The following is a collaboration-in-worldbuilding attempt to make Abagawa IV, located in the Forge, more alive. We hope you all enjoy the read! As an aside, we would like to point out that the in-game planet stats were used as a general reference when constructing our interpretation of the planet. We generally ignore in-game planet stats because they are more often than not ridiculous. However, they can sometimes provide nice ballpark estimates of what one might expect.
Anyone wishing to provide planet profiles using our format is more than welcomed to do so.
-Korsavius and Pieter TuulinenEarth-like comparison figure:
Abagawa IV // Earth
Orbit Period: 267 days // 365.3 days
Planet Radius: 10,710 km // 6,380 km
Escape Velocity: 15.3 km/s // 11.2 km/s
Average Temperature: 297 K (~75 F) // 289.15 K (~61 F)
Average Pressure: 24.57 kPa // 101.35 kPa
Surface Gravity: 11.0 m/s^2 // 9.81 m/s^2
Note: This figure has been produced simply for fun. It provided a good reference, but in no way, shape, or form did it completely dictate our interpretation of the planet. For this profile, however, all statistics except orbit period and average pressure were considered.
>> THE FORGE REGION
>> OKOMON CONSTELLATION
>> ABAGAWA SOLAR SYSTEM
>> ABAGAWA IV
>> ...
>> Planet Profile Initializing
>> …
>> Upload Complete
>> …
General CommentsAbagawa IV is generally considered to be the jewel of the Abagawa solar system - it is the only planet in the system that can fully support life without the aid of terraforming or protected environments. Despite this, however, it is in many respects considered to be a backwater world. It has an extremely low population density when compared to planets that have been settled for as long as it has. This is in part due to the fact that almost half the planet has been dedicated to agriculture. It also has a low development index, again owing to much of the planet being used for farming. The planet is largely owned by the Sukuuvestaa Corporation, with the Hyasyoda Corporation maintaining a sizable portion of the planet. Agricultural products and processed ore are the primary exports of Abagawa IV.
MoonsAbagawa IV has two moons known locally as Sayesha and Maiyashi. Sayesha, the larger moon with a radius of 1,173 km, has been extensively developed. The Hyasyoda Corporation maintains all ownership rights of Sayesha, and operates a station in the moon’s orbit. A number of mining and production facilities exist on the surface of Sayesha. Maiyashi, with a mere radius of 194 km, is under the jurisdiction of the Sukuuvestaa Corporation. Due to the considerably small size, it has been deemed unviable to establish facilities on the surface of Maiyashi. Many astronomers theorize that Maiyashi was once an asteroid that roamed through the Abagawa system, but was caught by Abagawa IV’s gravitational field.
HabitabilitySitting at a comfortable 2.154 AU from its host orange radiant star, Abagawa IV sits within the “goldilocks” zone for supporting life. At this distance, the solar radiation which bombards the planet constantly is not too intense, yet not too weak. The planet’s magnetic field is strong enough to deflect adequate amounts of harmful solar radiation.
Despite the distance from its star, Abagawa IV has an average temperature of 297 K. It is able to to maintain this relatively high temperature thanks to having a thick atmosphere. This thick, dense atmosphere in turn carries heat across the planet well. The higher temperature does mean that a higher amount of water vapor exists in the atmosphere which blocks too much solar radiation from excessively heating the planet. Additionally, the atmospheric composition has gasses which help to insulate the planet, preventing heat from dissipating back into space easily. There was an initial abundance of oxygen provided naturally via the significant numbers of plant life found in the tropical and temperate regions. The combined factors of atmospheric density and composition help to create an average climate that is warm, but not excessively hot.
Furthermore, the planet’s eccentricity and axial tilt does mean there are seasons during the year that are opposite for the northern and southern hemispheres. Planet spin also helps to contribute to the winds which help guide clouds along the surface. Winds on Abagawa IV are fairly weak, but the many mountain ranges and valleys help to amplify the apparent strength of these winds.
Being a rather large terrestrial planet, it is only natural that Abagawa IV hosts a hefty gravity of 11.0 m/s^2. Still, this gravitational force isn’t too strong that it cannot support human life. Mineral and metal composition of the planet contribute to its 15.3 km/s escape velocity. This means that planetary shuttles can still be used for transport to and from the planet, but space elevators are more efficient. The high gravity is caused by significant deposits of valuable heavy metallic elements which form the basis of the second largest of Abagawa IV’s industries - mining and ore processing.
