- Pronouns
- He/Him
I would vote for that plan, alongside Oh Fuck No Money.
A Flame of Hope in the Grim Darkness (A 40k/Multicross Quest)
- Thread starter BobTheNinja
- Start date
- Crossover Sci-Fi Fantasy
What a pleasant surprise
Dark_River49
Randomly Generated Gremlin, Writes Walls of Text
- Location
- Somewhere in Sufficient Velocity
[] Plan: The Bear Necessities
-[] Monetary System
-[] Transport Network and Port Compatibility
-[] Geological Survey (Moon)
-[] Joint Exercises
-[] Sophont Physiology and Genetics
-[] Magic Potential Evaluation Research
-[] New Practitioner Safeguards
Something like this then?
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Why just do that? Why not also make them Get new Power? The Servant Would Probaly be boosted by Dynamism(the effect it have is similar enoguth it Could Happen) or Get Fujimaru the Power of Darkness(Aka the Deep) the Only "real" Requiment to wield it is that you can see it and interact with paracausality (And Fujimaru IS Capable of it) Giving him MANY Option there alos the other Application for it(the Qugu for example use Darkness to talk with Their Ancestor and Even Use it to Mindlink their warship with each other and it Can ALSO Be use to Comnicated and Reach Common Understanding with Other species...)
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Plan: Oh Fuck No Money
-[X]Civics, Commerce and Culture +1 FLEX
--[X] Monetary System - While each polity has been provided with all of the physical resources needed to self-sustain and grow, money is something that wasn't included (with the exception of Glimmer due to its other uses). Right now, most everything is running on goodwill, favors, and barter, and while it's generally working at the moment, it's just not very efficient for conducting larger-scale trade and economic coordination. That and most of the cultures present aren't post-currency. Some form of monetary system will need to be established to help things run more smoothly.
--[X] The Fourth Estate - Arguably a free press is one of the most important elements of any decent democratic society, as they are the denizens' eyes and ears for matters beyond the daily purview of their lives. And while there will doubtless be intrepid journalists plying their trade regardless, if one values keeping the government honest and the people accurately informed, then formally supporting the establishment and integration of independent news organizations across all partner polities should be a priority.
-[X]Production and Infrastructure
--[X] Transport Network and Port Compatibility - Each polity has its own infrastructure for receiving and debarking their own transports, but they do not presently have roads or rails connecting to the other polities' islands, and their ports are not optimized for the vehicles of the other factions. Constructing road and rail links between the islands, expanding existing ports, and building new transport facilities made to accommodate other extant transport types will facilitate heightened and more efficient trade and travel between territories.
-[X]Exploration & Reconnaissance
--[X] Geological Survey (Moon) - The large, airless, rocky moon orbiting the main planet could be a prime location for shipyard construction, thanks to its low gravity and likely presence of useful ore and mineral deposits. A more in-depth survey would help confirm what resources are present.
-[X]Military
--[X]Joint Exercises - This program will facilitate shared military exercises between the different extraversal forces, ranging from small-unit tactics to large-scale theater exercises and simulations, across all kinds of environments. This will help acclimate each force with their counterparts' capabilities, facilitating more effective tactics, strategies, and coordination in live battle.
-[X]Technological Research and Development
--[X] Sophont Physiology and Genetics - With so many sapient species now living on the same world, it would be greatly beneficial for the various medical professionals of each polity to have access to a common, shared set of physiological and genetic data from each species. This program aims to gather volunteers from each species to collect bio-samples and run through a battery of various biological scans and measurements, as well as cataloging any pre-existing medical data from the different factions.
-[X]Magic Research and Development
--[X] New Practitioner Safeguards - For those individuals who are capable of potentially wielding magic, but have not yet been trained in its use, new rules and regulations will be established to create secured and warded training facilities, as well as heavier emphasis on control and caution with learning and practice of their abilities. There will also be more stringent rules on the practice of magic by novices to suppress potentially unsafe self-training or testing, at least until we have a better understanding of their abilities' interaction with the Warp. Some will chafe at these restrictions, but we can't afford to underestimate the risk of Chaos corruption or incursion.
[X] Plan: The Bear Necessities
I think it's time, anyway.
-[X]Civics, Commerce and Culture +1 FLEX
--[X] Monetary System - While each polity has been provided with all of the physical resources needed to self-sustain and grow, money is something that wasn't included (with the exception of Glimmer due to its other uses). Right now, most everything is running on goodwill, favors, and barter, and while it's generally working at the moment, it's just not very efficient for conducting larger-scale trade and economic coordination. That and most of the cultures present aren't post-currency. Some form of monetary system will need to be established to help things run more smoothly.
--[X] The Fourth Estate - Arguably a free press is one of the most important elements of any decent democratic society, as they are the denizens' eyes and ears for matters beyond the daily purview of their lives. And while there will doubtless be intrepid journalists plying their trade regardless, if one values keeping the government honest and the people accurately informed, then formally supporting the establishment and integration of independent news organizations across all partner polities should be a priority.
-[X]Production and Infrastructure
--[X] Transport Network and Port Compatibility - Each polity has its own infrastructure for receiving and debarking their own transports, but they do not presently have roads or rails connecting to the other polities' islands, and their ports are not optimized for the vehicles of the other factions. Constructing road and rail links between the islands, expanding existing ports, and building new transport facilities made to accommodate other extant transport types will facilitate heightened and more efficient trade and travel between territories.
-[X]Exploration & Reconnaissance
--[X] Geological Survey (Moon) - The large, airless, rocky moon orbiting the main planet could be a prime location for shipyard construction, thanks to its low gravity and likely presence of useful ore and mineral deposits. A more in-depth survey would help confirm what resources are present.
-[X]Military
--[X]Joint Exercises - This program will facilitate shared military exercises between the different extraversal forces, ranging from small-unit tactics to large-scale theater exercises and simulations, across all kinds of environments. This will help acclimate each force with their counterparts' capabilities, facilitating more effective tactics, strategies, and coordination in live battle.
-[X]Technological Research and Development
--[X] Sophont Physiology and Genetics - With so many sapient species now living on the same world, it would be greatly beneficial for the various medical professionals of each polity to have access to a common, shared set of physiological and genetic data from each species. This program aims to gather volunteers from each species to collect bio-samples and run through a battery of various biological scans and measurements, as well as cataloging any pre-existing medical data from the different factions.
-[X]Magic Research and Development
--[X] New Practitioner Safeguards - For those individuals who are capable of potentially wielding magic, but have not yet been trained in its use, new rules and regulations will be established to create secured and warded training facilities, as well as heavier emphasis on control and caution with learning and practice of their abilities. There will also be more stringent rules on the practice of magic by novices to suppress potentially unsafe self-training or testing, at least until we have a better understanding of their abilities' interaction with the Warp. Some will chafe at these restrictions, but we can't afford to underestimate the risk of Chaos corruption or incursion.
[X] Plan: The Bear Necessities
I think it's time, anyway.
- Location
- Sweden
[X] Plan: Oh Fuck No Money
-[X]Civics, Commerce and Culture +1 FLEX
--[X] Monetary System - While each polity has been provided with all of the physical resources needed to self-sustain and grow, money is something that wasn't included (with the exception of Glimmer due to its other uses). Right now, most everything is running on goodwill, favors, and barter, and while it's generally working at the moment, it's just not very efficient for conducting larger-scale trade and economic coordination. That and most of the cultures present aren't post-currency. Some form of monetary system will need to be established to help things run more smoothly.
--[X] The Fourth Estate - Arguably a free press is one of the most important elements of any decent democratic society, as they are the denizens' eyes and ears for matters beyond the daily purview of their lives. And while there will doubtless be intrepid journalists plying their trade regardless, if one values keeping the government honest and the people accurately informed, then formally supporting the establishment and integration of independent news organizations across all partner polities should be a priority.
-[X]Production and Infrastructure
--[X] Transport Network and Port Compatibility - Each polity has its own infrastructure for receiving and debarking their own transports, but they do not presently have roads or rails connecting to the other polities' islands, and their ports are not optimized for the vehicles of the other factions. Constructing road and rail links between the islands, expanding existing ports, and building new transport facilities made to accommodate other extant transport types will facilitate heightened and more efficient trade and travel between territories.
