Mordax et al

The planet and chained moon of Derse orbits at the outer rim of the medium, far, far away from the other celestial bodies of the medium beyond the enormous belt of asteroids known as the Veil. Being so far away from the life giving energy of Skaia it lies in a permanent twilight never growing any any lighter than a deep purple shadow– earning it its nickname as the Kingdom of Darkness. The night side of its circadian cycle is black as pitch, facing away from the few reflective bodies of the medium, and instead turned toward the twisting dark mass of the Horrorterrors in the Furthest Ring.

The day/night cycle is approximately the same length as earth’s 24 hours (though it is largely disregarded by its inhabitants*), and it is without axial tilt, giving the dreary day and black night a constantly equal number of hours. Likewise, Derse lacks traditional seasons for the most part. However, due to its egg-shaped orbit the times when Derse is closer or farther from Skaia produce a kind of understated summer and winter.

Despite my several (earth) years here so far I have yet to see it snow, though the inhabitants assure me it does on occasion. Likewise it has never gotten so warm that at least a light jacket is not advisable outside. The other ‘season’ is  the short time called the Dark Season, when the planet’s elliptical orbit brings it close enough to brush against the Furthest Ring, which I will write about at a later date.This occurs only once during a Dersite ‘year’, which due to its distance from Skaia, and resultant long, long orbit, is the equivalent of nearly 50 earth years.

The climate as mentioned is generally quite chilly, and it rains often. Fog is more common than not, and frost is not unfamiliar, though it fades quickly. Thunderstorms occur year round (or so I’m told) and not always,while it is raining. The planet also tends to be quite windy (which perhaps is the reason hats tend not to be so in fashion as they are on Prospit).

In comparative size Derse is a tiny planet, like all of the planets in the medium, excepting Skaia, naturally, being perhaps a twentieth the size of the earth. Unlike earth however, water makes up only about 15% of its surface, the rest being covered by one massive continent. Most of Derse’s water lies in caves deep below ground, with only two visible rivers, called Major and Minor. Both are freshwater– there is no saltwater anywhere on Derse.

The terrain of Derse is largely rocky and mountainous, and the ground is hard and claylike. The rock, already permanently shaded in twilight is largely a pale purplish grey color (and makes up the bulk of Dersite building materials).

The thick soil is not conducive to life, even if Derse received enough light and heat to grow life other than fungi, moss and lichen. These however, grow rather plentifully and are considered a nuisance in inhabited regions. Animal life is likewise scarce, and I know of no animals native to the planet save for the Dersites themselves. Domestic animals are also incredibly scarce– very few Dersites are pet owners and there are no farms aside from those for mushrooms.