Nova Terra

Nova Terra (lit. “new land” in Latin) is the only civilization on the planet of Gliese 581d. The newly formed society was born out of the need to escape Earth, as humanity’s home planet was on the verge of death. The tidally locked planet housing 36,000 residents is located within the Gliese 581 system, approximately 20 light years away from Earth. Nova Terra is a split nation in terms of location, but united in terms of community. Both halves are located on opposing sides of the planet, meaning each half will be in the inverse light exposure (due to the slow rotation of Gliese 581d). This is done for efficiency of living and distribution of labor. Additionally, a vast canyon runs in between the civilizations, right down the planet’s mid- line, called the Great Canyon. This ravine connects to the Magnum Mare (“great sea” in Latin). The diverse species of this planet come to congregate within the canyon, humans inhabitants included.

## Planetary System

The Gliese 581 planetary system is located 20.22 light years away from Earth in the Libra constellation.  Gliese 581 is a red dwarf star that is at the center of the Gliese 581 planetary system. Gliese 581 has four known discovered planets. Gliese 581e is the nearest to the red dwarf star, takes 3.15 days to complete its orbit and is located 20.4 light years away. Gliese 581 b is the second planet closest to the red dwarf star, takes 15 years to complete orbit and is located  20.5 light years away. Gliese 581c is the third planet closest to the red dwarf star, takes 13 days to complete orbit and is located 20.42 light years away. The last planet, Gliese 581d is the farthest planet from the red dwarf star taking 66.8 days to complete its orbit being located 20.3 light years away.

### Planet

Gliese 581d is tidally locked, meaning that the planet rotates at the same rate as what it’s orbiting; in this case that would mean that Gliese 581d is tidally locked to Gliese 581 (its dwarf star). The 2:1 spin-orbit ratio represents the frequency of rotation per orbital year. This entails the duration of a day cycle (when a planet fully turns twice), for one rotation exposes the previously “dark side” to light, and conceals the previously “light side” from light. That being said, a day cycle and an orbital year on the planet are of the same duration. Gliese 581d has longer day cycles than on Earth, but shorter orbital years than the aforementioned planet. Both a day cycle length and an orbital year on Gliese 581d are equivalent to 67 Earth days. While the rather slow rotation of the planet compels more extreme temperatures for their respective sides, the planet is unable to freeze over or overheat due to the fact that both sides face the dwarf star during the orbital period; receiving the opposing exposure of light.

## Species

### Deragona

The dergona (Dare-a-go-na) are large intimidating dragons that are native to the dark side of Gliese 581-d. Preferably in ice caves, these creatures are well known for their ability to swim and fly at fast rates.  Within the deep waters of caves, the deragona are known for their bright blue color and piercing yellow eyes.

#### Description

With bright yellow eyes and dark blue horns, the deragona are the largest species of Gliese 581d. Its large structure of 12 ft allows itself to only stay within the light side in short increments as the time charges the bioluminescent particles in the skin of the dragon. Every minute of staying on the light side, illuminates the dragon for 2 minutes. Only little patches of the dragon have the ability to glow since it doesn’t happen very often as their main habitat is within the ice caves. The skin itself doesn’t only glow as its wings brighten even more. The bioluminescence within the wings glows two times the amount it does on the skin. However, just like the skin of the dergona, only small patches of the species glow.

Just like eagles on Earth, the dergonas talons are used to catch their prey. Rather than grasp onto tree branches, the dergona would use it to hold onto slippery ice. Its large wings lift up its giant body up into the air when needed to travel across the planet. Although its wings are generally used for flying, they are also used as fins when the dragons are going for a deep dive. The ability to fly and swim allow the deragona to catch its prey, and travel to incredible distances in super speed time.

#### Hunting

The deragonas ability to swim derives from gathering their food. Another species, the psomnox lives within the deep waters of Gliese 581d. The deragona takes a large leap into the water, and swims until they meet a large one eyed eel like fish. Once they notice the large fish, the deragona slowly creeps up to the psomnox making sure the animal doesn’t notice the large beings. Eventually, the deragona will quickly snatch their prey and swallow it swiftly down their throat. Although, if the deragona catches their food with their sharp talons and brings it to land, that is when they have the need to chew the psomnox until it has the ability to fully swallow the species.

### Dietenebris

Dietenebris, meaning “day of darkness” in Latin, live on both sides of the planet Gliese 581d. These creatures have features and characteristics that are similar to different Earth animals; the majority being close in resemblance and/or mechanics to leopards, rams, polar bears, and lizards. This species maneuvers on all fours, which allows for swift jumping and climbing, and a moderate running pace for prolonged periods of time. Although the dietenebris has considerable speed pertaining to agility on land, it displays quite the opposite when in aquatic terrain.

