Anomalous Planetography Catalog

=ANOMALOUS PLANETARY CATALOG=


The galaxy is immense, and within it many diverse and strange planets have formed, some more so than others. This catalog exists to detail them as they are discovered and researched


=Catalog=

• "Midnight Planets"
  
  
  

 

=MIDNIGHT PLANET GEOGRAPHY AND FAUNA=


Excerpts taken from "On the Subject of Aberrant Planetoids and their Biomes Within" by Brass-bolt Phaseman.


"..In the galaxy, there exist many an unusual and mysterious biome, some appearing only once or twice, a diamond in the rough of entirely uninhabitable zones of ruin. However, sometimes this single diamond instead reveals itself as a veritable mountain hewn from this same cast. An example of such is the ever mysterious and enigmatic 'Midnight Planet', which derives its name from the constant darkness which is seemingly key to their creation.


This type of xenographic biome is often found on moons orbiting Jovian-Class gas giants, whose radiation is considered key to their development over long-term formation. Blanketed in thick clouds of mist formed from precipitated nitrogen gasses, and lakes of methane and propane dotting the landscape, the conditions at which these biomes form are exceedingly cold, requiring top-notch thermal technology for explorers to brave their frigid surfaces. Regardless of these otherwise extreme surroundings, which would most certainly deter any form of life that we are to consider familiar to us, 'Midnight Planets' often exhibit not only life, but varied examples of complex life, which oddly enough, show familiar traits across their examples.


The most well-known of these Midnight Creatures happens to be the ever enigmatic and dangerous Orbide. The exact reason for the near universal presence of the Orbide across all Midnight Biomes is unknown, but theories range from deliberate panspermia by an outside race, to the situations that create this specific xenographic anomaly creating Orbide lifeforms along with it. The reason for this lack of knowledge might be due to the general inability for detailed study, as Orbide samples degrade rapidly when taken from the environment of their natural biome, and on-site study is extremely difficult due to the hostile nature of not only the planets they are found on, but the hostile nature of the Orbide themselves, known for their status as an apex predator of whatever food-chain they take part in.


Of the little that we do know about these mysterious creatures, we know that the Orbide exhibit many traits found in the Thaniifari species, commonly referred to as the 'Remnants', including the vastly different cell-structure referred to as a Sigma Cell, which allows for the almost non-Newtonian nature of their morphology. Another facet of the Orbide is their unique ability to utilize complex chemical and pheromone secretions to cause their prey to experience vivid audiovisual hallucinations, most commonly manifesting in phenomenon known as 'Shades', tall and slender 'beings' appearing to be made from dark fog that inhabit the peripheral vision of the Orbide's prey, causing intense feelings of anxiety and fear, and allowing the Orbide to better stalk and trap their increasingly distraught prey.


Outside of our knowledge of Orbide biology, we know some facets of the social structure of these bizarre creatures. As we understand it, the Orbide appear to live in a form of colony, creating large hives that can cover up to miles of space for the largest groups. These hives are host to possible thousands upon thousands of Orbide in various stages of development; with large, pale-blue honeycomb-esque structures covering the landscape in caves and recesses in the terrain, and columns of larval sacs sticking up from the ground like forests. It is around these places that sightings of Shades are most often documented, likely due to a high concentration of the Orbide's hallucinogenic excretions blanketing the area like a spider's web, baiting in prey to the depths of the hive, from which they are likely to never return from again.


In summary, the mysterious nature of these planetoids have yet to be fully documented, though from the little that we do know, it seems as though the Midnight Planets are a den of esoteric geography and life forms that break many of the conventions we consider to be normal in our strange galaxy; and perhaps with the further research conducted by the brave scientists and explorers of this ever-expanding field of science, we can come to understand the secrets hidden within the darkness of the Midnight's dense fog.