Xerachin - An Overview

Moon Name and Designation - Xerachin [ZEER-uh-shin] … NSI-OD-NT (non-sentient-inhabited, off-limit deadly, no technology)

Comparitive Size and Gravity - Xerachin is about two-thirds the size of Earth's moon, with a slightly heavier gravity in proportion to his size than one might expect.

Solar System and Sun - Xerachin is part of the Tri-System and orbits a yellow star called Ghrayu by most Lavanians. There is a large asteroid that was pulled into orbit (much closer to Ghrayu than Xerachin) in recent millenia, but it is barely the size of Earth's moon. The planets of Lavana, Shakala, and Terole make up the Tri-System, and their inter-orbital spatial relationship is nothing short of unique; all three planets are close enough to each other that their gravitational fields are bound and almost tangled, causing them to orbit around each other and in turn circle Ghrayu as one unified mass. In the eleventh millenium, a planet called Sahan will be Created that orbits in the same elliptical 'ring' as do the three, but on the opposite side of Ghrayu. Xerachin and his sister moon, Veron, orbit none of the three planets but are caught in the unseen web of gravitational forces, thus weaving around all three.

Axial Tilt and Atmosphere - Xerachin's axial tilt, like Veron's, is almost impossible to distinguish without using advanced technology, which none have bothered/dared to do. He's caught between three planets and one other moon, so orderly seasons and areas of stable climate simply don't exist. His atmosphere is a little thinner than a large planet's but not to the point of extinguishing or even greatly hindering the growth of life-forms.

World Coloration - Xerachin is reddish-gold when seen from Lavana, ruddy from Terole, and fire-gold from Shakala. It has a golden sky, pale mahogany clouds, brown soil, green grass, ruddy weeds, and assorted red and gold flowers. The sun is a rich fire-orange in the sky, and the rarely-seen stars are tinted red or yellow.

Landmasses and Water - Xerachin is mostly one landmass, lacking saltwater entirely. There are a few scattered lakes or freshwater seas of considerable size, but none have survived long enough to make even a sketchy map of the moon. The overall climate is warm, with thick, lush jungles surrounding the equator, and barren rocky wastelands at the poles. Jungles and thick tropical forests are the most common, with the general surface being hilly but rarely jagged or truly mountainous.

Brief Description - Like his lunar sister, Veron, Xerachin is a moon that has both atmosphere and life on his surface. Unlike Veron, however, Xerachin is never visited because of the sheer ferocity of his nonsentient inhabitants. Even an exceptional Lavanian warrior or a weapon-toting Terolian wouldn't last five minutes on his surface, as Xerachin is filled with a maelstrom of vicious carnivores and equally dangerous 'prey'.

Not a single sentient being lives here, though this moon has ample resources to provide life to its many species. The diversity on this sphere resembles that of Earth, despite the much-smaller size and erratic orbit, due to being trapped between three massive planets. The day lasts nine hours here, or, I should say, a complete rotation takes nine hours. Day and night are skewed due to the eccentric orbit, with the true sun's light rarely shining on the moon; most often it is reflected light illuming the planets that indicates 'day', or lack thereof indicating 'night'.

Perhaps because of this unpredictable day and night, Xerachin creatures are routineless and chaotic in their behavioral patterns and actions. The norm is two, four, or six working legs, no wings, sharp claws, teeth, and spines, fur or scales, eyes which can either see infrared or that have excellent diurnal and nocturnal vision, all other senses highly developed, and amazing agility, speed, and strength. Due to the light gravity, the average height at the shoulder(s) is four feet, with the biggest species known only standing at ten feet. Mammals and hot-blooded reptiles thrive on this moon, with the only avian species being a vicious mix of reptile and bird. There are many fliers which can reach truly huge proportions, again due to the light gravity. Average wingspan is five feet, but the largest is fifty feet. Fliers are usually predators, the larger capable of eating smaller, land-bound predators, and the smaller preferring the luxury of fish or other fliers.

Xerachin creatures, though nonsentient, are notoriously cunning and highly intelligent. Most land-bound predators are pack-hunters, with such developed and intuitive communication with their fellows that it borders on telepathy. Fierce and with little or no fear for their own lives, Xerachin beasts will attack their prey head-on if possible, or design uncanny traps if their prey is too powerful, too swift, or simply too dangerous to tangle with claw-to-claw. Unlike most Tri-System species, Xerachin predators will hunt other predators. Perhaps because of this, there are no herbivores, and very few omnivores, those usually being small rodent- or lizard-like creatures that live underground or in the highest tops of Xerachin's tall but spindly trees.

Xerachin's flora is rather unremarkable, compared to Veron's and Lavana's plants. In tropical climates, the trees are rather short - fifty feet high when full-grown- and thick, with many branches sprouting from the upper half of the tree. There are very few kinds of trees, in fact, only three - the jungle one, with black bark, golden leaves, and green moss; the tall, spindly, needle-leafed one with grey trunk and red leaves; and a short, slender, crooked one with a ruddy trunk and green leaves. The latter two bear fruit, sour and small, but edible nonetheless. The grass grows like that of Earth, and there are many tall, scraggly weeds that thrive in harsh conditions, such as dryness or extreme heat. Dandelion-like flowers come in shades of ruby and gold, sprouting up everywhere to give off pungent and delicate scents, respectively. Bug life is much like Earth's, though few parasites exist, and many more insects are capable of dealing out death.

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