Found in the unpopulated vastness of the Rimward Barrens, the Marjkin system is fairly unremarkable. It consists of a single yellow star, Lalij's Star, and three planets. Two of the planets are gas giants of immense size while the third world is Marjkin itself; a habitable water covered world. There are also two asteroid belts orbiting between the gas giants, and are thought to have once been former planets ripped apart by the gravity of the two massive worlds. Marjkin is unusual because its orbit rests at a 30° angle to the orbital plane of the other plants. Some believe it was a rogue planet captured by Lalij's Star.
Marjkin's surface is covered by 85% water and most of the exposed land is found in the equatorial regions. The polar regions are surprisingly warm despite being buffeted by impossibly strong storms for nine months out of the year. The storms prohibit permanent settlements beyond the equatorial regions. There are some recyclable settlements that are refurbished each year, though only the dedicated remain outside the equatorial region during the storm season. Those who travel in the storm regions during the calm season are often called stormsquatters and are treated with respect by the local populace.
The equatorial region of Marjkin is surprisingly calm and temperate in terms of weather. It is also home to a thriving native culture of both surface dwelling and aquatic races. These disparate peoples have worked together for centuries and had developed an industrialized culture before the arrival of the Dragon Empire six hundred years ago. The hand of the Dragon Empire has been minimal at best, as Marjkin has few exploitable resources. Meanwhile the inhabitants have welcomed the advanced technologies membership in the Empire has brought them.
The local government is a republic with each major island and undersea region sending a representative to the Marjkin Central Congress for a five-year term. The Imperial Viceroy, a white dragon named Kalijuroth, allows the Congress unprecedented autonomy and rarely exerts his control. Kalijuroth instead spends most of his time hunting in the polar regions, or flying the storms during storm season.
The people of Marjkin specialize in advanced electronics, hydraulics and shipbuilding. They are quickly earning a reputation as the foremost submarine manufacturers in the Rimward Barrens and are considering the investment into spaceship construction. Their planet has been growing economically for some time but its leaders fear they need to reach out to nearby worlds to continue this pattern of growth.