Absalom Station

Absalom Station

(Cosmos)

Titles

The Nexus

Type

Space station

Diameter

3/5000

Mass

1/100

Gravity

(artificial) 1

Atmosphere

Normal

Year length (PST)

1 year

Day length (PST)

1 day (artificial)

Orbits

Sun

System

Pact Worlds system

Inhabitants

Races formerly of Golarion

Images of Absalom Station

Source: Core Rulebook, pg(s). 440-441

Absalom Station

(City)

Population

2,130,000

Demographics

46% human, 9% android, 9% ysoki, 7% lashunta, 5% shirren, 4% dwarf, 4% halfling, 4% kasatha, 3% vesk, 2% gnome, 1% nuar, 6% other

Government

Council (Syndicsguild)

Ruler

Prime Executive Kumara Melacruz

Images of Absalom Station

Source: Incident at Absalom Station, pg(s). 40

Absalom Station is a sprawling, densely inhabited space station filling a similar orbit that the forgotten planet Golarion once held around its sun. Its inhabitants include species native to, or descended from natives of, Golarion, making the station the last relic of the lost planet remaining in the Pact Worlds system. The station is also a focal point of the galaxy due to the Starstone, which makes the station effectively near every place in the galaxy via the Drift.

History

While the station is a technological marvel, its history stretches back centuries into the span of lost history known as the Gap.

Pre-Gap

Absalom Station's origins, builders, and even its reason for existence are lost to the Gap and remain unknown. It occupies the orbit once held by pre-Gap Golarion, and records have linked the name "Absalom" to a prominent city  in the missing planet's pre-Gap history. These facts, along with the presence of Golarion-native races on the station, led scholars to guess that Absalom Station was built by mortal natives of Golarion, but even this is supposition.

After Gap

Absalom Station has been the focal point of many of the Pact Worlds system's most important events.

Immediately after the Gap, the station's residents were suddenly without a homeworld, history, or even societal structures, leading to anarchy and violence. If not for a nearly catastrophic atmospheric systems malfunction, the station's residents might not have ended its lawless violence to form the Syndicsguild — a governmental council formed by the leaders of the rampant gangs — and elect its inaugural Prime Executive, Loqua Tem.

Triune's gift of Drift travel in 3 AG quickly thrust the station into the galactic limelight. The Starstone that powers the station served as a powerful Drift beacon that drew newly gifted Drift-traveling visitors from across the galaxy.

In 7 AG, the Bone Sages of Eox launched the Magefire Assault in an attempt to capture the station by force. Its powerful defenses, however, held off the undead fleet.

After vesk incursions into the Golarion system (as the Pact Worlds system was then known) in 36 AG, officials from Absalom Station, Verces, and Castrovel called for the formation of a system-wide defense and governance pact. The Absalom Pact was named for the station, and the Pact Worlds' formation made Absalom Station its effective capital.

Geography

At five miles in diameter, Absalom Station is a tiny structure compared to the planets and moons of other worlds. It has artificial gravity in most of the radial arms of the station and its central towers, relies heavily on recycling, and seems to have been designed to accomdate human residents. It is a densely populated place that more than 2 million people call home.

Seen from above, it is shaped like an asymmetrical six-pointed star, spread across a flat disk with the central habitation zone covered in a dome.

Districts

The station is divided into several districts. Each has its own identity based on who resides and works there, but in general, standard in living increases as you move from the station's radial arms into its central districts.

The Armada

A flotilla of spaceships, many of them semi-permanent structures comprised of several ships rafted together, form a transient and chaotic neighborhood surrounding the station. Its militaristic name is somewhat ironic, as most ships that are docked here are civilian and are docked here because they benefit from the close proximity to Absalom Station without being subject to all of the laws and regulations imposed on permanent residents.

The Arms

Radial arms extend from the station's center and form its many docking bays.

The Ring

Corridors connect the Arms to the central Eye, forming a decidedly middle-class neighborhood.

The Eye

The central dome of the station houses its most upscale residents, largest businesses, and most prominent organizations.

The Spike

Slums and gang warrens fill the space beneath the Eye, extending down to the heavily defended Starstone Reactor.

Economy, trade, and travel

Absalom Station is a hub of intragalactic space travel thanks to the Starstone, which both powers the station and serves as a mysterious but extremely powerful Drift beacon. Thanks to the Starstone, a starship with a Drift engine in Drift-accessible points of the galaxy can reach Absalom Station in less than a week, even if travel to any other location would take longer.

The station imposes minimal taxes on those who do business there, but since the volume of trade is so high, it generates a huge amount of income and is rarely short on cash.

The station is also home to numerous corporations, most prominently the home offices of AbadarCorp.

Government

See also: Syndicsguild and Prime Executive

Absalom Station is ruled by the Syndicsguild and its term-limited elected leader, the Prime Executive or Primex. The current Prime Executive is Kumara Melacruz. The Syndicsguild is elected to represent electoral districts that are frequently gerrymandered to favor certain factions over others, including some corporations and criminal gangs.

The station is a neutral space for the Pact Worlds system's inhabitants. Security robots manufactured by AbadarCorp help to enforce its laws, though some complain that the best-equipped models patrol only the station's wealthiest neighborhoods.

Stewards

Security on Absalom Station is overseen by the Stewards, who keep the peace and defend the station from threats. The station's defenses are also augmented by mounted turrets.

Pact Council

Absalom Station is also the home and meeting place of the Pact Council, the legislative and deliberative body that holds together the alliance that is the Pact Worlds.

Inhabitants

Due to the large number of cultures, corporations, and other political and economic interests on Absalom Station, it is only ever a small step from chaos. Private security firms wage clandestine and sometimes even open wars with street gangs and cults, diplomats and ambassadors negotiate tense treaties, and explorers fight one another over newly discovered worlds. This neverending back and forth between countless factions and points of view has one side benefit: it marks Absalom Station as a place where you can be anyone or anything and make a fresh start.

Organizations

The explorer organization known as the Starfinder Society is headquartered at Absalom Station and launches frequent expeditions into the unknown. Other major draws for the station include the Arcanamirium, which has a good reputation for training exceedingly skilled technomancers, the Cosmonastery, where solarians can study, and the Eyeswide Agency that employs psychic investigators.

Factions

Numerous political and social factions exist on Absalom Station. One of the most dangerous of late is the Strong Absalom movement, which believes that the Starstone should only be used free of charge by the species who can trace their origins back to the lost planet of Golarion in compensation for the loss of their homeworld. Any other species should either be highly taxed for using it as a Drift beacon, or should be be barred from its use entirely.