Name: Ci’Zue

Habitable: Only with severe heat-, sandstorm- and powerful radiation protection, toxic atmosphere..

Size: Four times as small as earth, radius of 1594.5 kilometer (appears to be twice as small earth due to its enormous atmosphere)

Atmosphere: Three times as thick as on earth, 3000 kilometers thick

Air formula: 60% CO | 15% O2 | 25% N

Duration of one day: 7242 earth years;

The desert has an area with a day only zone;

The jungle has an area with a night only zone.

Duration of one year: 106 earth days

Temperature: It is around 60-80° C during the day and 20-40° C during the night;

In the twilight zones the temperature does not reach above 45° C.

0,001% Undead S’ine;

0,999% S’ine;

24% Various of sand creatures and Sand birds;

25% Scorpions (known as Xc’arr);

50% Undead jackal soldiers (known as Xc’ine).

90% Flesh eating albino plants;

10% Semi-flesh eating brown leaved plants (twilight zone only).

Capital City: Za'k-Uhm

Landmark: Binary pyramid compound of La'a. Including: two pyramids, two temples and a castle fortification

Government: Semi rotating Clergy and three rotating monarchies 

Location: Outer worlds, Asteroid belt of Zue, near the binary stars of Ci:  340,5° 70 000 ly

The common used technology of the S’ine population is simple. They live in a similar way the ancient Egyptians lived, without advanced technology. A small group of the S`ine population are born with a gift to use the radiated sand as energy source. They developed advanced technology with minimum internal designs to be used by all S’ine who work for their government; because their technology is so simple it can last through hundreds, if not thousands, of years of intensive usage if being used and cared for appropriately, and of course not being destroyed on purpose. The preferred material in their technology is a combination of a rare sub variant of Titanium, known as Tridanium, and Rhodium. They discovered that this alloy makes their tools completely corrosion resistant to deal with common weathering of usage in the desert. Their alloy, also known as we'ixx, does not offer more protection against normal damage than other more commonly used alloys. Tridanium is only found on the planet of Ci’Zue, and very, very difficult to dig up. Because of this, most of their population does not use advanced technology.

They have interstellar ships capable of warping and cloaking. Their ships are fully resistant for friction in atmospheres and interstellar clouds. S’ine have advanced three dimensional holograms, very advanced displays, and several unique and complex building mechanisms rarely seen outside their planet. The culture seen on Ci'Zue does not have vehicles or mounts and everything is done by foot and physical labor. Because of that they own a lot of slaves.

All advanced technology they have are based on radiated sand, commonly known as O'cin, instead of electricity, electricity is unknown as energy source for the S'ine. Because their culture is heavily dependent on sand priests to fight their battles, most objects are sand themed and heavily rooted in their religion and laws. Their technology is utterly difficult to fuel while off their home planet. Because of this the S’ine developed one of the most advanced methods of collecting radiated star dust from interstellar clouds in the known Galaxy, to use as alternative resource. This makes their ships effective and independent enough for deep space travels but ineffective for quick maneuvering and combat. Fueling on the surface of alien planets is near impossible when they run out of radiated sand.

For combat, swords, weighted whips and daggers are the most commonly used weapons of preference. High ranked officials of the government may carry a set of high caliber plasma handguns. Only priests are licensed to carry a curved S’ine Athame. Non priest owning an Athame are executed on sight.

History: Cultural origin of the planet

The S’ine are humanoid beings who have adapted their bodies to both the desert and jungle over millions of years. Their religion is based on their binary stars. They believe that it are their gods, C'ara-tok and C'are-dar are the binary stars holding their world together. Their history began, according to folklore belief, when their elder god C’ara-tok created the planet Ci’Zue with his own blood. He wanted to have a planet as his ultimate legacy. His sister, C’are-dar was furious because she wanted to be the creator of the planet, and in her rage she turned the bloody world into stone. The guardian of time, C’rak-un, former husband of C’are-dar, discovered a fornication with the god of death, C’rak-Go, and decided to join forces with C’ara-tok. The guardian allowed the petrified blood to wear out into the form of sand, creating the first grains of the dessert.

When the C’are-dar figured out that the blood of C’ara-tok was used to further enhance his planet, she was driven by anger to submerge the desert and bended the jungle rivers towards it. After a long battle that lasted 10 000 years, the oasis of P’dil was formed during a stalemate.

The oasis eventually became a sign to symbolize the new arranged love between C’ara-tok and C’are-dar. Subsequently the deity of fate, C’rak-uel, blessed the oasis with the ability to create life. And so the first creatures began to evolve on the planet of Ci’Zue. C’rak-un was furious for the betrayal of peace and created the first scorpions, Xc’arr, to destroy all life. As response the two elder gods created the first S’ine, who were given the task to protect the oasis with their lives against the scorpions, the Xc’arr. The three eldest of families were given the noble title of prince/princess, and the noble function-title of King/Queen to their eldest family head.

Eventually C’rak-un was captured, decapitated and mummified in pieces for his betrayal. His remains were stored in a pyramid far in the southern jungle, the La’ir. The power of time was no longer under control of a god and therefore was magically merged with the biggest thing available that could contain its power, the sand, to stabilize the world’s imbalance as an emergency option; the direct but unwanted result was the creation of undead jackals since the magic was now materialized. For some time the jackals would live besides the S’ine, till the world and oasis were threatened by scorpions, the Xc’arr, who were rapidly breeding in the jungle. The S’ine allowed the jackals a shelter in their cities but upon a holy request from the gods they were enslaved by the S’ine with the powerful divine relic scepter of life, the eon-turux, which was given to them. The high priest casted a spell upon the jackals, binding them back into the sand itself so that the full control over the planet`s balance would return to normal.

