Niquella

The Horizon-Effect produced by planet Niquella.

Overview

Niquella is an ocean planet located in the Syltphaan System, which is found in the Far-West Systems of the Realm of Resonance. Housing five native sapient species, Niquella is a world of great galactic importance in the years following the Time of Ashes. Most notably in its history; it served as the home world of the Ophonoti species, one of the original three founding races of the Ambrosia Alliance of United Systems (AAUS). Other species native to Niquella include the Kessgora, Aoweesh, Omhonoti, and the Forberant-Tunnelers. Niquella also served as the home world of the Inomeni race, the Liquella, from which the world gets its namesake, until they were destroyed alongside all Inomeni kind by the Seraphnim's firing of "Finality."

As a nexus of life, both sapient and otherwise, and a world of such prominence in galactic history, Niquella is one of the most well-known worlds in Alliance society, especially the case amongst aquatic worlds in the Alliance. As such, it has a bustling population, with great floating cities on its surface waters, above in its clouds, in orbit around it, and deep within its oceans, built both by native Niquellan species, and those alien to it. Alongside population, Niquella, as home to the Ophonoti, serves as the Alliance's technological hotspot in the Far-West Systems, with innumerable pieces of technology being created on and launched from Niquella to elsewhere in the galaxy.

The importance of Niquella to the rest of the universe wasn't seen until the 100 TIs, (Time Immemorial) near the end of the Time of Ashes. Once the native Ophonoti had left their native waters to colonize the rest of the Syltphaan System, they would swiftly discover the existence of, and subsequently the ability to manipulate Janus Gates to other systems. Launching eastward of Syltphaan's stellar position, they'd find themselves in a system governed by the Sanlagosa Concordant.

The Ophonoti would manage to fend off the Sanlagosa for the next 30 years, finding allies in the Thay-Tu and Merbrekians, both of which were also fending off the Sanlagosa. With their aligning, and the subsequent discovery of the ancient Etymological superstructure of Póli Ton Theón,' the Ambrosia Alliance of United Systems would be formed in 1 AGY (Ambrosian Galactic Year), beginning the standardized galactic calendar from then on.

Culture

Population

In the modern era, the majority of Niquella's population is made of those not native to the planet, as most elected to leave the planet to go to other worlds across the galaxy for better opportunity elsewhere. Primarily, its most major race, the Ophonoti had left the planet in droves, wishing to see and be apart of the galaxy beyond their murky waterways. Other native races, like the Aoweesh and Kessgora, also elected to leave their home world in massive numbers, with comparatively small and sparse handfuls remaining under Niquella's waters.

However, the large whale-like Omhonoti, largely elected to remain within their home world, believing it to be an inherent and intrinsic facet of their very beings. Some did elect to leave, but they are few and far between, leaving much of the planet's native population in the modern era made of Omhonoti.

Following the Ophonoti's mass exodus of the planet, many extra-stellar species would migrate to the immensely developed and astrographically major oceanic world, usually those native to aquatic environments made their way to Niquella. With this, Niquella would reach a massive population of around three trillion sapients, set to grow even higher. Niquella now sits as one of the most populace worlds in the Far-West Systems, and the single-most populace aquatic world apart of the Ambrosia Alliance at large.

Nomenclature

Names and Titles

"Niquella" is the predominant name used to describe the planet, which derives from an ancient Omhonoti word for "Existence," as the solely aquatic race, which inhabited its lower oceans, lacked any understanding of the wider universe which surrounds their small world. This name remained in favor to the Omhonoti even after they had been granted the ability to transport to other worlds by the Ophonoti, as most elected to decline these invitations, wishing to remain in the world in which they believed constituted all reality.

The world "Niquella" itself was spawned directly off of the Omhonoti's discovery of Liquella skeletons which embedded themselves on the Middle Ridge sediment walls. The Omhonoti would eventually revere these Inomeni skeletons as Gods, and individual creators of Niquella, and thus, to them, the entire universe, giving them the title of "Liquella," meaning "Outtence," an esoteric way of saying that the deceased race existed outside of existence itself, only to return upon their death.

