Ducati
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- This article refers to the planet Ducati within the Imperium storyline, for the planet Ducati from the Sirina Galaxy go here.
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Geography
Planet Composition
Conditions
Ducati is very similar to Earth in almost every respect, spawning life that could happily live on either world. The biggest difference between Earth and Ducati is the distance between them and their relative suns. Ducati's distance from the sun is similar to that of Mars, meaning it would usually be much colder. However Ducati also has a great deal more methane in the upper atmosphere, which is a greenhouse gas and works to hold in much more heat. The methane in the atmosphere makes the sky appear much more blue, which is especially clear from space. The temperature of the planet, thanks to the methane, is moderately similar to Earth though its years are longer due to the greater distance.
Atmosphere
Within the Troposphere, the level of the atmosphere in which clouds form, there is a microbe that has adapted to these extreme conditions and produces methane. This is what gives Ducati such a high concentration of methane in it's upper atmosphere, as methane is lighter than air allowing it to float. However methane also oxidises, meaning it will eventually return to the planet in rainfall. Because of these high-atmosphere methanogens, often abbreviated to hi-alts, the atmosphere always has this upper layer of methane despite oxidisation.
The Moon
Like Earth, Ducati has just one moon. Whilst Ducati's moon is identical to Earth's, in condition and size, it is much closer to the planet. This increased proximity does increase the cold of winter, but also creates shorter months as the closer the object the faster it orbits. There is actually one research centre on the moon, placed there to investigate the planet from a distance. However since the decline of interest in Ducati, the centre has been abandoned. Also due to the increased proximity is the tidal difference. The low-tides are much lower and the high-tides are much higher. On average they are double the average difference between high and low tides of Earth, which is three feet and, therefore, six on Ducati. Whilst affecting all coastal areas of the planet, this also has specific impact on the city of Siran's Hope, which is a city built around a former sea-faring ship. These tides also affect what would have been non-tidal lakes and inland seas, such as Sky Ocean and some of the lakes of Allentia.
Ice Rings
Ducati is girdled by a series of concentric rings, composed mainly of ice, frozen methane and small amounts of rocky dust. They are the combined remnants of captured cometary fragments and the ground-up remains of a moon that never acquired enough mass to properly accrete. They are, in essence, the ghost of a world. Located along the outer edges of the ice rings is a clear spot where a powerful energy shield keeps the ice and rock dust away. This is where the space-based Gate Network is located, using the ice rings as a natural anchor. The shield not only protects the gate itself but also incoming ships, though they have plenty of space as they are brought in on the outer reaches of the ring.
Continents
Allente
Only one of two major continents to contain a large desert region, Allente is located to the south-west of the standard Ducati map. It stretches right from the equator of Ducati down to a cooler climate, ranging from northern heat waves to southern snowfalls. It was the first continent to be colonised on Ducati as the human species spread eastward from this original spot, making some of Allente's colonies the oldest in the world. This has led to the human population to become conservative and traditionalists. Yet, despite this, they maintain a lot of high-end technological equipment that was left over by the first colonists when the planet was planned for much greater importance.
The continent is split into three regions, Sionne, Hencurt and Allentia and is often seen as a "spiritual home" by many from across the planet. Large shrines dot the landscape and some of the advanced technology has even been given artefact status and may be found in a museum or even shrine. Like the continent of Soda, Allente is known for being relatively safe and free from dangerous wild animals. Chalice creatures are a common sight, especially in the wet southern areas of Hencurt and Allentia. The Thrinian Ocean sends its warm waters both north and south, the southern current heating up Allentia on the southern-most point of Allente. Allentia is a popular tourist destination due to its beautiful scenic lakes all year-round, from the quiet, still summers to the white, frozen lakes of winter. The deserts of Sionne are also famous, though naturally much less visited.
One of the most important shrines on Allente is the Shrine of Ec'nerwal, named after one of the original colonists though her exact role remains unknown and steeped in mystery. At the centre of the shrine is a round orb, the origins of which have long been forgotten, though it is believed to be a kind of technology from one of the furthest reaches of The Imperium. What it does is also a mystery though many speculate various theories, from a terraforming tool to a bomb.
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Bex (Continent)
- See: Bex further down.
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Dilliana Prima
The second largest continent on Ducati, the first being Soda, Dilliana Prima is a temperate and relatively prosperous continent as a whole. It does, however, have many dangerous animals to contend with, though not on the same scale as the hazards of North Thrine. Littered with mountains, great forests and great swathes of empty fields, the human population has found it easy to settle the continent and have managed to contain the animal threat posed by creatures such as the Acinonyx, which is a creature similar to a giant cheetah. There are also many great lakes, for which the continent is renowned. One inland sea is named Sky Ocean, originally being "The Ocean of the Sky" and abbreviated. It was thus named as it those that discovered it first rose over a mountain to see the sky reflected on the ground. This ocean is the only known location of the Cassis fish, which can be used to create a virtually undetectable poison. It is also a drinking spot for Rusa, a deer-like animal with a single, long-horn on its head for defensive strikes.
Split into two very large regions and one smaller third, Dilliana Prima is one of the most peaceful politically. This comes after years of instability and constant reshuffling of governors as they would regularly poison one another. The latest governors unofficially agreed not to murder one another and create a more stable state of government on Dilliana Prima. Instead, the governor of Camarancurt, where the Sky Ocean is located, will sell cassis poison to the other continents' governors.
As well as the Acinonyx, another cat-like creature exists on Dilliana Prima and, like the Cassis fish, is extremely poisonous. The small feral cat, named the Elly, is a master of hunting. Fortunately the Elly normally only attacks rodents smaller than itself, but they will attack humans if they feel threatened. One small nip from an Elly has been known to kill a full-grown man in a matter of seconds. These Elly are dangerous obstacles when travelling across the continent as they are so adapt at remaining unseen until the very last moment.
Originating in the sale of the cassis poison, there is a great deal of internal trade, from natural resources to oddities. Whilst this has led to stability for all regions on the continent, it has made all continent-bound resources a standard commodity and the prices for external goods has sky rocketed. The three regions are known for their mediocrity by the rich societies on other continents. The three regions of Dilliana Prima are named Hetel, Camarancurt and Tessen. It is named "Prima" because there is a second, smaller, island close to the continent that became Dilliana Secunda.
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Dilliana Secunda
One of the last continents to be inhabited by humans, it is located close to Dilliana Prima; their names changed to reflect the proximity and special relationship of the two continents. Whilst Prima has a clear animal kingdom, Secunda has remained surprisingly free of larger animals. There are a great number of insects and slow, lazy mammals that eat the insects. The plant life, however, is what interests many scientists as the "trees" of the continent are actually lycopodiopsida, a division of moss. The whole continent is covered by these "moss trees", called Candle Trees, and are considered the evolutionary stage from pre-historical plant life to the modern day. However scientists are unable to explain how the entire continent of Dilliana Secunda managed to maintain these Candle Trees and not be replaced by modern plants that should have arrived from Dilliana Prima or Soda.
The candle trees produce a huge amount of spores, far more than any other modern plant, which can be harmful, if not lethal, if regularly breathed in by humans. As Dilliana Secunda experiences a large percentage of rainfall, the candle trees have adapted to "rush" their cones to produce spores after significant rainfall. The human population will try to remain indoors, their homes being made entirely air-tight. When forced outside, they will wear breathing masks and thick clothing. Those that live in poorer areas, where air-tight is unaffordable, people will wear these masks all day long, taking brief intervals to eat without the mask. Even this short time can cause sickness.
The rainfall makes the majority of the island, officially, a tropical rainforest. This is caused by the Intertropical Convergence Zone, similar to Earth and commonly known as the doldrums, which passes straight over Dilliana Secunda for the majority of the year. This is due to the meeting of the north and south winds and is effected by the planet's rotation. As the doldrums moves southwards during the winter period, this frees up some of the northern zone for a brief period. This is known as the best time for sea trade and ships clamour to set sail back and forth to Dilliana Prima and Soda during this time. It is often known as the "Traders' Season".
The richness of Dilliana Secunda comes from exquisite dyes that can be made from the unique insects and plants with relative ease. A huge percentage of the world's dyes and colourants come from Dilliana Secunda's few cities. They also produce a great quantity of cheap clothing, dyed straight there. However this clothing is deemed inferior in quality and is often the "poor man's dress".
The two regions of Dilliana Secunda are named Chiantino and Chiantia.
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North Thrine
One of the most temperate areas of Ducati, North Thrine is known for being wet and grey. The Thrinian Ocean transports warmer currents to the island's western coast, brought up from the equator. This has given North Thrine a thriving basin for life, especially plants. The whole continent is considered woodland, save for the southern-most tip of Pollut. Trees of all manner have a strong foot-hold, dominating the way life has evolved here; competitive. As the trees gain the majority of the sunlight, several shorter plants and shrubs evolved various methods of tackling this, including the Mantis plant which feeds on live animals. With such low levels of sunlight breaking the canopy is many areas, moss has become the second-most obvious plant life on the continent as it shelters beneath the trees, requiring little sunlight and able to use the trees themselves to its advantage.
There are many small rodents that live in the treetops, able to navigate their great branches with ease and feed off of the trees' fruits. At one time there were a large portion of moss-eating herbivores on North Thrine, however they have mostly died out save for the large Nitidusaur that are capable of holding their own against many would-be predators.
Areas that are not covered with trees are often mountain peaks or swamps. These swamplands are home to various kinds of moss, often attracting the Nitidusaur herds. However they are also home to the Chalice creatures, where they can get plenty of rainwater. Though these creatures are found all over North Thrine, able to acquire water that drips through the canopy, the lack of trees allows them to thrive in greater abundance. The presence of the Nitidusaur and the Chalices gives rise to the Winrets, a kind of flying insect as large as a human child's head. These insects attack the Nitidusaurs in swarms and drink from the Chalices.
The Ogres are considered the most dangerous of all animals on North Thrine as they will actively seek out and attack humans. They are large, hairy creatures similar to gorilla of Earth, only much larger and their hair is shabbier. They are far stronger than any human, much faster and more agile. They are capable of uses the trees to their advantage as though they were an extension of their person. The Ogres usually operate alone when hunting, however they have taken to amassing in groups to attack human settlements. These attacks have caused the majority of humans in Aress and Pollut regions to congregate in larger cities with protection from the Ogres. The ogres make regular advances on the Ginnian, which the humans have completely taken over. Often more terrifying than the Ogre is the Uran; an expert predator that often preys on Ogres themselves. However, these creatures do not actively pursue humans unless one is mistaken for an Ogre within the forested areas and they only ever hunt alone. They are thought to be of the same evolutionary ancestry as the Ogres, possessing an ape-like form, but they only have a thin layer of hair and possess an extended brain case. Differences aside, the Uran are some of the most dangerous creatures known to man on North Thrine as they are dark-skinned and hunt by night, able to practically disguise every sound that they make.
Whilst the mountains of North Thrine aren't very high, they are frequent, especially in eastern Aress. These mountains are known to have extensive cave systems and large caverns that breed their own batch of strange creatures that might kill a human. The bug-eyed Dilton was thought to be sentient when humans first arrived as they possess knowledge of tools and demonstrate some sense of limited self-awareness, however their complete lack of understanding of techniques demonstrated even by the Ogres and the Uran suggests that the Dilton's mannerisms and capabilities are merely evolutionary tricks to adapt to the dark, watery caverns. These caverns are also home to the huge Altusaur, an immense creature thought to have pre-dated even the Nitidusaur. They are the size of whales and live within the very rock of the mountains. Many cave-systems are thought to have been made by burrowing Altusaurs. Though few still remain, Altusaur caves have been mistaken for normal caves frequently by human explorers and has led to many deaths as the Altusaur would engulf any trespassers. Little is really known about these immense creatures as so few wish to study them, including their dietary habits as so few creatures venture into those caves.
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South Thrine (Continent)
- See: South Thrine further down.
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The Hub (Continent)
- See: The Hub further down.
