[ACCEPTED] Xrim

Type Planet

Founding/Settlement Date (if applicable): Circa 1592-1598 CE

Region of Space: Xrim resides in the Skrellian frontier, among a small cluster of Federation space.

Controlled by (if not a faction): Jargon Federation

Other Snapshot information: I ran out of stuff to put here because I put so much in the long description. Xrim has two different "storm season" warnings, where it informs permanent residents and potential vacation-goers. In addition, some of Xrim's coasts are far from safe, sporting untarnished rockfaces and treacherous rock formations along the shores.

Long Description:

Xrim is a flourishing planet much like Qerrbalak, but unlike it, however, it sports thriving jungles and tropical rainforests in place of the hot, swampy marshes. The biome leads to an astonishing variety of unique species, and because of such, Xrim was colonized mainly by research efforts over a period of six years. The planet itself is dominated by ocean and spotted with sizable landmasses, with the largest of them being graced with mountain ranges. On some islands, the land elegantly rises from the coasts to form these in the center, while others are already high above sea level. The mountains and rockfaces contain a few natural cave networks, while some have been created and expanded upon by research teams.

For two years, Xrim was a planet colonized only for the sake of scientific research, due to the strength and frequency of tropical storms that ravaged the coasts, however, thanks to the abundant presence of qeblaks on these research teams, it was soon discovered by these powerful storms were caused by abnormal atmospheric pressures, which were in-turn caused by the unique position that the planet's axis took for approximately 1.5 years - and was part of a 9 year cycle. This led the idea of colonization toowards much more lucrative avenues. Full colonization efforts began in 1595, with some areas being given "preserve" statuses, to keep the wildlife there untouched.

Surprisingly, Xrim is very popular with tourists, both Skrell and non-Skrell. Many races enjoy leisurely hiking spots and safe beaches. There was a problem recently, however, where teenagers would sneak into old cave networks to explore and find abandoned research centers.

This is a remarkably unobtrusive application, and though technically not included I'll lump it into the same ruling as stated here: https://forums.aurorastation.org/viewtopic.php?f=78&t=4715 which means it's automatically canon. It won't be immediately put onto the wiki, but if a point arises where adding it makes sense and isn't simply superfluous, I'll do so.

As per Loow's request, I'm un-archiving this.

Hey there. Loow here.

NK, I'm gonna follow the Sharp Tactic on this one. Ask questions, converse, get/give feedback. Then I'll paint a picture (read as: "ruin your vision") and see if you like it.

For here and now, lemme know what you think about all this and fill me in on anything I might be missing about your vision for Xrim.

For this, I'm pulling out the obscure lore.

First thing's first. Do you want the colony to be new or old? It was originally a scientific endeavor, so I think it would fit in well as a newer colony.

Here's a rough description, I suggest looking at the link above.

BASICALLY THERE ARE THREE KINDS OF SKRELL COLONY:

FIRST WAVE colonies. There's only a couple of them, and they're named in the link above. They're so well off and old that they're basically Jargon, but "less" cool. I think this option is a poor fit, as it would suggest that it's of HUGE importance in today's Federation.

SECOND WAVE colonies sprouted up after the first. They're typically smaller and range from settlements which were intended to be permanent to more temporary things like research outposts or mining jobs. I think this is the best fit for Xrim.

Next is The Traverse, which is the Skrellian frontier. Unlike the human frontier, it's heavily watched, documented, and patrolled by the shining star of the Federation. Also they may be tax havens and covered in red-tape, government resources, and growth initiatives. This one might work but it would imply that the place only got started in the last "few" (150 or so) years.

Also you could argue there's a third wave between reunification and first contact with humanity, but I can't be asked to fight on that hill.

Now about the "Skrell appeal" of Xrim.

You seem to be working that Xrim is attractive because of its weather and such. Therefore, it became a place for research.

Okay, now we get into weird territory. This 9 year cycle. These 2 warning types. What if we make it so that this planet, with its huge main landmass, has two vastly different ecosystems based on what time it is in that cycle. Think like our seasons, but so extreme that the ecology has evolved either to survive 9 years of hot/cold time or move fast enough to stay in its preferred weather zone.

"In addition, some of Xrim's coasts are far from safe, sporting untarnished rockfaces and treacherous rock formations along the shores."

So the extreme terrain, weather, weird ecology and animals/plants/etc are so "WOW" that Skrell settled the place in domes.