#### Description

On average, this species weighs in at roughly 350 pounds, has height of 3 feet, and a length of 7 feet. This species has rough, scale-like skin, the red-orange pigmentation of which provides decent camouflage. This creature possesses three manipulable horns, one on the rump (positioned in place of a tail) and the remaining two on opposing sides of the head (positioned in place of ears). These horns can retract and extend, as well as curve, curl, straight–essentially move in any direction (similar to the movement of the antenna of snails or tails of cats). These horns stand out considerably, for they are lavender in coloration. This creature has sharp claws and teeth (which are cream-ish), as well as padded feet. These act as shock absorbers, for the expansion upon impact, making for silent travels. The eyes of the dietenebris are quite unique, for they allow for a 320°-340° view–both side to side and up and down. These are a yellow color, with a black plus-like pupil.

Aside from the physical aspects, the dietenebris has a few other traits worth mentioning. This species has a keen sense of smell and extended field of vision (as previously discussed), but a poor sense of hearing. One of its most significant features is that it is endothermic; which is why it can live in the dark and in the light. Rather than utilizing shivering and sweating as humans do, the dietenebris maintains vasoconstriction and vasodilation in order to survive extreme temperatures and live in them comfortably. Essentially, through the use of contracting and expanding blood vessels, the creature's body can immediately adapt to almost any climate. While the dietenebris has much brawn and endurance, it does lack some common sense.

### Folia

The folia (Foe-Lee-Ah) also known as the leaves, are miniature fairy-like species that originate from the light side of Gliese 581d. This one of a kind species inhabit the majority of the trees that are spread throughout Gliese 581d.  Just like leaves on Earth, they are able to photosynthesize while having no need for some sort of diet.

#### Description

These alien-like creatures give off human based features as their main structure is a human body. With the use of two arms and two legs, these animals have human mobility with slight differences. As they have the imitation of human-like fingers, they can be  turned into retractable claws that allow them to defend themselves in the need of safety. The claws are extremely sharp and powerful as they can easily puncture anyone or anything that comes across them. As if the claws on their hands weren’t enough for defense, they have talons that contribute to their safety.  Just like eagles, the talons on the folia are used to grasp onto tree branches and use the sharp ends to contact with other living creatures that may come and attack them. Along with the use of defense, folias also have the ability to blend within trees. With bright yellow eyes that glow and vines as hair folias are able to blend within trees but still distinct themselves to others. Not only do the color of their vines hide themselves from potential predators, but also their deep green color that coordinates with all of its other features. These ligaments are mainly used for safety as they are unnecessary to gather their food since they have the ability to photosynthesize.

#### Photosynthesis

The folias' deep green color comes off as they produce their own food. These creatures have 3 large wings that resemble a leaf, that intake rays from the sun. Folias wings have 3 times the amount of chlorophyll than a typical leaf would have, which multiplies the amount of energy that is being taken. The chlorophyll as well gives the side of the wings that are prominently facing outside a dark green color. Another major part within the photosynthesis process fills each little cell of the skin with chloroplast. Chloroplast contains tools that are used to transform energy into glucose, which is also known as sugar. The skin and wings work together synchronously to transform all the ingredients needed to create their food source.  The ability to photosynthesize gives them the benefit of not sleeping and having enough energy to advance their species and society.

#### Reproduction

Unlike the deragona, folias reproduce by having live birth. Just like seahorses on Earth, male folias give birth to leaflets (a term to describe baby folia). For the benefit of the males, they are born with a space between their wings and back that are used for carrying the leaflets and are also known as the backpack sack. Although males have a specialized pouch, not all males give birth. As in the name backpack sack, it can be used as a backpack for other necessities that may be needed. This could be gathering materials for building structures of their city or collecting water in desperate need of photosynthesis.

When it comes to the amount folias can reproduce, the max amount is two leaflets. In this situation the population of folias is able to be minimized so they don’t overpopulate the area.

### Marevis

Marevis comes from the Latin words for sea (*mare*) and cow (*bovis*). Marevis are almost literally mermaid cows. They have strong, fish-like tails that carry them through Gliese 581d's oceans. They have gills to breathe underwater, but they often come to the surface to eat grass and herbs. They travel in heards and sleep in the water. They don’t do much but eat and sleep, so they are one of the biggest species of prey. Many creatures hunt them, but mainly the racerterra and deragona.

