Planets and habitats of the Night's Dawn trilogy
Encyclopedia
This article describes the major planet
s and space habitat
s of the Night's Dawn Trilogy
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settled by Humans, Nyvan was a multi-ethnic colony. As a result there is a history of much civil strife on the planet as the different ethnicities struggle to live together (it is one of only a few worlds to have more than one nation). Quinn Dexter successfully infiltrated the planet and spread possession there before raining asteroidal material on the planet to wreck the ecology. It was his hope that the possessed population would therefore live under conditions approaching a living hell. Quinn planned to repeat this process on other worlds across the Confederation.
The habitat's ruler is hereditary, and usually bears the title 'Lord of Ruin', however its current ruler, Ione Saldana (Prince Michael's granddaughter) is known as 'Lady Ruin'. This branch of the Saldanas was excommunicated for the use of bitek, and was subsequently cut off from the family fortune. For this reason, Tranquility operates as tax-friendly policy to attract more affluent residents.
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
s and space habitat
Space habitat
A space habitat is a space station intended as a permanent settlement rather than as a simple waystation or other specialized facility...
s of the Night's Dawn Trilogy
The Night's Dawn Trilogy
British author Peter F. Hamilton's The Night's Dawn Trilogy consists of three science fiction novels: The Reality Dysfunction , The Neutronium Alchemist , and The Naked God...
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Atlantis
The only planet colonised by Edenists, the surface of Atlantis is completely covered in water. The settlements consist of 6 large floating islands which are grown by the Edenists using the same bitek technology as their space habitats (polyp, a living coral). Seafood is the planet's primary export.Avon
The capital world of the entire Confederation. It was originally a Canadian-ethnic colony, but was later chosen as the Headquarters for the Confederation Navy. This HQ was later moved to Trafalgar, a fortified asteroid that orbits Avon.Earth
The original home of Humanity. Earth's environment has long been devastated by heat pollution, which causes massive "armada storms" to rage across the surface periodically. The large population lives wholly within sealed arcologies. It has the highest population of any world (officially 43 billion, unofficially, 72 billion), has the largest military, the highest industrial output, and is called "the fortress world" because its massive orbital defence network is believed to be impossible to penetrate. It is surrounded by a ring of inhabited asteroids known as the O'Neill Halo, some of which are connected to the surface via ten-thousand-kilometre orbital towers.Felicity
Discovered in 2123 in the Ross 154 system, it was the first terracompatible planet discovered. Soon after in 2125, the founding multiethnic colonists arrived from Earth.Garissa
Dr. Mzu's home planet, a Kenyan-ethnic world which before it was destroyed had a population of 95 million. Garissa's population was eliminated by a series of antimatter warhead strikes which devastated the surface, wrecked the climate, polluted the biosphere and rendered the planet totally uninhabitable for at least 5,000 years.Jobis
The supposed home planet of the Kiint (it is actually a research station, in truth their home is a ring system of inhabitable worlds, located in another galaxy). Jobis has three moons orbiting the Lagrange One point, rotating around a common centre. This triad was created deliberately by the Kiint in what they called an old experiment. The planet is not heavily populated. Syrinx visited Jobis to question the Kiint concerning their knowledge of possession.Kulu
The capital world of the Kulu Kingdom. Kulu was settled by Richard Saldana, and is still home to the Saldana royal family. The capital city Nova Kong is considered to be one of the most beautiful in the whole Confederation. One of the most technologically advanced worlds in the whole Confederation, Kulu was one of the few worlds which managed to resist the attempts of the possessed to infiltrate it. Kulu also built their own fusion mining system so that they were not dependent on the Edenists for fuel. the Kulu Kingdom is a major political power within the confederation, and has the third largest navy (after earth and the Edenists).Kursk
A planet conquered by Capone's organization. Kursk is located six light years from Arnstadt. The conquest was quick and easy, as the planet had no strategic defence network.Lalonde
A relatively new colony world several hundred light years from Earth and twenty-two light years from Ombey. Lalonde was home to a large Human Euro-Christian colony and a much smaller Tyrathca settlement. Lalonde has an extremely hot and humid climate. Human colonisation is confined to Amarisk, a continent located in the southern hemisphere; most of the colonists live in settlements spread along the river Juliffe, with a series of riverboats providing trade and travel between them and the capital (and only) city of Durringham. Lalonde has days of 26 hours and a year of 295 days. It is orbited by three moons. Some of the inhabitants of the planets are "Ivets",Mars
Fourth planet in the Sol system, Mars was colonised by the Lunar government. The planet has been terraformed over a period of centuries, leading to a near-Earth environment.Mastrit-PJ
The home planet of the Tyrathca, Mastrit-PJ was abandoned many thousands of years ago.New California
The first colony whose immigration was limited on ethnic grounds, New California was settled by the Govcentral state of California. It was the first planet to fall to the Capone Organisation, and was home to the organisation throughout the remainder of the possession crisis.Norfolk
An agricultural world, the Norfolk constitution forbids the use of most high technology in favour of a more pastoral style of living. Norfolk is home to Norfolk Tears, one of the most expensive alcoholic drinks in the Confederation.Nyvan
One of the first habitable planetsPlanetary habitability
Planetary habitability is the measure of a planet's or a natural satellite's potential to sustain life. Life may develop directly on a planet or satellite or be transferred to it from another body, a theoretical process known as panspermia...
settled by Humans, Nyvan was a multi-ethnic colony. As a result there is a history of much civil strife on the planet as the different ethnicities struggle to live together (it is one of only a few worlds to have more than one nation). Quinn Dexter successfully infiltrated the planet and spread possession there before raining asteroidal material on the planet to wreck the ecology. It was his hope that the possessed population would therefore live under conditions approaching a living hell. Quinn planned to repeat this process on other worlds across the Confederation.
Ombey
A colony of the Kulu Kingdom. Ombey was almost able to resist infiltration by the possessed, but one section of the planet was taken over. The Confederation mounted a massive military campaign to recapture the area; this came close to success, until the remaining possessed removed the area from the normal space-time continuum.Omuta
An enemy of Garissa, Omuta was threatened with Dr. Mzu's Neutronium Alchemist during the brief war between the two. They managed to prevent the attack and retaliated with an antimatter warhead strike against Garissa, killing the entire population. Omuta was placed under complete isolation for thirty years in punishment for the attack.Oshanko
Capital world of the Japanese Empire, and the home port of the Confederation's 4th largest fleet.Yosemite
A gas giant planet in the same system as New California, home to 30 Edenist habitats. The Capone Organization attempted to take control of Yosemite after capturing New California. Unknown to Capone, the Yosemite habitats had turned a large part of their massive industrial capacity over to military production when the threat became apparent. They met the attack with overwhelming force and destroyed it utterly.Tranquillity
First Germinated by Prince Michael Saldana in order to research the Ruin Ring - the debris of Laymil Spaceholms predating the birth of Christ over 2000 years ago. Michael Saldana believed that learning what happened to the Laymil was crucial to the Confederation, as the two options were racial suicide - in which case it was considered of utmost importance that the reason for this be ascertained - or an external threat wiped them out utterly. If this was the case, Michael Saldana thought it imperative that this external threat be identified before humanity encountered it.The habitat's ruler is hereditary, and usually bears the title 'Lord of Ruin', however its current ruler, Ione Saldana (Prince Michael's granddaughter) is known as 'Lady Ruin'. This branch of the Saldanas was excommunicated for the use of bitek, and was subsequently cut off from the family fortune. For this reason, Tranquility operates as tax-friendly policy to attract more affluent residents.