SHORT SUMMARY OF THE WORLD
(or at least trying to make it short)
(It won't be short i'm sorry)
DISCLAIMER
I am not an advanced writer, I'm still somewhat of a newbie when it comes to writing, so yueah.
I'm 100% open to constructive criticism tho, soooo if anyone is interested by my writing and got some tips hmu...
If you enjoy stories about fucked up extraterrestrial matter hitting some planet in the cosmos and affecting literally everything on the ecosystem of said planet, then boy, do I have something for you
When? Where? What?
The story takes place on a planet named Solyem, it's very similar to Earth but smaller (around the same size as Mars). If you think Earth has too much water you haven't seen Solyem, it has like 3 continents, which are somewhat small and only Endel can be considered a "big" continent. (which would be medium size to us).
The world is recovered with islands, some bigger, some smaller, and pretty much all those islands are countries as well.
"Wait what's Endel?"
Endel is a continent country, it's where the story takes place.
"Okay and what happens there?"
Boy, this is gonna be hard to summarize, but TLDR: Kethereans (The sapient dominating species of Solyem) just hit the industrial revolution and made many incredible discoveries, they are now able to go through the next stage of evolution. But just as they were about to go even further, astronomers discovered a medium sized meteor on an direct collision course on the planet.
But since it's a meteor and not an asteroid, said space rock is way too small to actually make some damage , everyone can sleep safe and sound, without worries... Or can they? What if the danger wasn't from the impact but from what the asteroid is carrying on its back?...
This is where it gets interesting...
Extradium is an extra-terrestrial mineral with organic proprieties (strange right) originating from a meteor that crashed on the planet 120 years ago. It possess unknown components never seen before.
Through a trial and error process, scientists discovered that some elements seems to have a counter-effect on Extradium and can repel the living-ore for a short while (such as salt).
The mineral has a pink gradient, sometimes with a blue tint to the extremities. It glows when it comes in contact with darkness
Due to its unknown components, it is impossible to know most of what it is made of. So far researchers have discovered it contains calcium and barium.
Its extra-terrestrial origin is responsible for the strange mutations it can grant to those infected with the substance. Researchers still don't know what are the causes of such phenomenon.
There are few, very rare cases where extradium can affect the physical appearances of organisms it contaminates (this only happens when said object/living thing has been infected with a very, VERY high dose of extradium, which can only be obtained if the extradium is in liquid form
Extradium can be liquified when it reaches 400 Degrees F (220 degree c). Liquified State is more dangerous than solid State, the toxic emanations are much more abundant. too long exposure to liquid extradium can directly lead to death without having to go through the sickness.
PROPRIETIES
Extradium releases a toxic dust-like substance, named extradiminium, that affects organic bodies; both vegetals and animals alike. However subjects needs to be in close contact with an IMMENSE dose of extradium dust in order to become diseased. (minimum 5 hours). Individuals can also become infected with prolonged physical contact with the substance, this is often the main cause of extradiotonic infection.
It first spreads through the lungs and then to the rest of the organs. Once infected, diseased individuals will show various symptoms that vary from a person to another.
Symptoms may include
- Nausea (common)
- Muscle weakness (common)
- Fever (common)
- Vomiting (common)
- Coughing blood (common)
- Partial hearing loss (rare)
- Vision impariment (rare)
- Disordered speech (rare)
- Coughing blood (common)
- Death (common)
INFORMATION ON ABILITUSES
Coming someday... idk when
INFORMATION ON KETHEREANS AND MEKS
For those who wants the short version: Basically kethereans = main species, they can look like anything (mostly anthros, creatures, monsters) and comes in 3 flavors
- Terranials
- Aetherises
- Hydryans
Kethereans built Meks (the other main sapient species in Therra), since organic bodies are too easily infected by extradium, but uh oh!! Meks became sentient and it's somewhat related to Extradium contamination, the origin of their sapience will be explored in further details in the comic
Kethereans are like the humans of this planet, they are the only sapient species alongside the Meks. They are organic beings whose appearances greatly vary from an individual to another. Very few kethereans looks alike. Some will have horns and fur, other scales, etc...
There are 3 different races (races, not other species!) amongst kethereans:
THE AETHERISES;
Which regroup flying types of kethereans, ONLY those who can fly, a ketherean with feathers who cannot fly for exemple, is not an aetheris. Most of them live in high places, like mountains, very few aetheris lives at sea level, their lungs requires the oxygen and the cold that is only found in summits.
Aetherises will not die if they do decide to remain in low altitude, but health issues may arise and they will not be able to function as much as if they did if they were in high altitude.
THE HYDRYANS;
Hydryans are kethereans with the ability to go underwater for long periods of time (or indefinitely), all hydryans have aquatic caracteristics and many of them have gills.