In the name of the gods, a binary pyramid was constructed, the La’a, with a castle complex in-between, were created on top of the oasis for protective fortification and resting place of the rod that contained the power of time and jackals. The oasis eventually became a legend, and legend became myth. The pyramids turned into a place where the gods were worshiped, and later became the base of power for the three existing royal monarchies on the planet Ci’Zue.

Because of the huge importance that was given to the constructions. The whole civilization of the S’ine was now based around their binary pyramids. This went on till a civil war came, known as the great happening, or pila’p-an, broke out. Eventually piece was established and the control and ownership of the two pyramids of Ci were given to the clergy instead of the monarchy. The pyramids became secluded to protect the holy staff and its secrets. A decision was made to organize a special game every morning to ask forgiveness to the gods for no longer allowing non clerical people in the pyramids. The pyramids became the seat of religion instead of protection of the oasis and all their history and secrets were stored in a library deep below the two Pyramids, who also stand in connection with each other.

The Pyramids palace is controlled for a period of one day and one night. Massive battles occur ones every morning, every 7242 earth years, in the early dawn, to gain control of the pyramids palace for the next day. The three powerful families battle each other through the battle game of dawn, also known as the ta’e. This is the most popular and sacred festival for the S’ine. In order to participate the families are in need of highly praised priests who have learned how to manipulate the sand, through sacrificing their own life-force, by creating and manipulating sand jackals. At the end of the battle one family is pushed into exile and being entombed alive with their priests into a special crypt. The only exception to this rule is the high priest who held a static position as rod keeper. He is not allowed to take, touch or use the staff, except during the festival of dawn. The power of the rod must be passed over physically, for else it looses its abilities, without enough power the rod cannot be handled. When the staff is picked up it will only obey the commands of its keeper, the staff is property to the clergy as a whole though they are in turn subject to the high priest. The high priest can use the rod to summon the armies of undead jackals; this is therefore the formal opening of the festival, so that other priest can take them into battle. The last known ceremonial war took place in -4579, and the next one will take place in 2663. During the dawn the previous exiled family and their priests were reincarnated and brought, along with the other two families, to the sacred battle grounds to determine who receives which pyramid temple for the next day, and who is forced into exile to ensure balance…

The first contact was established in 2563 upon a warp accident. Since that day they have taken up a neutral position towards the other systems. Since no alien has ever witnessed the games of dawn, it is in commonly assumed by many that it is folklore. But as you know by now... the desert holds many secrets…

Description: Planet and customs

First and foremost noticeable is the asteroid belt. It is very dense and makes nearby warping impossible. It takes up to 5 days of fast traveling to get through the asteroid belt before it is safe enough to warp. There are so many asteroids that the planet is barely visible from afar. This resulted in its late discovery.

The planet itself is covered in sand. Its whole core is build out of solid sandstone. It contains massive desserts, enormous mountains, canyons and fast jungles. The whole upper part of the planet is desert like, holding almost no water and yet giving room to continental class sandstorms. That is possible since the binary stars shine straight through the atmosphere onto the surface, creating huge temperature pressure and thus wind. The thick atmosphere of unknown composition keeps warmth inside till certain degree. The lower half barely receives light and is put into twilight during the day. The warm shady conditions are perfect for the tropical jungles that can be found there. Because of the prolonged time without light, the plants are carnivorous to obtain missing nutrients, and without having enough chloroplasts to produce sugar they have white leaves. Mostly scorpion-like creatures live in the jungle and are often eaten by the plants… It is said a third pyramid exists in the jungle to honor the god of time, but no one has ever seen it, or lived long enough to tell it.

The government consists out of the clergy and three powerful families:  Bo’u’ine, Gol’u’ine and the Nau’ine. During each day only two may rule society from within the Temple palace of La’a-te. The pyramids themselves, La’a, are only accessible for the clergy. The rule of the priests is absolute law within the pyramids, outside the pyramids the monarchies rule supreme. To maintain order they have a highly trained taskforce of servants, known as the U’oxxs, to keep people loyal. This was needed since most of the S’ine population is slave. (Almost 70%) During wartime, and normally only during wartime, the priests are allowed to leave the pyramids and gather on the battlegrounds of Dawn, the ta’e-ta, to command their armies of jackals. These jackals are cast with the staff, or the eon’turux, by the high priest to participate under command of the clergy in combat. The high priest is allowed to leave the pyramids at will as he serves as the messenger between the nobility and the clergy. This was done to protect the general clergy against assassinations, for the high priest is essential in the war festival, for he is the wielder of the staff, killing him would cause a civil war and position loss of the nobility.

They know only one punishment, which is even given to minor crimes, is being decapitated and fed to sand worms. Upon natural death, everyone is mummified. Slaves are always mass-executed and mass-mummified to be then put into a mass-graveyard upon reaching the earth age of 40, which happens ones every earth year during the great clean-up. This is celebrated as the festival of the forgotten, the ta’ti-ce. Royalty and priests are never executed and always properly mummified, even if confessed or being found guilty to crime. Being mummified alive is considered the greatest honor possible, and may be granted only to noble families and priests upon request after having earned grand victories and prosperity for their people, so that they can die on their climax point in life to be remembered for their greatest deeds and valor.

Ones every 50 earth years, each noble and royal family send one relative for live-mummification into the pyramid crypts to ask their gods for forgiveness due to not being allowed to enter the pyramids. This is the price they have to pay. The common folk does the same, but they use mass graves outside their capital city, known as Za'k-Uhm. It is said that the desert contains countless of bodies and people believe that the noble crypts, the royal crypts and the clerical crypts are a hundreds of kilometers long maze, fiercely guarded by special priests that never see the daylight.