Terra Nova

Introduction
Terra Nova is a rarity among the Human colony worlds, as it was not settled by a corporatoins or colonial groups leaving Earth, but instead by an entire country. Through the Terra Nova Colonial Fund, the government of the Republic of Ireland managed to transport the people, culture and a fair treasure trove of Irish culture to a new world.

Star Geography
The primary star in the Eta Cassiopeiae system, called Boru, has a stellar classification of G0 V, which makes it a G-type main-sequence star like Sol. Boru has 97% of the mass of Sol and 101% its radius but with a magnitude of 3.44, radiating 129% of the luminosity from its outer envelope at an effective temperature of 6,087 K.

The cooler and dimmer magnitude 7.51 companion, designated Noigiallach, is of stellar classification K7 V; a K-type main sequence star. It has only 57% of the mass of Sol and 66% its radius. Smaller stars generate energy more slowly, so Noigiallach radiates only 6% of the luminosity. Its outer atmosphere has an effective temperature of 4,036 K.

Compared to Sol, Noigiallach and Boru, show only half the abundance of elements other than hydrogen and helium, what astronomer's term their metallicity. T he two stars are separated by an average distance of 71 AU, and because of this debris fields fill the system save three terrestrial planets around Boru:
 * Eta Cassiopeiae I (Ascendancy)
 * Eta Cassiopeiae II (Terra Nova)
 * Eta Cassiopeiae III (Emerald)

Planetary Geography and Climate
The due the planet's small axial tilt, the climate of Terra Nova is mild, moist and changeable with abundant rainfall and a lack of temperature extremes, defined as a temperate oceanic climate. The colony receives generally warm summers and mild winters, and is considerably warmer in its higher latitude.

As with all of Ireland on Earth, Terra Nova has an overall temperate climate, with a narrow range of temperatures, often windy conditions, and rainfall throughout the year. The colony gets significant precipitation with an average annual rainfall of 966 millimetres.

Terra Nova has five continents, Connacht, Leinster, Munster, and Ulster (named after the four Irish provinces) along Meath, the fifth Irish province that was incorporated into Leinster, with parts going to Ulster.

Terra Nova is an older world, erosion and a lack of volcanic activity has created low-lying mountains, crisscorssed by numerous navigable rivers.

Biology
Terra Nova lacks anything similar large animal forms, most species are no larger than a house cat size. However this is a result of the megafauna that covers the planet in lush vegetation, a product of its mild but changeable oceanic climate, which avoids extremes in temperature. These thick woodlands leave little open space beyond the coast lines, meaning that large animals could never evolve since they would have been limited in movement.

Terra Nova Colonial Fund
The Terra Nova Colonial Fund (also called the Terra Nova Program) was a special agency established by the Irish government, with the expressed purpose of establishing a colonial settlement off of Earth for the entire nation of Ireland.

The Terra Nova Colonial Fund sent an exploratory expedition to establish a research and survey settlement in the Eta Cassiopeiae-system in October 2098. After an unusually lengthy trip from Earth, the three ships, the UES Aisling, Muirchú, and Róisín reached the Eta Cassiopeiae-system in 2100. The Muirchú began a probing scan of the system's stars to test their radiation and stellar activity, the Róisín began to survey the system for resources and future infrastructure and the Aisling landed on Eta Cassiopeiae II, where it established Haulbowline as a survey outpost.

The survey teams chose Cobh Bay for future settlement and by 2102 sent the Muirchú, and Róisín back to Earth, while the Aisling remained behind to defend the Terra Nova Colonial Fund's holdings.

Twelfth Exodus Fleet
Once the findings were confirmed on Eta Cassiopeiae II, the Terra Nova Colonial Fund began investing in Exodus Program in 2103 which had just launched the First Exodus Fleet to 36 Ophiuchi-system that same year. Through numerous investments, setbacks and political battles with other countries on Earth who tried to out maneveur the Terra Nova Colonial Fund. However in 2114 the Terra Nova Colonial Fund secured all the needed provisions and materials to launch the Twelfth Exodus Fleet, carrying not only the entire Irish population of 6.5-million, along with 3.5-million dependents of non-Irish nationality and specialists hired from all over Earth, including a sizable portion from the North American Republic.

The Twelfth Exodus Fleet arrived in Eta Cassiopeiae in 2117 and established the city of New Dublin on the newly christen Terra Nova.

Armed Forces

 * Novan Guard: The Guard has eight patrol vessels which are operated, all named with traditional Irish female names, taken from history and Celtic mythology with the ship prefix LÉ stands for Long Éireannach, "Irish ship" in the Irish language. While the Naval Service does not have any heavy warships, all of the naval vessels have enough firepower to enforce their policing roles.

Society and Culture
Irish culture is strong on Terra Nova, even more so as national pride has caused a resurgence in interest for Irish literature and, to a lesser degree, science and education. Irish festivals such as St. Patrick's Day and Samhain (Halloween) are widely celebrated.

Because of Terra Nova's thick woodlands and a reservation among the colonists to clear cut the immense forest, few large farm animals have been imported. Goats, sheep, chickens and geese are the largest food animals on the planet, as such the diet of colonists lacks most diary and meats, instead is more vegitarian than omnivore. While Roman Catholicism has played a significant role in the cultural life of Terra Nova, where religion and religious practice have always been held in high esteem. Terra Nova is nicknamed "the planet of saints and scholars," this is an outgrowth of the ancient sobriquet for Ireland. This is nickname is actually ancient, a result from the Hiberno-Scottish missions, begun by the Irish monk Saint Columba, spreading the Irish vision of Christianity to pagan England and the Frankish Empire. These missions brought written language to an illiterate population of Europe during the Dark Ages that followed the fall of Rome, earning Ireland the nickname "the island of saints and scholars".

Galactic Location
Eta Cassiopeiae is a distance of 19.42 light-years from Earth.

Provinces and Cities

 * New Dublin : Capital city of Terra Nova.
 * Inchiquin Valley: a small village named after the Inchiquin Loughs back in Ireland, built around the Uragh Stone Circle transported from Earth.

Points of Interest

 * Uragh Stone Circle: a neolithic stone circle and consists of five megaliths. The stone circle was once located near Gleninchaquin Park, in Ireland but moved to its new location at the heart of the village of Inchiquin Valley.