Castrovel

Castrovel

(Cosmos)

Titles

The Wild

Type

Terrestrial planet

Adjective

Castrovelian

Diameter

×1

Mass

×1

Gravity

×1

Atmosphere

Normal

Year length (PST)

1/2 year

Day length (PST)

1 day

Orbits

Sun

System

Pact Worlds system

Satellites

Elindrae

Inhabitants

Lashuntas, elves, formians

Images of Castrovel

Source: Core Rulebook, pg(s). 438-439

This article might have further canon details available on PathfinderWiki.

Castrovel, also known as the Wild, is a terrestrial planet in the Pact Worlds system and homeworld to lashuntas, elves, and formians. It orbit is second from the sun, between the orbits of Aballon and Absalom Station.

Geography

Castrovel is a warm, verdant world with intense storms, powerful tides, and sprawling jungles and swamplands in which a tremendous variety of life roams freely. The wilderness is kept wild, and the planet's resources harvested sustainably, due to a lashunta desire to allow the same evolutionary processes that created them to develop and improve other life on the planet.

The lashunta-dominated continent of Asana is north of the formian continent known as the Colonies. The southern island continent of Sovyrian, long isolated by harsh weather and oceanic life, is the elven homeland, while the southern ice cap of Aurovas is home to white-furred predatory aurovaks. An ice bridge forms between Aurovas and Sovyrian's southernmost fortress of Southwatch, where for many years—and until recently—defenders fended the creatures off every winter. The continent of Ukulam was once the frequent site of clashes between lashuntas and formians, but is now a tightly regulated and patrolled ecological preserve.

Elindrae

Castrovel's rocky moon is named Elindrae. It has no atmosphere, but it hosts most of Castrovel's shipyards and heavy industries, where the pollution can have no effect on Castrovel's ecological balance.

History

Castrovel has hosted civilization since long before the Gap. Its lashuntas formed rival city-states, the formians built massive continent-spanning hives known as the Colonies, and the elves kept to their nation of Sovyrian. The world also has numerous ancient magical portals called aiudara that have linked Castrovel to other parts of the Pact Worlds system for thousands of years.

Lashuntas and formians warred for thousand of years, until finally striking a shirren-brokered peace deal in 287 AG.

Inhabitants

Several races and many creatures inhabit Castrovel.

Raia, a damaya lashunta technomancer.

Lashuntas

See also: Lashunta and Lashunta city-states

Lashunta city-states were traditionally independent, with most governed by democratic matriarchies and engaged in rivalries — and sometimes armed conflict. Today corporations have a larger say in matters; there is less direct conflict, many governing bodies have financially influenced officials, and some settlements are directly owned and operated by corporate interests.

One exception, however, is Qabarat, the planet's largest spaceport. Its leader, Lady Morana Kesh, keeps the Shining Jewel of the Western Sea independent, and the city-state is well known not only for being the planet's entry point for interplanetary travelers but also for its renowned academic institutions, beautiful architecture, and role as a hub to other city-states.

Formians

See also: Formian and Colonies

Formians are an insectile hive race that dominate the southern continent of the Colonies. They pledge allegiance to the Overqueen, which is a philosophical entity formed during their Meeting of Queens rather than a living person. Formians live in tunnel-ridden hive-burrows that can stretch for miles and sometimes bulge up into artificial hills; they are notoriously hard to take by force.

Elves

See also: Elf and Sovyrian

While lashuntas and formians have made peace, interact with each other, and participate in the Pact Worlds' broader culture and trade, Castrovel's elves stay bound to their ancient continent-spanning nation of Sovyrian. They are isolationists and traditionalists, engage in little unnecessary trade, and ban outsiders from their capital of El, a city overflowing with canals that is run by the Great Houses. Sovyrian's ruling elite frequently violate their own isolationist laws by hiring non-elves for secretive or specialized missions.

A ksarik, a living and mobile plant creature native to Castrovel.

Fauna

See also: Category:Castrovel/Fauna

Despite occasional "accidental" burnings of protected natural regions in rural areas due to attacks from dangerous megafauna like bug-eyed mountain eels, poison-beaked sky fishers, or highly adaptive ksariks, a robust Xenowarden presence typically prevents such activities from escalating.