ASTROCARTOGRAPHY
The Xha’lem system is home to seven planets and twelve moons, all rotating around Ibis, the system's sun. Five planets and twelve moons are currently under the authority of the major galactic powers. The name Xha'lem is not recognized as the systems name by all resident races, and so a secondary grouping was established to identify planets and their respective moons as autonomous systems within themselves so as not to share the name of the system. This secondary grouping is referred to as constellations. This section provides a brief description of each of the constellations, their planets and moons, and those that inhabit them.
Naga Constellation
Naga
Naga is a planet in the Naga Constellation. It is the smallest planet in the system, with a radius of 1,448 miles. Its proximity to Ibis brings the average surface temperature to 600 degrees Fahrenheit. Between the heat, the radiation, and the toxic gases in the atmosphere (ammonia and methane), it is virtually uninhabitable. Protective eyewear is also needed between sunrise and sunset due to the extreme brightness of Ibis. The terrain is largely flat and desert, with no water of any kind. Methane clouds provide rainfall sporadically around the planet. Naga has no moons of its own.
Q’est Constellation
Zorrew
Zorrew (zhor-rue) is a planet in the Q’est (kess) Constellation and is occupied by the Xenorian Cotillion. It is the second planet in the system, and with a radius of 4,017 miles, it is the third largest planet in the system (slightly larger than Earth). The planet has two oceans, and four continents. Zorrew has no polar caps, has a climate similar to that of the tropical regions of Earth, but its summers are hotter and more humid. Zorrew has a robust agricultural sector, thanks to its nutrient rich soil, and supplies foodstuffs to the entire system, controlling 60% of the market. Its main cities include Q’eim (keem), Bora, and Zimi (zah-my), the capital city.
Xi
Xi (key) is the largest moon in Q’est and the seventh largest moon in the system. Xi is the closest to Zorrew and has a temperate climate. The atmosphere is nitrogen rich, and has heavy storms. The main cities on Xi are Zin’dr (zin-dur), Azzo (the moon’s capital), and Xi City.
Xhy
Xhy (khi) is the smallest moon in Q’est, Zorrew’s furthest moon, and the eighth largest moon in the system. It is uninhabited with the exception of research facilities run by Xenorians, Humans, and Brotillians, under the authority of the UIA. Various UIA testing is done on Xhy, including mech and heavy weapons testing. Combat drills and joint military exercises are also conducted here. There is no vegetation and very little water. The moon is very mountainous, rocky, and extremely cold at night and during the winter months, which are longer than most other planets or moons in the system due to its slow rotation.
Sina Constellation
Riema 191
Riema 191 is owned and occupied by the Hexadonian Federation. Non-Hexadonians are unwelcomed and none have been able to land on the planet. All communication has been done off-world, including business and political matters. The planet is the third planet in the system and its slow rotation keeps the winters unbearably cold and summers humid. Riema has a radius of 2,616 miles and is the fifth largest planet in the system. Its topography includes a large artic zone, three oceans, four continents, and thousands of sizeable islands.
Beyt
Beyt is the smallest moon in the system. It is so small that it has no atmosphere of its own. It is uninhabited and is also off limits to non-Hexadonians. It has been heavily bombarded by asteroids over the centuries. It is believed that it contains a secret testing site for the Hexadonians, but without an atmosphere, many doubt this to be true.
Shu Constellation
Shu
Shu is the capital planet of the Xha’lem System. It is one city, instead of a planet with multiple cities. It is the central hub of commerce and serves as the central meeting place for all the races and major powers within the system. It is neutral territory and is funded by a tax of the several member worlds of the system. The Central Court, the Commerce Controller, the Biome Council, the Central Trading Association, and several other system-wide governing bodies are located here. The weather is dry and the land is arid. Underground fresh water reservoirs allow for habitation but the planet is unable to establish an agricultural system. The poles have trapped methane gas under miles of ice. Shu is the second smallest planet in the system and its radius is 1,501 miles (nearly the size of Mercury).
Terran Constellation
Axum
The Terran Constellation is home to the Humans, or the One Earth Alliance. Axum is the fourth largest planet in the system (3,907-mile radius) and the fifth planet from Ibis. It has two moons and a ring encircling the planet, possibly from a long-destroyed moon, or collected from the nearby asteroid belt, or both. The average temperature is cooler than it is on Earth, with winters being especially cold and harsh for much of the planet, except around the equator. The planet has no deserts, long rainy seasons, and is known for its dense forests, stretches of swamp land, and vast artic regions. It has five continents and four oceans. The capital city is called Yucatan City and attracts a lot of tourists from across the system.
Pegasus
Pegasus is the largest moon in Terran and the fifth largest moon in the system. Pegasus is the closest to Axum and its landscape is dotted with craters. It has very few rivers, streams, and lakes, but all are fed by a single large freshwater body of water at the equator. The atmosphere is suitable for Humans, and its climate is generally mild to bitterly cold. It is sparsely populated. There are no cities within Pegasus, only towns, and very few of them. The most populous town is Herod on the ocean’s coast.
