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EXPLORE PLANETS
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Otreau
Reau
Pleione-Hesperis
Aneatanga
Earth (Uiscogeni)
OTREAU
Although Otreau was within the borders of the Theran Empire, it was an independent planet. Unlike the majority of inhabited planets in the Heart of Darkness book universe, Otreau was not supposed to be capable of sustaining life. When it was first colonized by humans, they found a world that was similar in many ways to their home world, but also very strange—every animal they encountered was telepathic.
Map
The Planet and its Suns
The People of Otreau
Independence from Thera
Measuring Time
Education
Plants and Animals
Cities and Towns
Religion
Government
The End of Otreau
The Planet and its Sun
Pleione-Hesperis is an Earth-sized planet orbiting the star Earth's humans call Atlas. Atlas, also called 27 Tauri, is in the constellation Taurus and is the second-brightest star in the Pleiades cluster. It is brighter and larger than our sun, and its habitable zone is much farther away.
Pleione-Hesperis orbits Atlas at about 30 astronomical units (AU). This is about the same distance between Neptune and our sun, so from the surface of Pleione-Hesperis, Atlas looks about the same as other stars. Its orbital period—the amount of time it takes the planet to go around the sun—is about 88.8 Earth years. Unlike Earth, which spins at an angle, Pleione-Hesperis is almost upright. This results in a near-even split between day and night, and no seasons beyond minor temperature and precipitation variations throughout the year.
The planet is warm at the equator, in a similar temperature range as early summer in the American Midwest. The poles are colder, a perpetual winter, and the sun never quite sets there. Instead, it stays low on the horizon. Even though Atlas is brighter than Earth's sun, its greater distance means less sunlight reaches Pleione-Hesperis' surface. Without the native people's technology, the surface would be much dimmer during the day than humans are used to.
Politics and the Civil War
Despite being similar—or sometimes identical—in ability, belief, language, and practice, the Celaenó and the Erytheiá do not get along. Though they are currently in their longest-recorded period of peace, lasting two thousand Earth years and counting, most of their history has been spent at war with each other.
The war was mostly limited to fighting on the planet itself, though both species tried to gain an advantage over the other off-world. Like many other inhabited planets, the Celaenó and the Erytheiá have developed interplanetary travel much more advanced than anything on Earth. While both species travel to other planets, Celaenó spaceships are far superior to those of the Erytheiá, capable of going from Pleione-Hesperis to Earth—a difference of roughly 431 light years—in just two weeks. All Celaenó spaceships and airships need to land in water, while Erytheiá ships, though slower, can land on the ground.
Two thousand Earth years ago, the Erytheiá began developing portal technology that would give them an advantage over the Celaenó in interplanetary travel. The Celaenó destroyed the prototypes, hiding the remaining records of it on one of their bases off-world. Soon after, peace was negotiated. By the time the book Aldebaran takes place, the portal technology record is considered by most Celaenó and Erytheiá to be nothing more than a legend.
Interplanetary interactions with Pleione-Hesperis are tricky because of the continual fighting between the planet's two species. The Celaenó call their planet Pleioné, and the Erytheiá call it Hesperis. When engaging in trade and other relations, other planets are careful to interact with both species equally to avoid appearing to favor one side over the other and risk being drawn into the conflict. Other planets even go so far as to use both planet names, hyphenating the two instead of choosing one.
The People of Pleione-Hesperis
In addition to plants and animals, Pleione-Hesperis is home to two sentient species, the Celaenó and the Erytheiá. Though they look very different, the two species are almost identical on a basic biological level. They breathe in hydrogen and breathe out methane, which is why the atmosphere is so different from most other inhabited planets, but they are carbon-based like life on Earth.
Both the Celaenó and the Erytheiá, while roughly humanoid, are considered the two strangest-looking species in the universe. Both are on average seven feet tall, regardless of gender, and are skilled shapeshifters. All Celaenó and Erytheiá have this shapeshifting ability from an early age and can, to some extent, use it instinctively, but they require instruction and practice to accurately imitate other species or change their respiratory systems to function in another planet's atmosphere.
Single-piece jumpsuits are the most popular clothing for both species. Celaenó clothing is in various shades of blue, white, or gray, patterned or textured with aquatic themes such as waves or scales. Erytheiá clothing is in different shades of green or brown, typically woven with multiple shades of the same color to give a slight variegation.
Drawing by Chloe Walz
Celaenó are mostly aquatic, though they can easily survive on land. Their skin is pale blue. Their hair is dark blue, typically worn long by both men and women, and fades to white in old age. Their eyes have blue sclerae (the part that is white in humans). The irises are usually a pale white, though some Celaenó have a very pale blue or light gray. Their pupils are slightly squarish.
Celaenó have long limbs, each with two elbows or knees. The extra length and joints are thought to aid in swimming. As an aquatic species, Celaenó have webbed fingers and toes, and gills on their neck. They can switch between gill-breathing and lung-breathing at will.
In addition to shapeshifting, all Celaenó are hydrokinetic—that is, they can control water. This ability is not as instinctive as shapeshifting and requires practice. Most Celaenó begin learning to use their hydrokinesis in childhood.
The Erytheiá are a land-dwelling species, and are commonly considered to be even more unusual-looking than the Celaenó. All Erytheiá have four legs, four sets of arms, three tails, and three eyes. It isn't known why the Erytheiá evolved to be this way. Unlike Celaenó, Erytheiá have only one elbow or knee in each limb.
Drawing by Chloe Walz
The Erytheiá's skin is dull gold. Their hair is green, though the shade varies from person to person and fades to white in old age. The sclerae of their eyes are pale green, and the irises are either blue, green, or red. While most Erytheiá's irises are all one color, heterochromia is more common than it is with Earth's humans, occurring in about ten percent of the population. Most Erytheiá with heterochromia have only two of the three eye colors, though a small fraction have all three. All Erytheiá's pupils are round, and their tears are green.
