Minbar

Minbar
Dominant Race	Minbari
Affiliation	Minbari Federation Interstellar Alliance
Capital City	Yedor Tuzanor (Interstellar Alliance)
Population	4 billion
Habitability	Temperate climate, Oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere, 1 standard gravity, Extensive polar wastelands
Satellites	At least 2.
Star	Chi Draconis (binary system)
Sector	Sector 120

“

"I don't want to go to Minbar."
"Oh, of course you want to go to Minbar. Everyone wants to go to Minbar! It is the vacation spot of the season...assuming you're part of the "long robes and head bone" set."

– Londo Mollari to Vir Cotto, 2260

Minbar is the home planet of the Minbari and the capital world of the Minbari Federation and later the Interstellar Alliance.

Overview

Located in the Chi Draconis — a binary star system in Sector 120, Minbar is the seventh planet in its system and is just over 25 light years from Earth. Like Earth, Minbar has an oxygen/nitrogen heavy atmosphere that produces a blue sky. Nearly one quarter of the planet is covered by the northern ice cap and as a result the overall climate is markedly colder than that of Earth. Minbar is noted for its vast crystalline deposits with many of its cities carved directly from the crystals. The planet is orbited by two moons, has an orbital period of 1.3 Earth years, and a rotational period of 20 hours and 47 minutes. The habitable landmass mainly consists of a few continents broken up by large seas, featuring large peninsulas, and trailing large, dense archipelagos. This leads to some areas being very isolated from others, makes overland travel somewhat impractical, and makes sea travel somewhat dangerous.

Notable Locations

• The city of Yedor, 2260.
• The Anla'shok temple in Yedor.
• Temple of Varenni in 2261.
• ISA facilities against the Tuzanor skyline.
• Valen and Nukenn at Mount H'Leya during the First Shadow War.

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• Yedor: Capital city and location of various off world embassies, the ancient Anla'Shok temple and the towering triple spired government palace.
• Tuzanor: The location of the Anla'Shok training compound, the home of Valen and much later the Headquarters of the Interstellar Alliance. It's name means "City of Sorrows".
• Temple of Varenni: An ancient structure from the time before Valen where leaders were chosen when the castes fought for dominance.
• Almara: An archipelago noted for it's abundant Ulabon fishing waters.
• Drogani: Nearest city to Sikar, also in the Southern Polar Region.
• Dronya: City that was a site of conflict in the early days of the Minbari Civil War.
• F'tach: An island group, home to Inesval of the Worker Caste.
• Sikar: A fairly isolated city along the edge of the Southern Polar Region. During the Minbari Civil War, the Warrior Caste ousted the Religious Caste from the city, destroying their personal transports and forcing them to leave on foot, leading to over half of them dying from cold and exposure.
• Tinarel: Birth city of Neroon.
• Mount H'Leya: Well known peak just outside of the city of Tuzanor. During the First Shadow War, Valen gave his holy "Times to come" speech, accompanied by a pair of Vorlons. Among those to witness the event first hand was the Tak'cha Ramde Zarwin.
• Palace of the Chosen One: A monumental palace reserved for the Chosen One, situated outside the city limits of Yedor, between three natural crystalline pinnacles in the foothills of the Tchok'an mountains. Chiselled out of a towering crystalline mountain, every inch of its highly polished surface is carved with scenes from Minbar's history.
• Tchok'an Mountains: A crystalline mountain range just outside of the city of Yedor and the location of the palace of the Chosen One. Water taken from wells bored deep beneath Tchok'an is used to sanctify newly sprouting crops in the 'Renewal of Life' ceremony.
• Strait of Weel: A narrow channel, so named for it's abundance of Weel.

Lifeforms

Minbari: Sentient bipedal humanoids (dominant life forms). Beeba: A plant that produces an organic oil, broadly comparable to Earth olive oil and which has an equally similar culinary use. Chudomo seeds: A bean-like seed pod akin to Earth haricots vert. Gal'sha: A plant whose hard oily seeds are similar to Earth hazelnuts. Glomo: A plant whose fruit can be compared to an Earth courgette. Gokk: A domestic pet, similar to Earth Cats in demeanor. Hylax: A plant whose seeds are similar to Earth red potatoes. Ingati: A fierce animal, much respected for its courage and a sought-after hunting trophy. Broadly similar to an Earth grizzly bear. Jenn: A plant with a bulb-like structure with a distinctive taste and consistency very much like Earth garlic. Kloo: An animal whose meat has a taste akin to Orion yogtree or Earth chicken. It is commonly used to make a stock that serves as a flavor base for several Warrior Caste recipes. Lecococ: A species of small fish. The name can also mean the pleasure one gets meeting someone for the first time. Madagon: A very aggressive six-legged animal about the size of an Earth Great Dane. Its features include sharp spines on its back and a double set of teeth. Pil'sha: A type of herb with similar properties to Earth parsley. Qual: A type of fruit that comes in several varieties such as qual'fha and qual'nha, which are themselves similar to Earth red and green peppers, respectively. Raalon: An undomesticated beast specifically raised by the Worker Caste to be hunted and slaughtered for food by the Warrior Caste. Raalons secrete a milklike fluid that is harvested and used in several recipes and its meat tastes somewhat like Earth lamb.

Rylla: A plant whose shelled seed pods are similar to Earth peas. Se n'kai: A fruit-bearing tree that while fairly prevalent in the time of Valen, has since become much more scarce. Se n'kai fruit plays an integral role in the installation ceremony of a new Anla'shok Entil'Zha. Slenn: A type of herb with similar properties to Earth thyme. Taalor: A domesticated beast whose meat has a taste akin to Earth beef and is commonly used to make taalor tube, a sausage like food, and a taalor stock that serves as a flavor base for several Warrior Caste recipes. Temshwee: An odd, blue birdlike animal. Tyr: A plant whose summer fruit can be compared to an Earth squash. Ulabon: A great sea fish often found off the waters of the Almara Archipelago. The taste of Ulabon can be compared to that of Earth swordfish and it is traditionally served by the Warrior Caste with a savory Almara Meal. Valen's herb: A type of herb with similar properties to Earth basil. Valeria fruit: A type of fruit that can be compared to an Earth plum tomato. Weel: A type of flying fish commonly found in the appropriately named Strait of Weel. Cooked weel meat is comparable to Earth sea bass. Wysa: A plant that bears a nut akin to Earth almonds. Xenn: A citrus fruit with a bitter, lemon-like flavor. Yedor root: A taproot type plant whose taste and texture can be compared to Earth carrots. Yla: A leafy vegetable whose leaves are the primary ingredient in yla leaf cake. Zassa: A plant whose very spicy pepper-like fruit is on par with Earth jalapeño chili. Zerka: A small, rare ceremonial plant that is spun into thread used only on very special garments.