February Star System

[spaceshipit]

The week of travel has passed on peacefully. Aside from a few unusual glitches on a number of ships, the drift week has been much less eventful than the last time. Space traffic picks up as the Marsiva approaches the next system. This isn’t the busiest stretch of space the fleet has come across, it’s enough to signal that yet again, the fleet has reached a new system.



CALENDAR:
→ The fleet will be in this star system from 2/07 to 3/01.
→ We’ll put up a mingle at the start of this plot, but there are no other events planned.

ETA: Mingle → Here!

The Rew System.
The Rew system contains five planets, all orbiting a yellow dwarf star. Four of these planets are gas giants, massive behemoths rich in natural resources. The last planet is a Mars-sized terrestrial planet in the habitable zone of the solar system. While the planet itself is a barren rock, unfit for life, there’s plenty of life to be found in a massive ring that’s been constructed around the planet.




Humans aren’t the only species who’ve colonized the stars. Many other species have gone out to leave their unique mark upon the universe. And while human colonists preferred to use terraforming technology to shape entire planets, the Co’kals decided to go a different route. Instead of finding a suitable planet and terraforming it, they prefer to find a system that’s rich in resources and then construct a massive “ring world" around a planet for them to live on.



Ring World Siourew.




The Ring World Siourew is massive in scale — a couple hundred miles wide at any point, with a circumference that stretches thousands of miles. It’s also beautiful, with natural looking landscapes that stretch across most of the ring’s surface area. A technological and engineering wonder, Siourew has been constructed with every last detail kept in mind: rotation around the planet, revolution around the system's star, and other gravitational forces at work. It orbits the planet Rew-Eri just far enough away that it can still receive much-needed sunlight, and Rew-Eri can still be seen as a constant feature in the sky.

The Co’kal settled here long ago, attracted by the overabundance of resources on Rew-eri and the other bodies in the system. As such, this artificial ring is suited to the same environmental conditions as their homeworld: beautiful meadows, sprawling grasslands, and plentiful rivers cover the entirety of the ring. At the very edges, the terrain slopes upward into tall mountainous regions, providing not only shelter and protection to the valleys in between, but also to serve as a buffer from anyone falling off the edge. Throughout the ring runs a robust jet stream, helping to create a weather system similar to any planet with nourishing rains, storms, and even the occasional snowfall.

There are larger bodies of water scattered throughout Siourew as well - areas that are deep enough to be considered seas. Interestingly enough, these larger bodies of water have attracted another alien race, one that makes their homes in the water's depths. Fleeters who feel like going on an underwater adventure will very likely get to witness these intriguing settlements! They may be smaller than any of the cities on land, but they have their own quaint - if wet - charm.


The Co’kal.



A Co’Kal. Click image for full-size.

While other species have come to live on Siourew throughout the years, by and large the dominant population is the Co’kal. A quadruped avian race the size of horses, the Co’kal first evolved on the large plains of their homeworld. As such, they can easily cover long distances on foot, but their winged arms are mostly for show.

Co’kal’s true skills lie in their engineering and inventing. The Co’kal value ingenuity and innovation above all else. They are an extremely curious race by nature. If a passenger carries any object or technology not normally found in this part of space (i.e, something from home), be prepared to have a slew of questions thrown at them. Some may offer a generous price to buy the object from you simply so they can tinker with it and figure out how it works.

However even though they are innovators, the Co’kal still have a deep connection with nature. Their villages and cities incorporate the local ecology into the architecture in some manner or another. Many Co’kal communities choose to sustain their diet of meat and seed by living off the land itself. Because of their size and anatomy, most Co’kal communities and buildings have great amounts of wide open space, and rarely go above the first floor. Their ships tend to be larger than any human vessels, with more open spaces and more areas designated for greenery throughout.


Points of Interest.

