Tel'Erani is an independent colony world located near the Juno system, known publicly as a haven for free Lyndri escaping the tyranny of their people's post-pandemic society. In truth, it is the secret seat of the Monarchy in Exile, the hidden continuation of the Lyndri royal line.
Tel'Erani is often compared to the Lyndri homeworld of L'Dree'll. Dense forests cover much of the planet's surface, with the capital city of Elyr'Zy nestled among the trees. The climate is temperate, with cool mornings and crisp forest breezes that carry subtle scents reminiscent of the ancestral Lyndri world.
The environment provides natural advantages for defense—the forests offer concealment from orbital observation, and the terrain favors those who know it well.
According to official records, Tel'Erani was founded approximately 800 years ago by Lyndri refugees seeking to escape the oppressive post-pandemic society that had developed on their homeworld. The colony grew slowly, eventually becoming a haven for "Free Lyndri"—women who rejected the male-worshipping culture that had taken hold of their people.
The colony maintains cordial relations with the League and conducts significant trade with the Terrans via a subspace corridor connecting to Fulu, a Terran industrial planet in the Domovoi Sector.
The true founding of Tel'Erani occurred approximately 3000 years ago, in the immediate aftermath of the Pandemic. The Founder, Zy'rael ("Eternal Guardian"), was the younger sister of the Last Queen, Zy'shiel. She arrived with her husband, approximately ten thousand colonists, and as many Queen's Guard as could be spared.
The first year was catastrophic. Zy'rael's child, infected with the pandemic virus in utero, became the vector that killed every male in the colony—including Zy'rael's husband—within the first year. Disease and despair reduced the population from ten thousand to three thousand.
Zy'rael made the desperate decision to reach out to the NorAellians—the people her colonists still believed were their enemies—for help. She didn't ask permission; she simply did what was necessary. With NorAellian assistance, the colony survived and eventually thrived.
The discrepancy between the public founding date (~800 years ago) and the true founding (~3000 years ago) is maintained deliberately. A Lyndri colony that predates the pandemic's worst effects would raise too many questions.
Tel'Erani presents itself as a democratic colony, though its electoral system is unusual by galactic standards.
Unlike most democracies, Tel'Erani does not hold elections on a fixed schedule. Instead:
This system developed organically in the colony's early years when survival took priority over politics. With a small, tight-knit population focused on building a new home, formal elections seemed unnecessary when everyone knew and trusted their leaders.
It has become an accepted tradition that a member of the Founding Family—descendants of Zy'rael, who established the colony—will serve as Governor. This isn't enforced by law; it's simply how things have always been.
Opposition parties exist and occasionally field candidates when elections are called. They serve an important role in voicing dissent and proposing policy changes. But at the end of the day, most colonists share a common sentiment: "The Founder's family has always looked after us. Why change what works?"
The result is something between a democracy and a constitutional monarchy—the people could vote for change, but they rarely feel the need to.
The government focuses on keeping colonists satisfied—maintaining infrastructure, supporting refugees, and ensuring Tel'Erani remains a haven for Free Lyndri. As long as the government serves its people well, the 10% threshold for an election referendum is never reached.
Behind the democratic facade, Tel'Erani is ruled by the Queen of the Monarchy in Exile. The current Queen—the Eleventh in the line since the Founder—is young for her position, having recently assumed the throne when her mother, the Tenth Queen, abdicated. The Queen makes the real decisions; the "elected" government implements them while maintaining plausible deniability.
Not everyone in the public government knows the truth:
Tel'Erani hosts two overlapping but distinct populations:
| Public Colony | Monarchy in Exile |
|---|---|
| Open to all refugees | Membership by Queen's invitation only |
| Democratic (ostensibly) | Monarchical |
| ~800 year history | ~3000 year history |
| Haven for Free Lyndri | True Lyndri restoration movement |
| Mostly Lyndri, some others | Lyndri AND trusted non-Lyndri allies |
Most Lyndri living on Tel'Erani are simply refugees—they know nothing of the Monarchy. They came seeking freedom from the oppressive society on their homeworld and found it. The fact that their "democratic" government is actually a front for a secret monarchy is unknown to them.
The colony celebrates Founder's Day in honor of Zy'rael, the woman who established the colony. To the general public, this commemorates the founding ~800 years ago of a haven for free Lyndri. To those within the Monarchy in Exile, it marks the true founding three millennia past and honors Zy'rael's sacrifices.
Tel'Erani has developed a culture distinct from mainstream Lyndri society:
This makes Tel'Erani genuinely attractive to Lyndri refugees, regardless of whether they know about the Monarchy.
Tel'Erani's location near a subspace corridor to Fulu makes it strategically valuable. The corridor significantly reduces travel time to Terran space, making the colony an important trade hub.
This same corridor makes Tel'Erani vulnerable to Terran military action, as forces can reach the system much faster than League reinforcements.
In 2695, the Terrans launched an invasion of Tel'Erani, sending two Bastion-class battleships and an interdictor through the subspace corridor from Fulu. League Naval Intelligence believes the Terrans intended to use Tel'Erani as a staging ground for deeper strikes into League space.
The colony's defense was coordinated by the Queen (publicly as Governor) and Velraan (as a government official), with support from the LXS Archigos under Captain Rees.
The capital and largest city, built in harmony with the surrounding forest. The government complex is located here, as is the Queen's residence (publicly the Governor's mansion).
The name means "Light's Ancient" or "Eternal Brilliance" in Lyndri, though non-Lyndri typically call it "Central City."