Helraad (Hell-Raud)
The Cursed Child of Gilnares
The Death World of Helraad is an oft ignored world in the history of the Tristell system. A dull yellow moon, it is half buried within the atmosphere of Gilnares and suffers the effects of its parents extreme energy, both radioactivity and thaumaturgical.
Various races live on and below its surface, from the nomadic surface dwelling Jissiman who stride across the acrid surface as some of the hardiest survivors in the system while the deep dwelling Mulnwahr and Mulnwan live in immense moving cities underground called Rahga, entire settlements on rails. All three species constantly striving to stay ahead of the caustic year long storm that is The Shade, or whenever the moons slow rotation takes its surface into the upper atmosphere of Gilnares.
Drun and Jissarai serve as uncomfortable examples of what happens whenever a species who lives on this world does not stay far enough from The Shade and live even deeper than the Rahga's or lurk in the shadows of their more hale cousins.
Geography
Helraad is a relatively flat world with no soaring peaks or imposing mountain ranges. Eons of constant atmospheric erosion from its time in the upper atmosphere of Gilnares has lead to a uniform plain across the world with some hills and areas of deep ravines.
Ecosystem
The world is separated into two very different ecosystems depending on which side of the planet is being observed. On the side of the planet that is currently in the atmosphere of Gilnares the world is a radioactive hellscape called the Shade while the side of the planet outside of Gilnares atmosphere is a vibrant overgrowth of radioactive, mutated plant life and animals called The Bloom.
Standing water exists on both sides of the planet and it often rains, how pleasant that rain is depends on how far one is from The Shade. Due to the nature of the planets rotation and its presence half within the Gilnaren atmosphere the weather patterns are in constant, chaotic flux with Gilnares having a significant "Dragging" effect on the forward point of the rotation that pulls weather towards The Shade and a constant "Flowing" effect on the rear point of the rotation that sends a significant outflow of weather from Gilnares and The Shade into The Bloom.
A massive amount of life has adapted to life underground and while the effects of The Shade are only lessened when deep enough underground, the conditions are not as toxic to life as the surface and it is here where some of the strangest creatures and creations live.
The Shade
The thick atmosphere from the gas giant and Helraads own mixing that is filled with dust and strange particles to create a constant yellow haze that obscures the toxic vegetation that is in a constant state of decay and incredible mutated life. Pools of foul ichor form from the melting life forms that often rises as new parodies of life.The Bloom
Helraads atmosphere retains its thick yellow haze even on the outer half of the moon but the particulates from Gilnares is quick to fall to the ground as the moon slowly rotates out of the gas giants atmosphere. Soon after leaving the eternal storm that is Gilnares atmosphere, life bursts into its full, mutated glory. Life is more stable for the year that it spends free of the gas giants influence but is still incredible it its potential for random mutations. Every year there are new lifeforms existing and rampant changes to old ones and any species that spends time in The Shade may be entirely changed or gone forever by the time it rotates back into The Bloom. The Bloom is where the endemic species often make their home in great migratory groups that stay ahead of the slow advance of the Gilnaren atmosphere.Localized Phenomena
The rampant radioactivity and loose thaumaturgical energy creates an absurd parody of a functioning circle of life on The Shade and the planets connection with such an absurd cycle of life and death has made both aspects extremely likely to manifest on the world.
Fauna & Flora
The most prevalent life form on the planet are mushrooms and they can take thousands of different forms, sometimes forming sweeping fungal forests that cross the terrain.
There are some smaller trees and plants but they are highly susceptible to mutation and tumorous growth. They also tend to grow smaller than the fungal life as the energy needed for their growth in the time they have in The Bloom.
As a rule all the plant life on the planet has adapted to seeding and sporing patterns that attempt to maintain their presence on The Bloom as the primary plants are doomed to an inevitable descent into The Shade, a descent that is far kinder to the fungal growth than it is to any higher order life.
All of the major fauna live in a constant state of migration across the surface as even a light dip into the border area between Shade and Bloom is almost certain death or mutation.
Natural Resources
Helraad is incredibly resource rich and it is very much untapped, having only been visited by outsiders for the first time 200 years ago whenever the Union of Gilnares sent an exploratory mission and discovered the inhabitants as well as the bounties.
Vast deposits of rare earth as well as more mundane and magical metals are found on the world and in some places the miners would swear that veins seem to replenish over time...
Tourism
There is no tourism to Helraad, it is a death world that offers nothing but danger and toil to its inhabitants and almost certain death for the unprepared visitor.
Visitors are instead directed towards the three huge stations that hang in stationary orbit above the safe side of the planet. Here there are amenities and some semblance of a more "Normal" life as those from other worlds might consider it.
Alternative Name(s)
The Death World
Type
Planetoid / Moon
Location under
Contested By
Inhabiting Species
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