Saarinen: Difference between revisions
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|population=Millions
|atmosphere=Airless or thin
|biosphere=Engineered (fmr. No Native)
|temperature=Temperate
|planettag1=Shackled World
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The worlds’ thin atmosphere and poor soils have no native life and are ill-suited for most introduced species. Attempts at seeding life, most noticeably by the Saar, have as yet been fruitless. Without a stable source of food, the world is under-developed yet fiercely guarded by the automated systems of the Saar colony ships.
=='''The Saar'''==▼
: the Alien colonists of the planet Saarinen. ▼
A grub-like insectoid resembling caterpillars (as perceived by humans), Saar are roughly a meter long, walk on stubby legs, and are ravenous eaters. They are typically a bold yellow color with black and white markings unique to individuals. They communicate to each other via pheromones and the touch of their antennae. ▼
The Saar are born as small nymphs with simple wings, feeding on high-energy nectar and fruits. In this form they are sentient but not sapient, they lack means to communicate any complex ideas. Once they are ready for maturity they gorge themselves on fruits and weave a natural pupa by wrapping themselves in a protective nest. In this form a natural enzyme breaks down their exoskeletons and they coalesce into the form of a young adult larva over several days. The adult form is sapient and retains some information from its juvenile form.▼
As adults, they may regularly re-enter their pupal form to repair their bodies, slow the effects of aging, protect themselves from harsh environmental conditions, or enter hibernation. Modern adult pupae are mechanical cocoons or pods that are reusable and more efficient. Within Saar culture, the need for extended hibernation is considered a natural process and an inevitably of adverse times. The Saar’s homeworlds’ extreme and erratic seasonal shifts is believed to have led to this adaptation.▼
Due to the small size of the active Saar population, there is no recorded evidence of Saar nymphs. Most living Saar have undergone dozens of rejuvenation stages in the absence of enough food fit for nymphs.▼
Human observers have often projected the idea that a Saar, be they particularly great or lucky, could maybe be reborn as a beautiful butterfly, but such notions are
==History==
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Small communities of Saar, descended from the original engineers and crews, have developed a semi-religious devotion to the protection of their entombed brethren. Working with the surviving machine intelligences, they maintain these vessels with their limited resources. They are extremely guarded about outsiders and do not take charity lightly, suspecting the doom of their species if they make one mistake. The majority of the Saar’s technological base is committed to the continuance of their hibernation with no luxury for other pursuits.
===Rediscovery
The first world revealed in the modern age of exploration, Saarinen was classified as Planet A. The discoverers, the [[Tahora Whai]], soon established a minor presence in the system. [[Gateway#Voo_6_Deep_Space_Station|Deep Space Station Voo 6]], reactivated and revitalized, provided a springboard for further exploration out west and the eventual [[Kikorangi o te Tahora Whai]].
Observations of the planet from orbit continued for nearly two years. The Whai were unsure if the world could support life or if it even had any value to them. Additionally, the Saar were elusive and the active population miniscule; no one was quite sure they even existed, let alone were millions strong.
===Whai Custodianship===
▲=='''The Saar'''==
Observing the attempts by the Saar colonies to seed the planet with life the Whai it took upon themselves to aid in the local’s efforts. With recently developed systems [[TTGI|established on Telas]] and [[Dynae#Atmospheric Conditioning|proven on Dynae]], Whai engineers and botanists employed a variety of tools to create a new robust ecosystem. Soil preparation and microbial foundations would be the hardest hurdle to tackle. Decades, if not centuries, of failures by the automated colony systems showed that traditional methods were not viable in the nutrient poor sand and clay. Whai terraforming efforts were slow-going, with multiple setbacks and regrettable dead ends. However, the efforts of the pirates, even if not always effective, were appreciated by the waking Saar.
▲: the Alien colonists of the planet Saarinen.
Eventually, the coalition implemented a new method to jumpstart the soil's fertility and spread foundational crops. Species were introduced to the new environment to complement each other and add to the rich tapestry. As a part of the Saar's immediate goals, populations of edible flora were encouraged to spread across the lands.
▲A grub-like insectoid resembling caterpillars (as perceived by humans), Saar are roughly a meter long, walk on stubby legs, and are ravenous eaters. They are typically a bold yellow color with black and white markings unique to individuals. They communicate to each other via pheromones and the touch of their antennae.
A few hundred Saar joined the ranks of the Whai and provided their expertise to the Erinaa. These newly integrated Whai formed a formation of soldiers to defend the world from the Whai’s opponents, protect local megafauna, and stop any attempts to sabotage the terraforming mission. The sanctuary guardians of Saarinen are known as ''Majakanvartijat'', are named after their lighthouse-like mechs developed by the military tactician RukoilijaSirkka, better known as “Ruko”.