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Soda
The largest continent on the whole of Ducati, Soda is also the most heavily populated by humans. It's climate is similar to that of Dilliana Prima to the south of the equator, but the risk to human life is significantly lower. Generally temperate, with the exception of Stamcurt, Soda landscape is also quite consistent, having pockets of thick woodland and expansive fields of green grass and flowers. There is a great deal of agricultural land, farmed by the human populace, and a great of the planet's standard food groups are grown and bred on Soda. However Soda is also the most cultivated land to make it increasingly habitable by the invading humans and less so for the native animals and plants. Having introduced their own vegetation, such as potatoes, apple trees and oak trees, a lot of the native lifeforms have been pushed out. This has already led to extinction of many species, especially of plants and bugs. Yet, this has allowed for more openness of the human settlers and a much different culture. Yet, despite this culture amongst the people of Soda, the governments of Soda's four regions, Didian, Bild, Mantara and Stamcurt, are bitter rivals and politicians are some of the most heavily guarded personnel on the planet. They are also considered celebrities by Soda's inhabitants. Due to this rivalry, there is a thriving "Assassin business", which is actually managed by the government of Camarancurt, a region of Dilliana Prima.
The region of Bild is also known to have a strong naval force that is specifically tasked with preventing piracy and hunting known pirates, who generally operate out of Tessen where Bild has no jurisdiction. This has led to some strong tension between Bild and Tessen, but with Bild's need for the assassin's of Camarancurt, Bild has taken no steps against Tessen itself. During the "Traders' Season" of Dilliana Secunda, Bild is most busy fighting piracy. Didian is known for having great mountain ranges and one in particular; Mount Hessa, an active volcano on its way to dormancy. The creatures known as Dilton keep warm by bathing in the volcanoes hot springs and live in one of its caves. Didian also has the most direct shipping route to The Hub, the capital of the planet, more than any other region on the planet. The magnificent city of Castelle, located in Mantara, is also known as one of the most beautiful and successful cities in all of Ducati as it solely uses products made and found on Ducati, unlike older cities that still rely on technology that barely works any longer. Stamcurt has begun to use a specialised system of travel that is similar to teleportation. It breaks people down into atoms and then sends them along a wire, akin to telegraph poles, where they will rematerialise on the other end. This technology is very uncontrolled, temperamental and in the testing stages and is restricted to the area known as Darklin. This technology still runs off of simple fossil fuels and tidal energy rather than using the advanced technology left behind by their ancestors.
There is an expansive tram network that links all four regions of Soda. These trams travel at great speeds but are only built to carry small numbers of people to-and-from each stop, meaning that there are many trams on the system at once. Beyond flying, the trams are the fastest form of travel across the continent. No other continent has such a system, instead they expect citizens to use their own methods of transport. In Didian, the tram line links up both The Springs of the Eternal North and Nissa, the valley-based city that lies close to the river gateway to the sea and The Hub. It connects to Castelle in Mantara. Also in Mantara a city, Sillim-Perim, has been built around the tram system itself, raising up above it like a bridge, people living and working atop of the tram line. In Bild, the line passes close to the ocean, allowing officials to quickly reach the 'front lines' for the war on pirates.
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Flora & Fauna
Acinonyx
The Acinonyx is a cheetah-like creature that bears a resemblance to the extinct giant cheetah of Earth. These acinonyx can be found on Dilliana Prima, across all three regions of Camarancurt, Tessen and Hetel. They prey mostly on the Rusa, a deer-like animal that is often bred by the human populace as its own food-source. The human arrival on Dilliana Prima has put the acinonyx under serious threat as its primary food source is taken by the humans for both its meat and fur. However the acinonyx has been saved from certain extinction by becoming useful to the human invaders, able to be tamed and used in a variety of 'guard duty' ways replacing the dog of Earth. They are also excellent for herding farm-rusa.
The acinonyx stands as tall as a lion and for its greater bulk sacrifices some of the speed and agility the Earth-based cheetahs have. They can still outrun a Rusa on a clear field, however, which is where the rusa are most commonly found. They have elongated fangs, similar to the extinct sabre-toothed tiger of Earth, that allow it to grip onto its prey with ease. Most tamed acinonyx have these fangs shaved down yearly, though many underworld and top-most politicians or businessmen are known to keep their acinonyx's fangs intact for intimidation.
Before humans, the acinonyx was the top-most predator on Dilliana Prima and makes no effort at camouflage against the verdant backdrop of the continent, having striking yellow fur. They live in small packs and hunt as a group, trying to pick off straddlers from a fleeing rusa herd. They will, however, hunt humans travelling across the land without protection of a vehicle.
Altusaur
Little is truly known about the Altusaur as they are neigh impossible to accurately study, especially for the current residents of Ducati. What is known is that they are humongous worm-like creatures with large jaws. They have been identified as most probably being giant lizards, a fashion of dinosaur, that existed in a prior world state, similar to the Nitidusaur. They burrow into mountains, creating a lot of the cave networks seen all over the globe, and lay dormant for hundreds of years. What they consume for food during that time is unknown, but they are known to eat any trespassers including many explorers. The Altusaur can feel, see or somehow sense those that trespass as they will strike out of the darkness suddenly and without hesitation, the unfortunate victim not even aware that the gigantic creature may be present further down the dark cave. Not much has been determined about the creatures other than the sheer number of tiny teeth within the large jaws of the creature, their 'squinting eyes' and foul stench.
They live at least over two hundred years as many Altusaurs discovered during early exploration of the planet have been revealed to still live after several generations of humans have passed. Most suppose that they live for thousands of years. The only survivors of Altusaur attacks are lucky or were with someone else that was consumed instead, allowing the survivor to escape. They are unfazed by bullets or laser weapons. Whilst they are found all over the planet, the largest concentration of them is on the continent of North Thrine in Aress.
Candle Tree
The Candle Tree is named for its aesthetic appearance. The trees grow only on Dilliana Secunda, where they are colloquially known as "Torchwoods". While they are trees, they are not trees by normal modern standards. In fact they are lycopodiopsida, a division of moss, and are considered a type of plant that would have been an evolutionary stage in the leap from ancient plant life to the modern day variety. Why these "moss trees" still exist on Dilliana Secunda has eluded the scientists of Ducati since they first colonised the planet, though many suggest it has something to do with the Intertropical Convergence Zone, otherwise known as the doldrums, which causes the entire continent to be classified as a tropical rainforest. The candle trees have adapted specifically to react to the rainfall and will spread its spore instantly after a particularly heavy storm.
This spore is released from large cones, which are edible to humans prior to them actively releasing spore. After that they become poisonous. However the spore itself is also highly dangerous to humans as it is incredibly thick and will clog the lungs, forcing humans to wear breathing masks when outdoors when heavy rains are due. Most buildings are air-tight, allowing people to breathe within their own homes and places of work, however the poorer people are unable to afford the structural specifications for an air-tight building meaning they must wear their masks almost all day and night. Many lower class citizens of Chiantino and Chiantia, the two regions of Dilliana Secunda, die by middle-age due to the candle tree spore.
The cones make for an easy income, for both internal trade and export. They are sold as food internally, but externally they are used in various minor medicines.
Cassis
The Cassis fish is known to be highly poisonous, but the poison produced is also virtually undetectable. They produce toxin through their skin when they feel prolonged contact, making the poison easy to extract by humans. This defence mechanism is highly effective against would be predators, such as the Elly or even a hungry Acinonyx. However the Elly is likewise poisonous, generating venom through a bite and killing the cassis. The elly does have an internal antitoxin to the cassis fish, but it is not the most effective system and can be mere luck that saves an elly from death.
The Cassis fish is unique in that is can only be found in one inland sea of Ducati; Sky Ocean in the region of Camarancurt on Dilliana Prima. The fish would appear like any other fish on Earth, appearing in aesthetics and size similar to the rainbow trout. They congregate in shoals, loose groups in which each fish acts independently but will return to its group for protection and comfort. They are known to be passive creatures that eat microscopic phytoplankton (which are near identical to those on Earth).
It is these phytoplankton that give the cassis fish its poisonous quality. They are stored in an organ similar to the liver where they're broken down and eventually excreted. The effect of generating the toxin through touch is the premature excretion of the toxin stored in this second liver. The fish produces a chemical that allows it to separate the toxin from its own blood stream, containing the toxin within the liver until excretion. It is this chemical that also gives the human extractors the anti-toxin for the poison, which is then kept in large quantities by most governors of Dilliana Prima.
Chalice
The chalice creature was named for its chalice-like shape, holding water descended from the heavens. Originally thought to be a plant, researchers revealed that the chalices are actually colony animals that clump together to form a solid structure that resembles porous rock. The chalice grows roots under the ground, the reason for the initial plant belief, where the creatures main sensory mechanisms are located. The chalice then expands above ground, spreading out to form a cup-shape that collects rainfall. This is the main source of water for the animal colony, the organs for filtering the water being at the base of the chalice, just prior to the roots below ground. Small animal life is encouraged to spawn and grow within the chalice, from micro-cellular animals, to small insects or even tiny fish. The dead animals that then drift to the bottom and edges of the chalice are eventually broken down as food by digestive enzymes on the inner side of the chalice. This gives the inside a slippery and slimey texture.
The outside of the chalice feels cold to the touch as it is slightly damp. Micro pores allows some of the water to be released from the chalice, both to regulate the amount of water contained within it but also to keep itself cool and the outer cells alive.
When a chalice reaches a certainly level of 'maturity', it begins to release larvae into its own basin. These larvae can live there for several weeks before they either die or are eaten by the animals and insects. If they die they are digested again by the chalice itself. When a chalice gets old, it will eventually break apart and split, releasing water in every direction. This causes the larvae to spill and spread out in all directions. Using this water the larvae stands a chance of becoming a whole new chalice. The larvae will use its own internal organs and nervous system to begin the process of transforming into a motionless animal, burying under the ground and settling. As soon as the majority of the original larvae is consumed, it will begin to expand downwards and upwards, replicating itself until it has formed the familiar chalice-look.
These chalice creatures are found throughout the world, taking on different evolutionary traits depending on their surroundings. Many are seen throughout North Thrine, especially within the swampland regions were there are fewer trees to contend with for rainfall. The most significant of variants are those found in the desert-like regions of South Thrine and Siran. These chalices are squat, but wider than other breeds of chalice due to the low-level rainfall. However they also have underground water reserves, a lot of which is drawn up through the roots, like with plants, and stored within this reservoir. This doesn't help with food, as the water is filtered before it reaches this reservoir, however it helps the colony to survive through the harsh dry weather.
Coeus
The Coeus are considered an endangered species due to their incredibly low numbers. They are found in just two locations on the planet, Bex and the Darklin of Stamcurt, which are frozen deserts with very little life beyond the fish under the ice and on the coasts. They are tall creatures, up to nine feet, with tall, broad legs. They appear almost robotic from a distance as are their movements. They have keratin armour coating their bodies, making them very tough and durable. Around the box-like body the keratin comes in large complete plates, whilst their legs have smaller keratin scales, allowing them to be more flexible. They have squat faces, which consist of a mouth and two beady eyes. From this mouth extends a very long, razor-sharp tongue that skewers fish. It is flexible but can tighten and brace for a forcible impact, breaking through ice and striking a fish with pin-point accuracy. Whilst their only diet is fish, they can be territorial, especially of anything non-coeus. They will attack other creatures, including humans, by stamping on them. However they will not give chase beyond the confines of its own territory and will do nothing with the body they kill, leaving it to be covered by the ice.
Dilton
Once believed to be sentient by the arriving humans, dilton's have since been seen as deceptively dumb. Able to use various tools and once seeming to possess a degree of self-awareness, human researchers have come to believe that the dilton have simply adapted well to their surroundings rather than possess any real higher intelligence. They are comparable in intelligence as the larger Ogres and much less than the terrifying Uran.
They live within the watery caverns of North Thrine, though they have also been seen on Soda, suggesting the continents were once one. Their eyes are overly large, bulging and reflect the light; allowing them to see in the darkness of the caves. They use rocks to bash the life from cave fish and only dark-dwelling creatures. They also catch and kill Lites, small firefly-like bugs that glow even after death, and use them to illuminate small areas of their cavern-homes. Those that live in Soda have been known to bathe in hot-springs around the dormant volcano Mount Hessa.
