User:Stripes/Sandbox

Diulszi

Glorashi System

Sector: Inner Systems

Capital: No Capital

Species: Vaurca, Skrell, Dionae

Common Languages: Nral'Malic, Rootsong

Demonyms: Diulszian

Part of: Nralakk Federation

Located in the distant Glorashi system, Diulszi is the capital of the C'thur Hive, hosting a diverse biosphere and breathtaking natural vistas. Originally a hotspot for Nralakk Federation xenobiological research until the hive’s arrival in 2448, with High Queen C'thur's rapidly worsening condition forcing the Federation to find a nearby location for her to land, which ended up at the then Xevrax Research Outpost on the surface of Diulszi, the same secretive facility the High Queen now directs her hive from.

In the years since their arrival, the C'thur Hive has been given extensive freedom over the planet, and has seen it expand operations under its oversight, with the Queens personally involving themselves in the plan to turn the focus of Diulszi away from just research, and into a resort destination. While not as popular as Qerr'Malic to foreigners due to the presence of Vaurca and its relaxed nature, the hive manages to attract a growing number of domestic tourists. This growth has come at a cost, both in the increasing number of disgruntled Federation researchers who feel sent to the wayside, and in the ecological damage from C'thur expansion, though a balance is slowly being achieved with respect to the environment.

Contents

History

Diulszi’s lush tropical rainforests, profound oceans, alien landscapes, and distinctive biodiversity led the planet to be declared one of the first Federation National Parks just before the Synthetic Age, with hostels, restaurants, zoos, and safaris erected, allowing the average skrell to see its vistas. Tourism was very successful, drawing citizens from every corner of the Nralakk Federation's territory. With the reign of Glorsh-Omega, the Federation's park system was shuttered alongside most other government systems, and Diulszi was closed to the public.

Glorsh-Omega moved drones to work on Diulszi soon after its rule, building outposts, laboratories, and other structures. Most notable of these structures were dozens of large, esoteric pillars made of an unknown metal that served no obvious use, with these pillars’ ultimate purpose still debated to this day. By the Reunification, Diulszi was only reopened to researchers, with no effort made to restore its original operations out of fear of remnant drones or synthetics in the system, with the pillars were slowly destroyed over the next dozen years, though rumors persist that some still exist, buried deep in the jungle or underground. Eventually, the planet faded into obscurity, before the arrival of the C'thur Hive.

While research on Diulszi was initially carried out by Inner Systems skrell, after the Reunification, xenobiologists from there preferred to study plant life closer to the Nralakk system, with the reformed Diulszi scientific outpost becoming a popular option for researchers on the Federation's outskirts. Traverser culture became staple within the scientific bases on Diulszi, with this cultural shift and low status of the planet eventually leading to the adoption of a moderately anti-Federation outlook. This culture shifted again when the planet was leased to the C'thur, with more pro-Federation skrell returning. Anti-Federation sentiments persist in a rarer capacity on Diulszi, due to the intentional emplacement of loyal skrell, as well as the treatment of High Queen C'thur also playing a major part.

Following the discovery of the C'thur near Glorashi, the Hiveship was to be transported to a secure dock. As communications progressed, however, the Nralakk Federation soon learned of High Queen C'thur's critical state, with the Hiveship transported to one of Diulszi's surface research outposts, Xevrax Research Outpost, where a team of medical researchers could treat the monarch's wounds.

Xevrax was retrofitted over the next few days, the facilities repurposed to accommodate an extensive life support system for High Queen C'thur, with the secrecy surrounding the initial arrival of the vaurca hive causing it to be militarized. Currently, Xevrax exists as a small, closed city, housing authorized security members, medical officials, and their families. Most of the original scientists present were relocated to other, more remote facilities.

Before the arrival of the C’thur, Grand Councillor Tiipis Yla drafted plans near the end of their term to redevelop the tourism industry on Diulszi, hoping to boost the economy of the Contingent Systems. These plans remained unused by the discovery of the Hiveship, being largely ignored by the time High Queen C'thur landed on the planet. In spite of her condition, High Queen C’thur arranged for her hive to develop Diulszi based on these drafts, being brought to her attention by Federation officials as a means for them to begin settling the planet.