-[X]Exploration & Reconnaissance
--[X] Geological Survey (Moon) - The large, airless, rocky moon orbiting the main planet could be a prime location for shipyard construction, thanks to its low gravity and likely presence of useful ore and mineral deposits. A more in-depth survey would help confirm what resources are present.
-[X]Military
--[X]Joint Exercises - This program will facilitate shared military exercises between the different extraversal forces, ranging from small-unit tactics to large-scale theater exercises and simulations, across all kinds of environments. This will help acclimate each force with their counterparts' capabilities, facilitating more effective tactics, strategies, and coordination in live battle.
-[X]Technological Research and Development
--[X] Sophont Physiology and Genetics - With so many sapient species now living on the same world, it would be greatly beneficial for the various medical professionals of each polity to have access to a common, shared set of physiological and genetic data from each species. This program aims to gather volunteers from each species to collect bio-samples and run through a battery of various biological scans and measurements, as well as cataloging any pre-existing medical data from the different factions.
-[X]Magic Research and Development
--[X] New Practitioner Safeguards - For those individuals who are capable of potentially wielding magic, but have not yet been trained in its use, new rules and regulations will be established to create secured and warded training facilities, as well as heavier emphasis on control and caution with learning and practice of their abilities. There will also be more stringent rules on the practice of magic by novices to suppress potentially unsafe self-training or testing, at least until we have a better understanding of their abilities' interaction with the Warp. Some will chafe at these restrictions, but we can't afford to underestimate the risk of Chaos corruption or incursion.
-[X]Civics, Commerce and Culture +1 FLEX
--[X] Monetary System - While each polity has been provided with all of the physical resources needed to self-sustain and grow, money is something that wasn't included (with the exception of Glimmer due to its other uses). Right now, most everything is running on goodwill, favors, and barter, and while it's generally working at the moment, it's just not very efficient for conducting larger-scale trade and economic coordination. That and most of the cultures present aren't post-currency. Some form of monetary system will need to be established to help things run more smoothly.
--[X] The Fourth Estate - Arguably a free press is one of the most important elements of any decent democratic society, as they are the denizens' eyes and ears for matters beyond the daily purview of their lives. And while there will doubtless be intrepid journalists plying their trade regardless, if one values keeping the government honest and the people accurately informed, then formally supporting the establishment and integration of independent news organizations across all partner polities should be a priority.
-[X]Production and Infrastructure
--[X] Transport Network and Port Compatibility - Each polity has its own infrastructure for receiving and debarking their own transports, but they do not presently have roads or rails connecting to the other polities' islands, and their ports are not optimized for the vehicles of the other factions. Constructing road and rail links between the islands, expanding existing ports, and building new transport facilities made to accommodate other extant transport types will facilitate heightened and more efficient trade and travel between territories.
-[X]Exploration & Reconnaissance
--[X] Geological Survey (Moon) - The large, airless, rocky moon orbiting the main planet could be a prime location for shipyard construction, thanks to its low gravity and likely presence of useful ore and mineral deposits. A more in-depth survey would help confirm what resources are present.
-[X]Military
--[X]Joint Exercises - This program will facilitate shared military exercises between the different extraversal forces, ranging from small-unit tactics to large-scale theater exercises and simulations, across all kinds of environments. This will help acclimate each force with their counterparts' capabilities, facilitating more effective tactics, strategies, and coordination in live battle.
-[X]Technological Research and Development
--[X] Sophont Physiology and Genetics - With so many sapient species now living on the same world, it would be greatly beneficial for the various medical professionals of each polity to have access to a common, shared set of physiological and genetic data from each species. This program aims to gather volunteers from each species to collect bio-samples and run through a battery of various biological scans and measurements, as well as cataloging any pre-existing medical data from the different factions.
-[X]Magic Research and Development
--[X] New Practitioner Safeguards - For those individuals who are capable of potentially wielding magic, but have not yet been trained in its use, new rules and regulations will be established to create secured and warded training facilities, as well as heavier emphasis on control and caution with learning and practice of their abilities. There will also be more stringent rules on the practice of magic by novices to suppress potentially unsafe self-training or testing, at least until we have a better understanding of their abilities' interaction with the Warp. Some will chafe at these restrictions, but we can't afford to underestimate the risk of Chaos corruption or incursion.
[X] Plan: Oh Fuck No Money
[X] Plan: Oh Fuck No Money
-[X]Civics, Commerce and Culture +1 FLEX
--[X] Monetary System - While each polity has been provided with all of the physical resources needed to self-sustain and grow, money is something that wasn't included (with the exception of Glimmer due to its other uses). Right now, most everything is running on goodwill, favors, and barter, and while it's generally working at the moment, it's just not very efficient for conducting larger-scale trade and economic coordination. That and most of the cultures present aren't post-currency. Some form of monetary system will need to be established to help things run more smoothly.
--[X] The Fourth Estate - Arguably a free press is one of the most important elements of any decent democratic society, as they are the denizens' eyes and ears for matters beyond the daily purview of their lives. And while there will doubtless be intrepid journalists plying their trade regardless, if one values keeping the government honest and the people accurately informed, then formally supporting the establishment and integration of independent news organizations across all partner polities should be a priority.
-[X]Production and Infrastructure
--[X] Transport Network and Port Compatibility - Each polity has its own infrastructure for receiving and debarking their own transports, but they do not presently have roads or rails connecting to the other polities' islands, and their ports are not optimized for the vehicles of the other factions. Constructing road and rail links between the islands, expanding existing ports, and building new transport facilities made to accommodate other extant transport types will facilitate heightened and more efficient trade and travel between territories.
-[X]Exploration & Reconnaissance
--[X] Geological Survey (Moon) - The large, airless, rocky moon orbiting the main planet could be a prime location for shipyard construction, thanks to its low gravity and likely presence of useful ore and mineral deposits. A more in-depth survey would help confirm what resources are present.
-[X]Military
--[X]Joint Exercises - This program will facilitate shared military exercises between the different extraversal forces, ranging from small-unit tactics to large-scale theater exercises and simulations, across all kinds of environments. This will help acclimate each force with their counterparts' capabilities, facilitating more effective tactics, strategies, and coordination in live battle.
-[X]Technological Research and Development
--[X] Sophont Physiology and Genetics - With so many sapient species now living on the same world, it would be greatly beneficial for the various medical professionals of each polity to have access to a common, shared set of physiological and genetic data from each species. This program aims to gather volunteers from each species to collect bio-samples and run through a battery of various biological scans and measurements, as well as cataloging any pre-existing medical data from the different factions.
-[X]Magic Research and Development
--[X] New Practitioner Safeguards - For those individuals who are capable of potentially wielding magic, but have not yet been trained in its use, new rules and regulations will be established to create secured and warded training facilities, as well as heavier emphasis on control and caution with learning and practice of their abilities. There will also be more stringent rules on the practice of magic by novices to suppress potentially unsafe self-training or testing, at least until we have a better understanding of their abilities' interaction with the Warp. Some will chafe at these restrictions, but we can't afford to underestimate the risk of Chaos corruption or incursion.
-[X]Civics, Commerce and Culture +1 FLEX
--[X] Monetary System - While each polity has been provided with all of the physical resources needed to self-sustain and grow, money is something that wasn't included (with the exception of Glimmer due to its other uses). Right now, most everything is running on goodwill, favors, and barter, and while it's generally working at the moment, it's just not very efficient for conducting larger-scale trade and economic coordination. That and most of the cultures present aren't post-currency. Some form of monetary system will need to be established to help things run more smoothly.
--[X] The Fourth Estate - Arguably a free press is one of the most important elements of any decent democratic society, as they are the denizens' eyes and ears for matters beyond the daily purview of their lives. And while there will doubtless be intrepid journalists plying their trade regardless, if one values keeping the government honest and the people accurately informed, then formally supporting the establishment and integration of independent news organizations across all partner polities should be a priority.
-[X]Production and Infrastructure
--[X] Transport Network and Port Compatibility - Each polity has its own infrastructure for receiving and debarking their own transports, but they do not presently have roads or rails connecting to the other polities' islands, and their ports are not optimized for the vehicles of the other factions. Constructing road and rail links between the islands, expanding existing ports, and building new transport facilities made to accommodate other extant transport types will facilitate heightened and more efficient trade and travel between territories.
