Moon: Dokiri

Dokiri, designated IX366-C and known as the Rocky Moon of Kessel, is a temperate mountainous moon orbiting the planet Kessel in the Kessel system. Dokiri's orbit provides 9-13 hours of sunlight per day, depending on the season. Its gravity is above average for an earthlike body, making travel on foot a tiring challenge for many spacefaring species. Historically, Dokiri has sustained few attempts at long-term colonization because of its highly toxic methane atmosphere and the jagged terrain covering most of the moon's surface. Crimson storms of combustible methane are visible from space across the planet and make landing on Dokiri dangerous. The safest time to land or explore the upper mountains is during the season of Dokiri's annual atmospheric Lunar Conjunction with Kessel, a period of time where the planet and moon's atmospheres touch. During this time, some of the methane build-up from Dokiri's deep mines and waterbodies vents into Kessel's atmosphere and reduces toxicity on the moon.

One region of Dokiri, located near its equator in a deep green river valley, is significantly less toxic and more habitable than the rest of the planet. Locals call the region Magatama Valley for the rich jade color of its rivers, lakes, rain forests, and grassland. Because much of the valley is difficult terrain for spacecraft landing, most travel to Megatama goes through Luumai Space Tower—a high-tech spaceport with advanced atmosphere and weather shielding, repurposed from an ancient mesa once used for space travel by Dokiri natives. From the tower, travelers can hire transport down to Luumai Citadel, where smaller vehicles can take them anywhere in the valley. Those who cannot afford to rent vehicles instead take the Kodokushi Steppes, a wide pre-historic escalator that descends through the mountains, past several waypoints, until it reaches the valley floor near the settlement of Kosaten.

Still, few people travel to Megatama other than the Spice Runners of Kijimi, who maintain a presence on the moon but rarely interfere in local affairs outside of spice mining. Most of the valley's settlers are the survivors of Dokiri's prison and mining colonies run by the now-absent First Order, Galactic Empire, and Pyke Syndicate. Each settlement in the valley and the surrounding Kodokushi Mountains is autonomous, led by either a clan leader or the head of a wealthy family. Wealthier settlements are small cities of high towers overgrown by local flora. Poorer settlements, largely found at higher elevations, feature pagodas and simpler tiered structures housed within biodomes capable of protecting organic life from Blood Tsunamis—a deadly type of storm that can occur during the Lunar Conjunction season due to changes in atmospheric pressure. These storms inflict extreme winds, toxic crimson rain, and devastating floods upon Megatama. Due to toxic rainfall, treating the valley's water sources is a constant effort to which all settlements contribute.

DOKIRI HISTORY

During the Clone Wars, the Galactic Empire began its spice mining operations on Kessel and grew its efforts into the largest and most infamous prison colony in the galaxy. At the same time, the Empire used the nearly uninhabited moon of Dokiri to build a smaller prison colony for important prisoners it wished to keep alive, near enough to see the planet Kessel on their horizon so they would always be reminded how close they were to the hell of its mines.The moon's prisons were domed structures built into mountainous peaks and required only a minimal guard presence to maintain—escape would do prisoners little good in the toxic, resourceless high atmosphere. The collapse of the Empire in 5 ABY caused thirty years of faction wars in the Kessel system, which largely ignored Dokiri and its abandoned prisoners.

In the time since the fall of the Empire, Dokiri's small hidden native society emerged from secret under mountain tunnels where they had been hidden from imperial forces for a generation. Calling themselves the Children of the Four Aeons, the natives were a religious society of near-humans who had survived on the moon for thousands of years. The Dokiri natives wielded Force powers and helped overthrow the remaining imperial forces on the moon but allowed the prisoners to go free. At first, opposing prison gangs violently turned on each other. However, the brutal realities of surviving on the moon soon forced them to work together to seek out the aid of the Children of the Four Aeons. The natives promised them salvation but only should the prisoners agree to the Oaths of Amortis, a series of laws meant to keep the peace and settle disputes. The prisoners agreed to take the Oaths, knowing to break them would be to risk the judgment of the native's powerful Force-using enforcers.

