Moras III

---

Object Name: MORAS III (MORR-asss THREE)

Celestial Classification: Class C Planet, Swamps and Marshland

Planetary Size: ~34403.349024 kmd, or 2.7 times the size of LE

Number of Moons: 3; ABUS XI (ABE-uss SIX), Class a Moon, Forest ~1563.41332215 kmd or 0.45 times the size of Lunar 1, VOLK II (VOLLK TWO), Class a Moon, Lava Fields ~2084.5510962 kmd or 0.6 times the size of Lunar 1, ZETHOR (SEH-thorr), Class a Moon, Damaged Oceanic ~2709.91642506 kmd or 0.78 times the size of Lunar 1

Rotational Period: 34 ESH (34 hours per day)

Orbital Period: 350 PRY (planetary rotations per year)

Atmospheric Conditions: Category III

Population Size and Diversity: 13,000,000,000+ Inhabitants (Morasapien)

Technology Level: Level III (Morasapien) 

Moras III is covered in gigantic swamps, mires, rivers and lakes. The planet is sprawling with vibrant flora and fauna, the most prominent among them being the predatory Bra’ducka (BRAW-uh-DUH-kah)—enormous lizards who consider their Morasapien cousins a delicacy. Though it has relatively warm temperatures and is rather hospitable to most species, Moras III is still widely considered one of the most dangerous planets in the Galaxy. Every creature there is voracious and volatile, always ready for a fight—or a quick lunch, and none but the most skilled survivalists stand a chance there.

Moras III is a paradise for creatures who thrive in the dank, dark, dewed, and dangerous. Its large swamps are drenched in thick, muddy water, where all manner of reptilian and amphibian creatures live. The periodic monsoon rains enhance the planet’s collection of warm and wet climates, and its atmospheric conditions allow multiple species, aerial and terrestrial, to flourish above and below the planet’s low cloudline. Some of Moras III’s most vibrant species live high in the treacherous basalt mountains of the Highlands, far away from the Swamps of the West and South. 

Moras III is a planet well-suited for biodiversity. Besides its extensive marshlands, which are each full of many species of flora and fauna, its swampy soils are spongey and nutrient-rich. Many aquatic creatures-both docile and predatory-inhabit the thick, warm waters of the planet, which makes traversing through the swamplands treacherous. High above the clouds, many aerial species fly around, searching for a viable meal far below-or across the sky. One of the most prominent and dangerous aerial species on Moras III is the reptilian Scorn Screamer. As its name implies, the Scorn Screamer’s primary attack is its blood-curdling scream, capable of paralyzing and defeaning those who come too close to its hunting grounds. If that fails, its four barbed wings, tail lined with sharp spines, and serrated fangs make quick work of its prey. The Scorn Screamer’s ferocity makes it a coveted prize for ambitious Morasapien hunters, especially those of the House of FlightFang of the Northern Highlands. 

Moras III’s three moons also host volatile environments, home to tenacious creatures in their own right. Abus XI, Moras III’s dwarf forest moon, is a small colony of the avian Abuns. Considered one of their sacred ceremonial grounds, Abus XI is where the Abuns, like their reptilian counterparts, spend their days praising their spiritual pantheons. However, these Abuns colonists, unlike their reptilian neighbors, are content to honor their deities through brutal displays of blood sport, gladiator matches, and ritual sacrifice. As a result, the honor-bound Morasapien warriors view the avian occupants of Abus XI as “feathered savages,” who "bastardize and humiliate" their Gods through displays of “debauchery, crimes against nature, and demon-worship”.

However, the environments of Morass III’s other two moons, Volk II and Zethor, are desolate compared to the planet they orbit. Volk II is a small, fire-covered moon with large lava geysers scattered across fields of hardened obsidian, brimstone, and volcanic ash. Although it is speculated that the moon was once a sprawling savanna or grassland, presumably awash with many species of flora and fauna, it is now inhabited by only a few species who are as threatening and unforgiving as the volcanic conditions they live in. Moreover, the only recorded sentient species who continuously live on the moon are sequestered within the small outposts of Da’oan colonists. Otherwise, the entirety of Volk II is virtually devoid of intelligent or sophisticated life, crawling with extremely hostile and predatory creatures, whose only opponents are the few Morasapien hunters brave enough to travel there on hunting parties.