-[X]Exploration & Reconnaissance
--[X] Geological Survey (Moon) - The large, airless, rocky moon orbiting the main planet could be a prime location for shipyard construction, thanks to its low gravity and likely presence of useful ore and mineral deposits. A more in-depth survey would help confirm what resources are present.
-[X]Military
--[X]Joint Exercises - This program will facilitate shared military exercises between the different extraversal forces, ranging from small-unit tactics to large-scale theater exercises and simulations, across all kinds of environments. This will help acclimate each force with their counterparts' capabilities, facilitating more effective tactics, strategies, and coordination in live battle.
-[X]Technological Research and Development
--[X] Sophont Physiology and Genetics - With so many sapient species now living on the same world, it would be greatly beneficial for the various medical professionals of each polity to have access to a common, shared set of physiological and genetic data from each species. This program aims to gather volunteers from each species to collect bio-samples and run through a battery of various biological scans and measurements, as well as cataloging any pre-existing medical data from the different factions.
-[X]Magic Research and Development
--[X] New Practitioner Safeguards - For those individuals who are capable of potentially wielding magic, but have not yet been trained in its use, new rules and regulations will be established to create secured and warded training facilities, as well as heavier emphasis on control and caution with learning and practice of their abilities. There will also be more stringent rules on the practice of magic by novices to suppress potentially unsafe self-training or testing, at least until we have a better understanding of their abilities' interaction with the Warp. Some will chafe at these restrictions, but we can't afford to underestimate the risk of Chaos corruption or incursion.
- Pronouns
- Kho
[X] Plan: Oh Fuck No Money
Prismatic
Prismatic is an elemental affinity of both the Light and Darkness fused together. Prismatic allows the user to combine abilities and Supers from all previously acquired Subclasses, and fill up a Light meter and a Dark meter to activate...
BobTheNinja
Sword of Possibility
- Location
- Multiverse Sector Texas
I'm aware of Prismatic, though my assumption is that Awoken magic operates on some other paracausal wavelength, because it's never referred to as Prismatic itself.Prismatic
Prismatic is an elemental affinity of both the Light and Darkness fused together. Prismatic allows the user to combine abilities and Supers from all previously acquired Subclasses, and fill up a Light meter and a Dark meter to activate...www.destinypedia.com
Narsauce
The Crucible Shitlord
- Location
- Here, there and everywhere
Very. Even just going off of the Young Wolf + their fireteam/Raid Team, it has been stated in Destiny Lore that two Guardians, provided they have adequate amounts of cover for Ghost support, can hold off an infinite army indefinitely. Now scale that up to the six-ish most bad ass Guardians to ever exist and you've got a group of murderblenders that would make the Custodes at Terra's webway gate during the Heresy blush.
Add on a team of Servants and the Warrior of Light + friends? At that point, you're just being mean to the guys on the other side, lol.
Prismatic
Prismatic is an elemental affinity of both the Light and Darkness fused together. Prismatic allows the user to combine abilities and Supers from all previously acquired Subclasses, and fill up a Light meter and a Dark meter to activate...
Awoken magic is fundamentally weird. Personally, I don't really like giving it a name, but if you must, be my guest. Most lore nerds liken Awoken Magic to Hive Magic, but without the whole "murder existence" thing. Innately, all Awoken are very, very weakly paracausal, like the Hive, and all Awoken can, to a degree, perform their magic. Any Paracasual creature can perform Awoken magic, but you'd need to understand it to use it.
Edit: One final thing about Awoken Magic, think about Ahamkara wishes. They are Paracausal, but neither Light nor Dark in alignment. Think about Awoken magic like that.
As for it being Prismatic, that is incorrect. Prismatic is more… fundamental, it's directly wielding the Light and Dark, not just at the same time, but in concert. It's like the difference between a Hunter having a Silence and Squall Kama in one hand and a Golden gun in the other and having that same Hunter shoot a Golden Gun made of Stasis that freezes shit in time and explodes them with the power of the sun at the same time. It's like a Guardian doing the Final Shape writ small. You reshape reality on its most base level and can do so passively or actively.
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Dark_River49
Randomly Generated Gremlin, Writes Walls of Text
- Location
- Somewhere in Sufficient Velocity
[X] Plan: The Bear Necessities
-[X] Monetary System
-[X] Transport Network and Port Compatibility
-[X] Geological Survey (Moon)
-[X] Joint Exercises
-[X] Sophont Physiology and Genetics
-[X] Magic Potential Evaluation Research
-[X] New Practitioner Safeguards
-[X] Monetary System
-[X] Transport Network and Port Compatibility
-[X] Geological Survey (Moon)
-[X] Joint Exercises
-[X] Sophont Physiology and Genetics
-[X] Magic Potential Evaluation Research
-[X] New Practitioner Safeguards
- Location
- Philippines
[X] Plan: The Bear Necessities
BobTheNinja
Sword of Possibility
- Location
- Multiverse Sector Texas
As a quick heads up, I've decided to extend the voting period by a couple more days, as I ended up taking longer to work on the solar system survey results from last turn than I intended. I'm finally making substantial progress on it, but I want you guys to have all that info before making a final decision for this next turn. I should have the survey results and info done either tonight or tomorrow morning.
BobTheNinja
Sword of Possibility
- Location
- Multiverse Sector Texas
My apologies, I'll need a bit longer to finish up than I initially thought. I've once again made good progress today, but not quite enough. I'm tentatively certain that I'll have the remainder finished up before the end of tomorrow, so I'll extend the voting deadline by a couple more days, just to be safe.
Preliminary Survey Results for the Home Star System
BobTheNinja
Sword of Possibility
- Location
- Multiverse Sector Texas
While teams on the new homeworld's surface conducted their surveys of the planet, other survey expeditions were sent out to explore this new solar system. Formed mainly from elements of the newly arrived fleets, these expeditions did not have the specialized equipment to perform in-depth measurements of the system's other planets and moons. Instead they would gather preliminary data to determine the general characteristics of each celestial body in the hopes of giving direction to future, more specialized expeditions.
As the survey commenced, the JSTC consulted with each of their participating nations to name each body of their home star system. After a good deal of back and forth, and even some public surveys, they decided on a name for their new homeworld: Astera. Derived from the root word for 'star' across multiple languages, it represented the shared wish that this miracle-given world would serve as a beacon of hope for a galaxy mired in darkness.
The system's star was named Phoenix, after the immortal firebird of legend from across many mythologies. It is a K1V-class yellow-orange main sequence star in the prime of its life, estimated to be about 4.5 billion years old. With a lifespan of at least 25 billion years and reduced output of ultraviolet rays and other ionizing radiation compared to the Sun, it is well-suited to hosting life-bearing worlds.
The first celestial body to be surveyed beyond Astera was its singular moon, which was named Serenity, after Mare Serenitatis on Earth's Moon. Serenity is slightly larger and more massive than Luna, though its composition is very similar, with a mottled gray surface marked with countless craters and expansive lunar maria. It also orbited just under 24% closer to Astera compared to Luna's distance from Earth, appearing larger and brighter in the planet's night sky as a result.
A notable anomaly of this otherwise ordinary moon is a small region in the northern hemisphere of Serenity's near side, settled within an immense crater which the Loporrits call Mare Lamentorum. This area is enveloped in an aetherial field which actively supports a habitable atmosphere and climate, an oasis amidst Serenity's otherwise barren, airless surface. The atmosphere shifts over time between mildly humid to overly dry with the cycle of day and night, growing thin at the aetherial field's outer boundaries where temperature fluctuations grow increasingly extreme. The ground here is composed of soft sand and partly weathered gravel, as if the regolith was subjected to erosion over time.
Placed within this region are recreations of the Watcher's Palace, Bestways Burrow (home to the Loporrits), Ostrakon Deka-hexi (home to the Omicrons), and the sealing brands which once imprisoned Zodiark. Aetheryte teleportation nodes at the first three sites connect to each other and to the Crystal Tower on Astera's surface, which was retrofitted by the Dreamer with the same long-range teleporter once housed within the Tower of Babil in Garlemald. The area is also host to a rudimentary ecosystem of flora and fauna from Hydaelyn's moon, uniquely adapted to the environment within the region.
