Seskyra was the setting for Part 1 of the “Little Girl Lost” arc of my AoR campaign. The gazeteer entry below covers Seskyra after a shakeup at the Imperial Seskyra Garrison, the direct result of that Alliance SpecOps mission.
SESKYRA
Astrogation Data: Alanos system, Senex-Juvex sectors, Mid-Rim region
Orbital Metrics: 300 days per year / 20 hours per day
Government: Imperial Governor, with local nobility.
Population: 90 million. 70% Human, 29% Mon Calamari, 1% other
Languages: Basic, Mon Cal
Terrain: Warm oceans; landmasses are plains and hills with many large lakes and rivers. Many areas are humid due to all the bodies of water. Overall (warm) temperate climate.
Major Cities: Port Mist, Seska City (capital), South Reach
Areas of Interest: Governor’s Mansion, Seskyra Garrison, Whitecap Specialties
Major Exports: Foodstuffs (fish and shellfish), recreation vehicles and gear
Major Imports: Technology, metals
Trade Routes: Rimma Trade Route, Corellian Spine
Backgound: The Alanos System is just inside the Mid-Rim, not far from Karfeddion. The first wave of colonists were mostly Human, and the wealthiest of them took advantage of the chance to ennoble themselves. Mon Cal were soon invited to join the colony, to help cultivate and harvest the bounty of the seas, lakes, and rivers. Unfortunately, with the advent of the Empire, the fortunes of Mon Cal Seskyrans fell. Within a few years, most of them became de facto serfs or indentured servants.
In the last 2 decades, Seskyra has become a minor tourist and ship’s rest and recreation destination as well, due to the natural beauty and relatively inexpensive amenities. To support this trade, there are several small boat, skimmer, and paraglider manufacturers, as well as tour and hostel businesses.
Seskyra is an Imperial planet with a Governor, Gravill Norn. In addition, there are local nobles, some of whom do hold government positions, but the class as a whole has no official role; it is strictly a social class. House Obiryn, currently headed by Lord Kam Obiryn, is one of these. The population–the Humans anyway–are generally pro-Imperial, so there are no formal rebel groups.
However, there is discontent in some quarters, just very, very quiet, and Rebels who are careful and discreet may be able to build on this. For example, Gov. Norn has taken over various properties, earning the ire of former supporters from the business and noble sectors. The Mon Cal citizens are unhappy about their change in status but do not feel able to do much about it, as they realize most Humans would not support them, for fear of reprisals.
Port Mist: Also known as Port of the Mists. This picturesque port town was once a thriving center of the sea fishing business until a series of algae blooms a century ago decimated that fishery. Although the algae has been eradicated and fish populations increased, the business never recovered. In recent years, there has been an effort to turn the town into an eco-tourist destination, with cruises and rustic accommodations. Its isolation and distance from Seskyra Garrison, as well as the tourist presence, make it a possible spot for Rebels needing to lay low–or trying to start a cell.
Seskyra Garrison: Located on an island in the middle of a lake outside Seska City. The Garrison can be reached either from air or 1 secured bridge with check points on both ends–as well as over the lake. There has recently been a major upheaval at the Garrison, with the entire Command Staff (the lucky ones anyway) being transferred to Kessel. Some rebuilding has also recently been completed. Rumors: 1) there was a prisoner escape, aided and abetted either by “Rebel terrorists” or mutiny by Imperial troopers. An Imperial VIP may have been involved in the troubleshooting and the Governor is no doubt much poorer due to cooperating (read: bribing) in the investigation. 2) There may have been an underwater entrance to the island or directly into the Garrison at one time, but it is unused/blocked off.
Whatever the truth of the rumors, it is a fact that security has been much heightened in and near Seskyra Garrison in the last few months. Walker and speeder bike patrols are all over the road leading to Garrison Lake, as well as a large perimeter, the Garrison Lake Zone. Airspace is monitored and a TIE flight is kept “hot” at all times.
Garrison Lake: This is a deep, large lake, with limited visibility below 20m. (Treat as Concealment of 1 Setback.) A successful Average Education or Survival check gains the following information: The lake has a thermocline–a much colder water layer–about 50m down. The thermocline and deeper water contain mildly toxic gases. (Treat as a Rating 1 Corrosive Atmosphere, per AoR p. 228) Due to these conditions, an underwater infiltration/exfiltration requires more gear and preparation than obtaining a wetsuit and Aquata breather, even discounting Imperial patrols and sensors.
Wavecap Specialties: Wavecap Specialties is one of the oldest seafood exporters still in business. Wavecap has many fishing boats and extensive fish and shellfish farms all over Seskyra. All of the shipping, and some processing are done at the Wavecap facility in the Prime Industrial District of Seska City. The company is owned by Lord Kam Obiryn, the scion of an original Seskyran family. Wavecap is known to “employ” a number of Mon Cal serfs.
Lord Kam, however, has a few secrets–like he is no fan of the Imperials in general, and Gov. Norn specifically, after the man coerced/blackmailed Kam’s grandfather into “donating” a favorite Obiryn manor for a new Governor’s Mansion. Also, Kam is not completely self-centered. In fact, he is very sympathetic to the Mon Cal’s plight.
Wavecap’s Mon Cal are secretly paid employees and one of them is Kam’s silent co-owner. Rebels who can gain his trust will find they have a friend–within limits. Lord Kam and Company will not stick their necks out very far for the Rebellion. Kam is happy to sell food via shadow companies/intermediaries. He may agree to disguise Rebels as employees, or even “allow” them to “steal” a vehicle and/or product. But he will make clear that he won’t hesitate to throw off-world Rebels under a speeder bus if they draw attention to Wavecap “because we have to live here.”
Design Notes: As mentioned above, I first used Seskyra in my own campaign. Florida and Arkansas were big inspirations for Seskyran terrain. Storinal, from the Legends novel Wraith Squadron, a mostly unspoiled Imperial world, was a lesser inspiration.
Lord Kam and his followers are an example of the type of help Rebel (or Resistance) agents are likeliest to find on worlds where the Empire has a strong presence: beings who have no love for the regime, and may act against it–but only up to A POINT, and no further, to avoid trouble. This is a good opportunity for Face PCs, especially Diplomat types, to show their stuff, and perhaps persuade his Lordship that increasing his support for the Alliance is in his and his people’s best interests.
Art Credit: A big thank you to my mentor, Terras Jadeonar, who did most of the work on the building, vehicles, and terrain in the accompanying pictures. He took my design–of an island in a lake with some building models on top–and went to work, all the while teaching me more techniques. Meanwhile, I worked on a party of Rebel PCs–whom you might meet in future “Astral Projections”–on an infil op. Bonus: Are you smarter than an Imperial patrol? See if you can locate my 3 Rebels.
Seskyra Garrison images are © 2018 Terras Jadeonar and Linda Whitson. You can see more of Terras’ work at his Deviant Art gallery.
Linda Whitson
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