Oxi Farming
This article is still being written...
Overview
There are two categories of oxi farms: traditional and industrial. Both operate exclusively in the desert biome and employ similar methods although the latter is inspired by the former. By farming instead of harvesting it directly from oxi societies, Serpentis is able to ensure the populous has a reliable supply of this crucial mineral. The oxi farming industry is, however, regulated carefully to ensure a sustainable future for the people and the planet.Traditional
Traditional oxi farming is a trade that has been passed on for millenia, generation after generation. And those in the trade today still live in the same place utilizing the methods their ancestors did eras ago. After the spring storms, when oases are refilled and the threat of nasty weather has passed, desert shyr families get to work grooming their stretches of sand. Some families divide the sands into evaporation ponds using clay and long ribs from cactus skeletons. They collect water and lay it out across the sands or fill the evaporation ponds. It's then gathered once it has dried and crystallized. This takes no more than an hour. Conveniently, the crystals will neatly divide into soroxi and beroxi on their own during the evaporation process thanks to their repulsion force. Traditional farmers will produce both unrefined and artisanal oxi. Both of which are highly sought after for their unique flavors, health benefits, and adherence to traditions.Industrial
To provide the populous with a reliable and efficient source of oxi, industrial farms were also erected. Water is pumped from drilled wells and left in evaporation ponds made of a material synthesized from tespr chitin. These farms produce large quantites of refined oxi, some of which is stored in contingency reserves. Due to the more invasive methods and scale of operations, the Serpentian Environmental Protection Bureau has limitations on the number of allowable industrial farms, how much land they can operate on, and caps the amount of oxi that can be produced annually. As a measure to prevent changes in ocean salinity, industrial farms' allowable yield is cyclically raised and lowered. Each cycle lasts several years. The periods of low yield are intended to give the ocean currents time to refresh the surface with dissolved oxi from the depths. Contingency reserves are tapped into if needed. Whereas the times of high yield help add to the contingency and export reserves. While it would seem an ideal location, farming this mineral in the desert is not without its challenges. Mid-Summer to Mid-Fall is the choice time period to operate. Blasting spring winds would blow away their harvest and the cool, dark winters inhibit crystallization. Constant winds are a fact of life on Serpentis, especially when near She'salla. Additionally, following Nagis Keb, some traditional farms and oases were lost. And the permanent fiery scar has rendered a fifth of the desert unsuitable.Large Format Applications
There are circumstances in which large oxi crystals are needed. The production of these large-scale, solid crystals is extremely dangerous, demanding, and exclusive to very specific, specialized facilities. These facilities rapidly grow oxi under controlled conditions and produce small (30cm) and medium (1 meter) crystals. These are grown in individual cells and are used as power cores for personal sea-ferring or space-ferring vessels. But they also make waaaaaay bigger ones for the following....- Municipal power plants
- The SkyWay
- Interplanetary and intergalactic passenger and cargo ships
- UV Barriers
- Large sea-ferring vessels
- Divo tree elevators
Comments