Outside of Mare Lamentorum, a sea of sharp-grained regolith pockmarked with craters stretches as far as the eye can see, a barely-existent trace atmosphere leaving the surface exposed searing daylight heat, freezing night cold, and cosmic radiation. Initial samples of the regolith show the usual composition of bulk silicate minerals, with smaller but still noteworthy proportions of mineral-bound metals following after. Iron is the most common, followed by aluminum and titanium. There are also confirmed water ice deposits present within permanently shaded craters and at the polar regions, and small amounts of various other metals left behind by meteor impacts. All of that said, finding the choicest resource deposits will require a dedicated geological survey.
The second world to be surveyed was named Atlas, after the Greek Titan who upheld the heavens on his shoulders, and also as a nod to the chief deity of the kobolds (alas, the name Titan itself was passed up to prevent confusion with the same-named moon of this universe's Sol system). The third planet of the star system, Atlas is a terrestrial planet which sits in the inner band of the Phoenix's habitable zone, and is a warmer and much more arid world than Astera as a result, as well as being larger and having marginally higher surface gravity. The planet's largest body of water is an immense circumpolar ocean which loops around the northern hemisphere, framing an Antarctica-sized continent centered on the north pole. The northern ocean is home to several large and vibrant coral reefs and a scattering of island chains, the largest of which is roughly the size of Madagascar.
The world also plays host to two relatively small ice caps at each of the poles, as well as a multitude of scattered lakes, rivers, oases, and underground aquifers. As a result, Atlas supports a breathable atmosphere and a variety of active biomes, especially in the northern hemisphere. The northern polar continent in particular is home to immense inland glaciers and magnificent coastal forests composed of a variety of giant and likely ancient trees, easily towering over even the redwoods of Earth. The rest of the planet is mostly composed of sandy and rocky deserts, badlands, and scattered savannas, shrublands and salt flats. Continent-sized areas of desert span much of the southern hemisphere, seemingly too devoid of moisture to support more than small, sparse groups of the hardiest lifeforms.
There is one surprising exception, as high-resolution orbital imaging detects the presence of large burrow-tracks through the deepest regions of the largest southern sand desert, eventually capturing images of huge serpentine creatures that eerily resemble the sandworms of Frank Herbert's Dune. The exact nature and biology of these unique megafauna will require dedicated ecological research, especially given the seeming lack of obvious food sources to sustain such large creatures. That said, they appear to be unique to this region, with no hint of their presence anywhere else on the planet.
The presence of mountain ranges and active volcanoes indicates active plate tectonics, and preliminary scans for raw resources appear promising, with substantial deposits of conventional ores and minerals present in varying concentrations across multiple regions. There are also pristine deposits of oil and natural gas present, though they are more sparse due to the smaller and more scattered biomes, being concentrated mostly in the northern hemisphere, especially on the northern polar continent. Though compared to Astera, the aetheric density of Atlas is relatively thin.
The two moons of Atlas, named Orpheus and Eurydice after the mythological Greek bard and his auloniad lover, are very similar in composition to Serenity, both in their geology and atmosphere, though they are both smaller and less massive by comparison. Orpheus is the smaller and nearer of the two moons, with Eurydice being somewhat larger and in a farther orbit. Their surface layers of loose regolith are also much thinner than on Serenity, which would likely make conventional mining of raw ores and minerals somewhat easier. A minor downside is that their relative nearness to their host star means that they almost completely lack the sort of water-ice that can be found on Serenity, with only minute deposits of such in the deepest and darkest of their craters.
The system's second planet has been named Garuda, after both the wind goddess of the Ixal people and the divine bird of Hindu and Buddhist mythology. Slightly larger than Saturn and with nearly twice the mass, Garuda appears to be a fairly typical example of a high-mass gas giant somewhat near to its parent star, colored with striations of golden orange and beige indicating high concentrations of ammonia in the outer atmosphere. Composed mostly of hydrogen and helium, ferocious supersonic winds lash around its often blazing-hot atmosphere, driven by both atmospheric physics and the radiant heat of the sun. From within, powerful magnetic fields are generated, creating immense light shows around its poles.
The planet is host to four major moons and dozens of much smaller ones, as well as a thin ring of asteroids. The first and closest moon Agni, fittingly named after the Hindu god of fire, is a hellscape of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, driven by both its internal geology and tidal forces generated by its close proximity to Garuda. Additionally, Agni's dayside surface is rendered unbearably hot by its relatively close proximity to the sun, which its relatively thin and unbreathable atmosphere does little to shield against. Its surface is kept from completely becoming a sea of molten silica rock by its composition, made mostly up of nickel and iron ores.
The second moon was named Hathor, after the ancient Egyptian goddess of love, beauty, sensual joy, and maternity. Hathor seems to be extraordinarily rich in carbon, with seas of tar and bubbling oil and a thin, hot atmosphere of carbon dioxide. Its innards seem to be even more special, as preliminary geological scans indicate the presence of a diamond core beneath outer layers of tar and graphite.
The third moon, named Tlaloc after the Aztec god of rain, is a would-be garden world denied habitability by its proximity to the sun, rendering the surface too hot to sustain liquid water, let alone ice. And so it was doomed to the same fate as pre-Traveler Venus, with its proto-oceans boiled away, assuming that they ever formed in the first place, and the atmosphere's hydrogen stripped away by solar winds and Garuda's own magnetic field. As a result, Tlaloc has been rendered a hothouse world with a highly dense atmosphere of carbon dioxide, perpetually shrouded by thick rainclouds of sulfuric acid.
For all of the extremes of the other three moons, it is the fourth moon that attracts the most interest out of them all. Given the name Acrius after the mythical first Emperor of the Cabal, it is the largest and most massive of Garuda's moons. A barren and mostly airless terrestrial world, its outer crust is mostly made of conventional silicate rock, but its gravitational signature lines up more closely with its denser peers, and even the most cursory surface scans reveal large deposits of cobalt, nickel, copper, tin, gold, and more. Most interestingly, scans have picked up readings indicating the presence of large deposits of uranium ore, as well as evidently stable superheavy elements beyond the known bounds of the periodic table, previously only theorized in physics models but never observed or synthesized until now.
The first planet of the system has been named Ifrit, after both the chthonic spirits of Islamic folklore and the chief deity of the Amalj'aa. It is a terrestrial planet slightly smaller than Mars but much more dense due to the abundance of heavier elements in its composition. Tidally locked to its parent star and closer to it than even Mercury is to Sol, Ifrit's day side is a churning sea of molten rock and metal, while its night side is constantly lit by chains of active volcanoes, powered by both tidal forces and by heavy radioactive elements in the planet's mantle and core. Though even on the molten areas of the surface, there are scattered clumps and small islands of dense rock that remain solid amidst the infernal heat, and further scans of these rock formations have confirmed the presence of yet more of the previously-theoretical superheavy elements first found on Acrius.
With a very thin atmosphere made up of volcanic gasses, trace remnants from meteor impacts, and periodic plumes of ash and vaporized rock, Ifrit is an uninhabitable hellscape with the hottest temperatures of all terrestrial bodies in the system, but one rich enough in valuable metal deposits to perhaps be worth mining, if one is able and willing to contend with the extreme conditions on the surface and the constant exposure to concentrated solar emissions.
The fourth planet of the system is an immense gas giant suitably named Behemoth, after both the primordial beast of Biblical legend and the powerful apex monster native to Hydaelyn. Larger and more massive than Jupiter, Behemoth is similarly composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, colored with churning bands of cream orange, reddish brown, and streaks of white under a blue haze, indicating a greater presence of water and methane in the outer atmosphere. Turbulent atmospheric currents are more prominent compared to the other gas giants, and several planet and moon size storm systems are plainly visible. Out of all the planets in the system, Behemoth has by far the strongest magnetic field of them all, generating spectacular aurorae around its poles.