### Psomnox

Psomnox (*Noctis Somno*, lit. ‘night’s sleep’) are small ray-finned fish native only to the dark half of the tidally locked planet Gliese 581-d. Most notoriously, it is the make-up of the average Nova Terran’s everyday-meal, and being able to enjoy them fully intact is a high-class delicacy. It is named after its survival style of sleeping at the bottom of the ocean, a luxury it can enjoy due to the absence of any underwater natural predators. This low profile has led to some delay in its discovery. At its initial finding, it was described as elongated catfish, with eel-like qualities and behaviors akin to Earth’s deep sea creatures.

#### Description

The average psomnox is no longer than 46 cm (about 1 ft 6 in), with chemoreceptors covering its entire body, effectively allowing it to taste anything it touches. Despite the large eye, it is only capable of detecting light. Intricate details, or any kind of depth are not perceivable. Thus, the psomnox will rely on its sense of taste to locate food. Like catfish, it possesses a set of nasal, maxillary, and chin barbels (sometimes known as ‘whiskers’), as well as three extra mouths, which contain the highest amount of densely packed chemoreceptors on the entire body.

The psomnox, like all ray-finned fish, contains a large fin on its back and tail, supported by its bony spine.

Psomnox are bottom feeders, dwelling around the benthic zone. Thanks to its large head and small gas bladder, it is negatively buoyant and built to survive in the extreme conditions of the deep sea.

#### Feeding

The environment of the psomnox allows it to be exceptionally lazy. It needs not make any effort to float, and instead waits at the bottom of the ocean, mouths gaping open as it slowly trudges about, feeding only on sunken marine snow– dead pieces of any organic matter, most usually plankton but sometimes other psomnox. In the event that this proves to be insufficient, (usually before reproduction), the psomnox will float, just a little, to catch marine snow as it falls.

#### Reproduction

Like most deep sea creatures, psomnox adopt an unusual mating behavior that is very similar to Earth’s anglerfish. As it is not common to find any other active life within the deep sea, psomnox rely on parabiotic reproduction. Male psmonox are much smaller and thus less competent than females when it comes to locating its own food. Unable to survive on its own, a male will spend its entire life searching for a female, and once it does, bites into the female, and their tissues and circulatory systems fuse. The female will continue to provide the male with nutrients as the male provides the sperm. Unlike the anglerfish however, males do not grow in size after attachment. Then, once both are ready to reproduce, they release their sperm and eggs into the water at the same time. The parabiotic relationship ensures that whenever either is ready, reproduction can be guaranteed and done quickly, as opposed to wasting time locating a mate, which is scarce, in the deep ocean.

Psomnox can only reproduce once. After doing so, the male will try to merge its consciousness with the female, or control it through infecting its central nervous system. Once it successfully does this, it attempts to swim up to surface level water, causing the gas bladder to rapidly inflate, and effectively explode, killing them both. This bizarre suicidal tradition of the psomnox continues to baffle modern day ethologists. Some say it is impossible for this behavior to only be attributed to its low levels of intelligence, theorizing that the idea for its remains to sink, becoming marine snow that its offspring may eat. But when observed, this does not happen. The psmonox’s remains instead float, and are then consumed by the surface-dwelling species. Some argue that perhaps that is the point. Perhaps the intent is not to feed its youth, but to feed surface-dwelling species. Yet, with what is known about the psmonox’s cognitive capabilities, it should not be able to even grasp the idea of contributing to a larger community.

#### Relating to Humans

Psomnox are hunted and consumed by humans. As the population isn’t ideal in density, most methods of capturing it are inefficient or difficult. Humans will ride ships into the middle of one of many oceans, and cast down a large net no closer than 2000 meters. This will typically catch pelagic psomnox or psomnox attempting to resurface. Then, the net is reeled in slowly to avoid rapid gas bladder inflation and the subsequent explosion. A single net usually does not catch more than a few, and if the psomnox is fully intact, it can be sold off and served as a delicacy, affordable only to those of the upper class. If not, the remains can still be sold off, but at a much cheaper and affordable price. Many refer to these as ‘psomnox nuggets’, but in slang culture they are more commonly known as, ‘psomnuggets’.

### Racerterra

This species was given the name racerterra, coming from *racertilia*; the scientific name for lizards, and *terra*; the Latin word for land and earth. The reason for this being they share similarities with lizards in how they look and act, and they live in caves in the canyon that wraps around Gliese 581d. They mostly roam around the light side of the planet and sleep in the caves, but they also have markets along the canyon where they can sell/trade things for resources or materials they need. They use their lizard-like hands and feet to climb the walls of the canyon and their sharp claws and teeth for defense and hunting. These things make them similar to both humans and lizards.

