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New Folsom

Prison World of the Koprulu Sector

New Folsom was a deadly, geologically rich planet whose Confederate mine became New Folsom Prison, a high-security penitentiary that held members of the Sons of Korhal and, in one campaign branch, was broken open by Raynor's Raiders.

By Joe Garratt

New Folsom was a geologically abundant but deadly planet in the Koprulu sector, home to New Folsom Prison, a high-security penitentiary. Built first as a Terran Confederacy mine and later turned into a prison, the world held members of the Sons of Korhal during their rebellion and, in one branch of the Wings of Liberty campaign, was broken open by Raynor's Raiders. (Koprulu Sector Systems: New Folsom; StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty)

A deadly world#

New Folsom was geologically abundant but deadly, unstable, and saddled with an erratic orbit that passed through two major asteroid fields, making it inaccessible to all but the most heavily armored military starships. Its surface was dominated by volatile volcanic crust and lava lakes, and on it stood the structure that gave it its lasting significance: New Folsom Prison. (Koprulu Sector Systems: New Folsom)

The Confederate mine#

The first three attempts to establish a mining colony on New Folsom met with disaster. The Terran Confederacy nonetheless persisted, because the planet was the richest source within Confederate territory of the catalytic elements required to forge neosteel. The Confederacy conscripted a team of experts, materials specialists and terraforming engineers, who spent long months designing a platform system that would flex and shift with the planet's volatile crust while providing a habitat that was "minimally survivable" for a terran workforce. At no small cost in credits and lives, the New Folsom Confederate Mine was constructed on one of the stabler lava lakes, and it soon produced the materials the Confederacy needed to begin building a new fleet of battlecruisers. (Koprulu Sector Systems: New Folsom)

Not long after, the same catalytic elements were discovered in the Sara system. The mine was suddenly seen as a colossal waste of government funds, and Confederate financial analysts, unwilling to let so expensive an investment sit idle, transformed it into New Folsom Prison. The prisoners were put to work running the mine's machinery, which required only a minimal guard staff and robotic sentries. (Koprulu Sector Systems: New Folsom)

The prison#

Many members of the Sons of Korhal spent hard time in New Folsom Prison during their rebellion against the Confederacy, and the Terran Dominion continued to use it afterward. In spite of its tight security, a culture of anti-Arcturus Mengsk art and music developed inside the walls; those who produced such work were known as "insiders," and occasionally managed to smuggle compositions out to the public. (Koprulu Sector Systems: New Folsom; StarCraft II: Revolution Overdrive)

In the Wings of Liberty campaign branch where Raynor sides with Tosh, the prison became the target of Gabriel Tosh and Raynor's Raiders, who sought to free the political dissidents and spectres held there. Security was warned in advance by the ghost agent Nova Terra, but Raynor's forces assaulted the prison while Tosh covertly took out its defenses, freeing prisoners as they advanced. The Raiders were eventually successful in breaking the prison open, freeing all those held inside. (StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty)

Frequently asked questions

What is New Folsom in StarCraft?
New Folsom was a geologically abundant but deadly and unstable planet in the Koprulu sector. Its surface was dominated by volatile volcanic crust and lava lakes, and it was home to New Folsom Prison.
Why did the Confederacy build a mine on New Folsom?
The first three attempts to establish a mining colony on New Folsom ended in disaster, but the Terran Confederacy persisted because the planet was the richest source within Confederate territory of the catalytic elements required to forge neosteel. The New Folsom Confederate Mine was built on one of the stabler lava lakes and soon produced materials for a new fleet of battlecruisers.
Why was the New Folsom mine turned into a prison?
After the same catalytic elements were discovered in the Sara system, the mine was seen as a colossal waste of government funds. Confederate financial analysts transformed it into New Folsom Prison, putting prisoners to work running the mine's machinery with only a minimal guard staff and robotic sentries.
Who was held in New Folsom Prison?
Many members of the Sons of Korhal spent hard time in New Folsom Prison during their rebellion against the Confederacy, and the Terran Dominion continued to use it afterward to hold political dissidents and spectres. Despite its tight security, a culture of anti-Arcturus Mengsk art and music developed inside the walls.
How was New Folsom Prison broken open?
In the Wings of Liberty branch where Raynor sides with Tosh, Gabriel Tosh and Raynor's Raiders targeted the prison to free the political dissidents and spectres held there. Although security was warned in advance by the ghost agent Nova Terra, Raynor's forces assaulted the prison while Tosh covertly took out its defenses, and the Raiders eventually broke it open and freed all those inside.

Sources

  • GameStarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, Blizzard Entertainment, 2010
  • WebKoprulu Sector Systems: New Folsom, Blizzard Entertainment, StarCraft II website, 2010
  • WebStarCraft II: Revolution Overdrive, Blizzard Entertainment, album page, 2010

Spotted a factual error or a primary source we missed? Email a correction. Every flagged claim gets reviewed.

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