As the Ophonoti did not really hold their homeworld as one above any other world, seeing it as just another rock for colonization and resource extraction, they largely chose to for-go their original, rather simplistic given name of the planet "Forever Sea," for that of Niquella, believing the world was better suited to the ones who wish to remain there indefinitely.

Whilst to the Kessgora, they know the world as "Dyltrac," their word for that which is "shrouded," made in reference to the idea that within their native layer of ocean, much of the world lies obscured from the sun's light in darkened waters. Though the vast majority of Kessgora that remained too would favor the Omhonoti word of Niquella to describe the world over time, a trend swiftly followed by all extraplanetary immigrants and visitors. However, the name of Dyltrac would remain to the Kessgora for ceremonial occasions.

To the planet's only "terrestrial" race, the Aoweesh, collectively referred to the planet at large as the "Great Drift," so named in reference to their native ice flows forever wandering and wafting across the planet's global ocean currents, often later crashing into one another and breaking apart. To ancient Aoweesh culture

Demonym It is natural to assume that the demonym “Niquellan” would apply universally to all inhabitants of the planet; and while it is true that this term is used for the majority immigrant population — which now makes up most of the planet’s residents — it is primarily adopted by “outsiders.” For the native inhabitants, the preferred demonym is “Seaborne.” This title, though seemingly simple, carries deep cultural significance for those who chose to stay on Niquella.

Government

Overseer Government

Officially, planet Niquella, and the rest of the Syltphaan System, is governed by the "Ophonoti's Forever-Abound Technological Demarchy." (often shortened to just the Ophonoti Demarchy) As the name suggests, this government is mainly ruled by the Ophonoti; however, it does contain several constituent species, such as all native to Niquella, (save the Forberant-Tunnelers) and extra-Syltphaan races the Ophonoti had "uplifted" and join their interstellar civilization, though its predominant race, both socially and population-wise is of course the Ophonoti themselves.

Despite Niquella being the home world of the Ophonoti, however, it does not serve as the Ophonoti Demarchy's home world. Instead, that honor goes to the city moon of Quantum City, in orbit around the gaseous planet of Dyquella, also within the Syltphaan System. This is because Quantum City served as the world in which Ophonoti society went from an interplanetary government, to that of an interstellar empire, rapidly industrializing the small world.

In fact, much of the native Ophonoti population elected to abandon their former home world for metaphoric (and in some cases literal) greener pastures elsewhere in the galaxy. As such, Niquella is viewed in the wider Ophonoti Demarchy as a more ceremonial world then anything else. Other native races, like the Aoweesh, would also largely choose to leave the planet, as they always existed more in-spite of their environment, rather than flourishing within it,

Though this is of course not to suggest the Ophonoti do nothing with Niquella; quite the opposite. In fact; it serves as a testing ground for the many Quantum Tech aquatic craft the Ophonoti manufacturer, produce, and sell to prospective clients across space. But despite that, Quantum City is certainly the world which receives the majority of Ophonoti favor in Syltphaan.

Place in the Alliance

While neglected by the wider Ophonoti race at large, many other aquatically-inclined races of the Ambrosia Alliance have made themselves quite at home within the warm waters of Niquella. Many cities would be erected by species alien to Niquella across the planet's surface waters, deep in its depths, and even floating above in its cloud layers, eventually leading the world to become an explosion of interspecies commerce in the Far-Western Systems, serving as the half-way point from Far-West to Near-West.

Thanks to this, Niquella is a rather indispensable planet to Alliance infrastructure in the region, compounded with the fact the EXTREMELY important world of Quantum City is within the same star system. As such, Niquella, along with all the Syltphaan System, enjoys immense military protection by the AAUS, in both its Aligned-Navy, and its Ground Forces. A large majority of military personnel stationed in the Far-West Systems being made to spend a lengthy portion of their service in the area on one or more bodies within Syltphaan.

Other Government Interests

The Ambrosia Alliance's precautions are not unfounded in respect to Niquella, as the world has been the target of desire for numerous foreign entities not apart of the Ambrosia Alliance for centuries. This is due to several factors; its strategic importance and position, natural climate and resources, and its extremely powerful infrastructure.

