Aetree IV

Aetree IV is the host to one of the less notable member-states of the Gallente Federation. It is located in the low security portion of Sinq Laison. Aetree IV's largest population centre is the Delta city of Voxam, and many use the planet name and the city name interchangeably, though this is not strictly accurate.

Geography, Climate, Biome

The city of Voxam is divided unevenly in half between swamp and marsh, with small sections of mire dotting between the two; the North, North-East, Centre, and North-West portions of Voxam are overwhelmingly marshlands, whereas the South-West and South portion is swamp. A river bisects the city at an angle, going from North West to South. An ocean borders the Eastern edge of the city.

The marshlands tend to be chilly, with sparse bushes, much standing water, bio-luminescent algae, and the occasional megawillow. It rains frequently; fog is not uncommon. The temperature varies widely during the year; the wind is strong, and tends to stay at 8 meters per second; and the nights tend to be below freezing. The water depth varies from 39 to 182 cm in the wet months. The marshes support low-growing plants like grasses and sedges. Many inhabitants fish in the waters to supplement their diet. Turtles are not protected by local legislation, but few residents capture them or consume them. Birds, frogs, opossums, deer, and muskrats who run wild are not so lucky.

The swamplands tend to be hot, humid, and buggy. Here many trees rise from tepid pools and moss and glowing algae cover standing water. While glowing algae is a unifying commonality between all of Voxam districts, it's especially thick in the swamp districts. At night, the light pollution in this district from the algae (referred to as camak,) is such that it obscures more distant stars in the sky. Camak doubles as Voxam's main source of sustenance: while it is considered bland, it holds almost all the nutrients an average adult needs in almost perfect proportions, so many native recipes include it in some way or another. Algae "flour" is a popular ingredient. Camak is not found as abundantly in other climates and biomes on Aetree IV, if at all.

The Undercity

The city of Voxam, as it is located on marsh and swamp lands, has a history of sinking into the mud. There is no confirmed date for when this phenomenon started, but no architecture has ever been built on proper foundation, so it is possible that the city has been sinking since its first settlers. Not much is known about the city under the city, as it is notoriously dangerous to navigate and prone to collapsing. Inspection of higher levels suggests that structures have been continually built upon as they have sunk into the mud, though Outercity academics engage in active debate regarding that possibility or the possibility that topside Innercity huts are only the tips of massive preexisting superstructures. Estimations for the Undercity depth start at 1 kilometer, and no known expedition has embarked yet.

Governance

Structure of Government

Information about Voxam's governmental structure is hard to obtain, as all but one of Voxam's public organs are on a strictly paper-based recording system. The best public Federal assessment suggests that Voxam is a formal combination of ochlocracy, noocracy, and Xeer, though exactly what is what and which is which is unclear. The age of majority in Voxam is 15.

Three distinct powers are recognised: the mayoral administration, the city council, and the city police.