| “ | A perenially chilly climate has allowed short, colorful shrubs to flourish across this planet's surface. | „ |
| ~ Official Description |
Crucible is one of the five planets that reside within the Korpus Sector. Along with Alta V, it is one of the first two planets to introduce Mega Cities outside of Super Earth, as well as being one of the first 2 planets to introduce Mega Cities on the Terminid Front.
Topography[]
A Pelican carrier flies back to its Super Destroyer after a mission on Crucible's surface. Picture taken on June 10th, 2185
A perpetually chilly world not to dissimilar from the likes of Angel's Venture before it's destruction, Crucible is a highly populous world -- being the most developed in the already heavily built up Korpus Sector -- which also lays close to many of the core sectors of the galaxy, making it a crucial military, economic and strategic foothold.
Crucible is home to four mega cities, which are listed below. Mega City tiers have no effect on Level Generation, but are still split into four different categories on Colony planets, identifiable by the number of stars above the icon: Settlements (one star), Towns (two stars), Cities (three stars) and Mega Cities (four stars).
- Prominence (Mega City)
- Formerly named Kshira Sagara
- Agartha (Mega City)
- Annwn (Town)
- Kurri Kurri (Settlement)
History[]
Second Galactic War[]
A Helldiver advancing through the streets of Prominence after eliminating a horde of 
Terminids. Picture taken on June 10th, 2185
Operation Pest Control[]
Crucible was, for much of its recorded history, a peaceful planet colony in the Eastern Galactic Mid Rim. Having been settled during the Great Democratization after the end of the First Galactic War, its initial colonists would soon dominate their environment and, as generations passed, came to prosper enough to build bustling urban centers. At some point during the Great Democratization, the planetary capital of Prominence, then named Kshira Sagara, would be founded, with the cities of Agartha, Annwn and Kurri Kurri soon following. Eventually, Crucible would grow to become the most developed and populous world in the Korpus Sector, becoming a shining example of manifest democracy in action.
However, Crucible's peace was not without threats. Early in February 2184, Crucible would have to cut itself off the Federation's FTL Network alongside the rest of the Korpus Sector in order to prevent the Terminids at Veld from possibly spreading farther south, a move that would pay off in spades. Beyond this occasion, Crucible would only find itself close to danger in one other occasion during the first year of the galactic war.
With the return of the 
Illuminate, Volterra would find itself the target of their nefarious raids as they seeked to funnel dark energy from the planet into the 
Meridian Black Hole. Despite not being touched, the citizens of Crucible knew it was only a matter of time before their turn came.
Interestingly enough, the Illuminate never continued their raids in the Korpus Sector, instead choosing to focus most of their raids in the Galactic South. Crucible, along with the rest of its neighbors, was seemingly safe for now.
A Helldiver evaluates a Terminid Brood Tower at Prominence, prior to requesting a Hellbomb.
Throughout April-May 2185, over a year into the Second Galactic War, an outbreak of the 
Predator Strain of Terminids had effectively overwhelmed the Orion and Celeste Sectors giving the Terminids control of Slif and Krakatwo, the two worlds bordering the Korpus Sector. Though the ravenous bugs were on the border of the Korpus Sector, no FTL Lines were presently established between the bordering sectors, keeping Crucible and others safe for now. The expansion of the Terminids remained rampant, with the 
Helldivers unable to fully contain the then-ongoing Automaton-Terminid offensive.
Little did the entirety of the 
Super Earth know, the worst was yet to come. The Illuminate, who had disappeared on April 29th, emerged from the Meridian Wormhole with a massive invasion fleet known as The Great Host on May 13th, 2185. The fleet was headed for Super Earth itself, and the greatest battle for Managed Democracy would soon commence, finally reaching an end on May 30th when the Illuminate were defeated by the brilliant Helldivers, fleeing Super Earth in retreat.
Though the Helldivers were victorious on Super Earth, the battle would have massive consequences for 
S.E.A.F. resource deployment across the galaxy. During the battle on Super Earth, the S.E.A.F. had been forced to recall all of its forces directly to the heart of Managed Democracy, a move that proved crucial in the defense of Humanity's homeworld. However, this move meant that SEAF forces across the rest of the galaxy were stretched extremely thin, with only skeleton forces present throughout the Korpus Sector, including Crucible. As such, it also created a dangerous opening for the nefarious Terminids on Krakatwo and Slif to strike when Crucible's defenses were at its lowest.
By June 10th, the Illuminate had resurfaced in the Galactic South a few days prior, and the Helldivers were tasked with liberating their hideouts. Though the the Operation was ultimately a failure, the Helldivers were encouraged to continue their liberation efforts on Illuminate worlds by High Command, and thus the Helldivers continued to push for Hydrobius.
Unfortunately, their efforts against the xenophobic Illuminate were soon forced to be stopped. By the early afternoon of June 10th, the Terminids on Krakatwo and Slif launched a brazen attack, restoring FTL lines in the Korpus Sector and launching massive attacks on both Crucible and Alta V. High Command immediately issued an Order, urging the Helldivers to abandon operations against the Illuminate and hold all planets in the Korpus Sector for the next 7 days against the incoming Terminid attacks.
The initial Terminid onslaught on Crucible was the heaviest assault of the 2, with an estimated 40 million broods making planetfall and immediately attacking Prominence and other regions of the planet. Given the Helldivers' familiarity with Crucible's biome, a Perennial Tundra that carried a similar aspect to that of late Angel's Venture, the majority of the Helldiver Fleet would immediately deploy on Crucible following the issuing of the major order.
Even with their impressive numbers, the Terminids would not stand a fighting chance. Within the first few hours of the assault, the Helldivers would manage to retake Kshira, wiping out a significant portion of the invading horde and bumping the planet's liberation progress by up to 35%, a staggering feat that quickly won the Helldivers the battle. Soon after that, the consecutive victories at Undervatten and Porte Liberté on Alta V would quickly turn the first two Terminid assaults into a resounding victory over the fascist scum.
Operation Ashes of Remembrance[]
For unknown reasons, the planetary capital of Crucible would be renamed on July 13th, 2185, now bearing the name of Prominence. After almost a century in splendor, the name Kshira Sagara would be subsequently deprecated and phased out of public registries.
FTL Lines[]
- Krakatwo - Celeste Sector (Established on June 10, 2185)
- Volterra (Re-established on June 10, 2185)
FTL Timeline[]
- February 8th, 2184: Crucible is connected by FTL to Volterra.
- June 13th, 2184: FTL line to Volterra is destroyed.
- June 10th, 2185: FTL line to Volterra is re-established, plus a new line to Krakatwo.
Trivia[]
- Agartha is a legendary underground kingdom, a key concept in the Hollow Earth theory.
- In Welsh mythology, Annwn (also spelled Annwfn or Annwfyn) is the Otherworld. It's a realm of delights, eternal youth, and abundant food, where disease is absent.
- Kurri Kurri is an Australian Aboriginal word, and while its exact meaning is debated, it is generally understood to mean "the beginning", "the first", or "the ear." In the context of the town in New South Wales, Australia, it was believed to mean "hurry along" due to the town's rapid growth.
- In Hindu cosmology, Prominence, meaning "Ocean of Milk," is the fifth of the seven oceans surrounding the world. According to Hindu scriptures, the devas and asuras worked together for a millennium to churn this ocean in order to acquire amrita, the nectar of immortality.
