The Aethereal Void '“ Victorian Space Steampunk and Super Science (Mercury added)

Eclipse · October 16, 2007, 05:32:39 PM

Quote from: Seraphine_HarmoniumI'm in ur solar system, stealin ur planets!

Very creepy though, I like it. Not sure how the PCs would be able to handle an adventure where the BBEG is a star . . . But hey, seems like the generic destructive forces could be worked in creative ways, driving the local inhabitants mad, maybe even giving destructive powers and mad brainwashed schemes of destruction to some poor victims-turned-villains. . .[/quote]

Thank you. :) With Nemesis, the players will not be going against the star itself, but against it's minions - either horrific abominations or humans controlled or deluded into serving an agenda of destruction. Also, Nemesis isn't so much an intelligent entity as a source of passive malevolence, a force persuing destruction for its own sake.

Eclipse · October 16, 2007, 07:05:26 PM

Added more information to Mercury in the main post. :)

Eclipse · October 16, 2007, 09:47:12 PM

Also, out of curiosity, is anyone using the Wiki, or are you reading this thread only?

Eclipse · October 18, 2007, 09:22:21 PM

I hate bumping, but I'm curious what people think about Mercury before I move on to Venus and Mars. In the meanwhile, I am working, though papers make getting much done a daunting task.

EDIT: for convinence, Mercury can be found under the box:

[spoiler]Fauna
Life on Mercury is unique in the solar system in that it does not bear any significant similarities to life on Earth. While other life forms in the solar system are recognizable to humans, with features such as a stable endo or exoskeleton, a circulatory, nervous, and endocrine system, and similar features, mercurial creatures instead fit into a whole different kingdom of life.

The basic form of mercurial life is that of an amorphous creature covered in an exceptionally elastic epidermis. Creatures with only this structure occupy the lower rings of the food chain, similar to Earth's insects. Because of their highly amorphous nature, the primary distinction between species is found in mass, feeding apparatus, environment, diet, and volatility (defined as the rate at which they shift form and their ability to control it.)

More advanced life features soft, cartilage like bones. The connecting points of these '˜bones' are disconnectable and shapeable, while the bones themselves can be repositioned on the body, meaning these creatures can rearranged themselves, forming wings for flight, arms for manipulation, claws for hunting or fighting, even wings for flight or gliding. There is no defined head among these creatures, and many do not even have a stable jaw, instead forming tubes to consume food.

The fauna that are the most disturbing to human sensibilities are vast versions of the simpler creatures, believed to be formed when a simpler creature attempted to divide to reproduce but, because of a defect, was unable to do so. Instead, it continued to expand, each division increasing its area, eventually forming a vast, fleshy plain covered in small mouths.

Flora
Mercurial flora takes the form of relatively stable structure that somewhat resembles a sea anemone on a stalk. They feed off of the smaller creatures while larger creatures feed upon them. The other form of flora on Mercury is fungal life, in the forms of molds and mushrooms and related fungus, which provide the base of the food chain, occupying the same space as plants do on Earth.

Intelligent Life
The only intelligent life on Mercury is the Aetherial_Proteans|Protean race. A shapeshifting race, Proteans consistently display six limbs and are able to mimic a humanoid form in the presence of humans, which the majority choose to do. Proteans not interacting with humans directly seem to favor a form more akin to a four legged spider, with the front two limbs being used as hands. Around people, they keep their extra limbs tucked against their backs, to make humans more comfortable. They communicate amongst themselves with shifting color patterns across their skin, but they can form vocal cords to communicate verbally and have leaned human languages with surprising ease.

GeographyMercurial geography is odd on a few levels. First, unlike most planets, it is mostly land, with the water being pocketed in seas of scaldingly hot water. Second, it rotates extremely slowly, meaning that for most of the Mercurial year, part of the planet is in darkness, and the other half is light. The light side reaches near unbearable heat, so most human settlements are subterranean, in the vast caves that pocket Mercury. At this depth, one also finds large freshwater lakes that are at a more reasonable temperature. Every settlement features a surface settlement that can withstand the heat. These surface settlements are almost utterly abandoned during the daytime months except for a landing/takeoff strip for aethercraft.

The light/dark contrast is not as oppressive as it could be: most life on Mercury either hibernates during one cycle or migrates along with either the day or the night, and air currents keep the planet's temperature from have too stark a contrast. Instead of seasons dependent on axial tilt, Mercury's seasons (much like on Venus) are governed by its rotation, with the '˜midnight' being the depth of winter and the '˜noon' being the height of summer.[/spoiler]

LordVreeg · October 18, 2007, 09:43:26 PM

[blockquote=DarkSide of the Moon]Much of this is being drawn from knowledge taken from history classes that I haven't had in ages, so I'm still doing research into it '" expect more accuracy and revisions next week, when I have more time to research[/blockquote] Boy, ain't that the truth!

[blockquote=There is no Dark Side of the Moon Really...]Thank you. With Nemesis, the players will not be going against the star itself, but against it's minions - either horrific abominations or humans controlled or deluded into serving an agenda of destruction. Also, Nemesis isn't so much an intelligent entity as a source of passive malevolence, a force persuing destruction for its own sake. [/blockquote]
Mmm. How Cthulu-ish. But it is not intelligent...but it has minions. So I think you actually need something canonical, despite your protestations to the contrary. God must've come from outer space here, so to, did this mess...The madness that created the Thule society (thule wikipedia) and the kabbalah. It fits...like alike crazy, demented things...
I may be wrong, but those crazies on earth have to come from somewhere.

Epic Meepo · October 19, 2007, 01:32:27 AM

Quote from: EclipseI'm curious what people think about Mercury before I move on to Venus and Mars.

It's an interesting backdrop with interesting critters, if a bit static as written. What types of adventures use Mercury as a setting? What conflicts take place there?

Tangential · October 19, 2007, 05:52:33 PM

What is the technological and societal level of the Proteans?

Seraph · October 19, 2007, 06:27:42 PM

Quote from: Epic Meepo
Quote from: EclipseI'm curious what people think about Mercury before I move on to Venus and Mars.
I think this is probably the most important thing for you to work on in general. What is going on on these alternate planets that would make for good adventures? What is it about these places that makes adventuring there different than adventuring on Earth? Make sure that there is potential for adventures other than one nation's colonists fighting another nation's colonists. Maybe the natives of the different planets have cultures that conflict with the earthlings' creating tensions similar to what was seen in the colonization of Africa. Maybe one of the planets harbors a secret energy source that the natives are very protective of? There could be adventures to obtain this, or perhaps adventures to protect it, or both, if you get creative.

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The Aethereal Void '“ Victorian Space Steampunk and Super Science (Mercury added)

Eclipse

Eclipse

Eclipse

Eclipse

LordVreeg

Epic Meepo

Tangential

Seraph