An alphabetical list of descriptions of canon planets and places. As, information reveal during a show or interview is listed. In some cases the RPG is account for, but noted. Please observe that most non-canon is disregarded in this role play, and only some is included. See the planet's description for the final note on what is accorded as canon.
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ArielA wealthy core world with exemplary medical facilities, if not exemplary security. Aside from the titular Ariel episode, it was also mentioned in ‘The Message’ as Tracey’s original destination for the Blastomeres.
As Ariel was not listed among the other core worlds in River's classroom scene of the movie "Serenity", it can be assumed that Ariel is a moon of Osiris. However, in the 'Serenity Role Playing Game', it is listed as a core planet, not a moon.
AthensBorder planet with at least four moons, one of them Whitefall.
In the 'Serenity Role Playing Game', Athens is located in the Burnham quadrant, and is a world known for rapidly changing weather and winds that blow constantly. Certain crops thrive here, and there's plenty of marble to be quarried. It is noted that all of its' four moons are terraformed.
BeaumondeA wealthier, more civilized planet relatively close to certain border worlds. Serenity was headed to this planet before the ship's steering was sabotaged by Saffron in Our Mrs Reynolds. Mal described it as 'A decent sort of planet', whose prime industries are 'factories and the like. Some ranches, if you're more for the outdoors...'
As seen in the Serenity Movie, cities on Beaumonde seem to be heavily populated and industrialized, akin to the cyberpunk version of Hong Kong in Deus Ex.
New Dunsmuir is the capital of Beaumonde. The city is the only planet that has no factories. Located on an ocean, New Dunsmuir is a popular tourist attraction.
The Maidenhead is a bar where the crew have their meeting with Fanty And Mingo.
BellerophonA rich man’s paradise. By crude definition, each estate is self-contained on a floating island above the oceans of Bellerophon. Each estate has all the trimmings; grass lawns, landscaping and multi-code locks to keep out any unwanted visitors. There are also local police patrols that cover the area. Durran Haymer owns an estate here.
Bellerophon is not a 'water world': both Mal and Saffron are left in terrain that resembles open, arid desert.
Bellerophon was the name of the ill fated scientific research starship in the classical science fiction movie "Forbidden Planet" (1956). It was in turn named after the Greek hero who rode Pegasus and eventually knew a tragic ending.
Bermuda Hundred NebulaAn unnavigable nebula that blocks travel through several key systems along all but a few routes.
BernadetteAfter the initial colonization of Londinium and Sihnon, Bernadette was the first planet to be terraformed and settled by humanity. It is a traditional launching point for those leaving to settle on other worlds. Settlers arrive here from other planets in the core and make preparations to set off for a new life on the Rim (The settlers in Bushwhacked left from here on their way to New Hall.)
BeylixA small border moon, sometimes used for smuggling and the like. (Mentioned by Mal as a place where Monty got pinched by the Feds in 2516 -- Trash.)
While the planet has many farming communities, Beylix is basically the system's garbage dump. The scrap yards and reclamation centers are often scavenged due to low security. It turns out what is trash in the Core is treasure to those on the Rim. Beylix is a good place to start a new life, as you can often find some old ship and spare parts to get her flying again.
BorosMAL: Boros is too big. It's crawling with Alliance.
A civilized planet with a more strict Alliance presence than Persephone (due somewhat to its support of Independent forces during the Unification War).
Ares, one of Boros' moons, is home to Alliance military shipyards. Up to five Alliance cruisers can be seen being constructed in orbit around Ares any given time -- these take about six years to complete. The Alliance presence here is as large as it gets outside the Core.
Boros is known for its' scrap metal industry. Much of the overstocks, castoffs and junk from Ares finds its way to Boros, much of which can be had for a decent price. Merchants appreciate the few landing restrictions on Boros.