RING WILDERNESS
Even though the ring was artificially constructed, lots of work and time has given it a fully functional ecosystem just like any planet. Sprawling grasslands and meadows cover much of the ring, with mountainous areas along the edges. Bodies of water can be found spread throughout the ring too: ranging from tiny ponds to plentiful rivers to salty seas. With huge patches of wilderness between different settlements, any passenger who is inclined to go off into the wild could easily spend days camping without encountering many other people.

The animal populations of Siourew are robust in population. Almost all of them seem to be unfamiliar types of birds, reptiles, or some mix of both. The most plentiful are called water zubron, though they look nothing like buffalo; their name comes from their choice of habitat. Descended from domesticated animals, they have more in common with ostriches than anything with hooves. Water zubron are large bipedal birds with dark red plumage and blue legs. They have a crown of six horns atop their heads as well as two large black eyes; their meat is dark red and fatty, and tastes a little bit like pork. Insinuating that they are related is deeply offensive to the Co’kal.

There are also sandbirds, which are four-legged reptiles with wings that live primarily underwater. Their name is given to them because they like to hide in the sand at the bottom of lakes and shorebeds while they hunt. Their hard scales are prized by Co’kal and Dasioe for their shimmery quality and they are often used as jewelry. The meat is white and fatty, and it tastes like chicken.

THE PLANETS
While the planets of this system are uninhabitable, they’re still used for resource and mining purposes. As such, there’s small mining colonies set up either on or orbiting the planets as stations. The colonies tend to be more minimalistic than the ring world, built with short-term utility in mind rather than a permanent home. But these are still good places to visit if you’re looking for work, geological research, or even a chance to gather your own natural materials. They will charge for either the materials or the use of their tools, but they have no qualms with trading with travelers.

TOWNS, DINING & SHOPPING
Settlements can be found all over the ring and are easily reached by ship, ranging from small villages to medium sized cities. There’s not much in the way of urbanization, as the Co’kal prefer large open spaces and don’t do very well with stairs. Most settlements are technologically advanced, however, and contain most of the amenities that their residents need.

If you’re in the mood to shop, you might have a little bit of trouble. There are plenty of local wares, but most of them are tailored to the Co’kal. You won’t find much in the way of clothing or furniture made with humanoids in mind. There are some groups of humans who have come to settle and trade on Siourew, but it may take some looking to find them.

Dining options, however, are a bit more available! There are restaurants throughout the different settlements (though you may have to stand or request for a humanoid chair) that offer the finest local cuisine. Expect very large portions, lots of meat, and seeds. There’s alcohol available too, but be careful! It’s potent enough to get a horse drunk.

THE INSTITUTE
In the largest city of Siourew is the Institute. The Institute is known throughout the system as a place for the best and brightest minds on Siourew to come together and share ideas with one another. It is here that some of the greatest achievements of this ring have been dreamed up. In fact, it’s considered customary for policymakers to consult the Institute before making any decisions that’d affect the ring, causing the Institute to easily be the most powerful and influential body in all of Siourew.

While travelers don’t have access to the more high profile committee meetings, they are welcome to visit the Institute and explore the many things they have to offer. Their libraries contain vast collections of literature from Siourew and other nearby systems, with a high emphasis on literature about engineering and science. The Institute is also home to a modest museum, featuring exhibits on technological advances and scientific endeavors, alongside a small dose of Co’kalian (??) history. A recent grant has also allowed for the development of a brand new greenhouse, open to the public, with many types of plants from all throughout Siourew - and a few very rare (or simply non-native) species donated from travelers and scientists from other systems!

Scholars in the Institute are eager to learn new information from outside their system A willingness to share information about the fleet and other planets will be repaid with new information in turn. If a passenger is interested in learning more about alien biology, alien diplomacy, or maybe some tips on how to grow plants in an artificial environment, the Institute is a must-see attraction.

