Otanli
Otanli is the Lati and Lerin's holiest location. It is the origin of the Makassi, the first capital of Laran, and is home to the highest concentration of Lati, second only to the capital itself Nafok Aguot. It represents the soul of the empire, which is thematic as it is a hostile wasteland of predators, poisonous flora, and abnormal weather, with every Lati within 5 major Tzaran Stream Branches clawing for even a square meter of land on the planet to call their own.
Geography
Otanli is an arid desert world. There may have been different environments once, but millennia of Lati rituals have rendered the planet a near-total desert. The environments you have are rocky mountains, desert, canyons, and a mix of the three. Underground, however, life flourishes. Some of the largest caverns even have full jungles which stretch for hundreds of miles.
Most Water is derived as groundwater, and near all life has adapted to the desert, or moved underground. The surface of the planet is dotted with hundreds of millions of temples and lost cities, all built by Lati of old in attempts to solidify their glory or reach at godhood.
Most Water is derived as groundwater, and near all life has adapted to the desert, or moved underground. The surface of the planet is dotted with hundreds of millions of temples and lost cities, all built by Lati of old in attempts to solidify their glory or reach at godhood.
Ecosystem
There are two rules on Otanli. The first is the extreme temperature. If a creature can't stand the oppressive heat of the day and freezing temperatures of the night, it will not survive. This rule stretches to the subterranean levels as well.
The second rule is sustenance. A creature needs to be able to survive going weeks at a time with near no nutrient replenishment. On the surface, cave entrances are few and far between, so an animal going from one cave system to another will have a long way to go. Even if it has adapted to be able to suck the nutrients out of the sparse desert life, it won't gain much. The underground is overcrowded and competition is fierce. If a creature can't survive without nutrients and can't beat the competition, it becomes naught but fodder for the more capable wildlife around.
Much of the ecosystems is unnatural and impossible, but due to Lati rituals gone wrong, events such as sand clouds with lightning storms are a, not common, but not rare occurance.
The second rule is sustenance. A creature needs to be able to survive going weeks at a time with near no nutrient replenishment. On the surface, cave entrances are few and far between, so an animal going from one cave system to another will have a long way to go. Even if it has adapted to be able to suck the nutrients out of the sparse desert life, it won't gain much. The underground is overcrowded and competition is fierce. If a creature can't survive without nutrients and can't beat the competition, it becomes naught but fodder for the more capable wildlife around.
Much of the ecosystems is unnatural and impossible, but due to Lati rituals gone wrong, events such as sand clouds with lightning storms are a, not common, but not rare occurance.
Ecosystem Cycles
Otanli doesn't have any winter or spring, and the planet has no tilt, as such, it is an easy assumption to make that the most consistently habitable places would be the northern and southern poles. However, due to mountains shaping wind flow, air is pushed up to the poles keeping most of the planet about the same temperature. The Ecosystem is stuck in a static day-night cycle, and the only thing that could change that is another Lati ritual upending the ecosystem once more.
Localized Phenomena
Due to the size of many of the subterranean caverns, many have developed their own weather systems with rain, thunder & lightning, and in rare instances, snow. Whenever a storm does form above ground, it is mostly a series of large sand-clouds which interacted with cursed ground, generating their own electric fields which can last for days. Most of the lightning barely gets a few hundred feet away from the cloud, but the most powerful burst can channel through to the center of the planet, making it seem that lightning struck through the caves and tunnels from the sky above.
Fauna & Flora
The most common plant on Otanli is the desert cactus. It and many of the other shrubs which dot the surface are the only plants that can survive the extreme water deprivation. Underneath the earth, however, plants are much more common and varied. The notable ones shall be listed here. It is worth noting that Makassi are immune to most of the poisons and toxins on this list unless otherwise specified. This also goes for most of the other flora and fauna on Otanli.
The is a common shrub found in the caves and deserts in the eastern hemisphere. It gained its name as the coal shrub for its pitch-black appearance, as it absorbs light to survive, with no need for water. It makes a decent vegetable, though it requires a heavy dose of spices to be palatable to most "civilized" sentient beings. One might wonder how it gets light in the caves, and to that, one should look to...
The , a type of bioluminescent moss, found all over the planet's cave systems. Originating from a biological experiment gone wrong, the moss can not survive without the underground waterways of Otanli, but in return gives off enough light to reliable supply the photosynthesis of many of the other plants under the planet's surface.
