No other tabloid inspires dread and derision in the Republic's political and cultural elite the same way that the Palatinate Pratterer does. The publication, often abbreviated to P2, is known for simultaneously glamorizing and satirizing Umbria's leading celebrities. P2's over the top style and sensationalist stories have earned it a strong following throughout the common people of the Republic.

Republic News Today, or RNT, is the Republic's preeminent news publication, often considered the outlet of record for Umbria's recent past. It has local bureaus on dozens of planets throughout the Republic, and has thousands of correspondents actively seeking out the latest developments.

The Umbrian Republic has a long and storied history involving criminal enterprises. These organized groups of criminals have existed since the foundations of the Republic, and although the names they assume may change, their general pattern of behavior has not. While this history has been romanticized by some, modern members of the gangs and cartels that plague the Republic are brutal and merciless in pursuing their own enrichment at the expense of others.

Umbrian festivals have been an integral part of society for as long as history has been recorded. Originally marking religious days of observance, these festivals have taken on a more secular tone in modern times, but still maintain their societal importance and many of the activities that have defined Umbrians' communal experiences.

When the first explorer arrived in orbit over the fourth planet in the Druata system, she reportedly said, “We have found Elysium itself. I have no doubt that below we’ll find those legends of old, enjoying their repose on this beautiful paradise amongst the stars.” This description would prove to be apt. Venezia’s oxygen rich atmosphere, warmer climate, and slightly lower gravity would attract colonists by the droves.

A relatively recent find, Varese was only first surveyed in 31134. A quiet world orbiting a red-dwarf star, Varese was remarkable only for the large quantities of heavy metals believed to lie in subsurface veins just under its crust.