#### Description

When it comes to physical traits, the racerterra are most like humans. They stand and walk around on their back two legs, they have human-like faces and speak a human-like language. Their general anatomy is closer to humans, with the exception of their hands, feet, tail, and skin. They average about 10 feet tall, which is over 4 feet taller than an average human. Their skin is rough and often a warm/red-ish brown, gray, or green. They have markings on their skin that symbolize things like jobs, family, gender, and bands that wrap their bodies symbolizing the canyon they live in and their unity as a species. Their jobs include farmers, hunters, miners, scavengers, and tool makers. Their society is similar to that of early humans in the way that they are hunters and gatherers. They set up stalls of food and materials in caves and along the bottom of the canyon. They don’t have currency, so they trade items. Although they don’t have a government, they have small communities, usually separated by \*\*areas, which are led similar to wolf packs, so the most dominant racerterra becomes the leader. There is no hierarchy between genders, both can be in a leading position and take on any job.

#### Reproduction

Reproduction is the same for the racerterra as it is for humans and most animals. They make families and have children, but unlike humans, they don’t have a heteronormative society. They have open communities where they aren’t judged by sexuality or gender.

#### Diet

The racerterra’s diet consists mainly of fruits and plants found around the planet or farmed, but they also have hunters that go into the forests and oceans to hunt creatures like marevis and psomnox. They also make tools and gather materials like wood and mine in the caves.

## Politics

### Government

#### Council of Leaders

The Council of Leaders consists of six trustworthy leaders - Jana Impreso, Katie Buse, Riley Baker, Cassie Plingos, Raizel Azores, and Grayson Everly. This council, an oligarchy, was formed to protect and lead the people of Nova Terra. Written into the Constitution is the abilities of Council members, and what happens if obligatory duties are violated or go unfulfilled. All executive power is distributed among the six members evenly, with the Council having all decision-making power over the happenings and societal actions of Nova Terra.

The *Nova Terra Times* reported on the beginning stages of the civilization in regards to the Council of Leaders through articles *New Earth, New Chance* and *A Week to Begin*. The media and citizen response to this form of leadership was trepidatious during the initial interplanetary travel from Earth to Gliese 581-d; However, after living under the Council while building their civilization, the sentiment towards the governing six was positive, and remains that way. The public’s view of the Council was further solidified by the actions leadership took during times of stress - the response to the tsunami and economic recession was largely looked upon with admiration by the people, growing their trust within the government.

#### Hopes and Dreams

Excerpts from journals of fleeing Earth residents talk of the hopes and prospecting ideas they had for the new civilization of Nova Terra. These journal snapshots are commonly known as the Hopes and Dreams pieces.

#### Constitution

*The official Nova Terra Constitution can be read here.*

Interestingly enough, Nova Terra's constitution has never undergone a single change since its initial writing.

### Intergalactic Relations

#### HSB vs the Rebels

Nova Terra, a peaceful planet, has never seen war and nor has had need for alliances.  Nova Terra kept to its own, provided for its people through self sufficiency and additional aid only by the HSB (Human Survival Bureau). But, as with most things, conflict is inevitable. Rebellious planets wanted freedom and disagreed with the very existence of the HSB. In response, a galactic war was declared, and all planets were forced to adopt a side. Neutrality was not an option; only fighting for or against the HSB. Nova Terra, a once peaceful planet, was forced into the precedents of war. After much contemplation and consultation, the Council of Leaders came to an agreement; Nova Terra would fight as one with the HSB. While the loss and pure brutality was anticipated, there was nothing that could be done in prevention. As the Allies stepped onto the battlefield, their opposition seemed overwhelming in numbers. But, through calculated attacks and immense strategizing, the Allies were able to diminish and overcome Rebel forces. Once the war came to an end, all that was left was the decision of the Rebels’ fate. Yet again, there were two options only; to destroy their planets or to spare their civilizations but eliminate their say in HSB enactments. To conclude this massive dispute, it was almost unanimously decided that their homes would not be terminated, but their rights would.

## History

### Departure from Earth

There are various factors that led up to the destruction of the Earth, with many of the details still being classified as top secret to this day. World war, abuse of WMD and the following fall out, faltering trust in the government, economic crashes, climate change, famine, and drought are consistently the most thoroughly documented reasons. As Earth proved to be an incurable wasteland, nations opted to locate a new planet to live in. The initial idea was for humanity to inhabit the same single habitable planet, but discussion quickly proved that any kind of agreement could not be made. Without the time to properly coordinate, the nations chose to go their separate ways, to each to their own planets. Propaganda and promotional posters were created, advertising the new civilization they promised (as did Nova Terra). In the end, there were not enough resources to save everyone on Earth, and some– particularly of the lower class, were left to die.

This move resulted in many having left behind their loved ones, whether that be on Earth or another planet. Not all possessions could be secured, either, and this loss was particularly damaging to the lower classes. Without many of their valuables, people of the lower class could not rebuild nor restore their former lives as quickly as those of the higher class did. This only resulted in the widening of the wealth gap. Even today, these effects can still be observed.