The is one of Otanli's symbols, as it has evolved to only be able to survive on the planet's cursed ground. Like many other things on Otanli, it is poisonous, but this red and purple flower is so poisonous that even the planet's natives dare not consume it. It has become a popular sigil for assassins and alchemists of all sorts.
These are simply the most famous of creatures from the Boad family, a group of predatory animals known colloquially as Dragons.
The Pakilral Asitqa are another of Otanli's recognizable predators. Literally, hooved wolves, these predators work in packs, wandering through the deserts, mountains, and caves, hunting the smaller fauna. In appearance, they are six-legged beasts with large arched backs, rough skin, spikes coming out their spine, and are on average 2 meters long.
The Roroqi is one of the primary prey animals of Otanli. They are small, four-legged, herbivorous, animals, covered in scales and fur, with large noses and cheeks for finding and storing food, waiting to return to their dens before they eat it. These little creatures are the only animals on all of Otanlu which can consume the valsus vela without dying, and they use this to great effect. They are popular as pets among the Lerin.
The is a small omnivorous species, maybe the size of a fox, that scrounges through the cave undergrowth for carcasses of animals and plants. While they are biologically capable of consuming fresh food, Larani biologists have found them to be healthiest when consuming carcasses and other natural waste, some variants even being able to eat feces.
Flora
The is a family of poisonous tree which makes up the majority of the trees in Otanli's caves. It is an interesting quality where when liquid makes contact with any part of it, the liquid becomes poisonous, while the tree becomes acidic. The leaves, if crushed and mixed with water, make a rather powerful toxin, and the bark is used during interrogations.The is a common shrub found in the caves and deserts in the eastern hemisphere. It gained its name as the coal shrub for its pitch-black appearance, as it absorbs light to survive, with no need for water. It makes a decent vegetable, though it requires a heavy dose of spices to be palatable to most "civilized" sentient beings. One might wonder how it gets light in the caves, and to that, one should look to...
The , a type of bioluminescent moss, found all over the planet's cave systems. Originating from a biological experiment gone wrong, the moss can not survive without the underground waterways of Otanli, but in return gives off enough light to reliable supply the photosynthesis of many of the other plants under the planet's surface.
The is one of Otanli's symbols, as it has evolved to only be able to survive on the planet's cursed ground. Like many other things on Otanli, it is poisonous, but this red and purple flower is so poisonous that even the planet's natives dare not consume it. It has become a popular sigil for assassins and alchemists of all sorts.
Fauna
The Kedoboad is the symbol of Otanli. A large (100m or 333 ft in length; 4m or 13.2 ft circumference) scaled serpent, these are notoriously powerful predators who make their dens in the larger of Otanli's caves, and come out to hunt the roaming Pakilral Asitqa packs, they have an innate flying ability, likely a mutation gained from the many large scale rituals on the planet. They are the most recognizable part of the ecosystem, the ultimate apex predator. They are still yet to be domesticated, as there is no reliable way to tame them. Many of the most powerful Dynasties wear them on their coats of arms.These are simply the most famous of creatures from the Boad family, a group of predatory animals known colloquially as Dragons.
The Pakilral Asitqa are another of Otanli's recognizable predators. Literally, hooved wolves, these predators work in packs, wandering through the deserts, mountains, and caves, hunting the smaller fauna. In appearance, they are six-legged beasts with large arched backs, rough skin, spikes coming out their spine, and are on average 2 meters long.
The Roroqi is one of the primary prey animals of Otanli. They are small, four-legged, herbivorous, animals, covered in scales and fur, with large noses and cheeks for finding and storing food, waiting to return to their dens before they eat it. These little creatures are the only animals on all of Otanlu which can consume the valsus vela without dying, and they use this to great effect. They are popular as pets among the Lerin.
The is a small omnivorous species, maybe the size of a fox, that scrounges through the cave undergrowth for carcasses of animals and plants. While they are biologically capable of consuming fresh food, Larani biologists have found them to be healthiest when consuming carcasses and other natural waste, some variants even being able to eat feces.
Natural Resources
The main export from Otanli are the Lati trained here, as due to Lati tradition, Otanli is the only place a Lati can be properly anointed. When only considering the natural resources, most of those are as a result of Lati meddling with the ecology as well.
Cursed Soil is a valuable resource for most alchemists, as many of the most poisonous plants, another popular export, can only grow on Otanli cursed soil. Dragon scales and heads are prized and expensive trophies, as is much of the fauna. Owning anything from Otanli is a mark of status in Laran, and often a Lerin who poses a dragon skull or Vela garden will occupy a higher status in many circles than a Lati who does not.