Zethor, like Volk II, bears the remains of a world once rich with life. Zethor is a small oceanic moon with waters stained grey from the poisoned skies they swarm under. It is believed that the moon once was home to large swamps and sprawling plant life, like a dwarfish brother to Moras III. However, at some undetermined point in time, Zethor experienced an extinction-level event that wiped out nearly all life on the moon, with huge sections of its mass tearing off into space. The resulting destruction caused the moon's skies to be irrevocably contaminated, and damaged with various toxins, the skyline has become permanently grey. This results in Zethor's waters permanently possessing a similarly cloudy look. 

This contamination caused Zethor's weather patterns to go haywire, flooding the waterways out of control, sinking all of the remaining landmasses under the polluted waves. The species that survived on the moon faced an inescapable choice; strive to survive solely beneath the moon's violent waves or face eminent extinction. Because of Zethor's inhospitable conditions, only the bravest explorers, warriors, and scientists dare venture there. Though their motives for travel often rest in finding some exotic species to hunt or study, few exploratory developments have made great headway. Whatever their goal, every species has long abandoned the prospect of attempting to restore it to a healthy and hospitable condition.

The Morasapien (MORR-ah-SAY-pee-an)

The native lizard-like Morasapien are the main sentient population inhabiting the planet. Despite not being the highest organisms on the planetary food chain, Morasapiens are fierce and loyal warriors who relish in fighting dangerous foes, even to their last breath. Organized into several House families, Morasapien culture is centered around the hunt and honoring the Gods. Honor and reputation are closely tied with the deeds of a House and its individuals. In other words, when members of a House gain more prestige and honor for their family, their symbol and overall reputation is subject to change. 

Furthermore, a House’s reputation and representation among the Council of the Riven Root is reflected by its symbol. Each of the major Morasapien Houses all fight under the symbol of one of their most powerful Gods, while the more obscure and less influential Houses raise banners representing their family’s most powerful kill or notable genealogical feature(s). Regardless of a House’s reputation and symbol, each family inherently has more honor, respect, and political power than outsiders or traitors. Praising the Gods, waging war and slaying ferocious beasts are all inextricably linked in Morasapien culture, and anyone who does not adhere to these behaviors is deemed a cultural outsider, regardless of genetic background.

Floods are quite common on Moras III, which is why the majority of the planet’s terrestrial life prefer to dwell in the branches and canopies of the gigantic Immameroot trees. Strewn across Moras III’s swamps and marshes, the colossal and pale Immameroot tower over the thick muddy waters of the surface. Many Morasapien Houses live within some of the largest forests on the planet, the most prominent of them being the members of House White-Hide. The White-Hide, featuring unique patterns of silvery white scales and dark red eyes, live among the top branches of the Blrugglasssilirr (BLURR-glass-SILL-err), the Morasapien’s “Root of the World” tree. 

Said to have interconnecting root systems across the entire planet, the Blrugglasssilirr is rumored to be impervious to all but the most powerful weapons. Moreover, it is far from a simple tree; Morasapien cosmology dictates that all species originated from the trunk and roots of the Blrugglasssilirr, as it was the first organism to ever exist on the planet after it was created out of Water and Earth by the Gods. Likewise, Morasapien folklore dictates that the Blrugglasssilirr is a sentient, intelligent being, and is capable of conscious movement and self-defense of the highest ferocity and caliber. As such, throughout local histories, only a few outsiders have ever been allowed to approach the Blrugglasssilirr, and fewer still have returned to tell the tale. It is strongly recommended that if one tries to approach the Blrugglasssilirr, regardless of method, they prepare themselves to fight for their life. All that awaits those who anger the Blrugglasssilirr or its guardians, is a swift, painful death.