Tarsica
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| Orbital characteristics | ||
| Mass (Kg) | 9.45E+22 | |
| Radius (Km) | 1,737 | |
| Solar Day (h) | 327 | |
| Orbital Period (days) | 24.8 | |
| Semi-Major Axis (Km) | 384,399 | |
| Periapsis (AU) | .002 | |
| Apoapsis (AU) | .002 | |
| Albedo | .16 | |
| Surface Temperature (K) | 255 | |
| Surface Gravity (m/s^2) | 2.09 | |
| Axial Tile (degrees) | 8.1 | |
| Inclination (degrees) | 3.1 | |
| Orbital Speed (Km/s) | 9.27 | |
| Land/Sea Ratio | N/A | |
| Satellites | None | |
Tarsica, Micras' satellite, is one of the few known life-bearing worlds in the Atos system. Unlike the barren natural satellites found elsewhere in the system, Tarsica possesses a very thin but persistent atmosphere, a limited hydrological cycle, and a small but genuine biosphere. Although the atmosphere remains tenuous, it is sufficiently sustained by the moon's hardy plant life to remain stable and self-replenishing. Because Tarsica is both a satellite and a cold world with only limited atmospheric insulation, it remains perpetually frigid. Almost all water on the surface is frozen, while liquid water below ground must typically be reached by drilling. Hardy evergreen plants dominate the flora of Tarsica, its short Gorgon Pines visible bending against the harsh Tarsican winds through powerful telescopes on Micras. Other plants remain mostly scrub, clinging to rock crevices or gathering near exposed water. Both the climate and atmosphere of Tarsica remain overwhelmingly tundral, though certain equatorial and geothermal districts are notably milder and more biologically productive than the moon's global average.
Basic Detail
The climate of Tarsica is closely tied to its substantial water reserves, most of which remain frozen. The moon's core is only slightly volcanic, contributing to a number of underground water reservoirs and localized geothermal anomalies. It nevertheless remains too cold across most of the surface to keep water in liquid form for long. Only along Tarsica's equator, and in scattered geothermal "hot spots", can liquid water be found in quantities greater than a few square miles. The rest of the surface remains a rugged winter landscape, often comparable to the higher altitudes of a mountain range. Trees grow deep roots and may live for centuries, yet rarely rise taller than twelve feet. Thanks to the constant melting and re-freezing of water along the equator and in other thermally active zones, Tarsica experiences plentiful snowfall. This has contributed to the moon's common pet name, the "Christmas Moon".
The surface of Tarsica is a cryolithic landscape of cratered basins, broken uplands, frostbound plains, rocky escarpments, and ice-rich depressions. The best-known mapped regions include Yaddith, Arcturus, Novaya Sibír, Northeaston, Shrom, Polaria, Otyria, Tall Pine Crater, and the district known collectively as The Equatorial Lakes. Together these regions show that Tarsica is not a uniform frozen sphere, but a world divided into darker geothermal uplands, lighter frost plains, equatorial thaw belts, and isolated freshwater systems. The largest and most ecologically important concentrations of exposed water lie in the equatorial zone, where chains of lakes and thaw-prone basins interrupt the otherwise frozen surface.
North Polar Regions
The North Polar region of Tarsica is characterized by relatively darker terrain interspersed with lighter patches. This region experiences severe cold, though the presence of broad dark zones has long been associated with significant geothermal influence beneath the surface. The terrain is rugged, with a mixture of exposed rock, fractured ice, and frost-coated uplands. The lighter areas indicate ice caps, snowfields, or frost-covered expanses that contribute to the reflective character of the region.
The northern regions of Yaddith, Novaya Sibír, and Northeaston form the best-known examples of this terrain type. Novaya Sibír in particular appears as one of the largest northern upland masses, with a dark and elevated interior surrounded by lighter frost margins. Northeaston is similarly rugged, with a broken central highland zone and several dark projections that suggest fractured geothermal terrain. Yaddith, farther to the northwest, appears colder and more isolated, with a broad frost margin surrounding darker exposed ground. The interaction between geothermal warmth and the surrounding frozen environment creates a dynamic and complex landscape across the north, especially along the boundaries between darker and lighter terrain. For this reason the north polar regions are of considerable scientific interest, both geologically and biologically, as they preserve some of the clearest evidence for the interplay between Tarsica's interior heat and its surface cryosphere.
Equatorial Regions
The Equatorial region of Tarsica presents a mix of greenish and brownish hues, indicating the moon's most moderate climate and its most varied terrain. The green areas correspond to vegetation, algae, and other plant life concentrated in regions where liquid water is seasonally or persistently available. This region sustains the densest and most diverse biological activity presently known on Tarsica. The brown areas indicate rocky plains, exposed uplands, and thaw-prone ground shaped by repeated freezing and melting. Occasional cloud cover and weather patterns, including snowfall and rainstorms, shape the landscape and contribute to the formation of shallow valleys, runoff channels, and isolated water systems. It is in the equatorial belt that Tarsica comes closest to a temperate environment, though even here the climate remains markedly cold by Micrasean standards.
