76 Laniva D

76 Laniva D — also called Dee or, more commonly, Hourglass—is a high-gravity desert world and the third planet in the 76 Laniva system.
==Surface==
The surface of Hourglass consists primarily of a cool, arid desert with rocky outcroppings. The daytime temperature rarely exceeds 70°F (~21.1°C), and nights commonly dip below freezing. Most of the planet's water is locked at or below the aquiclude and is occasionally seen as isolated pools in low areas. The planet also hosts many cave networks.
==Rotational velocity==
The planet has an astounding 60 minute day/night cycle, meaning it rotates at about 24,000mph at the equator—nearly the escape velocity of Earth. This is due to an ancient collision with another large cosmic body that sped its rotation greatly. As the planet is roughly twice the size of Earth and has a dense, heavy interior, its mass keeps it from spinning itself apart. An individual standing on the surface would actually feel lighter than usual and be able to see the sun or stars slowly moving across the sky.
==Wildlife==
What has been described as "nightmarish alien horrors" emerge from the caverns at night, causing the cool nocturnal landscape to be dotted with countless creatures roaming around in search of food or mates. Most of Hourglass' wildlife is extremely intolerant of sunlight and readily combusts at sunrise.
===Flashwalkers===
A few of the species of fauna, such as the flashwalker, have a reproductive mechanism that can also act as a defense mechanism: they explode with the force of a grenade. This explosion casts eggs in various directions and can be incited by simply getting close to one of the creatures. Oddly enough, flashwalkers tend to pursue any perceived threats and explode upon proximity. Scientists believe that this is to reduce the organic target to a suitable host (i.e. a gooey pulp) for the flashwalkers' parasitic young to carry out their short growth phase into adults.
==OOC==
76 Laniva D was inspired heavily by Minecraft.
Category:Planets
Category:Desert planets
Category:High-gravity planets