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ptahrrificType: Worldbuilding, background information
Spoilers: Moderate
Table of Contents: The Xyll Saga
Within a reasonable warp proximity to the Sol system is the star Xyll (so named because I thought it sounded cool). It boasts five rocky planets, all inhabited, all named for mythological figures chosen largely at random: Rhea, Dido, Hestia, Antigone, and Chronos.
The outermost planet, Chronos, has a very large moon, not that that will be plot-important or anything. I mean, who ever heard of a sailor for a moon? Plus, it doesn't fit with the rest. At least they all managed to have Greek names, while Chronos' satellite is named for some random Egyptian deity. No way that's going anywhere.
(On the original website, this was an image map with a bunch of links. Here, you get everything in bulk pages, no clicking necessary. Exciting!)
All text and images that follow are taken directly from the profiles written in 2002.
Basics. Closest to the star Xyll, Rhea is the smallest of the five planets. It is also the crown planet, much as the Moon is the crown of the Sol system. Its monarch Queen Cybele Lobelia is the guardian of the Star Crystal (Hoshizuishou), which is the Xyll system equivalent of the Ginzuishou. Rhea has a warm climate year-round, usually sunny, sometimes unbearable at the equator. It also has an indigenous species, called eimei, who are humanoid but smaller and simian.
Government. Rhea is a peaceful whole-planet monarchy ruled by Queen Lobelia. The throne is passed from mother to oldest daughter when the girl is of age, although if there are no daughters boys can legally rule. Only females can control the Star Crystal, though, so if the king rather than the queen is from the Rheaite bloodline, his mother will retain posession of the crystal until she can pass it on to a granddaughter. The center of government is the palace, built of red marble.
Satellites. Rhea has two small moons. The larger of the two has a thriving colony under it, which mines the valuable lunar minerals and is powered by solar energy and the energy of the citizens while they sleep. (Not enough energy is taken to harm them.) The smaller of the two has the remains of a failed colony attempt on it; there is a shield to protect from Xyll's deadly ultraviolet rays and the lack of air in space, but since there were no minerals worth mining the atmosphere is no longer maintained.
Culture. Since Rhea is such a warm planet, cold treats such as ice cream and slushies are immensely popular. Rheaiites tend not to visit the other planets, finding them too cold, but their planet is a popular tourist spot for its tropical climate that extends beyond the tropics.
Basics. Second closest from Xyll, Dido is close in size to Antigone. It has a very Earthlike climate and was the first planet of the system to be colonized by humans. (The original colonists' structures, one of which is depicted in the background, have all been either deserted or built over.)
Government. Dido is controlled by a wavering whole-planet monarchy. The throne is passed from parent to oldest child, boy or girl. It is currently in the hands of a fairly incompetent ruler, and poverty and hunger are widespread; since Dido lacks an effective military, the average Didoan's life is controlled more by black market organizations than the official government. The citizens aren't quite on the brink of revolution, but give them another generation...
Culture. Apart from the wealthier families, who live in well-guarded modern houses, most Didoan towns and cities look like high-tech Westerns. The average citizen knows about or is involved in some illegal trade, often in weapons or drugs, and while the main streets of most towns are relatively safe, the back streets are to be truly feared. Most Didoans know only a little about their princess.
Speech. All but the least cultured Didoans will greet each other with the traditional polite "Peace upon you". When bringing up the name of a respected or liked person, they will follow that person's name with "Peace upon him/her/them". When mentioning Kiraino and others of her ilk, Didoans have taken to saying "Peace upon his/her/their victims."
Basics. Third from Xyll, slightly larger than Earth, Hestia still boasts an earthlike climate. It is still actively protected by its patron goddess, thanks in part to the citizens' strong support of her. Hestia is beloved for its beautiful cities (one of them is depicted in the background).
Government. Hestia is ruled by a matriarchal whole-planet monarchy. The most elite of Hestia's fighter plane pilots are members of the Alpha squad, the Queen's own protectors as well as guards of the Princess. Ironically enough, the current Princess is secretly a member of that squad.
Satellites. Two, uncolonized and smaller than but similar to the Didoan moon: without valuable minerals or need for colonization.
Culture. Every Hestian has a hearth in his/her house regardless of how efficient their heating system is; this is in tribute to their patron goddess. ("Hestia's barbecue" is a common curse in the Xyll system, as a milder way to refer to Hell.) Hestia is celebrated in the Xyll and Sol systems alike for its air force composed of talented fighter pilots; aspiring pilots come from every planet to join the Hestian royal army.
