Vortox-56

The planet Vortox-56, in the Vortox system.

**Vortox-56** was the fifty-sixth planet in the Vortox solar system. Vortox-56 was a medium-size desert planet orbiting the main star, Vortox-A. The planet is notable for being the birthplace of the Squoatlings and home of their capital city, Squoatopia. Before its destruction in 3009 GUY, Vortox-56 was a prominent trade center in agricultural goods for the Llamanian Empire.

Vortox-56 was the fifty-sixth planet from the binary Vortox system, completing an orbit approximately one time per Galactic Union Year. Vortox-56 has a tidally-locked orbit with the secondary star Vortox-B, meaning each body is unaffected by the other's orbit. There were four natural satellites orbiting the planet, labeled Vortox-56a, Vortox-56b, Vortox-56c, and Vortox-56d. Since its discovery, no additional celestial bodies have been discovered in the Vortox system. The core of the planet was the primary domain of Squoat, along with his group of Squoatling helpers.

## Abiotic Factors

### Physical Characteristics

#### Size and Shape

The shape of Vortox-56 was nearly spherical, and, until the planet's destruction, was believed to be perfectly spherical. Information gathered from planetary debris showed that the planet's equator was minutely different in length than its poles, being approximately 2 kilometers larger in diameter.

The average diameter of the planet was roughly 9,547 kilometers. The deviation in diameter from surface topography is negligible; the tallest mountain on the planet's surface was the Kellig Dune at about 7,340 meters, and the largest pit, Mela, being 8,275 meters in height.

#### Surface

The total surface area of Vortox-56 was about 286 million km2. The majority of this was above the average surface level and was covered in beige and pink sand, creating a rose dawn color for most of the planet. Surface that was not covered by sand is mostly rocky, with its color being a darker brown. There were few pools of water on the planet that were mainly dispersed around the deepest parts of the surface.

### Atmospheric Characteristics

#### Weather

Vortox-56 had occasional sandstorms that swept the plains, which could be dangerous but usually only served as a minor inconvenience. Rarely, there were bouts of rain and thunderstorms that were relatively mild, but halted work in developed areas.

#### Climate

Being a largely desert planet, there was little change in the yearly climate. Vortox-56 was hot and arid, with very little precipitation. During the winter months, the planet grew cold at night; however, due to its locked orbit with Vortox B, the seasons were consistent throughout the year.

Vortox-56's sky was tinted pink during the daytime, and the clouds appeared as various stripes of rose-red. The appearance of Vortox-A and Vortox-B in the sky warped the surrounding color slightly, appearing cooler and warmer respectively. The night sky was rarely pitch black, usually staying at a dark slate at nighttime.

## History

Initially, there were no sentient species on Vortox-56. The planet was populated with goat-like animals that fed on the scarce vegetation and plentiful patches of berries. Squoat, the Lower Sentient Supervisor of the galaxy's Black tribe, secretly decided to work on a species of his own. Choosing the barren planet of Vortox-56, he used his advanced technology to manually evolve the animal inhabitants of the planet. After many GUYs of prototyping, Squoat settled on a form that he liked, and thus the Squoatling race was born. The new species, walking closely with Squoat, formed civilizations that spread further and further, dividing into many, and eventually settling the capital city of Squoatopia.

During this time, Squoat carved out a ringed area around the core of the planet to use as his domain. While he created rituals and holidays for his species, he was hard at work underground, maintaining the Squoatlings' evolutionary tracks and observing their behavior. Over time, Squoat accumulated a task force of 'ascended' Squoatlings, sacrificed during the holiday Squoatiantide, to do menial work and assist Squoat.

Eventually, the Llamanians arrived on the planet, and quickly grew a close interspecies bond with the Squoatlings. The planet became a hub for trade and cultural exchange between the two species. Soon enough, the Squoatlings were preparing to colonize other planets in the system; however, in 3009 GUY, the planet was destroyed in the Purgation of Vortox, along with most of its inhabitants.