Drogheda III is a small, seismically active planet located far from the system's sun. Vast glaciers of frozen methane, ammonia, and water cover most of the planet wherever lava fields from active volcanoes have not melted the ice. In other areas, geothermal activity has raised the temperature of the ground enough that bare rock is visible. The frozen methane, which is clear, and frozen ammonia, which is white, can create marble patterns in the glaciers which are quite beautiful to anyone standing close enough to an exposed patch of ice to see it clearly.

The planet's cities rely on the constant supply of geothermal energy for power. Hidden behind the massive domes of glass and transparisteel, these cities provide refuge for the miners, engineers, and scientists that call Drogheda III home. The planet is home to a number of engineering companies researching more efficient environmental dome design, including Orson Skydomes, the largest manufacturer of environmental domes in the sector. It was recently announced that the company had succeeded in developing a formula for dome shielding that is up to fifteen percent stronger than commonly used materials. Competitors are sure to try to obtain this formula. All cities include emergency, environmentally sealed shelters in case their domes are breached for any reason.

Outside the security of the domes, there is little in the way of native wildlife, at least on the surface of the glaciers. Methane-consuming colonies of bacteria are present and there have been some attempts to release genetically modified species of cold-resistant animals on the planet, although so far there has been only limited success. Scientists have recently discovered the existence of a layer of superionic water deep under the glaciers, and theorize that it may support some hitherto unidentified forms of life, but so far, this remains unproven. For the most part, visitors to Drogheda III should stay inside the domes and keep their breathing masks close.