Basics. Fourth from Xyll and featuring a chilly climate even at the equator, Antigone's forte is the precious stones which its unique geologic activity have produced. Its intraplanetary economy is almost entirely based upon the sale of these gems and rocks.
Government. Antigone has two "countries" of sorts; one is a failing socialist state and the other is a failing republican state. The two were established about two decades ago, when revolution erupted and the monarchy was overthrown. Many experts of the planet believe that the only way to reassert the planet's strength is to reunite the two states under a fair monarchy - by redirecting the people's memories of loyalty to their queen upon the princess, Jennifity, only remaining member of the royal family. This would work out just fine . . . if only Jennifity was interested in the job.
Satellites. Two, small but close to the planet so that they appear large. A double moonrise (as seen in the background, which depicts the home/school of the princess and her teachers, near the equator) is a breathtaking sight to behold.
Basics. The furthest planet from Xyll and the largest, Chronos' gravity makes it a distinctly unpopular tourist spot. However, it produces strong citizens - almost a trillion of them at the time of its explosion. The main defense system is an air force that has a stellar reputation; it is mostly comprised of Chronosians and children can begin training there as young as five. In the prologue to the Xyll series Chronos is destroyed (depicted in the background).
Government. The Chronosian government is a whole-planet semidemocracy; the Queen inherits her position but her highest officials are elected, and she can be voted out of office if her citizens deem her unfit for the job. This has never happened in known history, however. Chronos is divided into ninety-seven geographic regions, each with its own elected presider; the Queen's duties are few but her influence is great. If a male is the only person available to take the throne, his title is still Queen.
Satellites. Chronos has one satellite, Ptah, which is named for a god of creation and which is large enough to have been classified a planet if it had orbited Xyll. Certainly it is larger than, say, Mercury.
Basics. The moon of Chronos is rocky and cold; despite being nearly the size of Mercury, it does not have a stable atmosphere, and is uncolonized unlike many other moons in the Xyll system. Despite this, a massive computer system exists within Ptah. This system usually tracks objects that enter and leave the system; it was shielded from the force of Chronos' explosion by the bulk of rock around it. After losing its parent planet it was caught in orbit around Xyll itself.
Spoilers: Moderate
Table of Contents: The Xyll Saga
Within a reasonable warp proximity to the Sol system is the star Xyll (so named because I thought it sounded cool). It boasts five rocky planets, all inhabited, all named for mythological figures chosen largely at random: Rhea, Dido, Hestia, Antigone, and Chronos.
The outermost planet, Chronos, has a very large moon, not that that will be plot-important or anything. I mean, who ever heard of a sailor for a moon? Plus, it doesn't fit with the rest. At least they all managed to have Greek names, while Chronos' satellite is named for some random Egyptian deity. No way that's going anywhere.
(On the original website, this was an image map with a bunch of links. Here, you get everything in bulk pages, no clicking necessary. Exciting!)
All text and images that follow are taken directly from the profiles written in 2002.
Rhea
Basics. Closest to the star Xyll, Rhea is the smallest of the five planets. It is also the crown planet, much as the Moon is the crown of the Sol system. Its monarch Queen Cybele Lobelia is the guardian of the Star Crystal (Hoshizuishou), which is the Xyll system equivalent of the Ginzuishou. Rhea has a warm climate year-round, usually sunny, sometimes unbearable at the equator. It also has an indigenous species, called eimei, who are humanoid but smaller and simian.
Government. Rhea is a peaceful whole-planet monarchy ruled by Queen Lobelia. The throne is passed from mother to oldest daughter when the girl is of age, although if there are no daughters boys can legally rule. Only females can control the Star Crystal, though, so if the king rather than the queen is from the Rheaite bloodline, his mother will retain posession of the crystal until she can pass it on to a granddaughter. The center of government is the palace, built of red marble.
Satellites. Rhea has two small moons. The larger of the two has a thriving colony under it, which mines the valuable lunar minerals and is powered by solar energy and the energy of the citizens while they sleep. (Not enough energy is taken to harm them.) The smaller of the two has the remains of a failed colony attempt on it; there is a shield to protect from Xyll's deadly ultraviolet rays and the lack of air in space, but since there were no minerals worth mining the atmosphere is no longer maintained.
Culture. Since Rhea is such a warm planet, cold treats such as ice cream and slushies are immensely popular. Rheaiites tend not to visit the other planets, finding them too cold, but their planet is a popular tourist spot for its tropical climate that extends beyond the tropics.
Dido
Basics. Second closest from Xyll, Dido is close in size to Antigone. It has a very Earthlike climate and was the first planet of the system to be colonized by humans. (The original colonists' structures, one of which is depicted in the background, have all been either deserted or built over.)
