Gazetteer : Topas

Topas (NI-0702, D120899-5) is a tiny desert world with only a thin wisp of atmosphere. Despite this, her people have prospered and grown relatively numerous. Topas’ technical capabilities are very poor, a number of ingenious low tech solutions to the problems of living on a thin atmosphere world have sufficed since the earliest days of the colony’s history.
Topas was the site of the final battle in the war against the Belters. The Belt’s occupation was arrogant and brutal. There is little love lost between the two people’s, even after a century.
Today, Topas lies at a crucial point on the trade routes from Serendip Belt to the Old Islands. It is also famous for it’s great publishing houses and information bureaux. The independence and quality of Topas journalism, is acknowleged throughout the Clusters.

Physical

Asteroid Belt	-
Gravity	0.3
Atmosphere	Very thin, tainted. Most buildings are of massive construction, with pressure pumps to maintain breathable air inside.
Oceans	1% water
Climate	Desert. The equatorial zones are too hot for humans, whilst temperatures at the poles can be low enough to freeze nitrogen.
Flora	There is very little carbon dioxide in Topas’ air. Plants absorb carbon in the form of charcoal from the soil, and solid carbon dioxide where it freezes near to the poles.
Fauna	Topas has a great deal of fauna for such an inhospitable world. Most creatures are cold blooded and have exoskeletons, much like Earth insects or arachnids.

People

Population	242m
Language	German
Religion	Christian (Protestant)
Government	Civil Service run government. The Senate of the Federation of Topas is the sovereign authority, but it rarely meets and wields little real power. The governing committee of civil servants is called the “Roundhouse”, after the building in which they meet.
Capital	Cusp
Exports	Information, ores, precious minerals
Imports	Food, manufactured goods
Industries	Publishing, mining

Historical

Exploration ship	Marianus van der Lubbe
Exploration date	4606AD
Colonised from	Neubayern
Colony ship	Voyageur
Colony date	4933AD