A paradise world in the Corribra Sector, Opleia has been a destination for many nobles throughout the years. The vast jungles outside of the settled cities providing vast beauty and many chances for hunts to occur. Often competitions held between the nobility both visiting and residing there as a form of sport and potential one-upping of another. Highly known for thier fineries and art, Opleia has carved itself out a place with most of the nobles that reside. The various jungle lodges and exotic retreats a rare respite from the bleak and monotonous life that is normally seen within the Imperium.
Overview[]
Resting comfortably as the 3rd planet from it's sun, Opleia sports a planet wide jungle home to various beasts and flora. Most animals native to the world, however a decent share of beasts bought on from other worlds and raised either domestically for food or released into the wild for the regular hunts. By all apperances nothing more than a playground for nobles, Opleia's abundance of flora has given birth to a black market full of exotic drugs unique to the planet. One which the patrons of this world as well as it's inhabitants gladly accept and pay for, using such commodities to inspire and elate themselves far above what the natural beauty and ambiance of the planet can achieve.
Climate[]
Weather[]
Comprising of a vast planet-wide jungle, the climate of Opleia is reasonably humid all year round. Heavier rainfall occuring at the start of the seasonal rotation and the typical river floods blanketing roughly 15% of the planet's surface with water. Serving to fertilize the various wet-farms that are on the planet as well as keep the vibrant and verdant flora hydrated. Temperate in most respects and heavily tropical, the ambient temperature never particularly goes from one extreme to another, some days of course hotter than others but overall a stable and predictable weather pattern.
Topography[]
Underneath the vast canopies of trees, mountains and rivers mark Opleia's landscape. The river systems beyond count and creating almost an arterial pattern through the dense jungles, the planet's underground water tables and mountainous springs feeding such plentiful water sources as well as the regular rainfall replenishing it regularly. Caves dot the landscape with almost the frequency of the trees themselves, leading to vast underground networks of eroded tunnels and sinkholes that have claimed more than one foolish spelunker's life.
Biosphere[]
Extremely dense and diverse in it's natural life, Opleia is home to seemingly innumerable creatures and plant life. Lending to both the planet's beauty and the exotic nature of the hunts that are all to popular of a sport here.
Flora[]
- Iavuce - The most common of plant life witnessed on Opleia, the Iavuce tree is responsible for the vast canopies present on the planet as well as the vast shade provided from the overbearing sun. Standing at 150 meters in height at full maturity, these trees are only dwarfed by the tallest buildings that reside in the sparse cities.
- Cretalea - Often seen at the foot of the various mountains that dot the surface, these vibrant, red-barked trees are often used for navigation as it has been observed that the natural growth of these smaller trees naturally leans towards planetary south.
- Ouapalea - The shortest of the observed tree variants on Opleia, these almost shrub-like plants are known for having an unusually fibrous construction, akin to bundles of almost thread-like wood versus actual lumber. Formerly used for the various fabric needs of the native peoples, these plants are often used now by the painters that call Opleia home. The plants fibrous nature making for exquisite brushes and giving the artists a unique flair to their works that cannot be duplicated.
- Uclole - The most famed of the myriad fruits produced by this planet's jungles, the Uclole was formerly used by the natives as both a watter supplement and dye for fabrics. However upon examination and experimentations, the fruit's famed use as a dye for the various sculptures produced has lead to slight genetic augmentation, turning the fruit from a formerly vital food source to a purely aesthetic dying agent used to brighten and color masonry as well as stone sculptures.
- Aikaoe - Formerly a divine plant within the native cultures, the arrival and implanting of the Imperial Creed pushed this mushroom back to anonymity until a few decades after colonization. This drugs euphoria inducing spores leading to more than a fair amount of residents having one or two permanently in thier homes. Upon ingesting however one is shortly affected with a distorted view of the area around them. Slightly hallucinating in the process but in more of a frantic and panicked tone than when under the effects of Renqua, this being used more in the sense of parties as the energy given often is enough to spur all but the more exhausted of men onward.
Fauna[]
- Grox - Only seen in the domesticated sense, these animals were transplanted mainly as an accessible food source in lieu of the most vicious beasts present in the jungles.
- Beazau- A moderately sized serpent with an average length of 2.6 to 3 meters, this is classified as a constrictor type serpent. It's highly vibrant scales blending in perfectly with the floating vegetation that it writhes beneath. Residing largely in the riverbanks and swamps, this beast has been known on more than one occasion to snare and then drown hapless hunters and even nobles. Devouring it's prey soon after should it not be killed by the accompanying party.
- Pheagin - A vicious quadruped that is an odd cross between a canine and feline apex predator. Standing only at a height of .4 meters when on all fours, the bristle-like hide of this creature served as a primitive armor for the natives here before being colonized in M38 by it's now ruling family. Extremely territorial and highly irritable, the hunting of these creatures now is often warned as where there is one, multiple are hiding nearby.
- Qopecta - A large, chitinous creature very reminiscient to that of the milipede, albeit one that is at minimum 1.4 meters in length. Largely skittish and a non-aggressive creature, it is one of the countless herbivores on this planet. Consuming some of the exotic plants and is in fact the biological creator of one of the planets more famed drugs, a hallucinogen the natives called Renqua. This is the main reason why this animal is still hunted, as more than a few nobles desire such a drug for it's visual enhancement as well as the mental and emotional detachment it induces. Simulating an out of body experience for most users.
- Camsau - The most sought after the of the aquatic life on Opleia, this manta-ray averages out in size at 1.1 meters from wing-tip to wing-tip. Only present in waters just before or after rapids, the meat of this fish is rather stiff but flavorful as the combination of aquatic plant-life and other fish develop and inevitably flavor the meat. Relatively harmless save for the defensive barbs that line it's tail and venomous secretions once out of the water, proper handling and storing is enough to save all but the most foolish of fishers from a painful death by this creature.
Population[]
Contained largely in the few cities that dot the planet's landscape, the myriad concentration of artists, nobles, and other people of note have largely lead to this planet being what it is. Turning it from a death world into a pleasure world over the course of colonization and the control of the vicious beasts which reside in the planet's dense jungles. The PDF of this world equipped with their own force of cyber-mastiffs, graciously provided by their nobility born patrons as a way to better defend against animals who have developed so many ways to rend flesh, yet none to affect metal.
As with all pleasure worlds though there is a dark side to the seemingly perfect face that is presented. The most notable being the presence of a pleasure cult dedicated to the Daemon Prince Hadrak and in turn Slaanesh. Kept secret by the wealthy Valance family, the current and only surviving child, Dahlia[1], is the cult's leader and operates with impunity to subvert the Imperium. All the while appearing on the surface to be upstanding Imperial citizens.