Government. Dido is controlled by a wavering whole-planet monarchy. The throne is passed from parent to oldest child, boy or girl. It is currently in the hands of a fairly incompetent ruler, and poverty and hunger are widespread; since Dido lacks an effective military, the average Didoan's life is controlled more by black market organizations than the official government. The citizens aren't quite on the brink of revolution, but give them another generation...
Culture. Apart from the wealthier families, who live in well-guarded modern houses, most Didoan towns and cities look like high-tech Westerns. The average citizen knows about or is involved in some illegal trade, often in weapons or drugs, and while the main streets of most towns are relatively safe, the back streets are to be truly feared. Most Didoans know only a little about their princess.
Speech. All but the least cultured Didoans will greet each other with the traditional polite "Peace upon you". When bringing up the name of a respected or liked person, they will follow that person's name with "Peace upon him/her/them". When mentioning Kiraino and others of her ilk, Didoans have taken to saying "Peace upon his/her/their victims."
Hestia
Basics. Third from Xyll, slightly larger than Earth, Hestia still boasts an earthlike climate. It is still actively protected by its patron goddess, thanks in part to the citizens' strong support of her. Hestia is beloved for its beautiful cities (one of them is depicted in the background).
Government. Hestia is ruled by a matriarchal whole-planet monarchy. The most elite of Hestia's fighter plane pilots are members of the Alpha squad, the Queen's own protectors as well as guards of the Princess. Ironically enough, the current Princess is secretly a member of that squad.
Satellites. Two, uncolonized and smaller than but similar to the Didoan moon: without valuable minerals or need for colonization.
Culture. Every Hestian has a hearth in his/her house regardless of how efficient their heating system is; this is in tribute to their patron goddess. ("Hestia's barbecue" is a common curse in the Xyll system, as a milder way to refer to Hell.) Hestia is celebrated in the Xyll and Sol systems alike for its air force composed of talented fighter pilots; aspiring pilots come from every planet to join the Hestian royal army.
Antigone
Basics. Fourth from Xyll and featuring a chilly climate even at the equator, Antigone's forte is the precious stones which its unique geologic activity have produced. Its intraplanetary economy is almost entirely based upon the sale of these gems and rocks.
Government. Antigone has two "countries" of sorts; one is a failing socialist state and the other is a failing republican state. The two were established about two decades ago, when revolution erupted and the monarchy was overthrown. Many experts of the planet believe that the only way to reassert the planet's strength is to reunite the two states under a fair monarchy - by redirecting the people's memories of loyalty to their queen upon the princess, Jennifity, only remaining member of the royal family. This would work out just fine . . . if only Jennifity was interested in the job.
Satellites. Two, small but close to the planet so that they appear large. A double moonrise (as seen in the background, which depicts the home/school of the princess and her teachers, near the equator) is a breathtaking sight to behold.
Chronos
Basics. The furthest planet from Xyll and the largest, Chronos' gravity makes it a distinctly unpopular tourist spot. However, it produces strong citizens - almost a trillion of them at the time of its explosion. The main defense system is an air force that has a stellar reputation; it is mostly comprised of Chronosians and children can begin training there as young as five. In the prologue to the Xyll series Chronos is destroyed (depicted in the background).
Government. The Chronosian government is a whole-planet semidemocracy; the Queen inherits her position but her highest officials are elected, and she can be voted out of office if her citizens deem her unfit for the job. This has never happened in known history, however. Chronos is divided into ninety-seven geographic regions, each with its own elected presider; the Queen's duties are few but her influence is great. If a male is the only person available to take the throne, his title is still Queen.
Satellites. Chronos has one satellite, Ptah, which is named for a god of creation and which is large enough to have been classified a planet if it had orbited Xyll. Certainly it is larger than, say, Mercury.
}} Ptah {{
Basics. The moon of Chronos is rocky and cold; despite being nearly the size of Mercury, it does not have a stable atmosphere, and is uncolonized unlike many other moons in the Xyll system. Despite this, a massive computer system exists within Ptah. This system usually tracks objects that enter and leave the system; it was shielded from the force of Chronos' explosion by the bulk of rock around it. After losing its parent planet it was caught in orbit around Xyll itself.
(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-24 04:15 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2012-07-24 07:16 am (UTC)...As I remember, the worldbuilding isn't necessarily followed through in the story as well as it's described in the notes ^_^; One of the reasons I keep idly dreaming of a rewrite, in spite of the negligible possibility that it'll ever actually come together.