After the discovery of the Zo’ra Hive in Tau Ceti, Grand Chancellor Weashbi Jrugl allowed news of C’thur’s presence in the Federation to be released. This information became mainstream in the Nralakk Federation, and the C'thur Hive used their reveal to promote their newly developed resorts on Diulszi. The vaurca, while still widely unknown to the skrell, slowly saw the arrival of skrell tourists soon after their reveal, and has steadily grown over the years as they are further integrated into the Nralakk Federation. The C'thur Hive's tourism industry on the planet, while not explicitly skrell-only, remains unpopular with foreign tourists due to their presence on the planet.

Diulszi now exists as a popular domestic location for holiday travelers for those who cannot afford to visit Qerrbalak, but remains eclipsed by destinations like Qerr'Malic when courting foreign tourists. Dionae, both citizen and non-citizen, plan trips to the lush greens of Diulszi for its unnatural lighting over the barren moon of Qerr’Malic, making them a common sight compared to other species.

Environment

Diulszi maintains an extremely diverse environment, with striking, varied landscapes visible from orbit. The majority of the planet is covered in a mix of oceans colored a characteristic turquoise due to exotic salts dissolving on the ocean floors, and expansive tropical rainforests not unlike those present elsewhere in the Spur. Many regions of Diulszi’s wilderness have uniquely distinct characteristics, with vibrant lavender or apricot-colored trees and grasses. Within these regions are large beasts, tall enough to pick the normally deadly fruit from trees, and exist beside overgrown hexapods, which camouflage in a kaleidoscope of colors to hide from predators. These locales are the most popular tourist destinations, even more so at night due to many of the local plants possessing bioluminescence to attract nocturnal insects, causing the local vegetation to glisten in an extravaganza of colors.

The fruits in these habitats, which are lethally poisonous when consumed by non-native life, have become an interest to the C'thur Hive, with many of Mouv's brood seeing their lethality as a challenge to overcome. In 2462, the Hive launched the Moon Lychee, a genetically engineered version of the fruit that is safe to consume. Moon Lychees have only seen recent popularity after Mouv’s brood was granted allowance by the Federation to distribute them commercially after being deemed safe to eat by federal safety researchers. The fruit now remains extremely popular, with many visitors describing the soft-skinned fruit as zesty and refreshing. Orders have since been placed on Qerrbalak for shipments of Moon Lychee for sale to the wider Federation and beyond. Rumors persist that the K'lax on Tret have begun attempting to design their own competitor product, and Hive Mouv guards the genome of the product carefully to prevent such thievery. Currently, the K’lax have only been able to produce a synthetic flavor similar to the Moon Lychee, sold as a flavored drink mix, “Stars Lychee.”

Flora and Fauna

The wildlife of Diulszi exists in a delicate ecosystem, with millions of unique species currently catalogued. Specimens range from: the deadly Crex, which are small, furry, four-legged creatures that hunt in huge packs; the avian Avol, who resemble Earth birds except for having an inverted placement of their wings and feet; the communal Sigmatis, which are small, furred mammals with sharp bristles, living in plains and communicating across long distances through intense vibrations from humming. A further creature of note is the deadly Fasun, averaging roughly nearly as tall as a house, and utilizing projectile acid. Speculation towards further undiscovered species remains likely.

These creatures live alongside one another in delicate harmony, which the Nralakk Federation is keen to maintain. Strict rules and robust bureaucracy exists around the treatment and conservation of Diulszi's native life, a fact of life that the C'thur Hive found deeply frustrating. It was not uncommon for Viax workers to be ambushed by Crex during the Hive's initial period of expansion. Guards were assigned to these convoys after the initial losses, but they were not allowed to be equipped with anything heavier than tranquilisers, sleeping gas, and a sidearm as a last resort. This was deemed untenable, and in the years following, the C'thur Hive has begun to adapt to the new situation, hoping to live in harmony with the creatures instead of fighting against them.

Unfortunately, maintaining this balance remains challenging. The increase in tourism and established settlements remain extremely logistically daunting. Land development projects put forward by the Hive are delayed by months as ecological impacts are examined and measured. Each new development must have a demonstrated recycling plan, and a Nralakk Federation committee dedicated to pollution often mandates the use of more environmentally friendly chemicals in the name of conservation. They are quick to remind the C’thur of the strict sanctions that exist if these rules are violated.