Like the Celaenó, Erytheiá are shapeshifters. They also have the ability to manipulate soil, sometimes called edafoskinesis. Like the Celaenó's hydrokinesis, this is something all Erytheiá can do from childhood, though it requires practice. Most Erytheiá use this ability to sink their feet into the ground, and will have their feet submerged most of the time.
Measuring Time
With Pleione-Hesperis' orbital period taking so long—an entire lifetime for Celaenó and Erytheiá—both species use a calendar based solely on day length. In comparison, Earth's calendar is based on both its day length (about 24 hours) and its orbital period (about 365 days).
These are the Pleione-Hesperis time units:
• 1 Pleione-Hesperis (PH minute) = 36 PH seconds
• 1 PH hour = 40 PH minutes
• 1 PH day = 32 PH hours
• 1 PH week = 8 PH days
• 1 PH month = 4 PH weeks
• 1 PH year = 16 PH months
These are the Pleione-Hesperis time units, as compared to Earth's units:
• 1 PH year = ~2 Earth years
• 1 PH month = ~1.5 Earth months
• 1 PH week = ~1.6 Earth weeks
• 1 PH day = ~1.4 Earth days
• 1 PH hour = ~1.1 Earth hours
• 1 PH minute = ~1.6 Earth minutes
• 1 PH second = ~2.7 Earth seconds
Want to convert an Earth date to a Pleione-Hesperis date? The list above has only rough unit conversions, so contact me to get the exact equivalent date!
Education
Celaenó and Erytheiá are considered adults when they are seven Pleione-Hesperis years old. This is the equivalent of about fourteen Earth years, and is when they finish their basic education—the human version of finishing high school. Celaenó and Erytheiá have separate children's schools.
Once a student finishes their basic education, they take a skills test that determines what fields they can enter for work. Their responses are analyzed and compared to the many potential fields, and the fields are ranked from best to worst match. Whatever their best match is, that is what field they will work in. Sometimes, a student will have two fields tied for best match. While most will choose one of the two, some few pursue both, combining them into a new course of study at the Academies.
The Academies are vocational schools that are the equivalent of Earth's universities. They are owned and run jointly by both Celaenó and Erytheiá, though some Academies have more of one species than the other on their governing board. This sometimes leads to bias from the staff or governing board, favoring students of one species over the other.
Most students attend one of the Academies for two Pleione-Hesperis years, or about four Earth years. During their time at the Academy, they work with a mentor in the field they are pursuing. After entering the workforce, many graduates maintain a close relationship with their mentor.
There are eleven Academies:
• Science and History Academy
• Arts Academy
• Education Academy
• Agriculture and Zoology Academy
• Construction and Manufacturing Academy
• Business and Finance Academy
• Law and Government Academy
• Medical Academy
• Engineering and Mathematics Academy
• Theology Academy
• Society and Interplanetary Relations Academy
Plants and Animals
The many plants and animals of Pleione-Hesperis are well-adapted to living with no or low light due to the planet's distance from its sun. Animals, like Celaenó and Erytheiá, breathe in hydrogen and breathe out methane, while plants do the reverse with a version of photosynthesis. While Earth's plants take in carbon dioxide and water, producing oxygen to release and glucose to use, Pleione-Hesperis' plants take in water and methane, producing hydrogen to release and glucose to use. They are much more efficient than Earth's plants at using light, since they have much less light to work with.
Celaenó and Erutheiá do not plant gardens, preferring instead to allow plants to grow where they will. Pleione-Hesperis' plants have just as much variety of forms as those of Earth. Animals also vary wildly, just like on Earth. Most animals tend to avoid Celaenó adn Erytheiá towns and cities, though some have adapted to life in a city. Underwater, these city-dwelling animals are mostly various species of fish and invertebrates. On land, this includes several kinds of birds and small mammals. Many of these animals have been domesticated and are kept as pets.
Many plants and animals have limited ability with shapeshifting, hydrokinesis, or soil manipulation, though none are as strong or skilled as those of the Celaenó and Erytheiá. Some plants will change their shape to better reach light, water, or other resources, while otehrs will pull water towards them from the nearest source. Some animals can change their color to blend into their environment, or use soil manipulation to make digging or building easier. Several species of aquatic invertebrates can change their size, some capable of growing to a few inches, others of up to a foot.
Cities and Towns
Celaenó and Erytheiá cities and towns do not carve an artificial niche out of nature like Earth's cities and towns. Instead, they incorporate their structures into their natural surroundings. Buildings have organic forms.
Erytheiá have three main architectural styles. One, more common in big cities and office buildings, is tall, tubular wooden buildings, imitating trees. The second, most often used for housing, is domed stone or earthen buildings, with plants allowed to grow over them naturally.
The third style is unique to the forests along the equator of Pleione-Hesperis' largest continent. The trees in these forests are massive, comparable in size to Earth's redwoods, with branches wide enough to walk on. Erytheiá in these forests build houses that hang from the branches, with bracings to prevent the buildings from swinging in the wind. These unique, rounded buildings are woven from still-green branches and lined on the interior with mud and long grasses. Ladders made from vines and sticks lead down to the doorways, with vine-and-stick suspension bridges making paths between the various branches.
Celaenó architectural styles depend on whether the building is on land or underwater. Most Celaenó live underwater, but some live on the many islands that constitute the rest of Pleione-Hesperis' continents. On land, there are two main styles: one for office buildings and other work-related structures, and one for houses. Office buildings have an amoeboid shape, rising several stories with a rounded roof. Houses are stone domes, similar to Erytheiá houses, but with a depression in the roof to collect water. Divots along th edge of the depression allow the water to spill down the sides of the building when full. Many houses have a pump system, similar to Earth's fountains, to ensure the depression is always filled.