They lives in large communities within the caves and are considered as a positive presence by explorers as the dilton rarely venture close to the more deadly Altusaur, another breed of cave-dweller. Although shy creatures, some have become accustomed to humans as their caves are contained within the human city of Trinity. These dilton will scavenge from humans, stealing from bins.
Elly
The Elly is a small cat-like creature with soft black fur. Their sense of smell, sight and hearing are considered some of the most adept on the planet. It is because of their superior senses that scientists speculate they survived across the ages, being one of the first small predatory mammals to become successful. They will actively hunt small rodents, fish and birds and have even been known to eat small lizards. They are masters of stealth, hiding in tall grass and waiting patiently for as long as it needs to.
They live on the continent of Dilliana Prima, mostly concentrated in the region of Hetel, however they have been introduced to the Soda continent by human explorers who first sought to domesticate the small ellies. However it was soon discovered that the animals have a strong venom to their bite, which will kill an average human male in an instant. Because of this, plans to domesticate were dropped and, instead, the larger and visibly more deadly Acinonyx was domesticated. The ellies prefer the Hetel climate due to its temperate conditions all year round, which promote rodents to remain active all year-round, not hibernating, and birds don't migrate.
An elly will attack larger animals, such as the acinonyx or Rusa, if they feel threatened by the creature. This has also happened to many travellers across Dilliana Prima and the anti-venom is a highly sought commodity in Hetel, though it requires instant application if a bite is sustained. Then it's a matter of luck.
The ellies that live in Camarancurt have been known to attack the Cassis fish, another poisonous animal, an event that often results in the death of both animals. The elly does, however, have an internal anti-toxin to the cassis poison but it is not very effective and may still result in the death of the elly. Therefore the elly will only attack a cassis fish in desperation for food, and not as a standard diet.
Hi-alts
The "hi-alts" are High-Altitude microbes that exist within the upper end of the Troposphere, the section of the atmosphere that produces cloud. The most significant microbes here are the methanogens, microbes that produce methane which gives the planet it's outer layer of methane and the rich blue colour.
Their light density allows them to float on the air, raising them to the highest levels where the air is in thick concentration. It is there that they release their methane. They are also ice-nuclei, meaning ice will form around them so they will fall, then heat up again. Through this method, they are rapidly dispersed across the planet, promoting change. They consume complex hydrocarbons that are blown up by the hot tropical winds, and produce methane as the after product. Gases raised by active volcanoes are also used by these hi-alts.
Kurma
The Kurma are huge Atlas Tortoise-like creatures that, like tortoises, have an exoskeleton (shell) that they can draw their limbs into. They are thought to be a late prehistoric reptile, evolving long after the Altusaur already existed. Some speculate that they are derived from the same common ancestor as the Nitidusaur, a species that can be found on the continent of North Thrine. The Kurma, however, are native to Soda, especially the great grassy fields of Mantara. Despite being reptilian, the Kurma are quite bird-like in appearance beneath their shell, and even have a flat-fronted beak. Yet they still have teeth, which they use for grinding down grass. They are slow-moving and simple-minded. Their protective shells have made the kurma incredibly docile, they don't recognise danger and will only retract themselves into their exoskeleton if struck with significant force. Since the arrival of humans, the Kurma have been domesticated and used as a food source. As herd animals, they make for easy breeding and maintenance.
The colouration of these creatures is similar to those on Earth, dark green skin with a mottled brown-green shell. Their beaks are brown and their large eyes are brown too. Their shell is humped, extending upwards far more than any Earth-based tortoise. When killed and opened for the meat, it is found that the beast inside is shaped this way, having a great store of meat and fat in its hump. Complete with hump these Kurma are as tall as two full-grown men, approximately twelve feet high. They are birthed in tiny eggs and emergence as small as a man's finger. However they grow at a rapid rate, being a foot high after just one year.
Some humans have taken to using kurma as beasts of burden or even riding them. Whilst this is an incredibly slow method of transport, they are capable of supporting an incredible amount of weight with their shells. Farmers of kurma often use Acinonyx to herd the beasts, a giant cat-like creature. One very unusual feat of the kurma is a repellent smell that they can exude as an ooze from within their shells. It is assumed that this is vomit mixed with some internal chemical that they excrete when terrified. However as docile as they are, examples of this are incredibly rare. It was first observed by a herd of kurma during some weapons testing in the area, the loud noises and lights sending the unfortunate beasts into a complete state of panic.
The kurma are often seen alongside Reeps, fat birds that often hitch rides on the back of kurma shells. Some believe that the reeps originally sought shelter amongst the kurma from predators and that relationship never dwindled, despite the lack of major predators on Soda. Humans often herd both creatures at once, giving farmers double-sources of income as the birds are a popular food source too.
Lite
This small creatures are, astonishingly, humanoid. Their resemblance to fairies is striking and many believe that it no mere coincidence with all manner of wild theories to explain the issue. Despite being humanoid, and appearing much like fairies, the Lites are incapable of speech or higher-thought. They glow incredibly bright during the night, coming out into the open much like fireflies, and flutter around bodies of water. They are attracted to other light sources as they navigate by moonlight. Lites have been known to hurt themselves on bright lights and fires.
Although all lites appear female, having effeminate aesthetics and breasts for child-rearing, they are, in fact, split into male and female. On sight the easiest way to tell is the size of the hips, females having larger hips for child-birth. They all have hair just like humans, however theirs is coloured varying shades of blue, green or grey. Their wings are large, comparatively, and bug-like and they make a very distinctive jingle when fluttering, a sound that is believed to be a kind of communication between the animals and often used for mating. Their wings are large enough and beat so quickly to lift up the heavy body, moving in ways similar to bees of Earth, which manipulate vortices allowing for advanced, though often clumsy, flight.
As their bodies glow in the dark, they prove useful light sources. First used by the Dilton, simplistic ape-like creatures, humans imitated this use, especially in the hot springs surrounding Mount Hessa. The lites maintain their glow for several nights even after death, so many are simply killed and piled up to make large temporary lanterns. However, many have taken them in as pets and maintain them so that they also provide an extra light source during the night hours. Lites, like several others creatures on Ducati, come in several sub-species throughout the whole planet and are one of the most common small mammals.
Mantis
A type of plant only found on North Thrine and one of the most deadly to humans. Due to the abundance of trees on North Thrine, nutrients from the soil are difficult to come by for smaller plants and shrubs. This has forced many to evolve in various ways, one of which is to eat animals. Whilst most are small, waiting for insects to land upon them, the Mantis plant stands as tall as a man, roughly six feet. They are named Mantis' by the human populace due to their aesthetics being similar to the mantis insects of Earth.
Their roots extend broadly under the ground and are incredibly sensitive to vibrations. They are able to detect the size, weight, pressure and exact position of any animal that strays over these roots; which is often a radius of two metres. When the mantis roots detect likely prey, which can be as large as ten foot in height, the stem will snap in the appropriate direction and the large head will snap. This head is very broad and its clutch is similar to being crushed by two boulders. They are also known to latch onto something and not let go, similar to crabs on Earth. This has led to the deaths of several mantis plants when they snap on falling debris, such as trees, and are unable to release it. They slowly digest animals. Rodents can be easily broken down within the gullet of the 'head', whilst a larger animal leaves the mantis extended and clamped, digesting it bit by bit. The mantis has a very specific class of enzyme that specialises in breaking down bone and cartilage, allowing the plant to use all resources available to it from an animal.
They are coloured brown, as green would stand out. Only their upper leaves are green, the rest is camouflaged against the tree trunks and dead leaves of the woodland. Their usual prey can be anything from a large Ogres to a small rodent. They will not attack broader creatures, however, such as the Nitidusaur as they are too thick for the mantis to devour or even cling to. Many human explorers found themselves victims to these carnivorous plants until they were recorded and studied, allowing the knowledgeable to spot them. One of the greatest concentrations of mantis was once found in Ginnian before humans settled the area and culled the dangerous plant. However it is common to find them all along the Ginnian border, making travel outside of the region incredibly dangerous when doubled with threats from Ogres and Uran.
Nitidusaur
The large herbivore is one of the oldest species known on Ducati. Once the continents of North Thrine, South Thrine and South Thrine's accompanying islands, made up one large continent and it is believed that under these conditions the Nitidusaur first evolved. The world was dominated by herbivores, the warm currents of the Thrinian Ocean allowed a great deal of plant life to grow. However the landscape was changing and the trees were rapidly spreading across the landscape, taking up more and more land and killing the simple plant life like grass. Along with the trees came moss, which the Nitidusaur had adapted to, making moss its primary source of nourishment. Due to this, the Nitidusaur survived where so many other herbivores slowly died out. Unfortunately now the Nitidusaurs are also dying out as they are seen as the primary source of food by several carnivores on North Thrine, including the Ogres and even the Uran.
The nitidusaur are broad, rotund creatures that walk on all fours. Although they are classed as 'saur', the nitidusaur are not true reptiles but a strange mammalian-reptile cross. They are cold-blooded, lay eggs and have large grey scales, but they are built like hippopotamus of Earth and have a thin layer of fur growing from their scales. Their head elongate, similar to a horse. Despite their cold blood, they have a thick layer of fat that helps to keep them warmer for longer and serves to help with movement during winter. They travel in small herds through the woodland, often close to swamplands of North Thrine. They are often prey to ogres, sometimes uran but also the Winrets, which feed on them around the swamplands. Although the Winrets will attack Nitidusaur, they much prefer to wait for old, dying ones to feed on. If they do attack, they will seek the younger Nitidusaur. Although not able to defend very well against the small, nimble Winrets, the Nitidusaur will put up a fair fight against any Ogre or Uran. As the Uran are a lot smarter than the Ogres, they prefer not to hunt Nitidusaur unless desperate or given an easy opportunity.
Ogre
The ogre of North Thrine are gorilla-like creatures but larger and less intelligent. They have much longer and shabbier hair than gorillas, longer arms and smaller brain cases. Their jaws are much larger, however, allowing them to tear off a human's head with their mouths. Incredibly strong, agile and fast, the ogre use the woodland as though it were an extension of themselves.
They live in family units controlled by an alpha male. These groups will rarely contain more than ten. They tend to hunt alone, one solitary male bringing back food for the entire family. However they have learnt to attack human settlements in groups, allowing a family to feed for months on a slaughtered hamlet. This attitude forced the humans into the larger cities, which were more protected against such tactics. The ogres, however, have yet to learn not to attack these settlements and will frequently lash themselves in entire packs against the city walls. These attacks and the surrounding dangers have led to expert guardsmen and lead to many new Imperium Rangers.
The ogre are the primary predators on the continent, hunting any and all others. However the superior brain power of the Uran make the ogre a viable food source for this second ape-like creature, yet the uran does not measure up physically with the ogre should they meet in combat. Although capable of clinging to trees, the ogre have little to fear beyond the humans or the uran and so their dens are built on the ground. Although not regularly caught by them, ogre have been known to be attacked and eaten by the Mantis plant.
Oleomithrax
The Oleomithrax are gigantic crab-like creatures that dwell in the shallow seas located around the islands of Cooks, Siran, Gontowan and South Thrine. However their young are rumoured to be birthed in the depths of the Thrinian Ocean before working their way to the richer food sources that the islands provide.
At maturity, these enormous beasts reach up to one-hundred metres (328 feet), however the body itself is small by comparison to the huge, elongated legs that make-up much of its height. They have a mass of tendrils that hang from the beast's body to the seabed where it will taste for plankton and other small creatures. However they also have five "major pincers" that protrude from the body in radial symmetry, along with its ten legs. The creature's mouth faces downwards, whilst hundreds of eyes are distributed upon the top of the exoskeleton (shell) and underneath. This means that the oleomithrax has no 'forwards or backwards' and is able to stride in any direction without orientation issues.
Its eyes are not as efficient as human eyes, needing so many to make up for poor function, though are are used to simply build-up a general idea of the landscape around them as well as the shift between light and dark.
The oleomithrax are incredibly valuable. The inner soft flesh is used for industrial purposes, including oil. It is also used in food and cosmetics. The exoskeleton is used in high-quality furniture as a polished veneer, similar to tortoise-shell on Earth. It is often found as a finish on counters or executive desks. In some elaborate offices, it can be found as polished flooring. In The tendrils are mushed up and used as food for tamed Acinonyx. In the ship-city of Siran's Hope, the oleomithrax exoskeleton can be seen used all over, from things such as hard-hats to street lamps.