This new arrangement has hampered hive expansion on Diulszi, with the Queens devoting a significant portion of their resources to the administration of the planet. This is most clearly seen with Mouv's brood expanding its training of xenobiologists, and with Vytel mandating a new wave of paralegals, bureaucrats, and lawyers dedicated to real estate, environmentalism, and government policy, with her brood responsible for much of the planet's managerial requirements. The C'thur Hive has reaped benefits out of their approach, with the study of the planet's lifeforms' unique physiology illuminating new biological facts that can be applied to the vaurca themselves.

Economy

The primary industry of Diulszi is its tourism sector, with the C'thur Hive and Nralakk Federation operating large amounts of hotels, resorts, zoos, and exclusively permanent residences. Diulszi’s other industries remain propped up by its tourism, much to the chagrin of researchers.

Tourism

Diulszi’s pre-Glorsh tourism has since been revitalized by the C’thur Hive. While the previous attempt to turn Diulszi into a holiday destination remained small in scale, the Hive has completely transformed the planet in the hopes of creating a galaxy-class venue. These changes have completely deforested many regions of Diulszi, particularly across its shores. Diulszi’s skyline is dominated by tall, pristine buildings with unique shapes, covered by windows as various hotels and tourist resorts. However, despite Diulszi’s high influx of visitors, hotels remain rarely overbooked. While guests may find this positive, the excessive number of Diulszi’s hotels vastly overshadows the demand. Thus, many of the buildings have underdeveloped middle floors, serving only as disorganized, musky, and perilous storage areas. To promote competition between the establishments, Diulszi hotels are often branded as if they were adversaries, in spite of being owned by the C’thur Hive.

One of the signature additions made by the C’thur Hive was the introduction of commercial zones and souvenir shops. Here, trinkets like Crex teeth and fluorescent potted plants known as Casfedil are sold at extravagant prices. These facilities are almost exclusively staffed by the C'thur Hive’s Viax and Unbound, with Xetl and Mouv's brood being the most common. The sudden influx of jobs has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of vaurca trained for service jobs within the broods, with the occasional job shift resulting in excess service vaurca being sent out into the wider Spur in service of the Hive.

Recently, the Hive has introduced amusement parks to attract more visitors. While most venues are simple boardwalks with a few rides, other parks are fully-fledged themed experiences, promising fun to all families and sapients alike. The two best known parks on Diulszi are the Quo’roshi Gardens and Kervasii World.

The Quo’roshi Gardens is the largest zoo and waterpark on Diulszi. Many of the animal exhibitions are far away from each other, allowing patrons to visit them in their original habitats. Quo’roshi Gardens is also notable for having a caged zoo area housing animals native to other planets, including species from unathi and human regions. The inclusion of non-Federation species has sparked some outrage among conservationists, who believe that the Federation, less so the C’thur Hive, have the available means to foster these species. Nonetheless, Quo’roshi Gardens remains one of the most beloved tourist attractions on the planet.

Kervasii World has a long history as an amusement park in Diulszi. The plot of land where it stands was originally developed as a small apartment complex near the Kervasii Outpost, where families of skrell scientists traveled and spent time with their loved ones during the holidays. Eventually, the complex grew to accommodate all the families of the Diulszi staff. New amenities were also added, including a roller coaster and rides for younger skrell.

The Kervasii park closed after the beginning of Glorsh-Omega’s reign. After the return of researchers to Diulszi, the park expanded to include more amenities. It had no admission fee, and was open for all scientists to enjoy during their free time.

The lease of Diulszi to the C’thur Hive has radically changed the pleasure ground’s operation. As the park was not technically part of the Kervasii Outpost, the C’thur came to control the destination. Despite appeals made by Kervasii scientists, the C’thur Hive continued to operate the venue, now under the name Kervasii World. Kervasii World has radically expanded across the next few years, with the Hive planning to eventually operate the largest amusement park in the Spur. In 2462, the C’thur Hive finally convinced the Kervasii Outpost to relocate elsewhere, with the previous research facility now transformed into a science-themed area. The current price of admission remains only a handful of sqiips.

