In many ways Arieki is very different from Foreas. This harsh, volcanic world stuns many Humans who experience it for the first time, especially if they are coming from the beautiful, lush Foreas. Large areas of Arieki are very barren and rugged, pockmarked with numerous active volcanoes and volcanic fissures. In fact, much of the surface is geologically active in one form or another; a Volcanologist would be in heaven on Arieki. Aside from the massive stratovolcanos, visitors may find hydrothermal vents, subterranean lava flows, and burning pits of liquid (tar or other flammable material),

The sky takes on a sickly greenish hue in the daytime; however, ground visibility can be extremely limited due to dense atmosphere close to the ground, permeated with constant falls of ash and other expelled materials. Clouds of toxic gas sweep the landscape and powerfully violent electrical storms are a constant danger. A particular metal ore infused in the planet's crust, nicknamed "fluxite", seems to be the root cause of the numerous electrical storms. It has also been discovered that the Bane use this ore to amplify the intensity of their energy weapons.

Despite the toxicity of the planet, there is more than enough oxygen in the atmosphere to sustain life on many levels, and certain life forms simply thrive in this environment. The flora is generally scrubby, thorny and sharply contoured. Arieki's native creatures are tough, squat creatures and mostly insect-like. While they have an interesting capacity of taking on the destructive qualities of the environment around them, Arieki's flora and fauna represent a remarkable display of persistent life. However, planetary scientists believe that life did not evolve naturally on Arieki; early analysis revealed a massive impact crater from a comet, pegging this event as the turning point in Arieki's evolutionary track.

The sentient race currently inhabiting Arieki wasn't native to the planet either. The Brann contingent was transported from Arieki's sister planet, Erdas, some years before… as a penal colony. The Erdas leadership sent thousands of Brann to Arieki as punishment for various crimes; some are petty criminals, convicted of "white-collar" crimes, while others belong to massive hard-core crime syndicates. Unfortunately, these two major groups, the Reformists and the Syndicates, represent all that remains of the Brann after the Bane overran Erdas and slaughtered the planet's population.

As the Humans begin to ally themselves with the remaining Brann, the Bane have finally cast their eyes upon Arieki as well. There are rumors of an Eloh refugee amongst the Brann, and it's more than likely the Bane have uncovered this very same rumor as well. The Brann have also been at constant struggle with the Atta, an indigenous species of multi-legged ant-like creatures that previously sat atop the planet's food chain. Humans will have to navigate their way through the various Brann groups and sub-groups when battling the Bane, and sometimes there are no easy choices…

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