UNDERWATER CITIES
Humans aren’t the only race to travel to the ring for trade. In the seas of Siourew, another group has set up shop. The Dasioe come from a nearby system and have been a long time trade partner with the Co’kal. The Dasioe are an aquatic species, and require constant exposure to water to survive. Even then, the Dasioe have to wear environmental suits to protect themselves from Siourew’s alien environment. These environmental suits even allow them to come up on land for brief periods of time, but they are heavy duty equipment that cover their entire body. Thus, it’s hard to tell exactly what they look like underneath the suits, but their forms hint that they are a rather tall humanoid species with slender limbs and finned extremities.

To visit the Dasioe, a passenger can take a shuttle or a public transport to one of their settlements. Each settlement has an airlocked trading hub area for any human or Co’kal to visit or trade without getting wet. Alternatively, a passenger can rent out a breathing mask or scuba suit (thankfully there are humanoid sizes available) to explore the area further. Though their settlements are sparse-- essentially trading posts and small villages-- they’ve taken bits of their culture with them. The buildings blend into the underwater features, using found materials in addition to rocks and cement as the base for their construction. Brightly-colored fish and flowering plants serve as decoration. The Co’kal tell stories of fish people who sleep with mountains of gold, but these people don’t seem to be as rich as the tales claim.

There is some truth to this, however. The Dasioe enjoy wearing beads made of sea glass, gold and silver repurposed chain, and just about anything else you can make jewelry out of. They also decorate their dwellings with the treasures. Particularly unusual items outside of the standard space trash will fetch a decent price. In turn, this is a good place to go if you’re looking for any decorations to make you feel shiny.

Unfortunately, it’s clear that these settlements have seen better days. Their homeworld has been suffering from some sort of epidemic the last few years, and many of Dasioe have contracted the illness from visiting their homeworld. Fever, headaches, nausea, vomiting, shivering, aches, exhaustion are all reported symptoms. Thanks to the Dasioe’s suits, the illness won’t spread to the passengers, but they will not let anyone inside of their homes to avoid risking exposure.

Lab Supports and other personnel who research the illness either through the Institute or by convincing the Dasioe to examine them (external scans only as they’re not taking off the suits) will find that it’s caused by some sort of toxin rather than an actual disease. Long time passengers could notice that the toxins present have similarities to some of the toxins encountered last spring, despite the Dasioe insisting that their homeworld was never terraformed. Medicine can be synthesized by Lab Supports (effectiveness varies based on if lab has medical lab upgrade and/or they’ve taken time to accommodate the Dasioe’s different biology) and distributed, but the source of the problem continues to remain a mystery.

EMPLOYMENT
There are plenty of job opportunities in Siourew, and anyone who wants to work will find many options. Cities and towns always need people to help: construction, maintenance, general handiwork... the options are many, and they pay a modest amount. Those looking for something more engaging or challenging might try their hand at security, or lending a hand to local law enforcement. Payment might not be as reliable for these, but it certainly has the potential to be higher.

Willing to put your ship's shuttle to work? There is always someone in need of cargo transportation in this system! Not only do deliveries need to be made between cities in the ring, but other companies or industries will pay very well for anyone willing to run supplies, materials, goods, or mined resources between facilities on the planet's surface and the ring. More adventurous pilots can take on transport jobs to the other planets in the system, but not only will they take longer, they may also be more risky... But feel free to weigh the risks and rewards for yourself!

The underwater cities need help just as much as the cities on land - and if underwater construction, maintenance, or handiwork doesn't seem like your kind of job, there are other options. Boats regularly run between the underwater cities and various docks on the surface, and those boats always need good crew members!

There is also the case of this mysterious illness to consider... Those with lab support augments are able to help synthesize the medicine they need - or a more potent form, if they've upgraded to a medical lab support specialization - and delivering that medicine to them will absolutely win you their gratitude, as well as a reasonable amount of credits!

RECREATION
If you're a nature person, then this is the system for you! With Siourew's sprawling fields and beautiful meadows, it's the perfect place to literally go frolicking through wide open spaces. Do you enjoy camping? There are campgrounds set aside for beginners or casual campers, but if you'd prefer to seriously rough it out there in the wilderness, then you can absolutely find somewhere to settle down for a while.

