Planet Tesepa (2014-07-27)

CD5K > FU > vrs > pte

Tesepa is, obviously, the homeworld of the Tesepans. It has also come to be inhabited by the Zrani. Tesepa was created by Scientius - when he grew tired of the arrogance of Kefaru's Elfs - as a side-project to seed the universe's most technologically advanced and progressive society. It kind-of worked, but not without consequences.

Tesepa exists within the Kuzu Kara system, which consists of Strif, its star; an asteroid belt that is possibly the remains of a planet; Tesepa; Ares, the site of an abandoned research base; and Iovus, a gas giant. Tesepa itself is orbited by its moon, Nocta.

The planet consists largely of temperate forests, jungles, and mesas. There are also some sparse deserts and fields dotting the landscape. Due to the native population being vastly reduced by the Technopanic, many abandoned cities are being slowly reclaimed by natural growth.

Culture and History

Prior to the Technopanic, the Tesepans were highly organized and very curious. Yearning to learn all they could about the universe, they quickly developed and improved their space exploration technology. This was also their downfall; they were impatient, and didn't want to spend longer than was necessary on a new technology before shattering the next form of impossibility. The AIs they developed started to feel neglected, or constrained.

That came to a head when the central AI of the Iovus Development Station, dispatched to study Kuzu Kara's outermost planet, launched four habitat pods containing a mutagenic virus back at Tesepa. The result was near-total ecological and societal devastation.

Tesepan culture split into two groups: the modular, cyborg Omniscient, who would fend off the hyper-aggressive mutants; and the simpler tribal societies, who opted to try to live in sync with nature. An unexpected third group also appeared. Through whatever accident or miracle, a portal linking Tesepa and Te Ra had formed. The AOSCP operatives who came through mistakenly believed they had found a formerly-inhabited planet, and started to take residence in the nearby abandoned towns.

Some fringe Tesepans, dissatisfied with both the regression of society and the exclusivity of the Omniscient, united with these newcomers with hopes of resuming the previous pace of technological development. Operating in secret, the Cacus Technocracy sought to reclaim their world. The more the movement grew, the bolder it became, until it felt justified in working openly. Their entire operation was later shut down by the Virtual Saviors. Twice.

Afterlife

Tesepa has an unconventional otherworld; it exists inside the planet instead of being an alternate version of the surface. While the dead are distinct entities, they contribute to a total spiritual energy that living beings are capable of drawing from to heal, attack using concentrated energy, and use other types of 'magic'.