It is mostly people from Siran's Hope that hunt the oleomithrax, this being the greatest export the city has to offer and bringing in a large amount of capital. It was once an ordinary ship that eventually settled and stopped off of the coast of Siran, where it derived its name. Eventually the population grew and more was added around the ship, built using oleomithrax exoskeleton as structural support under the water, encasing and preserving the wood used as stilts. The hunt for the oleomithrax is a major operation and the death rate is relatively high. It is uncommon for a hunting party to return with all of the hunters alive.
They must travel underwater, using a submersible to sail and lower themselves. However minimal damage to the oleomithrax is necessary, so the use of major weaponry like mounted cannons to the submersible are impossible. A hunting team must wear diving suits and walk across the sea-bed to the target oleomithrax and fire up a high-powered harpoon towards the beast's mouth. The harpoon is so incredibly powerful and fast it has been known for a man to accidentally be wrenched up in the drag. However the task is additionally dangerous as the oleomithrax' tendrils will cut and slice at anyone directly beneath it, which is how many hunters meet their end or wind up injured. However, should a harpoon miss, the oleomithrax may recognise a threat and use its huge pincers to grab and grope at the humans around it, or even the submersible itself. After the oleomithrax is brought down, a second major operation will begin. Much of the internal flesh of the creature is ruined and even poisoned by the sea water, so an air-shield must be brought in. These are old shields once used on Imperium ships that orbited and protected Ducati, however it is not the defensive energy shield that the ships used but the secondary shield that encompassed the ship and held in the air, allowing docking bays to be exposed to space. These shields were taken to the planet long ago, shortly after the fuel and technology to maintain the Imperium ships was lost. The initial air is high-pressure to force the sea water out of the domed shield before regulating to standard human conditions. The operation then becomes similar to mining and miners must deconstruct the beast for easy transport to the surface, using laser tools and heavy machinery to demolish the oleomithrax. This can take several weeks to complete.
Reep
Although there are many sub-species of Reeps found all over the planet, the most common species is found on Soda where they are farmed and sold as food. They have been sold to farmers across the globe from here, giving the reep bird a niche in most regions of Ducati. They are very fat birds with large wings. These wings, being so large, allow the bird to raise fly despite its weight. However it can only manage to get up to twenty feet from the ground and can only travel short distances before it is worn out. Their feathers are grey and white and their beaks are short but pointed, adept for eating seeds and small bugs. Their most unusual feature is that they have just one large eye on the front of their stubby heads. It is believed that this is a freak of evolution, a mere chance of a genetic defect passing so wildly amongst the reep population.
In the region of Mantara herds of Kurma are known to travel along with reeps. The reeps are often found hitching rides on the backs of these kurma and it is believed that the fat birds sought protection amongst the kurma herd from long extinct or depleted predators. Farmers often farm both of these creatures together, giving the farmer double the income as the kurma serve as a popular food source too.
Rusa
The Rusa are a deer-like creature that stands as tall as a male moose, but its fur is short and coarse. The most distinguishable feature of a Rusa is the large horn upon its head, which grows from the back of the head and follows the curve of the skull to protrude like a spike from the Rusa's forehead. These are quite long and are used by both male and female Rusa during mating rituals and combat. They do use their horns as a last resort against predators, such as the Acinonyx, but prefer to flee into woodland as a primary means of escape. Their powerful legs, and the large build of the Acinonyx, makes the Rusa more agile than the predator but the Acinonyx is faster on the open fields of Dilliana Prima, where the Rusa often graze. They will pack tightly when fleeing from predators, making them harder to pick off.
Due to the length of the horn, Rusa prefer to graze in long-grass fields. Yet their long necks and down-turned heads mean that they could manage to eat from a short-grassed field with little trouble.
Their fur also has a green tint to what is otherwise brown. This makes them harder to spot at a distance, adding to their defence against would-be hunters and predators. This effect only works if the Rusa stands still, and they are known to suddenly freeze if they believe a threat is nearby, using their keen hearing and sense of smell to better detect anything non-Rusa.
Many Rusa are specifically bred by the human population of Dilliana Prima as a food source. They are kept on Rusa farms and herded by tamed Acinonyx. To keep them penned in, as the Rusa have a great jump, the farmers make the walls ten foot high and made from wood. These farms are normally fields long as the Rusa fare poorly in small surroundings and the meat gained is poor quality, plus they would rarely yield offspring due to stress. These Rusa are also fatter than their wild counterparts, making them slower and less agile. However they have still been known to attempt to jump the ten-foot walls when herding Acinonyx arrive, with no success.
Uran
The uran are the most intelligent creatures native to Ducati but they are only found on the North Thrine continent. They are the only species to deliberately hunt the brutish Ogre, another ape-like mammal from the same continent. The uran spend the majority of their time in the treetops of Aress and Pollut, where they create nests for their young and stalk their prey. They have exceptional hearing, sight and agility, making them incredible hunters in the forests of North Thrine, able to overcome the much stronger ogre and even Humans. For many early years of human colonisation on Ducati, colonist deaths caused by the uran were often mistakenly credited to the ogres.
Unlike the ogres, however, the uran do not actively attack human settlements on the continent as they are able to better weigh the risks and understand their own limitations when facing the settlement walls, building and the humans themselves. They will, however, hunt humans travelling through the forests, seeing weakness in small numbers and in an area where they excel at stealth. Imperium Rangers are often hired to hunt and kill uran young, which has caused a great crash in their numbers since human arrival on the planet. They are thought to share a common ancestor with both the ogres and the Dilton, despite the vast differences between the three species. Their main diet consists of the Nitidusaur and the ogre but they have been seen eating anything from Mantis plants to Winrets.
Winret
There are various species of Winret found all over Ducati, from the swamps of North Thrine to Allente and Dilliana Prima. They are large flying insects, as big as a man's head, that feed off of blood from mammals or reptiles. They pierce the skin with a needle-like tongue hidden within their jaws, which strikes at an incredible rate; able to puncture even a Human skull. The needle itself then draws in the blood, which travels up through veins contained within the hard bone-needle. They are more commonly found in swamp areas as the warm, wet conditions make for excellent breeding grounds and growth of larvae to caterpillar to chrysalis and then adult. When in caterpillar form, they will eat other insects, small fish and fouled remains of dead creatures within the swamp. Even as a caterpillar they are the same size as the adult winret. Both the larvae and the chrysalis dwell within the swamp water, sheltered from the elements, birds and other swamp creatures. However they are sometimes eaten by other caterpillar winrets that are desperate for food.
Adult winrets are known to attack all manner of mammals without concern, from the huge Nitidusaur to Ogres and even the human populace of Ducati. They swarm an animal and overpower it with their constant needle strikes, a swarm being able to overpower the large, hippo-like Nitidusaur with relative ease. They will normally only attempt a kill once a day and an average human would feed a large number of winrets. Winret numbers have increased since human's arrival on the planet and, unlike most other dangerous animals of North Thrine, the humans have had difficulties culling the winrets due to the poor conditions of the swamps and the large numbers of the deadly insects.
There is one sub-species of winret on Dilliana Prima, within the Hetel region, that lives entirely on water alone. Their needle-tongues have softened and lap up great amounts of water; far more than the amount of blood other winrets drink. Some farmers of Hetel deliberately allow these water winrets to live on their land as their caterpillars still eat insects, which would have damaged crops.
Major Natural Landmarks
Aress Lake
The Aress Lake, named after the region that it exists in, is a well-known natural landmark for traders using the Trinity space port. As Trinity is the only space port on the whole of North Thrine, other regions, including Ginnian, must travel through Aress and use its trails. The Aress Lake is found on the route from Ginnian to Trinity and makes for a convenient marker, however it can also be dangerous as many animals are known to use the lake for drinking. Humans must first boil the water of this lake before drinking from it as it contains a high concentration of bacteria that human stomachs can't handle.
The lake itself is the largest in North Thrine and is surrounded by Chalices, making for a dynamic scene for traders despite the dangers surrounding the lake.
Darklin
The Darklin is an area very much like an arctic desert. Set out in Stamcurt, a region of Soda, there is very little life and no rainfall for the majority of the year. The area is freezing, with a blanket of permafrost. The area is largely uninhabited, save for the survey station that observes the 'teleportation experiment'. This is often known as the Darklin Experiment. The teleportation requires nodes, through which organic matter can be sent as molecules. It requires a huge amount of energy to perform and the results are often negative. The Darklin is also known as a home for the Coeus, a tall beast with keratin armour and a long tongue to snare fish under the ice. Only two places in the world have these creatures and they are considered an endangered species due to their incredibly low numbers.
Kemadi Line
The Kemadi Line is a mountain range that runs north-to-south on the continent of North Thrine. It runs through the south of Aress into the north of Pollut. It is believed this range formed when the outcrop of the continent, which is cut in two by the regions, was once a separate island that collided with North Thrine.
In any case, the Kemadi Line is famous for the high number of Altusaur that still exist in the mountains' many caverns. Whilst the Altusaur exist all over the planet, especially on North Thrine, their numbers are much higher in this particular range though the reasons for this are unknown. Some bandits are known to use the mountains to hide from authorities as they know the altusaur spots and, therefore, which caves are safe and which are not.
Mount Hessa
Mount Hessa is an active volcano, located in the Didian region of Soda, though it only has a mild lava flow and scientists believe it is well on its way to becoming dormant. However the lava flow still raises the temperature of the area and has produced incredibly fertile soil that has given life to a large animal population and vegetation. Around the mountain's base are its famous hot springs, pools of hot or warm waters that are ideal for bathing in. The idea was first seen by the ape-like Dilton species that live in the warm caverns of the mountain. They would travel down from their homes during the winter to soak in the hot waters of the hot springs, inspiring the human colonists to follow suit. Also mimicking the dilton, humans began to use Lites to illuminate their springs during the night. However, unlike the dilton, they didn't need to kill the lites and keep them as pets, feeding and grooming them for continual use.
The most famous of these hot springs is known as The Springs of the Eternal North, where many infamous politicians and major gangsters alike gather. The volcano once erupted every five-hundred years, however it has been over seven-hundred since the last eruption. There are warning systems set up all over the mountain for the benefit of those in the hot springs, however few are truly prepared for such an eventuality, disbelieving it is even possible for another eruption any more. There is a small mining operation around the peak of the mountain that gathers up rare minerals from a very particular hot spring that is far too acidic for people to bathe in.
Sharpes Sea
Sharpes Sea, once "Sharpe's" now abbreviated, is the body of water between the continents of Soda to the north and Dilliana Prima and Secunda to the south. This sea is normally the stretch where the Intertropical Convergence Zone, otherwise named doldrums, covers. Much like on Earth, the doldrums causes erratic weather patterns from torrential downpours to windless stills. The doldrums runs straight over Dilliana Secunda, which mostly results in frequent thunderstorms and rain for the continent. However during the winter months there is a short period where the Intertropical Convergence Zone moves southwards, still raining upon the southern region, Chiantia, but leaves the north region, Chiantino and Sharpes Sea completely free from rain or storms. Whilst this would mean death for any sail-based ship, it is a prime opportunity for any powered vessel to make incredibly fast and trips to and from Chiantino, which has a large export industry for dyes and medicinal ingredients due to the continent's unique and varied plant life. This means that Sharpes Sea sees a great deal of activity during this time, known as "Traders' Season". However there is also a lot of pirate activity in the area, especially during this very same period.
Tessen, the northern-most region of Dilliana Prima is a haven to pirates and smugglers, allowing the region to avoid high taxes on imported goods. However this interferes with the trade run by Bild, the southern-most region of Soda. As Bild cannot outright condemn Tessen, tension has grown between the two regions and an unofficial war is raged between the two on Sharpes Sea as the naval forces of Bild chase and hunt down pirates and smugglers. This is incredibly dangerous work for both sides as the doldrums can be tricky and unpredictable and many have lost their lives in sudden and freak storms. This includes the Admiral Sharpe, from whom the sea earns its name.
