For reasons that will likely forever remain outside the realm of explanation, every planet
in the known galaxy is the representation of a distinct, fundamental element. These elements
shape a world's geography and resources, they define its culture and philosophy. Planet Rock
is no exception, but instead, a true embodiment of the universe’s unique and mysterious cosmology.
As the name implies, Rock is a world of towering mountains and jagged canyons. Ravines,
gullies and hoodoos mark its surface, and little grows amongst its sweltering deserts.
It is said that hard times create strong people, and Planet Rock is proof of this.
Time spent on the world is always hard, and few can match the strength of its citizens.
Known for their distinctive stony appearance and crystalline growths, the people of
Planet Rock fully embody the qualities of their homeworld. To outsiders they are often dismissed
as “rockhounds”; considered inflexible and obstinate, more likely to break than ever bend.
Yet they are also courageous, confident, rugged and enduring. While they may be slow to adopt
new beliefs and ideas, they hold steadfast to their principles regardless of the consequences.
Planet Rock is ruled under an absolute monarchy. Whoever holds the title of
“Rock Lord” wields supreme authority, bound only by established tradition and unwritten
customs. The position is not a hereditary one, but instead determined by a mysterious ritual known as
the Foundation of the Soul. Those who desire to rule Planet Rock are said to walk the Stony Path,
a literal and philosophical road that always leads to an ancient chamber in the heart of their world.
Inside they face the manifestation of their highest dreams and darkest demons.
They will either endure and be named Lord, or shatter, and be forgotten.
Culturally, Planet Rock is largely conservative. Its population is broadly
divided between two castes: Soldiers, responsible for the world’s defense,
and quarriers who delve deep into the endless mines. Though both groups are ostensibly equal,
soldiers are sometimes considered to be of higher status, especially when operating
off-world and security is paramount. Even on the homeworld however, soldiers are disproportionately
found in positions of authority and the nation exhibits some of the qualities of a stratocracy.
The foundation of the Rock military is the CRPR, or “Combat Ready Processing Rig”.
These are heavy armored fighting vehicles equally effective at materials handling.
They are supplemented by the comparatively lighter, but still resilient “Multi-Utility
Loading Excavators”, equal parts battle tank and mining dozer. In air and in space,
Planet Rock utilizes a fleet of “Arrowhead” gunship transports and Tectonic Class Carriers.
Rock military doctrine emphasizes protection and armament at the expense of speed,
and its hardware is designed to quickly establish heavily fortified beachheads.
The most formidable aspect of Planet Rock’s defenses were the Battle Moons: five small
planetoids repurposed into mobile superweapons. Each had been modified with engines, armor and
destructive energy beams that represented the most powerful weapons in the entire cluster. Though no
other planet possessed weapons that could match the power of the Battle Moons, the fear they might
be captured or destroyed meant they were rarely used for anything other than defensive actions.
Early in its history, Planet Rock attempted to establish diplomatic relations with the other
worlds in its local cluster: Planet Ice, Planet Bone, and Planet Fire.
The ancient “Treaty of Four” attempted to create a system-wide alliance, but its failure led to
centuries of fighting in what became known as the resource wars. Dependent on the other
worlds for its continued survival, Planet Rock launched hundreds of raids to acquire water,
foodstuffs and energy, and in turn suffered attacks launched by its rivals.
It was in one such raid on Planet Ice that a Rock raiding party encountered the last
survivor of Planet Tek, and received a dire warning of the coming of the Beast Planet.
Long believed to be nothing more than a story meant to frighten children,
forces of the Beast Planet nearly annihilated both Rock’s mining task force and the personal
guard of King Cryos, the ruler of Planet Ice who had arrived to intercept them.
Faced with the knowledge of this impending threat, Flint Graveheart, one of the few survivors of the
battle, attempted to re-establish the Treaty of Four and create a common-front against the Beast.
Though King Cryos was receptive, the isolationist and xenophobic Lord Mantle,
ruler of Planet Rock, refused to take part in any alliance.
Even a Beast attack on Planet Rock itself that exposed the weaknesses of the Battle Moons failed
to convince Lord Mantle to cooperate with what he considered to be hated, and eternal enemies.
Exiled from his homeworld, Graveheart nevertheless managed to secure the allegiance of Planet Fire
and Planet Bone, becoming the de facto head of a new Alliance. As the sole remaining holdout,
Lord Mantle feared the alliance might turn against him. Reluctantly he agreed to mobilize his battle
moons against the Beast at the insistence of Jade, commander of the Royal Guard and a close personal
friend of Graveheart. During the Battle of Remora, the arrival of the Battle Moons proved decisive,
destroying the dead world that had been turned into a massive war engine by the Beast.
Despite this victory, the arrival of Planet Beast
within the cluster threatened the destruction of Planet Rock,
with even the battle moons and the alliance fleet powerless against its armored surface.
Though hope was seemingly lost, enormous “world engines” were discovered in each of the Cluster’s
planets, enabling them to escape the Beast and begin a dangerous journey through uncharted space.
The creators of the World Engines and the technology behind them remained unknown,
leading to the theory that Planet Rock,
and every other world in the galaxy, might in fact be artificial in nature.
Though Planet Fire was tragically lost to the Beast, Planet Rock, together with Ice and Bone
successfully crossed much of the galaxy, even expanding the alliance to include Planet Sand.
Lord Mantle however felt increasingly threatened by Graveheart’s status as leader of the Alliance,
seeing him as a potential rival for his throne. Mantle was further aggravated by the presence of
the Fire people, who had created a rump state and government in exile on one of Rock’s battle moons.
The arrival of the infamous Prison Planet, a relic of the old Treaty
of Four and used as a dumping ground for the cluster’s worst criminals,
provided Lord Mantle a unique opportunity to secure control of the alliance for himself.
Equipped not with traditional World Engines, but a highly advanced Teleportation system,
the Alliance found itself in chaos after Graveheart crash landed on its surface,
only for the prison to then teleport away. Unknown to the remaining alliance leadership,
Jade had secretly provided Lord Mantle with the Alliance’s Command Codes, payment for the use of
the Battle Moons during the battle of Remora. Mantle blackmailed the alliance into accepting
his leadership, threatening to let the Beast destroy their fleets in the event they refused.
Attempting an all out attack on the Beast Planet, Lord Mantle left his own homeworld defenseless.
He was ultimately killed by Blokk, commander of the Beast Armada who then occupied all of Planet
Rock. In his final act, Mantle recognized his failure and was able to destroy the command codes,
giving the Alliance the chance it needed to survive. This sacrifice appeared to
come too late to save Planet Rock, which was poised to be consumed by the Beast.
Graveheart however, now in control of the Prison Planet, managed to teleport it directly into the
path of the Beast Planet, and then teleport both away to a distant part of the galaxy.
Planet Rock was saved at the final moment and the threat of the Beast Planet was removed.
The ascension of Jade to the Lord of Planet Rock marked a new era. As her first act, the exile of
Graveheart was overturned, and he again became an honored citizen of his nation. Now a fully
committed member of the alliance, Planet Rock would freely trade with its neighbors, putting an
end once and for all to the destructive conflicts that had needlessly driven the cluster apart.