In this post, I'll be giving the details for the many different types of tiles and possible resources they can have in the game. Some tiles can have the same resources as other tiles, so some resource descriptions may be repeats. I haven't checked. I just copied and pasted from the text file.

Acid Shallows
In low lying regions with a heavy annual rainfall, swampy areas predominate. On Funestis, these marshy conditions often coincide with territory where the pH of the subsoil is severely acidic. The geological causes of these vast subterranean deposits of acidic earth are not yet fully understood, but the result is obvious on the surface. Acid Shallows is the accepted name for any swamp-like area of extremely acidic, shallow water in which almost nothing grows. This terrain is not totally useless, but it is limited to a meager food output and what little data can be gleaned from studying the local ecology. Most military units cannot travel onto or through these areas without significant losses, and therefore are almost universally forbidden to do so.

Ancient Hall
Our xenologists label these gargantuan structures "hallways" for lack of a better description. We actually have no evidence of how these areas were used by the ancient platform builders--the race our xeno-archaeologists have named the Ha'Gibborim. What we do know is that the walls and floors of these "halls" are composed of solid, nonmetallic hydrogen, stabilized in shape by advanced technology beyond our capabilities. They are devoid of decoration and have proven difficult to travel over. Experience has shown that these areas are of no use for food production, but the rewards for studying their structure are great. The solid hydrogen can frequently be scavenged for building materials, as well.

Ancient Platform
Materials dating techniques clearly establish these areas as the oldest of all the sections of platform in orbit around Funestis. Conversely, they are also among the best preserved. Whatever long-ago culture built these giant structures, their engineering prowess seems to have gone through alternating cycles of quality workmanship and shoddy construction. Without more information, however, any hypotheses as to what factors could have contributed to this decline and resurgence are pure speculation. We do know that the oldest platforms are manufactured from carbon fiber polyresinous alloys similar to those used in advanced spacecraft like the one that got us here. We can extract some materiel from this and even a little food, but without improvement, this type of platform provides more data than anything else.

Ancient Room
Like the "hallways" they resemble, these regions have been labeled "rooms" simply for lack of a better description; we have no more evidence for these areas' intended use than we do for the halls. As with the structure of nearly every platform in the atmosphere of Nona, the Ha'Gibborim rooms were formed out of solidified, nonmetallic hydrogen. There are theories as to how they accomplished this, but at the time of this writing, even a proof of principle experiment is somewhat beyond our capabilities. Though everything in each room is visible (and therefore accumulating data on these areas is easy and rewarding), few units are able to enter, much less traverse, these regions. Using unpowered equipment (fishing line, mostly), scavenging parties have some success pulling out salvage materials, but none of our machinery functions inside the boundaries of these areas--including life support suits. Obviously, these areas are of no use for food production.

Archaic Platform
Dating of these platforms places them in the so-called "interregnum" period between the two peaks of quality engineering evident in the archaeological record on Funestis. If, as some theorists speculate, the two known cycles of high technology followed by a massive decline in workmanship represent the rise and fall of two distinct empires (perhaps even two separate species), then these regions would have been built during the collapse of the First Empire. The artifacts found here are the same as those on the more ancient platforms, but the underlying structure has generally not held up as well to the ravages of time. Thankfully, the carbon fiber polyresinous alloys used in the oldest platforms are still the majority material in these structures, so we can extract the same amounts of materiel, food, and data.

Bare Rock
On tectonically quiet planets with little or no atmosphere, no liquid water, and minimal native life, there are few mechanical processes for breaking rock down into dust and soil. Over millions of years, however, the slow but constant bombardment by meteorites is enough to cover much of a planet's surface with craters, dust, and other ejecta. On worlds like this, areas of bare rock are sometimes untouched primeval surface, but more often these smooth, flat areas are the result of molten rock welling up from underground and solidifying. The dark maria on Earth's moon are believed to have originated in this way. We have yet to catch this molten rock in the act of welling up, so what causes it to do so is still a matter for theorists. Some of the leading possibilities are: an unusually large meteorite impact, the gravitational stresses of a near miss with a large body, and heat left over from the planet's formation causing rare internally generated quakes. Whatever their origin, these areas are poor ground for farming, but well suited for production of materiel.

Beacon
As is true of all the structures we've discovered on the ancient alien platforms in orbit around Funestis, we can only speculate on the intended use for these. Leading xeno-technologists have categorized the vast colored lights in these areas as communication devices, possibly for signaling to ships docking with the platforms. Study is made extremely difficult, however, by the violent effect the devices themselves have on the electrical and nervous systems of any being or machine that ventures too near. Research continues, and the data pours in. In the mean time, some brave settlers have managed to grow meager crops in the safe areas between the lights. Large scale cultivation is out of the question, however.