Underwater, there are also two styles, for the same two purposes as on land, though they look very different. Office buildings are a collection of vertical tubes, branching out from a single base, looking a lot like some forms of Earth's coral. Houses are collections of spheres stuck together, like a glob of bubbles. Underwater buildings have vents to let the water in, ensuring every room is completely submerged. Air-filled rooms are a luxury addition underwater, requiring an airlock to enter and specialized vents to keep the air fresh.
In the last two thousand Earth years, some coastal cities and towns have begun integrating, resulting in a unique mix of Erytheiá and Celaenó architecture previously only found in the Academies.
All cities and towns, whether Celaenó, Erytheiá, or both, build around the natural structure and plant life of the area. This often results in roads curving to avoid trees and other plants. Some underwater towns and cities exist in three dimensions, with houses raised off the ground on stilts to form a spherical cities. Whether looking at the architecture or the city layout, settlements on Pleione-Hesperis have few straight lines.
With less light reaching the planet's surface, cities and towns use artificial lighting to emphasize the day-night cycle. On land, giant mirrors reflect what light reaches the surface. Giant networks of tubes, raised several feet off the ground and filled with bioluminescent microorganisms, line the streets both on land and underwater. These networks make cities and towns appear to be filled with flowing lines of light.
Religion
Most Celaenó and Erytheiá follow two different forms of the same religion. The Celaenó call it Nó'matán, and the Erytheiá call it Édupoti. Followers of this religion believe in two gods: Nó'ma, who controls the water, and Édupo, who controls the land. Nó'ma and Édupo are brothers who, according to mythology, created Pleione-Hesperis. Though they cooperated at first, they disagreed about how to populate the planet. Without telling each other what they were doing, Nó'ma created the Celaenó from the water, and Édupo created the Erytheiá from the soil. Each intended their species to be the intelligent life that would populate the planet. When the brothers discovered they had each made their own species, they were angry and began a feud that continues today. The Celaenó version of the myth blames the feud on Édupo, preferring to worship Nó'ma, while the Erytheiá version blames Nó'ma and mainly worships Édupo.
Celaenó Nó'matán temples, whether on land or in water, are near-perfect half-spheres made of stone. On the floor is a mosaic world map, and mosaics of scenes from Nó'matán mythology line the walls. At the north side of the room is a mosaic of Nó'ma, who is usually pictured as a hybrid of Celaenó and Erytheiá: blue skin and hair; four legs, each with two knees; eight arms, each with two elbows; three tails; three Celaenó eyes; webbed fingers and toes; and gills. In temples on land, visitors enter through an open doorway on the south side. In underwater temples, visitors enter through a hole in the center of the roof.
Erytheiá Édupoti temples are built as large stone cylinders, often stretching up several stories, though the interior is only one level. The floor is bare dirt, kept clear of plants—one of the few places on the planet that is. On the ceiling is a painted relief carving map of the world. The walls are lined with painted relief carvings of scenes from Édupoti mythology. On the north side of the room is a painted stone statue of Édupo, who like his brother is usually pictured as a hybrid of Celaenó and Erytheiá. Unlike Nó'ma, Édupo is pictured with dull gold skin, green hair, and Erytheiá eyes. All of his other features are usually the same as Nó'ma's. The open doorway to the temple is always on the south side.
In both Nó'matán and Édupoti temples, services are held in the evening every four days, led by a religious leader called a páhin. Various myths are shared, often in the form of a song, and there is a time for anyone to ask for the intercession of Nó'ma or Édupo, or to thank them for their intecession.
Government
Erytheiá towns and cities are led by one person, similar to a mayor, with an advisory board. Above them are leaders of countries, whose position has elements of both presidents and prime ministers. They also have an advisory board. Both local and national leaders, as well as the members of their advisory boards, are elected by the people.
Celaenó towns and cities are led by one person with an advisory board, much like Erytheiá towns and cities. Countries are led by three people with equal power, whose roles roughly match the United States' executive, legislative, and judicial branches. They share a single advisory board. Local and national leaders are elected by the people, as are the members of the local leaders' advisory boards. The advisory board members for the national leaders are chosen by the leaders themselves, with each of the three choosing two advisors.
Terms for all government positions, both Celaenó and Erytheiá, are five Pleione-Hesperis years. Once someone has been elected as a local leader, they may not be elected to that position again. The same rule applies to national leaders. However, people elected to one position may run for election to a different position in the future. Advisors, whether elected by the people or chosen by national leaders, can have at most two terms.
Both Celaenó and Erytheiá have bases and colonies off-world, mostly on other planets in their solar system. This is where most off-world Erytheiá settlements are. Other bases, mostly Celaenó, are on other planets in Pleione-Hesperis' region of control. Other regions of the universe are controlled by the two universal superpowers, Thera and Aneatanga. The Celaenó also used to have a base on Earth, though it was abandoned around the beginning of the current period of peace.
Visitors from Other Planets
Many species from other planets visit Pleione-Hesperis: for business, for vacation, for an official government visit, or simply as a stopover on the way to another planet. Before going down to the surface, all non-native visitors must put on a transparent full-body suit designed to protect them from the methane in the atmosphere and give them oxygen to breathe.
Once on the surface, travelers both native and non-native go through a process similar to the Immigration and Customs departments in Earth's airports. Once they've filled out basic identifying information on a computer, they meet with a Celaenó or Erytheiá worker who verifies that information, checks their ID, and issues non-native visitors a temporary ID to show they have gone through Immigration and Customs. Natives go through the same verification process, but are not given this temporary ID.
All non-native first-time visitors must have a native escort. Visitors can choose someone if they want; otherwise, someone is assigned to them. The escort's identity and willingness to fulfill their role are verified before the visitor is cleared by Immigration and Customs.
