Planet 02 · Eridan System · Temperate Frontier World

Voss

Earth-like conditions, dense forests, clean rivers and a mild climate. Voss is the most habitable world in the Eridan System — and the most promising target for a self-sustaining colony. The Drift Union already has a foothold here. They know more about the outer systems than anyone, and they are willing to share. For a price.

Orbit

.50 AU

Atmosphere

Breathable

Gravity

1.05 G

Temperature

-5–38°C

Control

Drift Union

Population

~8,000

Overview

The Green Frontier

Voss is the only naturally habitable planet in the Eridan System — a world of dense forests, open grasslands, river networks and mountain ranges that no corporation has managed to claim. The air is breathable. The water is clean. The climate is mild. It is, by every measure, the best candidate for the first self-sustaining colony in the system.

The Drift Union established a small settlement here years ago. They operate on consensus and maintain the most extensive network of contacts, scouts and navigators in the outer systems. Their knowledge of trade routes, system politics and unexplored regions is unmatched — and available to those willing to build a working relationship.

For a colony builder, Voss offers what no other planet in the system can: food production. Real agriculture, real biomass, real renewable resources. A colony on Voss doesn't just sustain itself — it feeds stations and outposts across the entire Eridan System. The land is there. The resources are there. The challenge is taming a wilderness that has its own ideas about cooperation.

Environment

Landscape & Biomes

From the glowing equatorial forest to the breadbasket delta — Voss is a living world with room to grow.

The Greenwall

A massive forest belt that rings Voss's equator. Trees grow 40 meters tall with bioluminescent bark that glows faintly at night. The canopy is so dense that ground-level visibility drops to meters. Rich in biomass and organic materials, but dense growth makes large-scale harvesting a logistical challenge.

Windplains

Rolling grasslands between the forest zones. Wide open and constantly swept by strong winds. Settlements prefer the plains for visibility and buildable terrain. The grass itself is a resource: fibrous stalks used for weaving, insulation and bio-fuel production. Ideal terrain for farming colonies.

The Marrow Peaks

A jagged mountain range cutting across the northern hemisphere. Rich in mineral deposits but treacherous terrain — narrow passes, sudden drops, weather that changes in minutes. The peaks are named for the pale bone-colored rock that makes up their faces. Ancient cave networks run through them.

River Delta

Where the Voss River system empties into an inland sea. Fertile wetlands supporting the largest farming settlements on the planet. The delta is the breadbasket of Eridan — food grown here has the potential to feed stations across the system. Prime territory for agricultural colonies.

Factions

Who Lives on Voss

A decentralized union of navigators and the independent settlers who tamed the land — both worth knowing.

The Drift Union

Governing FactionDecentralized

The closest thing Voss has to a governing body. The Union operates on consensus — settlement leaders meet at Freehold to discuss policy, trade agreements and resource allocation. No president, no board, no hierarchy. Their real value is information: they maintain the most extensive network of contacts, navigators and scouts in the outer systems. Building a relationship with the Union opens doors that stay closed otherwise.

The Settlers

CivilianFarming & Trade

Independent families and small communities who came to Voss for land and stayed for the freedom. They grow food, raise livestock, harvest timber and trade with anyone willing to deal fairly. Settlers are friendly but practical — they know the land, they know what grows where, and they know what the weather will do before the instruments do.

Notable Characters

People of Voss

The coordinator who opens the outer systems, the elder who remembers everything, and the scientist chasing an ecosystem that shouldn't exist.

Mara Voss

Drift Union — Coordinator

The central contact for newcomers arriving in the Eridan System. Named after the planet — or the planet after her, depending who you ask. Calm, connected, and the key to unlocking Drift Union knowledge about the outer systems.

Old Brennan

Settler — Freehold Elder

Oldest living settler on Voss. Built the first permanent structure at Freehold with his own hands. Knows every trail, every growing season and every secret the land holds. Speaks slowly. Worth listening to.

Dr. Lena Kirsch

Xenobiologist — Field Researcher

Studies Voss's native ecosystem from a research camp near the Greenwall edge. Her research into the planet's biology hints at something unusual about how the ecosystem evolved. Pays well for biological samples and survey data.

Key Locations

Where to Go

From the hilltop hub of Freehold to the cave markings that echo Kessler's deepest shaft.

FreeholdSettlement — Player Hub

The largest settlement on Voss and the Drift Union's operational center. Built on a windplain hilltop with clear sightlines in every direction. Landing pads, market square, Union hall, medical clinic and "The Canopy" — a bar built around a living Greenwall tree. Contracts, trade, supplies and the starting point for any colony expansion on Voss.

Haven Farm CollectiveSettlement — Farming District

A cluster of farming settlements in the river delta. The food production center for the entire Eridan System. The settlers here have decades of experience growing crops in Voss conditions. A natural partner for any colony focused on agriculture and food supply chains.

The Greenwall EdgeExploration Zone — Biomass

The border between the windplains and the dense equatorial forest. Rich in harvestable biomass, timber and organic compounds. Dr. Kirsch's research camp operates here. The inner forest is dense and disorienting — bioluminescent plants provide the only light under the canopy. Native fauna is non-hostile but can be disruptive to harvesting operations and equipment.