The gas giant sits within the outer edge of the star's habitable zone, and preliminary scans have detected the presence of organic compounds within its atmosphere. Further examination yielded the discovery of roaming groups of gigantic airborne creatures living just beneath the outer layers of Behemoth's upper atmosphere. Their shape suggests they use some manner of gas bladders for lift and propulsion, along with immense membranous wings and fins acting as sails, though further details are difficult to make out without sending in a dedicated probe capable of navigating the world's extreme weather. Still, these findings suggest that the gas giant could very well be host to an entire floating ecosystem.
Behemoth is host to five major moons and several dozen smaller moonlets, along with two faint rings of asteroids. The first of these moons is named Vulcan, after the Roman god of fire and the forge. Much like Agni, Vulcan is wracked by immense tidal forces, with most of the moon dominated by extreme volcanic activity. It has a surprisingly thick atmosphere made up of vaporized ejecta and outgassed emissions, barely kept from turning into a Venus-like hothouse world by the stripping effect of Behemoth's intense magnetic field and resulting radiation belts. That said, preliminary scans reveal a world relatively rich in nickel, iron, and other valuable metals, so a mining outpost may be worth establishing.
The second moon has been given the name Pele, after the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes. Appropriately named, this moon is also wracked by volcanism, though to a lesser degree than Vulcan. Pele's surface is host to many volcanoes, but also numerous active hydrovolcanic geyser fields. Their eruptions output enough water at semi-regular intervals to constitute small seas, though because of Pele's smaller mass and lack of a thick enough atmosphere, liquid water is unable to accumulate on the surface in any significant amounts. Instead it evaporates into thin clouds, much of which precipitates into ice crystals on the moon's night side, which then liquifies and permeates back into the ground. These geysers and further scans indicate the presence of massive underground oceans present on this world, though whether they host any sort of life is an open question which would require closer examination.
Behemoth's third moon is named Susano, after both the Kojin and Japanese gods of seas and storms. A significantly larger and more massive moon than either Vulcan or Pele, the world bears a massive amount of surface water, covering the vast majority of its surface. While much of it is locked in ice, the moon receives enough sunlight to allow for the presence of some liquid lakes and seas on the surface. This is additionally made possible by the world's higher gravity and a decently strong magnetic field, which in turn has helped it preserve an atmosphere capable of preserving heat and sustaining active weather systems.
Driven by its own geology and the tidal forces acting on it from Behemoth's gravity, Susano's icy surface regularly flexes and cracks, forming immense slushy glacier flows and fractures in the ice, along with immense geysers at particularly volcanic hotspots. As sunlight and volcanic heat cause evaporation, water vapor condenses into clouds and storm systems, culminating in massive blizzards and spectacular thunderstorms which span much of the atmosphere. Beneath the moon's thick, frozen shell lies a massive subsurface ocean, stretching as deep as a hundred kilometers in some areas and differentiating into assorted exotic forms of ice at the lower depths.
Out of all the moons of Behemoth, the fourth one is arguably the most special. Named after the Norse goddess of love, beauty and war, Freyja is the largest and most massive moon in the star system, being even larger than Mars by several hundred kilometers, and with just over 4/5ths of Earth's surface gravity to boot. The world retains an active geological cycle, a strong magnetic field, and most importantly, a breathable atmosphere and confirmed presence of complex flora and fauna. Being on the outer edge of the star's habitable zone, much of Freyja's upper and lower hemispheres are frozen-over arctic and tundra zones, but the tropical and subtropical bands are warmer and contain liquid seas, lakes, and rivers that support fairly lush ecosystems. As with Atlas, Fryeja is much thinner in its aetheric density compared to Astera.
There are also many volcanic chains and hotspots all over the planet, helping maintain meltwater lakes, rivers, and underground water systems with their own ecosystems, as well as significant cavern networks. And due to Behemoth's strong magnetic field interacting with Freyja's own, the moon is host to brilliant aurorae stretching beyond the polar regions that wax and wane throughout the year. It is a world rich with natural beauty and raw resources, with plentiful places to set up long term habitation. One potential complication is that Freyja is tidally locked to Behemoth, and as a result of its orbit, its day-night cycle lasts seven 24-hour days. Any prospective colonists would need to find ways to adapt to the much longer stretches of day and night.
Behemoth's fifth and final moon has been named Chelchis, after the Kell of the House of Stone, a venerated Eliksni war hero who stayed behind on Riis during the Whirlwind, buying the survivors enough time to escape before he was felled by the Taken King Oryx. With no surface volcanism and a faint atmosphere long eroded by solar winds and cosmic radiation, the moon is a barren and rocky wasteland riddled with countless impact craters. Yet even so, its geology is a thing of beauty in itself, its outer surface a mosaic of various mineral formations. Chelchis is abundantly rich in natural resources, including deposits of mundane metals like nickel, iron, copper, tin, cobalt, gold, and uranium, among others.
There are also scattered yet substantial deposits of a far more exotic materials, including small amounts of the superheavy elements found on Acrius and Ifrit, as well as far larger deposits of Fold Ore, a material of special interest to the New United Nations in particular. Fold Ore can be refined into Fold Carbon, an essential element in the operation of Overtechnology and Fold Drives, as well as a precursor material for the synthesis of high-purity Fold Quartz. With such valuable findings, Chelchis will all but certainly be a priority location for mining operations going forward.
Beyond Behemoth lies the star system's main asteroid belt, which is also decently rich with metallic ore. Dwelling in the belt's orbit is a barren dwarf planet, named Persephone after the daughter of Demeter in Greek mythology. In addition to conventional metallic deposits, both Persephone and many of the much larger asteroids have also been found to bear significant deposits of Fold Ore, again marking them as priority targets for mining. Persephone also hosts significant natural caverns and hollows, which could very well make for ideal spots to construct future base structures for habitats, industry, and perhaps even military installations.
The sixth planet from the star is an immense ice giant given the name Leviathan, after the chief deity of the Sahagin and the primordial sea serpent of Biblical legend. Larger than Neptune but much smaller than Saturn, Leviathan is colored in striking azure with gradual striations of lighter or darker shades, a result of the abundant methane in its upper atmosphere. Another distinguishing characteristic is its spectacular rings of rock and ice fragments, similar to those of Saturn.
Orbiting beyond its rings are three major moons, along with a couple dozen smaller moonlets. The first of these is Veles, named after the chthonic god of waters and the underworld in Slavic mythology. The moon is completely frozen over, yet is highly geologically active. The majority of its surface is covered in thick ice, though there are some barren, rocky landmasses where active volcanic peaks rise above the ice layer, periodically releasing bursts of ash and molten ejecta. Much like Susano, Veles is crisscrossed by massive tectonic rifts in the ice, and cryovolcanic geysers can be found all over the surface, unleashing their contents of hot, overpressurized water, which then rapidly condenses into crystals of ice that rain back down to the surface.
Deeper scans reveal an all-encompassing underground ocean beneath the ice, multiple dozens of kilometers deep and warmed by the tidal forces from the moon's proximity to Leviathan. Due to its distance from the sun and weak magnetic field, Veles' atmosphere is quite thin, mainly composed of volcanic gasses and trace ice crystal particles, most of which don't linger for long before falling back to the surface.
The second moon has been named Aegir, after the Norse personification of the sea. It is larger than Veles but has a similarly thick ice shell which covers the entire moon, though its subsurface ocean is much deeper, stretching up to a hundred and fifty kilometers deep. Lacking the dynamic volcanism of Veles, the surface is largely inert, with far fewer faultlines in the ice and far more craters and other impact remnants preserved as a result.
The third and largest of Leviathan's moons has been named Tangaroa, after the Maori god of the sea and aquatic life. Its composition and atmosphere are much like Titan, only this world has been confirmed to host an exotic ecosystem, one using methane and ethane instead of water. The lifeforms found so far appear to be relatively simple, having seemingly barely gotten past the local equivalent to the Cambrian Explosion. These organisms appear to generally operate at a significantly slower pace of activity compared to life on Astera or Atlas, likely as a result of the much colder temperatures and lack of oxygen, though it's mostly speculation at this point.
Tangaroa is very rich in hydrocarbons, with temperatures cold enough to sustain seas and lakes of liquid natural gas. And while the extremely cold climate very likely precludes any kind of permanent surface colonization, the world is a potential goldmine for xenobiological research.
