The area nearby the Gardens.

The Forbidden Gardens of Nuswatta is an ancient garden located on the planet Nuswatta, in the Cronese Mandate sector.

The garden is located in the huge crater of a long dead volcano, encircled by green mountains and the ocean covering the rest of Nuswatta's surface beyond them.

History

Origin

The famous Forbidden Gardens were a part of Xim's royal retreat at Nuswatta. For all but Xim's court, gazing upon the Gardens was a death sentence: According to legend they were tended by a cadre of slaves blinded at birth, and their soil enriched by the blood of traitors, failed military officers and vanquished adversaries. To glimpse the Forbidden Gardens was to know one's doom was at hand.

Becoming an Attraction

Circa 10,000 BCT, the Gardens were opened to the public and were included on the list of the Twenty Wonders of the Galaxy by the historian Vicendi.

In theory, before the reformation of the Tion Hegemony only Cronese may have visited Nuswatta and view the ruins of its fabled Gardens, though in practice most humans could sneak in or bribe their way onto the planet. Non-humans faced considerable danger trying to travel there however, as nearly all Cronese (and many Tionese) used to consider alien presence on Nuswatta taboo.

Present

Today, the garden acts as a sanctuary, a place not to be touched by crime or conflict. Anyone is welcome to visit the planet, as long as they are not enemies of the Tionese government. Although - due to a lack of habitable space beyond the garden - the planet is not officially governed by the Hegemony, it is a part of it's protectorate.

In recent years, Tionese citizens have utilized the site on several occasions, to host events such as weddings and anniversaries. The hand-tying ceremony of Gunnar Starfall and Crislyn Anessa Waryn was celebrated here for instance.