PLEIONE-HESPERIS
In the Heart of Darkness book universe, most inhabited planets are home to humanoid oxygen-breathers. While every planet has its biological and atmospheric differences, adjusting to another planet's environment is not typically a challenge. The exception is Pleione-Hesperis. With large amounts of hydrogen and methane in the atmosphere and very little oxygen, non-native species cannot survive there. Its unique environment has led to evolution taking a path not seen anywhere else.
Map
The Planet and its Sun
The People of Pleione-Hesperis
Politics and the Civil War
Measuring Time
Education
Plants and Animals
Cities and Towns
Religion
Government
Visitors from Other Planets
Language
The Planet and its Sun
Pleione-Hesperis is an Earth-sized planet orbiting the star Earth's humans call Atlas. Atlas, also called 27 Tauri, is in the constellation Taurus and is the second-brightest star in the Pleiades cluster. It is brighter and larger than our sun, and its habitable zone is much farther away.
Pleione-Hesperis orbits Atlas at about 30 astronomical units (AU). This is about the same distance between Neptune and our sun, so from the surface of Pleione-Hesperis, Atlas looks about the same as other stars. Its orbital period—the amount of time it takes the planet to go around the sun—is about 88.8 Earth years. Unlike Earth, which spins at an angle, Pleione-Hesperis is almost upright. This results in a near-even split between day and night, and no seasons beyond minor temperature and precipitation variations throughout the year.
The planet is warm at the equator, in a similar temperature range as early summer in the American Midwest. The poles are colder, a perpetual winter, and the sun never quite sets there. Instead, it stays low on the horizon. Even though Atlas is brighter than Earth's sun, its greater distance means less sunlight reaches Pleione-Hesperis' surface. Without the native people's technology, the surface would be much dimmer during the day than humans are used to.
Politics and the Civil War
Despite being similar—or sometimes identical—in ability, belief, language, and practice, the Celaenó and the Erytheiá do not get along. Though they are currently in their longest-recorded period of peace, lasting two thousand Earth years and counting, most of their history has been spent at war with each other.
The war was mostly limited to fighting on the planet itself, though both species tried to gain an advantage over the other off-world. Like many other inhabited planets, the Celaenó and the Erytheiá have developed interplanetary travel much more advanced than anything on Earth. While both species travel to other planets, Celaenó spaceships are far superior to those of the Erytheiá, capable of going from Pleione-Hesperis to Earth—a difference of roughly 431 light years—in just two weeks. All Celaenó spaceships and airships need to land in water, while Erytheiá ships, though slower, can land on the ground.
Two thousand Earth years ago, the Erytheiá began developing portal technology that would give them an advantage over the Celaenó in interplanetary travel. The Celaenó destroyed the prototypes, hiding the remaining records of it on one of their bases off-world. Soon after, peace was negotiated. By the time the book Aldebaran takes place, the portal technology record is considered by most Celaenó and Erytheiá to be nothing more than a legend.
Interplanetary interactions with Pleione-Hesperis are tricky because of the continual fighting between the planet's two species. The Celaenó call their planet Pleioné, and the Erytheiá call it Hesperis. When engaging in trade and other relations, other planets are careful to interact with both species equally to avoid appearing to favor one side over the other and risk being drawn into the conflict. Other planets even go so far as to use both planet names, hyphenating the two instead of choosing one.
The People of Pleione-Hesperis
In addition to plants and animals, Pleione-Hesperis is home to two sentient species, the Celaenó and the Erytheiá. Though they look very different, the two species are almost identical on a basic biological level. They breathe in hydrogen and breathe out methane, which is why the atmosphere is so different from most other inhabited planets, but they are carbon-based like life on Earth.
Both the Celaenó and the Erytheiá, while roughly humanoid, are considered the two strangest-looking species in the universe. Both are on average seven feet tall, regardless of gender, and are skilled shapeshifters. All Celaenó and Erytheiá have this shapeshifting ability from an early age and can, to some extent, use it instinctively, but they require instruction and practice to accurately imitate other species or change their respiratory systems to function in another planet's atmosphere.
Single-piece jumpsuits are the most popular clothing for both species. Celaenó clothing is in various shades of blue, white, or gray, patterned or textured with aquatic themes such as waves or scales. Erytheiá clothing is in different shades of green or brown, typically woven with multiple shades of the same color to give a slight variegation.
Drawing by Chloe Walz
Celaenó are mostly aquatic, though they can easily survive on land. Their skin is pale blue. Their hair is dark blue, typically worn long by both men and women, and fades to white in old age. Their eyes have blue sclerae (the part that is white in humans). The irises are usually a pale white, though some Celaenó have a very pale blue or light gray. Their pupils are slightly squarish.
Celaenó have long limbs, each with two elbows or knees. The extra length and joints are thought to aid in swimming. As an aquatic species, Celaenó have webbed fingers and toes, and gills on their neck. They can switch between gill-breathing and lung-breathing at will.
In addition to shapeshifting, all Celaenó are hydrokinetic—that is, they can control water. This ability is not as instinctive as shapeshifting and requires practice. Most Celaenó begin learning to use their hydrokinesis in childhood.
The Erytheiá are a land-dwelling species, and are commonly considered to be even more unusual-looking than the Celaenó. All Erytheiá have four legs, four sets of arms, three tails, and three eyes. It isn't known why the Erytheiá evolved to be this way. Unlike Celaenó, Erytheiá have only one elbow or knee in each limb.