Feel like hunting some of the local wildlife? Well, the denizens of Siourew would prefer that hunting be done for food and use rather than for sport, but they are also willing to pay you for any part of the animal you won't use.

The mountains are perfect for hiking, rock climbing, and other on-edge adventures. Pick a trail and go see the sights! Maybe you'd like to go at night, just to get a perfectly unspoiled view of the stars in the sky and the planet at the ring's center! The possibilities are endless. Are you more of a cabin bunny than a hiker? There are small lodges here and there that offer hospitality for hikers and tourists, so check them out if you want to take a load off.

The water here is kept clean thanks to the Co'kal's stellar engineering, so you know it's safe to go for a swim! Want to rent a boat and go rowing or sailing? Knock yourself out! Again, keep in mind that the locals aren't built like humanoids, and so some of the rented equipment might be a little bit tricky to use - but if you know what you're doing, certainly that won't stop you, right?


And The Glitches Continue.
As the month goes on, the glitches that started during the drift week only seem seem to get worse. Now it no longer seems to matter if your ship activated a device or not, the glitches start to occur throughout the entire fleet. Not only that, but they start to last longer, many become more severe in nature, and more variety of glitches are now appearing.

Passengers may have any number of glitches while the fleet in in this system, each one lasting anywhere from a couple days to a week. The available glitch types are as followed:

→ Mood boost
Passenger find themselves more gregarious, able to find greater pleasure in things, inexplicably happy, content. Positivity and optimism increases. Their behavior and base personality themselves aren't necessarily compelled to change, but their internal mood does.

→ Mood drain
The passenger finds themselves influenced much more easily by rage, sadness, fear, paranoia, competitiveness, etc. They may also find themselves bothered by these emotions when they normally wouldn't be. Their behavior and base personality themselves aren't necessarily compelled to change, but their internal mood does.

→ Lethargy
The passenger finds their energy greatly drained. They may find themselves compelled to sleep or lounge around all day. They may find that even simple tasks take far more energy than they are compelled to exert. Their behavior and base personalities themselves aren’t necessarily compelled to change, but energy level does.

→ Hyperactivity
The passenger finds themselves overflowing with physical and mental energy. Sleep is all but impossible, and even resting still is uncomfortable. They will be driven to find ways to expend energy, and boredom will feel crushing.Their behavior and base personalities themselves aren’t necessarily compelled to change, but energy level does.

→ Pheromones
The passenger themselves notices absolutely nothing different about themselves, and their mood and behavior remains exactly the same. However, they are now emitting pheromones that can make them much more attractive to any other creature in the fleet. They may seem more physically or intellectually interesting to others, and take on a magnetic allure to others around them. Others find the victim to be much more tolerable, and may find themselves wanting to spend much more time with them. Those that might have felt a little physically attracted to them before, are likely moreso now. Whether or not they like it, the victim is now now popular and fascinating to all around them. ...Also, why does this also work over the comm? We just don't know.

→ Compulsions
The passenger's personality and mood remains much the same... but their impulse control is greatly reduced, and they find themselves easily caught in various compulsions. It becomes difficult to keep their thoughts to themselves, and lying becomes all but impossible. They may find themselves inexplicably talkative, whether or not they actually have anything to say. They may be the first to volunteer themselves for things, act out without thinking, shoving themselves forward with seeming bravery, whether they want to or not. They can try and hide themselves away, but might find themselves opening the door and wandering again shortly thereafter.

→ Mood Gravity
The passenger’s personality and mood remains the same, but their mood influences how well gravity works around them. A passenger who keeps thinking happy thoughts might start floating or have objects around them start floating. Alternatively, unhappy thoughts might cause them to start sinking to the ground or have objects around them gain more weight.

