Kodu

Kodu is a temperate Earth-Like moon that orbits a sun like star named Tahti A, which is part of a binary system, located in the Scutum-Centaurus arm of the Milky Way. Its smaller size, lower gravity, and tropical temperatures make it a haven for life, overrun by 25 million different species of alien flora, fauna, and animals which inhabit every corner of the moon. Kodu orbits a gas giant, slightly larger than Jupiter, completing one orbit every day and a half. It is one of 98 moons orbiting the planet, and the largest of the three main moons orbiting Aiti. Kodu is also the largest of any moon in its star system. Not only is it flourishing with life, but it is home to some of the most beautiful landscapes, lakes, beaches, jungles, and mountains in the galaxy, and has been given an ESI rating of 89%.

## Kodu

An exotic moon in the far reaches of the Milky Way.

## Surface Conditions

### Atmosphere

* N2 77.3%
* O2 17.5%
* H20 4.73%

## Additional Information

### Life

Organic multicellular (marine, terrestrial)

## Moon Information

Kodu is a moon of Aiti, one of 3 large moons to retain an atmosphere, weather, and habitable temperatures. Despite being a moon, Kodu still has a proper day/night cycle lasting around 29h 37m and 48s, which is also the same amount of time the world takes to orbit Aiti, making it tidally locked to Aiti. Kodu orbits Aiti at its equator, and due to the very small inclination of only 1.04 degrees, Kodu's barely has seasons, with temperatures staying the same all year around. The moon is the largest of the 3, with a mass of only 0.3x Earth's mass. Despite its much smaller mass, Kodu is able to retain a powerful magnetic field, caused by the moon's large liquid iron core, constantly turning and churning, generating this powerful magnetosphere. Even though all three large moons have a magnetic field, Kodu's is the largest and most powerful. Kodu is the largest moon of Aiti's 3, with a diameter of 8599.73 km, only around 0.67x Earth's diameter. The small size and small mass make for weaker gravitational force on the surface, being 0.7g, or 70% Earth gravity. The weaker gravity allows for some very interesting atmospheric and geographical anomalies on the moon. Kodu's atmosphere is much heavier than our own planet's atmosphere, having a total mass of 5.1x the Earth. Respectively, the higher mass also means a higher surface pressure of around 7.9 bar. This atmospheric pressure would be hard for humans to live in, but the creatures and species that live here have adapted to the high pressure. Although Kodu has a high pressure, it has a very similar composition in chemicals, with the atmosphere being composed of 77% N2, 17.5% O2, 0.41% CO2, 558 ppm of SO2, 1.39 ppm of Neon, 0.296 ppm of Argon, 0.233 ppm of Krypton, 0.0233 ppm of CO, and trace amounts of other gases. Due to the amount of SO2 and CO2 in the atmosphere, unfortunately, this would make Kodu's atmosphere unbreathable to humans, as it would be too toxic. The creatures here, however, have adapted to be able to use those gases in their biological cycles, making them unbothered by the other elements.

## History

* ~8.5 billion years ago: Kodu forms from an accretion disk around a young Aiti, forming alongside Aavikko and Vaeltaa.
* ~8 billion years ago: Kodu forms its atmosphere, composing of around 70% CO2 and 29% Nitrogen.
* ~7.8 billion years ago: Kodu is struck by icy and salt crystalline asteroids and comets, resulting in water vapor becoming trapped in the atmosphere due to Kodu's still smoldering temperatures.
* ~7.3 billion years ago: Kodu cools to levels where liquid water is able to sustain on its surface, resulting in global storms that form a plethora of lakes and soon the oceans.
* ~6.2 billion years ago: The temperatures stabilize throughout most of the world, at around 25 C°, the hottest being towards the equator and coolest towards the poles.
* ~5.1 billion years ago: small unicellular organisms and bacteria begin to inhabit Kodu's oceans, taking CO2 from the atmosphere and turning it into oxygen.
* ~4.4 billion years ago: Kodu's atmosphere is now at around 34% oxygen, with almost all of the CO2 being gone, the moon forms an ozone layer and organisms evolve into more complex ones, capable of asexual reproduction.
* ~3.5 billion years ago: first multicellular organisms, fish and crustaceans in Kodu's oceans.
* ~2.9 billion years ago: organisms begin to inhabit the land, causing an explosion of fauna and flora all over the world, known as the "Faunian explosion".
* ~1.8 billion years ago: Oxygen levels stabilize at around 17% of the atmospheric composition, with the rest being 77% nitrogen and trace amounts of other chemicals and elements.
* ~1.2 billion years ago: First mammals and other animals migrate around the world, away from the equator and create new species, increasing the number of species already present on the moon.
* ~400 million years ago: sudden volcanic activity era wipes out 85% of species on Kodu, but the survivors slowly recover the populations.
* ~150 million years ago: Kodu is a thriving ecosystem with life blooming all over the moon, new species constantly spreading.
* ~22 million years ago: Global periodic ice age lasting for around 1000 years, kills off 47% of all species but they eventually recover.
* ~20,000 years ago: Earliest ancestors of Kodans pre-dated.
* Today: Kodu is a moon bursting with life on every corner of the world, home to over 25 million different species, and also home to an intelligent primitive civilization.