Real Estate

As per the Hive agreements with the Nralakk Federation, all of Diulszi’s land, outside of the research outposts, are available for the C’thur Hive to develop and profit. However, this process requires an extensive survey by the Federation to approve any project. Once the land modifications are sanctioned, the Hive has a full permit to do with the land as they please, as long as each project meets ecological criteria. These lax rules have provided the C’thur Hive an opportunity to profit under shady circumstances.

The C’thur Hive “sells” the land to skrell that wish to build cheap holiday homes, though neither the buyers nor the Hive own the land, technically still belonging to the Nralakk Federation. The legality of this practice is often questioned, but due to development laws and the Hive’s legal finesse, most sales are in a gray area. Technically, C’thur sells their development permits to outsource the construction, with the promise that the property, once completed, will be of the owner of the deeds. While the Hive has kept its word on the matter, the newly-built private homes could potentially be reclaimed as federal property in the future.

To “sell” much of this land, the C’thur Hive hire opportunistic skrell, usually Tertiary Numericals, who came to Diulszi to live a life of luxury. In reality, very few achieve their dreams, with most of them constantly hustling new victims.

Science

Beyond tourism, Diulszi contributes significantly to scientific endeavours, particularly in biomedical and botanical research. Mouv and High Queen C'thur's broods perform much of the Hive's research in the laboratories spread across the planet, the largest of which is Orbital Research Platform Kevren, second only to Qamlok on Aliose for research output. Diulszi's native life serves as a catalyst to advance the Hives' understanding of how unfamiliar flora and fauna can be modified for use in the Spur, such as the development of Adrascorn, a fast-growing, radiotrophic plant, much to the jealousy of the K'lax Hive, whose own attempt at developing such a terraforming plant for use on Moghes is still in its early design phase.

The planet also has high-quality genetics research facilities, which were previously used for genomic sampling of native species but have since been retrofitted by the Hive and serve to develop both gene-treatments for disease, with C'thur virologists having contributed extensively to combating epidemics in the Traverse, and to assist with fertility research, examining possible genetic similarities between the X'Lu'oa and species on Diulszi. Such fertility research is closely monitored by the Federation and has yet to turn up significant results, with Glorsh-Omega having designed the X’Lu’oa in such a way that it seems nearly incurable even with the C'thur Hives' advanced genetics knowledge. This has not discouraged them from investing significant effort into trying.

Culture and Demographics

While not perfect, life on Diulszi for vaurcae is far superior to that of the majority of their species within the Spur. The C'thur Hive reinvests much of the money it makes from the planet back into the facilities, both for its own benefit as well as to ensure it appears wealthy to visitors. The presence of a growing tourism and science industry has resulted in no shortage of supplies from the Nralakk Federation. The majority of the species on Diulszi are employed in the service industry, and live within large, subsurface habitation complexes situated near major work hubs. The nearby logistics centers and integrated hydroponics ensure a steady stream of k'ois and the complexes are normally well maintained.

Vaurca working in the sciences are the second most prevalent, and will live in special quarters established near or retrofitted to whatever lab they are assigned to. Occasionally, a group of vaurca will trek into the untamed wilds for a scientific expedition, at which point the quality of life depends on their location on the planet. The most isolated location for vaurca on Diulszi is within Xevrax. Those of the High Queen's personal guard and assistants live in lavish spaces compared to the majority of Vaurca, though the stress of tending the wounded High Queen can often make even the most stoic of workers uncomfortable. Elite Warriors maintain constant watch, ever vigilant for threats to her life.

Many skrell on Diulszi are Federation representatives, observers, bureaucrats, and liaisons managing communication with the Hive. These civil servants are all Primary or Secondary Numericals, and are given expensive apartments, luxury goods, and ample time off to enjoy the scenery, with discounts on local areas included. Many in the Grand Council's employ consider an assignment to Diulszi to be a reward, as the broods are mostly self-sufficient and rarely break any rules. To ensure this image, the Xetl brood is usually kept away from the public.

The second-largest permanent skrell population are researchers. While many researchers have living conditions comparable to those of the representatives, others were kicked out of their laboratories during the C'thur Hives’ shuffle, and have ended up working in less impressive facilities and expedition labs deep within the wilderness. Many of these skrell have grown disillusioned with the Hive and the Federation, having been reassigned to less prestigious positions with little notice.