Sky Ocean
The Sky Ocean is the largest known inland sea in the world. The name is short for the full title "The Ocean of the Sky", which was entitled after the first explorers rose over a mountain to see nothing but sky below them, as it was being reflected off of the still surface of the water. The saline water of the inland sea is perfect for the Cassis fish to live and thrive; this being the only location that the poisonous fish can be found.
The sea is located in Camarancurt on the continent of Dilliana Prima. The name "ocean" was used by the original explorers but came under attack from scientists as it was misleading. However the name stuck in common use. Some of the local wildlife of Dilliana Prima have adapted to the inland sea so that they can drink from it, despite the high salt content.
Thrinian Ocean
The Thrinian Ocean is the body of saline water that separates the Allente continent from the continents of North and South Thrine. The central point of the ocean is heated up by the sun, all along the equator. This forced the warm water away, pushing it north and south. These currents warm up the North Thrine continent, which led to its abundance in life and such wild variety. Likewise the southern current heats the region of Allentia, which would otherwise be a constant arctic tundra. The ocean is known for its abundance of varied sea-life and it is commonly believed that Oleomithrax are born and grow in the depths of this ocean before moving to the more hospitable low-level ocean amongst the islands off of South Thrine, Cooks, Siran and Gontowan.
Sentients
Humans
- See also: Human
The humans of Ducati are not native to the planet but settled on it several generations back. They were brought there by an Imperium colonisation program, having originated in a different universe altogether. They come in all manner of creeds and culture, having spread out across the whole planet. Advanced technology is known and used, but of little use to the majority of civilians on Ducati as the main source of work is still farming. Medicine is one of the most well-developed of all sciences on the world, as well as the art of cultivation. As there are dangerous animals that consider humans to be a good source of food, few humans will venture too far from settlements outside of vehicles. Travel, therefore, is less likely to occur event between neighbouring towns; meaning families are, whilst not immediately, incestuous with extended family couplings being common.
Draken
- Main article: Draken
Draken are the predecessors of the Draconic Constructs made by Ex Draconis. There are also five elements of these Constructs, each named in a language long forgotten, along with the civilisation that made them. These constructs were meant as servants to their masters, created to enjoy working and serving others. However, when the fall of this former civilisation came about, the remaining Draken needed new masters and a small group found these on the planet of Ducati, a world belonging to The Imperium. They were taken on by the magickal floating city of Kion, their ability to become dragons utilised for various tasks needed on the city. They have become integrated on Kion as a standard and accepted part of society, having various positions and roles in businesses, industries and households.
Politics
Regions
Bex
Bex is one of just two major continents that is considered a region all of its own, the other being South Thrine. Isolated from the rest from the world, Bex is little more than an inhospitable frozen wasteland. Much of the island is actually ice, making it incredibly dangerous, and the only food to be had is fish cold-water fish that pass by the coast of the island, or directly under the ice. There is a large research station, long abandoned, that was once used by the initial colonists to research the continent and the effects it had on the rest of Ducati. Since the planet lost its importance, so did the need for research and the effort was dropped and the base abandoned. Looters have long since stolen all small items, from weapons to food stuffs and even the medical supplies, however the base does still provide for a good hiding spot from the eyes of all governments of Ducati. Since the region is still classed as a region, it requires a ceremonial governor, however this role is considered more of a punishment than a positive thing as nothing is produced in Bex and there is now wealth or power to be gained. The governor himself actually lives in The Hub, the capital of Ducati. There is just one animal that lives on this continent, the Coeus. This tall mammal has thick keratin armour covering its body and has a long, razor-sharp tongue for snaring fish under the ice or in shallow pools on the outskirts of the island.
Aress
The central-most region of North Thrine, Aress is dominated by forest and wild animals dangerous to Humans that colonised the landscape. Aress has a great abundance of life, aided by the warm waters of the Thrinian Ocean which is heated during its travels from the equator. Once Aress had many human settlements, however regular attacks by the fearsome Ogres, a massive ape-like creature, have forced the remaining population into just four pockets of the region; creating the cities of Manns, Trinity, Monet and Petem. These have become some of the largest cities on the planet and are some of the most heavily guarded due to the animal presence. Under these conditions, it is known that many of the Imperium Rangers have been from one of these four cities.
The Aress landscape is coated by forest, patched by mountains and swampland. The mountains are large and come in clusters where former tectonic movements have caused the land to bunch. One large mountain range known as the Kemadi Line runs through south Aress into northern Pollut. The mountains of Ducati are home to the mysterious Altusaur, but the majority of them live within the mountains of Aress and, in particular, the Kemadi Line. The many swamps of Aress are home to the dangerous Winrets that attack and feed on the blood of animals, including humans venturing into the swamps. As well as the swamps, there are several lakes in the north-east of Aress, one resembling a small inland sea simply named Aress Lake. While the south of Aress borders Pollut, the north borders the small region of Ginnian.
Ginnian
Ginnian is one of the smallest regions of Ducati, but is so densely populated that it requires a very different governmental system than that of Aress or Pollut, the two more southern regions of North Thrine. Being more narrow than the rest of North Thrine, Ginnian was easier to survey, map and exploit; revealing an abundance in coal, sandstone, iron, aluminium and even oil off of the coast. The human population sharply rose so that these resources could be gathered, eventually striking up three huge cityscapes that dominate most of the region to a point that they are often considered one city-state known as Ginnian City. Refineries, warehouses, ports and all manner of factories are common sights and the region is the biggest polluter on the planet. Guardsmen from Aress cities are often hired to defend the borders against the wild animals of North Thrine, whilst more thuggish police are relied upon to maintain order within the cities.
Ginnian is under constant threat from the outside as the powerful Ogres will attempt to attack the thick, steel city walls where the Aressian guardsmen patrol. There are three city gates all along the straight-line wall, which allow humans access to Ginnian. However the ogres use their skill in the trees to leap at the higher reaches of the walls to attempt to push past the patrols. Never before have the ogres successfully managed this with the guards present.
Because their is little room for further expansion, goods to be shipped off-world are sent to Trinity, which is the major space port on North Thrine. This means that the goods have to be transported through the forests of Aress, under constant threat from ogres, Uran, Winrets and sometimes Mantis' when on foot. These caravans are heavily guarded and large, however even with the prowess of the Aressian guardsmen, these caravans are known to suffer regular human losses. When shipping on-planet, there are many naval ports around the Ginnian cities and regular trips are made all across the planet. The governor for the region is Lemard Vosper, a man of cunning and political skill. He is feared by his rivals so they frequently gang up to politically ostracise him.
Pollut
Pollut is very similar to Aress, another region of North Thrine, and is run almost identically; however due to the sparse nature of the cities and the dangerous wild-life inbetween, the two regions were split and are governed separately to enhance communication and speed up reactionary measures. The southern tip of Pollut is also entirely coastal but still as dangerous as the rest of North Thrine with such creatures as the Winret, as well as the occasional sighting of Oleomithrax there. This southern tip leads to South Thrine and the equator of Ducati. The low sea-level around South Thrine and its adjacent islands allows the oleomithrax to move between each landmass and the southern peninsula of Pollut.
Unlike Aress, which has four cities, including a major space port, Pollut has just two major cities and one large town that has yet to increase its size to that of a city. The town, Chilt, cusps the southern tip, bordered by both the tropical sands and the forests of northerly Pollut. The town remains as it is the most easily accessed settlement by South Thrine and incoming ships from the Allente continent. However, the majority of off-continent ships arrive in Aress and goods are then taken to Pollut via caravans. However these caravans are heavily taxed by Aress and human deaths at the hands of Ogres and Uran are frequent. By accepting Allente goods through Chilt, Pollut can bypass Aress taxes and human loss for a percentage of the goods necessary for its cities. Whilst caravans are still required to deliver goods from Chilt to the cities, the lives lost are Pollutian lives and so are paid in compensation to their families, rather than a fine from the Aressian government. There is also less distance to cover during this trip.
South Thrine
Like Bex, South Thrine is technically a single continent-based region. However the three islands off of the coast of South Thrine, Cooks, Siran and Gontowan, are considered a part of the main continent of South Thrine. Each island, to ease burden upon governments, is allocated region-status, however the three islands are ultimately dependent entirely on South Thrine. Despite the poor conditions of South Thrine, the region has a large port city, named Saren, as well as a significant research centre that works on weaponry and defences for the local military.
Saren is the import location for North Thrine and Allente in particular. Some imports from the eastern continents arrives, however they mostly come through as second-imports from North Thrine cities, meaning their cost is even greater. South Thrine also exports to Allente and North Thrine, having a special contract with the region of Pollut in North Thrine to directly supply a certain amount of goods rather than selling them first to the more northern region of Aress, who then further tax the goods before selling them on to Pollut. The three islands encompassed by South Thrine are also supplied through Saren, meaning the city council's wealth rivals even those of Ginnian. Saren is also the first port of call for the shipment of Oleomithrax goods that are gathered by teams from Siran's Hope, a city of Siran.
The more southern towns and cities, including Saren, are popular tourist destinations due to the tropical climate. The north of South Thrine has the equator run directly through it, making it a popular spot for day-trip tourists. However the majority of the land here is bare, dry and cracked rather than the sandy south. This does, however, make it the perfect, desolate testing zone for researchers of South Thrine. Equatan, named after its location, is just north of the equator and is a small town that consists solely of scientists and those that work to serve the scientists. It is considered a key location all over Ducati.
As the ocean around South Thrine is particularly shallow, it allows the oleomithrax, gigantic crab-like creatures, to travel between the landmasses, even as far north as Pollut. It also allows for great coral reefs and tropical fish that are highly valued across Ducati. Such rich exports has made the living in the region worth combating the harsh weather.
Cooks
The smallest island off of South Thrine, Cooks island is a tropical area entirely covered in sand. Fortunately the more dangerous creatures that inhabit the coastal areas of Pollut are absent from Cooks due to its position inbetween the other two islands of Siran and Gontowan. This allows the native animal population of Cooks to be very docile and also very specific to the island, some creatures not seen anywhere else on the planet. Jink is the island's only major town and is considered a popular tourist destination by most regions of Ducati. The Oleomithrax is often found lurking in the shallow ocean between the islands. As Jink is the island's only real settlement and there are so few resources available to Cooks, most of its goods are imported from Saren a major port town of South Thrine. Jink itself has a great deal of wealth due to tourism, and goes to great lengths to encourage leisure and relaxation and, above all, lavish spending.
Siran
Being incredibly hot, Siran is all sand and thin grass stalks. It shares a climate very similar to South Thrine. There are various animals that inhabit this island, some of the more dangerous coastal animals that are native to North Thrine can be seen here too, journeying down to take advantage of the new food sources. Whilst the island itself only has a few buildings, all of a scientific nature, there is a naval vessel off of the coast of Siran, named Siran's Joy that has long-since turned off its engines and become a stationary craft that fills the role of city for the island. This town is very wealthy due to the fact it exports a great deal of tropical resources, from corals to fish. The most sort after export, however, is the Oleomithrax, which can be used entirely for various processes. The hunting of the oleomithrax is dangerous, however, and the teams of humans from Siran's Joy are considered local heroes.
Gontowan
The most developed and useful of all the islands directly south of North Thrine. It has a tropical rainforest bursting with life but, unlike North Thrine, none of the dangerous animals. It does have its share of poisonous snakes and insects, including a population of Winret, but its all manageable by the local humans. The island has an abundance in food resources, from many docile animals to the fruit from the trees. All of these are exported to Saren, a busy port town on South Thrine. The major town of Abella, however is the location of the Gate Network link for the planet, the second being in space. The land-based gate is small and used mostly for use by people, whilst major exporting is done via ships travelling through the space-based gate. There is a large criminal underground on Gotowan too, smuggling of goods to other worlds through the gate and smuggling in of known fugitives.
Sionne
Sionne is the northern-most region of Allente, a continent to the west of the standard Ducati map. The region is notoriously hot, one of the few regions to have any desert area on the whole planet. Only the south of Sionne contains any human settlements, where the climate is vastly more accommodating. The western bulge of the Allente continent is contained within the Sionne region and shelters the western portion of Hencurt from the warmth of the ocean currents. It is this area that most of Sionne's towns and cities are located.
