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Stardust: Aideron
Topic Started: Apr 18 2010, 10:02 PM (352 Views)
The Kiat
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I still have a couple of worlds on my computer; after that, I'll have to go about creating more <sigh>

1.1) Physical World
Aideron orbits along the innermost orbits within the Ecosphere. Any closer, and it is believed Aideron would no longer be able to support life. During its early history, when the suns were dimmer, Aideron had larger seas than it does today. It has never been an ocean world, for the Delta Triangulum system is scarce in water in the inner system. The stars orbit a barycenter and are separated by 0.1 AU distance. The planets in the system also orbit the barycenter, and this gives Aideron a great variable distance from the warmer of the two stars. At its closest approach, it is but 0.85 AU from D. Triangulum A, and nearly 0.95 at its greatest distance. This might not seem like much in a stellar sense, but it drastically affects on the world and its inhabitants.

1.1.1) Geology of Aideron

Size: At 3.495 times the size of Earth, Aideron is one of the largest planets humanity has settled upon. Its diameter is over 21,000 kilometers.
Layering: Aideron is a world much larger than Earth, and as such, has far more excess heat from its formation to shed. The crust is composed of a mixture of silicates and carbonates, while the mantle itself is largely molten silicates. Virtually all the metals are locked up in the planet’s large core.
EM Field: This extra heat and the motion of Aideron’s core gives the planet a powerful electromagnetic field, capable of deflecting anything the suns can throw at it.

Orbit Mechanics: Aideron’s orbit takes it closest to Sun A during the summer, at a distance of 0.85 AU, and furthest from it during the winter, at a distance of 0.95 AU. This has a devastating effect on the Southern Hemisphere, which with the slight axis tilt, is pointed towards Sun A during the summer and away during the winter, offering the greatest extremes in temperature. The Norther Hemisphere is pointed away during the summer and towards during the winter, causing not as sharp as a difference in seasonal weather. The sea also stabilizes the inhabited area’s climate. Summer solstice is marked when Sun B is eclipsed by Sun A. During the winter, when Sun B eclipses Sun A, the light that reaches Aideron is only slightly less than summer, but the drop in heat is enough to be noticed. The planet requires some 298.7 days to complete and orbit, and takes almost 48 hours to complete one rotation.

Geologic Activity: Internal heat is much greater than it would be on Earth. This also leads to a relative lack of auroras in the skies above the poles. However, the crust is also much thicker, with fewer breaks in it. When the crust is breached, volcanic activity is great. There is very little water in the volcanic gases, which is mostly carbon dioxide and methane. Despite the extra heat, plate tectonics is much slower. Without water to lubricate the plates, more tension builds and when earthquakes happen, they are far worse on average than on most inhabited worlds. Aideron also suffers from more minor quakes than does Earth, and they tend to occur deeper in the crust.
Also, because the plates do not move as often, volcanos tend to grow larger due to the fact that they spend longer periods of times of local hot spots. The thickness of the crust also leads Aideron to have relatively high mountain ranges. The tallest of the mountains, not so coincidently a volcano, rises 10 kilometers from base to peak. Mountain ranges tend to be larger in general on Aideron, more massive. The windward side of the mountain range is carved into fantastic formations by the wind, while the sheltered side rises as high as erosion will permit.
Erosion is constant on Aideron, mostly in the form of wind. In the Outer Desert, dust storms strip away mountains and the flesh of any soft-skinned creature. Towards the sea, which takes up half the surface are of the Northern Hemisphere, water plays a much more active role in erosion. A large network of rift valleys have formed to the west of the sea, cutting off dust storms that might otherwise spread the desert to the sea’s shores. In the outer desert, some of the most spectacular rock formations, carved by dust storms are available for any fool enough to seek them out.

Biomes: There is little in the way of biodiversity on Aideron; only lands around the lone sea offers much in that respect, and mostly in the form of plains and savanna.

1.1.2) Hydrology of Aideron

Coverage: Aideron’s lone sea nearly stretches from the North Pole at its furthest north to the equator at its furthest south and covers only 30% of the planet’s surface. Due to the lack of flowing water, water plays a limited role in the overall climate of the planet. Near the sea, the water does cool the air by several degrees from planetary average. Most of the surface see rainfall perhaps once every several centuries. The planet’s lone massive body of water collected in a basin that also happens to be the lowest point on the planet’s surface. The southern most part of the sea does cross the equator. The D. Triangulum system has little water in the inner system, with most of the cometary material flung into the outer reaches. Even with its larger surface area, Aideron still has less total water than Earth, and received less comet impacts during its formations and the hundreds of millions of years afterward.

