“We are the wind upon the grass, never bound, never broken.”
Soban Prime is a breathtaking savanna world of endless golden grasslands stretching as far as the eye can see, broken only by clusters of alien acacia-like trees, rocky mesas, and seasonal watering holes. Beneath its bright blue skies roam the nomadic Soban people, a tribal race whose culture is deeply tied to the land and its creatures. For millennia, the Soban lived freely across the plains in nomadic clans, their lives guided by the migration of wildlife and the rhythm of the seasons.
But the galaxy has a long memory for unguarded wealth. The Soban’s fertile plains and rich trade opportunities drew slavers, raiders, and foreign powers eager to exploit them. To preserve their way of life, the Soban aligned with the League of Independent Systems, gaining protection in exchange for labor and service. Today, their world is both a bastion of tradition and a thriving hub of galactic trade.
The surface of Soban Prime is dominated by vast grasslands, rolling endlessly toward the horizon. Alien umbrella-shaped trees dot the plains, while rocky outcroppings and seasonal waterholes sustain a teeming array of megafauna — from towering, herd-grazing behemoths to swift, predatory pack-beasts.
Culture: The Soban remain a proud nomadic people at heart. Even in the shadow of the great city of Sorencia, many clans still roam the Great Southern Steppes, following ancient trails. Their society prizes adaptability, hospitality, and resilience. Though passive in nature, the Soban are no strangers to hardship, having suffered centuries of slaver raids. To them, survival is strength, and endurance is honor.
Population: The population of Soban Prime sits at nearly 2 billion, with the vast majority concentrated in Sorencia, the capital city, while the rest are scattered across nomadic clanlands.
Sorencia stands as the beating heart of Soban Prime, a sprawling metropolis that rises from the savanna in gleaming durasteel and sandstone. Its bustling streets and open-air markets host both Soban and countless offworlders, transforming the city into a crossroads of commerce, culture, and politics.
Sorencia Capital Building: A massive darksteel structure with tinted windows that glimmer like black mirrors. It houses the planet’s administration, the council chamber, embassies, and the office of the elected High Speaker. The building is ringed with L.I.S. soldiers, ensuring order in the neutral heart of the savanna.
Sorencia Market District: A sprawling maze of stalls, shops, and open plazas alive with the sounds of barter and song. Here one may buy everything from handmade Soban beadwork to imported starship parts. The air is thick with the scent of roasted meats, alien spices, and the dust of the plains.
Sorencia Spaceport: Among the largest in the L.I.S., the Sorencia Spaceport never sleeps. Hundreds of ships arrive and depart each day, carrying goods, mercenaries, and travelers. The Mercenaries Guild and Intergalactic Merchants Guild both maintain branch headquarters here, cementing Sorencia’s status as a galactic hub.
The Great Southern Steppes: A wide expanse of arid plains stretching for miles, broken only by sparse shrubs and hardy trees. For nomadic Soban clans, this is sacred ground — a proving place where one’s endurance against the heat, dust, and drought is tested.
Hidden Shadow Collective Slaver Bases: Secret bunkers buried beneath the savanna, these strongholds serve as staging grounds for the Shadow Collective’s raids. Many Soban still whisper tales of family members stolen away to distant markets, fueling their distrust of outsiders. Though L.I.S. forces hunt tirelessly for these bases, new ones always seem to appear.
Nomadic Clan Encampments: Across the plains, tents of woven grasses and leather rise and fall with the seasons. Clan encampments are places of music, storytelling, and tradition, where the old ways live on despite the encroachment of the galaxy.
The Soban are not a militaristic people. Their passive nature has led them to rely entirely on foreign L.I.S. garrisons for planetary defense. In return, the Soban contribute greatly to the League as transport specialists, laborers, and logistical workers, forming the backbone of supply and trade operations across countless worlds.
Despite this, some Soban clans train warriors known as Grassrunners, skilled in riding the plains and hunting predators. While not an organized army, these warriors serve as scouts and guides for L.I.S. forces, their knowledge of the land unmatched.
To many outsiders, Soban Prime is a jewel of the L.I.S. — a world of golden plains and thriving trade, a safe harbor between warring factions. Yet to the Soban, it is more than trade or politics. It is the spirit of the savanna itself — the freedom of the plains, the song of the wind through the grass, and the promise that no matter how vast the galaxy grows, their people will always remain unbound.