Thirnova/Thirnova (Archived)

## General

Thirnova, one of the most controversial planets in the sector, is located by its lonesome within a massive nebula that Gigagush borders on. Orbiting no sun, Thirnova only loosely qualifies as a "planet," carrying a variety of distinct qualities that don't carry over in any sense to any other planet in the sector. First discovered on an offshoot mission by the Suburbionites, the mere notion that it existed as anything outside of a telescope error (the discoverer was later executed, despite steadily rising evidence that this odd light was more than an error) was heavily disputed, only to be confirmed to, indeed, exist about a century later. Moreover, Thirnova is not a truly physical planet, but rather a sort of gateway to an alternate dimension that still escapes definite understanding. Nothing is currently deeply understood about the "surface" of Thirnova, though what is known is that the planet itself is highly radioactive; even being within the atmosphere for a few seconds is enough to kill most carbon-based life. Traveling into Thirnova is also currently impossible; attempting to bring a regular ship through will result in it being rapidly irradiated, stretched apart (akin to a black hole) before finally being atomized outright. Thirnovan ships, however few of them there are, can pass through with no consequence. A greenish light beams from what is most likely Thirnova's core which, unlike Lastar's light, beams through any and all physical objects it comes across.

Put simply: do not visit Thirnova. It is impossible for the average creature to survive the extreme conditions of the planet, and how anything complex can live within the strange planet is beyond even the most experienced scientists. At best, even if you do manage to enter a Thirnovan ship (which, too, are heavily radioactive) and enter the planet, you won't be able to leave the ship and explore on foot.

## Natives

Thirnovans are bipedal, Geolyte-like creatures, approximately 36 trillion strong. Tending to be a bit lean, they usually are some shade of lime green, with a single, yellow eye in the center of their head. Their head, a simple sphere, floats a few inches above their body, with three "spines" along its perimeter (if the Thirnovan is looked at head-on), though their eye oddly does not spin with their head. The spinning speed of a Thirnovan's head is directly tied to their mood and current health; Thirnovans in good health, or experiencing some kind of strong emotion, tend to have faster spinning heads than others. While their average height in the universe outside of Thirnova is about six or so feet tall, the Thirnovans say that they lack a true height while within the confines of their home world. They are known for their speed and precise movements, capable of performing tasks that require mechanical precision with utmost ease. Being half energy, they are also radioactive in and of themselves, requiring the wearing of special suits in order to function among the sector's general populace. Many of them also have a rather interesting ability; they are capable of forming small shapes out of nearby atoms. These creations tend to be of a pasty white, lightweight, brittle material that is, as themselves, heavily radioactive. While this ability carries no known practical use, the material it creates is exceedingly rare in the known universe.

Thirnovans themselves tend to be pompous, arrogant and self important, viewing themselves as superior due to their origin and abilities. They refuse to associate with a wide variety of races, and many find them unbearably irritating. Their culture is also shrouded in mystery, with the Thirnovans going out of their own way to snuff any information that manages to get out. They do not need to eat anything to survive, instead getting their energy from nuclear radiation; without it, Thirnovans will quickly and painfully perish. As such, Thirnovan ships tend to have "recharging stations" built in, allowing them to temporarily re-experience the conditions of their homeworld, though these are not only fragile, but use technologies alien to even this sector, making them unrepairable through normal means.

## Relationships

Thirnova contributes little to the local area, working with only a small pool of trusted individuals, the identities of which allude the Archives at this time. A few Thirnovan-engineered ship thrusters are currently being prototyped for public consumption, but the process is incredibly slow even by those standards. Furthermore, Thirnovans can rarely be seen among ship crews, able to take just about any position they desire, due to their qualities. The Thirnovans also have a small set of trade routes to their name, consisting mostly of strange technological exports, them being the sole providers, with any other pieces of their technology invariably being smuggled out of the trade. They tend to get along better with the mechanical races of the sector, such as the Mekkians, or those resistant (or even immune) to radiation.

More recently, Gravitas has entered a sort of partnership with the Thirnovans; due to the Thirnovans being able to produce technology capable of extreme energy generation, the Gravitases have been purchasing these generators en masse, experimenting with them and redesigning the generators as to be able to function on their homeworld. In theory, the generators could be used to power incredibly strong ship engines, which would finally allow the Gravitases to easily leave their planet, a technological feat even the most intelligent races have yet to accomplish.