The Game World

A Brief History of Solaris VII Solaris VII A Primer for Solaris Games A Whistlestop Tour of Solaris VII The Game World Solaris City A Tour of Solaris City International Zone Black Hills Cathay Kobe Montenegro Silesia Solaris City Location Index

Solaris VII has two large land masses, Grayland and Equatus. Grayland is the continent in the northern hemisphere, roughly four thousand kilometers east to west and two thousand kilometers north to south. Wide but shallow inland seas cover a great deal of the land. The Runagate Sea nearly splits Grayland into two land masses, as it stretches right down the middle of the continent, butting up against the lowland march country. The Poseidon Sea, in the northeast, is polluted with heavy natural mineral content. Xanatow Sea, along the east coast, technically splits off a large section of Grayland, though no one thinks to call it a separate continent. In the southwest, the Avalon Sea is central to the few resorts that do not specifically rely on the 'Mech games, though even here one can find some Class One and Class Two arenas.

Even though most of Grayland can be classified as primitive country, Equatus is still known as Solaris VII's wild frontier. Situated in the western hemisphere, Equatus is smaller that Grayland and boasts several differences in climate and terrain. The Tangerine Desert sprawls across the center of the continent, visited only by small mining ventures and a few nobles who have a preference for isolated estates. Some thin forests allow a struggling timber industry along the western coast. However, logging is quickly giving way to raw land speculation as more nobles and corporations notice the wonderful temperate climate found here. Blood pits are common among the larger fishing villages and farming communities, with battles fought mostly by ArgoMechs.

Civilization

Solaris City is located in central Grayland, in the middle of a dense stretch of forested plains, and boasts the largest population on the planet by far. Though it is doubtful that anyone would choose such a site for the city intentionally, Solaris organically grew out of the various camps, lodgings, and installations various corporations established in the area. Central Grayland is a cold and damp place most of the year, with steady rainfall feeding the vast forests and lowland marshes. The seemingly eternal cloud cover is the primary reason Grayland got its name.

The city of Nowhere is another odd settlement to the far north, sitting in the shadow of the Majestyk Mountains, where taiga stretches along the entire coast. Blue Point Weapons has a production facility nearby, though no good reason has ever been given as to why they picked this site. The hot springs of Nowhere seem a thin excuse to be settled so far away from better climate and the world's denter of civilization.

Xandria, in comparison to the other two Grayland cities, is a paradise. The city experiences a warm climate with only light rainfall for most of the summer, settling into a pleasant temperate clime during fall and spring. Xandria suffers only in winter. Many nobles without the extra means of settling private estates on Equatus have chosen Xandria and the surrounding coastal area as a site for the summer homes that sit on beautiful estates.

Off The Beaten Path

The main towns of Equatus, similar in nature to the rest of Grayland's villages and hamlets, usually depend on a local resource or industry.

Solaris VII's timber-industry capital of Joppo is known - or laughed at, depending on ones view - for its rustic rough-and-tumble charm. Here, woodchip floors and log cabin architecture are used by design rather than by necessity. Only a few hours north of Solaris City, Joppo still manges to draw some attention to its own arena - a section of woodland set aside for team play rather than dueling. In this arena, BattleMechs can build appropriately sized deadfalls, blinds, and pit traps.

Mantraa serves as the capital of Equatus, and as such is perhaps the one town on that continent independent of any single industry. Still, there's no denying that the small city would suffer a major recession if the cattle ranges suddenly shifted their export business northward to Port Townsend.

Anchorage is one of the larger fishing villages on Equatus, and most recently gained its fifteen minutes of fame as the hometown of Jaime Ferrero, one of Solaris VII's few homegrown MechWarrior arena fighters. Anchorage manages to support a Class Three arena, subsidized in part by Fitzhugh Stables and a small collection of independent MechWarrior collectives.

Southeast of Solaris City, the town of Mitchell has grown up around the training fields for DeLon Stables. The village relies on timber, a rock quarry, and the Labyrinth - a Class Five arena Thomas DeLon built nearby. Mitchell has experienced something of a financial windfall these last few years, with reigning Champion Theodore Gross maintaining a vacation home nearby and putting on the occasional exhibition bout at the Labyrinth. The town hopes to maintain tourism, though it is likely that the downfall of Gross will lead to a hard recession unless another DeLon Stables warrior takes the championship.