Neroth

Neroth was an  located in. By the time of the, it was held in low esteem: the planet had a reputation of a dangerous and lawless backwater world. Nonetheless, Neroth flourished as a thriving and a nest for the, the , and other disparate.

In a sign of cold indifference, the planet wasn't even formally named or recognized by the  and. Neroth only received formal recognition due to proxy wars and economic or military pressures upon the.

Description
"Welcome to paradise. Watch your pockets."

- Yoshimi Shinobou, freelance hacker

Terrain
Neroth qualified as a, in the sense that all of the available landmass on the planet was covered by a single large city. Due to increasing demands pushed by overpopulation, the ensuing urban sprawl dominates the southern hemisphere: this massive urban environment serves as the planet's largest city and capital. Other urban environments included the floating Freeport Cities.

The remainder of the planet was blanketed by unbroken global ocean. There was little geographical and topographical features, but the oceans thrived with numerous ecosystems and biomes. The seas thrived with life, from aquatic vegetation, to uncountable species of aquatic lifeforms.

Before being blanketed by the Sprawl, the landmass on Neroth took the shape of archipelagoes and scattered chains of tropical islands. The larger islands sported dense jungle cover or high, impassable mountains. The Sprawl's roots trace back to the various cities dotting the larger islands.

Climate and Weather
The vast seas and the planet's position inside of the inner life zone resulted in a planet-wide equatorial band. As such, the climate of Neroth was hot, humid, and tropical. Sustained periods of rain were common, including seasonal monsoons. The surface had an average surface temperature of 37 degrees.

Prehistory
Neroth was charted, albeit never settled, by ancient Republic exploration probes. The planet's remoteness, lack of habitable landmass, and lack of an abundance of natural resources have kept it from being considered for long-term settlement or habitation plans. As a result, Neroth lanquished in obscurity for centuries, barely registering as more than a set of coordinates and database designation on star-charts.

Paradise world: period
During the era of the, Neroth was "discovered" by the Sith Lord Qo'un Sinan. Sinan, by then known by her alias Titania. Titania had been searching for remote worlds in the galaxy with the aim to move her base of operations from. Upon discovery, Titania made the transition from the Smuggler's Moon to the remote ocean world just prior to the. Once established, Titania set about turning the world into a paradise retreat of sorts.

The developing capital of Titania's sphere of influence, Neroth was then a world in the Brotherhood of Raiskus. While it was allied with the Brotherhood, Neroth became a pleasure planet for the Sith and their minions. It was a world without inhibition, where one may experience libertine revelry and hedonism. Neroth enjoyed a very frank and open-minded attitude about things that could be taboo elsewhere, such as sexuality and usage of drugs; as a result Neroth became a rife breeding ground for elements. In spite of the tendencies, Neroth was nevertheless a hub for Sith activity, as well as innovation: Neroth was the nerve center for Darth Titania's prototype tech operations.

A common saying inside the Brotherhood was that "everything was legal and anything could be bought" on Neroth. The weapon factories and research labs of Neroth provided the Brotherhood with advanced tech, weapons, and. The resorts and beaches provided enjoyment and tourism for Titania's forces as well as for the others in the Brotherhood.

Decay: Galactic Civil War period
By the time of the Galactic Civil War, the halcyon days of Neroth's paradise were long gone. Once-careful architecture designed to blend with the planet became careless urban sprawl until all of the islands of Neroth became swallowed up in the ferrocrete jungle of the Sprawl. Little remained of Darth Titania and the Sith, save for the shadowy leader of the Collective.

The Sprawl was a thriving shadowport, home to numerous factions engage in an endless tug-of-war for control of the planet. Heavy hitters included the, the , and the. Like Nar Shaddaa, Neroth was a good place for someone to get lost for a while, or to find top-quality black market contraband or upgrades.

Time of the Brotherhood
Being a member world of the Brotherhood of Raiskus, Neroth's culture was heavily inspired by the culture of the Sith. Indeed, due to their presence the planet has become a font of dark side energy. Unlike other dark side worlds, the presence wasn't an overt thing, but it subtly washed over the planet.

Force practice was common here during the time of Darth Titania and Force-sensitives and Sith were afforded the prestige and respect it would elsewhere in Sith space. However, Neroth's laissez-faire culture made it differ from many Sith worlds of its time: it lacked the rigid adherence to caste and standing of the Sith capital. was summarily outlawed - being one of the few things that were explicitly illegal on the planet - and everyone, regardless of gender or species, was afforded equality on all grounds. As a result, Neroth was much more diverse than other Brotherhood worlds, and was a melting pot of numerous cultures.

The planet was a pleasure world, with pristine and unmolested beauty. The lackadaiscal laissez-faire attitude and anything-goes mentality curried an air of opulence and hedonism. In spite of being a hub for black market and Sith activity, Neroth was one of the safer Brotherhood worlds, carefully maintained and regulated by Titania and her forces. Innovation, sciences, and arts were respected here and so thrived a center of innovation and experimentation in numerous fields.

Native Force-wielders were called Correctors: spies and operatives loyal to Darth Titania, the Correctors were tools of subterfuge and secret police enforcing the Dark Lady's will whatever the cost.

Galactic Civil War and Beyond
By the time of the Galactic Civil War, little remained of the Sith and their ways, but still the dark side lingered over the planet.

Behind the Scenes
Neroth was heavily inspired by the cyberpunk genre, most notably William Gibson's Sprawl trilogy. Other notable inspirations included Akira, Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell, the Matrix, and Tron. Here are some great ambient tracks for exploring or getting a feel for Neroth:
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Ambient Music - Beaches of the Lost World
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic Ambient Music - Manaan Ahto City
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II Ambient Music - Nar Shaddaa Entertainment Promenade
 * Mass Effect - The Citadel: Upper Wards
 * Mass Effect 2 - Illium: Nos Astra Cityscape
 * Mass Effect 2 - Omega: Afterlife Upper Level