Dyton ColonyDyton Colony is a border world made habitable and colonized through judicious use of convicts looking to reduce their prison sentences. Natives of Dyton can be identified fairly easily due to their notable - East End, London - accent. (River identifies Badger as a native of Dyton Colony and passes herself off as one as well by imitating his speech patterns. Shindig.)
Eavesdown DocksA lower-class slum on Persephone used for planetside docking of less well-to-do craft.
EzraA planet in the Georgia System around which Adelei Niska's Sky Plex orbits. (The name of the place is mentioned at the beginning of War Stories.)
Du KhangLocation of a major battle between Alliance and Independent forces during 2510.
Georgia SystemA heavily-developed border system with a high number of planets, moons and glorified rocks valuable for mining (and/or equally useful for clandestine dealings). Paradiso and Hancock are located on one such planet in the system, and the Georgia system is also one of the bases of operation for Adelei Niska; his privatized Sky Plex orbits the planet Ezra.
Ironically (for a setting as rich in the flavor of the American Old West and American Civil War as the Firefly 'verse), it's more likely, given the accents prevalent in the area, that the Georgia system owes its name to a region of eastern Europe on Earth-that-was, rather than the more obvious stateside source.
GreenleafA civilized planet (or at least one with good medical facilities) not far from several border worlds:
- Wash mentions that it would be an eighteen-hour trip to reach Greenleaf in Out Of Gas, which, following Jaynestown, might mean they were coming from Higgins' Moon.
- While looking for medical help for Book in Safe, Wash again mentions this planet, and Mal mentions that it is a ten-hour flight from their current location, Jiangyin.
HancockA city in the Georgia System, a few hours travel from Paradiso via train.
HavenHaven is a border world which was the site of a small mining outpost of some type. For a price, the local inhabitants were willing to provide shelter and the chance for a new beginning for those wishing to remain under the Alliance's radar. Several of Mal and Zoe's old army acquaintances found their way here, as did Shepherd Book, who decided to leave Serenity and remain on Haven as the community's preacher.
During his relentless search for Simon and River Tam, the Operative destroyed the outpost on Haven, together with all of its inhabitants.
HeraHera was the site (via Serenity Valley) of what turned out to be the last major battle of Unification War.
Hera is the breadbasket of the system. Lying between the Core and outer planets on a major shipping lane, Hera was a major strategic locus during the war. There are over half a million gravestones of those that lost their lives in the battle (from both sides), in the hills next to Serenity valley.
Higgins MoonMoon whose major export is mud and building supplies, peopled mostly by indentured workers, living in squalor. Canton is located here. (Jaynestown)
Ita MoonA moon in a remote sector. It is unclear what sort of activities occur in the area, but the locale seems useful for salvage. (The crew of the S.S. Walden was returning from a salvage mission around Ita Moon when they stop to 'help' Serenity in Out Of Gas.)
JiangyinBorder planet where hill folk kidnap skilled folk they need. (Safe)
Kowlan Federal BaseAn Alliance space station (serving the same general purpose as a frontier fort in the Old West), Kowlan is located closer to the border world of Jiangyin than Persephone.
LondiniumKAYLEE: I'd sure love to find a brand new compression coil for the steamer.
MAL: And I'd like to be king of all Londinium and wear a shiny hat.
Given this throw-away line in the Serenity Pilot, it would appear that Londinium is a (possibly backwards) planet ruled by a monarchy. Or it's a fairy-tale reference. Either way.
Fox had a Firefly website (long gone) with clips, interviews etc about Firefly. In one of these clips Joss Whedon talks briefly about the core, he says: "There is two major planets in the core.. erm, the central planets are Sihnon which is basically China and Londinium which is basically America."
With this information, it seems most probable that Mal's remark about wanting to be Londinium's king was him merely being flippant, and that it is Alliance ruled, not monarchic.
In River's classroom scene of the movie "Serenity", Londinium is the second planet listed on the screen to the left of the teacher.