Oshun
Oshun is the smallest moon in Terran and the ninth largest moon in the system. It is nearly completely covered in water with millions of islands of all sizes scattered throughout. There are hundreds of archipelagos that are inhabited. Some major cities included Mizu, Lanai, and Lumeria. It spends much of the year in Axum's shadow, and so it is generally a very cold place. For much of the year, large glaciers form and float about the oceans, while seas become ice covered. Five months out of the year, the ice melts and the planet warms considerably to nearly tropical temperatures. During this time, Oshun becomes a very popular destination. Marine life on Oshun has been found nowhere else in the galaxies. Joint underwater research expeditions are commonplace.
Abrexis Constellation
Abrexis
Abrexis (a-bray-sis) is a planet in the Abrexis Constellation and is occupied by the Brotillian Confederacy. It has a radius of 8,002 miles (roughly twice the size of Earth), making it the second largest planet in the system. Abrexis has a complex ring system that generates a strong electromagnetic field, and four moons. The planet is over 90% desert. It contains large freshwater deposits several miles below the surface. Oases can be found sporadically across the planet’s barren surface due to water seeping up from below the mantle. There are large mountain ranges that span the surface, some of which are the highest in the system and much higher than any found on Earth. The winds are severe and perpetual, reaching up to 620 mph, carrying dust and sand endlessly around the planet. Very little activity occurs on the surface. Most of the inhabitants live underground in subterranean superstructures and naturally formed caverns. Its axis of rotation is tilted sideways, nearly into the plane of its solar orbit. Its north and south poles, therefore, lie where most other planets have their equators. The capital city and largest city is Brexit and is located completely underground. Bora is another major city, also located underground.
Bard
Bard is the largest moon in the Abrexis Constellation and it is the fourth largest moon in the system. Bard is the agricultural and commercial center of Abrexis. Bard has an atmosphere similar to Earth’s and lush vegetation stretching along the equator. It has no oceans but several large lakes and two polar regions that supply fresh water throughout the planet. Half of the Brotillian population in the system lives on Bard. Bard is Abrexis’ furthest moon and its slow orbit around Abrexis creates long icy winters.
Crown
Crown is the second largest moon in the Abrexis Constellation and the tenth largest moon in the system. It has very thin, hydrogen filled atmosphere, and it is heavily cratered. It’s desolate and cold. The Brotillians restrict access to Crown, and it is rumored to contain a secret Brotillian facility.
Brut
Brut is the third largest moon in the Abrexis Constellation and the sixth largest moon in the entire system with a 979-mile radius. It is a gaseous moon, having an atmosphere composed of approximately 75% hydrogen and 24% helium, with the remaining one percent consisting of trace amounts of methane, water vapor, and silicon-based compounds. Its surface is covered in liquid hydrogen with large deposits of ammonia crystals at its poles. It is currently uninhabited.
Abrexis IV
Abrexis IV is the smallest moon in the Abrexis Constellation and the second smallest moon in the system. It's often referred to simply as "the Moon" by Brotillians. It is airless and waterless, a barren rock with an extensive network of subterranean tunnels and caverns. It is the closest moon to Abrexis. The moon contains an abundance of raw metals used in the creation of everything from portable hand-held devices to large space stations.
Vixt Constellation
Overyx
Overyx (oh-var-icks) is the planet occupied by the Isyan Allegiance. It is the largest planet in the system, having a radius of 16,981 miles, more than twice the size of the next largest planet, Abrexis (over 1,000 miles larger than Uranus). It has three moons and one "halo ring", a ring closer to the planet than the rings of other planets and not as pronounced as it is composed of mainly dust and ice crystals. Overyx has large deposits of minerals and ores that have a variety of medicinal and scientific purposes. It is the coldest planet in the system, with very cool summers. There are seventeen continents and over 500,000 islands of various sizes situated within eleven oceans that are typically frozen most of the year. The planet has large deposits of methane trapped inside the northern ice cap. Its polar regions are larger than those of the other planets in the system. The capital city is Bhatox, but its largest city is Vixt-Vox. Vixt-Vox is a major port city and nearly every ship leaving and entering the system passes through it.
Vixt II
Vixt II is the largest moon in the Vixt Constellation and it is the largest moon in the system. Vixt II has an atmosphere similar to Earth’s and is extremely cold and makes the planet almost inhospitable. It is covered in tundra vegetation, such as moss, lichen, shrubs, and trees. The planet produces a significant amount of geothermal energy. The Isyans have been able to tap that geothermal energy to keep the planet livable despite its distance from Ibis. Its main cities include Boxin, Ovix, and Axa.
Burx
Burx is the second largest moon in the Vixt Constellation and it is the second largest moon in the system. Burx is an ice planet, with high, rugged mountains and deep canyons. The atmosphere is surprisingly breathable, but the frigid air makes breathing nearly impossible. The winds circle the planet at speeds up to 200 miles per hour. There is an ecosystem, and animals that have adapted to the environment can be found there. The ice is mainly composed of a water-ammonia mixture preventing the moons oceans from freezing over completely.
Pixet
Pixet (pix-E) is the smallest of the three moons in the Vixt Constellation and the third largest moon in the system. It is mountainous with an extensive system of naturally forming underground caves and tunnels, possibly from dormant volcanic and seismic activity. Its atmosphere contains high levels of sodium, hydrogen, and potassium.