Statistics:
Star System: Garrond 21
Astronomical Designation:
Astronomical Name: Garrond 21b
Class: Class-E
Radius: 6109.7 km
Mass: 6001.9×1024 kg
Satellites: 1
Atmosphere: oxygen-nitrogen
Population: 3 million (as of 435 IE)
Political Information:
Polity: Citizens Republic of Mars/Republic of Metis under Compact of Humanity in Assembly (until 432), Metisian Republic
Status: Colony of Mars (until 430), protectorate of Metis (430-432), core world of Metisian Republic (432- )
Government: Territorial government (until 430), provisional government (until 432), republic
Capital: Lansdorp (until 429), New Lansdorp (430 – )
Amargosa is a Class-E world founded around 325 as a colony of Mars. The Martian government hoped the new world would feed the home planet as part of its network of colonies.
In 429, it had a population of one million. At the time, it had five major cities: Lansdorp, Arcanum, Riverside, Deming, and Susskind. Lansdorp and its successor, New Landsdorp, served as capital. During the Laral Occupation, Lansdorp and Arcanum were destroyed by fusion blasts. Deming, on the polar continent, suffered major damage through fighting all through the occupation. Riverside also succumbed to a fusion blast just as the liberation began. Susskind, on the southern continent of the inhabited side of the planet, remained unscathed due to its distance from the Central Plains and the human infrastructure.
While sapiens lived on the planet for over a century after first landfall, they were not the original intelligences. A sapient species of lycanth once ranged all over the planet. Realizing the humans would contain themselves to the warmer parts of a continent later called Utopia Paradisia, they withdrew to the “far side,” beyond the northern polar continent (later called Polaria) to a continent soon dubbed Lycanthia after first contact with the Gelt and humans.
Post-occupation, lycanths became a nomadic group within Amargosa’s population, accepting a degree of integration with their primate neighbors. They had formed a major part of the Northern Resistance during the occupation.
More cities, including one built around a new Thulian Clinic east of New Lansdorp, sprang up.
Other life forms native to Amargosa include moosalo—large, shaggy, yaklike livestock animals, gosalope—a three-legged creature resembling kangaroo, ursoid—large, furry predators, and rodent-like creatures called squonks and wuzzles. Additionally, Amargosa has no birds but flying mammals and a winged reptile species, dactyl.
During the occupation, Amargosa’s authority was transferred from Mars to Metis, primarily to keep Metis from exploiting a legal opportunity to secede over the Compact’s refusal to recognize Hanar as an independent world. Metis installed a provisional government overseen by Athena Jovann as governor-general and Douglas Best as governor. Best became constituent leader when the Metisian Republic seceded.
Appearances
The Children of Amargosa, Beyond Amargosa, Second Wave, Storming Amargosa, Suicide Run, Checkmate, Winter Games, Royal Orders, Another Way to Die