The northern desert area, however, is home to many various shrines that attract pilgrims. These shrines often have an artefact at their core, which many consider to have been technological or magickal items from the original settlers, however knowledge of their function has been lost and the spiritual connection to their ancestors has led these mysterious items to become religious objects of speculation if not worship. The most prominent of these shrines is the Shrine of Ec'nerwal, which is far out in the middle of the desert with no settlement or oasis for miles around it. The shrine has a core artefact at its centre, a strange orb that is believed by many to either be a bomb or possibly a terraforming object.
Hencurt
Hencurt is a region of Allente, sandwiched between Sionne to the north and Allentia to the south. Whilst the currents that run through the Thrinian Ocean manage to warm Allentia, the current mostly bypasses Hencurt, striking only its lower eastern quarter. As the west is completely shielded from the warm equator currents, the area is regularly visited by snow from Autumn to early Spring. As the eastern areas of the region are more comfortable, the majority of human settlements are found there. However there are still some that exist in the west, whilst many more can be found to have been abandoned long ago. The region is also littered with shrines and temples, proclaiming Allente to be the spiritual home to all humans of Ducati as it was the first continent to be colonised by incoming humans from worlds elsewhere in the Multiverse. These shrines will often have some artefact from the original colonists, which more rational people believe to have been technology from various reaches of The Imperium. Since the reintroduction of The Imperium some of these artefacts have been confirmed to be technology or even magickal items, but not all.
Some of the abandoned cities have been researched by returning Imperials, discovering that they would have had shields that regulated the temperature of the cities themselves. However the decline of resources and technological function meant that the shields stopped worked. However, it is speculated that they could be switched back on if the appropriate fuel could be imported from somewhere else in The Imperium.
Allentia
Allentia, a region of Allente, is known as one of the most beautiful and scenic visions on the whole of Ducati. Although a relatively small region, it was founded by some of the first settlers on the planet and managed to keep its region-status through the upheaval of the government system over the years.
Allentia's biggest tourist attraction is the abundance of beautiful, pristine lakes. There is a distinct lack of wind to the region and a constant wet atmosphere that produces regular rainfall. This whole area would have been a frozen, arctic tundra with a constant state of permafrost had it not been for the warm currents of the Thrinian Ocean that come down from the equator to heat up the lower end of the Allente continent.
Due to the wet conditions of the region, there is little to no room for a major settlement, giving rise to many sporadic homes throughout the area. The citizens must use hovercraft to get around, however the original fuel for these machines has long run dry and, instead, fossil fuels imported from Ginnian on North Thrine must be used instead. Unfortunately this fuel serves to damage the machines and they are often unsafe to use on a frequent basis. The only major settlement to be successful is Xancos, a city built on stilts to rise it several metres above the average water level. Unfortunately, like the fuel for the hovercraft, the techniques for the original "Old Town" of Xancos have long been discarded and the expansions of the original city are made from timber, likewise imported from North Thrine due to the strong food of the continents trees.
The Winter months can be most beautiful and attract a great deal of tourism. It can also be beneficial for locals as the lakes are all completely frozen to such a degree they can support the weight of people travelling over them.
Didian
The region of Didian is located on the west-coast of Soda and is the closest region to the capital of Ducati, The Hub. This means there is a direct sea-route from Didian to The Hub which is well used and well guarded by naval vessels belonging to The Imperium. The region is more renowned, however, for its vast mountain ranges. Whilst not the largest, they are more plentiful, which adds to the overall rainfall of the land. The most famous of all the mountains in Didian is Mount Hessa, an active volcano that is suspected to be leaning towards its dormancy. The mountain provides the landscape with lush vegetation and many hot springs about its base, some of which have been adapted by humans for use as resorts, including The Springs of the Eternal North. This hot spring is a common destination for dignitaries and high-class gangsters alike to do business.
Humans, however, weren't the first to utilise the beautiful hot springs. The native Dilton, and ape-like species, had long been bathing in the warmth provided by the mountain. They descend from the warm caves of the volcano that they live in to bathe and wash in the hot springs, especially during the cold and wet winter months. They are also known to catch the local Lites, using the little fairies for illumination around the hot springs; something the humans then imitated.
The most significant city in all of Didian is Nissa, a city built into a deep valley where a large inland sea once stood. The river is dammed, producing a great deal of electricity and is the gateway to the sea that leads straight to The Hub. This makes Nissa a major stop for anyone travelling in and out of the capital of the world. Nissa is also famous for its waterworks of aqueducts and sewer networks that transport water all over the city. It is also a stop on the Tram System of Soda, which connects the Didian region to the other three.
Mantara
Mantara is a region of Soda, along with Stamcurt, Didian and Bild. It is known for having great herds of Kurma, alongside the Reep birds. The kurma are only found on Soda and their largest numbers are in Mantara, whilst the region also has several instances of Rusa. The rusa will migrate from the north of Mantara to the south during winter when the cold increases. It has its own major cities, two of which are Castelle and Sillim-Perim, whilst the flying city of Kion is known to spend a great deal of time floating above the region. Castelle and Sillim-Perim are two cities connected to Tram System of Soda, which spans the whole continent of Soda and links all four regions together. The weather is considered quite temperate, though grows quite cold towards the north-east before the border connects with Stamcurt, where the cold weather eventually leads to the arctic desert of Darklin. There are a great number of mountains and broad hills in the northern areas of the region, where there are known to be Altusaur creatures lurking in the caves and caverns. Dilton are also known to live in these caves, though their numbers are not as high as those in Didian which is due to the presence of Mount Hessa and its hot springs.
Stamcurt
Most of Stamcurt is taken up by the Darklin, a broad arctic desert where it very rarely rains per year. The Darklin is home to the Darklin Experiment, an investigation into teleportation via nodes, and the endangered species known as Coeus. However the area south of the Darklin is heavily wooded with evergreens similar to pine trees. Yet even here there is little life to speak of save for bugs, small mammals and a few high-flying birds. Stamcurt has very few major settlements and none, save for the Darklin Experiment survey centre, within the Darklin area. The region is set to the north-east of Soda and is connected by the Tram System of Soda, which now passes through the Darklin to connect with the science station.
Bild
Bild is one of the most military-active regions on the planet, utilising the majority of its police and navy to hunt down pirates that sail Sharpes Sea. These pirate find harbour and sanctuary in Tessen, the northern-most region of Dilliana Prima. Tessen benefits greatly from smuggled goods that would otherwise be highly taxed by the two other Dilliana Prima regions, which naturally impedes both Bild's money and the trade that's being stolen by the pirates and smugglers. As well as finding a safe haven in Tessen, the pirates have ample prey sailing out of Dilliana Secunda, where there is a great trade in dyes and medicinal ingredients. During a short period in the Winter months, there is a lull in the weather as the Intertropical Convergence Zone, otherwise known as the doldrums, moves south. This calm weather allows for a mass amount of trade as powered ships can skip across the waters between Tessen, Bild and Chiantino, the northern-most region of Dilliana Secunda. These ships, however, are also easy targets and the Bild navy is often on its greatest alert during this time known as "Traders' Season".
The Tram System of Soda passes through a coastal area for easy access to the "front lines" in the war against pirates. This is little more than a depot where goods can be loaded and unloaded to the tram. However the trams are only built for low-numbers of passengers and not for major goods hauls. The majority of politicians concerned with piracy around Sharpes Sea regularly visit this spot where there is normally at least one naval vessel waiting.
Chiantino
Chiantino is one of two regions of the island of Dilliana Secunda, which earnt its name by being the smaller of two proximate continents, the other being Dilliana Prima. Chiantino is the northern region, whilst Chiantia is the south region.
There is very little difference between the two regions, both socially and ecologically. However as the regions are effected by the Intertropical Convergence Zone, otherwise known as the doldrums, in a different way the sudden change had to be managed by a smaller body than one controlling the entire island. The doldrums makes the entire continent a tropical rainforest for the majority of the year, however it shifts slightly south for a brief period during the winter months. During this time the weather is incredibly still, making the seas easy to navigate for powered boats and ships that are eager to trade with Dilliana Prima and Soda. Traders can make several fast trips during this period, making a great profit. Many call this time "Traders' Season". However, along with an increase in trade comes an increase in piracy, who mostly operate out of the north-most region of Dilliana Prima called Tessen. The region of Soda named Bild sends out its military vessels in force to police the waters throughout the Traders' Season. Whilst the beginning of the season is often accurately predicted, the end is more difficult and it has been known for many traders to suddenly be caught by an almighty thunderstorm without warning, announcing the end of Traders' Season with a great amount of violence and even deaths at sea.
The continent is covered by forest, however this forest is not made up of 'trees' in the modern sense, but rather they are lycopodiopsida, a division of moss. These huge "moss-trees" are commonly known as Candle Trees due to their appearance. As moss, the candle trees exceed in the wet weather of Chiantino, however their cones produce a vast amount of spores, especially just after a significant rain storm. These spores are so thick in number that a human would die from spending too much time breathing it in, this could be as much as an hour or less. Most of the population live in air-tight buildings and rarely venture out during heavy rain showers without wearing a breathing mask. However the poorer populace cannot afford the air-tight construction and must wear their masks on a much more frequent basis, taking them off only to eat before returning the mask. Many poor people die middle-aged from frequent exposure to the spore.
The traders make a great deal of money due to the rich colourings that can be found in the region, creating the majority of the planets dyes. Chiantino in particular produces its own brands of clothing, however this is often considered poor quality and is sold cheap. The more expensive clothing manufacturers import their dyes from Dilliana Secunda from foreign continents. There is also a great number of 'exotic fruits' grown and plants used for medicinal purposes. The cones of the candle trees are also edible, before they have begun producing spore.
Chiantia
Chiantia is the southern region of Dilliana Secunda, one of just two regions for the small continent. The other is Chiantino and is identical to Chiantia in most respects, from social climate to the ecological one. The entire continent is a tropical rainforest, fuelled by the rain produced by the Intertropical Convergence Zone (doldrums) of the planet. However these trees are actually lycopodiopsida, a division of moss, that grows in a tree-like shape resembling a candle; hence the name Candle Trees.
The greatest commodity for the entire continent is dye, closely followed by medicinal ingredients. During the winter months the doldrums moves south slightly, freeing Chiantino for a short period of heavy rainfall. This means a lot of goods are shipped from Chiantia to Chiantino during this period, often named the "Traders' Season".
Hetel
The western-most region of Dilliana Prima, Hetel was once locked in a constant rivalry with other two regions of the continent; Tessen and Camarancurt. However, over recent years, the three have solidified an unofficial alliance and work together to build up their whole continent. This agreement is feared by all other regions in the world and several attempts have been made to solidify alliances on other continents with no success. As Camarancurt is largely cut off from the rest of the globe, and Tessen is much smaller than the other two regions, Hetel has become the default leader of this partnership and the majority of trade comes through the region.
The weather of Hetel is mostly temperate all year around, not having the same level of season change as either Tessen or Camarancurt. The Rusa population is therefore largely content to dwell around central Hetel all year round, though their numbers are much smaller than their eastern counterparts. Hetel does have its own share of Acinonyx too, a cheetah-like creature that hunts the rusa. Hetel also has a large number of Elly, a small cat with a poisonous bite. Although they are found all over the continent, their greatest numbers are in Hetel due to the sound weather conditions. The elly are mostly found in long-grass areas where they can hide and hunt small rodents.
Tessen
Tessen is the smallest region of Dilliana Prima, located to its most northern reaches and closest to the equator. During the Winter months the deer-like Rusa will travel to Tessen to enjoy the warmer climate, but will then depart and head back to Camarancurt to escape the heat of Tessen and return to fresh fields. As in Camarancurt, there are farms in Tessen that the human populace have set up to breed and maintain rusa for food, fur and milk.
As Tessen is the smallest of the three regions on Dilliana Prima, it is not a major official trade route as it has little to offer and goods travelling through it would be taxed. However it does have the shortest distance to the northern continent of Soda and the shortest distance to the minor continent off of Dilliana Prima's eastern coast, Dilliana Secunda. This makes these waters a great place for pirates and smugglers to navigate, making fast trips between the three continents as needed. Despite attempts to police the area by police from Bild, a region from Soda, the complacency to allow piracy in Tessen makes the police's job an up-hill struggle. This piracy is tolerated in Dilliana Prima as the prices for external goods has sky-rocketed across the whole continent due to the excellent internal trade that the regions have.
