Brauvus-VII

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Object Name: BRAUVUS-VII (BROW-vuh-ss SEVEN)

Celestial Classification: Class C Planet, Fossil Planet

Planetary Size: ~22298.46696 kmd or 1.75 times the size of LE

Number of Moons: 1; N’TAM (NIH-tam) Class b Moon, Icey Barrens, ~3561.10812267 times the size of Lunar 1

Rotational Period: 32 ESH (32 hours per day)

Orbital Period: 340 PRY (planetary rotations per year)

Atmospheric Conditions: Category II-III

Population Size and Diversity: ≥5,000,000 Inhabitants (Brauvosi, Unknown number of Mortuns)

Technology Level: I-II (Brauvosi), X (Mortuns) 

Brauvus-VII is a medium-sized world once rich with life. Its scorching deserts, expansive clay deposits, and patches of nutrient-rich soil are littered with the fossilized remains of gigantic creatures, some of which are theorized to be nearly as large as a Class a Moon. In particular, the Great Kéhda’akkä (KEH-dah-AH-kaah) one of Brauvus-VII’s most viscous oily oceans, is considered the decaying remains of the fabled Kéhda’ (KEH-DAH) Beast. Believed to be nearly half of Brauvus-VII’s mass, the Great Kéhda’akkä’s oily waves are seen as the Beast’s “Blood and Sinew” while the various islands scattered across it are the petrified parts of the creature’s torso. The local Brauvosi say that their largest city, the Kéhda’ak (KEH-dah-ahck) is located within the beast's final resting place, or to be more precise, its gigantic head. Astrogeologists find it extremely difficult to dispute these claims, as Kéhda’ak's main structures are carefully integrated within a gargantuan reptilian skull.

Despite its arid appearance, sustained agriculture is not impossible on Brauvus-VII. Its small patches of soil are lush with nitrogen and phosphorus, presumably due to the many carcasses strewn everywhere. Furthermore, though Brauvus-VII lacks consistent precipitation, its local flora and fauna are well-adapted to the planet’s lack of potable water. They, unlike many other species in the Galaxy, actively prosper within Brauvus-VII’s greasy rivers and lakes of oil, content to subsist on the remaining nutrients left within the dilapidated husks of their predecessors. As such, the local populations on Brauvus-VII carve out a sprawling existence across its surface, carefully integrating themselves within the planet’s complex decomposing ecosystems.

Brauvus-VII has only one celestial body within its orbit. Unlike its host planet, N’Tam is a medium-sized moon with ice barrens forever coated in permafrost and snow. N’Tam is virtually devoid of all life, for no plants can grow within its frozen, nutrient-poor soils, nor can any substantially sized organisms exist on the planet’s surface without outside aid. Therefore, N’Tam is widely used as an off-world burial site for the Brauvosi tribes living on the main planet’s surface. 

The Brauvosi (BROW-vaw-see)

There are two sentient species on Brauvus-VII: the technology-shunning Brauvosi, and the mysterious undead Mortuns. Typically, the Brauvosi congregate among the fossilized remains of long-dead behemoths laying along the porous clay fields and the nutrient-rich coasts of the western hemisphere. Organized into several tribes separated by specific territorial landmarks, the Brauvosi people shun all advanced forms of technology. The Brauvosi believe that their hardened home was once the hunting grounds of massive moon-sized beings whose mere presence slowly shaped the planet towards its current state. To the Brauvosi, these creatures are not long-extinct abominations that threatened the lives of early Brauvosi ancestors but are the literal embodiment of the primordial forces which created their home out of nothingness. 

Brauvosi Beliefs

Brauvosi wanderers travel amongst the remaining cadavers in hopes to be “One With The Elder Ones,” that they worship. After witnessing many alien species desecrate their sacred lands in search of rare materials, oils, and fossilized remains, the Brauvosi began resisting all forms of advanced technology, save for the most basic of tools, vehicles, and weapons. Notwithstanding the expulsion of their dead relatives towards N’Tam, the Brauvosi adamantly oppose all forms of space travel, advanced sources of power, or anything else that could potentially endanger their collective existences alongside the preserved remains of their precursors.

