Heberus

Heberus, named after Heberia, a Earth goddess of the night and cold, is the fourth planet from the star NWE-2a. Until 210 GE, Heberus had evaded notice due to its exosphere. Heberus’ exosphere has the mysterious ability to reflect light—less than 1% of what hits it—giving the planet its distinct coal-black appearance. The New World Safeguard (NWS) deemed Heberus the darkest known exoplanet. Interestingly, when viewed through the NWS-Atlas' cameras, the colors of Heberus' and its ring system become inverted. The NWS has found no explanation for this phenomenon. Even now, the intricacies of the exosphere’s qualities are not fully understood.
Underneath the exosphere, light functions normally. When standing on the surface of Heberus, the night sky, complete with Heberus’ moons and rings, are visible. Captain Axel of the NWS-Atlas, chief representative of Earth (NWSism referring to Earth’s parallel/twin planet), theorizes that this phenomenon is an attempt to conceal the planet. The main counterargument to this theory is that anyone can estimate Heberus’ location due to its ring system. However, because it took ten years for the NWS to discover Heberus after Seer Salix foretold its existence, this theory has remained credible.

Heberia's Crown

"There, I saw it: light sucked into what was a complete and utter anomaly. Somehow, it had gone unnoticed for years. How? With a ring system as bright and vast as Heberus', surely it would've been found sooner. That old man was right after all."

- Ironwill, chief representative of Inoshia

Captain Axel found Heberus due to the planet’s prominent ring system. Heberus’ ring system appears to absorb light. It’s because of this unique quality that Heberus’ ring system is called Heberus’ “crown.” Heberia, the Pale Lady, was often depicted with a crown of ice. Heberus’ crown is composed predominantly of small stars and cosmic dust. This ring system is prominent and bright enough that it is visible even with unaided vision. The NWS is unsure if there is a connection between Heberus’ exosphere and its absorption magic. Captain Axel has theorized that the magnitude of Heberus’ ring system’s glow may be due in part to the exosphere’s reflective qualities.

Geography

Heberus is a terrestrial exoplanet that sits near the center of the galaxy. It is one of the few known planets capable of supporting life. It is roughly twice the size of Earth. Beneath its exosphere, Heberus is almost entirely covered by water. The NWS estimates that approximately 82.5% of Heberus’ surface is water.
Because of the quantity of water, what remains of Heberus are islands sitting atop the Black Sea. The Black Sea, aptly named due to its tar-like coloration, is violent and unendingly stormy. It is unknown if anything lies beneath the ocean, but the NWS believes that the saltwater bodies are too toxic to sustain life. Ecosystems on the islands are a stark contrast from the Black Sea, harboring life similar to and very different from Earth. Due to the placement of the islands and their mountains, the NWS believes the islands were once a supercontinent. The NWS has not found any landmasses larger than the islands.

Heberian Satellites

Heberus has four moons, all of which were named by the NWS. Each moon carries some form of life, though not all moons are hospitable. The largest of these four moons is Chione, whose crust is mostly water and ice. When standing on the surface of Heberus, Chione is the most visible moon. Because of its likeness to Heberus, the NWS named Chione "Heberus' daughter." The second largest moon, Carpo, has its own atmosphere and bodies of liquid such as lakes, rivers, and seas. It is considered the most hospitable moon of the four, with seasons not unlike Earth. Life has been detected on Carpo, though no extensive civilizations have been found, and most life is microscopic. The four moons are all named after the Horae, Earth goddesses of the seasons, according to the moons' qualities. Seer Salix believes there is a divine reason why Chione is the most prominent Heberian moon, though he has made no further comments.

History

The discovery of Heberus was tumultuous; Seer Salix, the chief representative of Serpina, foretold its discovery in 200 GE, ten years before the NWS reported its existence. Around this time, scientists and mages treated Serpinian clairvoyance as a myth. Unfortunately, Seer Salix was labeled a lunatic whose visions were simply bouts of hysteria. After Heberus’ discovery, the NWS formally recognized Serpinian clairvoyance, but Seer Salix’s reputation had already been tarnished. He saw no pupils for a decade, not but one.
For the next five years—until 215 GE—the NWS continued training select members of varying planets for colonization of Heberus. During this period, the NWS and individuals selected for colonization remained in space. When life was discovered past Heberus’ exosystem, it was quickly selected as the landing site for the NWS-Atlas. This decision marked the end of a two-century-long search for an inhabitable planet.

A high-definition photo of Heberus taken by the NWS-Atlas. Notice how the colors of its rings and surface are inverted.

Alternative Name(s)

NWE-2b

Type

Planet

Inhabiting Species

• Pelor

Satellites
Auxesia
Carpo
Chione
Thallo
Rotation Period
Day length: 24 Earth hours
Orbital Period
Year length: 732 Earth days
Demonym
Heberian

Alas, Pale Lady

Nestled betwixt dark and darker
Lay the pale queen’s heart and eye
Watching us wandering alone.
To stew in endless darkness—
Alas, pale lady.
Wreathed in a ring of divinity,
She floats amid the seas of pure darkness
Swallowing light that she cannot retain.
To be a tragic reflection of loss—
Alas, pale lady.

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This was a poem written by Seer Salix in the year 200 GE. This was later said by Salix to be the foretelling of "an unnamed inhabitable planet."