Tartarus

From 4005
Jump to navigationJump to search
Heavenly Body of Tartarus
Edenite Standard[1] Seal[2]
Avalon Sphere.jpg

c.4005 photograph

Heavenly Body
Capital: Archelaus
Official languages: Edenite (de facto), Teegarden English (de jure)
Currency: Eden Flower (✿ or E)
Demonym: Tartarusian
Politics
Government: Heavenly Body of the Godly Republic of Eden
- Governor: Walter Yaxley
Religion(s): Edenite Baptist Church
Settled: 3612
Demographics
Population: 5 million
Ethnic groups: Edenite Baptists
Geography
Planet: Teegarden c
System: Teegarden's Star System
Avg. distance from Earth: 12 ly
Moon(s): 0
[Source]

The Heavenly Body of Tartarus (Teegarden English: Tar Taurus) is the official political designation of the exoplanet Tartarus (also known as Teegarden c), which is governed by the Godly Republic of Eden. Similarly to its neighbor Eden, Tartarus is a tidally locked rocky planet that lies within its star’s habitable zone that lacks a proper atmosphere. Tartarus was considered too close to the edge of the habitable zone to colonise for those who colonised Eden. The Earthers who arrived during Eden's occupation by the Commonwealth had no such scruples and colonised Tartarus with Edenite assistance. Those Edenites eventually rebelled with the rest and now hold Tartarus as a proud possession of the Godly Republic.

History[edit | edit source]

Tartarus and Ukobach were all known to the initial colonists of Eden, but none were fit for colonisation like Eden was. Tartarus was seen as cursed in comparison to Eden, the perfect home for God's children. Beyond to some enterprising explorers exploring the Devil’s Palace, Tartarus was never of much interest to the Edenites.

Things took a radical turn with the arrival of the Commonwealth of Earth. The Commonwealth was eager to relieve overpopulation on Eden, and they saw Tartarus as a prime site for future colonisation. Hopefully one day, it could made useful, but there was much work to be done.

The colonisation of Tartarus started with a hundred or so Earthers and thousands of Edenites in 3612 setting up a large dome city similar to those on Earth rather than the ones on Eden. The settlement, named Zanj, was set up for the purpose of preparing Tatarus for colonisation. That was at least the given reason, as the majority of Tartarus was geared towards mining the planet’s rich supply of titanium and platinum. The large Edenite population was put to work mining Tartarus’ terminator line. The work was harsh, and many Edenites died in those mines, even as they yearned for their lost homeworld. The Earther colonists could have cared less, as their jobs were to tame the planet and not to sympathize with a bunch of cultists. The planet's reputation only worsened as it was made a penal colony for Edenite dissidents and criminals.

Tartarus grew at a steady pace with new dome cities springing up across the terminator line. As time continued, Earther colonists began to feel very nervous at the growing and hostile population of Edenites, representing nearly two thirds of the population of Tartarus by 3700. The Earthers on Tartarus frequently petitioned Commomwealth authorities to move some of their Edenite population back to Eden. These requests fell on deaf ears.

Tartarus weathered the First and Second Edenite Rebellions rather gracefully. The Tartarusian Earther colonists had for the most part suppressed any information coming from Eden about independence movements getting to Tartarusian Edenites. However, chapters of the Edenite Brotherhood finally managed to take root in 3702, and by 3711, the Edenite Brotherhood had become a significant force on Tartarus.

The Third Edenite Rebellion began in earnest on Tartarus when thousands of Edenite Brotherhood soldiers began to gather outside various cities, seemingly without warning. The Commonwealth forces and Earther colonists on Tartarus reacted in a predictably vicious fashion to these gatherings, and a war was on.

The war on Tartarus was a bloody affair, even comparing to the bloodshed taking place on Eden and Ukobach. When the fighting initially began, the Earther Tartarusians rightly did not trust the Edenites living among them and expelled thousands from their dome cities to die in Tartarus’s forbidding tunnels. Nearly a quarter of a million Edenites on Tartarus died in this fashion. Those who did survive often found their way to the Edenite Brotherhood, who on Tartarus had the unenviable task of both fighting a war and housing thousands of refugees. This strained the Edenite Brotherhood on Tartarus to its limits. At the same time, the Commonwealth forces utilized effective counterinsurgency tactics for further population control against Edenite miners and remaining Edenites in the cities. A Tartarusian born Commonwealth soldier, Cheng Lung, made something of a name for himself in 3711 when he managed to kill hundreds of the Edenite Brotherhood through sniper kills in the dark and winding tunnels of the planet. The “Hound of Tartarus” became something of a local legend during the war. Things looked grim for the Brotherhood, but they were grateful that they at least had not been wiped out like the chapter on Ukobach.

Salvation arrived with the main Edenite Brotherhood, who bombarded the dome city Zanj into submission along with several other settlements, killing thousands of both Earthers and Edenites. That forced an immediate surrender from the remaining Commonwealth forces on Tartarus. Instead of being put with many other Cainites on path to be deported, many Tartarusian Cainites were simply killed in retribution for their harsh treatment of their fellows. The “Hound of Tartarus” managed to escape off-world however, as did many other Cainites who fought for the Commonwealth on Tartarus. Any remaining Cainites who remained on Tartarus were brutally hunted to extinction or fled into the tunnels, with none being seen since at least 3818.

