World Name: Astrokaszy
Star Type: G4V
Position in System: 3
Time to Jump Point: 7.98 days
Recharging Station: None
Noble Ruler: Varies from region to region
ComStar Facility Class: B
ComStar Representative: Precentor Girindas
Blaine
Population: 200,000-500,000 (estimated)
Percentage and Level of Native Life: 10%, Mammal
Description:
Huge bands of semi-barbarian nomads under the control of various
Caliphs inhabit this dry wind-swept world. The Caliphate cities
contain some notable remnants of technology, and a few even have
the ability to manufacture munitions and energy weapons. For the
most part, however, technology is on the decline all across the
planet.
The inhabitants of Astrokaszy are the descendants of a
mercenary band, the Crimson Reapers, that fought with the Free
Worlds League until several Warrior House regiments of the
Capellan Confederation mauled it. After breaking their contract
with House Marik, the survivors raided several Marik supply
centers before making their way into the Periphery, where they
settled Astrokaszy in 2892.
The typical Astrokaszi is a fearless fighter and a lover of
blood sports, who still practices the warrior life and philosophy
of his ancestors. Indeed, since the planet's founding, the
surviving population fragmented as it expanded, as charismatic
leaders rose to form their own self-imposed rule. Many of
Astrokaszy's cities still show a marked Moslem influence because
of the influence of the original Crimson Reapers, many of whom
were Moslem. The result is a collection of jeweled oases
reminiscent of the Arabian Nights, though with a decidedly
sinister aspect. Lying between the Marian Hegemony and the Free
Worlds League , Astrokaszy is a planet with a distinctly Arabic
ambiance. Inhabited by bands of roving hunters and slavers, it is
divided into a number of local "Caliphates" under the
control of local suzerains. The largest of these is the Caliphate
of Omar Shervanis, a fifth-generation descendant of the mercenary
leader who settled Astrokaszy in 2892 after breaking a contract
with his Free Worlds League employers.
Caliph Shervanis has a well-deserved reputation for avarice
and sadism, and his favorite pastime is seizing the dominions of
neighboring Pashas. Captives taken in battle by the Caliphate's
nomadic hordes are typically slain in a variety of ritualistic
blood-lettings, which are staged as gala spectacles for the
amusement of Shervanis's subjects. Shervanis maintains power
through his possession of the planet's only BattleMechs, two
aging Clints and a Warhammer, which are the remains of his
grandfather's mercenary force.
For all his ruthlessness, Shervanis is a crafty statesman.
Since murdering his father in 2992, the Caliph has encouraged
visits from the occasional off world trader and has permitted the
establishment of a ComStar facility within his domains. Shervanis
has been angling for increased ties with the Free Worlds League,
with an eye toward trading a wealth of precious stones and spices
for additional BattleMechs and trained MechWarriors, which would
permit further aggressive expansion against his neighbors. Not
surprisingly, many of Shervanis's rivals have also decided to
open trade with the Inner Sphere to secure a similar arrangement.
ComStar has attempted to reintegrate the inhabitants into the
interstellar community by introducing non-military technologies
and reeducation programs. To date, these efforts have met with
only marginal success, as the various Pashas and desert sheiks of
Astrokaszy continue to vie for dominance.
In 3025, however, an invasion force from the Marian Hegemony
descended on Astrokaszy, ostensibly to seek revenge for an
assassination attempt against Hegemony leader Marius O'Reilly.
The Marian leaders claimed that the government of Astrokaszy was
harboring a Marik agent who had engineered the failed
assassination. The Marian invaders easily took control of the
planet, and within days Astrokaszy's ruling federation collapsed,
as each city-state attempted to curry favor with the planet's new
rulers and advance its own interests. Almost immediately forces
from the Magistracy of Canopus, Circinus Federation, and the
Illyrian Palatinate landed on the planet, ostensibly at the
invitation of various Astrokaszian city-states. These forces
convinced the Marian Hegemony to abandon its claim to the planet,
but not before attracting a peace-keeping force from the Free
Worlds League, which had apparently grown uneasy at the unrest on
its border.
Despite the Marik intervention, several neighboring Periphery
powers, as well as the Federated Commonwealth and the Draconis
Combine, continued to provide covert military support and
experienced combat instructors to Astrokaszy's city-states.
Evidence suggests that the Davion and Kurita governments used the
ongoing Astrokaszian civil war as a field laboratory to test
various new weapons systems and tactics, and as a training ground
for covert units. The Marik peace-keeping force abandoned
Astrokaszy in 3032, but the conflict continued to range for six
more years. Relative peace returned to Astrokaszy only after all
outside powers had withdrawn the support from the decimated
city-states.
Astokaszy has never fully recovered from its years of war.
Even today its cities contain vast areas of rubble, and its
population remains deeply divided. A Marik-brokered peace
agreement between the city-states collapsed within weeks of the
departure of the Marik peace-keeping force, and the planet
remains without a central government. As a result, Astrokaszy has
become a dumping ground for many disreputable Inner Sphere and
Periphery merchants eager to jettison contraband or rid
themselves of hired mercenaries. The entire planet has become a
danger zone. Roaming 'Mech gangs patrol its parched deserts,
searching for prey, while rival politico-military factions still
fight pitched battles in its cities.
Recently, two interesting rumors concerning Astrokaszy have
surfaced, but we have been unable to confirm either story. The
first rumor contends that Astrokaszy once served as a holding
planet for the Star League Defense Force. According to this
account, the Star League maintained several precious-metal
storage vaults on the planet during the Reunification War and
Periphery uprisings to provide itself with immediate, accessible
cash resources if necessary. Though the ComStar archives contain
no record of such vaults, the rumor continues to attract
adventurers seeking the storage facilities.
The second rumor describes apparently new BattleMech designs
and weapon systems in use on the planet. Some claim that these
reports serve as evidence that Inner Sphere weapons designers are
field-testing experimental designs on Astrokaszy, but we have
been unable to confirm the authenticity of these reports at this
time.
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