Overview

The Edge of Space takes place on Al Amarja, a tidally locked moon circling a gas giant planet in a remote part of the galaxy. The inhabited areas of Al Amarja are under pressurized domes (63%) and in natural and artifical caverns beneath the surface (37%). The moon itself is an egg-shaped rock about 80 km long and 60 km wide, and it circles the gas giant Slylandro in an orbit with a period of 192 days. Slylandro is the middlemost of three planets in the Al Amarja system; the other two are a barren burning ball in an orbit similar to Mercury's ("Lucent") and a second, smaller gas giant with a beautiful ring system ("Salvo"). Between the inner planet and Slylandro lies a broad asteroid belt ("the belt").

On the side of the moon facing away from Slylandro ("starside") lies the urban center where most of the citizens live. Around a massive crater is built the starport Skylla. Just starside from Skylla is a city called the Edge; it is built atop a massive plateau that overlooks the black expanse of space. Monique D'Aubainne built this city up when she liberated the moon, and it is the heart of Al Amarjan culture. On the other side of the Edge from Skylla lies Traboc, a city that expanded greatly during the prosperity following the end of the Second Voyan Crusade.

On the end of the moon facing Slylandro ("planetside") is Freedom City, the capital of Al Amarja. Here Monique D'Aubainne and the various legislators, bureaucrats, functionaries, and lobbyists live in wealth and luxury. Freedom City is heavily guarded.

The barren surface of the moon is broken and rugged, and largely uninhabited. Scattered across and beneath the surface of the moon are private enclaves of the very wealthy, sometimes virtual fortresses, along with the occasional domed resort catering to wealthy and decadent tourists. The main urban centers and many of the private residences are connected by endless tunnels which riddle the moon's interior. While the various urban centers are warm, dry, and climate-controlled, the tunnels tend to be cold, dark, and humid.

Also in orbit around Slylandro is the stargate (in a peculiar "orbit" which keeps it located high above the planet's equator and positioned precisely between Slylandro and the Al Amarjan sun), the hyperwave relay station (in a geosynchronous orbit with a period of roughly 11 hours), and numerous smaller satellites, both natural and artificial (many of which are inhabited).

The official language of Al Amarja is Universe, an artificial language created over a thousand years ago at the request of Imperator Karevolg II. Although there are thousands if not hundreds of thousands of native languages among the Thousand Worlds, Universe is the language one can rely upon no matter how far from home one has traveled, as long as one is within the sphere formerly occupied by the Old Imperium. A great many worlds resisted its use, and the decision of Karevolg II to make it the official language of the Imperium was resisted even on the Core Worlds, but in those days an Imperial edict was taken much more seriously than it is now.

Large portions of this document were reproduced from the Over the Edge role-playing game, and are Copyright © 1992, 1997 John Nephew. Over the Edge is a trademark of John Nephew. It's a great game, and you should buy it.