Fair Australica, Advance

Interesting Planets/Human Space/Australicus Sector/Australican Wildlife.md

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+# Bestiary of the Australicus Sector
+
+The Australicus Sector, much like its Terran namesake, is known across the galaxy for its weird, wonderful, and deadly fauna.
+
+### Drop-Bear
+> "Under the tall trees / look out, beware / for up there's the home / of the Hungry Drop-Bear"
+- "The Hungry Drop-Bear", Australican Nursery Rhyme
+
+Perhaps the most famous Australican beast, the Drop-Bear is a carnivorous solitary hunter, known mostly for (and named for) its method of hunting; dropping from an elevated position, such as a tree or cliff, onto its unsuspecting prey. Native originally to the planet Kepler in the New Pembroke system, they've managed to spread across the system as part of an ill-advised early Australican campaign into pest control methods.
+
+The naming of "drop bear" is incorrect, as they are most similar to a Terran marsupial, raising their young in a pouch on their underbelly. A typical drop bear is around 5ft from head to tail, 3ft tall, and weighs in the range of 120-140kg. They have large curved claws allowing them to cling to trees, and highly developed fangs with a bite force around 1200psi. On Kepler, they are considered the alpha predator, holding a dominant spot in the planet's ecosystem.
+
+Despite their fearsome reputation, attacks by drop-bears on humans are rare in the modern day, with only around 10 fatal attacks and a further 25-35 non-fatal attacks per decade across the entire sector. This is credited to a concerted effort by the government to spell out the dangers of drop-bears and an increased awareness of where they live and tend to prey. Additionally, efforts to cull the drop-bears where they have become an invasive menace are beginning to bear fruit, largely due to a government program wherein hunters can claim a significant cash bounty for each drop-bear carcass they bring in.
+
+### Balayang
+> "Yeah I mean it's pretty scary at first, but eventually you get used to it. Me, I can hardly sleep on a hot summer's night without it these days."
+- Australican Resident
+
+The Balayang is a small bat-like critter that is native to the drier regions of Murphystone, although throughout the history of human habitation of the sector it has become invasive across most of the Australican heartlands (and beyond). Although they are generally considered harmless (unless you happen to be a small insect), they're well known for their calls, which are eerily similar to a high pitched human scream. During the summer when they are most active, this makes nighttime life in parts of the sector almost harrowing- although many Australicans would say that it's not a warm summer night without the sound of the Balayangs.
+
+### Bunyip
+> "Ah for fucks sake, the Trashfellas've been at the fuckin' bins again!"
+- Australican Resident
+
+Endemic to the swamplands of Wembawemba, the Bunyip is a semiaquatic predator that terrorises less developed regions. Also known as the Australican Hunting Platypus (ironically, given it shares no actual familial history with platypuses, owing to being an alien species and all that), the Bunyip defies most standard taxonomy: it has fur similar to that of a seal; a body not unlike that of an alligator, and, despite being mammalian, lays eggs. It hunts by electrolocation; closing its eyes, nose and ears to the water and using electrical stimuli to detect its prey. Once it catches it, it uses venomous barbs on its hind legs to sting its prey, paralysing it for an easy meal.
+
+Official advice on Wembawemba is to avoid the rivers and swamplands. Outwith these settings, Bunyips are basically harmless; they don't actively attack humans on land (though will fight back if threatened), and they don't seek prey out beyond the waterline.
+
+Bunyips are a fact of life on Wembawemba, since they live across much of the planet and have little to fear from humans. It's not uncommon to see them wandering down the street in smaller towns; they also frequently turn up in outdoor swimming pools. As they're opportunistic feeders, they also like to root in trash and dig up gardens, making them a perpetual annoyance to the local residents, and earning them a slew of local nicknames, including the Bin Croc, the Oz Raccoon, and the Trashfella, amongst others.
+
+### Stagrabbit
+Similar to the North American Jackalope, the Stagrabbit is exactly as it sounds- similar to a terrestrial rabbit, but with antlers reminiscent of those of a stag. They're originally native to Union, but throughout the years they've been introduced across the sector, mostly as pets. In this role, they've emerged as somewhat of a mascot for the sector as a whole, being depicted widely on postcards and souvenirs, and even becoming one of the sector's most beloved characters in the form of Matilda, one of the main character of popular children's show "This Galaxy of Ours" (about a band of singing animals exploring the galaxy- Matilda plays the banjo).

Interesting Planets/Human Space/Australicus Sector/Australicus Sector.md

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+# The Australicus Sector
+> "Course, once you get past the beasties, and the weather, and all that stuff... yeah, it's a fair dinkum place, really."
+
+A sector in name only, the Australicus Sector is a subdivision of the Spinward Near Rim once used as a penal colony, and today known galaxywide for its hostile conditions, dangerous wildlife, and friendly populace.
+
+In terms of habitability, the Australicus sector is considered a minor miracle, with 18 fully habitable planets spread across its stars. Such unprecedented density of habitability, however, comes at a cost- the planets are home to an incredible array of flora and fauna, most of which wants you dead. While the Australican spiders are the most famous inhabitants, special mention also must be given to such species as the Kinross Redhead Snake, the River Snapper, and especially to the Drop Bear.
