Balneal (tidally locked ocean world)

[Sutehp]

Balneal


Planet Name: Balneal
Type: Terrestrial
Temperature: Temperate (on day side)/Frigid (on night side)
Atmosphere: Type I
Hydrosphere: Moist (90% water)
Gravity: Standard
Terrain: Ocean, with plains and wetlands
Length of Day: N/A (Tidally locked)
Length of Year: 350 days
Sapient Species: 85% Humans, 10% Mon Cal, 5% Quarren
Starport: Standard
Population: 80,000
Planet Function: Agriculture, trade
Government: Imperial Governorship (previously federation)
Tech Level: Space
Major Exports: metals, foodstuffs
Major Imports: luxury goods, medicinal goods

System Name: Balneal
Star Name: Duqual
Region: Outer Rim Territories
Sector: Wyl Sector (close to the Listehol Run hyperspace route)

Orbital Bodies:

Name Planet Type Moons
Balneal Terrestrial 2
Vizren Gas Giant 16
Diquet Gas Giant 22

Capsule: Balneal was settled by the Old Republic only five centuries before the Battle of Yavin and may perhaps be a unique example in the galaxy’s stellar cartography: a tidally locked ocean planet with no axial tilt. As a result of having no axial tilt, Balneal does not have seasons. Furthermore, the night side of Balneal sports a few-meters thick layer of water ice floating over an entire hemisphere of ocean. Any ice that drifts into the day side quickly melts and joins the unfrozen ocean. Meanwhile, on the day side of Balneal, any ocean water that has evaporated due to the unrelenting sunlight drifts over to the night side of the planet and quickly freezes to become part of the night side’s ice layer. This feedback loop has created a global slipstream that makes Balneal significantly cooler than any tidally locked planet without a large hydrosphere. As a result, the day side of Balneal is relatively temperate. Once Republic scouts discovered this fact, several colony ships landed on Balneal’s two small continents in 504 BBY and began to settle the planet.

A small population of Mon Cals and Quarren have emigrated to Balneal since the colony’s founding. Most humans on Balneal appreciate the aquatic talents of the Quarren and Mon Cals, although there are some human malcontents who resent the “fish-heads.” Oddly enough, the Quarren and Mon Cals of Balneal tend to get along as they are so far removed from Mon Calamari’s politics.

Balneal’s only starport, Vardan Starport, is located on the western part of Balneal’s northwestern continent Silden. Travel between Silden and the southeastern continent of Chaklev is a simple, if somewhat time-consuming, matter as airspeeder travel between the two continents is lengthy but easily arranged.

Balneal mostly produces seafood for export to other planets in the Wyl sector. However, a number of solar farms exist on Chaklev which produce a variety of fruits and vegetables, which are considered delicacies among the mostly seafood-eating Balnealans. Also, as a result of the early colonists’ commitment to keeping Balneal free as possible of pollution, a number of wind farms were created off the coasts of Silden and Chaklev to help provide clean energy to the people of Balneal.

Significant mineral deposits were recently discovered on Balneal after the rise of Emperor Palpatine. As a result, an Imperial garrison has been established and the Imperial governor has begun to establish offshore mining operations. One particular operation destroyed a wind farm not far from Silden and has resulted in several brownouts at and around Vardan Spaceport and the surrounding communities. As a result, the population of Balneal (both human and non-human) is beginning to resent the new and unwanted presence of the Imperial troops. A few Balnealans are trying to seek their fortune offworld as result, while a few others are contemplating revolt.
_________________
Sutehp's RPG Goodies
Only some of it is for D6 Star Wars.
Just repurchased the X-Wing and Tie Fighter flight sim games. I forgot how much I missed them.

[Error]

Love it!
_________________
The only words of explanation you need for any concept in the entire Star Wars universe are the words Science Fiction and Space Opera.

[Sutehp]

[Error]

I know that
_________________
The only words of explanation you need for any concept in the entire Star Wars universe are the words Science Fiction and Space Opera.

[Sutehp]

Just added the planet image to my original post. It's an artist's rendition of Kepler-22b, a planet thought to be an ocean world very much like Kamino. It doesn't have my 2 continents, but it's still a cool enough pic to be close enough for my purposes. 8)
_________________
Sutehp's RPG Goodies
Only some of it is for D6 Star Wars.
Just repurchased the X-Wing and Tie Fighter flight sim games. I forgot how much I missed them.

[Whill]

Cool.