Gravity

Gravity is a fundamental force in the physics of Realspace.

## Workings

Gravity is the attraction between two objects, dependent on their distance and mass. All celestial bodies with mass project gravity, such as stars, planets, moons, asteroids, space stations, and star cruisers, with the larger bodies projecting more gravity. Gravity pulls objects towards the gravitational center, which is what allows for orbit, causes objects to drop or stay on the ground, prevents them from floating off into space, and cause minor time dilation, although it only becomes noticeable at incredibly strong intensities. Artificial gravity well generators recreate the effects of gravity, often at very strong scales. Gravity stabilizers, such as those present within standard spacecraft, serve to both create artificial gravity and to protect the crew from the effect of g-forces, which is even present within powervators and other lifts with high speeds. Tractor beams essentially function as concentrated gravity well generators, able to pull objects towards the emitter. The gravity that sufficiently large objects emit permeates into hyperspace in the form of pullfields, which can pull crafts out of hyperspace. Particles known as gravitons are able to create sophisticated anti-gravity tech, which need no mass to push against, unlike hovertech. The gravity of a given world can have drastic effects on its natives or extraterrestrial visitors. On a low-gravity planet, native land-based species could be tall and lanky, and be quite weak when compared to a native of a higher-gravity world, although they could also gain the ability to fly and hover with the world's weaker gravity. A human on a low-gravity world could find themselves able to jump many meters effortlessly, or throw an object a long distance, and an obese or otherwise large being would find themselves under less strain and able to move with ease. However, prolonged effects of staying on such a world would cause muscles to atrophy due to reduced muscle use. On a high-gravity planet, native land-based species would require strong, dense muscles and a durable body, often appearing shorter or bulkier than other species, and possessing what could only be described as super strength. Natives of extremely high-gravity planets are not humanoid, mostly being rather flat and extremely muscular creatures with many legs that are low to the ground, although this is not the case on planets with only somewhat higher gravity than the standard. A human on a high-gravity world would feel as if they are being pushed to the ground, find inclines difficult to climb up, and find that objects fall faster and with more force. However, prolonged residence on a high-gravity world could cause immigrated species to become more durable and far stronger than the rest of their race. Standard gravity worlds, at or near 1 g, are the most common among inhabited worlds.

## Examples

### High/heavy gravity

* **Cordis:** The planet Cordis in the Arcaxus Sector is a world with almost three times the standard gravity, making the native silicon-based Galinons into an incredibly strong and durable species, capable of easily defeating Parfinoids in hand-to-hand combat and shrugging off almost all physical damage. However, the sulfuric atmosphere of Cordis, combined with the very silicon-based nature of the Galinons, requires them to wear hefty internally superheated EV suits to survive on other worlds.

### Low/light gravity

* **Exa:** The dark, ancient, destroyed homeworld of the Exans, the founding place and original capital of the Intergalactic Empire, had considerably low gravity, enough that the massive Exans would be able to crawl over the planet's landscape, even while their sheer bulk would render them immobile on other worlds without their hoverpads.
* **Haggru:** The large, habitable moon of the planet Darssors possessed noticeably lighter gravity than Earth, allowing the existence of large or otherwise bulky flight-capable creatures who would be unable to properly fly on other worlds. However, the native moth-like Lucerings were more than capable of easily adapting to higher gravity environments.
* **Mars:** The fourth planet in the Sol System, Mars was once not unlike Earth, with only somewhat lower gravity, which allowed the native Martians to be able to survive on Earth. However, following Legion's invasion and the destruction of the Martian civilization, the planet's mass was quite literally sanded down, with several internal chunks disintegrated, making the planet's landscape drastically reform as it settled into a smaller shape with considerably less gravity. To compensate for this, human settlers on Mars millions of years after the planet's fall used artificial gravity generators in their larger cities, although some small human settlements across the red sands lacked such technologies, and thus the humans there grew thinner and notably taller than their city-based counterparts.
* **Mitrug:** Mitrug, the habitable moon of the gas giant Gimitrug in the Arcaxus Sector, possesses very low gravity. As such, the native caterpillar-like Trugolians evolved into large, heavy beings who have trouble moving on most worlds, as on their homeworld, they use almost no effort to maneuver. Additionally, Mitrugian fauna is known to grow tall and lanky, such as an apex predator that resembles an impossibly tall arachnid creature, which uses a harpoon-like tongue to spear lifeforms in the valleys beneath it.
* **Reaper:** A mysterious planet in an unknown part of space, Reaper possessed such low gravity that humans and Britonicans were able to jump over the heads of the native Solemn without any mechanical aids. The Solemn themselves, along with the planet's native flora and fauna, grew disturbingly tall and lanky, many possessing starved, gaunt visages.
* **Reeferon:** The homeworld of the enigmatic Cephloids, Reeferon's low gravity contributed in part to the Cephloids growing over twice the height of humans, with physically weak bodies but incredibly powerful minds.