Geodus Prime

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Object Name: GEODUS PRIME (JEE-ohh-DUHH-sss PREYE-mm)

Celestial Classification: Class C Planet, Granite-like, Mountainous, Moss-Covered 

Planetary Size: ~17838.773568 kmd or 1.4 times the size of LE

Number of Moons: 3; BLOKUN-IV (BLOH-koon FOUR) Class b Moon, Metallic Asteroid, ~3752.19197316 kmd or 1.08 times the size of Lunar 1, GEODUS-II (JEE-ohh-DUHH-sss TOO), Class c Moon, Arid Asteroid, ~4342.81478375 kmd or 1.25 times the size of Lunar 1, TETRA-III (TEH-TRA THREE) Class b Moon, Metallic Asteroid, ~3508.99434527 kmd or 1.01 times the size of Lunar 1

Rotational Period: 25 ESH (25 hours per day)

Orbital Period: 275 PRY (planetary rotations per year)

Atmospheric Conditions: Category II

Population Size and Diversity: Unknown Number of inhabitants (Geodans)

Technology Level: Level I-II (Geodans) 

Geodus Prime, as the name implies, is a world of gravelly, earth-covered mountains and rock-strewn fields. Interspersed with large swaths of small grasses, dust, moss-fields and mineral deposits covering the planet's northeastern and southwestern hemispheres, these mountain ranges are covered with sparse forests of frosty, dying trees. These bleak taigas, like the Scha-ahalih (SHAH-ah-ha-LEE) Ice Dunes and Cherrêtte (SHERR-ehh-teh) Forest, are prime locations for industrial extraction operations and scientific outposts. However, the indigenous Geodan guard these regions fiercely, and have consistently prevented any industrial operations from developing long-term settlements.

Geodus Prime is a medium-sized planet that was once lush with lively ecosystems. Across the planet, there are remnants of a once-lively biosphere, with skeletons of various large flora and fauna dotting the landscape. Strips of gravelly plains, where only the occasional boulder breaks the flat fields of sediment, house slate-like stones and ores amidst the gargantuan husks of long-dead creatures. Alongside Geodus Prime's eastern hemisphere, massive mountain ranges cover the landscape. Pockmarked with mosses and small weeds, the majority of these stony monoliths are smooth and barren. However, some vestiges of vibrancy remain across its stony landscapes. In particular, the Chaer-achtâ (SHA-ER-ack-TAAH) Peaks, located along the Northernmost section of the planet, contain traces of forests of a forgotten age. Their frozen remains now rest like ghostly grey tombstones, each covered in greenish-brown blemishes that the few species of resilient mosses and fungi leave behind. 

Each of Geodus Prime’s three moons are large, asteroid-like bodies of pure rock and ore. Tetra-III, the smallest of the three, is a medium-sized copper-filled mass with an orbit at the far edge of Geodus Prime’s gravitational pull. Further inspection has led investigators to believe that Tetra-III has not yet been utilized for any sort of mining or extraction operations, as its gravity and pressure levels do not allow permanent settlement. 

Similarly, Blokun-IV, Geodus Prime’s second-largest orbiting body, is a bronze-filled asteroid that would be ideal for mining and refinement operations were it not for its inhospitable terrain. Combined with its lack of a breathable atmosphere and incredibly weak gravity, settlement on the asteroid’s surface is improbable and likely not worth the effort for hopeful prospectors. 

However, Geodus-II, the closest and largest of Geodus Prime’s orbiting bodies, is the most hospitable of the three. Though its gold and tungsten-filled soil is not suitable for growing crops or supporting livestock, its gravity and pressure is much stronger than its counterparts. Moreover, Geodus-II is home to small groups of mining colonists, who have adapted well to their stoney surroundings. Therefore, visiting Tetra-III and Blokun-IV is ill-advised, and any wayward travelers would fare the best by visiting Geodus II or its larger namesake.

The Geodans (JEE-OH-dans)

The only native species on Geodus Prime, the Geodans are large, lumbering creatures that appear to be made out of living rock and stone. Though their exact origin is unknown, it is theorized that Geodans were not created through artificial means. Intergalactic geneticists have determined that Geodans are genderless and reproduce asexually, though the exact means of this are unknown. Nonetheless, many theories surround the birth of the Geodan species, with the most prominent centered around the small pools of glowing crystalline liquid scattered across the planet. Nicknamed “Animus Pools” by prospectors, it is hypothesized that these inexplicably brilliant pits have something to do with all Geodan life. Nevertheless, what is clear is that Geodans are nearly indestructible beings who spend their days slowly wandering across the landscapes of their rock-riddled home. 

Geodan Cultural Values

Geodan culture appears to revolve around achieving personal enlightenment through prolonged observation. Though Geodans do not appear to reproduce in any traditional sense, they appear to live for an incredible amount of time—it seems that the average Geodan lifespan is more than thousands of orbital periods. Moreover, certain Geodan sages claim to have existed on the planet well before it became relatively barren and devoid of life. The fact that Geodans are immune to virtually all diseases and possess incredible memories compliment these claims. Many Geodans are able to accurately recall many interstellar phenomena from the past hundred orbital periods with pinpoint accuracy. N

Nevertheless, Geodans are not impressed nor interested by intergalactic affairs, but are content as observers of celestial and terrestrial change. As such, they defend their earthen home vigorously, making the establishment of permanent settlement or resource-extraction operations ever more problematic.

Geodan Folklore

In accordance with theories of extensive Geodan lifespans, it is rumored that the oldest among them have witnessed the very birth of Geodus Prime. Many Geodan sages claim that the gigantic Mount Ge’nüggun (GEH-NUUG-goon), which towers over most of the planet's eastern hemisphere, is actually one gargantuan-sized Geodan. This supposed Geodan, called G’eleh Ge’nüggun (GEH-eleh GEH-NUUG-goon) (which roughly translates to “Wise Old One”), is said to have existed since the planet's forming. 

Since Geodus Prime became a barren rock land, G’eleh Ge’nüggun is said to be quietly observing the world around them in their silent slumber. If these claims are true, this could mean that Geodus is home to one of the oldest species in the Galaxy. This would mean that, despite their lack of advanced technology, the Geodans have managed to weather one of the most chaotic geological processes in the Galaxy; the violent birth, tumultuous existence, and slow and silent death of a world. 

Several regions of Geodus Prime are flat, barren straits where only the hardiest of mosses, weeds, and rough grasses can survive and thrive. Few large plants populate these areas, with only the scorched husks of long-dead trees remaining. Though there is no determinate cause for this mass-deforestation, Geodan sages claim that one day long ago, a great storm tore across the landscape, flattening all that it came across. Called the Gôh’gëggeg (GOEH-eh-GEYH-geg), which roughly translates to “The Great Wind” or “The Cataclysmic Breath,” it burned down all that withstood its rains and winds with unrelenting lightning strikes. As a result, this once lush forest, now called the Géh’üüggan (GEH-HOOH-gan) Barrens, became a testament to the raw power of nature.