Hestia

Overview

Hestia is the fourth planet of the Pelion system and is known primarily as the world where the Nest is located, the oldest residence and most important training center of the Corp.

It is a planet with temperate and tropical regions, vast oceans, extensive forests, mountain ranges and rich fauna. Human presence is limited to a relatively small region of the continent of Avara, where the native inhabitants and the Nest are located.

Although it is the heart of the Corp, Hestia does not resemble a military world. There are no large cities, industrial centers or busy space stations. Most of its surface remains uninhabited.

Pelion System

The star of the system is named Pelion. Hestia is its fourth planet and is recorded on the stellar charts of the Explorers as Pelion-4.

Pelion-3 is also located within the habitable zone of the system. It has an atmosphere and conditions capable of supporting human life, but remains uninhabited.

A beacon near Hestia connects the Pelion system to the interstellar grid. Access to it is controlled by the Corp, and ordinary vessels cannot use it to enter the system without permission.

Moons

Hestia has two moons, Lytharia and Veyla. Their names come from deities associated with the Heptad and the older religious traditions of the inhabitants. The name Lytharia is given to moons on many worlds inhabited by descendants of the Precursors, as in the oldest traditions Lytharia is worshipped as the Moon Goddess.

Lytharia is the larger and brighter of the two moons. Veyla is smaller and its light is fainter. When they appear together in the night sky, they illuminate the surface brightly enough for landscapes, trees and paths to be visible without artificial light.

Geography

The surface of Hestia is divided into three large continents, Avara, Meressa and Orissa. The Merovar Ocean extends between them.

Avara

Avara is the only inhabited continent of Hestia. Its interior contains vast tropical jungles with towering trees, dense vegetation, rivers and lakes. High mountain ranges with snow covered peaks rise in the north.

Between the jungles and the mountain regions lie fertile plains, small forests and valleys. The villages and small towns of the native inhabitants are located there. The Nest was built near the edge of a vast tropical jungle and is surrounded by luxuriant vegetation.

Meressa

Meressa is warmer and drier. Much of it is covered by savannas, rocky plateaus and extensive plains with sparse vegetation. Seasonal lakes and rivers form in some regions and disappear during the dry periods.

The continent has no permanent inhabitants and large parts of it remain unexplored.

Orissa

Orissa is the coldest continent of Hestia. It contains dense forests, wet plains, frozen lakes and large regions covered by snow for long periods. Glaciers and extensive polar lands are found at its edges.

Orissa is also uninhabited and is occasionally used by the Corp for particularly demanding training in cold conditions.

Merovar Ocean and Islands

The Merovar Ocean surrounds the three continents and contains many small and large islands. The island groups of the north and south have very different climates. Some are covered by tropical forests, others are rocky and windswept, while those near the polar regions remain frozen for much of the year.

Most of the islands are uninhabited. The Corp uses several of them to train peda in survival, navigation and the endurance of difficult natural conditions. The trainees are transported to different islands depending on the stage of their training and the abilities they need to develop.

Native Population

The native inhabitants of Hestia are descendants of the Precursors who already lived on the planet when the Corp established itself there. Their population is small and lives exclusively in Avara, in villages and small towns.

They have not created a unified state or large cities. Their communities maintain a simple way of life and their technological level is slightly more advanced than that of a medieval society. They are primarily engaged in agriculture, animal husbandry and various forms of craftsmanship.

The Corp does not govern their communities. It protects them, provides medical care and gradually passes on knowledge and technology in ways that do not abruptly disrupt their social development.

The native inhabitants know of the existence and work of the Corp. They consider their long coexistence with it an important part of their history and take pride in the contribution their people make to the operation of the Nest.

Religion

Most native inhabitants of Hestia follow the ancient worship of the Mother Goddess, whom they call Lythara. Ancient temples and statues survive in Avara, depicting her as a full figured woman holding an infant in her arms.

These temples are not abandoned monuments. They remain in use by the communities and serve as centers of religious ceremonies and local festivals.

A small number of the native inhabitants have joined the Heptad. The two traditions coexist without significant conflict, as Lythara is also recognized within the Heptad as the goddess of family, community and fertility.

Most Corpers are Heptadists, but the Corp does not attempt to convert the inhabitants of Hestia or interfere with their religious traditions.