## Climate & Geography

The climate on Kodu varies widely depending on the latitude and longitude of where you are, for instance, around the equator, the temperature stays at around 28 C° year-round. However, moving north or south results in cooler temperatures, around the poles the average temperature stays at around 2-3 C°, but has been known to drop lower. The climate also varies on the altitude of the landscape. Some points on Kodu can be kilometers above sea level, for example the average landscape height across the moon is around 2 km above sea level, so the average temperature is around 16 C°. Desert areas of Kodu however can reach blistering temperatures, with temperatures reaching upwards of 42 C°. The temperatures effect the way of life across the world, and animals that live in these areas have all adapted to their environments, leaving no part of the moon uninhabited by any creatures. Kodu's tropical and lush equator hosts some of the most vibrant rainforests on the moon, along with peaking hills and mountains also covered by these lush rainforests. Kodu's deserts are home to large sand dunes and plenty of desert species that have evolved to their respective environment, the deserts also have oases and other wet areas since the deserts see little rain. Kodu's poles have cooler temperatures, though it rarely gets below freezing, and when it does, little snow accumulates at the poles. Kodu's poles are the largest reservoirs of fresh water on the moon, storing about 80% of Kodu's fresh water. Kodu's tides are caused by Aavikko, since the moon is slightly smaller and orbits Aiti faster, on average the tides rise and fall by about 3 meters per solar day. 80% of all creatures and plants inhabiting Kodu live towards the equator, due to constant temperatures year-round and plenty of food, moisture, and fresh water along with salt water, making the equator a region rich in natural resources. Kodu's ecosystem, climate, and geography make the moon a very diverse and lush place, allowing life to flourish and evolve freely without many obstacles. Kodu's weather also stays relatively intact, although storms and hurricanes can be much worse than Earths due to the increased amount of water vapor in the moon's atmosphere. Along with that Kodu is also home to some of the most beautiful island chains, archipelagoes and volcanic islands.

## Biosphere

### Equatorial/Tropical life

Kodu has an incredibly diverse and wide range of species, plants, animals, marine and aerial life. approximately 80% of all life on the moon inhabits the tropical regions near the equator, where plenty of food and fresh along with salt water is present. Animals and aquatic life near the equators are more colorful, and are also more diverse, needing to adapt to the environment in order to survive. Massive rainforests are present at Kodu's equator, and these lush rainforests provide homes for most of the terrestrial life that live here, due to the moon's low gravity, some species of trees could grow up to 500 meters in height, with some even being over 1 kilometer tall, although most trees did not grow this tall, these kinds of trees were present in the most tropical areas. Birds nest in trees and predators use the cover of the bushes and trees to hunt prey. Fish have adapted colors similar to Kodu's magnificent equatorial reef, which is a massive coral reef spanning nearly the entire equator, in all the shallow areas of the oceans. These reefs provide homes for 87% of the fish that live on Kodu, and also being a great hunting spot for birds and other aerial life, along with terrestrial mammals. The majority of Kodan tribes and small communities also reside in the equator, again due to the diversity and number of natural resources.

### Subpolar life

Animals and fish that live above or below the equator tend to be more similar to one another, especially with color schemes. Another notable thing about life above the equator is that they do not hunt or require as much food as equatorial species, therefore they can go longer without food, but need larger meals when the time comes to eat again. The subpolar regions of Kodu provide great seasonal changes throughout the moons orbit cycle as Aiti orbits Tahti, which does allow life there to adapt and change throughout the Kodan year. These regions are home to dense forests, deserts, mountains and also islands where the ecosystems are balanced and there is not too much disturbance. The Kodans do not prefer these regions to live due to the changing conditions, however, some Kodan tribes prefer to live around the subpolar regions due to the lack of competition and more recourses that can be interchanged between single tribes or communities.