Oceans: There is only a single large sea in the planet’s northern hemisphere.

Currents: The sea does have a series of flowing currents that flow from the north, towards the south and turns westward. All the parts of the sea have the sam current flow. This flow disperses nutrients that are washed down by rivers towards parts of the sea that have no immediate river access. Because the nutrient concentration is so high, the sea of Aideron is rich in aquatic wildlife. The sea is also the only safe environment on the planet. The sea is divided into two major bodies of water by the Hypsilon Peninsula. The western branch of the sea is the Brackus Sea, while the eastern and southern portion is known as the Frizonaian Sea. The only other major body of water no directly linked to the sea is that of the Rift Valley Lakes, west of the sea. The Rift Lakes are feed by a layer of subsurface water that extends nearly two thousand kilometers outwards from the sea. This aquifer is also a primary source of drinking water for the human inhabitants. Other underground lakes and rivers can be found scattered across the planet by located concentrations of life. Because the rift lake is a volcanic area, heavier metals are in the water and it is a poor place for Aiderforms to live, thus creating an oasis for Terraforms to crowd out the competition and rule a portion of the planet alone.

Rain: Due to air currents, rains tend to fall far more on the eastern shores of the sea, and are seasonal to rare in the west.

1.1.3) Atmosphere of Aideron

Composition: The atmosphere of Aideron is much thicker than Earths by a factor of 1.798. 75% of the atmosphere is nitrogen and 20% is oxygen. Neon comprises 4% of the atmosphere, and trace elements make up the rest. The thick atmosphere protects keeps the planet tolerable during its winter.

Currents: The atmosphere has two jet streams. The lower jet stream is between one and three kilometers in altitude and blows constantly towards the east. This jet stream captures most of the vapor off the sea and carries it to the verdant lands along the eastern shore. It also captures sand and other soil from dust storms in the Outer Desert and deposits it in the lands on the western shore of the sea. Only a small percentage of the water vapor will reach the upper jet stream. At around ten kilometers in altitude, this band of air constantly blows west. The airflow keeps the eastern shores relatively mild during the winter and the nights. The western shores grows chilly at night, while the Outer Desert has so little moisture.

Color of Sky: During the summer, the sky is as blue as on Earth, but during the winter, Sun B, with less blue light, causes the sky to take on a sea green tint.

Color of Sun: Sun A appears to be yellow from the surface of Aideron, while sun B appears orange. There is difference between their apparent color and absolute color due to atmospheric scattering of light.

1.1.4) Climate of Aideron

Seasons: The planet has a seasonal variation in temperature; hot in the summer and cool in the winter. The seasons are not dependent upon axis tilt, but distance from the largest of the two suns. All planets orbit around the barycenter of the system, taking Aideron closest to Sun A in what is called summer, and furthest in what is called winter. Seasons are planet-wide.

Weather: Weather on Aideron is far simpler than most worlds. The Outer Desert is dry, very dry, and baking hot during the day and freezing at night. The only water available comes from subterranean sources which either run close to the surface or breach it in a spring. The climate around the sea is dependent upon the lower jet stream and the marine currents. Along the eastern shores, the climate is semi-tropical, with rainfall enough to allow forests to grow. This is essential to humanity, who have replaced much of the native woods with rubber forests. Flood plains even exist where rivers carry down from the eastern mountain and empty into the sea. The further west one progresses around either side of the sea, the progressively drier the climate becomes. Forests open up into open woodlands, which in turn transform into grasslands. On the western shores, the climate is semi-arid, with some rain falling during the winter months, when warm air off the sea rises high enough to be caught in the upper jetstream.

ecology

Biochemistry: They are water-filled, carbon-based, oxygen-breathers with a low tolerance for heavy metals.

