Bretheda

The largest gas giant in the system, Bretheda is a constantly swirling mass of blue and purple storm clouds. Through these tempests and swarms of lesser life-forms soar the blimplike barathus, sometimes derogatorily called floaters, or simply Brethedans, given their status as the planet’s most advanced native race. Though their transparent bodies resemble elongated jellyfish or dirigibles and their trilling and diving give the impression they are strange birds or dolphins, barathus are in fact highly intelligent, curious creatures, with an unusually communal approach to survival. When faced with a challenge greater than it can handle on its own, a barathu merges with other barathus to create a temporary, unique collective creature far stronger and smarter than its component beings, only to disband again when the need has passed.

Geography

As a gas giant, Bretheda lacks a solid surface. Floating arcologies host lifeforms not native or adapted to such environments, such as terrestrial races.
Bretheda has dozens of moons, and some are nearly the size of other planets in the system. Noteworthy moons include:

• The industrialized water world of Kalo-Mahoi.
• Marata, where anthropological debate has erupted over the native maraquoi tribes' development from paleolithic technology to space travel in only a few generations.
• Crystalline Dykon, which is home to silicon-based life, including urogs.

Bretheda is also orbited by a collection of "death moons" with conditions hazardous to most other species.
• Thyst is so radioactive that unprotected flesh can melt from bone.
• Varos is a volcanic, tidally heated planetoid where imprisoned and indentured workers mine for gemstones unique to the moon's mantle.

Fauna & Flora

Barathus are floating, gelatinous creatures capable of rewriting their own DNA, making them an extremely flexible and adaptable race. They maintain Bretheda's sister planet Liavara as a reserve of native lifeforms.
Barathus are also capable of joining consciousnesses, which they use to form super-intelligent entities. Some such entities collectively operate corporations that facilitate interplanetary trade in biotechnology, such as the Sopeth Corporation, a single sentient hive-mind comprised of thousands of barathus.

• Type: Gas Giant
• Demonym: Brethedan
• Diameter: 11x D_g
• Mass: 320x M_g
• Gravity: 2.5x G_g at the "surface"
• Atmosphere: Special
• Orbital Period: 6 days PST
• Rotational Period: 30 years PST

Alternative Name(s)

The Cradle

Type

Planet

Location under

The Pact Worlds System

Included Locations

• Chamari
• Daxus
• Dykon
• Kalo-Mahoi
• Marata
• Thyst
• Varos
• Yashu-Indiri

Owning Organization

The Pact Worlds Alliance