Saarinen

Saarinen

Government	Tahora Whai
System	0510/Gateway
Tech Level	TL3
Population	Millions
Atmosphere	Airless or thin
Biosphere	No Native
Temperature	Temperate
Planet Tag 1	Shackled World
Planet Tag 2	Immortals

The planet Saarinen is a barren world occupied by the dormant colony ships of the Saar, a species of sapient insectoids who arrived during the first major wave of colonists.

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.

History

Pre-Glitch - discovered as lifeless and barren.

Colony ships of the Saar arrived through the local gate and landed on the planet to claim it. These chrysalis-shaped ships deposited payloads of biological material to seed the world for future habitation. Microbial species to fertilize and engineer the local soils would pave the way for complex plant life that would provide the vital sustenance for the Saar. This terraforming campaign was overseen by small teams of scientists, the operating crews of the colony ships, and assistant computer intelligences while the majority of the colonists remained in hibernation pods onboard in a state of reduced consciousness until they could walk the surface.

A multitude of mishaps and malfunctions hindered the development of a hospitable world and several ships were lost to solar flares and decay. The bio-blooms failed to jump start the alien planet as intended and the Saar’s fleets of colony ships were trapped on the planet having spent their resources on the ultimately failed terraforming attempt. Thus, the Saar committed themselves to extended dormancy in their park ships to be watched over by maintenance teams and the onboard virtual intelligences. This prolonged hibernation has been referred to as a form of pseudo immortality, their lives slowed to a crawl in their cocoons while intermittently stimulated by virtual reality systems to ensure the stability and continuance of their existence. All the while, the processes of the colony ship computers and modest defenses kept the Saar safe from outside influence.

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 and Whai Presence

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. 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.

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 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

• Secret employees of a foreign power with hideously immoral research

Tho

A barren rocky moon orbiting the planet.

Kaikoura Lighthouse

Operated by the station keeper Fresnel, this recently developed moon base functions as a space-traffic control center for Gateway overseeing the comings and goings of the system.

SWN World Tags

Shackled World

This world is being systematically contained by an outside power. Some ancient autonomous defense grid, robot law enforcement, alien artifact, or other force is preventing the locals from developing certain technology, or using certain devices, or perhaps from developing interstellar flight. This limit may or may not apply to offworlders; in the former case, the PCs may have to figure out a way to beat the shackles simply to escape the world.

Enemies:

• Passionless jailer-AI
• Paranoid military grid AI
• Robot overlord
• Enigmatic alien master

Friends:

• Struggling local researcher
• Off-worlder trapped here
• Scientist with a plan to break the chains

Complications:

• The shackles come off for certain brief windows of time
• The locals think the shackles are imposed by God
• An outside power greatly profits from the shackles
• The rulers are exempt from the shackles

Things:

• Keycode to bypass the shackle
• Tech shielded from the shackle
• Exportable version of the shackle that can affect other worlds

Places:

• Grim high-tech control center
• Factory full of workaround tech
• Temple to the power or entity that imposed the shackle

Immortals

Natives of this world are effectively immortal. They may have been gengineered for tremendous lifespans, or have found some local anagathic, or be cyborg life forms, or be so totally convinced of reincarnation that death is a cultural irrelevance. Any immortality technique is likely applicable only to them, or else it’s apt to be a massive draw to outside imperialists.

Enemies:

• Outsider determined to steal immortality
• Smug local convinced of their immortal wisdom to rule all
• Off-worlder seeking the world’s ruin before it becomes a threat to all

Friends:

• Curious longevity researcher
• Thrill-seeking local

Complications:

• Immortality requires doing something that outsiders can’t or won’t willingly do
• The immortality ends if they leave the world
• Death is the punishment for even minor crimes
• Immortals must die or go off-world after a certain span
• Immortality has brutal side-effects

Things:

• Immortality drug
• Masterwork of an ageless artisan
• Toxin that only affects immortals

Places:

• Community with no visible children
• Unchanging structure of obvious ancient age
• Cultural performance relying on a century of in-jokes