Leirand

Overview

Leirand is a strange desertic terra planet orbiting an M2 Class Star. It shares its system with two other life-bearing worlds and has eight moons, all of which are captured asteroids. While the Isvoy has detected no sapient life in the system, the presence of complex lifeforms has been confirmed.

Leirand’s atmosphere is extremely thin, which initially led scientists to believe life would be improbable. However, readings from the Isvoy shipboard computer suggested otherwise, prompting a scientific investigation.

Study

Map of Leirand, showing the three most prominent craters, as well as the World Eater, looking like a massive black ring.

A scientific probe dispatched to the planet’s surface confirmed the existence of an enormous, world-spanning organism dubbed the "World Eater." This low-growing, black-and-green leafy jungle thrives in the thin atmosphere, using an expansive root system to search for underground water.

The desert areas are thought to be regions the organism could not colonize. The Isvoy's computer analysis suggests that life on Leirand originated through panspermia from one of the system's other inhabited worlds — most likely the third planet, which has a thicker atmosphere of 0.33 atm and surface vegetation.

Follow-Up

The World Eater, just a tiny piece of it.

The captain of the Isvoy has named the organism the "World Eater." Despite the ship’s ability to terraform the planet, the captain has opted against it for two reasons:

The Isvoy lacks sufficient asteroid redirecting craft to begin large-scale terraforming. 2. While the shipboard computer has classified the World Eater as non-sapient, the captain believes it may hold scientific or humanitarian significance.

A station named Leirand Station has been established on one of the asteroid moons (4.D1) to facilitate long-term research. The station currently houses around 200 personnel and is equipped with operational gravity generators.

Notable Facts

Leirand’s thin atmosphere remains a scientific mystery.
The World Eater’s ability to thrive under such harsh conditions challenges known biological models.
The possibility of interplanetary panspermia raises questions about the system's evolutionary history.