World Name: Karbala
Star Type: G5V
Position in System: 3
Time to Jump Point: 7 days
Recharging Station: Nadir
Planetary System: 7 major bodies
Satellites: 2. Alba and Lleuad.
Gravity: 0.83
Noble Ruler: None
ComStar Facility Class: B
ComStar Representative: None. Comstar facilities liberated June 5, 3056
Dominant Languages: English
Percentage and Level of Native Life: 30%, Mammal
Karbala was discovered in 2263 by the Terran explorer ship TAS Mohammad. Even from orbit, the lushness of the planet was so glowing that Karbala quickly became one of the prime destinations for shiploads of colonists leaving Terra between the years 2274 and 2306. Most of the colonists were from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and the United States. What the colonists found when they arrived was a world of four continents, six seas, a fairly reasonable weather pattern, abundant fresh water, and a profusion of lifeforms to accommodate the colonists very well.
It was quickly discovered that the planet was best-suited to agriculture. By crossing Terran plants with varieties indigenous to Karbala, the colonists had soon bred several important grain and vegetable crops. Since then, Karbala, with its countless square kilometers of open rolling country and highlands, has always managed to supply enough food for itself and its six nearest neighbor planets, despite the decline in agricultural technology brought on by the wars. Karbala also exports water for other planets in the Inner Sphere.
Montana is the continent furthest north. Often deep in snow for five months of the year, the continent is known for its hardwood trees and animal furs. The most valuable of these furs is from the Dragon Lynx, a small feline that gets its name from its razor-sharp teeth and fierce disposition. The continental capital of Montana is Cody’s Fort.
New Hawaii is a group of islands in the planet's largest sea. Lying near Karbala's equator, the islands have the hot climate that makes tropical plants and fruits the region's main export. The New Hawaii islands also have some high mountain ranges. Combined with the islands' location, these mountains attract rather vicious hurricanes that often cause heavy damage to the local communities. The largest of these islands is Carlisle. The continental capital of New Hawaii is New Miami.
Brunswick is the second largest on Karbala. A large and flat land mass, it has the planet's only desert, the Badlands, and the planet's only large canyon, the Great Gorge. Brunswick produces a substantial part of Karbala’s livestock. Small sections of the continent are owned by ranchers raise a wide variety of animals that are exported offworld to satisfy hungry people throughout the Inner Sphere. The continental capital of Brunswick is Edinburgh.
New Wales is the largest continent on Karbala. The continent is also the most geographically diverse, with three mountain ranges, many large rivers, thick forests, and large prairies. New Wales is also the location of most of Karbala’s industries. New Cardiff is triply honored as the capital of the continent. New Cardiff began life as a station for the loggers of the Brecon Forest, a continental spanning forest. During the first century of human life in this world, the mayor of the city decided that at least one of the cities on Karbala should be as large as some of the other cities in the Inner Sphere. After another century, New Cardiff was the largest city on Karbala and was thus declared the capital of the planet. When the Steiners took control of the area, they promoted the tradition of Celtic festivals that were celebrated throughout Karbala. President James’ rise to power made it clear that the Celtic tradition would live on. Dominating the city from atop Mount Gayal is the Royal Palace, which some still refer to as Camelot. It is an enlarged copy of an Welsh medieval fortress that James had seen as a youth during a trip to Terra. The Royal Court is a complex of buildings and halls housing the ministries of the Karbalan government. It was built at the foot of Mount Gayal just below the Palace. Protecting the Palace, the Court, and Avalon City is a battalion of Karbala's elite Royal Brigade, which is stationed just between the Royal Court and the city. Since the completion of New Cardiff in the late 2380s, expansion has slowly eroded the Celtic atmosphere. Buildings constructed outside the core of the city, which is known as the Old City or the Government District, were not obliged to install Celtic facades and so adopted modern styles.
After the fall of the Star League, Karbala was forgotten. The world had only one significant industrial complex, the Karbalan Battlemech Manufacturing Facility. This was later closed and forgotten in order not to draw attention from rival houses. So Karbala was largely untouched thoughout the Succession Wars. One thing that was not known was that General Rice Davis, commander of three regiments of Star League Regulars, had taken a fraction of his resources and had stored them in a huge cave near the Cris River. This cache was hidden for 300 years.
In May 3, 3056, the mercenary units Rees’ Roughnecks and the Gray Death Legion were hired by the Free Rasalauge Republic to defend the planet from a raid by Clan Ghost Bear. During the battle of the Cris River, the 2nd Company of Major Frye’s Battalion and an infantry battalion from Rees’ Roughnecks discovered General Davis’s cache. The cache was split between the units and allowed both to reach a new level of technology.