### Tsunami

The first natural disaster in the history of Nova Terra was a tsunami that flooded the Great Canyon.

This wall of water had a large impact on the citizens, as well as the creatures of this planet. Each species prepared for the deluge in different ways. Recently developed radar detected large numbers of Psomnox congregating along the seafloor, seemingly to avoid getting caught in the tide. The Deragona had been spotted flying for higher ground after removing all the valuables from their seaside cave homes. The Folia deployed a similar tactic - large swarms of the small creatures flew inland or moved to the very tops of the highest trees. The Racerterra scaled the walls of the canyon, landing well out of the reach of the water. The across-species movement puzzled experts, leading some to believe that the natives either have some internal connection to the happenings of the planet, or are more intelligent than they believed.

The tsunami was caused by a 7.4 magnitude earthquake that shook the dark side of the planet, just beyond the northeastern most part of the Magnum Mare. Within three days, the tsunami hit Nova Terra. The initial point of impact was the Pali Draconis; The natural mountainous seawall decreased the tsunami’s momentum significantly, as did the second impact point - the southern light forest, with the trees helping to limit flooding. The only damage to human society was felt in the flooding of the canyon, as the trade center was washed out by the water. The *Nova Terra Times* reported on the before and after of the disaster, detailed in *Waterworld on the Horizon* and *Rebuilding A Nation*.

The Council of Leaders made sure their society was prepared in advance by planning and marking evacuation routes, moving energy and resource stores to higher ground, and mentally preparing the public for the idea that they were going to experience the first tsunami in the young civilization’s history. An announcement was made via radio to the concerned citizens in an effort to calm the fast-spreading mood of panic.

### Bring to Light

During the period of the Economic Recession, the society was diminishing in many ways, but thriving in others. An Age of Invention came about, in which multiple weapons and tools were developed. Two of these proved to be successful designs, and were further cultivated as more resources were accumulated. Essentially, as Nova Terra's society and economy progressed, so did the manufacturing, durability, and versatility of the inventions. While these inventions have alternative uses, they were designed with the intent of utility and defense. The primary weapon, the Morsu Lacertae , is not unlike the configuration of claws. Heavily influenced by the mechanics and appearance of Earth weapons, specifically the Karambit and Brass Knuckles. Preliminary  Morsu Lacertae were constructed from fused metallic rings (which act as hand grips) and Racerterra teeth (which act as blades). This weapon is drawn and sheathed in a crossbody motion, with the holsters placed at opposing hip lines. Morsu Lacertae are meant to follow the motions of the hands; whether that be punching, hooking or slashing. The secondary weapon, the Acuti Surculus, is essentially a crossbow affixed to the forearm. Also heavily influenced by the mechanics and appearance of Earth weapons, specifically the Katar and Crossbow. Preliminary Acuti Surculus were constructed from a metallic base (which acts as a frame of sorts) and [trajectile] from the claws of the Deragona (which, when connected to a shaft, acts as a projectile). The Acuti Surculus is meant to fire in line with the forearm; drawn back and released with the opposing hand while aimed at the target with the firing arm. Ensuing models were developed to be constructed from more durable and attainable materials; predominantly forged from metal alloys for lightness of weight and durability of structure.

## Economy

For the years Nova Terra has settled on Gliese 581d, they slowly grew in population and economy. With their main resources of food, water, and oxygen they had to find ways to fully sustain themselves as life prospered. In addition to the main resources, Nova Terrans gathered energy, common and rare materials to benefit the growth of their society. In gaining these resources, the Council of Leaders had to provide “proof of” documents to the HSB that allowed them to fully gather necessities. These documents were then criticized and eventually fully accepted by the HSB.

From the beginning of the game, the Council of Leaders were given a handful of materials and energy that were later increased as they purchased tiers from the HSB. As they were given 3 of each food, water, and oxygen, this eventually rose to be 10x the amount from the start. The Council of Leaders would choose certain tiers that would increase the amount of resources they would receive that day from the HSB. To gain those levels, the Council of Leaders would strategically calculate what tiers would give them the most profit as this would help their civilization in the long run. Since Nova Terra didn’t encounter any form of war, trades, or alliances with other nations, this allowed them to grow on their own. Having the ability to fully sustain themselves, gave them a better opportunity for enlarging their civilization.

