Date: Thu, 16 Nov 1995 16:55:00 -0800 From: Douglas Berry Subject: RICE Paper: Capon/Lunion This is my first attempt at a RICE paper. Any constructive criticism is welcome. Coming soon: Lunion and the Regency Navy Threat Assessment: Sword Worlds Confederation. Capon/Lunion (2324 Spinward Marches) A747748-B N Ag 810 Re F9v Gravity: 0.6 Day: 33h 40m 48s Year: 678d 6h 29m (standard) Axial Tilt: 24d 13m 02s Atmosphere: 0.65, Oxygen: 23%, No weather control Temp.: -6 (+/- 6 lat, +18 to -42) (season: +14.4 to -24) Daily temp. range: +7.5 to -16.5 Conservative, Advancing Peaceful, Unagressive Regional, Aloof Agricultural, Agroproducts Law: 8-667A6 Tech: B9-BAACB-BBBA-BB-F PHYSICAL: Capon, viewed from orbit, is an attractive blue-green world. The visitor may notice the vast ice fields that cover large areas of the land masses. Also of note are the World Spine Mountains, a famed destination for sport climbers for centuries. Capon has a thin atmosphere, with a almost non-existent ozone layer. Caponese life has adapted to the harsh conditions, and the colonists all tend to be of a very dark shade. Travellers, however, must take precautions against high UV levels. Since much of the valley is snow-covered throughout the year, exposed human eyes can suffer permanent damge in a matter of minutes due to "snow blindness". Eye protection is a must, and either fully covering garments or a strong sunblock is needed to avoid a painful melanoma. There are two main continents; Nord, which is ice bound, and Pillagi, where most settlement has occurred along the Lanzecki river basin. The Lanzecki, which flows 12,000km from the World Spine to the Hester Ocean, is a meandering, slow river. Its flood plain provides for much of the agricultural output of the world. HISTORY: Capon was settled in 124, with colonists drawn from the Deneb sector. The first colony failed within 50 years due to poor planning. In 180, an Imperial Navy base was started on the site of the first colony. Ministry of Colonization officials scoured the area for colonists who could stand the extreme UV levels. The result was one of the oddest collections of people ever to settle a world. While regulations were followed in skills available and male-female ratios, etc.; most of the colonists had never met each other until they were on the transports. The second colony was established in the Lanzecki River's broad delta region. After clearing the heavy jungle, the region was found to be very fertile, supporting a wide variety of crops along with aquaculture. The Second Frontier War saw the invasion of Capon by Sword Worlds forces. An attempt to deny the Naval Base to the Imperium, the occupation led to a bitter guerilla war that last three years (617-620). The Occupation, as it is remembered, has left a lasting dislike of off-worlders in general and Sword Worlders in particular. SOCIETY: Caponese society is best characterized as conservative and polite. Manners are considered to be of paramount importance in social situations. Rudeness will rarely result in violence, but the offender will be ignored. Caponese dress in head-to-toe outfits, rarely exposing skin to the harmful rays of Cyr. Since UV protection goggles are mandatory, it is considered very rude to look an ungoggled person in the eyes. Among family and close friends, however, there is no nudity taboo. Indeed, communal bathing is part of the Brushlander culture. There are two distinct sub-cultures on Capon; the majority who live in the Lanszeki valley, and the Brushlanders who follow the Basa herds. Brushlanders are nomadic, living in massive ATVs. They use kians and light grav vehicles to monitor their stock. Brushlanders barely acknowledge the existence of the world government, preferring their own clan structure. Most Brushlander clans consist of several families of 40-60 individuals. Brushlander and mainstream Caponese come together annually when the clans bring their herds into railheads for auction. At these times, the clan council judges disputes between families, allocates goods and profit from the sale, and makes arrangements for clan members who wish to leave for any reason (usually the clan member is welcome to return at any time). GOVERNMENT: Capon is governed by a Senate that controls appointments to various posts. The world is divided into four districts, with Burton's Landing constituting a seperate district of its own. Seats are allocated based on a districts economic output, resulting in a constant shift in the balance of power. The Senators from each district elect one of their number to serve on the Executive Council, this body holds the purse strings of the Treasury. The Senate is popularly elected every five years. Elections are staggered, so that any given year 1/5 of the seats are contested. Caponese politics are fractious, with several candidates vying for any given seat. One wit observed: "Caponese are polite to a fault, and that fault is politics." Everyday administration is handled by various Ministies. Ministers are appointed by the Senate, and nepotism seems to be the rule. Lower-level bureaucrats are found through civil service exams, and tend to make up for their superiors' failings. Law enforcement is under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice and the National Police. Laws are mainly intended to preserve order, and allow for a wide range of expression. Police tend to be armed with non-lethal weapons, and act more as mediators whenever possible. Those arrested will be tried before a tribunal consisting of a Senator, a police official, and a citizen selected at random. The accused are considered innocent until proven guilty. Punishment is slated more towards conspicuous public service and embarrassment. VISITING CAPON: The first thing a visitor to Capon will notice is the small orbital port. Currently being upgraded as part of the Phase 2 Starport project, the Up-port is crowded for a class A facility. Once cleared by the RQS and Caponese Customs, your ship will land at the First Try Memorial Starport. Built on the site of the failed colony, the main terminal has an interesting display of artifacts found during the port's construction in the late 700s. Ground transport to the capital of Burton's Crossing is usually handled by high speed Mag-Lev trains, but an option for the traveller with more time is a trip up river on one of the many cruise ships. Once in Burton's Crossing, (pop: 6.4 million) there are a variety of hotels and entertainments. It is important to remember that acts perceived as rude will result in a shunning, even from merchants and police. Most of the planets economic activity is handled here, rather than at the starport, due to the nature of the world's exports. A brisk futures market can be found in the Poolside district, and is fascinating to watch. SYSTEM DETAILS Primary: Cyr F9v 0. Empty 1 Caldon YS00000-0 2 Firth Y310125-A 3 Belt Y000000-0 4 Capon A747748-B N Ag 12 Yun H221369-B Re 5........Empty 6........Tiburons Y9A0000-0 -- Douglas E. Berry - dberry@hooked.net Planets created while you wait The Dream is, and must remain, alive....