The central equatorial belt is anchored by The Equatorial Lakes, a chain of exposed freshwater bodies extending across the middle of the mapped surface. These lakes form the best-known concentration of open surface water on Tarsica and serve as the principal center of the moon's known hydrological activity. Smaller associated lakes and thaw basins also occur around Shrom and Otyria, while the southern rim of Novaya Sibír descends toward one of the most important lake-bearing districts known to outside observers. Arcturus, positioned west of the main equatorial lake chain, forms a broad transitional zone between northern frostlands and the wetter equatorial basin system. The equatorial region is therefore best understood not as a single continuous green belt, but as a discontinuous chain of thaw-prone districts, vegetated margins, exposed rocky ground, and freshwater habitats.
Southern Polar Regions
The South Polar region of Tarsica is marked by a combination of icy and rocky terrains, with a predominance of lighter, frozen surfaces. This area experiences lower temperatures than the equatorial belt and is more extensively ice-covered, though it is not geologically inert. The terrain is somewhat less rugged than the North Polar region, with broader and smoother plains of ice interrupted by darker sectors. These darker regions have long been interpreted as signs of geothermal vents, subsurface warmth, or thinner ice coverage, and they may correspond to buried liquid water reservoirs or other active hydrological features.
The principal southern regions include Tall Pine Crater, Otyria, and Polaria. Tall Pine Crater is among the most visually distinct southern landforms, appearing as a large circular impact structure with concentric terrain bands and a lighter central core. Otyria occupies a central southern position and includes dark elevated sectors surrounded by lighter plains and a nearby cluster of thaw-associated lakes. Polaria, farther east, is broader, paler, and more ice-dominated, standing as one of the clearest examples of the southern cryospheric plain. The interplay between ice and geothermal activity makes the southern polar region especially important for the study of subsurface water systems, cryogeology, and the deeper limits of Tarsican habitability.
Species
Of fauna, Tarsica has little to none when compared with Micras, yet it is not lifeless. The moon's low oxygen content sharply limits the size, diversity, and metabolic intensity of complex organisms, and most fauna remain concentrated in the equatorial region and near freshwater sources. Almost no birds are present except for small species similar to cardinals and chickadees which can survive the rigours of the cold and make their homes amid the small scrubbrush. All water on Tarsica is fresh rather than saline, contributing to most fauna clinging to the equatorial region and other limited hydrological zones.
Among the largest reputed species on Tarsica is the Polar Worm, an insect-like creature the size of a horse said to prowl the wastes and feed on grasses and smaller insects. Smaller species are reputed to exist that, although not officially entered into any taxonomy enjoying current recognition, are referred to colloquially as "reindeer", "polar bears", and the like on account of their ostensible resemblance to creatures encountered in Micras' own boreal regions. That resemblance may be more apparent than real, a testimony to early explorers of Tarsica grasping for familiar comparisons. The best that might be said of these creatures, if they exist, is that they appear to occupy ecological niches similar to those of their Micrasean counterparts. The low oxygen content in the atmosphere serves as a curb on the proliferation and size of complex biological organisms on the moon, lending support to those who doubt the more dramatic early accounts of exploration.
The flora of Tarsica is better established. Hardy evergreen growth, scrub vegetation, frost-resistant mosses, and deeply rooted woody plants dominate the surface ecology. The most famous of these remains the Gorgon Pine, a short, heavily rooted evergreen that can endure centuries of cold, wind, and poor soil while rarely achieving great height. Lichenous mats and crevice plants are especially common in equatorial and geothermal districts, where repeated thawing supports the moon's richest plant communities. The margins of The Equatorial Lakes, the milder districts of Arcturus, and the thaw belts near Otyria and Shrom are regarded as among the richest floral zones presently known on the moon.
In the early 41.50s PSSC the Bassarid government, citing pressure from the international community, suppressed information regarding the existence of a large species known as the Tarsican Stone Crab. Although confirmed by Bassarid researchers who were able, during one of several missions to Tarsica, to photograph and collect high quality partial specimens, the existence of the Stone Crab was rejected by researchers outside of the Bassarids for a time. The later release of rover footage by the New Zimian Space Exploration and Settlement Agency resolved much of that dispute, though debate continues regarding the full anatomy, distribution, and ecological significance of the species.
Colonization Efforts
Although Tarsica was previously associated with a small number of research, military, and proposed orbital installations, no known bases are currently operating on the moon. Earlier reports and claims connected Tarsica to facilities such as New Lindstrom, Lucien on Tarsica, and the proposed orbital project known as Lucien in Orbit, but no presently active permanent surface or orbital base is publicly confirmed.
New Lindstrom
New Lindstrom was a Natopian research installation on the surface of Micras' moon, Tarsica. The colony was described as self-sufficient, with large hydroponic bays, waste recyclers, and subsurface ice-extraction drills. A minor military attachment was reportedly stationed at New Lindstrom for defence, security, and the assertion of Natopian sovereignty at the site. No known evidence indicates that the installation is currently operating.
