Moria
Astrographical
Sector	Koprulu sector
Moon(s)	2 – Brutus and Vito[1]
Physical
Diameter	13,528 km[1]
Climate	+/- 32º Centigrade [90 Fº], very low humidity[1]
Axial Tilt	2.4 degrees[1]
Gravity	1.16 standard[1]
Tileset(s)	Badlands
Geography	5 major continents 6 large dust seas 14 upland regions (5 volcanic)[1]
Species
Dominant	Terrans
Indigenous	Rhynadon Mine weevil Rock latcher[1]
Other	Skalet (introduced)[1]
Societal
Affiliation	Kel-Morian Combine
Population	2504 – Est. 4.1 billion+ terrans[1]
Settlements	16 major settlements 86 minor settlements 751 mining outposts 802 refineries 323 factories[1]
Major space platforms/ stations	At least 1[2]
Imports	Unrefined ores Food Water Medical supplies Personnel Luxury goods[1]
Exports	Refined minerals Vespene gas Precious metals Manufactured goods[1]
Status	Kel-Morian Combine capital world

Moria is a red resource-rich planet located in the Koprulu sector. An exceptionally large planet,^[3] it is the base of operations of the Kel-Morian Combine.^[4]

HistoryEdit

The world was colonized by surviving terran passengers of the supercarrier Argo which crash landed after a space journey lasting almost three decades. The survivors could not discover where they were or how long they had "slept" as the ATLAS AI system had somehow erased that knowledge of the journey from the ship's computer banks. The exiles began to salvage their wrecked ship in an attempt to find refuge in their new surroundings.

The inhabitants of Moria worked to survive in what they termed "the New World". Unaware that their fellows also thrived upon Tarsonis and Umoja, the vagabond Morians made do with whatever meager resources they could find. Having lost the means to communicate over interplanetary distances when the Argo was stripped of essential materials, the Morians lived in isolation for sixty years and grew into a prosperous, self-contained community.^[4]

The advent of second-generation subwarp engines on Tarsonis allowed Moria to develop relations with Tarsonis and Umoja. As commercial treaties were formed, a mining and manufacturing boom took Moria by storm. Dozens of small family-run guilds scrambled to claim as much land as possible, and soon hundreds of refineries, factories, and mining facilities sprouted up on Moria. Over time, the larger guilds used a variety of shady tactics to eliminate competition until the Morian Mining Coalition and the Kelanis Shipping Guild came to dominate Moria's economic activities, gradually gaining political influence over the planet as well.^[1]

Although Tarsonis kept pushing Moria and Umoja to join in a conglomerated government, the two colonies steadfastly refused,^[4] as they were faced with the likely pre-eminence of Tarsonis in such an arrangement.^[5]

Confederate InteractionEdit

With the founding of the Terran Confederacy, the Morian Mining Coalition and the Kelanis Shipping Guild began to fear that it might attempt to move in and use its military strength to regulate their profitable operations. The two organizations eventually merged to form the Kel-Morian Combine, a shady, corrupt corporate partnership that pledged military aid to any mining guilds threatened by the Confederacy.^[1][4] From that day forward, the thin line that had once existed on Moria between commercial entities and independent government vanished.^[1]

Moria was unscathed by the Guild Wars, which ended in 2489 with a peace treaty that allowed the planet to remain under Combine control.^[1]

Dominion InteractionEdit

After the Confederacy was overthrown by the Sons of Korhal in 2500, Moria came under the rule of the Terran Dominion when the Kel-Morian Combine rallied to Emperor Arcturus Mengsk's banner.^[6][7]

During the Brood War, Moria was raided for its rich mineral stores by protoss warrior Fenix and zerg under Sarah Kerrigan, who weakened some of Moria's defenses and destroyed a number of military and manufacturing facilities as they pilfered a large amount of resources before departing.^[8][1]

The Combine broke free from the Dominion, which was weakened by the war.^[9] They formed alliances with anti-Dominion groups, even hosting Jim Raynor and his organization for some time on Moria c. 2502. That year, Dominion Cerberus Program traveled there, killing many Combine troops and temporarily capturing one of their command facilities, in search of the War Pigs, a band of outlaws who had traveled there seeking Raynor.^[10]

LocationsEdit

• DEC HQ
• Kliketown Vespene Gas Refinery

TriviaEdit

• In J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, Moria was the abandoned Dwarven city of Khazad-dum. The ancient city was once known for its fabulous wealth, founded on mining the rare and precious mithril.
• The orbital view of Moria is identical to the orbital view of Mar Sara.

ReferencesEdit