Topography and ClimateAbagawa IV is a rather large rocky world. Sizable portions of the planet’s land mass are concentrated in the northern and southern geographic poles. Many areas of the planet are covered in mountainous terrains separated by winding valleys. A consequence of this predominant feature are a plethora of rivers which empty out into the oceans. While this is excellent for allowing lush forests to develop, it does sometimes pose a flood and landslide hazard. The sizes of these mountain ranges varies considerably, with some mountain ranges reaching the upper atmosphere and others being gentle hills. There is also an abundance of plateaus found on the surface, which are generally covered in temperate grasslands while the canyons are home to rivers.
The equatorial regions are generally either warm, moist tropics or hot, dry deserts. Oftentimes, the deserts on Abagawa IV are surrounded by tall mountains which prevent atmospheric moisture from reaching the area. Equatorial tropical regions are coveted for the rich flora and fauna which call these regions home. The tropical regions on the larger land masses tend to host smaller, rolling hills while the tropical regions found on islands tend to be hosts to a variety of taller, interestingly shaped mountains and volcanoes. Weather in these regions is generally pleasantly warm. Oftentimes, this warmth provided by Abagawa IV’s orange sun will be accompanied by humidity.
About 35 degrees north and south from the equator, the primary biomes shift from tropical climates to chaparral, temperate grasslands, and temperate deciduous forests. The terrestrial motifs of mountains, valleys, rivers, and plateaus still exist, however. Some of the forest trees in these regions span incredible widths and heights, and date back millions of years. The weather in these areas is very mild, and therefore very sought after for those looking to build a comfortable home.
The northernmost and southernmost regions of Abagawa IV feature no significant ice caps. Instead, large coniferous forests blanket the regions. The mountains here are covered with snow and ice, but not in abundance. Lack of polar ice caps does not stop these regions from experiencing cold weather, although the cold weather experienced certainly is not as extreme as on other planets.
The ocean floors of Abagawa IV are no exception to the rule. Underwater mountain ranges span hundreds of miles across much of the ocean floor. There are also a number of deep underwater trenches. Exploring some of these trenches poses an engineering challenge due to the immense pressure at those depths. In the tropical waters, it is not uncommon to see a wealth of coral reefs just below the waters. The fishes which inhabit these coral reefs are harmless in the environment, but can prove fatal if consumed in large quantities.
Population and DevelopmentAbagawa IV hosts a population of just shy of 350 million. This current population estimate is actually considerably lower than that seen in previous decades. An early interest in automation of industry has led to a corresponding increase in automation for the vast chunks of land dedicated to agriculture, and this has caused a decline in the population. As a direct result of this, unemployment rates on the planet also increased, but this side effect has slowly been mitigated within the past five or so years.
The YC 114 corporate census survey revealed a male to female ratio of 54:46; the ratio has slowly been stabilizing throughout the past several decades. Ethnic diversity was tallied up as follows: 31% Civire, 23% Deteis, 27% Archura, 4% Amarr, 3% Intaki, 5% Khanid, 4% Ni-Kunni, 2% disenfranchised/unemployed. The population density for each ethnic group is more or less evenly spread out across well-populated areas of the planet, with the exception being the Intaki and disenfranchised/unemployed groups who generally live in the more rural regions of the planet.
During the initial colonial phase of the planet, it was clear the abundance of vegetation could be used to feed a growing State population. Sukuuvestaa was the first megacorporation to settle Abagawa IV. Hyasyoda soon followed, after apparently obtaining leaks from SuVee insiders that the planet was rich in ores and minerals. A prospector’s survey of the planet confirmed the rich presence of various ores and minerals, and Hyasyoda to this day still denies the fact that any information leaks were obtained. Sukuuvestaa, naturally, opposed the settling of the planet by Hyasyoda. The dispute was eventually settled by the Caldari Business Tribunal; the planet was broken up into large sectors, with Sukuuvestaa owning the majority of the planet’s sectors and Hyasyoda owning ones that were rich in ore and minerals.
As a result of this verdict, all of the sectors owned by Hyasyoda have mining-related operations taking place in some form or another. This also means unemployment rate in Hyasyoda-owned sectors is considerably lower than the rates observed in Sukuuvestaa-owned sectors. Some of the sectors under the jurisdiction of Sukuuvestaa have little to no development while others are heavily developed. Sukuuvestaa decided to devote the majority of its sectors to agriculture. As a result, roughly 42% of the planet’s landmass is earmarked for agricultural developments.
Another stipulation from the verdict was that Hyasyoda sectors of the planet would be required to obtain food for their populations from Sukuuvestaa. Sukuuvestaa, in an attempt to encourage Hyasyoda to leave their claims on the planet, then blockaded all food exports to Hyasyoda sectors. Furious with these actions, Hyasyoda airlifted food to their population from sources outside the system. A tense standoff between the two corporations ensued for approximately two weeks, with each corporation massing forces in orbit from each of their respective security forces. The CEP finally broke the standoff, and punitively fined both parties. The CEP forced both corporations to work together, and since then SuVee and Hyasyoda have done a fair job of doing just that.
