MENORB.RIC

Menorb (Regina: Spinward Marches/1803)
C652998-8   Hi Po    310  Re   M5II
C7D-6 A10-9YA0-38 Re3
g=.72, day=1d 5:06:00.51, year = 174,506d 9:10:07.38/143,922d 2:07:37.37
atmo= .66, natural weather
temp= +31 (5/lat +45 to -4) (season +11 to -44, 79 deg lat)
daily temp range 53.5
Agricultual, Radioactives, Compounds; Agroproducts, Non-Metals; Consumables,
     Record, Documents
Conservative/Enterprising, Competitive/Neutral, Discordant/Aloof
Legal 8-A8CA8    Tech  86-876A8-8674-D8-E

Approaching Menorb is simplicity itself.  Most of the traffic consists of
regular, 5000 Disp cargo ships, coming in for Menorb's agroproducts,
mild Vargr alcoholic beverages, and Vargr entertainment products.  Only during
the 30-day festive season of Kengrogarz (a Vargr religious occasion,
celebrated every six years) does traffic become impossible, and many
starships are forced to conduct operations in close orbit, instead of
loading up on the starport.

Despite the low tech level, the port itself is well equipped (to TL D
standards) and well-run.  Trade law is "8" - expect to get most of your
lots past customs, but don't expect it to happen quickly.  The local
customs officals are well-trained Regency Vargr's, and have a master's
understanding of smuggling pratices.  If you are here strictly as a
stopover, there is a nice TL D hotel attached directly to the starport,
with all the amenities.  Because of high demand, though, lodgers may only
stay for a week.  If you can get in, though, the price is quite reasonable.

If you judge only by the population at New Menorb Starport, you'd think
that Menorb is a Vargr world.  And you'd be wrong: only about 22% of the
population is Vargr, the rest is human [typically local-born, and vaguely
Solomani-looking (Indonesian?  East Indian?)].  However, the Vargr tends
to be the progressive element on Menorb: they dominate local business
interests, and are the main reason why Menorb's tech level has risen from
TL 6 (back in 1050) to TL 7 (1116) to TL 8 (from 1180 to today).

There are several items to be checked off before you leave Startown
(locals use the Vargr term of Anosarr).  A) Stow all weapons away. B) Be
sure to obtain a Murk vaccine shot.  C) Obtain a "Visitors ID Card";
looking like a TL 8 credit card, it will make dealing with the authorities
much easier.  D) Change your Regency currency to local Verba Script ("Verba
Currency" is a form of money used by the Verba Trading Block of Menorb,
Yres, Pixie, and Boughene): local merchants cannot use Regency credits.

Monorail lines can bring you swiftly to most important cities on Menorb;
hiring a driver (taxis or chauffers) is not recommended in the cities (too
expensive), but vital in the countryside.  Buses are the only alternative
in the cities, but are usually crammed and - depending on the line -
can be the site of thieves and hotheads.

In the countryside, trains (electric or steam) and helicopters (for those
with money) are favoured.  In the Rough, transportation is by foot, jeep,
or by animals (typically, the triped Bro-Ckok, capable of carrying one or
two people, is favoured as a riding beast.  Not very fast, but capable of
enduring without water for three weeks.)

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A large, influencial minority of the Vargr are followers of Runetha, a
Odysseus-like figure of widespread fame among Regina, Uthe, and Dirgir
Vargr's. (Uthe and Dirgir subsectors are located Coreward of the Spinward
Marches).  Runetha Saetedz (817 - 866) was a legendary Vargr
adventurer/pirate/scout who's exploits are betime reading for young Regina
Vargr.  Dying from old internal wounds, he managed to lead his band to
a heroic victory on Menorb, but died soon after.

Soon after his death, his followers founded the Runetha Society, to keep
alive his memory and his philosophy.  As his fame grew, they built the
Greater Thatho Temple in the Dro-Zhemm Hills, and spread his philosphy
throughout the region.