Nova Terra remains a completely self-sufficient society, as no trades, treaties, or other external communication was offered to other civilizations. This largely benefited Nova Terra, as the focus could be cast internally to understand, build, and progress the budding economy

## Society and Culture

### Language

The Nova Terran species formed their own way of communication; a language based off of the English language. This language was studied by the humans in hope of future communication between the humans and the inhabiting species of Nova Terra. This language, dubbed “Terronian”, is composed of alphabetical and numeric systems. These systems are referred to as Litteo and Arithima respectively. Both can be spoken and written, and are directly based off of the English language. Litteo notation implements the use of characters/symbols, similar to that of Greek and Chinese. The pronunciation of Litteo speech is almost identical to English, with the only change being the application of designated prefixes before each word, dependent on whether the first letter of the particular word is a consonant or vowel (rules explained in detail in linked webpage). Arithima notation uses elements of English and Chinese counting systems, to where numbers 0 through 9 have their own form of notation/pronunciation, but multi-digit numbers are made through the combination of the Origin Numbers. Arithima speech is similar in concept to Chinese but rather unlike English, for numbers are pronounced per digit, rather than a new word for every number (example: “twelve” would be pronounced as “one two”). The spoken aspect of Terronian is similar in concept to Pig Latin and Gibberish, and the written portion similar to the symbolism and translation of Braille and the ruling system of Morse Code; all Earth developed languages and codes.

### Artifacts

#### Journals

##### *When Humanity Barked at Space’s Dry Night, Journaled by an Oxus Moron*

Among the many documents archived from the early establishment of Nova Terra, is a set of translated journal entries titled, “*When Humanity Barked at Space’s Dry Night, Journaled by an Oxus Moron*” written by Redd R. Kruedanaught (sometimes known simply as “Krueda”). It detailed the days in the life of a member of Nova Terra law enforcement, including first hand accounts of the tsunami and economic recession. The original journal was written in Terronian, and would have faded into obscurity if an English translation of the first four entries by a member of the Council of Leaders had not been published shortly after his death. However, it may be worthy of note that it was only entries one and two that reached printing. The third and fourth exist only as a digital document, but are nevertheless still public.

###### In-depth Summary

The first entry was simple enough. The opening paragraph establishes Krueda’s character as an average member of law enforcement who takes great pride in the job. Before he can set the scene for nobility, however, he instead breaks it with a reality that he may not have been aware of (it is important to note that in the first four entries, Krueda has never once proven to be self-aware), calling himself a ‘government dog’. Without acknowledging the gap in understanding between him and the reader, he continues to take his position in stride, ignorantly believing that if he does his best running through his routine, his loyalty is bound to be rewarded with success– which he believed to be when his name becomes an important topic in history– or fame. The following paragraphs then describe the geography of Gliese 581-d, such as the size, the tidal lock, the vast oceans, and even the alien species, who were immediately friendly. This entry describes the employed day-night system, in which a portion of people are on both the light and dark side. Those on the light side would do typical daytime activities, such as work, while those on the dark half would sleep. Then, after a set amount of time, the people would switch sides. Krueda ends the entry with a sentimental approach, describing the sunset that can be seen as one crosses the shadow line, inspired by it and wondering what the future has in store.

The second entry documents Krueda’s day as he evacuates citizens from between the aftermath of the first and impending moments of the second wave of a tsunami. He begins to recognize the deeper danger to his work he’d taken so lightly, along with what he’d initially thought of as ‘goodness’. After evacuating a father and son, he meets another member of law enforcement who asks for assistance in carrying a woman away. Krueda is initially cooperative, but finds himself swayed into the direction of empathy upon listening to the woman’s story. If this woman, a person of the lower class were to successfully survive the tsunami, many of her belongings would still be lost. It would be near impossible for her to rebuild. This was a loss she believed to be unaffordable. She had to stay behind to make a reckless last ditch effort to save what little she had. However, the other member of law enforcement did not agree that allowing this woman to make this decision herself was right, which turned into an argument between them and Krueda. They argued that while it is one thing to be understanding, it cannot be right when death is a certain consequence. This led to Krueda realizing how rudimentary and crude his established moral compass was, writing that he’d been mixing up “heroism, empathy, and moral upstanding” (as used in the translated text). With hesitance he agreed to carry the woman away to safety, ending the journal entry without a paragraph to reflect– an element that has consistently been present in every other entry.