As for the hydryans without gills, they work similarly to the aquatic mammals of our world.
THE TERRANIALS;
Terranials are, as their name suggest, terrestrial ketherians, they cannot reach the sky nor do they have the ability to stay underwater like their hydryans siblings.
But terranials also have their own talent and that is that they have much more stamina than the two other races. They can walk for long distances and aren't as exhausted as their fellow hydryans or aetherises.
THE MEKS;
Kethereans are responsible for the creation of the Meks, their birth as a species was an unforseen accident as the organic builders did not plan for their mechanical worker to gain sapience
After their battle for citizenship and equality, Meks were given legal names by the senate, those names were often inspired by their designation numbers (ex: TH4-UR becomes THAUR, G4LG-G01W becomes Galgen-Galloway etc...) Meks don't have family names, because well, they don't really have any family, the only exception in which a Mek would adopt a legal family name is if they are working for a Ketherean family who consider them close enough to belong in their group.
Meks comes in 3 models:
- Outdated (created 85-84 years ago)
- Transitionnal (created 83-80 years ago
- Modern (created 79-76 years ago)
MODERN MODELS
Modern models have the most freedom when it comes to changing bodyparts or other pieces of their body.
Modern models can change their voice modules, and even some aspects of their appearances since the way they were built wasn't as chaotic as the outdated models (who were still somewhat prototypes), so it's easier for them to modify and rebuild themselves and not accidentally hitting a very vital part of their skeleton/innards (unlike outdated models, where it's way too dangerous).
Some modern models weren't even meant to work on extradium site, when kethereans realized they could build autonomous machines, they saw its potential. They started creating robots that could tend to agriculture fields for exemple, or strong bots that could help store boxes and other heavy objects in storage rooms for exemple.
TRANSITIONNAL MODELS
Transitionnal models are, well, like their name implies, transitionnal.
They are between outdated and modern models when it comes to modification, as it depends on which regions of the bodies is needed to be modified.
It really depends on how the mek was built, since all of them have very diverses appearances, some have more pieces than others (or have additionnal attributes; ex: being quadrupedal, the pieces in their body wont be placed the same way as a bipedal model for exemples).
OUTDATED MODELS
Outdated models were the first meks built, they are the oldest of the bunch and also happens to be the ones unfortunately dying more often than the transitionnal and modern models.
It's very hard and dangerous to modify their bodies, especially when it's close to their skeletons. They were built very disorderly, since they were more of an ''experiment'' than anything.
It's also harder to repair them, hence why they have such a high death rate. Their voice chip is more primitive and less "emotive" as a result. (very robotic and deep voices).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON MEKS
Enormous wall of text incoming
Meks have their own form of sleep, which they refer as going "offline": it is a state of non-conscioussnes where the robot will filter necessary and unecessary information that has been accumulated since the last time they went offline. Offline mode can last between 45 minutes and 5 hours (depends on the amount of information that needs to be filtered and the last time they went offline)
Unlike organic beings, meks don't have the biological need to sleep every night, most of them will go offline once per week. Some meks however, enters offline mode more often, those are often meks with kethereans partners, they enjoy "falling asleep" alongside them, even if they will always wake up before them...
Meks do not feel physical pain as their bodies are completely devoided of any captors or receptors that could reproduce that kind of feeling. They can slightly feel touch and pressure however (only some models tho...).
But just because they can't feel some physical stimuli doesn't mean they can't suffer mentally/emotionally... They may not feel pain but they can terrified of death
Meks are not immortal, their AI chip cannot be transfered from a body to another, they will live and die in the same body who gained sapience.Most components present in a mek body can be replaced or repaired, however if their skeleton gets hit or is affected by rust or any other threat, the damage becomes irreversible as their skeleton is their most vital point.
A mek skeleton is hidden under their robotic "shell" and is protected by various cables, wires and other technological elements that allows the robot to function.
If a mek get their entire arm cut or has a part of their skeleton plagued with rust for exemple, they will never be able to use these bodyparts ever again (rust parts need to be amputated before it reaches other parts of the mek body), If rust affects other parts of the mek body such as the shell, or wires, it can be removed.
The most outward the rust is, the easier it is to remove. Meks will often apply anti-rust products like sprays or paint every 4-5 months to avoid risks of dying or being amuptated, but they need to see specialists to make sure no rust has affected any part of their skeletons. They avoid rain and other liquids as much as possible.
With that being said, meks can still live much longer than any organic species if they are lucky and have the means to take care of themselves.
HOW DID THEY GAIN SAPIENCE?
The origin of the sapience of the meks is a huge plot point and mystery in my story, so I will not say much about it for now teehee.
STORY/LORE INFORMATION