The Nest

The Nest is the oldest and most important installation of the Corp on Hestia. Its name was given by earlier generations of Corpers and gradually became so established that, in conversations among themselves, it often replaces even the name of the planet.

The Nest is a residence, training center, meeting place, refuge and center for the preservation of the knowledge of the Corp. Peda train there, many instructors and members of the third cycle live there, and Corpers in the second cycle return at various times.

History of the Nest

The original Nest was created by the earliest First at the dawn of the Stars Age. The presence of the Corp on Hestia extends across many thousands of years.

The megalithic wall and the oldest buildings belong to the earliest period of the installation. New buildings were added over the centuries according to the needs of each era.

During periods of widespread warfare, when the Corp rescued large numbers of children, the population of the Nest increased significantly. At various times, refugees from different planets were also sheltered there until a suitable world could be found for their permanent settlement. Some of them later became the first Keepers in their new places of residence.

The continuous use and expansion of the Nest explains the great differences in the age, architecture and purpose of its buildings.

Architecture

The Nest is surrounded by an ancient megalithic wall with towers, battlements, defensive openings and broad stone stairways. The construction is monumental in scale and character and comes from an age whose building techniques are no longer used.

Inside the enclosure stand buildings constructed during many different periods. The oldest are made of stone and share the aesthetic of the megalithic wall. Some are used as residences for Corpers of the second and third cycles.

The newer buildings include classrooms, libraries, workshops, residences for peda and children, small houses for the staff, medical facilities and auxiliary structures.

Between the buildings are small groves, gardens, solitary trees and narrow streams with stone walls and clear, continuously flowing water. Stone paved paths connect the different parts of the complex.

Combat grounds, outdoor training areas and small stone amphitheaters are found throughout the Nest. Some circular spaces resemble ancient threshing floors and are used by the Circles of the Corpers for meetings and discussions.

The central landing platform is located within the enclosure and is used by Corp vessels. Smaller facilities support the transport of people and supplies without altering the ancient character of the site.

Life in the Nest

Corpers, peda, instructors, elderly members of the third cycle, rescued children and native volunteers from the communities of Avara live in the Nest.

The native inhabitants who work there are called "uncles" and "aunts" by the children. They care for the residences, prepare food, wash clothes and assist with the daily needs of the complex.

Their work is voluntary. They are not considered servants of the Corp and do not receive conventional payment. They live within the Nest, enjoy better living conditions and regard their participation as a contribution to the Corp and to the children under its protection.

Children and Refugees

Many of the children who arrive at the Nest have been rescued from wars, natural disasters, persecution or the collapse of their societies. They are not all expected to become Corpers.

Those who wish to do so and are considered suitable may begin the first cycle of training. The others remain at the Nest until the Corp finds Keeper families able to adopt them, institutions maintained by the Keepers or Heptad monasteries capable of providing them with a home.

In rare cases, the Nest also receives adult refugees. They remain temporarily on Hestia until a safe place can be found for their resettlement.

Training

Most of the first cycle in the life of a Corper takes place at the Nest. Training includes martial arts, hand to hand combat, weapons, piloting, history, anthropology, natural sciences, technology and the study of political and social systems.

The peda are trained by different teachers according to the expertise and abilities of each instructor. Overall responsibility for the development of a peda belongs to the tutse.

Vorakai is taught in enclosed halls and on outdoor training grounds. Instructors use intense light, wind, rain and changes in the natural environment as part of the training.

Training is not confined to the enclosure. The jungles, mountain ranges, uninhabited continents and islands of Hestia provide different conditions for exercises in navigation, endurance and survival.

Hestia Guardian Grid

Hestia is protected by the Hestia Guardian Grid, an ancient surveillance system installed by the earliest First. The system monitors the atmosphere, the surface and the surrounding region of space.

Its exact capabilities are unknown outside the Corp. Its operation is discreet and there are no visible military installations around the Nest or the settlements of the native inhabitants.

Together with control of the beacon, the Hestia Guardian Grid ensures that no unknown vessel can approach Hestia without being detected. Despite its peaceful appearance and the absence of military bases, Hestia is not an unprotected world.

Category: Planet Tags: Building, Corp, History, Location, People, Planet