→ Powers Malfunction
The passenger’s personality and mood remains the same, but any special abilities they have start acting awry in unpredictable ways. A shapeshifter might keep shifting into different animals mid-conversation. A water mage might flood their flood their kitchen by mistake. A telepath might send a telepathic message to people that’s just a song stuck in their head. The passenger will find they have little to no control of when and how their powers will manifest.

→ Upgrade Boost
If a passenger has purchased a personal augment upgrade, they might find it inexplicably much more powerful than before. A passenger with a Lull upgrade might cause an entire crowd to fall asleep. A passenger with a Fire upgrade might try to warm some tea, only to set off a hand blowtorch. Or a passenger with a Strength upgrade might suddenly have super strength. These boost in power can be consistent or only occur at random intervals. The only upgrades not affected by this glitch are the Aging Upgrade, the Memory Erasure, and the Specialization Upgrades.

→ Hallucinations
The passenger’s personality and mood remains the same, but they may begin to see or hear things that aren’t actually there. They may see people they know back in their world, reminding them of something in their past. They might see the entire area around them turn into a giant version of Candyland or swear they can hear the bushes singing. None of these hallucinations can physically harm a passenger beyond what physical harm might come from the passengers’ reactions, nor can the hallucinations share any canon information that the passenger would have no way of knowing themselves.

Passengers may experience any number of glitches during their stay. They may also be influenced by more than one glitch at a time. For example, a passenger may have random bursts of Hyperactivity, and then crashes hard with a burst of Lethargy -- all while having Hallucinations about giant friendly mushrooms. Players can mix-and-match as they please. Our only request is that if a particular glitch could cause widespread damage or severe injury (basically if it’ll blow up more than an empty building), please check with the mods first.

Please note that all glitches are entirely optional. If you prefer your character not be affected by a glitch, they can remain glitch free as they worry about or laugh at their fellow crewmates as they please.

----

This is the main event of the month! We will be posting a mingle for the month, but there are no other events planned until the conclusion of this system, when there will be another update regarding the devices. In the meantime the time is yours to explore the system and/or play around with glitches.

And as always, if you have any questions you can ask in the QUESTIONS section in the comments!

Comments

QUESTIONS

[spaceshipit]

Got a question about anything above? Ask them here!

[namisan]

If you suffer the augment glitch where powers go awry, if those powers normally have a cost to use would that cost still be in place?

i.e. Katie uses glamour to power her magic and she has a finite source of it, so...

[continuousgroaning]

would one of the Co'kal let Tina ride on their back

I ask the important questions, truly.

[passingthrough]

Books
You mention that they have a lot of books at the institute. I'm wondering if they have copies you can buy? If not there maybe in shops? Especially thinking of maybe getting a bunch to help stock the Iskaulit library for all the science nerds.

Lodging
I see there are small cabins available. In the context they sounded like maybe just a step up from camping. Did I read too much into that? Is there any nice lodging available? Maybe something appropriate for a Valentine's Day suite? Also, would it be designed for humanoids or the Co’kal and if the Co’kal then what sorts of differences should they expect other than larger areas and no stairs?

Tech
Since they have all kinds of technological advances are there any small, different sort of tech things you can buy or trade for here? I'd kind of like to know what's available but I understand you can't just list an entire culture's tech either. Are there any themes or examples? Would they maybe have something special for crafting or embellishing fabrics?

Re: QUESTIONS

[touchallthebooks]

Can Khadgar buy fabric? For reasons.

[spaceshipit]

It could be played either way! The glamour could be used up during the augment glitch, or the augment glitch could supply a surplus of energy that would negate the cost of the powers while the augment glitch is happening. Basically, whichever way you feel would be more fun to play, go for it!

[spaceshipit]

Short answer, probably not no.

Longer answer, the average Co'kal would find a human wanting to ride on their back to be a pretty offensive question. It'd not be unlike walking up to a human you don't know and asking for a piggyback ride. It's seen as undignified and inappropriate. If she spent a lot of time fostering friendships with the Co'kal maybe one would let her, but it's unlikely she'd have enough time to do that in three weeks.

