An industrial sector circles Xal 3 along a longitudinal fringe between its perpetually dark and light sides. The chilly planet's dark side is covered by a vast ice field, while the light side is home to a highly active volcanic mountain range. The planet's most famous volcano, Mount Xal, lies directly in the center of the range and stands so tall that it said that it can be seen on the horizon from anywhere on the daylight hemisphere. Between these extremes lie bustling industrial centers, built either on the mountain steps or in the few prehistoric forests east of the range.

While a bitter planet, Xal 3 has a breathable atmosphere and is home to a wide variety of species especially suited for the extremes characterizing whichever side they inhabit. Intelligent life, however, has never evolved in either hemisphere. The industrial centers, built by offworld corporations, are mainly inhabited by refugees who relocated to the peaceful world as they fled persecution or other hardships.