Syra

Syra
aka Beta Copernicus I (post cataclysm)
Orbit: 0.80 a.u. Mass: 0.72 e.s. Atmo: Vacuum Radius: 0.91 e.s. Temp: 7° c Gravity: 0.87 g. Weather: None Day: 0.86 days Tectonics: Class 7 Tilt: 4°
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Syra (also referred to as Syrea in some documents¹) is the first planet in the Beta Copernicus star system.² It is the original homeworld of the Syreen. It was destroyed by a Mycon Deep Child, but the Syreen assumed it was a natural disaster until many years later when The Captain could prove otherwise.

Before the horrible cataclysm, Syra was an amazing planet, comparable to Earth before the industrial revolution. The Syreen describe it as a paradise, even equating it to the Human term "Eden." It apparently had beautiful colored skies, a variety of lifeforms including large reptiles, and fertile lands and seas full of life. The landscape of Syra played a large part in creating the peaceful Syreen culture. The primitive, aggressive, nomadic tribes were unable to leave the mountainous regions, the home of their herd beasts, the Yma. These beasts were unable to survive in the basins and plains where the peaceful, sedentary agricultural communities were developing into a peaceful culture. This natural separation gave the farming groups enough time to advance technologically so that, when the two cultures met, the primitive tribes were unable to dominate the peaceful farmers. Now all that remains of Syra is a Shattered World, a sad testament to the destructive power of the Mycon Deep Children.

The Syreen are now slave-shielded as a fallow race on Gaia, a world very similar to Syra, which the Ur-Quan Kzer-Za found for them since Syra had been destroyed.

Notes and references

¹The Star Control II PC manual spells the name as Syrea. However, the Syreen themselves and the Role Playing Resource Guide refer to the original homeworld as Syra.

²The Star Control II PC manual states that the Syreen are from the Arianni constellation. The 3DO manual gives the constellation as Copernicus, and the Role Playing Resource Guide and the conversations in the original PC version give the location specifically as Beta Copernicus I.