Camarancurt
Camarancurt is the southern most region of Dilliana Prima and is the location for the world-famous Sky Ocean, an inland sea where the Cassis fish can be found. This fish can be used to create a virtually undetectable poison and once led to regular deaths of governors throughout the Dilliana Prima continent. After a truce was made between the regions, the Camarancurt government began to sell the cassis fish to regions on other continents instead.
The Rusa, a deer-like creature native to Dilliana Prima, will migrate from Camarancurt to north Tessen during the winter months to escape the freezing cold temperatures. The Acinonyx is a predatory animal that hunts the Rusa and will migrate also, travelling with the Rusa herd. However, both of these animals have been domesticated by the human population of Dilliana Prima. The rusa serve as food stock, as well as fur export and even milk whilst the acinonyx have become "guard-dog" like pets.
Governments
The Imperium
- See also: The Imperium
The colony was originally founded by The Imperium and it has long served as a silent empire behind Ducati. All loyalty has merely been a formality for generations. In the early days of colonisation, the planet was founded and intended to be a major trading and rely point for travel between worlds. However, with the nature of the Gate Network, the network ended up bypassing Ducati, allowing trade between the worlds without the aid of Ducati. The planet, with all of its dangers and its isolated position became redundant in the eyes of The Imperium and its importance dropped. Goods stopped flowing into Ducati, making most of the technology and magick brought in by the colonists became defunct. Eventually the population didn't even know what the technology or items actually did, leading to some religious beliefs of artefacts, mostly contained in Allente, such as the Shrine of Ec'nerwal.
However with the capture of the Dream Space Station, which is close to Ducati, the planet suddenly became important and of use to The Imperium. This sudden interference and Imperium presence has led to resentment towards the empire. With the arrival of refugees from the Dream Space Station, escaping the conquest of the station by The Imperium, rebellion was stirred up, especially amongst those with plenty to loose and nothing to gain from increased imperial might.
However there are plenty that will gain from Imperium presence, especially the city of Kion, which uses magick to keep aloft but is running out of the magickal energy needed to keep it up.
The Rebels
The Rebels arose when The Imperium returned to Ducati. They had long considered Ducati an insignificant backwater world and saw supplying it as optional. Despite several dignitaries from across the Multiverse living in The Hub, The Imperium played a very minor role in the lives of the human descendants of the original Imperium colonists. Technology and magic became defunct and useless. When The Imperium returned, many people became resentful of the empire. It wasn't until the refugees of the newly conquered Dream Space Station arrived on the planet that rebellion struck, led by those forced out from the station. The rebels feel that The Imperium has no right to intrude onto Ducati after leaving the world lame for so many generations, others feel oppressed. Many simply see the empire and long for independence, arguing that they had lasted long enough without The Imperium.
Major Cities
Abella
The major town of Abella is the only large town to be found on Gontowan, which, like its neighbouring islands of Cooks and Siran, has a relatively small population. The most significant factor of the town is the location of the land-based Gate Network, which is large enough for casual import and export. However it is not large enough for major commercial passage, for that the space-based Gate Network is used and reached by space ports such as Trinity.
The land Gate was once on Allente where the first colonists arrived and thrived. However as technology failed and weather grew too uncontrollable, the Gate was moved to Gontowan, where it was believed it would be a more pleasant access point for visitors that arrived from across the Multiverse.
The presence of the Gate in Abella has forced the hands of the world's other regions who all pay the town a 'fee' for its maintenance and the maintenance of the town to keep up appearances. This is so that incoming important figures are granted a good first impression, which may be important to various politicians on the planet and will eventually serve every single governor or councillor on some level.
The town is given a "quaint" aesthetic of white stone and simple design with plenty of trees and grass. The local businesses make most of their money from those visiting the planet. Despite Ducati being considered a 'backwater' world, there is normally a steady stream of people entering and exiting the planet until recently. With the return of The Imperium, a great influx of people has given Abella a boom in sales, forcing a sudden and great need for imports to fulfil demand.
Castelle
Castelle is known to be one of the most beautiful and successful cities in all of Ducati and is considered the crowning glory of Mantara, a region of Soda. The cities utilises only technology and resources available to the planet, not relying on goods or technology that was handed down from the original settlers. These sources are often useless to Ducati as the fuel or parts are impossible the replicate on Ducati and would need to be brought in from across The Imperium. Unfortunately, until recently, Ducati had been considered minor and unimportant with no precedence to send the much needed equipment and resources to maintain high-level technology or magick. Castelle worked around this.
Built like a multi-tiered stone pyramid, great solar panels on the outside provide the city with plenty of electrical power. The sun is often shining and warm in the southern-regions of Mantara, meaning there is always ample supply of power. Excess energy is stored and can be called upon during cloudy days, which may happen during the winter or autumn months. The city is known for its complex water system, similar to Nissa, with aqueducts running throughout the city, providing an air of elegance and serenity, as well as much needed water for humans and plants. The plants are grown and maintained rigorously through the stone streets of Castelle, helping to ease the claustrophobic feeling many experience within the indoor streets. There are outdoor areas, however, on the outskirts of each tier. These are normally reserved for bars or restaurants.
Since the tiers are flat, the rain is drained through a piping system, each tier having a minute slant that a human wouldn't notice, but still forces the water in a general outward direction. This water falls into a shallow moat that surrounds the city. Several bridges span this moat and there are many access points to gain entry to the city. One methods is by tram. Tram System of Soda spans the whole of Soda, connecting some of the most important cities and areas with one system. The tram runs straight through one side of Castelle, traversing the city before leaving again towards Sillim-Perim towards the north.
Chilt
Chilt is a coastal city on the eastern perimeter of Pollut, a region on the continent of North Thrine. The continent's only space port is located in the neighbouring region of Aress and high taxes are placed on the goods as the majority of trade enters first through the space port city of Trinity before spreading out to the surrounding regions of Pollut and Ginnian, and the southerly islands. However, Pollut made special agreements with the traders of Allente regions, such as Hencurt to have trade directed straight in Pollut, in their only coastal city of Chilt. However this doesn't include most of the exports wanted by Allente, only goods being imported to Pollut. This means that the port itself isn't as busy or bustling as most other ports on the planet. It does, however, have a great fish trade as few cities on North Thrine are actually located along the shore with steady access to the ocean. Some fishermen have claimed to find Oleomithrax in the Thrinian Ocean, though this is regarded as rumour. The city itself is fairly small, by comparison to other North Thrine cities, and its defence is not as good as the more northern cities of Pollut or Aress. However the risk is also substantially less as the dangerous creatures are weary of the warmer weather enjoyed by the southern reaches of Pollut where Chilt is positioned.
Equatan
Equatan is a town just north of the equator, from which it gains its name. It is located on the continent of South Thrine and is largely cut off from the rest of the land's towns and cities. This is a "research town". It was the only remaining functional science facility from the early colonisation period and now serves as a whole town for researchers devoted to inventing new technology and investigating old materials left and discarded by earlier generations. It is funded by various governments, who are interested in obtaining specific technologies and improvements in various fields. Usually these are for some gain rather than an altruistic approach, however the researchers have been known to provide for the general populace as well as work on specific designs for governors and other politicians.
The town retains the same design as it had when colonists first built it, created from a strange heat-reflective glass that's coloured white, further improving the reflective properties. This glass forms the entire structure and a whole team of researchers has been working on figuring out the technology behind the glass they so readily use without understanding. There is a fence around the town that is electrified, though there are no guards to keep people in and out. Those inside are researchers, their families and those operating the major services needed by the town's residents. However the population is maintained at a specific level and those that cannot work within the very confined and specific jobs needed in the town are asked to leave. To become a scientist, they must pass entry tests and children of the scientists are encouraged to leave the town when old enough, though this isn't enforced. The fear is that the town will become inbred if the turn-over of genetics doesn't remain significant. A great deal of resources, including exotics for experimentation, are brought in from Saren, a major port town to the south.
Jink
Jink is the only major town on the island of Cooks and must import a great deal of its resources through the port town of Saren on South Thrine. Jink is a major tourist hot-spot, with tourists arriving daily. Few actually live on the island, mostly the staff that operate tourist facilities and shops. The whole town is designed and built to be relaxing and visually pleasing with a huge number of man-made lakes, pools and fountains. The plant life mostly consists of palm trees that are specifically arranged and planted by the human architects. There is beautiful lighting on display during the night hours with all manner of colours and patterns cast against walls and beaming up into the sky. Music is pumped onto the streets of the town, which is often soft electronica meant to calm nerves and ease the mind. There are a great number of spas, aromatherapy parlours and acupuncture houses. There are bars and smoke houses, as well as restaurants devoted to fine cuisine. The town is incredibly wealthy, but also spends a great deal of money to draw in resources, as well as on advertising. It is the number one vacation destination and is considered to be the only real tourist base in the whole of Ducati.
Kion
Kion is a floating city, floating through the skies of Ducati just below the Troposphere. It has no permanent position, able to float across the planet at will, however it is more useful for the city to remain stationary for periods of time over important destinations. To do this the city fires twenty large anchors down at the ground through precise calculations for maximum tether. These are fired from huge canons at the base of the lower city levels. Once tethered, the city can move to accommodate the winds and weather conditions, but won't be in danger of floating away. The city does try to avoid extreme weather conditions, such as storms, as they can be highly hazardous to the city itself.
The city was created by the original human settlers of Ducati that arrived from off-world, travelling from various corners of The Imperium. With high levels of technology and magickal arts, Kion was created and sent into the sky where it uses a magickal reservoir to maintain altitude. However this reservoir is known to be running dry and many speculate it will crash to the ground during the subsequent twenty years. However with the increase in Imperial interest again, the mayor of the city hopes to acquire the precious magickal fuel from somewhere in the Multiverse. However, they take no chances and various other methods of keeping the city aloft have been attempted, including using the fossil fuels of the planet below or even solar power. One of the more radical experiments was to bathe some of its people in the magickal reservoir itself, hoping that they would gain magickal powers they could pump into the city.
Normally the city prefers to visit cities and regions of Dilliana Prima and Soda, however the city actively pursues momentous events in Ducati's history, such as eclipses or meteor showers. This is borne from the culture of the city, which is dedicated to art and beauty. This attitude has given the city its own holiday season, when the city will travel to Allente during the Winter to see the frozen lakes of Allentia and visit the shrines of Hencurt and Sionne.
Since travel to the ground is difficult, the city employs "dragons" as passenger and goods transports. These dragons are called Draken, and actually Draconic Constructs in their earliest form, long before the Ex Draconis company existed. Whilst few on Ducati know the origins of these draconic constructs, it is known that they were created to be a slave species and continue to serve that very same role throughout their long lives. However many believe that the draconic constructs have a much better quality of life than other enslaves beings, seeing that the constructs are paid and housed. Although the constructs are used to transport all over the floating city, they are also commonly used to transport down to the ground below. Rarely they are also used to transport across the planet, when it appears the city will not be moving for a long period of time. It is their great strength that allows them to carry things, including "buses" of people. These constructs have two forms, dragon and humanoid and may switch at will. They also have a set of five 'elements', named after their own original language; Zee, Lucht, Vuur, IJs and Aarde, which give them a physical identity and personality.
Nissa
Nissa is a city built into a deep valley that was once an inland sea. The human populace dammed the river, using it for power, and built in the remainder of the valley. Gradually this expanded into a city as its proximity to the river allowed people to travel quickly to-and-from The Hub by sea. The Hub, being the capital of the whole planet, is a major commercial zone from which people are constantly travelling, meaning Nissa's access is its greatest benefit. The city is located in the north-west region of Soda, named Didian, which is also home to the famous Mount Hessa. The city has extensive waterworks, from aqueducts to sewer networks, which filter and direct the rain that descends into the valley due to the cold weather and mountain ranges of the region. They have also become something of a tourist attraction. The water is strictly maintained by waterworks stations, regularly checking for sources on contaminant. Once in Nissa's history, the city was attacked by a virus in the water and a great deal of the populace died. The city never truly recovered and many building lie silent and empty even fifty years after the event. The aqueducts are sealed by glass until they enter buildings where they are monitored either by personnel or cameras.
