MOONS: none

COLONIZERS: Predominantly Human

NATIVE LIFE:

1.) Lasette (Land Shark)

PLANET HISTORY
Minotaur is a moon orbitting the gas giant Ares that occupies the 4th orbit out of 11 planets in the Theseus system. Its axis is tilted at 38 degrees with the southern pole tidally locked toward Ares. As such the world is divided into three major sections: the desert wasteland at the southern polar region, the hospitable equatorial region, and the frozen northern region. The surface is comprised of roughly 53% water, with most of it in the form of ice at the northern polar area.

Minotaur is a captialist authoritarian society, that is free trade is encouraged by a totalitarian ruling factor. The planet's history is rich under this model, as such the major city "Maze" has grown beyond belief over the last few centuries, covering the entire equatorial region with tendrils reaching into both polar regions. In addition to spreading east and west indefinitely, the city has also grown both upwards and down, meaning that "ground level" can be difficult to ascertain. Inhabitants navigate the megacity with a complex coordinate system that involves both the use of a compass and altimeter along with a grid layout. Aerial vehicles are the prominent form of transportation (with major businesses and military sections sporting private shuttle pads), although a complex series of monorails and subways exists along with some limited ground level navigational areas. Only in the outskirts will ground vehicles ever be more prominent. Two major starports can be found in the polar border regions, Port White Sail bordering the sea and Port Aegeus near the ice cap.

Social class is determined by how "high" one's residence is...downtown (subterranean to sea level) is where the lower class and poor reside, midtown (sea level and up to 1000m) is the working middle class, and uptown (1001m+ highrise) would be the wealthy and upscale types. Also spotted along Maze are numerous factory complexes, but business centers dominate the city. One notable section is a huge man made body of water (Aegean Sea) which is an enormous tourist trap, with scores of megaresorts and attractions including an amusement park (Ninland) that is beyond belief, thus earning the area the title of the largest vacation spot in the Frontier. Nearly every business in the Frontier has an office in Maze, including StarPlay Enterprises whose corporate headquarters reside in the heart of Maze's business district.

The southern polar region, known as the Asterion Desert, is an unhospitable climate. The sun never sets and temperatures soar to unbearable levels which only the native Lasettes can survive. On the opposite pole, the frozen wasteland known as the Solid Ocean is covered in ice that extends several thousand meters into the surface. This polar region never sees sunlight, and the only moisture in the atmosphere collects here to add to the ice mass. To this end a network of refineries and drilling platforms are set up to provide drinking water for the population, along with a separate network that taps into the planet's wealthy reserve of petroleum.

Overhead are the wheels in the sky, also known as Minotaur Station (a fortified space station) and the Daedalus Shipyards (a Class: II Starship Construction Center comprised of three type:6 stations). A third smaller commerce station also orbits the moon, dubbed Androgeus Station (size 4 station). Minotaur's Defensive Ships are berthed in Androgeus, including a destroyer (MDS Republic), a frigate (MDS Heroic), four assault scouts (MDS Dragonfly, Gnat, Mosquito, and Wasp) along with six squadrons of fighters. Their militia is the largest and most respected in the Frontier.

POLITICAL STRUCTURE
Minotaur is ruled by a totalitarian government, so no weaponry is permitted by the citzens (aside from military and police, and only while on duty). As such strict laws are enforced to this end, anyone seen with a weapon can expect a lengthy stay in their prison system, anyone attempting to smuggle weaponry can expect a death sentence. These laws extend into their space stations, although personal weaponry is permitted aboard privately owned vessels berthed within. The Minotaur Defense Network is a large scale military/police system not to be trifled with, as they carry out the law of the land with swift efficiency.

Click here for Minotaur icosahedral map