Sen'Ri: Home Planet of the Pofures
The Surface
The home planet of Pofures is a desolate place, its jagged surface constantly buffeted by blizzards of epic proportions. The surface is almost entirely made of dark-grey rock, its surface exhibiting faint metallic flecks, suggesting mineral composition. Hidden between the tall mountainous spines of its geography are long-abandoned structures, its architects' whereabouts unknown; evolution is evident in these buildings, where the most archaic resemble intricate earth-cathedrals, while the most advanced towers are but a smooth, blank surface with no discernable entrance. Regardless of the era of the building, all share a mysterious floating ring whose purpose or method of propulsion is unknown. These rings are often either stationary or gyrating extremely slowly around the building; either way, if one gets close enough, a low, deep hum can be heard. Today, most such buildings are entirely encased in ice, and very few offer shelter from the harsh elements of the surface – what few creatures are foolish enough to brave the cold make their nests in these small coves, making for a higher chance of dangerous encounters with the planet's more predatory species. Interestingly, none of the buildings - old or new- show any sign of wear or tear with extremely solid structural integrity, even with the invasion of the elements. Any flora who have found their roots in these buildings are never actually invading any part of the building, rather finding foothold in small divisions within the architectural material.
The Caverns
Contrary to the frigid surface, deep within the mantle of Sen'Ri pulses a network magma veins with rich atmospheric gas. Because of this more hospitable underground world, flora and fauna have adapted to flourish within the underground caves without the need for the sun; even plants here seem to use an alternate mechanism given their inability to photosynthesize. An intricate maze of caverns connect the entire planet, with each deepening layer slightly hotter than its superficial neighbor; most organisms dwell within the middle layers, while more extreme environments house less variety. Pofures too seem to prefer the mid-layers of the planet, making soft nests with the native flora in small coves dug into the hard walls. Some of these caves are of epic proportions, even forming weather-related entities such as clouds and consequent storms, all under ground. Scalding veins of magma erupt from the land like glowing scars, and the lava meets the pools of water and methane in billowing columns of vapor and toxin. Its warmth and light both nurture life in the harsh conditions, and massive crystals have grown from the unique chemical conditions of these pools of gas and liquid.
Further from the heat of the lava are fields of grass, both innert and bio-luminescent plants light up the rest of the terrain; many are typically a cyan color in their glow, although other colors have been observed depending on soil composition. These plants have evolved (presumably) to use an entirely different mechanism separate from photosynthesis - pofure scholars hypothesize that they use the highly concentrated atmospheric gases to gain energy in some form of cellular respiration.
The climate conditions within these tunnels are not unlike temperate conditions of Earth, although atmospheric composition reflects that of primordial earth; Earthlings would suffocate within underground Sen'Ri, while the surface has diluted the concentrated gases of the underground making it slightly more hospitable.
(Note; Methane and water pools are never seen together as they have entirely different physical properties! Methane pools are found closer to the frozen surface of the planet, while water exists closer to the core where temperatures are warmer.)
The Surface
The home planet of Pofures is a desolate place, its jagged surface constantly buffeted by blizzards of epic proportions. The surface is almost entirely made of dark-grey rock, its surface exhibiting faint metallic flecks, suggesting mineral composition. Hidden between the tall mountainous spines of its geography are long-abandoned structures, its architects' whereabouts unknown; evolution is evident in these buildings, where the most archaic resemble intricate earth-cathedrals, while the most advanced towers are but a smooth, blank surface with no discernable entrance. Regardless of the era of the building, all share a mysterious floating ring whose purpose or method of propulsion is unknown. These rings are often either stationary or gyrating extremely slowly around the building; either way, if one gets close enough, a low, deep hum can be heard. Today, most such buildings are entirely encased in ice, and very few offer shelter from the harsh elements of the surface – what few creatures are foolish enough to brave the cold make their nests in these small coves, making for a higher chance of dangerous encounters with the planet's more predatory species. Interestingly, none of the buildings - old or new- show any sign of wear or tear with extremely solid structural integrity, even with the invasion of the elements. Any flora who have found their roots in these buildings are never actually invading any part of the building, rather finding foothold in small divisions within the architectural material.
The Caverns
Contrary to the frigid surface, deep within the mantle of Sen'Ri pulses a network magma veins with rich atmospheric gas. Because of this more hospitable underground world, flora and fauna have adapted to flourish within the underground caves without the need for the sun; even plants here seem to use an alternate mechanism given their inability to photosynthesize. An intricate maze of caverns connect the entire planet, with each deepening layer slightly hotter than its superficial neighbor; most organisms dwell within the middle layers, while more extreme environments house less variety. Pofures too seem to prefer the mid-layers of the planet, making soft nests with the native flora in small coves dug into the hard walls. Some of these caves are of epic proportions, even forming weather-related entities such as clouds and consequent storms, all under ground. Scalding veins of magma erupt from the land like glowing scars, and the lava meets the pools of water and methane in billowing columns of vapor and toxin. Its warmth and light both nurture life in the harsh conditions, and massive crystals have grown from the unique chemical conditions of these pools of gas and liquid.
Further from the heat of the lava are fields of grass, both innert and bio-luminescent plants light up the rest of the terrain; many are typically a cyan color in their glow, although other colors have been observed depending on soil composition. These plants have evolved (presumably) to use an entirely different mechanism separate from photosynthesis - pofure scholars hypothesize that they use the highly concentrated atmospheric gases to gain energy in some form of cellular respiration.
The climate conditions within these tunnels are not unlike temperate conditions of Earth, although atmospheric composition reflects that of primordial earth; Earthlings would suffocate within underground Sen'Ri, while the surface has diluted the concentrated gases of the underground making it slightly more hospitable.
(Note; Methane and water pools are never seen together as they have entirely different physical properties! Methane pools are found closer to the frozen surface of the planet, while water exists closer to the core where temperatures are warmer.)