Periodically, Brauvosi tribal members will seal their dead in small, airtight pods, and launch them into space in hopes of landing on N’Tam’s surface. However, these pods—called Kéh’nädda N’Tamhï (KEH-ah-NAAH-dah NIH-tam-HEEE) by the locals, which loosely translates to “Stellar Sarcophagi”—are not tailor-made for the deceased Brauvosi. Cobbled together from scraps left behind from the Brauvosi Forerunners, these Stellar Sarcophagi do not include onboard life support systems, automatic guidance computers, or any sort of sophisticated landing mechanisms. Thus, they have the unfortunate tendency to be shot off course, often flinging into the void surrounding Brauvus-VII and N’Tam. Likewise, whenever a Stellar Sarcophagus is caught within N’Tam’s gravitational pull, it lacks the software and mechanical components required to safely land on the moon’s surface. N’Tam’s local nickname of Kéh’käakänoi Kéhda’nnah (KEH-ah-KAAH-ah-KAAH-NOY KEH-dah-ah-NAH), which loosely translates into “The Soul-Stealer’s Garden” is certainly earned, for the moon’s surface does not resemble any organized graveyard. Instead, N’Tam’s surface is smattered with the fragmented wreckage of Brauvosi burial craft and deceased loved ones.

Other than their stubborn resistance to technology and their reverence of the colossal carcasses that dot their sacred landscapes, the Brauvosi categorize themselves by one other critical trait: their complete and unwavering hatred towards the undead. To the Brauvosi, worshipping the dead is considered logical, righteous, and respectful. The actions of past beings directly led to the realities of the present, and thus must be honored in every aspect of one’s daily life. Therefore, the existence of any creatures that defy death and return from the grave are considered abominable and despoil all that the Brauvosi stand for. Thus, the mere presence of Mortuns on Brauvus-VII spurs great hatred from all Brauvosi, regardless of tribal affiliation or religious allegiance. The few wandering Mortuns continually face persecution by the Brauvosi tribes, which not surprisingly, limits the undead creatures’ ability to amass and assimilate organic material needed to create more of themselves. Perhaps this is why most Brauvosi tribes expel their dead towards N’Tam and outer space; they wish to deny the Mortuns any additional material for absorption. 

Outside of these three universal values, local Brauvosi society appears to be heavily influenced by the specific conditions and contexts that their tribe is situated in. The particular Elder God(s) that a specific Brauvosi tribe worships is directly associated with the skeletal landmarks present on their lands. The agricultural and/or hunting/gathering tactics utilized by these tribes are similarly localized and are intimately attached to the tribe's available patches of fertile, nutrient-rich land and their proximity to oily aquifers, rivers, and oceans. Likewise, the gender norms, sexual expectations, and social restrictions are intimately linked with the limited contexts of each Brauvosi tribe’s sacred lands. Simply put, the Brauvosi societies, towns, and cities each have their own forms of governance, societal norms, and subsistence practices tied to their specific region. 

The Mortuns

Little is known about the organization practices of the small Mortun populations present on Brauvus-VII. It is rumored that Mortun Graveseekers once travelled to Brauvus-VII in search of organic matter there. However, this has never been confirmed. What is known is that the Mortuns have roamed around Brauvus-VII long before the modern Brauvosi evolved, and unless completely wiped out, will continue to wander across the fossilized world until the planet ceases to exist. Additionally, despite the prevalence of organic material present on the planet, the Brauvus-VII Mortuns are seemingly incapable of spreading across the entirety of its surface and absorbing all of its organic material. Though they lack sophisticated technology or the ability to fend off the undead “infection,” the Brauvosi have combated their undead counterparts quite successfully. 

The Conflict

It appears that the Brauvosi have two traits that are critical to their continued resistance and resilience against the undead assimilators. For one, organic material that contains Brauvosi genetic material appears to be unadaptable by the Mortuns. For another, through multiple generations, the Brauvosi have gradually transformed their innate fear of undead into ardent anger. As such, most Brauvosi are readily able for undead combat, and are quite capable of dispatching the Mortuns in a much more effective manner than most species. Moreover, as it is impossible for Mortuns to assimilate Brauvosi organic material, the undead hordes gain nothing from slaying Brauvosi warriors (though this has not stopped the Mortuns from slaughtering them at every available instance). Nonetheless, as biological testing is inconclusive, it is still theorized that if properly understood, Brauvosi genetic material could be reverse engineered to create a treatment or cure for the Mortun hivemind.