Major Settlements

Aetherion (Population: 1.2 million)

Largest twilight belt city. Built around the Stellar Horizon crash site. Central hub for trade, politics, and Earth archive preservation.

Key Features:

• Vertical farms produce 40% of twilight belt food
• The Vault of Echoes: repository of data crystals and Earth artifacts
• Weatherworking Academy: premier institution for psychic training
• The Windspire: kilometer-high tower for storm observation and wind energy

Hooks:

• Rival factions vie for control of Earth archives
• Storm season threatens to overwhelm defenses
• Mysterious signal from Stellar Horizon wreckage activates after 800 years

Khal-Rim (Population: 500,000)

Fortified settlement near day-side margin. Coordinates mining operations and salvage expeditions.

Key Features:

• Thermal forges produce heat-resistant alloys
• Daywalker guilds train specialists for extreme conditions
• The Scorched Gates: massive shield walls deflecting day-side heat
• Black market for illicit day-side artifacts

Hooks:

• Mining claim dispute escalates to violence
• Salvage crew discovers functioning day-side structure
• Thermal forges malfunction, threatening settlement's economic base

Lumina Caverns (Population: 150,000)

Largest night-side cave settlement. Built around extensive geothermal vent network.

Key Features:

• Deepkin culture emphasizes resonance and collective memory
• Mushroom farms and thermal agriculture sustain population
• The Deep Roads: ancient tunnel network of unknown origin
• The Resonance Chamber: psychic training facility

Hooks:

• Geothermal vents show signs of instability
• Deep Roads section collapses, cutting off ice harvesting routes
• Ancient structure discovered deeper than any previous exploration

Aurora Bastion (Population: 300,000)

Twilight belt settlement specializing in ice harvesting and night-side trade.

Key Features:

• Ice caravans supply entire twilight belt
• Mixed surface/cave architecture bridges day and night cultures
• The Frost Market: trade hub for night-side goods
• Auroral Observatory: studies night-side phenomena

Hooks:

• Ice harvesting grounds claimed by rival settlement
• Auroral disruption causes mass psychic feedback
• Night-side predators migrate toward settlement