Timerover51
SOC-14 5K
I have been working on one of my planets, and have intelligent inhabitants based on an uplifted Terran Sea Otter. Here is an image. Would the forum like a formal Contact post for them?
Kelpies
- Thread starter Timerover51
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mike wightman
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I for one would like as many details as you have.
Timerover51
SOC-14 5K
Okay. I will do a full workup on them.
Charles Ingrid has some Otter like aliens that the silly A.I. says doesn't exist. I'll have to check my hardcopy for the name. They live on a swamp world.
The Sand Wars Omnibus volume 1 & 2.
Dang! Just found out the author is a woman and passed away recently. Will have to do my hardcopy homework and post it later/tomorrow.
The Sand Wars Omnibus volume 1 & 2.
Dang! Just found out the author is a woman and passed away recently. Will have to do my hardcopy homework and post it later/tomorrow.
Timerover51
SOC-14 5K
Yes, about 85% water coverage.
I did a college essay -- that, unfortunately, was lost in a computer upgrade years ago -- on that series of ads, and the awkward implications of the universe in which they were set.So, are there variants like gangsta ones?
Or, HIB (Hamsters In Black)?
Just curious...
(For example, what did normal women look like, and where did they come from?)
Enoki
SOC-14 1K
Counterpoint: the audience in the Gangnam Style (opera) ad.Well, got the "look like" part covered for you...
Edit to add: that was 13 years ago? Time flies.
Timerover51
SOC-14 5K
Here is the background to the planet, Kelpie.
Kelpie Background for Amber Zone
Surface Area: 153,938,000 square miles (Earth: 196,940,000 square miles)
Land Area: 15, 410,000 square miles (Earth: 57,510,000 square miles)
Water Area: 138,528,000 square miles (Earth: 139,430,000 square miles)
Kelpie, C769672-6, is a water-rich world on a Jump-2 main between several High-Population worlds. The land surface are does not include the two moderately-sized ice caps, both anchored by small areas of land. The large water surface makes for s somewhat equitable climate, but one characterized by frequent heavy storms at sea. This has served to limit the exploration of the surface, which had been thoroughly mapped from orbit. There is one main city, adjacent to the star port, a few much smaller cities or towns on the seacoast and in the mining areas of the mountains, as well as the normal scattered settlements of individualistic types.
This Non-industrial, Rich world has a local Tech Level of 6, indicating what level of equipment is available from local production. Higher Tech Level goods are imported from the nearby High-Population planets, and are moderately more expensive due to the cost of transportation. Kelpie pays for the imports via two primary mechanism. One is the trade in “marsh cow” meat, the other is by the mining and initial refining of rare earths. The world has a somewhat higher level of rare earth metals than is normal in its stellar area, with several mineable lodes being discovered. The planet mines the raw ore, and then processes the rare earth metals to a higher concentration prior to shipment off world.
The “marsh cow” is indigenous to the planet, and resembles the Terran hippopotamus in size and life style. The star port was initially settled near the enormous area of marsh and swamp which is the habitat of the marsh cow to take advantage of proximity to the creatures. The meat of the animal is highly prized, the large tusks make an excellent ivory substitute, the thick fat can be processed to make an high-quality lubricant, and the leather, being fairly thick, when tanned properly makes for unique table surfaces and other items. There is a considerable size difference between the males and the females, with the large dominant males gathering large harems, leaving considerable surplus males to be harvested. Periodically, the older females are harvested as well, although their meat does not fetch as high a price, and much is consumed on Kelpie. Of late, it appears that the maximum sustainable take has been reached, leading the planet’s various governments to look for other sources of exports.
The government has fractured into several different blocs, representing the march cow harvesting interests, the mining interests, the budding industrial sector which wants more of the funds from trade devoted to industrial development, and the outlying settlements, which pay attention to the “star port government” as they call it in direct proportion too the nearness to the star port. The there are the independent settlements which pretty much ignore everyone else, except when help is needed.
OF late, the settlements along the seacoast have received more attention as additional exportable staples are sought for. The shallow areas of the seacoast are characterized by very large growths of a plant similar to the kelp of Earth, which is the source of the planet’s name. The growths are somewhat unique in that they grow from both the base root of the planet, and also the outer tip of the leaf, which can be hundreds of meters long, with growth of up to a half-meter a day being recorded. Feeding on this luxuriant growth are two different creatures, depending on the warmth of the area. In the warm, shallow areas, the primary aquatic herbivore is the “kelp lobster”. These large crustaceans, growing up to 2 to 2.5 meters in length, about half of which is the edible tail, along with two large claws for chopping the kelp into smaller pieces, which are then cut even smaller by a pair of smaller claws prior to consumption.
