
Origins of Vincenzi High-Tech
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   The origins of Vincennes' amazingly innovative and enterprising
   society are the result of the unique properties of the world and its
   trinary star system. To understand Vincenzi technological innovation,
   one must understand the hostile environment Vincennes presents to its
   inhabitants. Vincennes orbits Ember, the close companion of system
   primary, Undraczech. Because of the proximity of the two stars to one
   another, Vincennes' orbit takes it almost directly between Ember and
   Undraczech. The weak stellar emanations of red dwarf Ember are
   insufficient to support life on their own. When Vincennes is in close
   proximity to Undraczech, however, intense stellar radiation produces
   extremely high temperatures and inclement meteorological activity on
   the planet. The result is that Vincenzi temperature and weather
   patterns vary greatly over its 199.27 day orbit around Ember.
   
   During Vincenzi summers, when the planet is directly between the two
   suns, temperatures climb to an unbearable 66 degrees C. Massive
   convection storms sweep the planet and the intense heat releases
   sulfur compounds from the planet's ocean depths, shrouding the entire
   globe in blustery cloud formations. Autumn is the rainy season on
   Vincennes, with the highly acidic taint of the planet's atmosphere
   producing acid rain storms that force Vincenzi to don protective
   clothing and breathing masks when going outdoors. During winter, when
   Vincennes is at its most distant point from Undraczech, the
   temperatures drop as low as -20 degrees C. Icebergs dot the ocean
   surface around the globe, with polar ice caps forming in the southern
   and northern extremes. Spring is the most pleasant season, during
   which the temperature is at a comfortable level and the atmospheric
   taint is reduced to the point that the normally reclusive Vincenzi can
   actually come outdoors and breathe in the open air.
   
   The extremely hostile environment of Vincennes begs the question, "Why
   colonize such a planet?" The answer is that Vincennes is rich in
   natural resources. Underneath Vincennes' deep, nearly worldwide ocean
   (Vincennes features a 94 percent hydrosphere), rich deposits of ores
   and radioactives await industrial development. While several sprawling
   undersea metroplexes have been erected over the centuries to exploit
   Vincennes' resources, many geological surveyors believe Vincenzi
   industrial interests still have only scratched the surface. The
   difficult prospect of doing business on Vincennes spawned an active
   research and development community. Vincenzi innovation in
   communications, robotics and environmental technology have made it
   possible to operate in an otherwise unsuitable climate.
   
   Vincenzi life is generally compared to that of Cambrian-era Terra.
   Notable among Vincenzi lifeforms are beam, a bamboo-like plant
   structure that grows in Vincenzi oceans, and rockmat, a porous
   rockhard substance that grows around the rocky formations of The
   Shoal, much like Terran coral.

