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Ytharia was the only planet in the Asterra system known to support complex native life and the historical and cultural origin point of the Alf people. | Ytharia was the only planet in the Asterra system known to support complex native life and the historical and cultural origin point of the Alf people. | ||
Now inhospitable and war-torn. No signs of life remain. | |||
==== Ytharia Orbital Station ==== | ==== Ytharia Orbital Station ==== | ||
Revision as of 18:00, 15 June 2026
Asterra Star System
The Asterra star system is dynamically stable and long-settled. Most permanent infrastructure predates the loss of Ytharia and was designed for extended autonomous operation.
| Type | G-type main sequence |
|---|---|
| Mass | 0.93 Sol |
| Luminosity | 0.78 Sol |
| Radius | 0.95 Sol |
| Estimated age | ~7.1 billion years |
| Stellar activity | Low flare rate |
| Habitable zone | 0.62–0.74 AU |
Companion Star — Carmyn
| Type | M-type red dwarf |
|---|---|
| Mass | 0.31 Sol |
| Luminosity | 0.012 Sol |
| Radius | 0.34 Sol |
| Separation | ~1,400 AU |
| Orbital period | ~28,000 years |
| Stellar activity | Moderate flare rate |
| Planets | 3 |
Carmyn is the red companion star of the Asterra binary system, orbiting at a wide separation that renders it a naked-eye fixture in Ytharia's night sky — a dim but constant red point, distinct from the stars of the broader field. Its slow drift across centuries of recorded observation made it a cultural and navigational reference point long before its stellar nature was understood.
Among the Alf, Carmyn held deep folkloric significance. It was variously interpreted as a wayward sun, a warning light, or an ancestral hearth — depending on the cultural tradition. Its position in the sky was used to mark seasonal transitions and appeared in the foundational texts of several Ytharian traditions.
| “ | "The red star does not rise. It waits." | ” |
— Common Alf proverb, origin uncertain
| ||
Carmyn hosts three planets of its own, none of which were inhabited or substantially developed prior to the loss of Ytharia. Its position in the system has since taken on renewed significance as a navigational waypoint for Project Exodus planning.
C-1. Vethara
| Type | Venusian (terrestrial) |
|---|---|
| Orbital radius | 0.08 AU (Carmyn) |
| Orbital period | ~18 standard days |
| Mass | 0.81 Earth |
| Surface gravity | 0.88 g |
| Atmosphere | ~62 bar, CO₂-dense |
| Mean surface temp | ~720 K |
| Axial tilt | 3.1° |
| Moons | None |
Vethara is a dense, hot terrestrial world locked in a runaway greenhouse state. Its thick carbon dioxide atmosphere traps heat from Carmyn's close proximity, producing surface temperatures hostile to any known form of life. The planet's surface is geologically active, with widespread volcanic plains and a near-permanent sulphur haze layer visible from orbit.
Vethara was surveyed but never developed. It holds no strategic value beyond its role as an orbital reference marker for approach to the Carmyn system.
C-2. Pelun
| Type | Dwarf world |
|---|---|
| Orbital radius | 0.41 AU (Carmyn) |
| Orbital period | ~194 standard days |
| Mass | 0.018 Earth |
| Radius | ~1,140 km |
| Surface gravity | 0.21 g |
| Atmosphere | Trace only |
| Mean surface temp | ~145 K |
| Moons | 1 (minor) |
Pelun is a small, heavily cratered dwarf world with minimal gravity and no retained atmosphere to speak of. Its surface is ancient and largely undisturbed — a record of early system bombardment preserved in ice and regolith. A single irregular moonlet, likely a captured body, orbits at close range.
Pelun's low gravity and stable orbit have made it a theoretical candidate for a low-cost resupply cache or fuel staging depot in long-range Exodus planning — though no infrastructure has been established.
C-3. Dorryn
| Type | Cold gas giant |
|---|---|
| Orbital radius | 4.8 AU (Carmyn) |
| Orbital period | ~38 standard years |
| Mass | 0.6 Jupiter |
| Radius | ~0.88 Jupiter |
| Mean temp | ~52 K |
| Atmosphere | H₂/He, deep methane layer |
| Ring system | Faint, narrow |
| Moons | 17 confirmed |
Dorryn is a cold, methane-tinged gas giant occupying the far reaches of the Carmyn system. It receives very little energy from either star and sits in a state of deep atmospheric calm compared to the inner gas giants of the primary system. Its blue-grey coloration — caused by methane absorption of red wavelengths — makes it visually distinct from Vael, Orthis, or Ceryn.
Several of Dorryn's larger moons show subsurface liquid potential, though none have been explored in any meaningful depth. The planet's remote position and the system's general inaccessibility prior to the invasion meant Dorryn remained essentially unknown territory at the time of Ytharia's fall.
System Scale
- Inner system boundary: ~0.1 AU
- Primary asteroid belts: 2.4 AU and 6.8 AU
- Outer planetary boundary (Helior): ~38 AU
- Effective heliopause influence: ~95 AU
- Carmyn separation: ~1,400 AU
Traffic followed fixed corridors enforced by orbital control infrastructure. Carmyn's wide separation placed it outside routine system traffic but within long-range communication range.