The majority of these self-titled "exile researchers" keep to themselves, working away on personal projects with angry vigor. Those who have retained their positions, on the other hand, are frequently frustrated by the Federation's and the C'thur Hives' apparent shift into a focus on land development and tourism, which they see as diverting attention away from more valuable pursuits. Those researchers that file complaints are assured the taxes from the developments and guests will be reinvested into the sciences long-term, but do little to reassure them when all but a few, primarily C'thur-dominated laboratories, receive these grants.

A third, growing group of skrell migrants are lured by the Diulszi’s eccentric atmosphere. Despite their apparent simple lifestyle, these skrell are usually very well-off, and can afford to live in a state of permanent vacation. The bohemian skrell usually only interact with each other, with some going as far as to avoid all contact with the vaurca residents. A general idea among this population is that vaurca damage the planet with their resorts and industrial activity, while they do not consider themselves tourists, but rather as colonizers. Unbeknownst to them, however, is that their land is sold by the same Hive they claim to dislike.

Notable Locations

Xevrax, the Forbidden City

Once a modest xenobiology research facility nestled within a southern archipelago, Xevrax was picked as the destination for the C'thur Hive, and its critically wounded High Queen, to touch down due to its relative isolation. In the years that followed, it has taken on a completely new role and importance, a necessity that has seen Xevrax rapidly bloom from unpresuming research laboratories into an amalgam of a closely guarded fortress and an immense hospital, all dedicated to the treatment of a single individual, the High Queen.

Little is known by the greater Spur about exactly what goes on in Xevrax, with the Nralakk Federation and C'thur Hive keeping details confidential and non-essential entry being granted only to a select few with high level security clearance. What is public knowledge, however, is that Xevrax has grown considerably from its humble roots, and the life support system sustaining C'thur has grown from taking the space of a room to an entire underwater complex, with massive wire bundles running through a dizzying array of guarded pipes and tunnels, providing power and more exotic materials to the biologically critical Vaurca and Nralakk systems, many of which have been haphazardly built atop one another since the Hives arrival. Many in the Spur suspect the buildup is a sign of the High Queen's worsening condition, but the Hive is quick to dismiss this as baseless rumours instead, insisting that the construction is a sign that she is growing closer to a full recovery.

Skrell that work in Xevrax are carefully vetted, and it is required that they, and if they wish, their families, live on-site. This skrell population is composed of members of the Kalas, who typically live in garrisons throughout the outer edges of the facilities, as well as medical professionals, researchers, and representatives who are permitted to live in the facility itself. The facilities provided to those groups are often seen as luxurious by the vaurca and Federation engineers who find themselves sequestered to living within mediocre “bunker” facilities installed within the tunnels and pipes, pressed for space and cramped.

The city of Xevrax has a small economy of its own, completely insular to the rest of the planet. It mainly consists of amenities and services to accommodate the skrell residents. These businesses are run by the C’thur Hive—as they reside there on a permanent basis—but vetoed by the Nralakk Federation. Skrell in Xevrax are not allowed to leave the city while on duty, and many that serve there have never seen what the greater Diulszi has to offer.

Xevrax is closely guarded by elite C'thuric Warriors. These Warriors are empowered to dole out harsh punishments, including voiding, to any vaurca found breaching regulations within the Forbidden City. The closer one gets to the High Queen herself, the more frequent and highly augmented these Warriors become, including Warforms. Exactly what the Royal Guard of C'thurs innermost quarters look like is a matter of public speculation.

Orbital Research Platform Iolan

Located in geosynchronous orbit above the planet, Orbital Research Platform Iolan is the largest surveillance facility associated with Diulszi and typically regarded as the premier monitoring facility for the C'thur Hive.

Connecting to an extensive network of planetary nodes and orbital satellites, Iolan was once utilized by skrell researchers to survey the ecosystem of the planet, monitoring wildlife migrations, weather patterns, and ecological growth. Since the arrival of the C'thur Hive, many of these same researchers have been relegated to secondary roles and replaced by the Vaurca of Hive Mouv. Under Mouv's guidance these same monitoring networks have turned towards watching the planet and its denizens, satellites once dedicated to the weather having been modified with C'thuric technology, and time put towards the careful study of migration patterns shifted into collecting and sorting through extranet signals or unbeknownst to the greater Spur, even transmitting them to Mouv's realm. The platform's main antenna, already a powerful transmitter to ensure that messages could reach Qerrbalak despite the Glorashi nebula, now doubles as an immense Hivenet tower.