### Polar life

Polar life is completely different than tropical life. Most animals near the poles are herbivores, due to the poles having vast forests with plenty of trees, grass, and also fresh water for creatures to have. Very few predators are present around the poles, but they are large in numbers and can hunt numerous animals at the same time. Species are adapted to the cool/cold temperatures, and often hibernate during cold times to conserve their energy for when it warms up. Bird species and aerial species migrate from these regions to warmer climates during Kodan winters, in order to minimize the reduction of their populations and be able to reproduce for when the weather becomes warmer. Almost no Kodan tribes reside at these regions due to the lack of resources they need to survive, and also the lack of food, but there are some tribes which reside in areas where animals are kept and bred for food and other materials. Again, there are very few polar Kodan tribes or communities.

### Island life

Island life is very similar to tropical life, with most Islands residing near the tropics. Species that live here undergo minimal changes because of the constant ecosystem which usually stays the same. The islands are also the densest places on Kodu in terms of populations, with the lushest jungles and forests being present on Islands. The weather here can cause storms or hurricanes, which may cause some destruction, but species here usually seem to recover quickly. Kodan populations that live on tropical islands tend to be very spiritual, worshiping the ocean, or looking to the stars and naming them after "Gods" or other higher beings. These tribes are the most advanced on the moon, using language and trading with one another. It is hypothesized that they are more advanced due to the closer proximity with other individuals and being able to share more resources with one another. Kodu's islands are some of the most beautiful places on the moon.

### Desert life

Life in Kodu's deserts is sparse but does exist. most species here live around lakes or other small bodies of water and rarely migrate or leave the spot they have been in. Species that live out in the deserts only drink water from seasonal rains that come and have adapted to survive like this. They have almost no predators, but their numbers are low, and usually come to one certain spot to reproduce. The majority of life in the deserts are small reptiles and insects, although some mammal species do live here. No Kodan tribes are known to live in the deserts, due to the temperatures reaching up to 38 degrees Celsius, which is not terrible to them, but they still avoid hot, dry and arid regions. Most desert species are also nocturnal, because the daytime temperatures can be bothersome to their natural processes, and they like to wait until nightfall to come out. There are also little plant species here, most of them being weeds or small patches of grass. Kodu's deserts are by far the harshest environments on the entire world.

## The Kodans

The Kodans are a technologically primitive, intelligent species that inhabit the surface of Kodu. They are tall, humanoid creatures have developed skin flaps, underneath their arms and elbows, along with feathers, which allow them to take flight in the moon's lower gravity. Having the ability to fly, they like to live in trees or areas of higher altitudes, as they use it to hunt and to trade with other members of their tribes. They have very developed frontal lobes of their brains, allowing them to communicate through languages and use common sense and reasoning to resolve, share, or confiscate information, and are also very emotional beings. Some tribes communicate through languages, while others use sounds and their environment to communicate with other members. Particularly island tribes tend to be the most intelligent, using some technology, and having farms and basic technologies like some weaponry, spears and bows, which they use to hunt food from above. Kodans are omnivores, much like humans, eating diets mainly composed of meat and plants, fruits and vegetables that all grow natively to their environments. Kodan tribes like to stay separated as to avoid conflicts with other tribes, and if a member of another tribe or rogue individual enters a territory, they will be met with a warning before any hostility if breaking the tribes rule continues. The Kodans are also a particularly spiritual race, with religion and worship being a common interest among the species, most of them worship Aiti, the planet in which they orbit, believing it is some kind of God or great protector of their world. The Kodans have existed on Kodu for around 20,000 years and have lived in this primitive state for almost all of their existence on Kodu, only recently becoming more technologically advanced some 100-200 years ago. In all, the Kodans are a very unique primitive species, and living on a moon protected from any asteroids, their existence is almost guaranteed to end up like humanities, even becoming a multi-planetary species one day.

## Gallery

Kodu and AitiKoduThe Waumiahala archipelagoA storm rages on the surface of KoduKodu, Aavikko, and AitiAiti from the surface of KoduAn island beach on KoduAiti eclipsing TahtiKodu's surface map