The third journal entry is known to be the least valued by historians, and is not discussed nearly as much as the first, second, or fourth. It focussed more on furthering Krueda’s character as opposed to recording early Nova Terra society. It establishes that he had a wife, who to unspecified circumstances, is no longer present. The date of writing would translate to May 17th on Earth’s time, also known as National Cherry Cobbler Day, and seeing as though it held importance to his wife, he decides to celebrate it by treating himself to a serving of cherry cobbler. He attempts to get a fellow member of law enforcement to give him the directions to ‘That Bakery’ (a business of particular significance to his absent wife). The man is instead awe struck by Krueda’s resolve, but Krueda merely brushes this aside and inquires in a more forceful manner. Once he learns of the directions, he makes his way towards the bakery which is at the top of a tall mountain, and as Krueda climbs up, he is comically met with death traps such as spikes and falling boulders. He does not see a threat, danger, nor comedy in this, but instead sees a challenge and continues upwards. Once he reaches the top however, he loses his composure when he sees that the bakery is closing. While his tears are unironically laughable, it is also then when his writing reminds the reader of the sentimental value. The shopkeeper notices him, and recognizes him as the husband of one of their loyal customers back on Earth. It is revealed that with the move on Earth, not only did the wealth gap between the lower and higher classes increase, but so did that gap between smaller and larger businesses. Thus, they became more competitive, and began trying to bring down competitors even through dirty means. Not wanting to take part in this, That Bakery chose to seclude itself, opening shop only for their loyal customers. It sacrificed their ability to grow into a larger market, but also made sure that their customer base consisted of people they could trust. By the end, Krueda is promised his serving of cherry cobbler the next morning, and in the last paragraph, acknowledges that the events were, in all senses, bizarre. He is even more surprised by his own actions of going along with it. In the final sentence, he recalls his wife again, with a line that implies that there’s still a longing for her presence.

The fourth entry documents the economic recession that almost ended Nova Terra. There is little that physically happens to Krueda, and the entry instead details the conflict and Kreuda’s feelings. It opens by explaining what preceded the event. After the tsunami, the Council focused its attention on rebuilding. This opened many jobs for the lower classes, and satisfied many at first. However, as time went on, the Council could not pay them all sufficiently, and thus, the people quit to protest, believing that the government was exploiting their labor. Many businesses and factories had to file for bankruptcy, money ceased to circulate, and Nova Terra was hit with an economic recession. Some protesters even began occupying the canyon where the native alien species trade. This would pose a threat to the relationship between humans and the native species. As a member of law enforcement, Krueda considers that he may be ordered to clear the area– a task that the him from day one would have been more than willing to do. However, he chooses to deliberate and think for himself, writing, “*I had always resolved to think of my own position first and foremost— before even my own heroism, empathy, or moral upstanding, but these particular circumstances find flaw in such a modus operandi.*” The situation during the tsunami is likely what prompted this growth in self-awareness. He begins to consider a harsh possibility: that his loyalty to government systems is not something to be admired, but is instead a substitute to fill in his lack of personal autonomy. That lack of independence, to which he had formerly and ignorantly taken great pride in, would be a consistent drawback in his character that he could only shame himself in.

###### Analysis

While the events detailed in the Krueda journals are first-hand accounts of real events, many of the few who had read the original Terronian text agree that it reads much like a novel. Over the course of the journals, Kreuda is noted to change substantially, going from a nerveless optimist to overly self conscious. He is portrayed in the first entry as a hubristic member of law enforcement, with full faith that what he does is right, and as long as he works his hardest each day, success will be returned and his future secured– until the fourth entry, where he is promptly forced to question what he’d been so proud of. Shortly following that, (while the details are not agreed on between the few who claim to have read the original text) he took the steps to correct himself, later acquiring the social status he’d always yearned for. By the end of the journals, he had developed into an overly critical character–- penniless and out of a job, along without any meaningful human connections. Krueda wrote of hopes to be forgotten, calling his journal an ‘unfulfilling tragicomedy without literary value’, wishing it not be published.

The text is self-evident in its themes regarding autonomy, morality, and contradiction (or as the title calls it, oxymoron). Based on his documented in-the-moment reactions, Krueda is quick in recognizing and internalizing these ideas shortly after observing them in another person. He appears to be much better at understanding others than himself, but because writing a journal forces him to reflect, he naturally ends up later relaying the newly formed understanding of others onto himself; much like using a mirror. Had he not haphazardly chosen to write a journal, many of the thoughts or feelings he’d recorded may have never come to fruition, nor would he met with the future he went through,

###### Discontinued Translation, Afterword Speculation

The journal’s official English translation was initially started to make archived work from early Nova Terra more accessible, but was later discontinued after the fourth entry when the few who had read the original text claimed that this would only draw more attention to something the late author wished to remain obscure. The original Terronian text has been largely lost to time, so no future unofficial translation efforts can be made. Because the only citable source is the English translation, which may fail to properly convey the original text, it is difficult to formulate what events could have transpired following the fourth journal entry. However, there are a few points that many who claim to have read the original text can agree on recalling. For one, despite the inability to source it, it is widely taken as a fact that it was written that the journals were titled “*When Humanity Barked at Space’s Dry Night, Journaled by an Oxus Moron*” in the same entry Krueda admitted to having ordered a hit on himself.