Drawing by Chloe Walz
The Erytheiá's skin is dull gold. Their hair is green, though the shade varies from person to person and fades to white in old age. The sclerae of their eyes are pale green, and the irises are either blue, green, or red. While most Erytheiá's irises are all one color, heterochromia is more common than it is with Earth's humans, occurring in about ten percent of the population. Most Erytheiá with heterochromia have only two of the three eye colors, though a small fraction have all three. All Erytheiá's pupils are round, and their tears are green.
Like the Celaenó, Erytheiá are shapeshifters. They also have the ability to manipulate soil, sometimes called edafoskinesis. Like the Celaenó's hydrokinesis, this is something all Erytheiá can do from childhood, though it requires practice. Most Erytheiá use this ability to sink their feet into the ground, and will have their feet submerged most of the time.
Measuring Time
With Pleione-Hesperis' orbital period taking so long—an entire lifetime for Celaenó and Erytheiá—both species use a calendar based solely on day length. In comparison, Earth's calendar is based on both its day length (about 24 hours) and its orbital period (about 365 days).
These are the Pleione-Hesperis time units:
• 1 Pleione-Hesperis (PH minute) = 36 PH seconds
• 1 PH hour = 40 PH minutes
• 1 PH day = 32 PH hours
• 1 PH week = 8 PH days
• 1 PH month = 4 PH weeks
• 1 PH year = 16 PH months
These are the Pleione-Hesperis time units, as compared to Earth's units:
• 1 PH year = ~2 Earth years
• 1 PH month = ~1.5 Earth months
• 1 PH week = ~1.6 Earth weeks
• 1 PH day = ~1.4 Earth days
• 1 PH hour = ~1.1 Earth hours
• 1 PH minute = ~1.6 Earth minutes
• 1 PH second = ~2.7 Earth seconds
Want to convert an Earth date to a Pleione-Hesperis date? The list above has only rough unit conversions, so contact me to get the exact equivalent date!
Education
Celaenó and Erytheiá are considered adults when they are seven Pleione-Hesperis years old. This is the equivalent of about fourteen Earth years, and is when they finish their basic education—the human version of finishing high school. Celaenó and Erytheiá have separate children's schools.
Once a student finishes their basic education, they take a skills test that determines what fields they can enter for work. Their responses are analyzed and compared to the many potential fields, and the fields are ranked from best to worst match. Whatever their best match is, that is what field they will work in. Sometimes, a student will have two fields tied for best match. While most will choose one of the two, some few pursue both, combining them into a new course of study at the Academies.
The Academies are vocational schools that are the equivalent of Earth's universities. They are owned and run jointly by both Celaenó and Erytheiá, though some Academies have more of one species than the other on their governing board. This sometimes leads to bias from the staff or governing board, favoring students of one species over the other.
Most students attend one of the Academies for two Pleione-Hesperis years, or about four Earth years. During their time at the Academy, they work with a mentor in the field they are pursuing. After entering the workforce, many graduates maintain a close relationship with their mentor.
There are eleven Academies:
• Science and History Academy
• Arts Academy
• Education Academy
• Agriculture and Zoology Academy
• Construction and Manufacturing Academy
• Business and Finance Academy
• Law and Government Academy
• Medical Academy
• Engineering and Mathematics Academy
• Theology Academy
• Society and Interplanetary Relations Academy
Plants and Animals
The many plants and animals of Pleione-Hesperis are well-adapted to living with no or low light due to the planet's distance from its sun. Animals, like Celaenó and Erytheiá, breathe in hydrogen and breathe out methane, while plants do the reverse with a version of photosynthesis. While Earth's plants take in carbon dioxide and water, producing oxygen to release and glucose to use, Pleione-Hesperis' plants take in water and methane, producing hydrogen to release and glucose to use. They are much more efficient than Earth's plants at using light, since they have much less light to work with.
Celaenó and Erutheiá do not plant gardens, preferring instead to allow plants to grow where they will. Pleione-Hesperis' plants have just as much variety of forms as those of Earth. Animals also vary wildly, just like on Earth. Most animals tend to avoid Celaenó adn Erytheiá towns and cities, though some have adapted to life in a city. Underwater, these city-dwelling animals are mostly various species of fish and invertebrates. On land, this includes several kinds of birds and small mammals. Many of these animals have been domesticated and are kept as pets.
Many plants and animals have limited ability with shapeshifting, hydrokinesis, or soil manipulation, though none are as strong or skilled as those of the Celaenó and Erytheiá. Some plants will change their shape to better reach light, water, or other resources, while otehrs will pull water towards them from the nearest source. Some animals can change their color to blend into their environment, or use soil manipulation to make digging or building easier. Several species of aquatic invertebrates can change their size, some capable of growing to a few inches, others of up to a foot.
Cities and Towns
Celaenó and Erytheiá cities and towns do not carve an artificial niche out of nature like Earth's cities and towns. Instead, they incorporate their structures into their natural surroundings. Buildings have organic forms.
Erytheiá have three main architectural styles. One, more common in big cities and office buildings, is tall, tubular wooden buildings, imitating trees. The second, most often used for housing, is domed stone or earthen buildings, with plants allowed to grow over them naturally.
The third style is unique to the forests along the equator of Pleione-Hesperis' largest continent. The trees in these forests are massive, comparable in size to Earth's redwoods, with branches wide enough to walk on. Erytheiá in these forests build houses that hang from the branches, with bracings to prevent the buildings from swinging in the wind. These unique, rounded buildings are woven from still-green branches and lined on the interior with mud and long grasses. Ladders made from vines and sticks lead down to the doorways, with vine-and-stick suspension bridges making paths between the various branches.
Celaenó architectural styles depend on whether the building is on land or underwater. Most Celaenó live underwater, but some live on the many islands that constitute the rest of Pleione-Hesperis' continents. On land, there are two main styles: one for office buildings and other work-related structures, and one for houses. Office buildings have an amoeboid shape, rising several stories with a rounded roof. Houses are stone domes, similar to Erytheiá houses, but with a depression in the roof to collect water. Divots along th edge of the depression allow the water to spill down the sides of the building when full. Many houses have a pump system, similar to Earth's fountains, to ensure the depression is always filled.
