Topology[]
Mavinav has an extreme wobble about its axis, similar to that of a spinning top. This gives Mavinav two classes of each season. When, for example, the northern hemisphere is pointing toward the sun but the wobble pulls the hemisphere away from the sun, the season is called Milsummer (Mild Summer). When the northern hemisphere is pointing toward the sun and the wobble tilts the hemisphere even more fully toward the sun, the season is called Rasummer (Rash Summer).
Mavinav's desert is its most striking feature from orbit. The stark yellow sands often drift into three-kilometer-high sand dunes. Despite local legends of treasure buried there, only the bravest ever venture into the desert.
Another interesting physical feature are the nightly electrical storms on the southern ocean of Mavinav. These displays are often visible from the shorelines near Isak and New Baghdad, and the local Baufrin known them as the Tali (Freedom Lights).
Mavinav's moon is currently being mined by TOG. Its ore is launched by mass drivers into orbit around Mavinav, and from there robotic facilities refine the ore into useful metals.
Early History[]
Mavinav was one of the first worlds settled by the Baufrin in Shannedam County. At that time, it was a place of thriving cities and rich fields instead of one massive desert By the time Humanity reached Shannedam IV, more than two million Baufrin lived on Mavinav. Reluctant to share authority, the Baufrin ruling council restricted the Humans' power and voting privileges for decades.
By 3500, the Human population on Mavinav was 30 million, compared to the only 20 million Baufrin, yet Humans were still banned from land ownership or equal representation in Parliament. In 3512 riots broke out when Human settlers attempted to disembark in Morris. Fighting escalated when the military, under Baufrin control, bombed Toe, killing more than 12,000 people. Only quick intervention of the Commonwealth prevented civil war. It took nearly a century to fully resolve the matter, but eventually Humans and Baufrin came to share authority as full and equal partners over this colony world.
To help maintain Mavinav's peace, the Commonwealth funded a massive military complex to the north of the current site of New Baghdad. At the time, this site was the largest spaceport and construction facility in Shannedam County, having taken more than 20 years to complete. It brought billions in income to the world and dramatically increased the planet's support for the Commonwealth.
The test of that loyalty came with the outbreak of the Snow Plague, which killed 90 percent of the Human population. Fearing the plague, the Baufrin of Mavinav decided to save themselves and killed hundreds of Human refugees. The arrival of a KessRith strike fleet in orbit over the world made matters worse. The Baufrin were determined to fight to the bitter end, and the KessRith wanted the trillium III found in the mountains north of Toe. The war raged for eight years, with no apparent end in sight.
Finally the KessRith opted for the simple solution. In a huge orbital bombardment of the main continent, they destroyed the spaceport, three large Baufrin cities, and 75 percent of the planet's surviving population. When radiation level died down a thousand years later, Mavinav's rolling hills had become a massive desert, devoid of life.
As the KessRith began to withdraw from Shannedam County, the garrison on Mavinav was left to its fate. Without supplies or hope of reinforcement, the garrison commander struck a mutually acceptable compromise with the Mavinav government-in-exile. The KessRith troops were granted full rights of citizenship and given territory to settle not far from Toe.
The Baufrin never fully agreed with the compromise terms. They felt that the KessRith's destruction of their cities and towns was too great a crime to be forgiven. Once again the racial rifts on Mavinav began to deepen as new Baufrin and Human settlers arrived on this planet.
Recent Events[]
The TOG push into Keserdal County brought hundreds of thousands of refugees to Mavinav. Many of the refugees were forced to settle in heavily patrolled and protected cities along the edge of the great desert, where riots and racial clashes were common.
The people of Mavinav never believed that TOG would consider their world a target until the invasion of Carthage X. The arrival of two Renegade Legions underscored the reality of the approaching threat. The people rallied against the danger, casting aside their racial hatreds. Defenses were shored up and the Royal Navy constructed a naval base in orbit over Mavinav. If and when TOG arrived, it would face a fierce fight for control of the world.
With the fall of Carthage X in 6827, Mavinav was next in line. Securing it would restrict reinforcements from Rolunitru down to Messana and Caralis. the world braced itself for a TOG onslaught. One of the Renegade Legions stationed on Mavinav was replaced with the 12241st Renegade Armored Legion (The Honorable Few).
The Renegade Legions defended Mavinav fiercely.
The attack came on 7 August 6828, when the TOG 13379th Legion dropped onto the desert 100 kilometers north of New Baghdad. This undefended area allowed the legion to secure their perimeter unmolested. When hours the grav armor of the Harbingers of Death overran New Bagdad's spaceport and had most of the city under their control.
The 13379th ran into its first heavy opposition outside of Morris, when it encountered the bulk of the 2008th Renegade Infantry Legion (Garrison's Groundhogs). The Renegades were outgunned and outclassed, but managed to hold out for five weeks before being driven into the northern foothills.
As a TOG infantry legion continued to chase the 2008th, the Harbingers turned their attention to the 12241st, dug in on the smaller continent. With high mountains and steep valleys hindering their advance, the Harbingers took almost a full month to secure Toe. Even then they suffered heavy losses from the local KessRith militia defending the city. Given the positions of other Renegade units and projected losses using normal tactics, the TOG commander knew he would have to take drastic action.
Operation Sword Thrust was launched on 17 September against the main elements of the 12241st, in the foothills of Burns Peak. Almost immediately, the operation was threatened by a Royal Navy raid and close orbital bombardment. After two weeks and several close calls, however, the 12241st was broken. Remnants of Renegade squads hid in the hills and mountains and continued to harass the 13379th for several more weeks, but by 28 October 6928, the worlds was officially added to the list of TOG's conquests.
Once the 13379th was rotated to Ancona for refitting, the Lictors stepped in and immediately began to spread xenophobic fear among the Human population. Within three months, Human hatred of TOG took a back seat to renewed fear of the Baufrin and KessRtih that remained on the world. All of Mavinav's major cities currently have different quarters for the three major races, each heavily patrolled and allowing no travel between sectors. Adding to the racial tensions is a Lictor-inspired propaganda campaign that features several native Humans being awarded TOG citizenship.
Despite continuous raids by the Royal Navy, TOG has managed to construct a VLCA station. They have also re-opened the mines and begun to extract large quantities of trillium III for use off-world. Mostly Baufrin were pressed into this onerous work, along with those Humans and Naram foolish enough to violate the law. Most of the Human and Naram labor force assisted in the construction of the new naval base, Citadel. It required two and a half years to build this facility, which now makes Mavinav impressive both offensively and defensively.
Raids against ground bunkers and facilities outside of New Baghdad and Grant have been occurring since November 6830. Evidence found in the aftermath of these raids indicated that some survivors of the 12241st Legion are still living in the desert. Heading up a small guerrilla movement, they have begun to draw attention away from the local garrison legions as well as the Lictor IS.
Planetary Timeline[]
3500
Human population reaches 30 million, 10 million more than Baufrin. Despite this, Humans have no representation nor ability to own land.
3512
Riots break out, followed by the bombing of Toe in response. CW intervenes.
6568
KessRith negotiate cease-fire with local government.
6825
CW repulsed.
6828.01.07
TOG attacks.
6828.08.17
TOG operation Swordthrust begins.
6828.10.28
TOG conquers world.
6829
Blood Eagles split into three units. 364th and 365th fighter groups assigned to defend Mavinav.
6830.11
Raids indicate continued CW presence.