Cosmic Wayfinder: Ytalis, the Barren Paradise

Ytalis, the Barren Paradise

Ytalis is the fourteenth planet from Sol and was once a whole completely covered in an ocean of metallic liquid called Adamantite. Because of this, it has earned the moniker of the “Barren Paradise”. Now, Ytalis is a barren field of dense sand, dormant volcanoes, and large forests of coral. Due to its long days, Ytalis has two distinct periods and ecosystems: the side of Ytalis that faces the sun has herbivorous fauna and blooming flora while the side facing away is plagued with carnivores while flora shrinks back into the ground. Pockets of Adamantite which once served as Ytalis’ ocean still exist within underground deposits and carry the Essence it once possessed, but are few and far between.

An image of Ytalis from orbit

Felled Giants

After the seas of Ytalis vanished from the surface, the fossils of the marine life were left behind to dot the land. These fossils carry samples of the liquid the ocean was made of within their bones. The largest of these fossils stretched miles into the sky and can be mined for years to extract their resources. The structure of the largest of these fossils hints at an ancestor of the reptilian creatures that currently occupy Ytalis.

The Ytali

The Itali are dragon-like creatures that stand at an average of eight feet tall. Tusks protrude from their snouts along with claws on their hands and feet, pairs of horns from their head and canines from their jaws. Their entire body is covered in thick scales to endure the freezing temperatures of the night. Additionally, Ytali are capable of producing their own body heat in the form of igniting their hair, a function that can be used offensively if need be.

The First Line of Defense

Beyond mining and extracting Adamantite as well as hosting a handful of shipyards, Ytalis lacks a majority export. However, a great sum of Ytalis’ population is affiliated with the Republic’s military to some degree as both enlisted and officer personnel. Ytalis acts as a point of security for the Republic from hostility within and beyond the Sol System. Ships constructed around the bones of the ancient creatures of Ytalis occupy the fleet of Ytalis as a mark of one of the Republic’s most feared worlds.