Planet: Nezia
Purpose: Archive/information planet
Temperature: 25 degrees Celsius
Gravity: 0.8 standard
Communication: Class 9
Society: Class 9
Transport: Class 9
Weapons: Class 8

Description: A planet of extreme contrasts, which originally had deserts, large seas, and huge expanses of savannah, Nezia’s surface is now so densely populated that the original contours are invisible from space. From atmosphere it appears ivory and green due to the construction of countless buildings, canals, and parks. Stand-out landmarks include the immense Relleven Canal, which runs from east to west along the planet’s equator; and the city-sized Flurenz Biodome in the northern hemisphere, built to accommodate off-planet visitors with methane-atmosphere requirements.

Nezia’s main sources of income are education, tourism and diplomacy. The planet supports the largest collection of biblio-archives, libraries, universities and art galleries in the Uncharted Territories, and is generally regarded as an unparalleled source of antiquities. It has retained its treasures through a strict set of cultural restrictions and intense planetary security – any serious infraction of exacting laws and rules, whether committed by a visitor or inhabitant, results in permanent banishment from Nezia space. Nezia has no capital punishment, imprisonment, or physical form of rehabilitation. The natives employ a code of social shunning in order to keep their population in line. As an entirely neutral entity, Nezia plays host to countless diplomatic conferences and treaty summits involving forces from many powers, including Peacekeepers, Scarrans, Sheyang, independent Sebacean colonies, Luxans, and Scorvians, to name a few.

Though one might think that exposure to such a variety of other races would raise a threat to Nezian culture or safety, the population’s dedication to cultural boundaries and the planet’s advanced weapons technology preserves its independence. Because it is often impossible to find a neutral location for political meetings between warring races, aliens must generally abide by the princely fees the Nezians charge to host such gatherings. Having few monetary interests outside of their own system (which is largely self-supporting) guarantees their impartiality; Nezia has a reputation as one of the safest planets in the Uncharted Territories – although the reality is somewhat more complex than the image they present.

Encounters: The planet is divided into separate sectors by geography, and the likelihood of encountering a particular species varies from sub-section to sub-section. Within the confines of the diplomatic sector, one could meet nearly any species in the Uncharted Territories, but it is rare to find anyone but native Nezians. All species have access to the Nezian universities as well as their artistic and archiving sectors. A large number of offworlders visit the archiving sector, due to the massive amount of information contained therein. The archives also include many accurate star-maps.

In conflicts between offworlders, Nezians insist on mutual respect for each species’ traditions and avoidance of violence. Any person inciting violence is subject to expulsion and denial of access to the planet, no matter the provocation. The Nezians permit a certain latitude for first-time visitors, but after a few solar days, offworlders must know and adhere to the rules, including sectors forbidden to aliens, computer access restrictions, and polite public conduct. Nezia’s interest in visitor safety does not extend beyond their star system, leading to kidnappings and skirmishes immediately outside their borders.

Conference attendees are provided with a native guide to help them orient themselves, but commercial travelers and tourists must make their own arrangements. If a conflict arises between a native Nezian and an offworlder, the Nezian High Council can be depended upon to give the matter a fair hearing before finding either party culpable. Despite Nezia’s reputation for safety and low crime, nearly every planetary and system power in the Territories has a spy or espionage organization on the planet at all times.