The Children of the Four Aeons led the surviving prisoners to Megatama Valley, a fertile low-altitude paradise below the moon's toxic atmosphere. While the natives reclaimed their old monasteries, the prison clans were free to build a new society, led by the wealthiest and most influential prisoners Derru Gita, Vinis Luumai, Tylo Gorlund, Lellan Dori, and Shashev Kino. The founding families of the valley immediately realized the potential Megatama held for profit—it was rich with spice, crystals, and local fauna with highly valuable properties. Using salvaged imperial technology, the founding leaders contacted their networks across the galaxy and quietly brought their full resources to settle Megatama, building a spaceport, then towns and small cities with protective biodomes and towers capable of withstanding the moon's toxic storms. While each House agreed to control one aspect of trade on the moon, House Luumai quickly became the most powerful due to Vinis Luumai's connections to the New Republic Senate.

During the Spice Wars in the Kessel system, House Luumai wisely backed the Spice Runners of Kijimi,  supporting them with supplies from the valley, while the other Houses supported the Pyke Syndicate. Since the gang took control of the system, they have established tradeposts, scrapyard, and their own spice mines in the valley. Though the Spice Runners of Kijimi have sworn not to interfere in daily life so long as they receive a cut of the Megatama Houses' profits, many fear the pirate gang harbors resentment against the Houses that supported their enemies and may try to take control of the entire valley for themselves.

MEGATAMA GEOGRAPHY

The fertile valley lies of Megatama in a deep ravine at the base of the Kodokushi Mountains. The jagged mountains, ominously named for how lonely and uninhabitable they are, reach high into Dokiri's toxic atmosphere and cover most of the moon's surface. The valley below contains a surprising amount of biodiversity, including rivers, tributaries, lakes, swamps, rainforests, grassland, subterranean crystalline caves, and salt flats that border a toxic ocean. Megatama's low elevation keeps the valley relatively cool most of the lunar year, with average temperatures that range between 40 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. It toxic rains often in the western and southern portions of the valley, necessitating a constant treatment system for local water sources. The plants and animals of Dokiri have evolved to survive or subsist on the high methane levels in the water.

The Tanjo River runs south from the mountains, cutting the valley into regions and creating natural borders. Notable regions of the valley include the Tanjo Rainforest, a blend of lush forests, flora unique to Dokiri, and long stretches of toxic swamps. Most animals in the valley thrive only in the rainforest, which is home to several alpha predator species. East of the Tanjo River lies the Spice Wastes, a region of hilly salt flats and subterranean tunnels. The wastes have become heavily mined in the past thirty years, leading to much of the region becoming destabilized by cave-ins and earthquakes. In the southern valley, the river feeds into Lake Guro, a massive body of water with a crystalline floor. Due to the bioluminescent leeches that make their home in the crystals, Lake Guro is most notable for giving off a bright purple glow that can be seen most of the year from several miles away. Grasslands and salt plains lie between the lake and the Choking Sea, a mostly subterranean ocean that runs beneath vast mountains surrounding the valley. The section of the sea south of the valley hosts savage storms during the Lunar Conjunction season. For the rest of the year, much of the methane in the air above the valley is vented south over the sea.

MEGATAMA COMMUNITIES

Despite the potential for profit in Megatama Valley, Dokiri's inhospitable conditions do not allow it to sustain a large population. Around 16,000 settlers live in the valley, spread between a handful of communities settled in biodomes and towers designed to survive severe seasonal storms and sudden rises in toxic air. Surveys estimate another 20,000 others settle higher up in the Kodokushi mountains and elsewhere across the moon.

