Planet: Jo’Ra
Purpose: Trading port & religious commune
Temperature: 27 degrees Celsius
Gravity: 0.9 standard
Communication: Class 4
Society: Class 3
Transport: Class 3
Weapons: Class 9

Description: Jo’Ra is a planet of rolling hills and plains. Once a hotbed of volcanic activity, the planet has since cooled and the ash from the volcanoes has given it a rich soil — leaving it temperate, calm, and comfortable. A bright sun makes it very hospitable for all kinds of plant life.

A small Tavlek colony has lived on Jo’Ra for the last few hundred cycles. They fled their homeworld due to religious persecution and came to Jo’Ra to build a world where all faiths could practice their religions freely. The rich soil of the planet helped their farms grow quickly, and the Tavleks adjusted rapidly to the quiet life. Unlike most of their kind, these Tavleks prefer simplicity, with little to no technology. They travel by foot or in wagons drawn by farm animals, and their most sophisticated form of communication consists of a written posting placed in the colony’s center. They make an exception, however, with their weaponry. The local Tavleks may enjoy a simple life, but violence is simple to them. Most members of the colony possess rifles or firearms of some sort, though only the colony’s police force (a small band of mercenaries that joined the religious group some 20 cycles ago) use Tavlek Gauntlets. While not normally aggressive, the colonists will defend themselves when provoked.

The Tavleks here live in a simple religious commune, where all members look out for each other. They all study the Tale of the Ma’kai, their holy scripture, which has two major tenants: respect life, and live a healthy life. Part of respecting life involves teaching others, though they teach more through providing experience than through imparting information. They will teach a pupil about danger by exposing him to it without warning, so he learns how to avoid it better in the future. They do not tolerate fools, but respect those willing to learn by doing.

Though the colony no longer seeks to travel the stars, they have set up a small tented bazaar near their colony’s center, where they allow offworlders to ply their trade. While not a commerce planet, the bazaar is the best trading post for several systems. The Tavleks primarily trade their food, which is exceptionally nutritious and tasty. In addition to fresh foods, the colonists make and sell food cubes to their offworld visitors, the formula for which has been modified to add a variety of pleasant flavors. The bazaar is not limited to locals, and merchants from other planets and races sell their wares there as well.

The leader of the commune at this time is Takaak, an older Tavlek who no longer spends as much time farming as she would like. She and her husband have slowed down in their old age, letting her children look after most of their farming duties. She still has her warrior’s skills, however, and can defend her colony if needed. She spends much of her time in the bazaar, taking care of troublemakers.

Encounters: Though Jo’Ra doesn’t attract visitors from far and wide, the planet’s bazaar had made a bit of a reputation in the local region. While it has little to offer in the way of high technology, weaponry is a surprising exception to this rule. Though the Tavleks do not sell their unique gauntlets here (they honor the laws prohibiting sales to non-Tavleks), they allow the buying and selling of virtually any other weapon, from Peacekeeper pulse rifles to Luxan Qualta blades. A Tavlek from offworld may theoretically purchase a gauntlet, but there is no guarantee that one would be available.

Most of the other goods on the planet are low-tech, but most have exceptional qualities. Fire-silk, Zenetan wine, gems, precious stones, exotic pets, unusual foods, works of art, musical instruments, and much more can be found at the bazaar. Merchants are semi-transient, as they usually have to leave the planet long enough to restock their goods. Only the Tavlek merchants are permanent.

The Tavleks of Jo’Ra are not dangerous, unless unnecessarily provoked. They tolerate offworlders in their colony, provided none of them disrupt their simple life. Those who annoy the locals will usually get a warning in the form of a solid beating. Those causing continued problems are usually exiled, but extreme disruptions or serious crimes will result in the death of the offender, offworlder or local.

Though the Tavleks of Jo’Ra adhere to a respect for life, they also believe in reincarnation. They hope that those whom they kill, in their own defense, the defense of their freedom, or in retribution for crimes against their people, will learn something that will help them in their future lives.