There are four major cities on Abagawa IV, with two being owned by Sukuuvestaa and the other two being owned by Hyasyoda.
A view showing the outskirts of New Icousa, with the mountains wrapping around to the southwest.
New Icousa is the oldest and largest city on Abagawa IV. The Greater New Icousa area is host to around 43 million inhabitants, with the metropolitan area hosting 20 million of that 43 million. The urban area stretches onto an archipelago just off the main coast of the city. A network of impressive cool-grey metal bridges connects the islands of the archipelago together and with the mainland. New Icousa’s location of around 45 degrees latitude in the northern hemisphere of the planet leads to very mild, temperate weather for the area. The city is surrounded by temperate deciduous forests, and moderate mountain ranges encapsulate the southwestern region of the city outskirts. The city is far from glamorous, and hosts its fair share of slums and downtrodden districts. Perhaps the most infamous of these districts is the Svostlanka district, which has long had a reputation for shady backroom dealings and crime. Still, the city maintains the largest starport on the planet, and is even host to a space elevator system. The New Icousa Space Elevator Transit System, or NISETS, was actually constructed in response to Hyasyoda’s space elevator system in Arvo, the Arvo Space Transport Authority (ASTA). However, since Sukuuvestaa does not have the advantage of owning a station in the planet’s orbit, NISETS oftentimes loses contracts to the more affordable ASTA. Despite all this, New Icousa remains the business capital on Abagawa IV, with many businesses on the planet owning offices in the various business districts of New Icousa.
A glimpse of a primarily residential district of Arvo during a foggy early morning.
Arvo is the second largest city on Abagawa IV, and is owned by Hyasyoda. The city was the site where the first colony ships of Hyasyoda landed and established themselves. Tucked cozily into a peninsula roughly 50 degrees latitude in the southern hemisphere of the planet, it hosts a population of about 39 million residents. The city has always boasted a healthy economy thanks to the space elevator system established in the center of the city. The ASTA has a reputation for fair prices and excellent, prompt service. These have likely contributed to its greater success over its rival, the NISETS. Whereas New Icousa is the business capital of Abagawa IV, Arvo is the trade capital of Abagawa IV. The ASTA has proved to be a critical factor to the development of Arvo as such. It allows the city to import and export a tremendous amount of goods in an efficient, cost-effective manner. Many have called New Icousa and Arvo the “Twin Cities”, due to the immense amount of power both cities hold and the identical climates of each city. Arvo, however, does not have any slums, and each district of the city was designed with a specific purpose. Many inhabitants of Arvo take great pride in their city, and look down upon those who make no contribution in building up their great community.
A small fragment depicting the industrial sector which blankets the New Suroken City valley, looking south.
New Suroken City stands as the third largest city on Abagawa IV, with 29.6 million inhabitants. It acts as the industrial capital of the planet, with more factories, refineries, assembly arrays, and processing centers than every other major city combined. The city itself was established in a valley surrounded by a huge mountain range which only opens up in the southern region of the city. In fact, the primary residential and administrative districts are integrated into the behemoth mountain ranges which rest on the West and East sides of the city. These portions of the city house most of its residents, while the areas of the city in the valley resemble more of a huge industrial park rather than metropolitan city. As a result of this design, the Greater New Suroken City area covers a considerable amount of land. Vast deserts flank the opposite sides of the West and East mountains. Tunnels drilled through the mountain ranges connect these deserts with the main valley. New Suroken City, in addition to being known as the industrial hub of Abagawa IV, owns and operates a maglev train system which connects New Icousa and Arvo. Those who are afraid of heights or simply prefer to enjoy the scenery Abagawa IV has to offer generally prefer this method of transport between the business and trade capitals of the planet. New Suroken City also boasts the lowest unemployment rate of any city in the entire Abagawa solar system, a fact Hyasyoda takes great pride in.
Pokitaro during one particularly sunny day.