The mountain dwellers live in small clans beneath small biodomes crafted from repurposed imperial tech. Clan life is particularly hard, and many clans perish without anyone ever knowing. The Megatama Houses only allow the wealthiest denizens on the moon to live in the valley, ever wary of how overpopulation might destroy its ecosystem. The largest and most powerful mountain clans fight for territory at low altitudes nearer to the valley, sometimes daring to raid travelers and steal resources from those lucky enough to live below. The most influential mountain clans near the valley include:

In 28 ABY, the leaders of the Megatama Houses permitted Clan Boulette to settle at the northern edge of the valley and build a town there that other mountain dwellers could visit freely. Belle Boulette founded Kosaten (population ~500) at the base of the Kodokushi Steppes. While the trade flowing through Kosaten has helped those living at higher altitudes survive and reduced the number of raids into the valley—some more powerful clans remain jealous of the exception the Megatama Houses made for Clan Boulette.

In 40 ABY, the Houses made another exception when they allowed the Spice Runners of Kijimi to establish two mining facilities, a tradepost and scrapyard, and fortified compounds in every valley settlement. The Spice Runners maintain a presence of around 300 members in Megatama; however, during the season around the atmospheric Lunar Conjunction, the gang's numbers increase by several thousand.

The largest settlements in Megatama were built in the past several decades by the wealthiest denizens of Dokiri, located along the valley's water sources. The small cities are formed of towers with interconnected bridges, designed to withstand severe toxic weather. Each city only allows citizenship to those with enough credits or fame, and those who dwell there enjoy a lavish lifestyle unimaginable to most who live elsewhere on the moon. The Megatama Houses utilize droids for their service needs rather than other species that require food and water to survive. The cities of Megatama include the following:

Other settlements in the valley include the Monasteries of the Order of the Four, which house the native Dokiri's religious devotees and more recent transplants to the religion. The most significant populations of the Children of the Four Aeons include the following:

NATIVE SPECIES

Native Near-Humans. The near-human species that call themselves Dokiri or Children of the Four Aeons appear almost identical to humans and feature a wide diversity of genetic traits. Their most distinguishing traits are the ability to breathe methane and oxygen, purple eyes with iris colors that change throughout their lives, and a distinct lack of wrinkling skin as they age. While no other species on Dokiri has evolved to become a spacefaring civilization, the moon does feature several migrated species and entirely unique species of flora and fauna, particularly in the Megatama Valley and surrounding mountains.

Rainforest Flora. The Tanjo Rainforest features diverse jungle flora capable of subsisting on water that would be toxic to plants in most other worlds. Due to the toxicity in the water and atmosphere, very few of Dokiri's plants are edible. Native flora tends to grow extremely quickly, and many of them die off annually during the season around the annual lunar conjunction.

The rare exception is the shinzo fern which can grow up to 30 feet. The fern's large fan-like leaves uniquely filter toxins from the surrounding air, and its deep root systems filter water toxins to produce waste that fertilizes crystal growth underground. The roots grow quickly, are nutritious and safe to eat, and have a sweet taste similar to honey when cooked. However, the roots contain numerous tiny thorns that can inflict a neurotoxin to those pricked by them, causing long-term illness and sometimes death. Near the season around the yearly atmospheric conjunction with Kessel, shinzo ferns unfurl a thick layer of fibrous dark green material to protect them from the storm season. Dokiri's natives believe it is good luck to sleep beneath the fern's floam.

Guro Leech. One of the most economically important species in the Megatama Valley ecosystem is the diminutive guro leech, a bioluminescent earthworm that burrows into crystals native to Dokiri to reproduce and live in large hives. Guro leeches are primarily found in Lake Guro, along the Tanjo River, and in subterranean tunnels in the Spice Wastes. The guro leech is a primary food source for several native mammals, which in turn attract larger predators to areas where the leeches can be found. While they edible, settlers make use of the leeches in other ways. The slime produced by the leeches makes for a powerful anesthetic and is commonly used to treat pain in the valley. The leeches' saliva can be used to prevent and treat blood clots. Remarkably, the leeches do not die of natural aging. Older leeches can grow up to four feet in length and give off an incredible amount of purple light. It is commonplace for children to seek out old leeches and capture them in glass jars to use as lanterns.