MirandaMiranda is a planet located in the Burnham Quadrant, on the very edge of the 'verse. At one time, it possessed an infrastructure as large and as thriving as anything to be found on a central planet. However, Miranda also apparently had a good deal of civil unrest, since the Alliance government decided to use the planet as a large-scale testbed for a chemical known as 'The Pax' which was intended to 'calm the population and weed out aggression.' For the vast majority of Miranda's unfortunate inhabitants, the Pax worked only too well, and millions of people 'stopped fighting...and then they stopped doing everything else.' Including staying alive.
For the few survivors, the consequences were even more horrific; they suffered a reaction to the Pax which was exactly opposite to the one intended-they became raging, homicidal maniacs who engaged in cannibalism, self-mutilation, and torture...in other words, Reavers.
After this, Miranda became a forgotten, inaccessible ghost planet until the secret of what happened there was accidentally gleaned from the minds of key Alliance Parliament members by a disturbed young psychic named River Tam.
New CanaanThis is the place where the brandy of the same name comes from. (Original opening of Safe)
New DunsmuirCity on Beaumonde. Inara sets her arrival time for her Clientele. (Our Mrs Reynolds)
New HallA new border planet, recently opened to standard colonization. (The settlers discovered in Bushwhacked were headed here from Bernadette).
New KasmirA battle took place outside this city during the war; Mal and Zoe were in that battle. (Mentioned in a conversation on why Mal and Zoe cut their apples. - War Stories)
New MelbourneA... planet? city? that's known for its heavily fishing-oriented economy. It's also a layover point for most of the systems both in the Core and border. Inara was talking about leaving Serenity when they stopped here (at the beginning of Objects In Space).
OsirisA very wealthy Core world. Simon and River grew up here and Simon studied and practiced medicine here as well. The planet is 'advanced' enough to have developed truly disreputable areas in the urban sprawl -- places known as Blackout Zones where loyal Alliance citizens simply do not go. The main city on Osiris is called Capital City, which is where Simon worked as a surgeon.
Osiris is the capital of the Alliance. In River's classroom scene in the movie "Serenity", Osiris is the third planet listed on the screen to the left of the teacher. Ariel may be a moon of Osiris.
PaquinLittle is known about Paquin except that early in their career, Serenity’s crew had work lined up there. (Mentioned in the flashback where we’re introduced to the less-innocent Kaylee in Out Of Gas.)
[non-canon]In the RPG, this is home to entertainment and travel circuses of all sorts.[/non-canon]
ParadisoMining city in the Georgia System that has problems with Bowdens Malady. The city where the stolen medical supplies were headed in The Train Job.
PersephoneCivilized planet with heavily stratified societal structure (and, as a result, a large slum population; see Eavesdown Docks). (Serenity and Shindig)
Looking at the image, one can also see that San Fransisco appears to have an influence on architecture here. Note the tall building on the left looks like the Trans-America pyramid. As we see in Shindig, Persephone has a local monarchy. Nobility is indicated by wearing a sash.
In River's classroom scene in the movie "Serenity", Persephone is the sixth planet listed on the screen to the left of the teacher.
ReginaRegina is known for its massive mining operations. The ore processors and atmospheric conditioners of Regina have created conditions for a disease called Bowden's Malady, a degenerative affliction of the bone and muscles that leaves victims weak and in constant pain. Regular treatments of Pasceline-D halts the progression of the disease.
The Alliance sponsors regular shipments of the drug to Regina, which depends on the shipments for continued prosperity.
Saint AlbansTracey’s home planet. Described as an ice world. A little less than two days hard burn from the Space Bazaar Sky Plex. There's a Fed Station here (Shepherd Book mentions there’s one eighty miles from where they hook up with Womack). (The Message)
Note: St. Albans, Vermont (certainly a cold locale) was the site of the northernmost engagement of the Civil War. (Oct. 19, 1864)
SantoA less-sophisticated planet not far from Persephone. Mal and Jayne get in a fight with some slavers in a bar here (at the beginning of Shindig).