After the conclusion of the Third Edenite Rebellion, Tartarus celebrated along with the rest of the Edenites, and they even renamed the planetary capital from Zanj to Archelaus to honor an admiral of Zhu Que Directorate who had assisted Eden in its rebellion. However, the population of Tartarus was left devastated, and many were angry at the leadership of the Edenite Brotherhood, angry at the bombardment or thinking that there had not been enough done to repay the Cainites for their dark deeds. This anger was alleviated by aid from Eden, but the Third Edenite Rebellion has left a stain on Tartarusians stronger than other Edenites. Their particular hatred of Cainites and viciousness in battle are features of this lingering hatred.

Tartarus has grown significantly since the independence of the Godly Republic of Eden, but it is still the least important possession of Eden when compared to Ukobach. Although it holds more industry than Ukobach and has a larger land area than either Eden or Ukobach, Tartarus is quite thinly peopled. The planet is still centuries away from being settled in any meaningful way, and the area outside the terminator line is still practically uninhabitable. Yet still, the Tartarusians persist with a quiet piety and a dogged sense of determination.

Geography[edit | edit source]

Habitability[edit | edit source]

Tartarus lies within its star's habitability zone, but it lacks the necessary atmosphere to support life in its current state. Still, the terminator line of the planet is temperate, and it can support some degree of settlement. The population of Tartarus, smaller than than even on Ukobach, has grown slowly but has benefited somewhat from Eden's shift of industry and mining off-world recently. The Edenites on Tartarus live a relatively comfortable if austere existence.

There are some suspicious-looking rock formations in the Southern Hemisphere that some have dubbed "the Devil's Palace". Several Earthers and later Edenites have explored this seemingly megalithic structure filled with winding caves, and some have come away certain that it was created by intelligent hands. Most Edenites however have come away with the conclusion that the Devil's Palace is simply a marvelous natural wonder. The site is now a common tourist destination within the Godly Republic.

Government[edit | edit source]

Tartarus is classified as a heavenly body under the Godly Republic of Eden, and it is governed directly from Eden. There is some degree of self-government in the form of a local Congress elected by residents, but the Congress is subject to the governor appointed by Eden's president. Luckily for the Tartarusians, Eden usually appoints one of their own to be the governor, and the current governor is a Tartarusian named Walter Yaxley who is a retired high-ranking member of Eden's military forces.

Behind the scenes, Tartarus’ local affairs are run by a revived chapter of the Edenite Brotherhood, now more of a fraternal organisation rather than a paramilitary group. If one hopes to get anywhere on Tartarus, one must be a member of the Edenite Brotherhood.

Economy[edit | edit source]

The economy of Tartarus is mostly focused towards mining and industry. The mines of Tartarus hold large veins of titanium and platinum, but the planet is less geared towards mining than Ukobach. The planet has the advantage of sheer land area over Eden or Ukobach so even just the terminator line is larger than either. Tartarus has benefited greatly from Eden moving its industry off-world, and new Edenite colonists have started to come more frequently in recent years.

Culture[edit | edit source]

Ethnicity[edit | edit source]

Tartarusians are known for their austere nature and their reserved but violent tendencies. They make up a surprisingly disproportionate percent of Eden's armed forces. Descended from a combination of forced Edenite workers and later Edenite colonists, Tartarusians have lead a harsh existence on their planet. The Third Edenite Rebellion on Tartarus was an especially bloody affair with Tartarusians having a hatred for Cainites even rivaling other Edenites.

Rumors of Cainites living in the tunnels of Tartarus have persisted for centuries after their supposed extermination. These alleged Cainites are said to be bloodthirsty savages, scavengers, and cannibals who only strike lone travelers or small groups in tunnels, taking great lengths to maintain their secrecy while partaking in dark rituals in order to stay alive.

Language[edit | edit source]

Teegarden English is the dominant language on Tartarus. This was mostly because the original Edenite colonists sent there by the Commonwealth spoke Teegarden English and have retained their language after the establishment of the Godly Republic. More Edenite-speaking colonists have arrived recently, but the overwhelming majority of Tartarusians still speak Teegarden English.

Religion[edit | edit source]

The Edenite Baptist Church, as the official state church of the Godly Republic, has a strong presence on Tartarus. Because of the removal of the Cainites and a strict colonisation policy, Tartarus has no religious minorities. As far as the Godly Repulic is concerned, all Tartarusians are Edenite Baptists.


  1. A tricolour of green, purple and blue with a canton of white decorated in a red variant of the triple-circle seal. Officially, the colours are symbolic of the grass of greener pastures, the purple sovereignty of The Lord, and blue air and water, the gifts of life.
  2. De-facto, symbolizing the Edenite Brotherhood's figurative role as the Angel of Death on Tartarus during the Third Edenite Rebellion.