Most notably, of course, during the First Alliance-Concordant War in 10 AGYs, a massive battle was waged above its atmosphere, launched by the Sanlagosa Concordant in an attempt to take the planet and system over, though this would ultimately fail, and they would be repelled. The Concordant would covet the planet for the remainder of its existence.

Other foreign and hostile entities who have a vestige interest in Niquella include the Far-West based Ravagers of Predaketh, and the Near-West based Saffron Stars, both wishing to put the world, and the rest of the Syltphaan System under their control for dominance in the region. Rather recently, the Ravagers of Predaketh had launched a serious of surprise terroristic attacks across many of the surface colonies of Niquella in 55 EE (Ends Emergence) in one of their many interstellar strikes across the Alliance space, enacted to make their presence known.

Life

Most of Niquellan life exists within its great global ocean; typically habituating across the waters at a depth of around 1,500 feet within the beams of visible light produced by its parent sun Syltphaan. The Upper Ridge; a large ridge of continental shelf lifted above at a height of 476 kilometers above the sea floor that carves across the planet's equator, contains the vast majority of the planet's life. Most creatures make their homes in large crevices and caverns burrowed into the ridge, whilst others skirt across the waters nearing the ridge, or along the ridge's flooring.

Further down, life begins to grow more disperse and aberrant. With natural light becoming more and more disperse; biological traits made to cope with these environmental constraints become more apparent, such as bioluminescence, specially developed eyes to see in the dark, or lacking traditional vision entirely and forgoing it in favor of echolocation or through the use of pallesthesia. Life within the deeper waters of Niquella will also begin to take a more esoteric design in comparison to most common aquatic life, with large bulky bodies made of spongy and viscous carapaces to better cope with the crushing weight and increase of pressure caused by the weight of hundreds of kilometers of water above.

Life on Niquella is largely fauna-centric; with few types of aquatic flora, all of which exists in either the Upper Ridge, or over the sea lining at the ocean's surface. Additionally; said fauna dominant is largely carnivory due to the abundance of meats and the lack of large amounts of plant matter, or great levels of visible light in the vast majority of the planet's global ocean.

Native Sapient Species

Ophonoti

The Ophonoti are by far the single most major and famous species to emerge from planet Niquella. Originally evolving in the Upper Ridge of Niquella's segmented sediment sea-bed cliffs, the Ophonoti are an amphibious Amanoid race of immense strength, able to withstand the immense pressures placed upon their bodies from the twenty kilometers worth of weight from water depths which surrounded them. This, combined with their native region, made the Ophonoti the predominant race of Niquella, though they never relished in it. Instead, the Ophonoti often worked in tandem with their sister-species, almost never warring with any of them, with most Ophonoti conflicts in their tenure as a Niquellan exclusive race being intraspecies against one another.

Despite their natural aptitude to survive and thrive in Niquella, as mentioned above, very few Ophonoti hold their home world in any form of special regard, and only several million still inhabit its waters in the modern era. Most elected to leave their homeworld to inhabit more dynamic interesting worlds, as well as ones that could natively house them easier. Though is is not to say that the entirety of their race has lost their connection to their native waters, rather the opposite, as those who chose to remain gained a greater appreciation for their home world then even the Kessgora, or Omhonoti.

As well, they would not leave their home world to languish; following the discovery and creation of Quantum Tech, Niquella was made one of the most technologically capable worlds in the modern era. Great and vast economically prosperous megacities made in accommodation to alien citizenry dot the sea scape, skies, depths, and the orbit of the planet, all thanks to the Ophonoti. Even beyond their exodus, the Ophonoti have continued to funnel resources and expertise into maintaining Niquella’s status as a critical hub of technology and culture in the galaxy.

Kessgora

The Kessgora are the ill-remembered species of Niquella, suffering from a sort of "second-son" syndrome in comparison to their much more galactically important sibling species, the Ophonoti. Despite this, the Kessgora are a race all their own, possessing a unique cultural heritage and region of their home world in which they share. Existing as a near Amanoid species, the Kessgora are exclusively aquatic, and unable to exist in any non-aquatic environment without technological enhancements .Like the Ophonoti, large swaths of Kessgora have also elected to leave their home world, despite their natural disadvantage to leave their shared planet, though in far less numbers than that of the Ophonoti.