+
+Constituting a federation of 11 stars (Kookaburra, Verwalls, Adelaide, Elizabeth, King's Star, New Pembroke, Kinross, Topside and the two stars of the Zealandia Binary System, Majoris and Minoris), alongside a number of outlying territories, the Australicus sector has its own legislature, which represent it as a federal entity at the TerraGov Senate.
+
+![Star Chart of the Australicus Sector](australicus_star_chart.png)
+- Star Chart of the Australicus Sector
+
+### Prison Worlds
+First surveyed during the first Spinward Rush, the 11 primary stars of the Australicus Sector were of particular notability for their habitability; numbering 15 planets regarded as fully habitable, alongside a number of potential terraforming candidates, the sector promised a future as a breadbasket, or even for permitting dense population of the type previously relegated to only a few planets across the Terran domain. However, this habitability cuts both ways: while the conditions are perfect for humans, they are also perfect for an incredible variety of local flora and fauna, most of which is incredibly hostile to human life.
+
+For these reasons, the various stars of the sector were mostly passed by for colonial endeavours, with small mining stakes being the only permanent population. However, as the Terran population expanded, and the need for prison space continued to expand, the Australicus Sector found its footing as a penal colony: prisoners would be shipped to the planets and act to set up new colonies there, in exchange for their freedom (in the sector, at least) after a period of forced servitude. After a while, free colonies also came to be set up, as penal workers found new sources of minerals and built an economic foundation onto which the rest of the sector could contribute.
+
+This was the way of life in the Australicus Sector for around 100 years, during which tens of thousands of penal colonists, and as many free colonists, made their way to the region. Eventually, as the number of free colonists outnumbered those there under penal conditions, and better locations for prisons and penal colonies became available, transportation to the sector dwindled and, within a few decades, the status of the Australicus Sector as a prison was ended; shortly afterwards, the systems federated, and Australica was accepted into the wider Terran Federation.
+
+### Australicus Federation
+
+![Flag of the Australicus Federation](federal_flag.png)
+
+## Geography of the Australicus Sector
+## Australicus Proper
+"Australicus Proper" is the collective name given to the central stars of the Australicus Sector that make up the Australican Cross: Kookaburra (and Booderee), New Pembroke, King's Star, Adelaide, Elizabeth, Verwalis, and the outlying systems of Jarnamoda and Whitetail. This is the beating heart of the sector, with the majority of the population and economic activity finding itself within its confines.
+
+### Kookaburra and Booderee
+Although technically comprising of two separate star systems, Kookaburra and Booderee are generally lumped together as the central portion of the Holland Line, and due to the low population of the Booderee system. Kookaburra is the capital of the Australicus Sector, despite being a small system by Australican standards. This is mostly due to its position roughly at the median between the three most populous systems of the sector: Elizabeth, New Pembroke and Adelaide. Kookaburra has two planets, the capital itself, Union, and the uninhabited dustball, Franklin. Booderee has no fully habitable planets, although Crestpoint is populated with a few scattered mining settlements, and is considered a potential candidate for terraforming.
+
+### New Pembroke
+While Kookaburra might today be the capital of the Australican Federation, New Pembroke was the first of the sector's systems to be settled by humans, and remains the most populous of the various stars of the sector, with around 1/5th of the total population of Australica spread across its four habitable planets. The largest settlement in New Pembroke is Arthurstown, located on the planet Albion, which is famous across the galaxy for its golden shores and crystal-clear seas.
+
+As might be expected for the most developed star system of the sector, New Pembroke's economy trends towards service. Most companies with a stake in the sector have their regional headquarters here, and a large proportion of the population is employed in this sector of industry. This tends to give Brokers an economic advantage over the other systems of the Federation, which does lead to a bit of (still mostly friendly) resentment, and a reputation for being a bit snooty.
+
+New Pembroke also serves as the primary colonial port of the region, with Albion having a developed orbital shipyard complex and being a basing location for the Terran Navy. Most travellers to the Australicus Sector will pass through New Pembroke at some point, be it to refuel or resupply to continue their voyage, or as a transfer point to more local transportation options.
+
+### King's Star
+If Kookaburra is the Australican political capital, and New Pembroke is its economic capital, then King's Star is its entertainment capital. Even amongst the competition within the sector, King's Star stands out as having particularly beautiful planets; a fact that has allowed it to focus on becoming a tourism hub. Resorts dot its various worlds, attracting millions of tourists a year to soak up the sun and sea, and, most importantly, to spend their money. Emblematic of the King's Star way is its capital city, Moreton, located on the ocean planet Northbone, which is famous for its lavish casinos and intense nightlife.
+
+### Adelaide
+
+
+### Elizabeth
+
+
+### Verwalis
+> "It's hard to explain the feeling you get in Verwalis. Anywhere else in the sector, I'm as happy as Matilda, but as soon as my ship drops out there, there's a certain sadness that comes over me."