The seventh and final planet of the star system has been named Hades, after both the Greek god of the dead and the former seat of Emet-Selch. It is a frozen terrestrial world smaller than Venus by about a thousand kilometers in radius, complete with what might pass for a weather cycle driven by the evaporation and precipitation of nitrogen, and occasionally even oxygen. Its surface is coated with a layer of solidified carbon dioxide, underneath which is a surprisingly normal rocky world, complete with long since solidified primordial oceans and lakes. Whatever this world could have been, it is now a frozen-over wasteland, practically uninhabitable and only really useful for its mineral wealth, which may not even be worth harvesting given its relatively deep gravity well and inhospitable surface conditions. And unlike Ifrit, there are no obvious deposits of exotic resources.
But under the surface is a different story, as deeper scans of the planet reveal numerous underground cavern networks, including many crystalized geode formations of varying sizes, with some reaching the size of small mountains. The air in these caverns is actually minimally breathable, and the temperatures within are within livable range thanks to geothermal heating. Evidently Hades has enough mass and radioactive materials in its core and mantle to keep these underground spaces warmed despite the utterly frigid surface.
Other forms of natural beauty also abound, as veins of gold and other forms of mineral wealth line the walls of these caverns, or at least the singular one that this expedition chose to breach into during their limited time here. While preliminary scans indicate that this world isn't as rich in mineral wealth as Ifrit or Chelchis, what wealth it does have is mysteriously concentrated around these caverns. Scans also reveal pockets of liquid water beneath the ice, as geothermal vents poke their way out of the depths of this otherwise dead world's frozen oceans. It's possible that life might have once again found a way here, if the oxygen content is anything to go by.
Finally, attention turns to this world's singular moon, named Cerberus after the three-headed guard dog of the Greek underworld, and Hades' faithful hound. Roughly the size of Triton and relatively close to its parent world, this airless natural satellite bears an enormous impact crater on its planet-facing side. Scans of this moon reveal it to be mostly composed of silicate rock and dusty water ice, lacking in the metal-rich natural resources of other moons within the system.
The only other point of interest beyond this point is an immense ice and comet belt, too far away at the moment for the scope of the current survey.
Basic Star System Overview
As the survey commenced, the JSTC consulted with each of their participating nations to name each body of their home star system. After a good deal of back and forth, and even some public surveys, they decided on a name for their new homeworld: Astera. Derived from the root word for 'star' across multiple languages, it represented the shared wish that this miracle-given world would serve as a beacon of hope for a galaxy mired in darkness.
The system's star was named Phoenix, after the immortal firebird of legend from across many mythologies. It is a K1V-class yellow-orange main sequence star in the prime of its life, estimated to be about 4.5 billion years old. With a lifespan of at least 25 billion years and reduced output of ultraviolet rays and other ionizing radiation compared to the Sun, it is well-suited to hosting life-bearing worlds.
The first celestial body to be surveyed beyond Astera was its singular moon, which was named Serenity, after Mare Serenitatis on Earth's Moon. Serenity is slightly larger and more massive than Luna, though its composition is very similar, with a mottled gray surface marked with countless craters and expansive lunar maria. It also orbited just under 24% closer to Astera compared to Luna's distance from Earth, appearing larger and brighter in the planet's night sky as a result.
A notable anomaly of this otherwise ordinary moon is a small region in the northern hemisphere of Serenity's near side, settled within an immense crater which the Loporrits call Mare Lamentorum. This area is enveloped in an aetherial field which actively supports a habitable atmosphere and climate, an oasis amidst Serenity's otherwise barren, airless surface. The atmosphere shifts over time between mildly humid to overly dry with the cycle of day and night, growing thin at the aetherial field's outer boundaries where temperature fluctuations grow increasingly extreme. The ground here is composed of soft sand and partly weathered gravel, as if the regolith was subjected to erosion over time.
Placed within this region are recreations of the Watcher's Palace, Bestways Burrow (home to the Loporrits), Ostrakon Deka-hexi (home to the Omicrons), and the sealing brands which once imprisoned Zodiark. Aetheryte teleportation nodes at the first three sites connect to each other and to the Crystal Tower on Astera's surface, which was retrofitted by the Dreamer with the same long-range teleporter once housed within the Tower of Babil in Garlemald. The area is also host to a rudimentary ecosystem of flora and fauna from Hydaelyn's moon, uniquely adapted to the environment within the region.
Outside of Mare Lamentorum, a sea of sharp-grained regolith pockmarked with craters stretches as far as the eye can see, a barely-existent trace atmosphere leaving the surface exposed searing daylight heat, freezing night cold, and cosmic radiation. Initial samples of the regolith show the usual composition of bulk silicate minerals, with smaller but still noteworthy proportions of mineral-bound metals following after. Iron is the most common, followed by aluminum and titanium. There are also confirmed water ice deposits present within permanently shaded craters and at the polar regions, and small amounts of various other metals left behind by meteor impacts. All of that said, finding the choicest resource deposits will require a dedicated geological survey.
The second world to be surveyed was named Atlas, after the Greek Titan who upheld the heavens on his shoulders, and also as a nod to the chief deity of the kobolds (alas, the name Titan itself was passed up to prevent confusion with the same-named moon of this universe's Sol system). The third planet of the star system, Atlas is a terrestrial planet which sits in the inner band of the Phoenix's habitable zone, and is a warmer and much more arid world than Astera as a result, as well as being larger and having marginally higher surface gravity. The planet's largest body of water is an immense circumpolar ocean which loops around the northern hemisphere, framing an Antarctica-sized continent centered on the north pole. The northern ocean is home to several large and vibrant coral reefs and a scattering of island chains, the largest of which is roughly the size of Madagascar.
The world also plays host to two relatively small ice caps at each of the poles, as well as a multitude of scattered lakes, rivers, oases, and underground aquifers. As a result, Atlas supports a breathable atmosphere and a variety of active biomes, especially in the northern hemisphere. The northern polar continent in particular is home to immense inland glaciers and magnificent coastal forests composed of a variety of giant and likely ancient trees, easily towering over even the redwoods of Earth. The rest of the planet is mostly composed of sandy and rocky deserts, badlands, and scattered savannas, shrublands and salt flats. Continent-sized areas of desert span much of the southern hemisphere, seemingly too devoid of moisture to support more than small, sparse groups of the hardiest lifeforms.
There is one surprising exception, as high-resolution orbital imaging detects the presence of large burrow-tracks through the deepest regions of the largest southern sand desert, eventually capturing images of huge serpentine creatures that eerily resemble the sandworms of Frank Herbert's Dune. The exact nature and biology of these unique megafauna will require dedicated ecological research, especially given the seeming lack of obvious food sources to sustain such large creatures. That said, they appear to be unique to this region, with no hint of their presence anywhere else on the planet.
The presence of mountain ranges and active volcanoes indicates active plate tectonics, and preliminary scans for raw resources appear promising, with substantial deposits of conventional ores and minerals present in varying concentrations across multiple regions. There are also pristine deposits of oil and natural gas present, though they are more sparse due to the smaller and more scattered biomes, being concentrated mostly in the northern hemisphere, especially on the northern polar continent. Though compared to Astera, the aetheric density of Atlas is relatively thin.
The two moons of Atlas, named Orpheus and Eurydice after the mythological Greek bard and his auloniad lover, are very similar in composition to Serenity, both in their geology and atmosphere, though they are both smaller and less massive by comparison. Orpheus is the smaller and nearer of the two moons, with Eurydice being somewhat larger and in a farther orbit. Their surface layers of loose regolith are also much thinner than on Serenity, which would likely make conventional mining of raw ores and minerals somewhat easier. A minor downside is that their relative nearness to their host star means that they almost completely lack the sort of water-ice that can be found on Serenity, with only minute deposits of such in the deepest and darkest of their craters.
The system's second planet has been named Garuda, after both the wind goddess of the Ixal people and the divine bird of Hindu and Buddhist mythology. Slightly larger than Saturn and with nearly twice the mass, Garuda appears to be a fairly typical example of a high-mass gas giant somewhat near to its parent star, colored with striations of golden orange and beige indicating high concentrations of ammonia in the outer atmosphere. Composed mostly of hydrogen and helium, ferocious supersonic winds lash around its often blazing-hot atmosphere, driven by both atmospheric physics and the radiant heat of the sun. From within, powerful magnetic fields are generated, creating immense light shows around its poles.