The Temple is the central site of the Runetha religion, now run by the
High Runetha Federation of Holy Adventurers.  The temple itself is a circular
building, of about 25 m length, 5 m in height, with a concave roof.  Of
strong interest is what's _above_ the temple: a large, floating, glowing
yellow ball, of about 30 m diameter.  It's quite bright (you cannot lok at
it directly within 50 meters if the ball), and can easily be mistaken for
a second sun.

While there is a constant flow of about 500,000 visitors per year, the
Kengrogarz (which occurs every six years) leads to an influx of 10-20
million pilgrims from Regina, Uthe, anf Firgir subsectors.  Once here,
they go through various rituals (including a rigourous Hunt in the
countryside), leading up to a mass meeting and blood sacrifices of
various animals at the temple.

The religion itself is strongly focused on heroic endeavers, felt to be
the way of a True Life here and a glorious afterlife.  Study of Runetha's
history -- and the history of other hero's, Vargr and Humaniti's -- is
a required tenant of the religion, as is the Aiding of all True Heroes, the
pursuit of at least one Quest in your life, and the support of the Runetha
Brotherhood above all worldly loves.

--------------------------

In contrast, the local humans - who mainly work in Vargr plantations, or
in isolated, independent communities - tend toward two religious
traditions.  The larger religion revolves in a form of nature-worship,
with a stress on the 'interconnectedness' of Menorbianti life, and
the divinely-ordained place of humans in it.  Most of the workers follow
this faith, and tend to mix wise ecological pratices with the purest
superstitution (the most prevelant being in the Evil Eye and Forbidden
Phases).  While there is no house of worship or formal prayers, there is
a LOT of "holy days" and "feast days", which are strongly agricultural in
nature.  There is also the tratidion of the "Holy Fool", usually an insane
man who supposedly is "closer" to Menorb's WorldSpirit than normal mortals.

The isolated "Freeholder" communities - almost all desert tribes - prefer
their household and tribal idols.  Most of these idols are weapons of one
kind or another - ie. the "Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch" or "The First
Machinegun of Aezo".  Fusion guns are especially popular.

--------------------------

The top industries on Menorb is agribusiness (Menorb fruits and grains,
marketed for Vargr tastes) and entertainment (Vargr recordings).  Both are
centred on Llil Suet, a city of 200 million set in the 2 km-deep Prince Martin
Valley.  Like most Menorbianti, the locals prefer to dress in simple togas
and light, garish robes.  They speak both Rark Vargr and Anglic fluently:
a few of the humans can even speak French!  They tend to view visitors as
"Funny folk", but can be easily coaxed into aiding the traveller, once their
intital shyness is overcome.

Again, the city is dominated by Vargr's.  They tend to take a romantic
view of live, believing that "Life is to be Lived to the FULLEST."  Almost
every Vargr has his own small clique, with similar social, policical,
ecomomic, and spiritual interests.  These cliques are set in a continual
struggle for power, but they fight their battles using legal and
bureaucratic methods, rather than fighting vargr to vargr.  To get anything
done - say, to obtain housing in a valued neighbourhood - takes weeks of
political maneuver and in-fighting.  Connections with the government
bureaucracy, lawyers, and political figures are highly valued, and dictate
the amount of "pull" you have available (Money also helps... but in
several situations, your personal Charisma counts for more, especially if
what you ask for entails major risks to get.)

City architeture is typically Vargr.  Enormous sizes, bizzare and
whimisical forms, and hard-to-find enterances mark the typical Vargr
corporate building.  While Solomani build to flaunt technical expertize,
and Vilani build to last, the Vargr designers want "to express
themselves"... in a riot of color.  The streets are a maze of avenues,
alleys, and large "asphalt football fields" that apparently exist for no
reason at all.  Those humans who take "the laws of the road" as a personal
challange will delight in Menorbianti traffic.

Personal buildings are generally built of pre-fab concrete slabs, of
questionable stability.  Of course, they are painted and garished to the
owner's taste.  Strangely enough, they can look very beautiful in
the deep red twilight of ol' Red Eye when he's setting.  But don't stay
out at night long: even though (at 35 deg latitude) the days are quite
hot (at about 20 Deg celsius in spring/fall), the nighttime temperatures can
fall to -44 easily.

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