Cosmic Wayfinder: Stilbōn, the Swift Planet

 

Stilbōn, the Swift Planet

Stilbōn, the second planet from Sol, is often called the “Swift Planet” because of its relatively short days and years due to its proximity to Sol. It’s a small planet littered with vast plains, impact craters, and cliffs. It lacks a significant atmosphere to retain heat, resulting in scorching days and frigid nights alongside solar radiation. Beneath its surface lies a network of massive caverns. Some portions of Stilbōn’s caves are covered in thick layers of ice, while collections of magma have melted down others. Most wildlife on Stilbōn is massive and adapted for these respective environments, but nearly all lifeforms are made of some form of mineral. Despite this, the weight of their substance isn’t an issue due to the low gravity on Stilbōn.

An image of Stilbōn from orbit.

A Fractured Sky

Stilbōn experiences periodic meteor showers due to space debris pulled by its extreme gravitational pull down to the surface. This debris comes from broken portions of Stilbōn’s moon, Rydo, which was heavily damaged during mining operations. The moon is held together in eight separate portions by artificial harnesses that keep them within the same orbit and allow further mining.

The Stilbōnians

Stilbōn’s only sentient race is the Stilbōnians. They are a species with an average height of three feet and an affinity for visualizing Essence within natural minerals. The Stilbōnians possess a humanoid body made from stone with carved bodies. Massive forearms and “eyes” made from precious metals. They have evolved to match Mercury’s atmosphere, possessing excellent resistance to severe temperatures.

Beyond the Flames

Due to the extreme shifts in climate, Stilbōnians built their cities underground in massive icy caverns and only began developing spacecraft due to Republic intervention. Some Stilbōnians live a nomadic life, braving the hours near dusk and dawn when the temperatures are bearable and staying in caves dotting the surface during noon and midnight. Other Stilbōnians have left their home in favor of more temperate climates, giving the gift of their stonework and magic to the solar system. Stilbōn’s travel of fortresses of stone given life and limbs through aether crystals that allow them to travel through the vacuum of space and defy gravity without the need for propulsion. Despite its membership in the Republic being tentative and only decades old, Stilbōn remains a cornerstone of life's potential in the Sol System and continues to support it through nonstop mining and resource extraction of the Essence-rich mineral aether crystal in particular.