The planet is host to four major moons and dozens of much smaller ones, as well as a thin ring of asteroids. The first and closest moon Agni, fittingly named after the Hindu god of fire, is a hellscape of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, driven by both its internal geology and tidal forces generated by its close proximity to Garuda. Additionally, Agni's dayside surface is rendered unbearably hot by its relatively close proximity to the sun, which its relatively thin and unbreathable atmosphere does little to shield against. Its surface is kept from completely becoming a sea of molten silica rock by its composition, made mostly up of nickel and iron ores.
The second moon was named Hathor, after the ancient Egyptian goddess of love, beauty, sensual joy, and maternity. Hathor seems to be extraordinarily rich in carbon, with seas of tar and bubbling oil and a thin, hot atmosphere of carbon dioxide. Its innards seem to be even more special, as preliminary geological scans indicate the presence of a diamond core beneath outer layers of tar and graphite.
The third moon, named Tlaloc after the Aztec god of rain, is a would-be garden world denied habitability by its proximity to the sun, rendering the surface too hot to sustain liquid water, let alone ice. And so it was doomed to the same fate as pre-Traveler Venus, with its proto-oceans boiled away, assuming that they ever formed in the first place, and the atmosphere's hydrogen stripped away by solar winds and Garuda's own magnetic field. As a result, Tlaloc has been rendered a hothouse world with a highly dense atmosphere of carbon dioxide, perpetually shrouded by thick rainclouds of sulfuric acid.
For all of the extremes of the other three moons, it is the fourth moon that attracts the most interest out of them all. Given the name Acrius after the mythical first Emperor of the Cabal, it is the largest and most massive of Garuda's moons. A barren and mostly airless terrestrial world, its outer crust is mostly made of conventional silicate rock, but its gravitational signature lines up more closely with its denser peers, and even the most cursory surface scans reveal large deposits of cobalt, nickel, copper, tin, gold, and more. Most interestingly, scans have picked up readings indicating the presence of large deposits of uranium ore, as well as evidently stable superheavy elements beyond the known bounds of the periodic table, previously only theorized in physics models but never observed or synthesized until now.
The first planet of the system has been named Ifrit, after both the chthonic spirits of Islamic folklore and the chief deity of the Amalj'aa. It is a terrestrial planet slightly smaller than Mars but much more dense due to the abundance of heavier elements in its composition. Tidally locked to its parent star and closer to it than even Mercury is to Sol, Ifrit's day side is a churning sea of molten rock and metal, while its night side is constantly lit by chains of active volcanoes, powered by both tidal forces and by heavy radioactive elements in the planet's mantle and core. Though even on the molten areas of the surface, there are scattered clumps and small islands of dense rock that remain solid amidst the infernal heat, and further scans of these rock formations have confirmed the presence of yet more of the previously-theoretical superheavy elements first found on Acrius.
With a very thin atmosphere made up of volcanic gasses, trace remnants from meteor impacts, and periodic plumes of ash and vaporized rock, Ifrit is an uninhabitable hellscape with the hottest temperatures of all terrestrial bodies in the system, but one rich enough in valuable metal deposits to perhaps be worth mining, if one is able and willing to contend with the extreme conditions on the surface and the constant exposure to concentrated solar emissions.
The fourth planet of the system is an immense gas giant suitably named Behemoth, after both the primordial beast of Biblical legend and the powerful apex monster native to Hydaelyn. Larger and more massive than Jupiter, Behemoth is similarly composed primarily of hydrogen and helium, colored with churning bands of cream orange, reddish brown, and streaks of white under a blue haze, indicating a greater presence of water and methane in the outer atmosphere. Turbulent atmospheric currents are more prominent compared to the other gas giants, and several planet and moon size storm systems are plainly visible. Out of all the planets in the system, Behemoth has by far the strongest magnetic field of them all, generating spectacular aurorae around its poles.
The gas giant sits within the outer edge of the star's habitable zone, and preliminary scans have detected the presence of organic compounds within its atmosphere. Further examination yielded the discovery of roaming groups of gigantic airborne creatures living just beneath the outer layers of Behemoth's upper atmosphere. Their shape suggests they use some manner of gas bladders for lift and propulsion, along with immense membranous wings and fins acting as sails, though further details are difficult to make out without sending in a dedicated probe capable of navigating the world's extreme weather. Still, these findings suggest that the gas giant could very well be host to an entire floating ecosystem.
Behemoth is host to five major moons and several dozen smaller moonlets, along with two faint rings of asteroids. The first of these moons is named Vulcan, after the Roman god of fire and the forge. Much like Agni, Vulcan is wracked by immense tidal forces, with most of the moon dominated by extreme volcanic activity. It has a surprisingly thick atmosphere made up of vaporized ejecta and outgassed emissions, barely kept from turning into a Venus-like hothouse world by the stripping effect of Behemoth's intense magnetic field and resulting radiation belts. That said, preliminary scans reveal a world relatively rich in nickel, iron, and other valuable metals, so a mining outpost may be worth establishing.
The second moon has been given the name Pele, after the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes. Appropriately named, this moon is also wracked by volcanism, though to a lesser degree than Vulcan. Pele's surface is host to many volcanoes, but also numerous active hydrovolcanic geyser fields. Their eruptions output enough water at semi-regular intervals to constitute small seas, though because of Pele's smaller mass and lack of a thick enough atmosphere, liquid water is unable to accumulate on the surface in any significant amounts. Instead it evaporates into thin clouds, much of which precipitates into ice crystals on the moon's night side, which then liquifies and permeates back into the ground. These geysers and further scans indicate the presence of massive underground oceans present on this world, though whether they host any sort of life is an open question which would require closer examination.
Behemoth's third moon is named Susano, after both the Kojin and Japanese gods of seas and storms. A significantly larger and more massive moon than either Vulcan or Pele, the world bears a massive amount of surface water, covering the vast majority of its surface. While much of it is locked in ice, the moon receives enough sunlight to allow for the presence of some liquid lakes and seas on the surface. This is additionally made possible by the world's higher gravity and a decently strong magnetic field, which in turn has helped it preserve an atmosphere capable of preserving heat and sustaining active weather systems.
Driven by its own geology and the tidal forces acting on it from Behemoth's gravity, Susano's icy surface regularly flexes and cracks, forming immense slushy glacier flows and fractures in the ice, along with immense geysers at particularly volcanic hotspots. As sunlight and volcanic heat cause evaporation, water vapor condenses into clouds and storm systems, culminating in massive blizzards and spectacular thunderstorms which span much of the atmosphere. Beneath the moon's thick, frozen shell lies a massive subsurface ocean, stretching as deep as a hundred kilometers in some areas and differentiating into assorted exotic forms of ice at the lower depths.
Out of all the moons of Behemoth, the fourth one is arguably the most special. Named after the Norse goddess of love, beauty and war, Freyja is the largest and most massive moon in the star system, being even larger than Mars by several hundred kilometers, and with just over 4/5ths of Earth's surface gravity to boot. The world retains an active geological cycle, a strong magnetic field, and most importantly, a breathable atmosphere and confirmed presence of complex flora and fauna. Being on the outer edge of the star's habitable zone, much of Freyja's upper and lower hemispheres are frozen-over arctic and tundra zones, but the tropical and subtropical bands are warmer and contain liquid seas, lakes, and rivers that support fairly lush ecosystems. As with Atlas, Fryeja is much thinner in its aetheric density compared to Astera.
There are also many volcanic chains and hotspots all over the planet, helping maintain meltwater lakes, rivers, and underground water systems with their own ecosystems, as well as significant cavern networks. And due to Behemoth's strong magnetic field interacting with Freyja's own, the moon is host to brilliant aurorae stretching beyond the polar regions that wax and wane throughout the year. It is a world rich with natural beauty and raw resources, with plentiful places to set up long term habitation. One potential complication is that Freyja is tidally locked to Behemoth, and as a result of its orbit, its day-night cycle lasts seven 24-hour days. Any prospective colonists would need to find ways to adapt to the much longer stretches of day and night.
