Arquand

Arquand is a sentient planet in the Vast that fulfils the wishes of the myriad non-intelligent life native to it, while terrorising any intelligent settlers.

Geography

Arquand is a pastoral, resource-rich world.

Fauna & Flora

Inhabitants

Arquand is home to no intelligent life, except for the planet itself, which is self-aware and reacts to the desires of the local fauna: producing food when they're hungry or changing shape to aid in migration. Animals, like herds of long-necked, six-legged gazelles or city-sized flocks of colourful, four-winged birds, thrive on Arquand.

In reverse, Arquand terrorises and preys upon intelligent settlers. One might wake from a nightmare to find that the monster in the nightmare is real and standing near their bed. Manifestations evoked by positive feelings, on the other hand, can draw out obsession and siphon away sanity. Despite all this, settlers from the Pact Worlds system still flock to Arquand, considering themselves disciplined enough to mitigate the well-publicised dangers and harness the planet's wish-fulfillment potential.

History

The explorers who discovered Arquand found it a ripe place to settle, but just after a few months they started to see long-dead loved ones lurking in shadows, technology randomly malfunctioning, and the local fauna being unusually organised and hostile. After an entire encampment disappeared, the rest of the settlers left, and Arquand was later rediscovered as sentient.

Type

Planet

Location under

Vast