Planetary Order — Primary System
1. Keth
| Type | Rocky (terrestrial) |
|---|---|
| Orbital radius | 0.21 AU |
| Orbital period | 41 standard days |
| Rotation | Tidally locked |
| Mass | 0.62 Earth |
| Surface gravity | 0.78 g |
| Atmosphere | ~0.2 bar, volatile-poor |
| Mean dayside temp | ~620 K |
| Mean nightside temp | ~190 K |
| Moons | None |
Keth exhibits permanent hemispheric contrast. The dayside is exposed to continuous stellar radiation. The nightside remains cold and shielded.
Keth was never intended for habitation and functioned solely as an inner-system industrial node.
Keth Mining Operations
Mining activity was restricted to the nightside.
- Operational depth: 300–1,200 m
- Facilities: Subsurface, hardened
- Automation level: High
- Permanent staffing (peak): <400 system-wide
- Power: Orbital solar collectors and compact reactors
2. Ytharia
| Type | Rocky (ocean-dominated terrestrial) |
|---|---|
| Orbital radius | 0.68 AU |
| Orbital period | 286 standard days |
| Axial tilt | 18.4° |
| Mass | 1.08 Earth |
| Surface gravity | 1.02 g |
| Surface water coverage | ~72% |
| Mean surface temp | ~284 K |
| Atmosphere | ~1.4 bar, moisture-rich |
| Moons | Two (Elaris, Tirien) |
Ytharia was the only planet in the Asterra system known to support complex native life and the historical and cultural origin point of the Alf people.
Now inhospitable and war-torn. No signs of life remain.
Ytharia Orbital Station
A major orbital station operated in high orbit.
- Orbital altitude: ~42,000 km
- Primary ring diameter: ~11 km
- Permanent population (pre-loss): ~180,000
- Berths: ~10 capital-class vessels
The station functioned as the primary spaceport, customs hub, manufacturing center, and traffic control node for the system.
Moons of Ytharia
Elaris
| Radius | ~1,720 km |
|---|---|
| Mass | 0.94 Luna |
| Orbital distance | ~410,000 km |
| Orbital period | 34.6 days |
| Base capacity | ~25,000 |
Elaris governed Ytharia's primary tidal cycles and stabilized axial tilt. Low seismic activity enabled long-duration operations and sensitive instrumentation.
Elaris Lunar Base
- Population capacity: ~25,000
- Launch mass throughput: ~4.2 million tons per year
- Primary functions: deep-space observation, orbital traffic support, system monitoring
Tirien
| Radius | ~720 km |
|---|---|
| Orbital distance | ~610,000 km |
| Orbital period | 69.2 days |
| Orbital resonance | 2:1 with Elaris |
| Inclination | 3.1° |
From Ytharia's surface, Tirien was frequently occluded by Elaris and visible only during specific alignments.
3. Vael
| Type | Gas giant |
|---|---|
| Orbital radius | 3.1 AU |
| Orbital period | 5.4 years |
| Mass | 1.7 Jupiter |
| Magnetosphere radius | ~9 million km |
| Moons | 40+ confirmed |
Vael's magnetosphere deflected a significant fraction of cometary and interstellar debris, contributing to inner-system stability.
4. Orthis
| Type | Gas giant |
|---|---|
| Orbital radius | 7.6 AU |
| Orbital period | 20.9 years |
| Mass | 1.2 Jupiter |
| Ring radius | ~140,000 km |
| Moons | 30+ |
Several moons show evidence of subsurface oceans or cryovolcanic activity.
Orthis Orbital Station
- Orbital altitude: ~1.8 million km
- Population (peak): ~95,000
- Annual material throughput: ~120 million tons
The station served as the primary logistical hub for asteroid and moon mining operations in the middle system.
5. Ceryn
| Type | Gas giant |
|---|---|
| Orbital radius | 14.2 AU |
| Orbital period | 53.6 years |
| Mass | 0.7 Jupiter |
| Moons | 45+ (irregular, partially captured) |
Orbital characteristics indicate a major disruption event approximately 1.3 billion years ago, likely responsible for Ceryn's irregular and partially captured moon population.
6. Helior
| Type | Gas giant |
|---|---|
| Orbital radius | 38 AU |
| Orbital period | ~235 years |
| Mass | 0.4 Jupiter |
| Moons | 10+ (sparse, frozen satellites) |
Helior marks the outer boundary of significant planetary mass in the primary system.
7. Nysa
| Type | Rocky (cold terrestrial) |
|---|---|
| Orbital radius | 62 AU |
| Orbital period | ~490 years |
| Mass | 0.31 Earth |
| Surface gravity | 0.55 g |
| Atmosphere | <0.1 bar, frozen trace gases |
| Mean surface temp | ~35 K |
| Moons | None |
A frozen, isolated world at the far edge of the primary system. The lack of satellites is attributed to early orbital instability and gravitational interference from the outer gas giants.
Canon Status
The Asterra system no longer shows any signs of life. All infrastructure is inactive — no power, no supply lines, no personnel. Ytharia, once the system's historical and cultural heart, is now inhospitable and war-torn. Carmyn remains a navigational reference point for Project Exodus planning.