The Rings of Jhoutai

Written by Ademal

The rings of Jhoutai are a series of concentric ring asteroid belts around the planet of Jhoutai, they are rich in Sunmetal, a pivotal element in the growth of Sazashi civilization and a deciding factor in their victory over the Ancient Verin Haimarchy during the Sazashi Revolution.

Mythological Origins

For Verin and Sazashi alike the rings always were a source of awe. The Verin believed the ring to be another plane, another world which intersected their own. When they realized that the planet was a sphere and that the rings encircled it, they believed the rings to be The Wheel, or at least some stand-in for it, and that it was heaven.
These days, with space travel, these myths have been dispelled to mere poetic metaphor, but the romantic notion of the rings is still held.

Astronomical Measure

The early Verin used the shadow of the rings to determine the shape of Jhoutai early into their civilization, and before they even struck out over the sea were able to determine not only the shape of their world, but the size of it, it's median lines, and how seasons would change around the globe.

Sunmetal

During the Sazashi Revolution, one of the asteroids from the belt fell from orbit and hit the Greater Amujnalden Region—near to the Shejlt-Rajh encampment. The Shejlt, with their Energy Meta, were able to analyze the metal and realized that a charge to it caused it to disrupt gravity around itself. They then lashed together ships with hulls of this metal—sunmetal—and made the first airships.
This made the Shejlt believe that the Wheel had chosen them, thus giving rise to their name: Shejlt-Rajh—Children of the Sun.

Spaceflight Challenges

Unfortunately, the very feature which made the Verin and Sazashi conceive of space so early made it difficult to actually get out there. The rings take up the primary orbital plane of Jhoutai, which means difficulties in taking off and in placing satellites. For this reason, the Sazashi have to use Sustained Orbit Vessels to assist in takeoff and placement of satellites, and had to treat the northern and southern hemispheres as distinct regions until the invention of Æthernet.

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Summary

Alternative Name(s)

The Great Ring

Type

Asteroid belt

Location under

Jhoutai

Included Locations

• Sunmetal Mines

Owning Organization

The ValuSelu Pact

Related Materials

• Sunmetal

Additional Reading