Frey
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Frey is a jungle moon orbiting the gas giant Asgard, located in the Yggdrasil system. It is the homeworld of the Sylph, a human offshoot subspecies that genetically modified themselves to survive in the moon's exotic environment.
Despite having a vibrant, colorful ecosystem, Frey's atmosphere is toxic to common humans due to the significantly higher levels of oxygen than Yeddo. Any human visiting this world must wear a breath mask.
History
In the ancient era long before the Valerian Empire, the societies of Earth had begun constructing generational ships to explore the galaxy. These starships were designed to carry human populations across thousands of lightyears in search of habitable worlds for humanity to permanently settle on. One of the identified worlds was the gas giant moon Frey which at the time was identified as having a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere suitable for human life. The ship that would head over to this location was the UES Ymir. However, upon arrival, it was discovered that in spite of the planet hosting a diverse amount of life, the air was not breathable for humans. With no option to return to Earth, the human colonists chose to use genetic modification to make themselves able to survive in the alien ecosystem. Over many thousands of years, they changed appearance to become the Sylph.
When they were contacted by the Valerian Empire, the Sylph initially took an isolationist stance. The Valerians wished to unite all of humanity to reach out to all the generational ships that had explored the galaxy many years prior, but the Sylph rejected their offer. This was among the early starting points of many political tensions that would eventually inspire the creation of the Oracle.
Points of interest
UES Ymir
The UES Ymir is the original generational ship that traveled from Earth to Frey for a period of five hundred years. After the original crew settled and populated the moon, the ship was left abandoned and overtaken by the elements. The outer hull is covered in plant-life and to outsider observers, it is seen as an odd, unnatural landscape formation.
Biosphere
Flora
Flora on Frey tends to be various shades of blue and purple. The colorings are thought to aid in resistint ultraviolet radiation.
- Lantern stalk - An upright plant that ends with a glowing bioluminiscent at its tip, serving as natural lanterns during the night.
- Platform tree - A giant tree with multiple flat canopies that are sturdy enough to walk on top of.
- Pitfall plant - A bowl-shaped plant buried below the ground with several large leaves covering it. Inside what resembles a mouth are a series of poisonous barbs. It lures prey with the scent of sweet nectar in an attempt to get it to fall inside and become impaled by the barbs.
- Moss Spire - Gigantic spires of blue moss that reach half a mile high. They are most common in the polar regions where they don't face as much competition from other flora.
Fauna
Most vertebrates on Frey have evolved to have four eyes.
- Sky Ray - A manta ray like creature that flies in the sky in large flocks, feeding on floating plankton. They communicate with one another with song-like wailing which echoes across much of the moon's landscape.
- Kirin - A giraffe like creature that migrates across the whole world, congregating at the poles.
- Cath Palug - One of the apex predators of Frey. It resembles big cats from Earth such as a panther. Its dark, aquamarine fur is adorned with bioluminiscent glow that allows it to camoflage itself into its surroundings. They were revered by ancient Sylph tribes as spirit guardians that maintained the natural order.
- Forest slug - A bright, colorful gastropod that feeds on detritus. They are considered a delicacy for the Sylph, and are eaten raw, sometimes while they are still alive.
- Flying axolotl - An arboreal salamander-like creature that can glide short distances when jumping from tree to tree. It is known for its colorful crests and horns.
- Blobfrog - An amphibian shaped like a ball with four eyes on stalks. It dwells in swamps, camoflaging itself in the mud and waits in ambush for prey that it can swallow whole in one gulp. The Blobfrog is also known keeping its eggs inside its own stomach, and once they are ready to hatch, they are vomited out.
- Sky tunicate - A flying organism that is completely transparent, including its organs. It flies through the air using flagela, and with its wide open maw, it engulfs prey - usually other flying animals.
- Charybdis fish - A colossal fish-like creature that exceeds 100 feet in length. It is large enough to gulp down small boats, singlehandedly making oceanic exploration on Frey incredibly dangerous.