The other main kelp feeder is a very large mammalian herbivore, somewhat resembling in body form the extinct “Stellar Sea Cow” of Terra, called the “kelp cow”. In excess of 10 meters long, and weighing over 10 tons in examined specimens, it is fully aquatic and does not come onto shore. The occasional sighting of a partially eaten animal ashore is viewed as having been cast up on shore during a storm.
In both cases, the meat of the creatures is quite palatable, and the creatures have an additional byproduct which adds to their desirability. In both cases, the creatures tend to concentrate the presence of rare earths in their environment in the liver, making it a source of rare earths. While each creature has a limited amount of rare earths present, relatively simple processing techniques result in essentially pure rare earth metals. This would generate a considerably higher price when exported that simply concentrated ore, although the quantities would be smaller.
Kelpie Background for Amber Zone
Surface Area: 153,938,000 square miles (Earth: 196,940,000 square miles)
Land Area: 15, 410,000 square miles (Earth: 57,510,000 square miles)
Water Area: 138,528,000 square miles (Earth: 139,430,000 square miles)
Kelpie, C769672-6, is a water-rich world on a Jump-2 main between several High-Population worlds. The land surface are does not include the two moderately-sized ice caps, both anchored by small areas of land. The large water surface makes for s somewhat equitable climate, but one characterized by frequent heavy storms at sea. This has served to limit the exploration of the surface, which had been thoroughly mapped from orbit. There is one main city, adjacent to the star port, a few much smaller cities or towns on the seacoast and in the mining areas of the mountains, as well as the normal scattered settlements of individualistic types.
This Non-industrial, Rich world has a local Tech Level of 6, indicating what level of equipment is available from local production. Higher Tech Level goods are imported from the nearby High-Population planets, and are moderately more expensive due to the cost of transportation. Kelpie pays for the imports via two primary mechanism. One is the trade in “marsh cow” meat, the other is by the mining and initial refining of rare earths. The world has a somewhat higher level of rare earth metals than is normal in its stellar area, with several mineable lodes being discovered. The planet mines the raw ore, and then processes the rare earth metals to a higher concentration prior to shipment off world.
The “marsh cow” is indigenous to the planet, and resembles the Terran hippopotamus in size and life style. The star port was initially settled near the enormous area of marsh and swamp which is the habitat of the marsh cow to take advantage of proximity to the creatures. The meat of the animal is highly prized, the large tusks make an excellent ivory substitute, the thick fat can be processed to make an high-quality lubricant, and the leather, being fairly thick, when tanned properly makes for unique table surfaces and other items. There is a considerable size difference between the males and the females, with the large dominant males gathering large harems, leaving considerable surplus males to be harvested. Periodically, the older females are harvested as well, although their meat does not fetch as high a price, and much is consumed on Kelpie. Of late, it appears that the maximum sustainable take has been reached, leading the planet’s various governments to look for other sources of exports.
The government has fractured into several different blocs, representing the march cow harvesting interests, the mining interests, the budding industrial sector which wants more of the funds from trade devoted to industrial development, and the outlying settlements, which pay attention to the “star port government” as they call it in direct proportion too the nearness to the star port. The there are the independent settlements which pretty much ignore everyone else, except when help is needed.
OF late, the settlements along the seacoast have received more attention as additional exportable staples are sought for. The shallow areas of the seacoast are characterized by very large growths of a plant similar to the kelp of Earth, which is the source of the planet’s name. The growths are somewhat unique in that they grow from both the base root of the planet, and also the outer tip of the leaf, which can be hundreds of meters long, with growth of up to a half-meter a day being recorded. Feeding on this luxuriant growth are two different creatures, depending on the warmth of the area. In the warm, shallow areas, the primary aquatic herbivore is the “kelp lobster”. These large crustaceans, growing up to 2 to 2.5 meters in length, about half of which is the edible tail, along with two large claws for chopping the kelp into smaller pieces, which are then cut even smaller by a pair of smaller claws prior to consumption.
The other main kelp feeder is a very large mammalian herbivore, somewhat resembling in body form the extinct “Stellar Sea Cow” of Terra, called the “kelp cow”. In excess of 10 meters long, and weighing over 10 tons in examined specimens, it is fully aquatic and does not come onto shore. The occasional sighting of a partially eaten animal ashore is viewed as having been cast up on shore during a storm.
In both cases, the meat of the creatures is quite palatable, and the creatures have an additional byproduct which adds to their desirability. In both cases, the creatures tend to concentrate the presence of rare earths in their environment in the liver, making it a source of rare earths. While each creature has a limited amount of rare earths present, relatively simple processing techniques result in essentially pure rare earth metals. This would generate a considerably higher price when exported that simply concentrated ore, although the quantities would be smaller.
May I reprint this as a Jump Destination in Freelance Traveller? (And if you get the Amber Zone done before next weekend [6-7 Sep], I'd like to print that, too.)
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