The only known place that sapient life evolved in the Cassandra Galaxy is an unremarkable system with a single remarkable planet. The fourth world from CG-839130, known to later chroniclers as the Garden World, was in a perfect orbital location for an oxygen-rich biosphere, a liquid water cycle, and the development of large-scale life and civilization. Crucially, it was made up of a number of large, diverse landmasses separated by deep and treacherous seas. This allowed sapient life to develop not once but many times across its surface, with several parallel civilizations developing over eons.

As one might imagine, the development of an industrial age among several competing species, and the resultant explosion in pollution and large-scale conflicts, led to an ecological catastrophe. The Garden World was hastily abandoned by all its inhabitants once spatial drive was discovered, with its wayward children spreading far and wide throughout the galaxy.

Since that time, the location of the Garden World has been lost, especially as it would no longer be distinguishable from any other ruined world via a cursory orbital or long-range scan. Nevertheless, it remains revered by several large-scale faiths and ideologies, and the search for it has been a constant feature of messianic movements.

One side effect of the Garden World’s remarkable history is the shared biological aspects of the sapients that evolved there. Though outwardly very different, especially after evolving on the galactic scale, each sapient shares a common genetic heritage with the others as well as a fundamental preference for oxygen-rich water-cycle worlds. This has led to extensive terraforming efforts along those lines, again on a galactic scale, as well as fierce competition for “garden type worlds” that require little modification.

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