ShadowMal’s birthplace; his mom owned a large ranch here.
In River's classroom scene in the movie "Serenity", Shadow is the fourth planet listed on the screen to the left of the teacher.
[Non-canon] This was also the site of the very last battle in the Unification War, though ironically that had little to do with Mal.
Shadow was a prairie planet that took well to terraforming. It was known for its farms and ranches. The planet was almost entirely rural: no cities and only a few towns dotted the surface. The people of Shadow were hard workers and independent-minded. It was one of the first to stand against the Alliance. Most of the planet's young people volunteered to fight for Independence.
Shadow was aggressively bombed during the war in an attempt to break the Browncoats & teach them a lesson; it had the opposite effect.
Today, Shadow is a ghost planet. No one lives there. No one can.
The entry in the RPG indicates that Shadow was bombed during the war - and was possibly one of the first targets - in an attempt to avoid ground battles. I haven't read the non-canon history, so I'm not sure if this would require a major change. As this was Mal's homeworld, it had a lot to do with him, as it was effectively destroyed. [/non-canon]
SihnonINARA: Sihnon isn't that different from this planet. More crowded, obviously, and I guess more complicated. The great city itself is... pictures can't capture it. It's like an ocean of light.
The jewel of the Core worlds, Sihnon is described in such a way as to imply that it far surpasses the sophistication and technology level of any of the planets we see during the show, with the possible exception of Ariel (and Inara seems to imply that Ariel is 'lovely', but still a far cry from her home world).
One of the two main core worlds (the other being Londinium). According to Joss Whedon, Sihnon is based on Chinese culture.
During the classroom scene in the Serenity Movie, Sihnon is the first planet listed upon the screen to the left of the teacher.
Silverhold ColoniesEight sectors from Saint Albans. Federal Agent Womack’s jurisdiction is here. (The Message)
Sky PlexA space station that has optimized a large portion of its habitable space for client services such as shopping, entertainment, and so forth.
Adelei Niska has privatized a skyplex for his own use in the Georgia System (orbiting the planet Ezra), and we see the crew of Serenity visit another Sky Plex in The Message.
Three HillsMal was ready to try to move his stolen goods on this moon if Patience didn’t bite at the offer. (Serenity Pilot)
TriumphA primitive border planet where even the most civilized townships are governed by fringe religious sects with very strange teachings and practices. (Our Mrs Reynolds)
VerbenaDue to the planet's heavy involvement in the Independents' side of the Unification War, Verbena is scarcely surviving, barely more than a piece of barren rock. Recently, the Alliance has been making an effort to show the population the error of their ways by leading them back into prosperity through government-funded improvements to the planet's economy. (This material is gleaned from the un-produced Firefly script Dead or Alive, whose questionable origins lead us to mark it officially non-canon, although it is certainly quite plausible as a 'real' script.)
[non-canon]According to the RPG, Verbena was a lush world of thick forests. The world was largely underdeveloped until the Alliance made it a centerpiece for its "rejuvenation after Unification" campaign. Government incentives funded new construction, including a factory to supply parts for military vehicles.
An Independent soldier-turned-terrorist bombed the factory, killing hundreds and destroying the structure. The bombing sent the world into an economic depression and created an atmosphere of paranoia, fear and hatred for Browncoats and the Independence movement.
Legislation to aid the troubled world is being discussed in parliament and will be voted on once the committees have determined what course to take.[/non-canon]
Whitefall"Whitefall isn't civilization in the strictest sense."
4th Athenian moon, a large percentage of which is owned by a woman named Patience. The crew visits Whitefall during pilot episode Serenity.
Whitefall is also featured in the movie Serenity, on one of the screens on the bridge when Serenity is at Haven, after it has been attacked. It shows a dead guy and the word "Whitefall" in the bottom right, just before the Operative appears on the screens.