Underwater, there are also two styles, for the same two purposes as on land, though they look very different. Office buildings are a collection of vertical tubes, branching out from a single base, looking a lot like some forms of Earth's coral. Houses are collections of spheres stuck together, like a glob of bubbles. Underwater buildings have vents to let the water in, ensuring every room is completely submerged. Air-filled rooms are a luxury addition underwater, requiring an airlock to enter and specialized vents to keep the air fresh.
In the last two thousand Earth years, some coastal cities and towns have begun integrating, resulting in a unique mix of Erytheiá and Celaenó architecture previously only found in the Academies.
All cities and towns, whether Celaenó, Erytheiá, or both, build around the natural structure and plant life of the area. This often results in roads curving to avoid trees and other plants. Some underwater towns and cities exist in three dimensions, with houses raised off the ground on stilts to form a spherical cities. Whether looking at the architecture or the city layout, settlements on Pleione-Hesperis have few straight lines.
With less light reaching the planet's surface, cities and towns use artificial lighting to emphasize the day-night cycle. On land, giant mirrors reflect what light reaches the surface. Giant networks of tubes, raised several feet off the ground and filled with bioluminescent microorganisms, line the streets both on land and underwater. These networks make cities and towns appear to be filled with flowing lines of light.
Religion
Most Celaenó and Erytheiá follow two different forms of the same religion. The Celaenó call it Nó'matán, and the Erytheiá call it Édupoti. Followers of this religion believe in two gods: Nó'ma, who controls the water, and Édupo, who controls the land. Nó'ma and Édupo are brothers who, according to mythology, created Pleione-Hesperis. Though they cooperated at first, they disagreed about how to populate the planet. Without telling each other what they were doing, Nó'ma created the Celaenó from the water, and Édupo created the Erytheiá from the soil. Each intended their species to be the intelligent life that would populate the planet. When the brothers discovered they had each made their own species, they were angry and began a feud that continues today. The Celaenó version of the myth blames the feud on Édupo, preferring to worship Nó'ma, while the Erytheiá version blames Nó'ma and mainly worships Édupo.
Celaenó Nó'matán temples, whether on land or in water, are near-perfect half-spheres made of stone. On the floor is a mosaic world map, and mosaics of scenes from Nó'matán mythology line the walls. At the north side of the room is a mosaic of Nó'ma, who is usually pictured as a hybrid of Celaenó and Erytheiá: blue skin and hair; four legs, each with two knees; eight arms, each with two elbows; three tails; three Celaenó eyes; webbed fingers and toes; and gills. In temples on land, visitors enter through an open doorway on the south side. In underwater temples, visitors enter through a hole in the center of the roof.
Erytheiá Édupoti temples are built as large stone cylinders, often stretching up several stories, though the interior is only one level. The floor is bare dirt, kept clear of plants—one of the few places on the planet that is. On the ceiling is a painted relief carving map of the world. The walls are lined with painted relief carvings of scenes from Édupoti mythology. On the north side of the room is a painted stone statue of Édupo, who like his brother is usually pictured as a hybrid of Celaenó and Erytheiá. Unlike Nó'ma, Édupo is pictured with dull gold skin, green hair, and Erytheiá eyes. All of his other features are usually the same as Nó'ma's. The open doorway to the temple is always on the south side.
In both Nó'matán and Édupoti temples, services are held in the evening every four days, led by a religious leader called a páhin. Various myths are shared, often in the form of a song, and there is a time for anyone to ask for the intercession of Nó'ma or Édupo, or to thank them for their intecession.
Government
Erytheiá towns and cities are led by one person, similar to a mayor, with an advisory board. Above them are leaders of countries, whose position has elements of both presidents and prime ministers. They also have an advisory board. Both local and national leaders, as well as the members of their advisory boards, are elected by the people.
Celaenó towns and cities are led by one person with an advisory board, much like Erytheiá towns and cities. Countries are led by three people with equal power, whose roles roughly match the United States' executive, legislative, and judicial branches. They share a single advisory board. Local and national leaders are elected by the people, as are the members of the local leaders' advisory boards. The advisory board members for the national leaders are chosen by the leaders themselves, with each of the three choosing two advisors.
Terms for all government positions, both Celaenó and Erytheiá, are five Pleione-Hesperis years. Once someone has been elected as a local leader, they may not be elected to that position again. The same rule applies to national leaders. However, people elected to one position may run for election to a different position in the future. Advisors, whether elected by the people or chosen by national leaders, can have at most two terms.
Both Celaenó and Erytheiá have bases and colonies off-world, mostly on other planets in their solar system. This is where most off-world Erytheiá settlements are. Other bases, mostly Celaenó, are on other planets in Pleione-Hesperis' region of control. Other regions of the universe are controlled by the two universal superpowers, Thera and Aneatanga. The Celaenó also used to have a base on Earth, though it was abandoned around the beginning of the current period of peace.
Visitors from Other Planets
Many species from other planets visit Pleione-Hesperis: for business, for vacation, for an official government visit, or simply as a stopover on the way to another planet. Before going down to the surface, all non-native visitors must put on a transparent full-body suit designed to protect them from the methane in the atmosphere and give them oxygen to breathe.
Once on the surface, travelers both native and non-native go through a process similar to the Immigration and Customs departments in Earth's airports. Once they've filled out basic identifying information on a computer, they meet with a Celaenó or Erytheiá worker who verifies that information, checks their ID, and issues non-native visitors a temporary ID to show they have gone through Immigration and Customs. Natives go through the same verification process, but are not given this temporary ID.
