Verran

Verran is the home world of the Verrantin and Kwee peoples of the Skelow Trade Federation. It is the second planet orbiting the star Verosa, and the only world in the star system capable of hosting liquid water. Verran's orbit is similar to that of Venus around Sol, and it has a thick atmosphere constantly fed by volcanic activity, which sprays particulates into the higher stratosphere and protects the planet from both radiation and too much solar heating. Through consistent geoengineering, the Verrantin and Kwee have worked to monitor and even control this effect in order to best protect their world, as well as to control rainfall patterns and temperature on the surface.

Verran is a stormy, wet world enshrouded in clouds and haze, which make the appearance of their apricot-colored star Verosa appear golden and rosy from the planet's surface. Vegetation is thick and competes fiercely for sunlight, creating tall forests and trees covered in creeping vines. The dominant family of trees on this world are akin to Earth's redwoods and other giant conifers, and they are truly enormous in both girth and height; in the distant past, the Verrantin and Kwee used these trees as the basis for large, tree-dwelling societies far off the ground, where they would plant hanging gardens to capture the sunlight and avoid the damp, sometimes flooding ground of the dark forest below. This tendency developed into an advanced knowledge of hanging or "basket" agriculture, and in the modern era the beautiful hanging gardens and extensive vertical hydroponic developments of the Verrantin and Kwee are considered wonders to behold.

As a highly volcanic world, Verran is both lovely and dangerous, and the Verrantin and Kwee have developed a deep knowledge of geoengineering in order to get a handle on the situation. While they have always kept settlements at a distance from erupting volcanoes, they have also long dug deep lava channels to control the movement of hot lava and its precious nutrient components, protecting the roots and bases of their trees while also harvesting the volcanoes as resources. They have even altered and evolved Skelow nanite technologies to use them in their planet's largest, oldest, and most precious giant trees, monitoring them for water and nutrient needs, as well as extending the trees' already considerable lifespans.

Modern Verrantin and Kwee settlements still show the tendencies of their old tree-dwelling societies--they still build their bases far off the ground, building extensive basal supports using both the surface below and the trees around them, and they always build around and with the giant trees as opposed to competing with or clearing them in any way. These constructions are highly vertical and interconnected, with a strongly organic appearance, built in between and sometimes supporting the trees themselves. The upper reaches are usually transparent, allowing light to flow into and through the structures, in order to grow produce and avoid shading any nearby trees.

With its volcanic activity, hanging gardens, giant trees, and extensive "floating cities" in the treetops, Verran is a popular site of tourism in the STF. For Verrantin and Kwee raised on Compact worlds especially, Verran has preserved ancient heritage sites and built old-fashioned tree cities where visitors can stay in the old fashion. Some of these sites are more akin to resorts than to their ancient forebears, and these are popular fantasy destinations for Skelow and other vacationing species.