Of course, if she was crazy dead set on it and were to look hard enough, she'd could possibly find some..."wish fulfillment services" where she could pay to ride on one's back. These can be found usually in shadier areas or in back alley ways. However since she's 13, she'd definitely be required to have an adult from the fleet go with her to visit one of these places, and they'd have to make it very clear that Tina is there only to ride on a Co'kal's back - they aren't looking to break any intergalactic laws here. Once that's all made clear, they'd be happy to help the young girl live her dream because hey that's adorable!

So basically, it's a no unless she's really, really determined.

[continuousgroaning]

♥ This was a surprisingly detailed answer, and thanks for giving it! So she'll just admire the cute potoo horses from a distance, then.

[spaceshipit]

Books can be bought at the Institute and shops with credits, yep! Most of these books are scientific and engineered based, though you can also find some history books that revolve around the construction of the ring, and the politics here. Nothing too thrilling happened in their history and it tends to be written in a dry academic tone, but it's not a total snooze either for those interested in history and culture.

If you're more into fiction, there is a popular series among the Co'kal call The Call of the Aweri (a type of songbird on the Ring) about a young Co'kal who falls in love with a were-Zubron and all their struggles, all while they dream of becoming a ring renown engineer. It isn't terrible, but tends to go off onto long tangents about engineering logistics that can sometimes last an entire chapter.

Lodging in regards to cabins are a step up from camping in a tent. Think of those cabins offered at KOAs or similar campgrounds. They aren't extremely fancy, but they could certainly find one that could be used as a romantic getaway with amenities met (water, electricity, a small kitchen, indoor bathroom). On the other end of the spectrum if they wanted to rough it out, they could also find places that are so basic it's nothing but a single room and a cot.

As for human vs. Co'kal amenities, there are humanoid-made places available since they do get a good number of human travelers, but they'd probably have to specifically request to get those and they may not be available everywhere. If they don't, they will have to deal with such changes as very low beds, no pillows (Co'kal sleep sitting up), any complimentary shampoo would be for feathers and not hair, and the bathroom would have a very alien looking toilet and tub. So basically for the sake of your bathroom needs, request a human-catered facility.

Tech will be answered shortly once we talk some things out! I hope this helps though!

[spaceshipit]

He can! There's no silk, but there are rougher fabrics made of wool and of course cotton. The Co'kal prefer vivid colors that stand out against their naturally gray plumage. They're surprisingly adept weavers who often weave intricate patterns into their fabric.

[stoccado]

Regarding the Dasioe sickness, would healing spells/magic be of effect, or is it just lab created treatment?

[dancingmd]

Would there be any possibility of song birds available to adopt?

[spaceshipit]

That depends! The sickness comes from a toxin, so if she has any healing spells that could remove or negate toxins and/or poisons, then it would have an effect! If not, the most the healing spell could do is help alleviate some of the pain.

[spaceshipit]

And we're back!

Tech: There's a wide variety of technology at the Co'kal's disposal. Most of it is irrelevant to the fleet, as it's either much too expensive to purchase, or it's just not compatible with fleet ships technology. However, there are a few things they might find of use. One such thing is technology to enhance plant growth in a spaceship (better growbeds, watering systems, fertilizer, etc). Investing in some of these things might help yield a better crop if your ship grows its own food. Thanks to the Dasioe, you might find a lot of stuff that's meant to help waterproof stuff. There won't be much in the way of flashy tech, but it'll be practical.

As for crafting and embellishing fabrics, there is a market for wool and cottons among the Co'kal. They love vivid colors for their fabrics, so you can find a lot of fabrics and dyes of many different colors. As for embellishments, you'll find plenty of that too- a lot of it very shiny, thanks to the Dasioe traders.

[spacebro]

Thank you!

