Helocytus



Heloyctus (Hi-loʊ-saɪ-tʊs) is the homeworld of the Children of the Vein.

History
Centuries ago, the first of those who would become part of the Children of the Vein arrived in Beacon Space, settlers searching for whatever it was that had called them. By the time they arrived, the Beacon’s source seemed to have fallen silent. Its precise origin could not be determined, and many of the nearby worlds were unpopulated, abandoned, or inhospitable. Nonetheless, some managed to make landfall on a world of astounding beauty - Helocytus.

Helocytus’ air was breathable, its temperature amenable, and a great number of its flora and fauna miraculously edible. From orbit, a towering specimen of megaflora was spotted, the boughs of a great tree stretching thousands of feet through the atmosphere. Landing parties established outposts in the shade of its broad leaves, and researchers were quick to begin studying it, fascinated by the strange, red, blood-like sap that flowed through the tree's limbs, the bodies of smaller trees like it, and into the earth of Helocytus. But as work began, scouting parties started returning wounded or not at all, bringing reports of violently aggressive wildlife with them. Helocytus’ treasures were well guarded. And as many would eventually discover, they were also a rarity within Beacon Space.

The first years of colonization were wearying and deadly. Fighting back the thick, barbed vines and dense jungles of Helocytus expended tools and resources quickly, dulling blades and damaging heavier equipment. The planet’s greatest beasts, forged by nature to survive bleak deserts, jagged mountains, and twisted forests of hungry flora, soaked round after round of ammunition, some needing a dozen or more fighters to bring them down. And with tensions and desperation mounting, groups of settlers began to turn on each other, fighting to make Helocytus their own. The planet was dangerous, but it was livable. And ship after ship of settlers would arrive over the following years, hoping for new lives, but succumbing to violence and bloodshed...

Read more: Children of the Vein

Attributes
Helocytus is a populated TL4 world in the Thuces system with a temperate climate, a breathable atmosphere, and a somewhat miscible biosphere, though the native life of the world is known to be fairly hostile to individuals that have not experienced Vein bio- and genetic-modifications. It is a strange and alien world of sweeping seas of red grass, towering trees of pale bark and crimson veins, vibrant iridescent oceans, multi-colored and hungry jungles writhing with life, immense and deadly subterranean biomes, and odd creatures of all shapes, colors, and sizes.

The planet tags are Local Tech and Mandarinate.

Local Tech: "The locals can create a particular example of extremely high tech, possibly even something that exceeds pretech standards. They may use unique local resources to do so, or have stumbled on a narrow scientific breakthrough, or still have a functional experimental manufactory."
 * A strange macromolecule known as the "Blood of God" runs through the crust of the planet, found to to be harvestable from much of the local megaflora, "Blood Trees" servicing as a particularly potent source. The Blood of God is a complex genetic manipulator, which, when deliberately introduced into organic biology, appears to dramatically alter the genetics of the target body, making them seemingly more malleable to genetic redesign and bioengineering. The influence of this macromolecule is seen all throughout the Helocytus biosphere, as the Blood of God has become deeply ingrained in the genetics of all local organic life on the planet, as well as much of the Vein people and biotechnology. It is this Blood of God that gives the Vein the ability to achieve such advanced and uniquely incredible scientific and technological feats in the fields of biology and genetics.

Mandarinate: "The planet is ruled by an intellectual elite chosen via ostensibly neutral examinations or tests. The values this system selects for may or may not have anything to do with actual practical leadership skills, and the examinations may be more or less corruptible."
 * The government of the Children of the Vein is run by an accomplished intellectual elite collected from the best of the best in a variety of fields and specializations across the many collected clan Veins, with higher government functions controlled by Hemisphere Logos representatives, and lower local government functions controlled by by Hemisphere Pathos representatives. Each Vein must be represented in both Hemispheres, with Logos and Pathos representatives all coming from such diverse professional backgrounds as scientists, priests, ship captains, military leaders, and more. The Children of the Vein value skills, productivity, and the capacity and drive to learn in a leader above all. And it also just so happens that many of those in the highest offices of the Vein tend to be the most genetically modified on a fundamental level, whether those modifications are physically apparent or hidden and subtle.

Notable Locations
A place for notable locations on the planet to be listed and described, potentially linking to a more detailed page. For example faction bases of influence, cities, spaceports, etc.

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 * The Great Tree of Providence: Planetary capital, primary starport, and major population center of Helocytus, beneath which lies the Forbidden Citadel of Veins. Providence is a gargantuan, pale-skinned blood tree with deep, crimson veins through which the Blood of God flows, its highest boughs reaching through the upper atmosphere and into the low orbit vacuum of space where vast, star-faring bio-ship creatures are birthed from viscous pods, while the deepest roots of the tree descend through unknown and incredible depths within the crust of the planet and beyond to eldritch sights unseen. Upon its limbs, the Children of the Vein have built their greatest city, with the highest reaches servicing safe harbor, trade, and tourism for all comers, while the lowest depths remain entirely hostile to unmodified or non-native life. All the clan Veins maintain some presence here, though many of the greater Veins have other territories, holdings, and cities across the planet.
 * The Garden of Beasts: The floating, tropical swampland city known for its wild and open sprawl across the deadly watery wilderness. Large and genetically modified serpents, salamanders, and other amphibious creatures use strutting, bony growths on their backs to ferry the strange and colorful denizens of the Garden to and fro between bulbous, floating plant-like buildings that each emit a soft, bio-luminescent golden glow through their transparent membranes as the diverse and dangerous fauna patrols the waterways and buzzes lazily through the humid air. Many of the creatures and people of the Garden of Beasts are born in these waters, birthed from egg sacs in spawning pools and preyed upon by hungry predators. Priestly scientists armed with spears do battle over theory and theology in public spectacles upon the backs of great shelled beasts, while gene-editing designers string up corpses and organs through the open air upon the boughs of glowing willow trees as they search for inspiration for their next designs. The Garden of Beasts is the seat of power for the zealous and militant Vein of the Hydra, one of the major clans in the Children of the Vein, known for their heavily apparent bio-modifications, extensive drone production, and advanced bioshell designs.
 * And more...