Forms: The ecology of Aideron is far more sensitive and far harsher than any ocean world. One might think the conditions would drive natural selection relentlessly, but that is not the case. The biomes of arid worlds seldom undergo drastic enough change. Even an asteroid impact would have minimal effect on a world where the wildlife sleeps through winters. The biology is not as diverse as on an ocean world, nor as rich. Life tends to concentrate around sources of water.
The most obvious trait of the dominate family of Aiderforms is that their backs are covered with armor plates, made out of a bone-like shell. The plates roughly resemble plate mail armor. The rest of their hides are thick and often armored scales. Both plates and armor are used to resist the abrasive dust storms that rack most of the surface of Aideron from time to time. Life around the sea does not have to suffer from dust storms as often. All Aiderforms are drought resistant, and store a great deal of fat within their tails. During the time when Aideron is at the greatest distance from Sun A, the “winter”, a majority of the species hibernate. Being cold blooded, they tend to go dormant during the cold season.
Aiderforms have the same range of red to violet that Terraforms have, plus their vision ranges into the near infrared, an adaptation that rose from the planet’s winters, and the dimmer skies. Also, because the planet is low in heavy metals, Aiderforms are extremely sensitive to heavy metals, and pollution caused by lead, nickle and even copper and zinc can poison them. Though Terraforms might be easier to bite into, the metals in their blood can make Aiderform predators sick. Aiderform plants seldom grow in metal-rich soil; only the hardiest can survive. In addition, Aiderform predators develop potentially lethal hairballs when they prey upon a Terraform mammal. There are also no flying chordates native to Aideron; only arthropods can fly. Thus, Terraform birds rule the skies unopposed.

Plant Color: Because the primary is a G-type star like Sol, the plants are green. However, they change color as the season progresses from summer to winter, in which they are blue-green.
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1.2.1) Flood Plains
On the eastern shore of the Sea lay a series of flood plains and lagoons where the Onca and Ombrose Rivers empty into Fulda Bay. Further south along the shore, and up the Afor River is Lake Afor, which is a permanently flooded area. These are the only marshy lands on the entire planet. These flood plains also supply a great deal of water for agriculture. More than half of the flood plains that existed before humanity arrived on the planet have been drained and converted to farmland. The flood plains are still homes to numerous swampland creatures, such as mosquitoes, crocodiles and freshwater fish.

1.2.1.1) Armored Snapper

Description: Armored snappers are a species of placoderm that plies the kelp forests and freshwater swamps of Aideron. These fish are several tonnes in mass.

Head: They get their name from their double-hinged jaws, lined with needle sharp teeth, which are used to crush their prey. Aside from sharp teeth, the skull is sheathed in plate armor that ends with blade-like jaws.

Body: The back and even parts of the tail are covered in plates, which makes the fish rather slow, and reliant upon stealth to eat.

Color: Unlike surface life, the snappers are quite green, blending into the brackish water and kelp forests in which they dwell.

Internal Structure: Along with gills, the snappers have primitive lungs for gathering atmospheric oxygen while swimming in stagnant waters.

Diet: A snapper is an ambush predator and will often lay in weigh until another fish swims into reach. It is then, that jaws will snap shut, slicing the prey to pieces. Not only will they lie in wait, they will also attack from below, launching themselves vertically in a short burst of speed.

Lifecycle: Out of the thousands of eggs lain at the start of summer, only a handful will reach their adult size. The small fry fall prey to both native and alien predators. Terraform fish eat the fry, and in turn are eaten by the adults.

Reproduction: Mass spawning occurs at the snappers’ place of birth at the start of each summer, when Aideron makes its closest approach to the larger of its suns.

Habitat: Shallow waters of the flood plains, as well as other swamps and kelp forests in the shallows of estuaries.

Enemies: They run into problems with humanity this way, for occasionally a boat is mistaken for prey swimming close to the surface. The boat is obviously sliced in two, and afterwards, the snapper decides it is not edible and moves on.

1.2.1.2) Glider

Description: Despite their names, gliders do not fly. Instead, they glide along the marshy lands that comprise the flood plains towards the west of the sea. Glider reach lengths ranging between two and five meters.

Head: Their heads are arrow-shaped, with teeth adapted more for grabbing on to and holding prey than actually tearing flesh. Their jaw muscles are powerful and impossible to open once closed. However, they are weak when it comes to opening, and can be held shut by even a tight grip of human hands.