[spaceshipit]

Not really I'm afraid! Most of the birds on Siourew are wild animals and not at all domesticated. There are a few Co'kal that keep them as pets, but they aren't really all that common.

Aside from that, being the nature-conscious people they are, the Co'kal have a lot of rules and regulations against letting travelers take live animals off the ring. If asked, they'll explain it's because they can't guarantee the animal won't get loose and harm another planet's ecosystem, and they'd rather avoid that if possible.

A passenger could try to sneak an animal off world if they're really determined, but they're risking being charged hefty fines if they're caught.

[namisan]

Excellent, thanks!

Also more mundanely: is it possible to buy alcohol in bulk here for bar-related purposes?

[dancingmd]

Ah, no, Misty wouldn't kidnap any wild animals! Thanks for answering though!

[spaceshipit]

It is! Most of the alcohol available is extremely strong, as it's meant to inebriate something the size of a horse. But there's more than enough to go around.

[namisan]

Best news. Thanks!

Re: QUESTIONS

[tallasaking]

O hai. What can Tyrion find out from the delightful yokels about the device that was covering their signal and who might have built it?

[spaceshipit]

Not much! If they are shown the device, they will be able to tell that it's not technology made by their people, nor is the design very familiar to them. They will be able to tell that it's some sort of bugging device meant to feed back information to the source, but they don't know anything that the fleet can't already figure out for themselves.

Re: QUESTIONS

[expellerhead]

YES question would aizawa be able to get his speciality weapon* replicated if he leveraged like his smartphone as payment

*specialty weapon is a lllllloooong white ribbon-ish thing of reinforced carbon woven fibers he uses for restraint and capture

[spaceshipit]

Probably not, unfortunately! The Co'kal aren't don't have any experience in making weapons like that, so for them replicating it would take more time than the fleet is staying in the system.

However, we are thinking of doing a plot that would involve getting items from home within the next few months, so be sure to check back later. :')

[expellerhead]

OKAYYYY o/ thank you kindly for the prompt answer :) i kinda want him to keep his phone anyway so this is good

[nugqueen]

YAY FINDING THE BOOK ANSWER BEFORE I COULD ASK QUESTIONS ty mods

[stefanged]

Hey, mods! Would it be possible for Stefan to acquire any new plants this system (ie, would they be affordable / within purchasing power / can he forage for seeds and take them to the greenhouse)?

If so, could one of those plants be vervain, an herb that TVD-verse vampires are weak to? Or would I have to wait for an event since that's specifically a planet from his world?

[spaceshipit]

Yes and no! Since the ring was based purely off of the ecology of the Co'kal homeworld, there wouldn't be any Vervain or any plant species that someone would find on any of the Earths. Many of the plants may look somewhat similar (like grass and tree shaped stuff) - but none of the species are close at all in taste or special properties. For that, he'd probably have to wait for an item-regain plot, or maybe one of the forested singing planets.

But Stefan can still certainly acquire new plants in this system! There's lots of greenery and farms on the rings and plenty of Co'kal won't object to Stefan taking or buying some (though if he bought it, he may be given a pamphlet warning him not to plant it on another world as to avoid invasive species). Most of the plants are prairie based - alien grasses, vegetables, fruits, and many many many types of seeds. The Co'kals are birds and thus really love their seeds. In fact while they also selectively bred and engineered crops like humans did, they did it with the intention of adding MORE seeds instead of less. So while much of their agriculture is perfectly edible for humans (about 80% of it)- watch out for seeds.

[stefanged]

Got it! Thank you so much for such a detailed answer - roasted seed snacks, here he comes :D

[stabsbothways]

Can isabela find some Deathroot in the greenhouse? When properly distilled it's a potent incapacitating poison.

[spaceshipit]

As mentioned with this question, unfortunately there are no plants that the characters would be familiar with on this ring, so that would be a no.

She can try asking around about poisonous plants, but locals might be wary to answer that question to a stranger.

[stabsbothways]

Thank you!