Through Iolan, each visit to the planet and every possible threat is done under the watchful eye of the Iolan's new spymasters and, when deemed necessary, passed on to planetary authorities, the Hive, or even the greater Federation. This shift in direction has caused no small amount of strife for those Skrell once responsible for the planet. Many of these researchers believe that the changes have placed protecting the ecosystem as a secondary goal of the Platform and the cooperation between the C'thur and Federation scientists stationed here is often felt as begrudging. Iolan houses the biggest Hivenet surveillance center in the whole Spur. It has a direct connection to the Owanqaas Relay Tower, a huge structure in Diulszi that sinks deep into the ocean and serves as the main Hivenet relay in the Federation, with all other skrellian Hivenet towers serving as satellites to the Diulszian colossus. Owanqaas is constantly upgraded with hopes of finally “breaking through” Virtual Reality. Nonetheless, the Mouv brood is tasked with upgrading its security protocols, constantly undermining any possible progress made by the Federation.

Fortress Gelpen

A modest headquarters near Xevrax run by Queen Vytel, Gelpen serves as the C'thur Hives center of military operations throughout the Spur. Whilst a facility with respectable military capability and the C'thur Hives primary depot for storing Warforms, the C'thur's extensive integration with the Nralakk Federation's Kalas (which maintains a recruitment center on the systems moon of Oyepiit) and a continuation of its historical focus on less directly militaristic pursuits see Gelpen pale in comparison to the might of the Zo'rane fortress of Dis on Caprice. Vytel is well aware of this, and instead of serving as a citadel of military might, the Just Queen has seen it take on the role of a coordination center. It is from Gelpen's meeting chambers and increasingly numerous representative offices that negotiations regarding her brood's distribution across the Spur are performed, and that she walks the diplomatic and bureaucratic tightrope of responsibilities between the Federation, EPMC, SCC, and, more recently, the Court of Queens.

Watch Domes

Watch Domes, originally conceived by the Nralakk Federation shortly before the C'thur’s arrival on Diulszi, are floating hotel rooms surrounded by a large glass dome. Powered by hover technology, the Watch Domes are placed in exotic locations throughout Diulszi and allow tourists a more immersive (and expensive) way to explore the alien environments. Most Watch Domes are relatively self-sufficient, including living structures such as rain-catchers and purifiers and even small areas set aside for hydroponics. The C'thur Hive has been making extensive use of Watch Domes in an attempt to draw more tourism than just core-system skrell looking for a quiet destination. As part of this Watch Domes with environments and decorations modified to match those found on other planets have been produced, ranging from Biesel to Earth, Europa, and dozens of other locations, going so far as to include a small handful for Moghes and Adhomai. Much to the disappointment of the Hive, the success of this is highly arguable, but for the moment, they appear to remain dedicated to using Watch Domes to draw in visitors.

Kervasii World Amusement Park

The Kervasii Amusement Park is the largest attraction on the planet, and combines a high-tech water park with more traditional rides, including the Nralakk Federation's longest roller coaster, known as the "Pendulum of Thrills" which takes riders throughout the entire park and is kept suspended by anti-gravity technology. This same anti-gravity technology is used extensively elsewhere throughout the park, creating a vista of floating structures that is strikingly visible from kilometers away and gives the park a certain level of unique verticality.

Additionally, generous subsidies from the C'thur Hive and Nralakk Federation see the Kervasii World Park regularly host mid-tier idols from across the Federation, whose performances help build publicity for the park and draw in dedicated fans.

Kervasii is also notable for maintaining a section with pre-Glorsh rides. This area was inspired by the original Kervasii park run by skrell researchers. Among the vintage attractions is the oldest operational miitoq, an early type of carousel that suspends tadpoles in small spheres of water, moving forward and backward at a low speed. The Kervasii Amphitheatre is also notable for its large presentations of musical acts and other Federation entertainers. As Idols seldom tour outside the core and elemental systems, Kervasii concert dates present the perfect opportunity for the Traverse Skrell to meet the superstars.

