The Cork System is the Highlands Cluster's answer to a simple question: where does the whiskey come from? And the beer. And the cider. And anything else that makes life worth living after a hard day's work. Cork has made intoxication an art form and export industry.
Cork was founded by colonists who brought with them centuries of brewing and distilling tradition. They found a system blessed with the right combination of water, grain-growing worlds, and climate to produce spirits that rival anything from Old Earth Ireland or Scotland.
The system has leaned into this heritage. Cork whiskey, Cork stout, Cork cider—these are known throughout Freelance space and command prices that make other agricultural systems jealous. The secret, locals insist, is the water. And the grain. And the craftsmanship. And generations of accumulated knowledge about exactly how long to age a barrel.
The system's primary world and namesake, Cork is covered with distilleries, breweries, and the agricultural operations that supply them. The planet's cities grew around the original craft operations, and the industry remains remarkably decentralized—hundreds of producers rather than a handful of corporate giants.
This fragmentation is deliberate. Cork producers believe that competition and tradition, not consolidation and efficiency, produce the best spirits. They guard their recipes jealously, poach each other's master distillers shamelessly, and unite instantly against any outside threat to their industry.
Kerry is Cork's pastoral world, dedicated to growing the grain, raising the livestock, and maintaining the agricultural traditions that feed the brewing industry. The planet is deliberately kept low-tech by Highlands standards—mechanized farming exists but doesn't dominate, and many operations still do things the old way because the old way works.
Kerry beef is famous across the Cluster. Kerry butter appears on tables throughout Freelance space. But the planet's real purpose is feeding Cork's breweries and distilleries.
Blarney is Cork's tourism hub, a world dedicated to separating visitors from their credits through the time-honored combination of beautiful scenery, charming hospitality, and enough alcohol to impair judgment.
The planet offers distillery tours, brewery visits, pastoral retreats, and cultural experiences that range from genuine to shameless tourist traps. Visitors love it. Locals make good money. Everyone goes home with stories and hangovers.
Lee Station is the system's primary orbital facility, handling the export of Cork's famous products and the import of tourists eager to consume them at the source. The station's bars are legendary—the first taste of Cork hospitality for arriving visitors.
Cork's culture is built around hospitality, music, and the social lubricant of alcohol. Pubs are community centers. Festivals mark the calendar. Strangers become friends over shared drinks, and deals are sealed with toasts rather than contracts.
This warmth is genuine but not naive. Cork natives are shrewd judges of character, skilled negotiators, and perfectly capable of drinking visitors under the table while remaining sober enough to close favorable deals. The hospitality is real; so is the business sense behind it.
The system maintains a friendly rivalry with Gaelia over which produces better whiskey. This dispute has never been resolved and provides endless entertainment at Gatherings.