A world of natural beauty, Cadezia is covered by thick sheets of ice that stretch thousands of kilometers in length and glisten brightly enough to be seen from space year round. Throughout the course of that year, Cadezia experiences near-continuous snowfall and temperatures that regularly dip below freezing. This perpetual winter is broken up for exactly forty-five days, when the planet breaks typical orbit and is pulled in close proximity to its sun. This period brings forth new life on the planet, as rarely-seen animal life give birth to offspring and venture from the dank tunnels and caverns that twist and coil beneath the planet’s surface.

In recent millennia, Cadezia has become a leader in agricultural innovation. The planet boasts a growing population of inventive communities who have survived for thousands of years in cities that are built mostly underground. They surround a narrow band of volcanoes that are spread across the planet’s divide, subdued just enough by Cadezia’s arctic climate that they do not cause any lasting environmental damage. By harnessing the raw power of Cadezia’s volcanoes, these cities generate power that can be shared between homes. Large neighborhoods exist within the intricate twists and turns of the planet’s cavernous underbelly, warmed by a fiery core. Many of these cities have discovered the benefits of the fertile volcanic soil, creating a booming industry that entails Cadezia shipping massive quantities of fertilizer to worlds struggling to grow their own crops and forests. In addition, Cadezia has become known as a battleground for revolutionary ideas that could marry science with technology. Its people continue developing technology that would allow ships to run sufficiently on geothermal power alone.

The galactic benefits of such industry have come with a hefty price for the planet itself, however. In the millions of years before it was settled, Cadezia was a world of splendor suited for creatures who survived on the rolling ice plains by the hides of their furs and the claws of their feet. Examples of wildlife include wampas and furry mynocks; these now exist in very small numbers underground.

There have been a few species who have adapted quite well to life within the caverns. This includes a sub-species of ice spider that averages two meters in height and boasts twelve sets of eyes that span the length of its body. Scientists estimate that these spiders have existed for a handful of millennia and have survived by foraging underground on raw fungi and any warm-blooded mammals too small to fight back. They nest in large clans and communicate using a specialized form of echolocation that has evolved with their race, one designed to instill fear in the bellies of their prey while alerting family members of their whereabouts. It is very common for humanoids to be caught unaware by these cunning beasts while wandering through the cave systems from one neighborhood to the next.


Cadezia is not all danger, though. Purple and green ash are produced in a continuous cycle from the tops of Cadezia’s sprawling volcanoes, mixing with the ice to form a glittering spectacle of particle dust that dances through the sky on a nightly basis. The sentients who have settled here call this phenomenon the “night lights.” There is a certain spiritual connection to these lights ingrained within its long-standing culture; many of these settlers believe they reflect the souls of lost loved ones who have come to dance high above their heads.