The Marrow CavesExploration Zone — Minerals

A vast cave system inside the Marrow Peaks. Natural caverns connected by tunnels that appear too regular to be natural. The walls carry faint markings similar to those found in Kessler's Shaft 0. Mineral deposits in the caves are valuable, but the deeper sections produce unusual instrument readings and persistent equipment malfunctions.

Windbreak OutpostDrift Union — Forward Base

A Union scout camp on the edge of the Greenwall. Serves as the staging point for expeditions into the deep forest and the Marrow Peaks. Small, well-supplied and staffed by experienced Union scouts. A secondary contract board with exploration and survey assignments.

Dangers

Environmental Hazards

Voss is habitable, not tame. The wilderness, the weather and the distance all push back.

Unpredictable Weather

Voss weather shifts fast. Storms build in hours and can flatten temporary structures, flood low-lying areas and ground all air transport. Long-range forecasting is unreliable near the Marrow Peaks. Permanent colonies need weather-rated construction and drainage infrastructure from day one.

Native Fauna

Voss wildlife is not hostile, but large animals can be disruptive to colony operations. Herds trample crop fields. Burrowing species undermine foundations. Nocturnal creatures investigate lights and equipment. Fencing, deterrent systems and habitat management are ongoing tasks, not one-time solutions.

Dense Forest

The Greenwall interior is disorienting and difficult to navigate. The canopy blocks satellite signals, making standard navigation unreliable. Equipment brought into the deep forest tends to develop calibration drift. Expeditions require experienced guides and redundant positioning systems.

Windstorms

The Windplains earn their name. Storms build fast, hit hard and carry enough debris to damage unprotected equipment. Settlements are built low for a reason. Vehicles without anchoring systems get flipped. Infrastructure planning must account for wind loads that exceed standard ratings.

Sporewalls

Patches of fungal growth in the deep Greenwall that release toxic spores when disturbed. Spores cause respiratory irritation and disorientation. Clearing operations require protective equipment. In small doses, settlers have found medicinal applications for some spore compounds.

Isolation

Voss is a frontier world. Supply chains are long and unreliable. Medical facilities are basic. If something breaks in a remote colony, replacement parts are days away. Self-sufficiency is not aspirational here — it is a survival requirement.

Resources

What Can Be Harvested

The only world in Eridan that grows its own wealth — food, water and renewable organics.

Biomass

Renewable

Timber, plant fiber, resin and bio-compounds. Harvested from the Greenwall and plains. Essential for construction, manufacturing and trade. The backbone of Voss's export economy. Renewable, but sustainable harvesting requires planning.

Carbon

Industrial

Extracted from organic deposits and forest biomass. A fundamental industrial material used in alloy production, filtration systems and advanced composites. Voss is the primary carbon source in the Eridan System.

Wood

Construction

Greenwall timber is dense, durable and naturally resistant to most forms of decay. Used for habitat construction, furniture, insulation panels and trade goods. Harvesting from the forest edge is straightforward. Deeper stands require more effort.

Fresh Water

Critical Export

Voss has abundant clean water from rivers, rainfall and underground aquifers. Water is a critical export — stations and arid colonies across the system depend on Voss water shipments. Purification and transport infrastructure scales easily.

Organic Materials

Unique

Medicinal plants, bioluminescent compounds, food crops and animal products. Voss's ecosystem produces a wide range of organic resources with applications in medicine, optics, nutrition and manufacturing. Many are unique to this planet.

Food Production

System-Critical

Grain, preserved meat, fresh produce. Voss is the only planet in Eridan that supports real agriculture. Stations and outposts depend on Voss food shipments. A farming colony here doesn't just feed itself — it feeds the system.

Story Hook

Why This Planet Matters

Voss is the living heart of the Eridan System. Where Kessler provides the raw materials, Voss provides the food, the water, the breathable air and the biological resources that make long-term habitation possible. A colony here is not just another outpost — it is the foundation for everything that comes after.

The Drift Union maintains a small settlement on Voss. They know more about the outer systems than anyone — trade routes, political dynamics, unexplored regions, and whispered rumors about what lies beyond the mapped sectors. They are willing to share that knowledge, but trust must be earned through demonstrated reliability and mutual benefit.

And then there are the mysteries. Dr. Kirsch's research points to an ecosystem that seems too complex, too interconnected, too designed to have evolved naturally. The Marrow Cave markings match symbols found in Kessler's deepest mines. Voss is not just a frontier planet. It might be something more. But understanding what that means requires going deeper — into the caves, into the data, and into a history that predates human arrival by an unknown margin.

Colony Potential

What Can Be Built Here

The objectives that turn the green frontier into the system's first self-sustaining home.

Self-Sustaining Colony

Primary Colony Type

Establish the first fully self-sustaining colony in the Eridan System. Farming, water collection, habitat construction and food processing. A Voss colony that reaches full production can supply food and organic materials to every station and outpost in the system.

Farming Operations

Agriculture — Food Production

Build crop fields, greenhouses and livestock facilities in the river delta. Partner with existing settlers for local knowledge. Food production is the single most valuable economic activity on Voss — demand always exceeds supply.

Research Station

Science — Exploration

Establish a research outpost near the Greenwall or the Marrow Caves. Survey the native ecosystem, catalog biological resources and investigate the unusual geological features that Dr. Kirsch's work has flagged. Scientific output attracts funding, partnerships and answers.