Argent Moon

Geography

The entire surface is an ice sheet that moves counter to the moon's rotation of its day/night cycles (i.e. the sun moves west-to-east, the surface moves east-to-west). This gives the moon the appearance of being tidally locked. Beneath the glacier-thick ice is a deep ocean of water, and at the ocean's floor live the Ancient Drow.

The ocean floor is primarily composed of rough iron and rock sand. There are underwater mountains, steep cliffs, and cave structures. The shallows range at depths between 20 and 150 feet before any significant dropoff occurs. At the deepest depths there are warm water geysers (about 19°C) and small vents. The core is unknown, as all attempts to drill under the ocean bed have been aborted.

Unlike its sister moon, it is not tidally locked to ti'Rae and is at a much greater distance to the planet. Due to its size and distance, astronomy experts believe it to be a wayward dwarf planet that got caught in the outer edges of ti'Rae's gravitational field, and for thousands of years it was believed to be entirely uninhabitable.

Ecosystem

The surface of the Argent Moon is in a perpetual state of an ice age, with temperatures never exceeding above freezing. There is no atmosphere. No precipitation occurs, however water turbulance "storms" occur in the ocean below. Experts believe the discord between the rotations of the moon and the ice sheet to be the cause of these "storms."

Fauna & Flora

There are thousands of aquatic species that live on the Argent Moon. Most notable is the famous predator the Kryllist. It is a short-necked, flat-bodied creature that measures 100 feet in length on average.

Natural Resources

The ice sheet contains a fine silver-like grain that can be refined into a very tough material called silversteel. These silver grains come from small vents in the ocean floor; the silver is lighter than water, very quickly floating to the top and becoming embedded within the ice sheet. The vents from which the silver grains come lead straight to the core, which is that of the living planet.

There is also a compound of salt the local Drow call "silver-salt." It is a slightly sweet, grainy salt with addictive properties. This salt comes directly from ocean water.

Argent Moon

Astrographical Information
Type Moon
System ti'Rae Solar System
Orbited Body ti'Rae
Phase Cycle Duration 88 Days
Physical Information
Diameter 4,000 mi
Atmosphere Color No atmosphere
Climate
Terrain Ice Sheet Glaciers Oceans
Flora Fever Weed
Fauna Kryllist Ormennê catháná Water-kin Zombie shrimp
Societal Information
Other Species Drow
Primary Language(s) Elvish
Population 3.4 million
Major exports Silversteel
Alternative Names