
     Viewing the beautiful glowing orb of Porozlo from afar, who would
     suspect that this Terran Normal world is the site of some of the most
     vicious internecine warfare in the Regency?

     Porozlo's balkanization is the result of poor colonial planning.  Due
     to its remarkable resemblance to Terra, Porozlo was a highly
     sought-after system.  Colonization claims were filed by numerous
     private and public interests, most of whom were of Solomani origin and
     all of whom had legitimate claims.  Roughly three quarters of the
     claims were made by colonists with corporate sponsors, the largest
     made by Transstar, the Terran shipping megacorporation.  The remaining
     25 percent were comprised of government-sponsored colonization
     programs and population-relief projects.

     Because of the high demand for rights to the system and conflicting
     legal claims, an impartial mediator was selected to resolve the
     conflict.  The mediator determined that it was in the best interests
     of all involved to distribute Porozlan land to as many of the
     claimants as possible on a first-come, first-served basis.  Strict
     head-count limits were imposed.  Not surprisingly, a solution that was
     intended to make everyone happy made no one happy.

     The majority of the lots were distributed among an astrographically
     isolated Solomani group in Daibei Sector.  These Solomani were
     primarily descended from colonists who had originally come from
     Terra's Eastern and Southern European and North African regions during
     The Rule of Man.  A large portion of the lots were distributed among
     ethnically diverse Solomani groups from throughout the rimward portion
     of the Imperium and the remaining lots (about 5 percent in all) were
     given to a handful of Vilani interests and Core-based colonists of
     mixed descent.

     The Imperium's attempt at generosity resulted in the system's
     perpetual state of conflict.  After establishing footholds on the
     planet in 161-163, many colonial settlements quickly adopted
     isolationism as their credo and began to form their own individual
     governments on the planet.

     After permits were distributed to the second wave of colonists from
     Daibei and nearby Diaspora sectors, the colonial administration
     encouraged an even distribution of ethnic populations among the
     nations of Porozlo to foster a more homogeneous political environment.
     Unfortunately, hundreds of micro-immigrations nullified the
     Imperium's efforts in the subsequent decade.

     Remarkably, the only ethnic group that did not geographically polarize
     itself was the Vilani.  Vilani minorities can be found in most of
     Porozlo's nations.  They are frequently the educated elite, holding
     jobs as physicians, attorneys, bankers and corporate executives.  Not
     preoccupied by the ethnic conflict of the planet's other settlers, the
     Vilani have formed their own functional niche in Porozlan society.
     Conscious of their minority status (and the historical peril of those
     who have held such status), the Vilani settlers have been careful not
     to isolate themselves, so as not to incur the wrath of another
     Porozlan ethnic group or nationality.  In fact, the dispersed Vilani
     minority are arguably the greatest philanthropists on the planet,
     contributing a disproportionate 22 percent of the planet's charitable
     donations in an average year, while they comprise only eight percent
     of Porozlo's current population.  The Vilani minority speaks Galanglic
     in the business community but continues to speak a Vilani dialect in
     the home and at cultural functions in order to preserve their
     heritage.

     Porozlo's resources were scattered enough that over the centuries,
     further political fragmentation occurred along economic lines.  The
     final result was a world with upward of 80 independent nations.
     Porozlo became a textbook case on how to create a balkanized world.
     Though Porozlo's population was as diverse as any in the Imperium, for
     the most part the world avoided major wars until a dramatic event in
     its history.

     The Porozlan fragmentation and a growing awareness of the planet's
     limited resources gave birth to a grassroots political movement, which
     eventually became known as the Private Ownership (PO) bloc.  The PO
     bloc came into being during a firestorm of debate about foreign
     investment and exploitation of Porozlo's resources.  The status quo
     had been more or less pro-free trade.

     For two decades after the birth of the PO bloc, the majority of
     Porozlan nations underwent revolutions of one sort or another.  It was
     during this extremely xenophobic period that the planet became
     registered by the Travellers' Aid Society as an amber zone to warn
     travellers of the danger posed by distrustful Porozlans.

     After 20 years of PO revolution, the pendulum began to swing the other
     way.  Those who supported foreign investment and development united
     under the banner of the Free Trade (FT) bloc in reaction to radical PO
     movements.  This political schism was to become the defining event in
     Porozlo's history.  Historians debate the original date of the
     Porozlan Schism, but most place the date on either 1016, when the
     first domestically governed megacorporate labor union (thought to be
     the precursor of the PO bloc) formed in the nation of Stepozhevac, or
     on 1084 when the FT bloc came into being.

     PO movements spread like wildfire, affecting each and every national
     government on Porozlo.  As the PO/FT division deepened, democratic
     governments' elected officials became almost exclusively drawn from
     either the PO or FT bloc.  Many of the planet's more dictatorial
     governments resisted at first, but as public sentiment grew, even
     nations led by autocratic dictators began to align themselves under
     one banner or the other.