Pokitaro is the fourth largest city on Abagawa IV, boasting a population of 25.3 million inhabitants. The city acts as a prime destination for tourists, and serves the purpose of generating a lot of revenue for Sukuuvestaa. Given the fact that this is a tourist city, the infrastructure designs differ vastly when compared to the normally simple and pragmatic Caldari design philosophy. The city was heavily influenced by Gallentean cities, incorporating open-space designs with aesthetically pleasing infrastructure. There is a city-wide mandate that all buildings, regardless of building material used, must be painted or stained white. Pokitaro rests brushed up against the shore, and is surrounded by a rainforest. The climate for the area is warm and there is always humidity on some level. Pokitaro has a reputation for having the best sunsets in The Forge. Pokitaro has an even bigger reputation for what is known as the Neon Strip - an avenue which is loaded with hotels and casinos on either side. The huge, complex, and varied neon signs which advertise their host hotel or casino shimmer off the polished white surfaces of the buildings to create a truly spectacular sight. Many of the hotels and casinos in Pokitaro are fully or partially owned by SuVee; those that are not generally have to pay a landlord tax to SuVee anyway. In addition to casinos, there are plenty of other tourist attractions that draw outsiders to Pokitaro: museums, art galleries, world-class restaurants, zoos, and grand city parks which are all interconnected. Furthermore, Pokitaro has a reputation for being one of the cleanest cities in The Forge. The city maintains thousands of automated maintenance drones which constantly can be seen keeping the city neat and clean. Sukuuvestaa are very pleased of what they built in Pokitaro, proudly labeling it as “the finest tropical paradise the State has to offer; a must-visit for any overworked corporate executive” in their travel brochures.
Miscellaneous Information• Abagawa IV is a testbed of industrial and agricultural automation and sees the prototype testing of most major State innovations in these areas. For this reason it also acts as a testbed for new espionage techniques and technologies developed by the SuVee and Hyasyoda corporations.
• Abagawa IV feeds a good deal of the State’s Executives, since it is one of the worlds where a great deal of fresh produce is grown - sadly the seafood is largely unpalatable to humans, and most attempts to introduce more congenial strains of sea life have failed - except for shrimp!
• Because of Abagawa IV's importance to the Caldari State as an extremely valuable food world, both Sukuuvestaa and Hyasyoda have taken great effort to minimize harmful effects on the environment from population development - an unorthodox perspective to take coming from Caldari megacorporations. They have also instilled a maximum planetary population of 500 million for this reason.
• There are rumours that New Suroken City is the emergency headquarters for the Hyasyoda Corporation, should its Suroken headquarters fall to an enemy. These rumours are often assessed to be false due to the rather obvious nomenclature of the city - but the fact remains that New Suroken City contains many Hyasyoda administrative offices.
• There is a half-decennial celestial event in which both of Abagawa IV’s moons synchronize their full moon cycle for one month in the year. This event is known locally as the Ark-Taki, or the Twin Flame. Tradition dictates that homeowners leave their windows and doors open on the first night and host celebrations in order to experience success and prosperity for the next five years. The event is partially called Ark-Taki because, due to the orange light emitted from Abagawa IV’s host star, the full moons which can be seen during the sunset appear to radiate a fiery scarlet color.
• Capsuleer Korbin “Korsavius” Lavius owns a small island known locally as Parakone, or paradise. This island functions as his private estate, but he also maintains a Wayist forest which is open to the public, except during the weekends. Ferries from the mainland to the island are provided free of cost on his behalf.
• Pokitaro has been affectionately dubbed by many to be "the Pearl of Satama." This is because of the all-white infrastructure which makes up the city.
• New Suroken City has often referred to as the "Fortress City" because of how much of the residential and administrative districts are integrated into the massive mountain sides of the mountains which wrap around the west, east, and north sides of the city.
• Wayism, the Amarrian faith, and the Intaki faith are the three largest spiritualities/faiths present on Abagawa IV.
• There have been a number of wreckages of spacecraft and infrastructure localized on a tropical island near Pokitaro. Analysis of these materials indicate that they are approximately 20,000 years old. However, when geologists attempted to find the fossilized remains of the colonists, none could be found. It is almost as if they just suddenly vanished. The mystery remains to this day. The site now acts as a tourist location, and no other sites of colonization on Abagawa IV have been discovered.
• Abagawa IV is known locally as Satama, a word associated with the term "haven." Given that the planet itself has a low population density, and that it is in a relatively quiet system, the name seems rather fitting to its residents.
• The headquarters of the Tuulinen Foundation, a charitable organization which takes after the name of its founder Pieter Tuulinen, is located in the sunny city of Pokitaro.
---
Player fiction featuring Abagawa IV:
Dead Man Walking [mentions of Abagawa IV briefly in the beginning and end]
Beautiful Cherry Blossoms [although very vague in detailing the setting, much of the story does take place on Abagawa IV]
Whispers from the Grave [a good chunk of the story takes place in the Svostlanka district of New Icousa]
Tales From Abagawa [an ongoing collaborative project featuring various entries that deal with Abagawa IV or the Abagawa system in some way]