Klendathu

[Dark]

Klendathu is nothing but a vast desert where sand and rocks sprawl over the few patches of vegetation. The surface of Klendathu is dominated by steep, rocky mountain chains. It is also rich in craters, chasms and pits. The planet is surrounded by an asteroid chain, which may have been a whole planet – perhaps Klendathu’s twin – many millennia ago. This asteroid ring has functioned as a platform for launching spores and devastation meteors since the Arachnids matured as a species.

 

The Aries Range mountain range is known for the ferocious radioactive winds that endlessly hit its peaks. It is also home to a great colony specialized in breeding flying bugs with swarms of ripplers, hoppers and kamikazes. The Aries’ Southeast range ends in the rock known as Bug Peak, an awesomely tall mountain, which is in fact the planet’s largest colony, housing millions upon millions of Arachnids. This massive mountain chain covers about 40% of Klendathu’s circumference and may be the largest mountain range in the galaxy.
 

Klendathu’s weather is quite a challenge for humans, with equatorial temperatures ranging from 150ºF during the day to –15ºF at night. The lack of humidity in the area makes it a hostile wasteland for most life forms. Polar temperatures range from 80ºF to –100ºF. These abysmal differences in temperature breed violent winds, sandstorms and hurricanes from one end of the planet to the other; causing dunes to shift wildly all over its surface.  Arachnids have adapted wonderfully to these cruel environmental conditions, having grown used to the climate with little or no genetic modifications.
 

The Black Wind is a terrible storm, created by climactic conditions unique to Klendathu. It sweeps over Klendathu once or twice a year, at which time it causes the sky and horizon to darken completely. The razor-sharp silicates and irradiated winds carried by this storm blow with such strength and fury that they can peel the shell right off an Arachnid, stripping even warrior bugs to shreds if it catches them in the open.

 

General Information

 

Planet Name: Klendathu

Star System: Alpha Hydrae

Allegiance: Arachnid Empire

Population: Bug Central

Capital City: N/A
 

 

Physics

Radius: 9071.92 km (1.42 * Earth)

Mass: 1.50 * 10^25 (2.51 * Earth)

Composition: 24.9% Silicon, 11.0% Magnesium, 4.3% Sodium, 1.8% Other Metals, 1.0% Other Elements.

Gravity: 12.14 m/s² (1.24G)

Rotation Period: 21.47 hours


Atmosphere

Type: Dense

Composition: 75.9% Nitrogen, 24.1% Methane, 1.0% Other Gases.

Climate: Arid

Minimum Temperature: 251K (-21°C)

Average Temperature: 308K (35°C)

Maximum Temperature: 377K (104°C)