Location: Milky Way / Caleston Rift / Balor System / Cernunnos
Description[]
Mass Effect 2[]
The hostile moon Caleston is the largest satellite of the gas giant Cernunnos. An ancient asteroid strike deposited major lodes of element zero within the molten sulfur mantle. Eldfell-Ashland Energy's mining operations have made it the largest source of starship drive core material in the Attican Traverse.
Caleston is wracked with volcanism due to tidal stresses from Cernunnos. Because of weak solar output, plant-like life on Caleston is not carbon-based and photosynthetic but silicon-based and thermosynthetic, requiring heat rather than sunlight to power its chemical reactions. These organisms flourish in volcanic vents and during solar flares, when Balor can double or triple in luminosity. Sadly, sapient habitation is not possible here, and Caleston's biodiversity is considered "threatened" by the Citadel Council Committee on Habitable Worlds.
Mass Effect 3[]
Caleston is the largest satellite of the gas giant Cernunnos. Ancient asteroid strikes deposited major lodes of element zero within the molten sulfur mantle. Eldfell-Ashland Energy's mining operations made it the largest source of starship drive core material in the Attican Traverse, which threatened Caleston's native biodiversity with industrial waste.
Caleston is wracked with volcanism due to tidal stresses from Cernunnos. Because of weak solar output, plant-like life on Caleston is not carbon-based and photosynthetic, but silicon-based and thermosynthetic, requiring heat rather than sunlight to power chemical reactions. These organisms flourish in volcanic vents and during solar flares, when Balor, Caleson's [sic] sun, can double or triple in luminosity. Oxygen-breathing habitation is not possible outside its many domed cities. Those cities are now feasts for the Reapers, who drove off Caleston's protective fleet and now threaten to puncture domes to force the population into submission.
Mineral Deposits[]
Initial Scanner Result: Rich
| Mineral | Amount | Approximate Value |
|---|---|---|
| Palladium | High | 13,000 |
| Platinum | Medium | 5,000 |
| Iridium | Medium | 6,000 |
| Element Zero | Low | 4,600 |
Trivia[]
- Originally, Caleston was where the player was meant to first meet Liara T'Soni, in addition to multiple side missions. Due to scheduling and coding issues, Caleston saw severe content cuts during the development of Mass Effect before being eventually renamed Therum. Originally, there was a human mining station that served as a hub. Much of the architecture for this station was later repurposed as the final fight location in Bring Down the Sky. The background story later served as a basis for the criminal haven on Omega.[1]
- The "rescue miners" mission mentioned in the E3 demo never actually existed. That conversation was added to the demo purely for the purpose of showing off the capabilities of the cinematic conversation system.
- Caleston is mentioned in the "Distress Call" teaser trailer / attract movie.
- An Alliance News Network report states that Caleston was attacked by Cerberus. Depending on Shepard's handling of Diana Allers' interview following the Cerberus coup attempt, the sabotage may be thwarted by local defense forces led by Security Master General Atrius Tarn (who built internment camps for the planet's human minority), who thanks a maintenance worker's tipoff for the action; otherwise, a dome is sabotaged, leading to numerous civilian casualties from suffocation, in turn leading to increased Element Zero prices due to disrupted mining.
- Caleston is a mission location in the N7 HQ Galaxy at War mini-game for Mass Effect 3.