The dam itself is also an attraction for tourists as it stands high against the valley wall, keeping the river at bay. It generates all of the electricity for the city and extra for other towns and cities nearby. The sewer network for the city, whilst being less of an attraction, are considered wonders of the world for their engineering and design, which utilise the natural mechanisms of the world to force the water along, rather than relying on technology like so many other cities of the world. They are so large a great number of people could easily wade through the tunnels and walkways either side of the water allow maintenance staff access throughout the system. As well as these, Nissa is connected to another important feat of human engineering; Tram System of Soda. The tram line is a network that connects all four regions of Soda together, allowing for fast travel between various towns and cities.
Saren
Saren is a major port city of South Thrine and the largest city for the region. It is well positioned for sea-faring traders to sail between the eastern islands of Cooks, Gontowan and Siran, all of which rely on Saren for trade, both exporting and importing. Pollut, the southern-most region of North Thrine, also relies a great deal on Saren, despite having its own ports, as Saren is more convenient for buyers.
The town is built from stone and the streets are lined with gas lamps, appearing much like a "Victorian" Earth city. The docks are lined by public houses, which are normally crammed with sailors and merchants. The streets are crowded, smelly and wild. Many have declared the city a horrible mess and wonderful in the same sentence. There is also a large prostitution industry, which is a legal and acceptable trade in the town.
Sillim-Perim
Sillim-Perim is a small city that is suspended above the ground. Built around a bridge that crossed the Tram System of Soda, the city was once two towns of Sillim and Perim on opposite sides of the tramline. Shops were lined along the bridge and it eventually expanded. Now homes, offices and services all exist on this bridge-city. Despite the ingenuity and engineering skill used in keeping the increasing weight of the city in the air, many consider Sillim-Perim to be a ramshackle affair that, at its best, is quaint. The city is in the Mantara region of Soda and whilst the majority of this continent's peoples have a culture of sociability and camaraderie, Sillim-Perim is known as a den of thieves. It is a common belief that Soda's dregs eventually wind up in Sillim-Perim. The city is also rumoured to be the place to hire the assassin's guild of Camarancurt, meaning there is often a government official or two found here.
Siran's Hope
Siran's Hope was once an ordinary military ship that patrolled Ducati waters as part of the defensive units allocated to the colonisation of the world. However as interest in Ducati waned, so did the supplies for maintaining high-end technology. Fuel was running out. The ship came to rest, eventually, off the coast of Siran, the island the ship was named after. The crew remained aboard and the ship became a floating city, anchored to the spot for several years. However the population increased as time went on and they eventually imitated the "stilts method" of Xancos, a much older city of Allentia. Siran's Hope began to grow, wooden stilts propping up the extra buildings, which were flimsy ramshackle affairs made from wood, debris and stone mostly imported from Aress. To maintain and protect the wood stilts from the ravages of the water, which had long plagued Xancos, the populace began to use Oleomithrax exoskeleton to encase the stilts, giving them more strength and protection against both the water and age. This was how the hunt for the oleomithrax first began and the shell was used all across the growing town, acting as tools or applied to structures and street lamps. Eventually other regions of the world were importing oleomithrax goods, including the flesh for industrial functions, the shell for decoration and the tendrils for food for tamed Acinonyx. This gave Siran's Hope a massive export trade and a great deal of wealth, but the hunt for the oleomithrax is a dangerous one and many of the hunting parties are lost each year.
Due to the tidal difference of six feet, the city must take extra efforts to get on and off the city at all times. The stilts are tall enough to account for the highest tide, which leaves a difference of six feet during low tide. For this, specially designated areas are provide where a rope ladder can be dropped from the edge of the platform. These ladders are housed in 'outhouses' to shield them from the rain. They cannot be permanently attached to the sides of the city as they will gather algae and become slippery and useless.
The Hub
A cold small island of ice and rock, with one central city simply named The Hub. The island is named after the city. The city itself is the central point for government, with delegates from all over the planet and even some from off-world and across the Multiverse taking up residence. The rest of the island is barren and devoid of life except in the oceans surrounding the island where some fish dwell.
The city scrapes the sky, with some of the buildings being over ten-thousand metres (32800 feet) in height. These buildings rarely have any one single function, normally serving various purposes on any level, acting like small towns up and down the height of the building. Great walkways span buildings, canopied by glass, whilst the vehicles run along a road-like monorail system that is run automatically. It is the most advanced city on the whole planet and is maintained by technology long lost on the rest of the world. Although the planet is considered backwater by the rest of The Imperium, The Hub is still a capital city and must be maintained to a certain standard, allowing resources to be shipped specifically to the city's space port from the space-based Gate Network.
Trinity
Trinity is located in Aress, a region of North Thrine and is the only space port on the whole continent. This has given Aress a huge monopoly over trade and the other regions of Ginnian and Pollut rely exclusively on Trinity's services. The city is one of the largest on the continent due to its functionality and there are several trade routes that run across the continent for traders to travel along.
The more southernly islands of South Thrine, Cooks Siran and Gontowan are also highly dependent on Trinity, however only wealthier sailing merchants are able to make these trips, having to sail from the port town of Saren on South Thrine to western North Thrine, before sailing down the Trinity River to the city.
The city has steep taxes placed on all incoming and outgoing goods, making the mayor of the city incredibly wealthy and raising a great deal of wealth for the governor and council body of Aress. Due to this, Pollut has entered agreements with regions of Allente to directly ship goods and avoid the taxes of Aress and Trinity city, where the goods would once have travelled to before being moved to Pollut. Despite this, Trinity still has the greatest monopoly on trade on the continent.
The most famous trade route is that from Ginnian to Trinity. Ginnian is the world's largest manufacturer of industrial and chemical goods and sells a great deal of materials across the Multiverse via the space-based Gate Network, but to do this the goods must reach Trinity. All trade routes are dangerous on North Thrine due to the abundance of dangerous creatures, such as the Ogre and Uran, however the trip from Ginnian passes by Lake Aress which is used by all manner of beasts and creatures from Aress and can be highly dangerous. However it is also scenic and beautiful, surrounded by many Chalices.
Xancos
Xancos is the only major settlement in Allentia, a region of Allente. It is known as one of the oldest cities to exist in all of Ducati, dating from the first settlers that colonised the planet having arrived on Allente. The "Old Town" is the area of the city known to have been constructed by these early colonists, a fact easily seen due to the building techniques.
The first settlers had a great abundance of technology, funds and resources, allowing the construction of the Old Town from off-world metals capable of withstanding incredible weight, as well as durability. There is also no signs of rust or even wear-and-tear on the original structures. This city was deliberately built on strong, metallic stilts high above the average water level of Allentia's lakes. This allowed the city-dwellers the luxury of Allentia panoramas but the safety of a city. The original homes even have filters built in that would dry the air of the indoors, meaning the people would breathe in less water to their lungs. However, as is the normal story of Ducati, the resources stopped arriving from off-world, the technology became useless and the natural resources of the planet had to be exploited instead. The outer ring of the Old Town can be seen to be made from metals from the planet itself as rust has built up to astonishing levels. Further out still is the bulk of the modern city, all constructed from thick wood imported from North Thrine regions, which has a huge abundance of trees that are incredibly strong. However these wooden sections are not comparable to the Old Town and must be frequently replaced due to decomposition of the wood, especially with concern to the stilts that connect to the lakes, leading to rot. The water in the air has also led to moss and fungus growing on the above-water wood structures.
Those living in Allentia, but not in Xancos, must travel via hovercraft. There is a major hovercraft service operating in Xancos itself, which people can hire to get to their homes throughout the region or even to the next region of Hencurt. However the original fuel source for these hovercraft has long run out and they are now powered by fossil fuels native to the planet, imported from the major industrial zone of Ginnian. These fossil fuels, not being the expected fuel for the machinery, can be dangerous and gradually wears on the vehicles meaning they require frequent maintenance. The hovercraft hire of Xancos prides itself on importing the best quality fuel from Ginnian, supposedly giving the machines a longer, safer life.
Manufactured Landmarks
Gate Network
Whilst there is a land-based Gate Network in Abella, on Gontowan that is regularly used for human traffic, the major manufactured landmark is the space-based Gate that orbits the planet along with the Ice Rings. A powerful shield keeps the ice and rock dust away from the Gate, protecting both it and incoming ships. Yet the gate brings the ships in beyond the ice rings, the shield is merely a precaution. The Gate can open up a Portal large enough for several ships to enter and leave the universe and pass into another through the Multiverse.
Shrine of Ec'nerwal
The Shrine of Ec'nerwal is located in the middle of a vast desert of Sionne on the north of the Allente continent. Though it is modest in size, and simple in architecture, it is considered one of the most inspiring and mysterious of all the shrines on Allente. When the first colonists arrived on Ducati they brought any magickal and technological items that have lost their function. The Imperium lost interest in the planet and resources stopped being imported, forcing the human population to rely on the natural resources of their own planet, which excluded magick and a lot of the fuel sources required by the technology. Many of these items were discarded and became mysterious objects of a forgotten time. Many began to worship them, whilst others simply considered them incredible historical artefacts of study. Those that worshipped them built shrines, encasing the objects.
Since the return of The Imperium to the planet, many of these objects have been explained, some even requisitioned and put to use. However many remain a mystery, including the strange orb at the centre of the Shrine of Ec'nerwal. Many speculate that the orb is a bomb, others an advanced terraforming device, but all agree that it is incredibly old technology from some far reach of The Imperium.
The Springs of the Eternal North
The Springs of the Eternal North is a small series of hot springs and streams at the base of Mount Hessa, an active volcano in the region of Didian. Didian is the western region of Soda and closest to the capital of the planet called The Hub. Because of the easy access to-and-from The Hub and Didian, via the city of Nissa, a great number of politicians frequently travel to Didian on vaction, normally paying a great sum of money to the hot springs' owners around Mount Hessa. The Springs of the Eternal North is the most illustrious of them all. It was once just one spring, but gradually bought out its neighbours. Since its beginning, the company has gradually cultivated and manufactured the area to be as pleasant and appealing as it could manage, crafting its own streams, trees and plants. There are several bars and food halls as well as one hotel for over-night stay. Some of the springs are hot, whilst others are warm, offering different services to different people. Rich gangsters and celebrities alike are also found here. Because it is such a frequently visited area of Soda, The Springs of the Eternal North was added as a stop on the Tram System of Soda, along with Nissa.
Tram System of Soda
The Tram System of Soda spans the whole of Soda and is one of the fastest methods of transport on the planet. It uses a pantograph to gather electricity from the overhead power lines. The pantograph can extend and fold to adapt to the height of the cables as it travels across the continent. Although one of the fastest modes of transport, beyond hiring your own Draconic Constructs from Kion, the tram can still take two days to travel the entire length of Soda. Also they can only be used to transport passengers and small cargo. Major trade hauls are usually taken by sea. The trams travel through some of the most major cities in Soda, as well as the most popular resorts, sights and important locations. This includes The Springs of the Eternal North in Didian, after first stopping at Nissa, where many from The Hub arrive. It connects to Castelle in Mantara, whilst Sillim-Perim has been built suspended above the tramline. The line extends as far as Darkin, a region of Stamcurt before taking the return route to Didian to begin the journey over again.
Relevant Characters
Player Characters & Other Major Characters
Lemard Vosper
- Main article: Lemard Vosper
Lemard Vosper is the Regional Governor appointed to the metropolitan province of Ginnian on the planet Ducati, under the control of The Imperium. He is an intelligent, charismatic and dangerous man: respected, hated and feared by his peers in equal quantities.
Non-Player Characters & Associated Characters
TBA
Author Notes
- TheBritt
A great deal of time and effort went into this article and the building of the world. The idea is to offer a complete world so that players can follow their own paths and choices rather than stick to a linear, one-way RP thread steered by the GM. The world will continue to be built up as more happens on this world.
All images on this page are classified as free media, or desktop backgrounds (meaning free for non-commercial use).
