Geography
Comprised of tropical rainforests and shallow water features such as lakes and rivers, the surface of Sekrina is made up of vast ranges of craggy highlands, the soft stone providing plentiful amounts of nutrients for the trees and other assorted flora.
As Sekrina lacks any true oceans, the entire planet is considered one large supercontinent, allowing for vast, far reaching stretches of rainforest, only interrupted by lakes or rivers that serve as the primary method of water flow between the hemispheres of Sekrina.
Between 100 and 250 metres below the surface, naturally formed underground channels of magma move volcanic minerals, forming deposits that are drawn to the surface by deep roots of the largest trees, allowing the local flora to flourish.
Climate
Due to the vast amounts of canopy coverage, humidity is high, especially in the nothern hemisphere which experiences higher temperatures and therefore rainfall as more water evaporates, due to the tilt of the planet. Temperatures are also high as the same canopy traps vast amounts of heat, leading to a hot, humid climate within the forested zones.
The lakes and rivers provide a source of cooler air as they lack a canopy to trap heat, although the water in the lakes does tend to trap a vast amount of heat as the surrounding forests discharge their heat into the exposed air.
Ecology
Flora
The flora of Sekrina is comprised of two main categories, the plants that form the canopy and those that form the understory and floor layers. While rather different, there are a few traits common to both categories.
- Powerful and durable roots, allowing access to nutrients stored within the soft stone that makes up a large portion of the forest floor.
- Thin layers of bark on the parts exposed to the open air, allowing additional absorbtion of moisture from the humid air.
- Sap with a very low autoignition temperature, generally blue in colour, although purples have been observed in the oldest plants recorded.
- More advanced problem solving skills compared to similar flora on other planets, indicating either a form of genetic memory or higher intelligence.
Canopy Flora
The upper canopy is comprised almost entirely of
Widefarn and
Restfarn trees, with
Rivgrea prevalent on the edges of bodies of water.
Brensha vines string from tree to tree, presenting the illusion of a fully connected network of trees.
Understory Flora
Water Flora
Fauna
Sekrina's fauna is incredibly varied, with multiple species flourishing on every level of the planet's surface. While the vast majority of the fauna are less than 35 cm in length or width, several species that are much larger and more varied in size are also prevalent, mostly in the understory layers.
Canopy Fauna
Understory Fauna
Water Fauna
Rebirth Cycle
Due to the highly flammable nature of the forests of Sekrina, the planet undergoes cycles of 'rebirth', where the surface of the entire planet is burnt down, with very few survivors. These cycles are initiated by fermenting compost reaching ignition temperature or by magma breaching to the surface. This period of the rebirth cycle lasts a short amount of time, rarely in excess of a couple weeks due to the flammability of the flora.
Areas that are safe from the blaze are found deep within caves or in the lowest areas of the lakes, as the heat from the fires tends to bring the surface layers of the water to near-boiling temperatures. As a result, the vast majority of fauna tend to not survive as they are engulfed in the flames. Larger creatures have been found to make their own shelters, generally via burrowing, although this has also resulted in causing the original fire due to breaching into a magma stream.
Following the blaze, Sekrina undergoes a period of stagnation with very little activity as fauna has yet to venture forth from their safe hiding places. This period lasts anywhere from several days to multiple weeks, depending on how long it takes for surface temperatures to return to safe levels. Once the fauna returns to roaming the surface however, regrowth is rapid. Seeds are generally preserved and carried by the fauna, generally without their knowledge, allowing them to spread wherever their carrier travels. With the combination of fertile, ash-enhanced soil and the lack of competition for resources, plants grow quickly, returning the surface of Sekrina to its usual forest within less than a year, although it is still considered quite juvenile at this stage.
History
Extracted core samples indicate that Sekrina has undergone four Rebirth Cycles so far, indicating that the formation of the forests is a relatively recent development, as the planet itself is thousands of years older than the first Rebirth Cycle.
First contact with the planet by the
Siathan Court was made in the third quarter of the year 2094. Initial scans didn't reveal much in the way of harvestable resources beyond the vast quantities of plant matter and so the planet was marked for further research. Sekrina was one of the first planets on the
Forward Research Deployment list, resulting in an outpost being deployed in the first quarter of 2095.
Research Outpost
Main article: Sekrina Research Outpost
Located in the southern hemisphere to take advantage of the slightly cooler temperature, the
Sekrina Research Outpost was deployed with six personnel to complete the initial setup. After the setup phase was completed within three weeks, additional personnel and supplies were shipped in. The Research Outpost, at its peak, had a population of thirty five members as well as the equipment to allow for theoretical indefinite habitation.
Exploratory teams were deployed over the course of the next few months, surveying the planet from the ground level and building a comprehensive map. Documentation of local flora and fauna was also done at this time, although sample collection was forbidden until the full mapping of the planet was complete.
Outbreak
After a mapping expedition failed to check in twice in a row, further expeditions were halted as an armed force was assembled to locate the expedition. Remains of two of the five expedition members were found roughly two kilometres away from their last known base camp location. As examination of the remains was underway, the armed team was attacked by a previously undocumented species, the
Aracrinar, possessing the features of one of the expedition members who's remains were not present.
It is assumed that all members of the armed response team met a similar fate to those of the expedition team. While Aracrinar possessing features of any member of the armed team have not been positively identified, the lack of contact and the duration of their absence leaves little other possibility.
Quarantine and Eradication
With the presence of a hostile species confirmed, the Research Outpost was put into a defensive lockdown, transmitting a message via the
Emergency Relay System, placing the planet under quarantine. The
Royal Engineering and Development Division took several weeks to come to a decision, eventually authorising the usage of military forces to eradicate Aracrinar that have taken the traits of
Siathans. Incendiary weapons, as well as orbital strikes, are forbidden due to the flammability of the flora of Sekrina.