All non-native first-time visitors must have a native escort. Visitors can choose someone if they want; otherwise, someone is assigned to them. The escort's identity and willingness to fulfill their role are verified before the visitor is cleared by Immigration and Customs.
Language
The language of Pleione-Hesperis has never been named. The reason why is not known for sure, but some say—only half in jest—that it's because the Celaenó and Erytheiá wouldn't be able to agree on a name anyway, so why bother with one? Most people, when referring to the language, just use the hyphenated planet names. The language of Pleione-Hesperis is spoken primarily by Celaenó and Erytheiá, though it's common as a second or third language on most of the inhabited planets in Pleione-Hesperis' region of influence.
Unlike English, each letter in the language of Pleione-Hesperis tends to have one pronunciation only, though there are a few rare exceptions. When written with the English alphabet, many vowels are distinguished from each other with accent marks, or by the addition of an H or W.
This language has two methods of writing: high form and low form. High form, which is older, is very complicated, making it difficult to learn. It is used today only for official government and academic documents—always alongside a low form translation—and for signatures. Low form, the newer written form, is much simpler and is used for ordinary, everyday writing. Like Earth's Hebrew language, neither high form nor low form has capital and lowercase letters. When writing in the language of Pleione-Hesperis using another language's alphabet, some will attempt to follow that language's capitalization rules. Others, unfamiliar with the concept of capital and lowercase letters, will write entirely in one case.
Throughout the books this language is used in, some words and names are spelled according to their pronunciation instead of their proper transliterated spelling. For these words, in the word list below, the actual spelling is shown in parentheses.
Alphabet
Word List
Writing in Low Form
Writing in High Form
Find Your Name
Consonants
English | Low Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
c | as in cell. If 2 c's in a row, then sound is k as in king | |
ch | as in Bach | |
d | as in day | |
f | as in fun | |
k | as in king | |
l | always a soft sound as in illicit, not a hard sound as in meld | |
m | as in man | |
n | as in now | |
p | as in pair. If between 2 vowels, then sound is b as in bend | |
r | as in Spanish pero. Tap/flap the r | |
s | as in sun | |
t | as in ten. If before certain h-set double vowels (ha, he, hi, ho, hu, hy), then sound is th as in thin |
Single Vowels
English | Low Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
a | as in apple | |
á | as in smart | |
e | as in egg | |
é | as in teeth | |
i | as in bit | |
í | like ee as in teeth | |
o | as in box | |
ó | as in toe | |
u | as in butter | |
ú | like oo as in boot | |
y | like i in sit | |
ý | as in cry |
Punctuation and J/SH/CH
Low form is written horizontally, left to right, with the letters connected at the bottom. Punctuation is made by extending the connecting line or by adding extra glyphs.
English | Low Form | Notes |
|---|---|---|
J/SH/CH | This letter is only for words from other languages. J as in jay, SH as in shut, CH as in choose. | |
period | Extend the connecting line horizontally. | |
comma | Extend the connecting line on a slight upward angle. | |
colon | Extend the connecting line horizontally and add a small mark just above the extension. | |
exclamation point | Add this glyph to the end of the word. | |
question mark | Add this glyph to the end of the word. | |
pause (similar to a glottal stop) | Written like a comma, but in the middle of the word instead of the end. |
Double Vowels
English | Low Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
ae | like ay in say | |
ei | like ee in teeth | |
ou | like oo in school | |
aw | as in saw | |
ew | as in sew | |
iw | like ew in new | |
ow | as in now | |
uw | like oo in too | |
yw | like ew in new |
Double Vowels: H-Set
English | Low Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
ah | like a in mar, with soft h at end | |
ha | as in had | |
eh | like e in meld, with soft h at end | |
he | as in held | |
ih | like i in rid, with soft h at end | |
hi | as in hidden | |
oh | like o in so, with soft h at end | |
ho | as in hoe | |
uh | like u in mud, with soft h at end | |
hu | as in hoo | |
yh | like i in rid, with soft h at end | |
hy | like hi in hidden |
High Form
Unlike low form, high form does not have a glyph for J (as in jay), SH (as in shut), and CH (as in choose). Instead, when writing words from other languages, an S is used.
Barre Fusion
This class is held in a barre fusion style, integrating ballet-inspired movements, Pilates, and strength training to sculpt and tone muscles, emphasizing flexibility and balance.