Behemoth's fifth and final moon has been named Chelchis, after the Kell of the House of Stone, a venerated Eliksni war hero who stayed behind on Riis during the Whirlwind, buying the survivors enough time to escape before he was felled by the Taken King Oryx. With no surface volcanism and a faint atmosphere long eroded by solar winds and cosmic radiation, the moon is a barren and rocky wasteland riddled with countless impact craters. Yet even so, its geology is a thing of beauty in itself, its outer surface a mosaic of various mineral formations. Chelchis is abundantly rich in natural resources, including deposits of mundane metals like nickel, iron, copper, tin, cobalt, gold, and uranium, among others.
There are also scattered yet substantial deposits of a far more exotic materials, including small amounts of the superheavy elements found on Acrius and Ifrit, as well as far larger deposits of Fold Ore, a material of special interest to the New United Nations in particular. Fold Ore can be refined into Fold Carbon, an essential element in the operation of Overtechnology and Fold Drives, as well as a precursor material for the synthesis of high-purity Fold Quartz. With such valuable findings, Chelchis will all but certainly be a priority location for mining operations going forward.
Beyond Behemoth lies the star system's main asteroid belt, which is also decently rich with metallic ore. Dwelling in the belt's orbit is a barren dwarf planet, named Persephone after the daughter of Demeter in Greek mythology. In addition to conventional metallic deposits, both Persephone and many of the much larger asteroids have also been found to bear significant deposits of Fold Ore, again marking them as priority targets for mining. Persephone also hosts significant natural caverns and hollows, which could very well make for ideal spots to construct future base structures for habitats, industry, and perhaps even military installations.
The sixth planet from the star is an immense ice giant given the name Leviathan, after the chief deity of the Sahagin and the primordial sea serpent of Biblical legend. Larger than Neptune but much smaller than Saturn, Leviathan is colored in striking azure with gradual striations of lighter or darker shades, a result of the abundant methane in its upper atmosphere. Another distinguishing characteristic is its spectacular rings of rock and ice fragments, similar to those of Saturn.
Orbiting beyond its rings are three major moons, along with a couple dozen smaller moonlets. The first of these is Veles, named after the chthonic god of waters and the underworld in Slavic mythology. The moon is completely frozen over, yet is highly geologically active. The majority of its surface is covered in thick ice, though there are some barren, rocky landmasses where active volcanic peaks rise above the ice layer, periodically releasing bursts of ash and molten ejecta. Much like Susano, Veles is crisscrossed by massive tectonic rifts in the ice, and cryovolcanic geysers can be found all over the surface, unleashing their contents of hot, overpressurized water, which then rapidly condenses into crystals of ice that rain back down to the surface.
Deeper scans reveal an all-encompassing underground ocean beneath the ice, multiple dozens of kilometers deep and warmed by the tidal forces from the moon's proximity to Leviathan. Due to its distance from the sun and weak magnetic field, Veles' atmosphere is quite thin, mainly composed of volcanic gasses and trace ice crystal particles, most of which don't linger for long before falling back to the surface.
The second moon has been named Aegir, after the Norse personification of the sea. It is larger than Veles but has a similarly thick ice shell which covers the entire moon, though its subsurface ocean is much deeper, stretching up to a hundred and fifty kilometers deep. Lacking the dynamic volcanism of Veles, the surface is largely inert, with far fewer faultlines in the ice and far more craters and other impact remnants preserved as a result.
The third and largest of Leviathan's moons has been named Tangaroa, after the Maori god of the sea and aquatic life. Its composition and atmosphere are much like Titan, only this world has been confirmed to host an exotic ecosystem, one using methane and ethane instead of water. The lifeforms found so far appear to be relatively simple, having seemingly barely gotten past the local equivalent to the Cambrian Explosion. These organisms appear to generally operate at a significantly slower pace of activity compared to life on Astera or Atlas, likely as a result of the much colder temperatures and lack of oxygen, though it's mostly speculation at this point.
Tangaroa is very rich in hydrocarbons, with temperatures cold enough to sustain seas and lakes of liquid natural gas. And while the extremely cold climate very likely precludes any kind of permanent surface colonization, the world is a potential goldmine for xenobiological research.
The seventh and final planet of the star system has been named Hades, after both the Greek god of the dead and the former seat of Emet-Selch. It is a frozen terrestrial world smaller than Venus by about a thousand kilometers in radius, complete with what might pass for a weather cycle driven by the evaporation and precipitation of nitrogen, and occasionally even oxygen. Its surface is coated with a layer of solidified carbon dioxide, underneath which is a surprisingly normal rocky world, complete with long since solidified primordial oceans and lakes. Whatever this world could have been, it is now a frozen-over wasteland, practically uninhabitable and only really useful for its mineral wealth, which may not even be worth harvesting given its relatively deep gravity well and inhospitable surface conditions. And unlike Ifrit, there are no obvious deposits of exotic resources.
But under the surface is a different story, as deeper scans of the planet reveal numerous underground cavern networks, including many crystalized geode formations of varying sizes, with some reaching the size of small mountains. The air in these caverns is actually minimally breathable, and the temperatures within are within livable range thanks to geothermal heating. Evidently Hades has enough mass and radioactive materials in its core and mantle to keep these underground spaces warmed despite the utterly frigid surface.
Other forms of natural beauty also abound, as veins of gold and other forms of mineral wealth line the walls of these caverns, or at least the singular one that this expedition chose to breach into during their limited time here. While preliminary scans indicate that this world isn't as rich in mineral wealth as Ifrit or Chelchis, what wealth it does have is mysteriously concentrated around these caverns. Scans also reveal pockets of liquid water beneath the ice, as geothermal vents poke their way out of the depths of this otherwise dead world's frozen oceans. It's possible that life might have once again found a way here, if the oxygen content is anything to go by.
Finally, attention turns to this world's singular moon, named Cerberus after the three-headed guard dog of the Greek underworld, and Hades' faithful hound. Roughly the size of Triton and relatively close to its parent world, this airless natural satellite bears an enormous impact crater on its planet-facing side. Scans of this moon reveal it to be mostly composed of silicate rock and dusty water ice, lacking in the metal-rich natural resources of other moons within the system.
The only other point of interest beyond this point is an immense ice and comet belt, too far away at the moment for the scope of the current survey.
Basic Star System Overview
- Phoenix- Yellow-Orange Main Sequence Star
- Ifrit - Semi-Molten Terrestrial Planet
- Garuda- Gas Giant
- Agni - Volcanic Barren Moon
- Hathor - Barren Moon
- Tlaloc - Stormy Hothouse Moon
- Acrius - Barren Moon
- Atlas- Habitable Semi-Arid Terrestrial Planet
- Orpheus - Barren Moon
- Eurydice - Barren Moon
- Astera- Garden Terrestrial Planet (Homeworld)
- Serenity - Barren Moon
- Behemoth- Gas Giant
- Vulcan - Volcanic Barren Moon
- Pele - Volcanic Barren Moon
- Susano - Stormy Cryovolcanic Moon
- Freya - Habitable Semi-Frozen Moon
- Chelchis - Barren Moon
- Asteroid Belt
- Persephone - Barren Dwarf Planet
- Leviathan- Ringed Ice Giant
- Veles - Cryovolcanic Moon
- Aegir - Frozen Barren Moon
- Tangaroa - Titan-like Moon
- Hades- Frozen Terrestrial Planet
- Cerberus - Frozen Barren Moon
- Ice and Comet Belt
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Lakshmi may need renaming there. The Sol Alliance does NOT have fond memories associated with that name after Lakshmi-2 tried to kill off the House of Light when they sought refuge within the Last Cities walls.
And, depending on timelines since this came out after the quest started, her face and voice being used again by Maya Sundaresh when she tried to suborn the Vex to conquer the Sol system.
I'd say name it after an Eliksni figure since the Cabal got a moon. Perhaps Chelchis, after the Kell of the House of Stone who faced down the Hive and allowed the Eliksni to escape Riis?
And, depending on timelines since this came out after the quest started, her face and voice being used again by Maya Sundaresh when she tried to suborn the Vex to conquer the Sol system.
I'd say name it after an Eliksni figure since the Cabal got a moon. Perhaps Chelchis, after the Kell of the House of Stone who faced down the Hive and allowed the Eliksni to escape Riis?
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