+
+Known colloquially in Australicus as the Southern Star, Verwalis has a dour reputation, with local legend saying that it's haunted by the ghosts of explorers past. Some fringe theorists posit that the entire system is located within a Delta-Void zone. No matter what causes it, however, many travellers within the system report feeling disconcerted or paranoid, that there are "unexplainable" events on their ships, and that a certain melancholy hangs heavy across everywhere the light from Verwalis touches.
+
+Despite the sadness on the solar winds, Verwalis is home to some of the most beautiful sights in the entire Australicus Sector, from the forested mountains and windswept bays of Palawa, to the snowy highlands of Van Diemen's Prospect.
+
+Verwalis makes most of its money from agriculture, with a particular focus on ranching and aquaculture.
+
+## Farside Australicus
+This is the typical name given to the Australican territories on the "far side" of the Outback Nebula. These systems are isolated from the wider federation, with transport through the nebula being difficult, and circumventing it being slow. Kinross and Topside define the Farside experience, being sparsely populated and "provincial" in comparison to the insular Australicus Proper, but many insist that the frontier lifestyle out there is the "true" Australicus. Most of the outlying territories also find themselves in this grouping.
+
+### Kinross
+Kinross occupies an interesting position in the Australican world, being highly isolated from the other major population centres in the sector by the Outback Nebula. This distance has given Kinross and its population a distinct identity to that of the rest of the federation, with a strong frontier spirit and emphasis on self-reliance. Nowhere is this better exemplified than the capital city Fremont on the planet Noongar, which is smaller and less built-up than its brothers across the federation.
+
+The industry of Kinross is dominated by the mining sector, including industrial metals such as iron and copper, as well as limited supplies of gaseous plasma on Swanbank. Other major industries include refining and ranching.
+
+
+### Topside
+Of the primary Australican systems, Topside has the dubious honour of being the least habitable, with only one of its three planets having a breathable atmosphere. This planet is Earlmont, a desert world where the surface temperatures routinely hit above 60oC; for this reason, most of the settlements on Earlmont, including its largest, Copperhead, are built down into the rock, which helps to keep them cool enough to be liveable.
+
+Topside's economy is, like most of the sector, built around mining. Iron ore is the system's lifeblood, with other industrial metals also being integral to its exports.
+
+
+## Zealandica Binary System
+Long considered the black sheep of the Australicus Federation, the twin stars of the Zealandica System (Zealandica Majoris and Zealandica Minoris) are unique in that they were never host to any penal colonies; due to this, and their distance from the wider sector, the Zealandicans have a similar, yet distinct, culture to that of Australicans. This manifests as a friendly rivalry between the Zealandicans and the rest of the Australicus Sector, mostly about who's better at rugby and who invented various desserts.
+
+The largest city of the Zealandican systems is Lancaster, located on Waterloo. In comparison to the wider sector, the planets of the Zealandican systems have mild climates and less hostile fauna, which has permitted them to become the breadbasket of the Australicus Sector (and indeed, to supply large amounts of food to the wider Terran Federation).
+
+
+## Outlying Territories
+The Australican Federation also includes a number of outlying systems, which are sparsely populated and remote. Examples include Matilda, which is located deep within the Outback Nebula and is therefore extremely difficult to even reach; Whitetail, well known for its ice mining and frontier lifestyle; and Holland, often regarded as the most beautiful of the Australican systems due to its bright sun and dense asteroid belt.
+
+
+## Population of the Australicus Sector
+In the centuries since its first settlements, the Australicus Sector has attracted a wide variety of settlers. After the initial waves of penal settlement came extensive waves of free settlers, each bringing with them their own culture and traditions. Throughout the years, this has formed a melting pot, giving the Australicus Sector a cosmopolitan culture that's defined by sardonic humour, a tendency towards non-seriousness, and a hospitality famous across the Terran Federation.
+
+Following the cessation of first-contact hostilities with the Tiziran Empire, the Australicus Sector became host to a small Tiziran émigré population, which has grown throughout the years into a sizeable minority, giving the Australicus Sector one of the highest relative populations of Tizirans within human space outwith of lands annexed as part of the Terran-Tiziran wars. Although the migrant community has reached a sufficient age to be mostly integrated, a few vestiges of old Tiziran culture have formed an integral part of Tiziro-Australican life, including the use of a pidgin language blending Federal Common and High Draconic (and an accent best described as "interesting"), the carrying forth of a number of Tiziran religions, and a number of adapted dishes that have become popular across the wider Australican culture. The cultural community is so old and so well-integrated that, for many Tiziro-Australicans, a life under TerraGov is all they've known, with little connection to their ancestor's homeworld. Unfortunately, the general tension between the Terran and Tiziran governments has also made life difficult for the Tiziro-Australicans, with each successive war bringing a new wave of hostility towards them from their human neighbours.
+
+The Australicus Sector has also become an important destination for Ethereals leaving Sprout, as a number of the Australican planets are quite similar to Sprout in terms of environment. Of particular value are Ethereal Trailwardens, whose survival expertise is considered priceless for colonial efforts on some of the sector's most inhospitable planets. These Ethereals have formed insular communities, primarily in the sector's outlying planets.