Body: Not only do they behave like Terraform crocodiles, they also look like them, except for the black plate armor on their backs. The rest of their body is covered in gray scales, not the greenish scales of a crocodile.

Diet: This adaptation has turned them into ambush predators akin to crocodiles. They will wait by the water’s edge until their prey comes down for a drink. It is then, they will launch themselves out of the water, latch on to their prey, and drag them under the surface.

Lifecycle: Gliders live for up to 200 years.

Reproduction: Gliders lay eggs on land, near the water, so that the female can keep an eye on them. The nests are buried in sand and rotting vegetation.

Sociability: Gliders tolerate each other at kills, more for mutual benefit than general like of each other. One snapper can tear off pieces of prey while the rest hold down the carcass.

Habitat: They are semi-aquatic, spending much of their life in the water.

1.2.1.3) Akbar Strider

Description: One of the Aiderforms to be full domesticated by humanity is the strider. These are upright walking animals, similar in shape to a kangaroo, that are native to the Akbar Plains. Quite a few are still wild, and will run down prey at up to 45 kph. Because they are roughly pony size, their prey is limited to any animal smaller than themselves.

Head: The striders have a wide head with a wide jaw. These jaws are lined with teeth capable of shredding a carcass in a matter of minutes. Behind their eyes, the striders have a pair of horns, curled much like those of big horn sheep.

Limbs: The hind limbs which they walk upon are powerful, capable of speeding the animal across the plains. With speed, the striders also have stamina, able to stride for hours on end, far longer than their prey. Their front limbs have shrunk as they have adapted to walking upright, and are used more for grappling than anything else.

Color: They are covered in dull blue plates while the rest of the animal’s scales are tan.

Diet: They are predators, and will prey upon anything smaller than themselves.

Lifecycle: Striders do hibernate in the winter, which makes them a problematic domesticate species. During the winter, the herds must be corralled and the striders spend most of their time in heated stable. In the wild, they would dig out burrows and spend the winter sleeping in there.

Reproduction: Striders lay two to five eggs in a communal nest, guarded by several females. They will tolerate each other in self-interest.

Sociability: The domesticate striders are used for riding across the Akbar Plains, and used by ranchers to herd their cattle or goats. The domesticated Striders must be kept well feed, for despite the hairballs, they will try for goats. Instead, they are feed the flesh from native animals, and are trained to defend the herds instead. Wild striders tend to travel alone, or in small groups of females in interest of protecting the young. Normally, only the males of the species would fight, and that would be by locking horns. The domesticated variety will chase other striders and bite them, though they have no hope of piercing the blue plates on each other’s backs.

Habitat: They live in the flood plains as well as drier areas.

Communication: Their calls are midway between a hiss and a snarl, and can carry for only short distances; no more than a couple of kilometers.

Enemies: Terraforms have taken to raiding the nests of the striders, reducing their numbers.

1.2.2) Forests
Forest is the rarest biome on the planet. They are only found along the eastern shores, between the Onca River and Lake Afor. The forests consists only of broad leaf trees. Few Terraforms make the forest home; mostly colorful tropical birds that the refugees brought along with them. Weasels and raccoons also call the forest home. Human exploitation of the forest is forbidden, and humans in general do not live there. So vital are they to the planet, the woods were named the Lung Forest by humanity.

1.2.2.1) Slinky

Description: These long, slim animals resemble weasels in their body structure, but have beaks at the end of their head. They are also one of the few animals that are green, both in plates and scales. They seldom come to the ground and move about by jumping across the forest canopy.

Diet: Their primary diet is the tree lizard, but they will also take anything else they can find, including newly arrived Terraform birds.
Lifecycle: They are a short-lived species that lives fast, dies young. The primary reason they have short lives is due to the scarcity of their habitat and fierce competition from other predators.

Reproduction: Slinkies lay their eggs in nooks and crannies among the trees, although a few have taken to laying them in unguarded nest of birds. Their eggs are small enough and hard enough to fool birds in believing they are their own. Upon hatching, the hatchlings will then eat the eggs of the bird, or the chicks if hatched, and flee the nests.

Habitat: The slinky is one of the few arboreal animals native to Aideron. This is largely due to the lack of forest cover; nonetheless, wherever there is a forest, one will find slinkies bounding through the trees.
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