Last Daydream
World Dossier · WD-TEST

Zodu

Red light basins

The space is filled with sourceless light; there is no night and no shadow outdoors. It holds one star and its worlds. The gate stands on one of them.

Water climbs the slope instead of falling down the hillside. A new device risks breaking the trade that feeds the whole land. Three great families divide the world between them and marry only among themselves.

Population
About 18,768 people live here across deep basins and knife ridges.
Ships
Ships built on this world reach their own moons but few go farther.
Danger
Old structures fall without warning while people still live inside them.
Credits
Credits issued by kiosks buy passage at ten per head and a thousand per hull.
The land of Zodu
01

Medium

"The light never dims, but the heat kills the day."

from Annals of the Ridge, by Yashun
02

The Gate

The gate opens on Dimensional Station sector 1. Its doors measure the standing area of Earth's whole surface. The guides are a closed caste who hold the license for use.

"There is no violence in the Dimensional Station. Violent offenders will be removed."

from Tide Tables of the Basin, by Dishe
03

Who Holds It

Licensed guides alone may open the gate. An unlicensed attempt ends in exile from the station. Violence against a guide or a licensed trader leads to removal back to the offender's own world.

04

What Breaks

A new invention threatens the trade that feeds the land. The families fight over who blocks it. The Hotuchi lead the block while the Rachoru push for change.

05

Costs

Living here costs ten credits a head for passage and a thousand per hull to cross the gate. Cargo goes free but fuel from this world is required for machines.

06

Peoples

  1. One of the Hotuchi
    01

    Hotuchi

    Slight and small-boned, stone-grey hide
    Alignment
    Neutral people who obey guide laws strictly.
    Economy
    They earn by trading stone goods across basins while relying on kiosk credits for passage fees.
    Governance
    Three families make rules; they ban outside marriages.
    People
    Their habits show respect for the knife ridges, and they wear simple cloaks to match their stone-grey hide.
    Looks
    Slight frames with small bones, stone-grey skin, digitigrade legs, gold slit-pupil eyes, and rough wool wraps.
  2. One of the Gurin
    02

    Gurin

    Saurian, turtle-like
    Alignment
    Benevolent guides guard basins from falling ruins safely.
    Economy
    Gurin mine ancient ruins and sell their sand scales to distant performers.
    Governance
    Gurin elders choose trade routes; they obey guide caste orders.
    People
    Their temper is calm near ridges and they wear shell masks to hide toothed snouts from sun.
    Looks
    Gurin stand tall with saurian bodies, turtle-like shells, sand-coloured scales, a neck frill, a toothed snout, woven reed vests, and carry heavy picks.
  3. One of the Rachoru
    03

    Rachoru

    Insectoid, stick-insect-like
    Alignment
    Neutral inventors seek new ways to break trade rules safely.
    Economy
    They build small machines on local fuel and mend falling ruins for pay.
    Governance
    Rachoru guilds decide inventions; guides grant safety permits first.
    People
    Their habits include climbing knife ridges and they wear chitin masks to match banded yellow and black patterns.
    Looks
    Insectoid frames with stick-insect-like limbs, banded yellow and black chitin, a segmented abdomen, feathered antennae, and leather tool belts.
  4. One of the Dayusin
    04

    Dayusin

    Root-footed vine folk
    Alignment
    Lawful guardians watch basins; they work only at night.
    Economy
    They sell root feet to ship builders and harvest bark skin for clothes.
    Governance
    Three families appoint Dayusin wardens to clear old structures.
    People
    Their values follow the rhythm of night work and they wear woven bark cloaks over branching arms.
    Looks
    Plant-bodied forms with vine limbs, bark skin, root feet, branching arms, and green leaf veils for shade.
  5. One of the Lagor
    05

    Lagor

    Bipedal marsupials, tall
    Alignment
    Neutral traders push new inventions to break trade rules.
    Economy
    Lagor trade their spiked tails for drone power across the gate.
    Governance
    Clan leaders sell inventions while ignoring guide warnings.
    People
    Lagor race across knife ridges while wearing red cloaks that hide a single spiral horn on their brow.
    Looks
    They stand tall with kangaroo builds and spiked tails while a single spiral horn marks their brow above tight leather trousers worn against the deadly heat.
Last Daydream · World Codex WD-TEST · Canon v0.1