those who are afraid they could be mistaken for a traitor.

Gilt Edge

Not quite a shantytown, but not quite a city. Gilt Edge walks the line with a duality common amongst mining towns on Haven’s Garden. Built swiftly and with just a dash of haphazardness, the town is placed within an artificial hollow carved out of the side of Mountain Alpha-001 (though the locals have taken to calling it the Big Spike), the largest mountain in the Irondeep Range.

When the town was first planned, Mechanicus earthmovers were dispatched to clear out a section of the mountain, allowing for easier access to the mineral and metal deposits within and below the sizable range. In typical Mechanicus fashion, they overdid it by a large margin. The Mountain now looks somewhat peculiar, as though a large cube of space was simply removed from its flank. Now the town sits square in the middle of this empty, eerily flat space.

Cargo containers were converted to worker housing, and several blocky prefabricated structures dropped from orbit to serve as the administration buildings. From there, the town was largely left to scavenge for itself. And scavenge it did.

In present day, decades after the original construction, Gilt Edge is a mishmash of designs and pre-planned expansions that never really took off. The original cargo containers are still there, laid out in neat rows with little but dirt in between them. But the administration buildings have been almost entirely remodeled after severe abuse and more than a few fallen boulder incidents from the peak of the mountain.

New buildings cropped up, some ramshackle, some slightly more pristine, but almost all of them now coated in the ever-present reddish dust from the mountainside and the mines that delve deeper every day. Most of note is the sprawling building roughly in the center of the town. One part pub, one part government building, built from the bones of the original administration buildings with new wings tacked on every few years as the need arose.

Surrounding the town on all but the mountain side are several dozen new constructions, quick-build homes and single-pod containers repurposed to take in refugees. On the fourth side, butting up against the now flat cliffside of the mountain, several massive hangers and garages sit next to mining tunnels. From these gargantuan buildings the sounds of machinery and repairs can be heard ringing out at all hours.

Plenty

As the agricultural industry on Haven’s Garden grew in size, it was quickly determined that centralized distribution hubs were the most logical ways of arranging food shipments prior to their movement off world. As such, by order of the Governor and with the aid of the Adeptus Mechanicus, several hub cities were raised across the planet. Their intended purpose to act as both housing for agricultural workers as well as to store vast quantities of foodstuffs before their eventual movement to the spaceports. One of these cities is Plenty.

Due to the aid of the Mechanicus, the city of Plenty is laid out in a gargantuan grid pattern. Massive hab blocks form both the outermost parts of the city, as well as a smaller and more dense central plaza focused around an administrative quarter. Everything in between these two locations is crammed full of rows upon rows of warehouses for either foodstuffs or farming and mining equipment.

In current times, under the governing influence of the T'au, the city of Plenty has almost split in two. A curtain wall has been erected around the central hab blocks and administration buildings, signifying the extent of the T'au control. The Warehouses and outer hab blocks are damaged and battered from constant fighting, with several sections have completely toppled over.

It is said the T'au intend to retake the city and end the fighting within, offering protection to the citizens who in large part welcomed them. But for now, outside of the wall, Plenty is a warzone in microcosm.

Progress

Progress is the second largest city on Haven’s Garden and one of its main industry hubs. It would take in raw material from other cities like Gilt Edge to be manufactured into goods that are sent either throughout the planet or to be exported through the capital. However, recent events has turned the city into one of the seats of power for Chaos on Haven’s Garden.

While the city was mainly dominated by factories and facilities to support them, there were a few notable landmarks in it. There is the mayor’s manor in the center of the city where the leader of the city would reside for their 4 year term until a new one was elected. In front of the manor would be what was formerly known as the Emperor’s Square. This was a forum where people can gather for whatever reason, be it debates, protests, executions, parades, or PDF operations. In Chaos hands it’s known as the Master’s Square but it largely serves the same purpose as before. The last major building is the church, which also sits near the Square. What once was a spacious yet humble building has been defaced by its new occupants to be a temple dedicated to the Dark Gods. Priests and acolytes of various types conduct meetings and rituals to appease their patrons.

The city is circled by large walls lined with heavy weapons and traitor PDF to guard it not only from the loyal Imperial forces but other marauding Chaos factions. However, the gates are rarely closed due to the stream of raiders loyal to the city and to entice new converts to the Primordial Truth. Inside they would find battered but intact factories, apartments, and other supporting facilities churning out material to keep the city afloat. Cults, families, and gangs battle for territory and manpower within the city, but all pay tribute to the mayor. Known as the Voice of the Reclaimers, he rules from afar, but his presence and authority is always felt through the presence of the PDF loyal to him and the regular purges to root out spies and conspirators. Power can always be gained in Progress, if you have the strength and will to take it.