Visitors from nations on friendly terms with Natopia were once said to be welcome to tour and stay in New Lindstrom, though no such standing arrangement is presently known to be in effect.
Lucien on Tarsica
Lucien on Tarsica was described in Bassarid sources as a Bassarid military installation established in secrecy as part of a joint effort by the New Zimian Space Exploration and Settlement Agency and the New Zimian War League in the early 39th era PSSC. The installation, said to have been used for research as well as a range of other operations, was reportedly located immediately between the two large equatorial lakes found along the southern rim of the Novaya-Sabir crater.
Lucien in Orbit
Lucien in Orbit was a small planned space station reportedly intended to be constructed using Lucien on Tarsica's manufacturing and construction facilities. Once finished, Lucien in Orbit was intended to orbit Tarsica at a relatively low altitude for a period of 10 years PSSC before crashing into the Tarsican surface. No known evidence indicates that this project is presently active or operational.
Asteroid Impact of 50 PSSC
On 119/2/50 PSSC, at precisely 22:48, an asteroid struck the near side of Tarsica at 14.5°N, 47.3°E, unleashing an explosive force equivalent to 17 megatons of TNT. The event formed the Eye of Tarsica, a prominent crater measuring 2.3 kilometers in diameter and 300 meters deep. The intense heat generated by the impact melted subsurface rock, creating a reflective, glass-like surface within the crater. A vast ejecta blanket radiated outward, dispersing debris over a 50-kilometer radius and forming numerous secondary craters. The bright flash from the collision, visible across Micras, lasted approximately 8 seconds and marked one of the most significant lunar phenomena in recorded history. The visible changes to Tarsica’s surface immediately drew attention from scientists, spiritual leaders, and the general populace, setting the stage for profound cultural and scientific developments.
Scientific Observations
The asteroid impact offered unprecedented insights into Tarsica’s geological and seismic characteristics. Seismic waves generated by the collision were detected by instruments deployed by the New Zimian Space Exploration and Settlement Agency. Primary waves (P-waves) traveled at an average velocity of 6.5 km/s, indicating a dense, layered crust, while secondary waves (S-waves) revealed the presence of a semi-molten layer approximately 20 kilometers below the surface. These observations confirmed long-standing hypotheses about Tarsica’s internal structure and its geologic activity.
The impact exposed subsurface materials, including silicates, iron oxides, and magnesium-rich minerals, which were analyzed through orbital spectroscopy. The crater’s central peak, formed by the rebound of displaced crustal material, was composed of olivine and pyroxene, suggesting deep crustal origins. Volatile compounds such as carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide were also detected, indicating the release of trapped gases from beneath the surface.
In addition to seismic activity, the impact caused a slight alteration in Tarsica’s rotational dynamics. Lunar laser ranging experiments detected a minor shift in axial precession of 0.00013 degrees, attributed to the redistribution of mass following the collision. The moon’s albedo increased slightly from 0.16 to 0.165, due to the highly reflective surface of the crater and the fine dust ejected across its surroundings. The event also provided a rare opportunity to study impact dynamics in real time, advancing models of lunar and planetary geology.
Ecological Impact
Despite the force of the asteroid strike, Tarsica’s ecosystems demonstrated remarkable resilience. The impact disrupted local vegetation and displaced animal life near the crater, but recovery was swift due to the adaptive nature of the moon’s organisms. The nutrient-rich soils exposed by the collision provided an ideal substrate for regrowth, allowing plant life to stabilize the altered terrain within weeks. Thermal energy released by the impact temporarily elevated surface temperatures, accelerating biological recovery processes and fostering biodiversity in the affected region.
The formation of fissures, secondary craters, and newly exposed rock layers created a variety of new ecological niches. These changes encouraged the redistribution of flora and fauna across the landscape, resulting in increased ecological diversity. Observations of this rapid recovery have provided valuable insights into the adaptability of life in extreme environments, furthering the study of astrobiology and lunar ecology.
Cultural and Mythological Significance
The impact of 119/2/50 PSSC quickly became a defining moment in Bassarid cosmology. The newly formed Eye of Tarsica, visible from Micras, was interpreted as a celestial message from the Lady Divine of Illumination and Wisdom, symbolizing vigilance and enlightenment. This interpretation reinforced Tarsica’s role as a spiritual and cultural icon within Bassarid society.
In the city of Luminaria, the event inspired the establishment of Taşrakah, or "Reverence of the Stone," a holiday celebrated annually on the 121st day of Thalassiel, the final day of the month. The holiday features nighttime vigils, ceremonial lantern processions, and communal reflections on resilience and cosmic balance. These observances center around the Eye of Tarsica, which has become a spiritual focal point for worshippers and pilgrims seeking to connect with the divine wisdom associated with the moon.
The Eye of Tarsica has further strengthened its significance as both a cultural symbol and a scientific curiosity. It serves as a reminder of the profound impact celestial events can have on both the physical and spiritual realms, bridging the gap between science and mythology in Bassarid society.
