Xagroria

Xagroria, Thilt IX, or Eirnatia by the Yictan, is the Ninth planet in the Thilt System within the Orion Arm of the Milkyway Galaxy and the furthest in the Outer-Habitable zone. Xagroria is a heavily forested mountainous world under the control of the Sauruanian who stook claim to the planet just days before the caniic could mount a colonization group. Little is known Xagroria as it contains an incredible thick atmosphere that blocks nearly all means of survey scans.

Xagroria is a vast, mountainous world covered in dense, ancient forests and craggy peaks that tower above thick, mist-laden valleys. The planet’s rugged terrain is shaped by millennia of tectonic activity, with massive mountain chains spanning across continents, some of which stretch beyond 12,000 meters in height. Canyons and deep river valleys carve through the landscape, creating dramatic cliffs and overhangs that make aerial navigation difficult. The presence of numerous active fault lines suggests ongoing geological activity, with occasional earthquakes and volcanic eruptions shaping the environment. Despite its hostile terrain, Xagroria features expansive plateaus and rolling highlands, where the forests transition into open, wind-swept woodlands. Massive underground cave networks extend for thousands of kilometers beneath the surface, many of which remain unexplored due to the extreme conditions within. These subterranean realms, warmed by geothermal activity, are thought to harbor unique ecosystems entirely isolated from the surface.   Numerous freshwater lakes and rivers crisscross the continents, though their visibility is often obscured by the thick atmospheric haze. Coastal regions exist but are dominated by towering cliffs that plunge into turbulent, stormy seas, making maritime navigation highly perilous. The planetary poles are dominated by vast frozen tundras, though these icy regions are partially shielded from the worst of space’s cold by the dense atmosphere.

Xagroria’s climate is notoriously unpredictable due to its thick, heat-trapping atmosphere and chaotic weather systems. The planet experiences extreme temperature variations between regions, with the equatorial jungles being hot and humid, while the polar regions endure frigid, gale-force winds. Seasonal variations are present but less defined compared to other habitable worlds due to the dense atmospheric composition. Rainfall is frequent across much of the planet, with colossal storm systems capable of lasting weeks at a time. These storms, often accompanied by hurricane-force winds, sweep across the landmasses, shaping the landscapes over time. The mountainous regions experience intense snowfall at higher altitudes, feeding massive glaciers that extend into the valleys below.   Fog and mist are common due to the high humidity, often limiting visibility to just a few meters. Electrical storms are a frequent occurrence, particularly in the highlands, where immense lightning strikes can be seen illuminating the sky even through the thick cloud cover. These storms create significant challenges for exploration, as electronic equipment is frequently disrupted by electromagnetic interference. Due to its atmospheric density and composition, Xagroria retains heat far longer than most planets, leading to prolonged warm periods that can last for months. The nights, however, remain unnervingly dark, as only the faintest traces of starlight manage to penetrate the thick atmosphere.

Despite its harsh conditions, Xagroria teems with life—most of which remains largely undocumented due to the planet’s impenetrable atmospheric layers. Towering, ancient trees with deep-red foliage dominate the landscape, their thick, resinous bark acting as a natural shield against the elements. Many of these trees stretch hundreds of meters into the sky, forming dense canopies that block out what little sunlight reaches the surface.   The wildlife of Xagroria is thought to be highly specialized, with creatures adapted to survive in the perpetual twilight and thick air. Bioluminescent organisms are suspected to be widespread, illuminating the forests with eerie, pulsating lights that can be seen from orbit. Reports from Sauruanian scouts suggest the presence of large, reptilian apex predators capable of traversing both land and the vast underground cave systems. Aquatic life flourishes in the planet’s murky lakes and rivers, with creatures adapted to survive in low-visibility waters. Many are believed to rely on sonar-like senses rather than sight, much like Earth’s deep-sea creatures. Swarms of airborne organisms, possibly resembling insects or avian-like species, have also been observed navigating the dense mist layers, feeding off the abundant plant life.   Fungal networks dominate the forest floor, some forming vast, interconnected colonies stretching across entire regions. These fungi are thought to play a crucial role in breaking down organic matter, aiding in the recycling of nutrients in an environment where decomposition is slow due to the planet’s low sunlight penetration. Much of Xagroria’s biosphere remains an enigma, with the thick atmosphere concealing many of its secrets from orbiting surveyors. Only future exploration will reveal the full extent of its biodiversity.

Xagroria's six moons are diverse in composition, orbit, and history, each playing a unique role in the planet’s gravitational and atmospheric dynamics. The largest, Tarvix, measures around 1,850 km in diameter and is a heavily cratered rocky moon with an ancient surface scarred by countless impacts. Its relatively high density suggests a metallic core, and some Sauruanian reports indicate the presence of deep surface fissures, possibly remnants of past geological activity. Though no significant atmosphere exists, faint traces of volatile elements have been detected, hinting at occasional outgassing events. Yneris, slightly smaller at 1,700 km across, is an icy moon with a bright, reflective surface composed of frozen water and ammonia. Initial scans suggest a subsurface ocean beneath its frozen crust, heated by tidal flexing due to Xagroria’s gravitational pull. This process may create sporadic geyser-like eruptions, sending plumes of vapor into space before rapidly freezing and falling back as snow-like particles. Yneris’s orbit is nearly circular, allowing it to maintain a stable position in Xagroria’s night sky, making it one of the most easily visible moons from the surface despite the planet’s thick atmosphere.   Pholtan, at 1,450 km in diameter, is a dark, silicate-rich body with high concentrations of iron and nickel. Its surface is rough and fractured, with deep chasms hinting at internal stresses that may still be active. Unlike the other moons, Pholtan lacks any significant ice deposits, suggesting it formed in a much drier environment or experienced significant surface heating in the past. It is tidally locked to Xagroria, meaning the same face is always turned toward the planet, which has led to extreme temperature differentials between its day and night sides. Cethys, slightly smaller at 1,300 km across, is one of the most mysterious of Xagroria’s satellites due to its irregular, highly inclined orbit. Unlike the other moons, which formed relatively close to the planet, Cethys is suspected to be a captured object—possibly an asteroid or a fragment of a protoplanet from elsewhere in the system. Its surface is composed mainly of carbonaceous material, making it one of the darkest objects in the Thilt System. This low reflectivity has made detailed observations difficult, and no signs of geological activity have been detected. However, its irregular orbit suggests it may have had a more violent past, potentially involving a collision or gravitational interactions with other celestial bodies.   Lyrnas is one of the smaller moons, measuring approximately 950 km in diameter, and is an irregularly shaped body with a surface of mixed rock and ice. It is riddled with deep craters and long, frozen ridges, many of which appear to have been formed by slow-moving surface flows of volatile-rich materials. Despite its relatively small size, Lyrnas has a faint exosphere composed of nitrogen and methane, likely the result of sublimation from its icy surface. This thin layer of gas is temporary and quickly replenished as new material is released by ongoing cryovolcanic activity, though these eruptions appear to be weak and infrequent. Droxis, the smallest of Xagroria’s moons at only 600 km in diameter, is an elongated, rubble-pile moon that appears to be a loosely bound collection of ice and rock. Its weak gravity barely holds it together, and its highly porous structure suggests it may have originated as a fragment of a larger body that was shattered in a past impact. Droxis orbits at a greater distance than the other moons, suggesting it may have once been in a different part of the system before being slowly drawn into Xagroria’s gravitational influence. Its surface is a patchwork of ice plains and rocky outcrops, with little evidence of active geological processes, though occasional shifts in its surface composition suggest minor landslides or internal movement within its loosely held mass.