Reef Nebula Exoplanets
Reef Nebula Exoplanets, and The Elythusia Insulae.
Reef Nebula Exoplanets
Reef Nebula Exoplanets are a special class of planets that were formed through centuries, or even eons in some cases, of Arushan Voidtamer enclaves terraforming exoplanets inside of Nebula clusters with their preferred geological features, plants, and fauna.
Reef Nebula Exoplanets all bear similar features: low mass and gravity, thick high-reaching atmosphere, accretion disks of nebula gases and dust, as well as dense asteroid rings suspended in low orbit above the planet. Some of these exoplanets also contain their own small moons, suspended outside of the rings' reach. Others are locked in orbit of larger planets such as gas giants. All of them have been engineered to support the unique ecosystem suspended in the rings that the Voidtamers prefer to inhabit.
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Elythusia Insulae, The Great Plane of Expansive Isles.
Floating high above their anchoring planets, and enveloped in a thick atmosphere, the Elythusia Insulae is the name given to the planetary asteroid rings cultivated and inhabited by the Voidtamers. The Voidtamers do not consider the Elythusia Insulae a singular location or a specific biome, rather, a flexible and expandable dimensional plane of existence that rests on the interstice between Terrestrial Spheres, and the Void.
Standing within the Elythusia Insulae, one sees a vast expanse of floating islands and stones. The reach of the atmosphere below is engineered to touch the Insulae, providing islands above with precipitation and water cycles. Rain, snow, fog, and clouds grace this interstice between earth and space. The nebula cloud from the accretion disk enveloping the planet occasionally brings colossal dust storms. Naturally, the atmosphere is dense enough to support a broader range of life, a carefully curated ecosystem composed of flora and fauna taken from terrestrial planets, gas giants, and the Void itself. Plants and vegetation cling to these floating isles, growing strong and tall, vibrant in color, and pulsating with bioluminescence.
The weak gravity of the planet does entail a weaker magnetic field: cosmic radiation from the nebula and nearby stars bathe the Elythusia Insulae with radiant energy. A boon for the Voidtamers, yet a limitation for selecting life that is able to survive here. Visiting temporals require EVA equipment in order to descend into the Isles.
Flora
The light, radiation, and space dust of the insulae serves as an energy source for the primary producers of this planet class. Radiotrophy, filter feeding, and photosynthesis are common here.
Celestial Tethers
Celestial Tethers are a deep purple, vine-like plant genus that can grow as thick as tree trunks. This vine xenofauna extends and burrows between floating island chains, creating bridges that other fauna can climb; some are large and sturdy enough to walk across. These vines also sprout wide, vibrantly colored leaves, which collect rays from nearby stars as well as filter feed cosmic dust from the nebula. These vines are often cultivated and intentionally shaped by the Voidtamers to construct bridges, buildings, and other structures.
Voidic Kelp
Thick, dense, and highly nutritious, vast swathes of Voidic Kelp forests extend high above their anchoring islands in the Insulae. It is a perennial weed, allowed to grow into dense forests inhabited by fauna, grown on plots of land, or around the abodes of Voidic Dionae for consumption.
Nebula Ferns
In appearance, not unlike terrestrial ferns. Their leaves possess blue and green hues, and can reach the size of large bushes or small trees. Like much of the other flora of the reef, their leaves are optimized for cosmic dust filtration.
Fauna:
Insulae Osteomembrane
This is where the Temporal classification of “Reef nebula Exoplanets” gets its namesake. Osteomembranes are filter feeding colony organisms that build calcified silicate structures under them as they expand. They cling to asteroids in the interior, vibrant and pulsating with bioluminescent color.
Various Cosmozoan genus
Cosmozoan are a common sight in the insulae, floating in immense swarms, drifting and filter feeding with the current. They are hunted or cultivated for their light and jelly. There is much more variety here than just the blue and red speckled variants ubiquitous to space.
Various exoplanet fauna
Gnats, eels, sharks, and carp found in typical exoplanets or open space are often brought here. They are behaviorally conditioned from decades or centuries of exposure to avoid dionae, unless they are cornered or themselves tamed. Eels and sharks are typically the apex predators of these ecosystems.
Plasmic Conch
The plasmic conch is an amoeba-like, single celled organism that can grow to the size of a house cat. It possesses a hardened spiral shell, not unlike a terrestrial snail. It ungulates across the surface of asteroids, grazing on stationary flora and fauna
Petrabytes.
Many different genus of petrabytes can be observed in the Elythusia Insulae. Segmented, shield shaped arthropods that fulfil a wide variety of niches within the reefs. They derive their name from the hardened, stone like carapace many subspecies secret from their chitin for protection.
Amonix
Dog sized, shrimplike creatures that use gas bladders for lift and propulsion. They hunt smaller creatures with two prehensile barbed prongs that curl under the Amonix when not in use. They are quite intelligent, and are often trained to be familiars by Voidtamers.