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--- dark_side [2025/03/20 09:40] – [Tactical Advice for Dungeon Masters] admin
+++ dark_side [2025/11/26 13:18] (current) – [The known regions of the Dark Side] admin
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 ====== THE DARK SIDE ======
+{{:dark_side_illustration_scenic2d.png?direct&600|}}
 ===== Overview =====
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 With a total area of approximately 255 million square kilometers, the Dark Side covers nearly half of the planet’s surface. However, the majority of the Dark Side remains unexplored. During the [[beta_age|Beta Age]], [[the_humans|Exohuman]] expeditions primarily focused on the Habitual Belt in search of new potential settlement areas, leaving much of the Dark Side untouched. In the [[the_gamma_age|Gamma Age]], Exohumans are restricted in their exploration capabilities due to the regulations imposed by the [[peace_treaty|Peace Treaty]] with the [[alliance_of_native_tribes|Alliance of Native Tribes]].
-As a result, only the [[ralar_region|Ralar Region]], part of the [[dark_sea_region|Dark Sea Region]], and a small fraction of the [[vazhak|Vazhak Region]] have been examined by Exohuman expeditions. The Vazhak Region, marking the northern frontier of the Dark Side, remains the most enigmatic and least understood landscape on VOI 700 D, known only through limited, perilous expeditions.
+As a result, only the [[ralar_region|Ralar Region]], part of the [[dark_sea_region|Dark Sea Region]], and a small fraction of the [[vazhak|Vazhak Region]] have been examined by Exohuman expeditions. Vazhak is located to the north and east of the Ralar Region, but beyond its known borderlands, its true extent and nature remain a mystery. No Exohuman has ever ventured deep into its interior, and it is unknown whether other regions or undiscovered landscapes exist beyond its vast, frozen deserts.
-This means that much of the flora and fauna of the Dark Side remains unknown, and it is possible that undiscovered species or entire biomes exist in its vast, unexplored depths.
+The name “Vazhak” is often used by Exohumans as a synonym for the entire Dark Side, emphasizing its unforgiving and enigmatic nature. However, in reality, Vazhak is just one of the many unknown territories that make up the Dark Side, making it a symbol of the planet’s last great frontier. This means that much of the flora and fauna of the Dark Side remains unknown, and it is possible that undiscovered species or entire biomes exist in its vast, unexplored depths.
-===== Geography =====
-Because the sun never reaches the Dark Side, temperatures are extremely low, ranging from -20 to -70 degrees Celsius, with the coldest areas deep in the interior. Most of the region is covered by snow and ice, with vast ice deserts and frozen plains dominating the landscape.
+===== Climatic Conditions & Geography =====
-The Dark Side has a total length and width of approximately 21,200 kilometers. From south to north, it is divided into various regions with distinct geographic characteristics. However, much of the Dark Side remains unexplored, as neither humans nor Natives have ventured deep into its interior.
+Because the sun never reaches the Dark Side, temperatures are extremely low, ranging from -30°C to -90°C, with the coldest areas deep in the interior where there is no geothermal activity. However, geothermal vents and volcanic activity create localized exceptions, significantly raising temperatures in certain areas. The volcanic bay near the [[ralar|Volcano Ralar]] sees water temperatures rise to as high as +30°C due to lava flows, while geothermal caves in the Ralar Region can reach up to +25°C, providing rare pockets of habitable warmth. Most of the region is covered by snow and ice, with vast ice deserts and frozen plains dominating the landscape.
-The best-known region from an [[the_humans|Exohuman]] perspective is the [[ralar_region|Ralar Region]] in the equatorial zone, where Exohumans have founded the settlement of [[firetown|Firetown]]. This region is the primary point of contact between the Habitual Belt and the Dark Side.
+The Dark Side has a total length and width of approximately 21,200 kilometers. From south to north, it is divided into various regions with distinct geographic characteristics. However, much of the Dark Side remains unexplored, as neither Exohumans nor Natives have ventured deep into its interior.
-===== The (known) Regions of the Dark Side =====
+==== The known regions of the Dark Side ====
+{{ :atrana_mountains_ralar_region_illustration_scenic2d.png?direct&200|}}
   * **[[ralar_region|Ralar Region]] – ** Located in the eastern part of the Dark Side at the equatorial level, bordering the [[equator_sections_east_and_west|Asari Region]]. The Ralar Region takes its name from the active volcano [[ralar|Ralar]], situated in the southeast of the region. Geographically, it consists largely of an ice desert, but it also features the Dark Sea, whose shores extend near the foot of Ralar, and the [[atrana_mountains|Atrana Mountain Range]], which marks the boundary with the Habitual Belt.
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 ===== Fauna =====
+{{ :korozo_gg_scenic_2d_noeyes.png?direct&200|}}
 While most of the Dark Side is inhospitable to life, some regions support highly adapted creatures:
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 ===== Native and Exohuman Population =====
+{{ :natives_zark_tribe_gg_scenic02_2d_08.02.06.jpeg?direct&200|}}
 Most of the Dark Side remains uninhabited due to its extreme conditions. However, some groups have established a presence:
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 ===== Tactical Advice for Dungeon Masters =====
-The Dark Side is the least explored planetary zone on VOI 700 D, offering Dungeon Masters the greatest creative freedom. However, its extreme cold, lack of sunlight, and perilous landscapes should always present significant survival challenges. Expeditions into the Dark Side should be high-risk, high-reward scenarios, often involving isolation, resource scarcity, and environmental hazards. If introducing unknown creatures or ancient remnants, they should align with the established technological, biological, and environmental limitations of VOI 700 D.
+The Desert Side and the Dark Side are the least explored planetary zones on VOI 700 D, offering Dungeon Masters the greatest creative freedom. These regions are perfect for crafting mysterious, high-stakes scenarios filled with the unknown.
+The Dark Side in particular should always pose significant survival challenges. Its extreme cold, total absence of sunlight, and treacherous terrain create a constant threat of environmental hazards, psychological strain, and logistical hardship. Expeditions into the Dark Side should be high-risk, high-reward missions that test the players' endurance, resourcefulness, and teamwork. This zone opens up a wide range of storytelling opportunities:
+  * **Western-style frontier adventures in and around Firetown in the Ralar Region**, where players navigate shifting alliances, outlaw factions, and moral dilemmas under harsh conditions.
+  * **Deep sea expeditions in the mysterious Dark Sea Region**, where ancient ruins and bioluminescent predators lurk beneath frozen waves.
+  * **Survival-based exploration of the vast, ice-covered, and largely unmapped Vazhak-Region**, where each step forward may bring discovery—or doom.
+When introducing new creatures, ancient technologies, or forgotten ruins, always ensure they remain consistent with the technological, biological, and environmental constraints of VOI 700 D. Avoid overpowered artifacts or supernatural elements that break immersion. Instead, build suspense and tension through scarcity, isolation, environmental storytelling, and subtle signs of civilizations lost to time.
 ==== Beta Age (2625–2631) – The Era of Exploration and War ====