The Kessgora are deeply connected to the oceanic depths of Niquella, where they have built elaborate underwater cities and developed a rich culture centered around the sea. Their society values tradition, craftsmanship, and the preservation of the natural aquatic environment, often in contrast to the more expansive and technologically ambitious pursuits of the Ophonoti. Though less recognized in the galactic stage, the Kessgora's deep connection to Niquella’s oceans and their enduring culture give them a distinct and important role in their world.

Existing as a near Amanoid species, the Kessgora are exclusively aquatic, and unable to exist in any non-aquatic environment without technological enhancements. With this in mind, and much of their native star system being waterless wastes, the Kessgora were largely prevented from reaching the same level of development as the Ophonoti, whose amphibious nature allowed them to adapt more easily to a variety of environments. As a result, the Kessgora remained confined to the deep oceans of Niquella for much of their history, focusing their advancements on underwater cities, cultural preservation, and aquatic technologies. This isolation, coupled with their reliance on specific environments, has led to their being somewhat overshadowed by the Ophonoti in terms of galactic influence.

Notable Locations

Settlements

Aquissa Checkpoint

- MAIN ARTICLE: "Aquissa Checkpoint"

Aquissa Checkpoint is a massive twin-structured floating landing array suspended 15 kilometers above the planet's surface, serving as the planet’s primary gateway for all extraplanetary arrivals. Operated by the Niquellan government under the authority of the Forever-Abound Technology Demarchy, the station processes thousands of ships each standard hour, vetting and tracking all visitors before planetfall.

Constructed in 100 AGY, it marked the start of a large-scale security initiative that would later expand throughout the Syltphaan System and other Ophonoti-controlled worlds, adding an extra layer of inspection beyond orbital scans. With direct proximity to Afalesh City; Niquella’s largest urban center and the destination for over 80% of processed traffic, Aquissa Checkpoint is both a vital security hub and one of the planet’s most recognizable landmarks.

History

Emergence and Creation of Life

Like all worlds which emerged following the end of the Great Age Typhonia, and the beginning of the "Typhonia Imperica," in 110,000 TI, Niquella would begin to make its place in Creation known. As it did, its native waters would begin to be infested and infused with the newly created Alizarin which permeated across the now finite Ambrosia. And, unlike much of Ambrosia, from this infusion of Alizarin, native mortal life would begin to erupt across it global oceans nearly immediately. With it a vast ecology of aquatic fauna, each adapted to the respective depth in which they would inhabit.

As Niquella’s ecosystems began to flourish, a remarkable array of mortal fauna emerged, adapting uniquely to the diverse aquatic environments of the planet. In the "shallow", sunlit waters, vibrant coral reefs designed to float along the waters current teemed with life, giving rise to a vast array of colorful fish and invertebrates. These shallow habitats became nurseries for countless species, allowing them to thrive and evolve in an abundance of resources. In contrast, the deep, dark abyssal zones were home to a different set of creatures, most having adaptations such as bioluminescence and elongated forms to navigate the crushing pressures of their surroundings.

This eruption of mortal fauna not only enriched the planet’s biodiversity but also fostered interdependence among species, one which would persist for the remainder of the planet's existence. Usually, predators would swim upwards towards the more prey-like species which skirted the shallower waters, culling the numbers above and preventing them from overtaking their native floating coral reef habitats.

Arrival of the Liquella

Soon after, the Liquella, the Inomeni spawn of the Typhonian "Harmonia," arrived in the Syltphaan System, and instantly took a liking to the aquatic world of Niquella. When she had, she would select it to be the seat of her power, and upon it, her most powerful of her Inomeni progeny, the Liquella, would rise to prominence. They would quickly construct vast underwater cities across its surface, all intricately designed, constructed, and optimized for their massive and esoteric bodies. From there, the Liquella would construct themselves an empire which quickly extended to the whole of the Syltphaan System, and to neighboring star systems, comprising several thousands of worlds.