Woozeersu. Perhaps the most important animal to the people who live in Megatama Valley is the curious woozeersu, which appears similar to a cross between a sheep and an anteater. Woozeersu use their long snouts to filter out toxic air, which allows them to be an edible food source for near-humanoid species. The herd animals usually move together along the Tanjo River and in the lower Kodokushi Mountains. They primarily feed on large quantities of guro leeches, which they can suck up from cracks in crystals using their powerful snouts. The leeches' slime interacts with their body's methane filtration organ, causing gas pouches in the mammal's belly to balloon. After eating, the woozeersu's belly expands and they begin to float as high as two dozen feet above the ground. Woozeersu use their snout to expel air that lets them gently fly in their chosen direction. Slowly, as their body digests the food, the woozeersu floats back down to the ground.

Every part of the woozeersu is used by settlers and natives in their everyday lives. Their wool makes clothes and other materials, while their milk and meat provide sustainable sustenance. Even their bones, which are particularly dense and strong, are crafted into usable tools by those who cannot afford more expensive technology. The Order of the Four considers the woozeersu a holy animal. Those following the Way of the Shepherd herd the beasts using a flute instrument crafted from shinzo leaves that the animals find soothing. By playing their music, they guide floating woozeersu herds to domed yards.

Woozeersu reproduce asexually from a Mother Woozeersu through an evolved form of self-cloning. Mother Woozeersu live for hundreds of years and are much larger than their genetically identical offspring. Only one in a million cloned woozeersu mutate into a Mother Woozeersu during their lifetime. Because they are so rare, only a handful of Mother Woozeersu remains on the moon, and they are fiercely protected by the Order of the Four. Any Mother Woozeersu found is to be brought to live and be cared for in its own dome amongst the Monastery of the Shepherd.

Alpha Predators. While the region Megatama Valley is home to a variety of predators, three species are far more dangerous than the rest. Native to the Choking Sea, the kamisori is a massive, invisible jellyfish with powerful tentacles capable of accidentally tearing a person in half or destroying machinery. Their high population in the ocean, where they eat other native fish, makes deep sea mining extremely challenging. Sometimes kamisori find their way inland as far as Lake Guro by way of the river. Their highly durable but extremely toxic skin poisons waterways, and their territorial disposition can turn them from dormant into a rampaging monster in mere moments.

The mord-misha is a migrated mammal similar in appearance to a honey-badger, with toxin-filtering gills, long curved claws for climbing, and the size and speed of a jaguar. Native to the jungles of Kessel and hunted for sport by the planet's Royal Family, smugglers brought them to Dokiri after the royal family's disappearance thirteen years ago. The mord-misha killed their captors and escaped down into the Tanjo Rainforest. They have since begun to repopulate and spread across the valley, hunting spacefaring species, woozeersu, and other predators alike. Prized for their luxurious fur and their claws used to craft climbing gloves, some dare to hunt the mord-misha. However, the predator's unusual form of psychic communication can cause extreme disorientation and sickness to most other species that get too close to it.

No Dokiri species is more feared than the terotonbo, a gargantuan dragonfly-like insect with chitinous armor and incredible strength. The terotonbo's mandibles are strong enough to crush steel, and it can snatch a hovercraft or speeder out of the air and fly away. The insect injects its prey with a destabilizing acid through its long, flexible stinger. The acid quickly breaks down organic material into sludge, allowing the terotonbo to slurp the remains through its straw-like mouth. Even the creature's wings are so strong that their low-pitched, high vibrations create a resonant fluttering sound that can be heard for up to a mile away. Thankfully for the settlements in the valley, terotonbo struggle to fly in lower altitudes and mostly live in the toxic higher atmosphere of the mountain moon. However, atmospheric pressure changes during the typhoon season allow the terotonbo to descend and hunt in Megatama.

The terotonbo's gull stones—which locals call terosteel—are made of material nearly as light and durable as beskar. Terosteel is incredibly valuable and is used to craft armor, weapons, or trophies. However, because so few of the monsters are still living, hunting them is against the Oaths of the Judge. Only the tournament champion of the annual Festival of Enlightenment can form a hunting party, and they may kill no more than one terotonbo per lunar year.