The planet Serenity is very much like Earth, with environments ranging from tropical rain forests near the equator to frozen tundra near the polar regions. A vast desert dominates the southeast part of the northern continent, while elsewhere are green, fertile valleys and forests. Serenity is tectonically active. Spectacular, sheer mountain ranges result from crustal upthrust at plate boundaries, and several impressive volcanoes tower above hot spots. The southern continent is still a mystery. It is unexplored, but is known to be covered by thick rain forests and jungles. A huge, mist-shrouded mountain plateau sticks out of the forest canopy deep in the heart of the land. Nearly 2/3 of the surface area of Serenity is ocean, which is churned by a tidal cycle that's powered by the gravitational pull of Serenity's moon Yukon.
World Map
Closeup Map
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Brief History of Sentient HabitationThe planet Serenity was first settled by a group of adventuresome El-Aurians nearly three hundred years ago. Since then, other races from all over the Alpha Quadrant, and even a few Beta Quadrant races, have come to Serenity seeking their destinies. It wasn't until twenty years ago however, that the area became interesting to humans, but once they began moving in, they were here to stay! A small refueling/storage depot was established in orbit, and the first buildings in what would eventually become Serenity City were constructed at the mouth of the Serenity River. When the nearby Mulluran Empire began showing signs of aggression, Starfleet fortified the orbiting depot and poured enormous resources into developing Serenity City into an ultra-modern metropolis. Nowadays, Serenity City is still the hub of activity on the planet, though several other, smaller settlements pepper the landscape.
Serenity City
Serenity City is the largest settlement on the planet, and the capital city. The population is over 100,000 full-time residents. The city is divided into sectors, called 'Quarters', for residential, industrial, commercial, administrative, docks and warehousing, spaceport, and Starfleet uses. Unlike the rest of the planet, which is rather rustic, Serenity City is very new and completely modern in every way.
Lake Town
Built partly on the shores of Blue Lake and partly on pontoons and stilts above the lake itself, Lake Town's primary export is fish. It also serves as a base for explorations further into the continent's interior and is a very popular tourist destination. The main street is lined with souvenir shops and hotels. The tallest building (three stories) in the entire town is the Ogopogo Inn. A small spaceport/airport services the settlement.
Local folklore says Blue Lake is home to a lake monster named Ogopogo in honor of the legendary lake monster in Canada on Earth, and much of the tourist trade is dependent on sales of Ogopogo memorabilia.
Starfleet maintains a small field office in Lake Town, near the spaceport.
An old cemetery lies some distance southeast of Lake Town on the edge of the Cairn Hills. The graveyard is ancient, used by the very first settlers on Serenity more than three hundred years ago. Nowadays it is almost forgotten by almost everyone, and local legends claim the area is haunted by the ghosts of those buried here.
Vesputian Monastery
Two hundred miles north of Serenity City along the banks of the Serenity River is the impressive Vesputian Monastery. Similar in appearance to a medieval castle, the monastery is surrounded by hundreds of acres of rich farmland, and is home to several dozen Vesputian Monks. The monks grow many exotic crops for their own use and for export. They value their privacy, so the idle traveler is strongly cautioned against straying too close to their lands.
Starfleet Marines Training Facility
Built as a forward arming and refueling point (FARP) during the First Mulluran War of 2384, the SFMC Training Facility is situated on a broad plain on the eastern coast of Serenity. The base is complete with administrative and educational buildings, barracks, hangars for small spacecraft repair and storage, ammunition and fuel dumps, parade grounds, and landing tarmacs.
One of the spaceports at the Marine Base
Taylor Oceanographic Institute
Named in honor of the famous cetacean biologist Dr. Gillian Taylor, who oversaw the reintroduction of the extinct species 'humpback whale' into Earth's oceans. The Institute is situated in a broad bay on Fidelity's eastern coast and studies all aspects of Serenity's deep oceans. Its isolated placement was intentional, meant to put it as far away as possible from man-made environmental contaminations.
Other Settlements
Fishing Villages
There are many small fishing villages scattered about western Serenity, where the waters are warm and the fishing is most productive. Living so close to the often-wild and unforgiving sea, the fishermen have become among the hardiest—and gruffest—inhabitants of Serenity.
Mining & Lumber Towns
High in the Serene Mountains are the mining and lumber towns—small communities that look almost like the old mining towns from Earth's Ancient West. Miners dig for precious metals, but also for more commonplace elements used in construction. There is an ongoing search for dilithium, but none has yet been found.