One of the most discussed mysteries regarding the text is Krueda’s relationship with his wife. The English translation of the third journal entry’s opening paragraph describes Krueda’s wife as, “*She’s further than a next door neighbor, tens of light years away, and colder than space.*” This can be interpreted in two ways. Both renditions suggest that she is physically away, whether that be on Earth or another planet. She may be a cold dead body, or she may be cold in character, choosing to leave Krueda. Yet the last sentence, “*If she ever comes back, there’ll still be something waiting on the table, specially seasoned with the nostalgia of old times,*” can be used to debunk both interpretations. If she is dead, she would be unable to return. If she chose to abandon Krueda, he would not welcome her back when he had previously described her as cold.

Another point of interest is how Krueda hit his breaking point, and this discussion is largely without any evidence or anything to cite. It hinges on the accounts of the few who claim to have read the text, which are often flimsy and conflict with one another. However, the outline for all interpretations are the same.

The few readers of the original text claim to remember reading that the Council’s handling of the economic recession helped Krueda regain trust in the government again, but still seeing how dependent he had been on them, quit his job and turned to self-improvement, which would lead into him having the confidence to take a risk. What exact opportunity he was met with is uncertain, some say it was an offer to join the mafia or a prominent cult, while others state that he committed some kind of heroic act. Regardless, both groups say that this stroke of luck launched Krueda into temporary notoriety, and the local community began paying attention to him. In his own definition, this was a taste of success, and he would want more. He would then begin to take more risks that he believed would further his fame, always looking for the next course of action that would reward his image the most. Notably, in the rendition where he had joined the mafia, he would take on violent or risky tasks. In the rendition where he was heroic, he turned vigilantism into his full time job. In both versions, those moments of thrill and adrenaline slowly turned into what he craved for the most. It would be the only thing to consistently reward him with happiness– a hedonic treadmill. It was only at every other moment, would he be left to ponder if he was happy when pursuit and infamy had taken hold of his life– and perhaps hard work, success, a future, and happiness never did come hand in hand.

How the journals ended is universally agreed. Krueda grew to be painfully aware of his own flaws, and focused much of his energy inward, trying to correct or stimulate himself. In this, he abandoned his strengths. He neglected to look towards the outside world and other people, causing him to lose many of his established human connections. It is only until he had grown old, unemployed and without a secured future when he wrote a final reflection, that would confess his regret, akkinning a person’s internal world to cosmic horror. In the beginning, Krueda was not self-aware, and the journals could have been a beautiful journey towards self-discovery and self-improvement. But in the described above ending, Krueda bent over inwards until he was only able to see his own inner world– imperfections, oversights and all.

The reception to this narrative was rather mixed, and is widely seen as merely food for thought. It almost introduces some kind of ‘lesson’ at the end, which turns most people away from it, while those who believe it to be what was in the original text lean into the theory that the entire journal series may be fictional. It is also not understood how this ‘lesson’ is supposed to be interpreted, especially without the original text. There are many questions that are left with only discussion and no conclusion. It can be asked, to what extent, then, should a person stop looking inside themselves? Is that actually something that can be gauged? And without self-reflection, how else does the text believe a person expected to achieve self-realization? Perhaps it's less about ceasing to look into oneself, but more of being open to looking into other people? If the journal series is authentic, then there would be no intended lesson to be learned. Still, that isn't enough to deter others from considering the bizarre questions it proposes.

Because of the lack of clarity, many believe that it is best to take the Redd R. Kruedanaught journal series at face value and only consider the four translated entries ‘canon’. There may be no deeper meaning at all, but the wonderings prompted by the speculation can be considered outside of association with the journal series.

#### Nova Terra Times

The newspaper outlet *Nova Terra Times* is the first and only newspaper within Nova Terra. Topics covered include and range from economic relations to discoveries upon the planet to the natural disasters the new society faces. The people of Nova Terra responded well to the paper, as production ramped up quickly after the first couple of articles were being widely demanded. The three main writers - Riley Baker, Jana Impreso, and Katie Buse - remain the face of the paper to this day.

* Issue 1, Volume 1 - *New Earth, New Chance* - The first article published by the Nova Terra Times. This article set the tone for future publishings while discussing the prospected plans for landing upon the new planet. The government was the main focus of the article, establishing the Council of Leaders to the public. The newspaper outlet Nova Terra Times is the first and only newspaper within Nova Terra. Topics covered include and range from economic relations to discoveries upon the planet to the natural disasters the new society faces. The people of Nova Terra responded well to the paper, as production ramped up quickly after the first couple of articles were being widely demanded. The three main writers - Riley Baker, Jana Impreso, and Katie Buse - remain the face of the paper to this day.