Duration: 1 hour
English | Pleione-Hesperis | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
a | éna | EE-na |
academies | maedíá | may-DEE-ah |
academy | maedíad | may-DEE-add |
advanced | anódim | A-no-dim |
afraid | fhayif | f-HA-ih-if |
airport | datár | DA-tahr |
all | ólkuli | oh(l)-KUH-(l)ih |
allotment | kathis | KA-thiss |
am | eí'tun | EH-ee TUHN |
an | éna | EE-na |
and | kaw | KAW |
archaeology | alatocha | A-(l)a-TAW-kha |
are | eí'tun | EH-ee TUHN |
artifact | talichewá | TA-(l)ih-KHEW-ah |
as | oma | AW-ma |
ask | ay'lup | A-ih (L)UHP |
at | stofi | STAW-fih |
be | eí'kan | EH-ee CAN |
but | alákin | a-(L)AH-kin |
by | ywas | EW-ass |
can | pú'la | poo (L)A |
colony | músaplae | moo-SA-p(l)ay |
could | pú'lat | poo (L)AT |
course | seimár | SEE-mahr |
date | imyk | IM-ik |
did | ká'tan | kah TAN |
do | ká'al | kah A(L) |
each | kalu | KA-(l)uh |
east | anhar | an-HAR |
ensure | ál'kaf | ah(l) KAF |
exam | emihtán | EM-i(h)-tahn |
explorer | alnitíf | A(L)-nih-teef |
faith | titán | ti-TAHN |
final | telokir | te(l)-aw-KIHR |
find | ew'ád | ew AHD |
finish (verb) | tel'ha | te(l) HA |
for | kunha | KUN-ha |
forbidden | ápharám | AHB-ha-rahm |
from | apsa | AP-sa |
gibberish | álaepahtaníkhalaw | AH-(l)ay-ba(h)-ta-NEE-k-ha-(l)aw |
go | pi'han | pih HAN |
goal | stómra | STOHM-ra |
grateful | efnharaw | ef-n-HA-raw |
gulf | khomil | k-HOH-mih(l) |
had | éch'kan | eekh CAN |
happy | choudae | KHOO-day |
have | éch'yk | eekh ICK |
he | aft'hu | aft HUH |
hello¹ | óla dimiwa | OH-(l)a dih-MEW-a |
him | aft'hul | aft HUH(L) |
his | aft'tuh | aft TU(H) |
history | ilárih | ih-(LAH)-ri(h) |
hope (verb) | el'pá | eh(l) PAH |
how | posyf | PAW-sihf |
human² | phari fórhi | p-HA-rih FOR-hi |
I | es'ana | ess A-na |
idiot | flhakas | f(l)-HA-kass |
if | aw | AW |
in | sefi | SEH-fih |
interstellar | dípymi | dee-BIH-mih |
is | eí'kun | EH-ee KUHN |
island | nira | NIH-ra |
it | tolah | TAW-(l)a(h) |
lake | línyra | (L)EE-nih-ra |
land (noun) | írad | EE-rad |
land (verb) | tah'paro | ta(h) BA-raw |
mentor | múras | MOO-rass |
month | shanís | s-HA-neess |
months | shaníá | s-HA-nee-ah |
name | ósim | OH-sim |
need | chá'rih | khah RI(H) |
nickel (metal) | akywál | AK-ew-ah(l) |
no | óla | OH-(l)a |
none | kélus | KEE-(l)uss |
north | sóreil | SO-ree(l) |
not | teys | TEH-iss |
now | tóna | TOH-na |
ocean | uwnós | OO-nohs |
of | toun | TOON |
okay | kámah | KAH-ma(h) |
on | epala | EH-ba-(l)a |
one | nesu | NEH-suh |
operation | ertasiw | er-TA-siw |
operations | ertasí | er-TA-see |
or | íaw | ee-AW |
other | álkha | AH(L)K-ha |
outpost | prolytaní | PRAW-(l)ih-TA-nee |
plane | latár | (L)A-tahr |
priest | páhin | PAH-hin |
project | chétat | KHEE-tat |
proposal | prósilah | pro-SIH-(l)a(h) |
proposed | pró'tarah | pro TA-ra(h) |
renegade | liphayn | (l)ib-HA-in |
return | ir'téfo | ihr TEE-faw |
river | potahr | paw-TA(H)r |
said | ek'lat | eck (L)AT |
science | epulí | eh-BUH-(l)ee |
see | lé'ra | (l)ee RA |
she | aft'hi | aft HIH |
show (verb) | dei'han | dee HAN |
something | káyan | KAH-ih-an |
soon | sýdha | SYD-ha |
south | nótan | NO-tan |
standard | týmeir | TIE-meer |
start (noun) | sekápá | seh-KAH-bah |
student | foulipar | FOO-(l)ih-bar |
study | medas | MEH-dass |
such | téthol | TEE-thaw(l) |
system | lýsam | (L)IE-sam |
telling | ist'óká | ist OH-kah |
thank you³ | efnharaw | ef-n-HA-raw |
that | ótan | OH-tan |
the | ol | AW(L) |
their | aft'hus | aft HUSS |
there | enak | EH-nak |
they | aft'hum | aft HUM |
this | aftan | AF-tan |
three | níus | NEE-us |
time | krawlát | KRAW-(l)aht |
to | eil | EE(L) |
too (as in excessively) | pýdana | pie-DA-na |
two | nýdo | NIE-daw |
use | kí'mal | kee MA(L) |
wait | pe'nír | peh NEER |
was | eí'nat | EH-ee NAT |
way | taros | TA-ross |
ways | taroá | TA-raw-ah |
we | es'an | ess AN |
were | eí'tan | EH-ee TAN |
west | dylar | DIH-(l)ar |
what | tima | TIH-ma |
when | póti | POH-tih |
where | pouyn | POO-in |
which | eí'ay | EH-ee A-ih |
who | mouan | MOO-an |
why | litímha | (l)ih-TEEM-ha |
will | tá'awf | tah AWF |
with | mea | MEH-a |
word | lélimas | (L)EE-(l)ih-mass |
words | lélima | (L)EE-(l)ih-ma |
yes | naeí | NAY-ee |
yet | akón | A-kohn |
you | es'ant | ess ANT |
you're welcome⁴ | choudae | KHOO-day |
your | es'lak | ess (L)AK |
zero | kélus | KEE-(l)uss |
¹Typically only used for mixed-species greetings or any greeting through virtual means (phone, text, email, video) where physical contact isn't possible. Originated in an early period of civil war. Literally means “no harm,” shortened from “I mean you no harm.”
²Typically only refers to the Homo sapiens humans of Earth. Literally means “strange forms.”
³Literally means “grateful.” Shortened from “I am grateful.”
⁴Literally means “happy.” Shortened from “I am happy to help.”
Barre Fusion
This class is held in a barre fusion style, integrating ballet-inspired movements, Pilates, and strength training to sculpt and tone muscles, emphasizing flexibility and balance.
Duration: 1 hour
Barre Fusion
This class is held in a barre fusion style, integrating ballet-inspired movements, Pilates, and strength training to sculpt and tone muscles, emphasizing flexibility and balance.
Duration: 1 hour
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