StellarDown

this serves as the first planetary masterpost of the index i'll be recreating on this blog for ease of access, as nobody wants to read lazily-formatted google docs. over time, i will update this page with maps and diagrams to make it less horrible to read through.

the jungle planet of Cae resides in the Orion Arm sector of the Milky Way galaxy, orbiting a large K2IV-class star independently as its only satellite. it has a strong gravitational pull due to its large size (a radius of about (9,500km), a powerful magnetic field that protects it from the harsh sun, and a single moon with a similar atmospheric composition.

the planet is teeming with life of all kinds and is very rich in biome diversity; the planets' main five continents have vastly different weather patterns and terrain, and the species that inhabit the planet adapt very quickly to their biomes evolutionarily.

the dominant Caen species are intelligent reptilian bipeds with thick skin, extreme muscle density, compact bones, and overclocked metabolisms stemming from the high amount of food for hunting and oxygen for breathing.

Caens also possess a natural ability to heat and move the air around their bodies within a small radius of their bodies. it is an extension of their nervous system, and to the unfamiliar eye, can appear as a psychic ability. this power can be used to move objects precisely without touching them, increase the power of physical actions such as jumping or kicking, or heating objects up to high temperatures to name basics. in highly trained cases, Caens were able to levitate off the ground, control puppet-strings, and breathe fire. this ability lies dormant within every caen; however, it is only an extension of one's own strength. it is far easier to train caens in martial arts and weapon-based combat, and many old "spells" have been phased out due to difficulty. most Caens who use their heat shock capabilities in the present day do so only for convenience, such as boiling water or lifting nearby objects.

perhaps their greatest asset, however, is their wandering genome that adapts to suit their environment within generations instead of millenia. on the five different continents of Cae, the tribal Caens have very distinctive races.

llantae is the largest continent, comprising mostly of a luscious jungle with thousands of large rivers crossing the continent from the surrounding ocean. llantae tribes live in large villages of massive hollowed-out trees, and have evolved generally green scales to camoflauge into their environment. they have more use of their prehensile tails than any other race of caens, and they tend to be physically stronger to better utilize the massive vines and branches connecting their homes. in the distant past when caens were one species, it was customary for wooden masks to be granted to each child by their village chief upon reaching a certain age. this mask was crafted around their personality and talents, and is to be worn in public for the remainder of their life. llantae still respects this tradition diligently, though other continents have become more lax on the practice. despite its traditionalism as a continent, llantae is home to many immigrants from other areas of the planet due to its wealth of resources.

odzyl is the second largest continent, consisting of hot, dry weather and extremely mountainous terrain. most of the moisture on the continent is found in large swamplands polluted with volcanic ash. odzyl take on tough, red skin, extreme resilience, heat resistance, and remarkably slow metabolisms. the lacking of food and water has lead to odzyl striking war towards llantae in envy of their abundance of natural resources on many occasions through history. their masks are treated as combat prizes; skilled warriors and fierce generals are crafted masks more grandiose than any other tribe.

iegan is a continent that is unimpressive upon first glance; there is very little noticable civilization, and the terrain consists primarily of grassy plains or rocky flats. the iegan tribes dwell in large caves, most of which extend into large underground city-states. though they are not past steam power, they're the most advanced and civilized of the caen species. they tend to be slender, purple-to-black skinned, nocturnal, and can see exceptionally well in the dark. masks are rarely worn on iegan, as they interfere with their natural night vision, and are generally seen as overzealous and outdated as a tradition.

unlike the other continents, guiris is not a single landmass or two. guiris is a catch-all term for any smaller island oases that orbit around the three larger continents. the guiris islands string together in chains and can be found at hundreds of points in the large encompassing ocean covering most of the planet of cae. the guiris have a reputation of being skilled and ruthless pirates due to their vantage points around every corner of the world. they come in shades of tan to match the sandy dunes they inhabit, and have extremely powerful lungs and internal oxygen supplies which allow them to hold their breath for several hours at a time. using their prime location and natural abilities, some guiris settlements are underwater, in large domes that have been drained of water over time. many islands contain grand docks and port settlements, which are some of the most luxurious constrictions to be found on the planet. masks are worn regularly on guiris; they keep the sun out of their eyes and the water out of their lungs.

oroy is a continent of mystery. settled on a large, frozen landmass situated on the planet's north pole, oroy is positioned far away from any other settlement. harsh ocean waters and below freezing temperatures make the voyage to and from oroy generally unfeasable, and many Caens from other tribes go their entire lives without ever hearing of its existence. little is known about their culture or biology, though it's implied they have a heavy resistance to cold weather and a talent for swimming. few oroy have been seen outside of their home; however, the ones that travel to llantae tend to be extremely in tune with their natural heating abilities, and make excellent (though secretive) teachers in the practice for the few with modern-day interest.

several hundred years in the past, the galactic superpower of Nirmiti made contact with Cae, and recklessly touched down on the planet with little information on the dynamics of seperate tribes. the only real information the nirmidics had about cae was that they were generally hunter-gatherers, they had an intriguing natural ability, and that their moon was rich in resources. as such, they gifted the leaders of large tribes on llantae and odzyl advanced weaponry for hunting, stations for teleportation to their moon, and means of faster-than-light communication in the hopes their leaders would keep in touch as their civilization grew.

unforseen circumstances on another planet lead nirmiti to pull back on the planets it had chosen to interfere with and harshly consider who could be trusted as allies. because of this, Nirmiti never revisited Cae and left the tribes to their own devices, with machines they barely understood, and an entire moon to compete for. this lead to the war over the caen moon, a several year long period of conflict that lead every citizen who understood how to operate the technology into battle until there were no such scolars left. now the moon is a giant cemetery, considered off-limits by nearly every tribe on every continent. it is practically inaccessible, as no living Caen understands the ancient technological ruins, and Nirmiti has made no effort to communicate with cae in hundreds of years. the remaining teleporters and communication areas have become overgrown in trees or sunken in swamps, and any remaining weapons are in the hands of the descendents of warrior-chieftans as heirlooms to be treasured, no longer objects to spill blood with.

in present day, Cae is seeing a large-scale war between llantae and ozdyl. communication with the general public of oroy has ceased for decades, and save for a few immigrants taking hearth on llantae, they're rumored to have gone extinct. iegan and guiris have taken light stances in the war, with guiris on the side of llantae due to their trade agreements, and iegan on the side of oroy due to their general distaste for the greed and gluttony of the culture of llantae. ancient traditions and tales of great mages and gods are being forgotten over time as technology advanced towards a steam age, with little lasting effect from the aeon-old Nirmidic gifts left behind.