Everlasting Sphere

The Everlasting Sphere is a section of Diluszi on the northernmost peninsula set aside for use by dionae inhabiting the planet. While dionae are encouraged to make themselves at home across the entire planet, this large glass dome built by the C'thur Hive features thick jungle and, most importantly, highly intensive radiation generators that coat the area with intense rays. This intensive radiation makes the everlasting sphere the premier destination for dionae visiting or inhabiting the planet permanently. These inhabitants have further customized the sphere over time, with some of the Dionae present having over time integrated into the ecosystem, forming structures and intertwining with the local fauna unlike what's seen anywhere else across Diulszi.

Zo’virox

Considered the center for the counterculture skrell in Diulszi, Zo’virox is a small surf town near the planet’s equator. The place was first named by some Traverse vacationers shortly after the planet was reopened for tourists, who discovered the beach while sailing from a nearby lodge. In their Traverse dialect, Zo’virox means ‘Milk Rock Beach’—a reference to the milky white sand of the shore. Zo’virox first gained attention as a secluded and peaceful beach, an oasis reward for travelers wishing a rest from the populated resorts. Eventually, the hideaway became populated by a community of Weishii misfits who took particular interest in the beach’s night sky.

Zo’virox is notable for the apparent lack of presence of C’thur. Outside from the odd Xetl Worker selling Qwei’Paqui beads. Most of the town's inhabitants consist of Skrell with mossy, tangled headtails and of few dionae “calypso revival” bands.

All houses in Zo’virox are made of wood and a bamboo-like material sustainably sourced from local forests. Some neighborhoods—locally known as villages—go as far as to aid others with surplus construction materials. Similarly, many of the two-story houses double as hostels, attracting many like-minded individuals from all corners of the Federation.

Despite its status as a communal utopia, Zo’virox has become expensive and dangerous for tourists. The bicycle rental shops and the kombucha bars are highly priced, competing with some of the best five-star resorts in other parts of the planet. Furthermore, there are criminal gangs that prey upon lonely visitors at night. As the C’thur Hive does not want to increase its local presence in order to not scare away potential holidaymakers and residents, Zo’virox may become more dangerous until C’thur Warriors are allowed to police the area.

Qaqo’qao Ecological Reserve

The Qaqo’qao Ecological Reserve is the most biodiverse area in Diulszi. It consists of the Qaqo’qao Archipelago and the nearby Moqvaas Peninsula. The latter takes its name from Qu’xelli Moqvaas, the Skrellian scientist who sailed from the peninsula to the archipelago. The findings of Moqvaas were published in a volume titled “The Many Species of Diulszi”, which introduced many skrell from the Core system to the biodiversity of the planet. Despite the modest success of the book, the detailed explanation of Moqvaas inspired odes, poems, and dramatized retellings of the islands, often depicted as dangerous. While the source material became more obscure, the popularity of the fantastical-adventure genre exploded, inspiring many derived motion pictures and novels.

By the time Diulszi first opened its natural parks, Qaqo’qao gained notoriety for its importance in fiction. However, the archipelago was slightly transformed to accommodate visitors. This, in turn, had adverse effects, as the connecting bridges unbalanced the delicate ecosystems of each island. Just prior to the Glorsh-Omega era, all artificial structures were planned to be removed, and the Qaqo’qao Ecological Reserve was meant to be left undisturbed, with only a small scientific outpost at the peninsula. However, as the AI expelled all scientists from the planet, the bridges were left derelict.

At the return of the skrell to Diulszi, the scientific consensus was to leave the structures of Qaqo’qao as is, and to study the biodiversity from a distance. However, upon the control of Diulszi by the C’thur Hive, the Qaqo’qao Archipelago fell into a gray legal area. The statutes allowed the Hive to take control of all modified, non-scientific areas. As a result, the Hive argued that the archipelago was fair game to reopen to the public, and did not count as a real ecological reserve or a scientific outpost.

While the legal battle continued, a group of conservationist Dionae traveled to Diulszi and took control of Qaqo’qao. Currently, the Qaqo’qao Choir continues to reside in the archipelago, claiming they are the rightful keepers of the planet’s nature. The Qaqo’qao Choir has expanded to other areas of the planet, impeding the development of some of the Hive’s projects.

The ecological impact of the Qaqo'qao Choir is still debated. While they believe they do not harm, but rather protect the Diulszian environment, some scientists claim any sapient activity is enough to disrupt the ecology of the place. As a result, the choir is a divisive subject among the public.