▲The Saar are born as small nymphs with simple wings, feeding on high-energy nectar and fruits. In this form they are sentient but not sapient, they lack means to communicate any complex ideas. Once they are ready for maturity they gorge themselves on fruits and weave a natural pupa by wrapping themselves in a protective nest. In this form a natural enzyme breaks down their exoskeletons and they coalesce into the form of a young adult larva over several days. The adult form is sapient and retains some information from its juvenile form.
====Sanctuary====
▲As adults, they may regularly re-enter their pupal form to repair their bodies, slow the effects of aging, protect themselves from harsh environmental conditions, or enter hibernation. Modern adult pupae are mechanical cocoons or pods that are reusable and more efficient. Within Saar culture, the need for extended hibernation is considered a natural process and an inevitably of adverse times. The Saar’s homeworlds’ extreme and erratic seasonal shifts is believed to have led to this adaptation.
The Whai saw the Gateway system as a defensible location to establish a sanctuary for endangered void-fauna such as the novel “[[White Whale]]”. Saarinen and its moon, [[Tho]], provide a stable nexus to study and preserve the rare fauna. Reinforcements from across the Rangi provided logistical and military aid for the new infrastructure. And a mercenary fleet from the Starlit Court was even contracted to protect the Whale and the Whai interests. Numerous training exercises and drills projected the Whai’s readiness to defend the Whale and the worlds under their custodianship.
The Saar, recognizing the boons the Whale would hopefully provide their colonies, collaborated on the Whai in both stellar and terrestrial theaters. Protection of both the skies and the seeds would be lead by the aforementioned Majakanvartijat mech guardians.
▲Due to the small size of the active Saar population, there is no recorded evidence of Saar nymphs. Most living Saar have undergone dozens of rejuvenation stages in the absence of enough food fit for nymphs.
====Terraforming====
With the aid of the Whai and the treasures of the Rangi, life was eventually seeded and sustainably established in the 31st month of the new era. With the bounties of the colony seed banks established alongside bio-cloning facilities, the Saar emerged from their centuries of hibernation. Dormant colony ships sprung to life with thousands of Saar.
Surface settlements founded around their landing sites expanded rapidly. The industrious and militant Saar spread their agricultural enterprises into the horizon. Manufactured orchards and farmland were cultivated to fulfill the incredible appetites of the Saar who awoke from their long fast. The hunger pangs and hangover of a century of stasis sometimes lasts for months if not years.
While most of the seeded life is adapted to the biology and appetites of the Saar, Whai custodians introduced additional flora and fauna. This engineered biosphere is intended to allow more species to comfortably live and sustain themselves on-world. The influence of the Whai is seen across the planet’s communities.
====Adoption of the Link====
Development of Saar-compatible cybernetic link took several years to achieve a reliable device. Although the Whai have extensive research in introducing their technology to various life forms, the Saar physiology was a unique challenge. Additionally, the small sample size of observed Saar prior to the opening of the colony ship cocoons limited prototyping efforts. Problems still plague the systems: Vāk cybernetics have yet to survive even brief hibernations of the Saar. Nevertheless, an implant was ultimately developed to incorporate the Saar into the song of the Whai.
Only a small fraction of the current Saar population have taken the leap. Most content themselves with simply working alongside the Whai as they share many common goals.
===Saar Civilization===
Settlements of Saarinen are focused around the ships that brought the colonists to the world. Many colony ships dismantled to provide resources for the fledgling townships. The communities of Saarinen embrace several aspects of the Whai which fostered the development of the world. Egalitarian resource sharing, consensus based decision making, and the absence of strict hierarchical leadership structures, are signs of potential Whia influence on the new colonies. Some critics and observers debate the origins of this communitarian structure as being either native to the Saar, directly shaped by interactions with the Whai, or a combination of both.
Despite the lack of true leaders, a trio of prominent Saar thinkers known as the Triumvirate or Troika provide guidance to their community. They represent three major aspects of their species and the goals of their colonies.
*Ruko is a master tactician and soldier who developed the lighthouse mecha used by the Majakanvartijat.
*Mehiläinen, known idiomatically as “The Queen Bee”, is a maternal figure to many Saar. She led the mission to beacon space all those years ago and oversaw the stasis pods of the colony ships on-world.
*Hämö, the last of the current troika, is the engineer and scientist who worked closely with the Tahora Whai to bring agriculture to the desolate world. Hämö is also one of the first Saar to receive a Vāk implant and join the Erinaa.
▲Human observers have often projected the idea that a Saar, be they particularly great or lucky, could maybe be reborn as a beautiful butterfly, but such notions are comicaly terrestrial to the Saar. The name Saar for the species is derived from the human naming of their colonized planet. A limited system of braille is used by the Saar to communicate with other species.
==Dush 2 - Research Base==
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