Yavaun

"The bones of Yavaun run deep; its pain is felt by all."

- Final lines of an anonymous Shama'Li song.

Somewhere out in the turbulent voids of space there hangs a brilliant jewel in the firmament: the distant planet Yavaun. It is a mysterious and foreign world a realm of strange, alien beauty and mystical enchantment. A place where each struggle for freedom ends in swift and deadly combat. Here the final battle for domination has just begun. Populated by four separate and diverse races, Yavaun lies entangled in revolution, in a war where each race must fight for its own survival.

Terrain
"This is wild and beautiful country. Though four distinct cultures seem to have thrived on the surface of this planet, the majority of the land is not developed. I have travelled far and seen massive stone crags, forests dense with tall trees, vast seashores untouched by any creature. Whatever our fate may be, we must preserve the majestic ecology of Yavaun and leave its primal splendour as we found it."

- Preliminary report submitted to the Descendant council of Elders by Taherih Safien.

Cliffs
Massive walls of rock heave upward out of loose ground across the surface of Yavaun. Cliffs cannot be passed over with bridges, by land vehicles, or on foot. These stony barriers indicate a strange pattern of tectonic plate movement, testimony to the planet's deep and violent history. The Shama'Li are particularly superstitious about cliffs, regarding these natural barriers as NagaRom's hand shaping the earth to block one's path. For this reason, the Shama'Li look upon units which can fly over cliffs with some mistrust. Such things seem to go against the will of the Creator.

Forests
Yavaun is covered with long swaths of diverse foliage. These forests are used by all the races of Yavaun as a valuable stock of natural resources and minerals. Units outside of a forest cannot see units within a wooded area, and likewise, units walking through a forest have reduced visibility. Thus forests provide good cover, but limit visual range. Forests do not hamper the sight of air units, nor do they hamper airborne movement. However, forests slow the movement rate of most other units and vehicles. The Eaggra are unhindered by forests since they are naturally at home in wooded areas. Perhaps because the Eaggra possess a great combat advantage in the forest, or merely due to wounded pride, the Tha'Roon take any opportunity to burn, raze, and destroy any stand of trees they can find. Flame weapons and defoliant bombs can clear away trees, leaving areas of charred stumps that serve as open ground. You can build and move units more easily over this ground, but burning trees also wastes potential resources - a fact which the Tha'Roon seem to ignore in their rage.

Bush
Diverse types of low foliage blanket most of the wild lands of Yavaun. This terrain seems to hinder armies more than anything. Bushes provide no cover, yet often hamper movement. All-terrain vehicles move best over this ground, manoeuvring far more easily than troops on foot. The Descendants had great troubles adjust- ing to this ground, being unused to movement in undeveloped areas. It took some time for their scientists to study the plants and animals of Yavaun in order to learn how to travel through bushes, avoid the dangers lurking just beneath the leaves. Needless to say, the Descendants were vulnerable targets for a long while before they adapted to the land.

Open Ground
Grasslands, beaches, or bare earth, clear terrain makes for ideal town locations. Anything can be built easily on open ground and if necessary, forests can be cleared in order to create a buildable area. Most troops move easily over open ground, though with little cover.

The Marines have learned all too well the dangers of open ground. While good for constructing a sprawling compound in a seemingly defensible position, such visibility discounts the power of Yavaun's beasts and the stealth capabilities of its denizens. Even peaceful migrating Bonca herds exacted their toll on Marine camps, trampling walls and soldiers with casual indifference.

Rocks
Rocks are impassable piles of jagged stone, jutting into the air sometimes hundreds of feet. Rocky terrain is inaccessible to land vehicles and units on foot, and impossible to build upon. Obblinox troops learned long ago to set ambushes for Shama'Li near heaps of broken stones. Perhaps because rocks figure into Shama'Li rituals, or because stones and crystals compose the majority of Shama'Li "technology," one can often find groups of Shama'Li picking through piles of stone. Patient Obblinox troops waiting near areas of rock can often look forward to the promise of battle.

Water
Large areas of water are not passable without an aquatic or airborne vehicle of some type. Bridges can span narrower gaps of water, as can various means of teleportation. The waters of Yavaun were once clear and blue, even in the standing pools scattered across the marshes. However, long periods of industrial emissions and bio-hazardous waste disposal have transformed the lakes, rivers, and oceans to a dull, translucent gray colour. Do not be fooled by the toxic appearance of the waters of Yavaun. They are teeming with life forms of a million different varieties. Many of these are genetically corrupted mutants branching off from a lost, original species. The violence of this world's aquatic evolution is often articulated in its water dwellers.

Ruins
Ruins are the remnants of structures that have been damaged beyond repair. While ruins don't provide a defensible position, they may obstruct movement of large groups. Shattered walls, heaps of rubble, and the dim outlines of lost buildings mark the terrain of Yavaun. Descendant scientists have observed and stud- ied these ruins, attempting to deduce some knowledge regarding the history of Yavaun that might aid their purpose. No true progress has been made in this endeavour yet. When consulted, the Shama'Li rarely divulge information concerning the ancient places which they consider sacred.

Beasts
"All life on Yavaun is sacred. From the mightiest Elder Bonca to the smallest Dinge Vermin, all hold an equal portion of the Creator within."

- Shama'Li mystic, Gamon the Seeing, speaking to a group of young Cavaliers.

"Man, those Bonca sure do make a mess when you blow 'em up!"

- Jimmy Marcone, Marine Grenadier.