Vharrine
The Singing Giant
Vharrine is a gas giant that never rests. Its crimson surface shifts in massive tidal surges and never-ending tempests that make their way across the planet’s upper atmosphere. The many moons orbiting Vharrine have their pull on the endlessly shifting atmosphere, but the greatest contributor to the turbulence is Vharrine itself. Vharrine emits a powerful electromagnetic signal that can be detected far from the Suskillon system. Originally thought to be a distant pulsar, the signal has been identified as coming from Vharrine’s core. This constant electromagnetic rhythm hurls metallic debris and particles through the planet’s atmosphere, making Vharrine’s skies far more turbulent than those of similar worlds.
Scientists have set up shielded research stations surrounding Vharrine, attempting to discover the nature of this unusual signal. The magnetic pulses are erratic, with an undercurrent of noise. This noise was initially thought to be interference from Vharrine’s moons, but studies have shown it to instead be variance in the signal itself. Research teams rush to be the first to break the code of Vharrine and to find out why the planet’s electromagnetic signal is so variable.
Shirren researchers from Vharrine Station D have had some success. They believe they have established contact with an unknown entity, “speaking” through pulses sent to the planet. However, the shirrens are unsure if this being dwells within Vharrine’s core or simply uses the planet as a massive communications relay. Further, these communications have been clear but cryptic. When questioned, the creature identifies itself as the research team questioning it. At first the researchers assumed the entity was mimicking them, but it has since been able to disclose identifying codes and other secret information, suggesting some combination of telepathy, precognition, temporal displacement, or other advanced techniques.
Atmospheric turbulence, rather than scientific curiosity, attracted Vharrine’s most recent settlers. A group of goblins and hobgoblins discovered that the intense air currents of Vharrine are perfect for a variety of gladiatorial aeronautic competitions. In these games, rival teams attempt to outdo each other in a quest for speed, glory, and destruction. The only firm rule in these races is that no Drift travel can be attempted while in the atmosphere—a restriction that came only after a section of atmosphere the size of Apostae disappeared into the Drift.
The goblinoids of Vharrine Aerobatic Xenoracers (VAX) have begun broadcasting the races. The action streams live through the Drift, arriving on other worlds days or weeks after the event. The goblinoids incorporate regular traffic or buzzing research stations into their games. The few times someone has tried to stop the racers, the show just became that much more complicated and spectacular.
Some have noted these broadcasts carry with them elements of Vharrine’s magnetic signal. Viewers elsewhere in the galaxy have noticed the strangeness of this underlying signal, and a discerning few have noticed that the signal has become clearer in recent broadcasts.
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