Cursed Soil is a valuable resource for most alchemists, as many of the most poisonous plants, another popular export, can only grow on Otanli cursed soil. Dragon scales and heads are prized and expensive trophies, as is much of the fauna. Owning anything from Otanli is a mark of status in Laran, and often a Lerin who poses a dragon skull or Vela garden will occupy a higher status in many circles than a Lati who does not.
History
Otanli was first inhabited by the Makassi, the first Lati. Legends tell it used to be a lush jungle world, but due to millennia of Lati rituals, it has been corrupted to an unrecognizable state form its old self. When the Makassi and their empire, Laran started expanding to the stars, Otanli remained an important political center, until a cataclysm separated it from most of the galaxy. Now it serves more as a religious site, as everything on it is removed from everything by six months of sunlight space travel.
Tourism
Tourism on Otanli depends on whterh one is a Lati or a Lerin. Setting foot on the planet is prohibited if one isn't either of those, but Lerin are still restricted as to where they are allowed. Most commonly, they are allowed into cities designated as "Unclean" enough for a Lerin to live in. They are also allowed into certain areas of the wild, usually on guided tours. Lati of course are technically allowed anywhere, but many Dynasties own land on the planet and prohibit access to anyone not of their House. The most popular and famous tourist spots will be listed here, along with a marker of who owns them and who is allowed.
The City of the Sun is a city built in the usual Larani/Lati style but built into the highest mountain on the planet. It is so large that it has enveloped the entire mountain and dug its way into the interior. It serves as the planetary capital. It is state-owned, and contains one of the largest Lerin populations on the planet.
Ravager's Well is a small settlement on cursed land, that acts as an agreed-upon Lati neutral zone. It is owned and operated by the state and is reserved only for Lati. It was built around a wellspring whose water had a peculiar effect, but the well has long since dried up. Now only the ruin remains, buried deep in the small ziggurat that makes up the entire town. Due to an old rule put in place by a Laka around -794, the town and its rules are not permitted to expand at all, as such property values are ridiculously high, as everyone wants a safehouse.
The Temple to Power is a city built around the primary Lati academy of the same name. It is state-owned, specifically by the Laka of Lati Doctrine and its ingrained powerbase. Lerin are restricted to living in the cities outskirts and middle district, but the internal area and temple itself is for Lati only. This is the second-largest settlement on the planet, on the near exact opposite side from the City of the Sun.
The actual Temple to Power is an enormous ziggurat, the size of a medium city itself, which is the primary academy for nearly all Lati in Laran. Even those independently trained are required to be anointed here. It also contains the largest library and collection of Lati artifacts in the universe.
The City of the Sun is a city built in the usual Larani/Lati style but built into the highest mountain on the planet. It is so large that it has enveloped the entire mountain and dug its way into the interior. It serves as the planetary capital. It is state-owned, and contains one of the largest Lerin populations on the planet.
Ravager's Well is a small settlement on cursed land, that acts as an agreed-upon Lati neutral zone. It is owned and operated by the state and is reserved only for Lati. It was built around a wellspring whose water had a peculiar effect, but the well has long since dried up. Now only the ruin remains, buried deep in the small ziggurat that makes up the entire town. Due to an old rule put in place by a Laka around -794, the town and its rules are not permitted to expand at all, as such property values are ridiculously high, as everyone wants a safehouse.
The Temple to Power is a city built around the primary Lati academy of the same name. It is state-owned, specifically by the Laka of Lati Doctrine and its ingrained powerbase. Lerin are restricted to living in the cities outskirts and middle district, but the internal area and temple itself is for Lati only. This is the second-largest settlement on the planet, on the near exact opposite side from the City of the Sun.
The actual Temple to Power is an enormous ziggurat, the size of a medium city itself, which is the primary academy for nearly all Lati in Laran. Even those independently trained are required to be anointed here. It also contains the largest library and collection of Lati artifacts in the universe.
Unique Civics
While no one in Laran would approve of having a non Lati or Lerin on the capital as anything but a prisoner, it is considered heresy of the highest magnitude to even bring one into orbit, even as a prisoner, much less touch them down on the planet. Of the few corporal punishments that Laran and the Laka Council enforce, rather than just letting the offended party seek revenge, this is the big one. Bringing anyone not of Laran to the planet is warrant for the most painful execution power, the dismantling & destruction of your entire power base, and the purging of anyone within 2 degrees of you. This is the one crime that no one from Laran would ever, ever, ever break.
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