I'll even throw in that the place is a common setting for stories.

Let me know what you think about all this, [mention]nursiekitty[/mention], and feel free to banter or ramble. It's all useful.

SECOND WAVE colonies sprouted up after the first. They're typically smaller and range from settlements which were intended to be permanent to more temporary things like research outposts or mining jobs. I think this is the best fit for Xrim.

This is actually the time period I chose while writing it! Or, at least, I think the years I chose reflect that.

Now about the "Skrell appeal" of Xrim.

You seem to be working that Xrim is attractive because of its weather and such. Therefore, it became a place for research.

Okay, now we get into weird territory. This 9 year cycle. These 2 warning types. What if we make it so that this planet, with its huge main landmass, has two vastly different ecosystems based on what time it is in that cycle. Think like our seasons, but so extreme that the ecology has evolved either to survive 9 years of hot/cold time or move fast enough to stay in its preferred weather zone.

"In addition, some of Xrim's coasts are far from safe, sporting untarnished rockfaces and treacherous rock formations along the shores."

So the extreme terrain, weather, weird ecology and animals/plants/etc are so "WOW" that Skrell settled the place in domes.

I'll even throw in that the place is a common setting for stories.

This, however, it something else. I don't really know a lot about seasons or season cycles.

My intentions for Xrim is that it was interesting because the planet has an abundance of rainforest, which are famous for their biodiversity of flora and fauna, even preserving some species that were presumed extinct. To keep these alive, I assume Xrim would still need to be a very temperate, humid planet year-round. If I have to change the numbers to suit this, I'm all willing.

[mention]Loow[/mention]

I see. Hmm. Let's forget the "duel ecologies" angle then. I don't want to /completely/ hijack Xrim. I can always throw that gimmick in elsewhere. Maybe into another system or something.

I keep visualizing Xrim as "Adventure Island" in my mind. I typically picture Jargon as being a place of swamps, lots of swamps, mountainous ranges, potentially covered with tropical areas near the mid-areas. Then there's those tundra zones as well... Now I'm thinking about Jargon IV far too much.

Let's run with your rain-forest vision. Maybe the significance of this place to Skrell and Skrell history is that it was one of the first places they found with such a rich alien ecosystem. So when it got discovered, it was kind of a big deal to study it. Thousands upon thousands of new species in the rain forests alone, and the whole planet has gained this sort of romantic reputation as a breath-taking wild land. Xrim could be synonymous in the minds of City-Skrell with stories of adventure and discovery! Maybe an inspirational place for xenobiologists and xenobotanists. (Let me know what you think of this reputation.)

While we're at it, what kind of cities do you see this place having? It stands to reason that there /are/ cities on Xrim, of course. It's not all wilds. Domed-in structures strike me as a great option. Such things would serve to separate living areas and research facilities from the "vast untamed wilderness" of the alien environment outside. But maybe there are some open areas for tourists? Maybe it's fun to go on guided tours and hikes on Xrim?

How's that sound, [mention]nursiekitty[/mention] ?

Let's run with your rain-forest vision. Maybe the significance of this place to Skrell and Skrell history is that it was one of the first places they found with such a rich alien ecosystem. So when it got discovered, it was kind of a big deal to study it. Thousands upon thousands of new species in the rain forests alone, and the whole planet has gained this sort of romantic reputation as a breath-taking wild land. Xrim could be synonymous in the minds of City-Skrell with stories of adventure and discovery! Maybe an inspirational place for xenobiologists and xenobotanists. (Let me know what you think of this reputation.)

I would love this, especially with the super-fun-vacation-land-please-don't-go-into-abandoned-tunnels vibe I set up.

While we're at it, what kind of cities do you see this place having? It stands to reason that there /are/ cities on Xrim, of course. It's not all wilds. Domed-in structures strike me as a great option. Such things would serve to separate living areas and research facilities from the "vast untamed wilderness" of the alien environment outside. But maybe there are some open areas for tourists? Maybe it's fun to go on guided tours and hikes on Xrim?

Domed structures are probably the most reasonable option with researchers staying long-term despite hell or thunderstorm, and civilian domes could contain all sorts of buildings for a vacation-goer's enjoyment. Outside experiences are a must, I think, with our alien adventure island - guided tours, hiking, and with plenty of other activities to be enjoyed when storm season isn't around. I did mention there are some nice, safe, sandy coasts on Xrim.

[mention]Loow[/mention]