Welcome to Hurston!

Hurston is a hot, arid planet that orbits closest to the star in the Stanton system. It is home to its namesake, Hurston Dynamics, an aristocratic family-run weapons manufacturer which since their purchase of the planet in 2865 has bled it dry. Unrestricted industry and mining, especially of antimatter precursor, have heavily polluted the atmosphere of the planet since the company took possession. The planet's ecosphere has been largely destroyed in just 50 years. Almost all indigenous life has been killed by the mining and manufacturing processes performed here.

Main landing zone

The main landing zone and city is Lorville. Initially founded as a barracks for employees of Hurston Dynamics under the letter designation LOR for "Local Occupational Residency", it has since grown to become the most populous location on the planet. It is also home to the headquarters of Hurston Dynamics, the massive Central Tower that dominates the city's skyline.

The accessable parts of the city constist of four main parts. The Central Tower hosts the Transfers Commodity Exchange and Hurston Dynamics memoralia and flagship store. The L19 Workers District contains residences, shops and other services, Teasa Spaceport is the main transfer hub, and the six City Gates located within the massive outer walls of the city provide access for ground based vehicles.

For more information about Lorville, please see details on the city's location's page on our Planetary Survey.

Did you know: No one knows who first called the location LOR-ville, but the term quickly became popular among workers.

Weather

Hurston's atmosphere is composed primarily of nitrogen and oxygen, and contains trace amounts of argon and carbon dioxide. While it is a breathable atmosphere for humans, unregulated industrial activity has left many toxic compounds behind, causing permanently hazy daytime conditions and a dense presence of visible particulates in the air.

The temperature ranges from just above freezing and up into the thirties, making it a mostly tempered and comfortable climate, but with the heavy pollution and frequent dust storms you should make sure to cover up with appropriate clothing or armor before heading out to explore this planet.

Due to the high amount of polluted particles in the atmosphere, Hurston is known for its beautifully colored sunrises and sunsets.

Biomes

The planet contains six distinct biomes. With most of the planet being comprised of the same minerals and coloured surfaces, at first glance the different biomes may be difficult to distinguish from afar. But most biomes can be easily spotted from high orbit once you know what to look for.

Due to the centuries of heavy mining processes, most of Hurston contains various amounts of trash and debris scattered throughout the planet, but nowhere is it as dense as in the specifically named trash mesa biome. The oceans are also heavily polluted, revealed by the massive amounts of debris that has been washed ashore all along the coast lines. The scarcely seen savannah biome is now the only remnant of the planet's flourishing past.

Biome 1: Wasteland and Desert - Recognisable by its red and orange sand colours and grey bedrock. Here you can find both barren plains, rocky mountain regions and scattered areas where larger quantities of cacti and other desert plants grow.

Biome 2: Trash Mesa - The biology and ground conditions here looks similar to the strip mine biome. While most of Hurston's biomes contain some level of trash, this one takes it to another level. Here you will find endless piles of debris and trash everywhere. This biome is very difficult to navigate by ground vehicles. Occational cacti and other hardened desert plants grow in-between the debris.

Biome 3: Savannah - Easily recognized by its lush vegetation and trees, the savannah is the only part of Hurston that seem to be less affected by the pollution. These savannah steppes are covered in cacti, grass, bushes and smaller plants, but the biological diversity is scarse and the trees that grow here all seem to be variants of only a few sorts. Here you can also find the bright red Pitambu fruit, growing on plants between the trees. This fruit can be picked and eaten or sold for a profit.

Biome 4: Acidic - The bright yellow colors that dominate this biome look very similar to the environment you can find on Aberdeen, suggesting that sulfur dioxide and sulfur oxide might be the main chemicals found here. It does not take a lot of science to understand that this environment is not friendly for humans. Environmentally sealed survival gear is recommended when venturing in this biome.

Biome 5: Strip Mine - Marked by Hurston Dynamic's relentless mining of the planets resources, this biome is recognised by its distinct scars and lines in the terrain, with spotty grey and dark purple surface coloring. You can find occational cacti and other hardened desert plants growing in this biome.

Biome 6: Polluted Coast - Most of Hurston's coastlines are polluted from years of planetary abuse. You will find that the coastlines are covered with debris and trash that have washed ashore from the polluted ocean. Along the shoreline you may also see seaweed dipping in the shallow waters.

Planetary Locations

For information about the locations found on Hurston, please see details on the planet's page on our Planetary Survey (Locations button).

Trading Outposts

• HDMS Edmond
• HDMS Hadley
• HDMS Oparei
• HDMS Pinewood
• HDMS Stanhope
• HDMS Thedus
• Reclamation & Disposal Orinth

Underground Bunker Facilities

• Security Depot Hurston-1
• HDSF Adlai
• HDSF Barnabas
• HDSF Breckenridge
• HDSF Colfax
• HDSF Damaris
• HDSF Elbridge
• HDSF Hendricks
• HDSF Hiram
• HDSF Hobart
• HDSF Ishmael
• HDSF Millerand
• HDSF Rufus
• HDSF Sherman
• HDSF Tamar
• HDSF Tompkins
• HDSF Zacharias

Caves

• HDMO Calthrope (NA)
• Hurston Cave N31
• Hurston Cave N34
• Hurston Cave N80
• Hurston Cave S11
• Hurston Cave S21

Places of interest

In close vicinity of Lorville lies a couple of unmarked places that are interesting travel destinations. If you're the adventurous type who likes a challenge, take out a ground vehicle at one of Lorville's city gates and try to navigate to the places from the ground! There is also an interesting sight to view at the north pole.

Cave next to Lorville

Cave N34 is located only 30.8 kms from the Lorville map marker. While hovering at the marker, point the ship in compass direction 255° and fly forward. Make sure to stay on the correct heading and keep an altitude of about 2000 meters. Fly until distance to the OM6 marker is 1427 km. Pay attention to the point where you leave the Lorville armistice zone, you then have 6300 meters distance left to the cave. At this point you should see this view, with a valley to your right, sloping towards your left.

Downed Satellite

About 96 kms east of Lorville lies the wreck of a downed satellite. While hovering at the Lorville marker, point the ship in compass direction 88° and fly forward. Keep the coast-line to your left side as you fly out from Lorville. You will be able to spot the wreck's smoke pillar at around 15 km distance.

 North Pole Savannah

On the north pole lies a gigantic savannah that looks slightly different than the other savannah locations found on the planet. It stretches as far as the horizon can see in all directions, and contains mostly short vegetation and less trees than usual for the biome. This area also contains some interesting geological formations. It is well worth a visit! 
To travel to the north pole, go to OM1 and then travel straight down towards the planet marker until you reach the surface.