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Giikusu

by Pete Gray

Starport:Class D
Diameter:6099 Miles
Atmosphere:Thin with high levels of Pollutants
Surface Water:67%
Climate:Chilly
Population:9.34 Billion
Government: Charismatic Dictator (Ibn Naudi)
Law Level: 11
Tech Level: 10

Giikusu is orbited by three crumbling moonlets. Debris from these has surrounded the world and created a dusky but beautiful ring system that is the most memorable image of this world. Otherwise Giikusu is very nearly worthless in the eyes of most people. Even during the height of the Imperial period, the world was bypassed by the main trade routes from the Imperial Core.

Much of this had to do with the world's long history of military coups and dictators, many of whom were not keen on offworld competition or immigration undermining their power. In an exercise that was mirrored hundreds of times across the Third Imperium, the bureaucracy and local nobility were convinced to leave the world's deplorable political and economic situation alone, and stare the other way. The main conflicts are between the worlds largest landholding families, and center on economic issues. These families have controlled most of the world's productive farmland, industry and power generation facilities, and the remainder of the population are free agents who hire on with their estates wherever they can.

The three most powerful families are the Issingtons, the Harashdis and the Ibn Naudi. For most of the worlds history the Issingtons have dominated, but were overthrown in 991 in a coup led by the Harashdis. The Harashdi' rule was extremely unpopular with the other families and a good portion of the population, and before the Imperial Civil War the rulers were struggling against an insurgency backed by the Ibn Naudi family. In 1128 most of the Harashdi family fled from the world for the Ziru Sirkaa, and the Ibn Naudi took over.

Since the Collapse the family has ruled Giikusu in an increasingly progressive fashion. Many other families fled during the Abandonment, leaving much of their property idle. The Naudi have proposed to dissolve these dormant lands and turn them over to the population, in exchange for becoming hereditary monarchs. Many families that fled have opposed this action, and it might be illegal under the world's legal code. Nevertheless the Ibn Naudi have rallied major popular support, and the world might be heading for a major conflict.


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