Blud

Blud is the third and largest moon of Ael. It is highly likely capable of supporting life.

## In-Game Description

*“Blud is Ael's largest and most exotic moon. A combination of a thin atmosphere, tidal stress and a bit of internal heating allows the moon to sustain small lakes of liquid water. Conditions such as these give rise to the possibility of exotic life in conditions beyond what is considered habitable.”*

## Discovery

Blud was discovered via the direct imaging planet detection method. While life was initially unconfirmed on the moon, traces of it were later discovered after further telescope exploration.

Blud was named as such because of the red water that makes up its lakes and small oceans.

## Physical Characteristics

Blud has some distinct features, though the most dramatic are the lakes containing red water. The water is near freezing but is consistently above 0 degrees Celsius.

There are three main theories as to why the water is so red. The first is that Red Algae is turning the waters red. This would completely change the way life was thought to exist on Blud, and unfortunately this theory does not hold.

The second theory is that water acidification is occurring due to possible tidal shifts from Ael. However, this theory seems unlikely due to water samples taken having pH levels of around 7.2.

This leads to the primary theory as to why the seas are red, which is that copper oxide is abundant in the waters, turning it a blood red color.

In addition to the red lakes, red terrain is also fairly common on this moon, as a result of the copper oxide that is theorized to be abundant in Blud’s oceans and lakes.

## Atmosphere and Climate

Blud has a surprisingly dense atmosphere for a moon, though by planetary standards, it is very thin. Additionally, Blud’s atmosphere is extremely cold, which is why so much of the surface is frozen. Due to the atmosphere’s thinness, a propulsive landing is recommended, instead of parachutes.

Additionally, Blud’s life confirms that an atmosphere is present. Atmospheric scans show that the atmosphere is mostly water vapor, with Nitrogen, Carbon Dioxide, and Methane all being present. Other atmospheric scans have revealed that traces of other noble gasses are likely in Blud’s atmosphere as well.

## Possibilities of Life

Blud has been found to have life just below its surface. Blud’s life is very simple, mostly being bacterial life, with the apex predators of the moon being small worms that live in the red seas and occasionally burrow up through the ice. Kerbal scientists have studied these worms extensively, and they have named them Kerbtraeidae, due to their similar resemblance to worms found on Kerbin. These worms are noted to have teeth, likely to bite through the ice to get to the surface to scavenge for food.

The worms seem to work in a Hive Mind similar to the ones found in old Kerbal fictional media, with multiple worms reacting to a single worm being prodded. This is likely an evolutionary trait, due to Blud being tidally locked to Ael and the worms needing an efficient way to communicate. Coupled with the limited light from Kepsilon Kirliani reaching the moon and subsequently preventing the worms from getting consistent nutrients above the surface, this led a Hive Mind to become the best survival method for these creatures.

## Biomes

* Blood Lakes
* Red Terrain
* Melting Lowlands
* Icy Midlands
* Frozen Highlands
* Poles
* Icy Flatlands