     The conflict has raged on for over a century now, with the balance of
     power frequently shifting between the two parties.  During the last 80
     years, the balance has settled, with the PO dominating about 30
     percent of the planet's countries and just under half its population.
     The FT bloc dominates the more technologically developed and
     industrialized nations.  Several underdeveloped countries have fled to
     the FT wing in recent years.  Under the guidance of Chairman Augwynne
     Sorsi, the nation of Nemso has sponsored a ground-breaking new
     organization, called the Free-Trade Advisory Council (FTAC), to help
     these nations "get on their feet."  Using programs like the FTAC, the
     Free Trade bloc has successfully swayed public sentiment to their side
     in the interstellar region.

     Wars are frequent on the soil of Porozlo, with an average of six going
     on at any one time.  The perpetual state of conflict on Porozlo
     spurred the TAS to deny the Porozlo United Council's request for amber
     zone nullification in late 1148.

     While most Porozlan wars are of the brushfire variety, many escalate
     to full-scale conflict with occasional threats of biological and
     nuclear weapon use made by opposing countries.  The presence of
     neutral Rhylanor curbs the use of such weapons, however.  The
     Rhylanori senate's unequivocal position is non-intervention unless the
     war escalates to the point where such weapons are used.  One Rhylanori
     senator, who requested anonymity, brashly stated, "If the Porozlans
     start nuking each other in our backyard, we're going to bring the sky
     down on their heads."

     The frequency of international conflict on Porozlo has made the planet
     a nexus for mercenary activity.  "Warworld" is the name many regional
     mercenary units use for the besieged planet.  Because of its adverse
     political environment, Porozlo has acquired the distinction of being a
     "mercenary magnet" over the past three centuries.

     While several offworld peace initiatives and summits have been
     sponsored by neighbors Rhylanor and Zivije, most of them have ended
     with the representative Porozlan national delegates walking away from
     the table in frustration.  The divisiveness between the nations of
     Porozlo has thus far proven irresolvable.

     Despite the pervasiveness of warfare on Porozlo, the planet as a whole
     is rather economically successful.  Nemso, the richest and most
     dominant nation on Porozlo, has the population and resources of many
     entire systems in the subsector.  The Free Trade party has dominated
     the nation's parliament since the 1107 overthrow of King Syzygy, the
     former hereditary monarch.  Many other nations, most notably Morovic,
     New Dalmatia, Zenerabi, M'Dwailei and Hauvania, have also prospered
     under the auspices of the Free Trade party.

     Although the FT nations have been models of economic success, the
     downside of foreign industrial exploitation is also evident in their
     cities.  Visible signs of blight and homelessness are much more
     prevalent in FT cities than they are in the more socially democratic
     PO cities and countries.

     The main PO nations of Porozlo, including Almarac (the most populous
     nation on Porozlo with six billion inhabitants), Anisinta, Turin,
     Digliotti and Vyben, tend to be more militant.  Local militias,
     created for the purpose of defending their homesteads from "invading
     offworlders," are common in PO nations.  While PO nations are not
     nearly as prosperous as the FT nations, it can accurately be said that
     for the most part, their citizens live on a more economically
     egalitarian scale.  The majority of their citizens could be classified
     as lower middle class.

     Porozlo is home to a multitude of fascinating cultures and traditions.
     The artistic community flourishes in most nations on Porozlo.
     Political and cultural strife on a planet often fosters an active
     artistic community and Porozlo is no exception to this rule.  Porozlan
     poets, painters and sculptors are revered for the level of emotion
     that their works elicit and for the quality of their craftsmanship.

     Porozlo remains a glorious example of a Terran Normal world.  The
     breathable air, lush landscape, majestic mountain ranges and rich blue
     oceans make Porozlo a top tourist attraction for travellers who are
     smart enough to look beyond the political instability of the planet.
     Tourists tend to choose the more politically stable countries for
     their visits, far away from the raging fields of war.

     All but one of Porozlo's A-quality starports are located in
     FT-controlled nations, with the most traffic at Nemso Down Starport.
     Nemso maintains the planet's sole orbital facility as well, Nemso
     Orbital.  Among PO nations, only Almarac maintains an A-level starport
     facility at great expense to the populace.  In order to uphold the
     virtues of the PO bloc, Almarac spares no expense to make its primary
     port a jewel among common stones.  Though the facility is arguably the
     most modern of all Porozlo's starport facilities, traffic at Almarac
     Starport is somewhat sparse.

     Free traders should be warned that legal cargo in one Porozlan nation
     is contraband in another.  Be wary of the trade laws in each nation
     you intend to visit.  More than one trader has had his ship impounded
     for carrying goods from an FT nation into a PO nation and vice versa.

     Industry is alive and well on Porozlo.  Boisterous international
     competition for interstellar markets has fostered a progressive
     planetary culture.  In just the last 20 years, Porozlo has advanced
     from TL-10 to 11 in the Regency technological profile system.