Burning Trees
Nature has provided every known organism with a method of reproduction. In the case of the Funestian burning tree, she has taken a somewhat violent tack. During the spring season, each tree in these vast, thick forests grows a multitude of hard seed pods. In summer, a large fruit, ranging in color from red to orange, grows on certain ones. (Botanists are still not sure how a grove chooses which tree will bear fruit.) At the end of summer, when all the trees are driest, the "sparkbag" fruit detonates, starting a forest fire. The size and spread of these fires is quite limited; it's not enough to destroy the stand of trees, but the heat is sufficient to activate the seeds in each pod and explode the pods themselves, scattering seeds into the wind for miles. Unfortunately, these ecosystems are somewhat fragile, and "improvement" destroys them.

Conduit
Not only are large sections of the platforms unfinished or partially dismantled, but there are regions where this has resulted in the exposure of portions of the vast power grid that once supplied energy to these enormous orbital facilities. Our understanding of the power source is still incomplete, but scientists have managed to tap into some of the still functioning conduits. This energy allows us to set up hydroponic farms and get a significant food supply from the terrain. In addition, the data we are accumulating from these open books on the ancient technology is substantial. Unfortunately, painful experience has taught us that any attempts to further cultivate the area or to dismantle the conduits for materiel is futile.

Corrosion
The chemical processes that can corrode even the toughest materials proceed inexorably even in space. Although a section of platform might encounter only one or two or these reactive molecules a year, over the course of millennia, the damage builds up. Add to that the pinhole punctures caused by micro-meteorite impacts, and you have a significant amount of corrosion over time. These areas, however, show much more damage than is consistent with gradual aging. Evidence from particle analysis suggests that whatever inhabited these platforms stored highly reactive substances--some of them radioactive--in certain regions, and that the corrosion in these areas was probably caused by the slow release of those compounds over time. These areas are useless for food production unless cultivated; they're better used as a source of refined materiel.

Craters
When a disk of gas and dust surrounding a newborn star condenses to form planets, there is always plenty of material left over to make innumerable smaller things--comets, asteroids, moons, and other objects. Over millions of years, most of the larger of these are drawn by gravity into stable orbits, but the smallest objects are more likely to just collide with larger bodies, like planets. An atmosphere can offer some protection to a planet; friction with the air burns up most of the smaller meteors. No matter how thick the atmosphere, however, there are always a few meteors large enough or dense enough to make it through. When one of these meteorites hits ground, the impact creates a big hole--a crater. On Naumachia, which has very little in the way of an atmosphere, craters are common. Individual ones range in size from tiny pinholes to giants that stretch kilometers in diameter. Where a meteorite has hit, the top layer of the planet's crust--the regolith--is often exposed. This sometimes leaves valuable mineral deposits uncovered and easy to access.

Crystal Forest
Long the subject of speculation and fantasy, "forests" of tree-like crystalline structures actually exist in the low gravity environment on Naumachia. These beautiful crystal networks are not, of course, living organisms in the same sense that trees are; rather, they are the result of well-understood patterns of crystal growth. Though wondrous to see, these trees are also sharp, and safe travel through these areas is slow. Do not rush into battle near them, either, as they provide a reliable source of cover for any defender. It should go without saying that food production is impossible without first destroying the crystals. It is possible to extract some useful materials from the land, and study of the forests themselves is a rich source of data.

Currents
On Nona, there are (of course) no rivers as we know them. Liquid water might exist at some depth where the pressure and temperature are perfectly balanced, but on the surface, it is far too cold. There are, however, certain stable currents of hydrogen gas that move over the solid terrain. These wispy streams are mostly hydrogen, but they also contain helium and a number of other useful gasses. Using the ambient hydrocarbons (methane and so on) for extra fuel allows nearly any unit to move more quickly when traveling along one of these streams.

Dust Bowl
The name of this planet, Naumachia, is derived from a Latin term meaning "false sea". Early explorers were baffled by this planet's dry lakes of floating dust, and it wasn't until the first scientific expedition landed that they got answers. Evidently, the gravity on this small world is just low enough that the combination of electrostatic charges (generated by frictional collisions between the tiny dust particles) and Brownian motion is enough to keep the majority of the miniscule motes suspended indefinitely, but the gravity is high enough to for the most part confine these clouds of dirt to the lowland areas. Dry or not, these seas, like any other, have dangerous currents and will drown the unwary. Only specially developed vessels can travel these "seas" safely.

Dust Runs
In a convergence of structural evolution that is as oddly beautiful as it is strange, the suspended dust that fills the "seas" of Naumachia is replenished by downhill flows that resemble rivers. Early survey teams found that these Dust Runs conceal smooth, easily traversed ground; geologists suspect that the action of friction over hundreds of years has ground down the rough edges of the rock beneath the dust. This grinding has also revealed some of the underlying strata, giving our researchers easy access to extra geo-historical data.

Eidolon
The Eidolists are an odd bunch. Though many of its members are respected researchers in their own fields, none of them are recognized authorities in any of the xenologic sciences. This group claims to have discovered the key to the Ha'Gibborim pictoglyphic language, and to have deciphered many of the ancient texts. The followers of this cultish "science" tell the legend of the Ha'Gibborim home city, Eidolon. When the fall of the Ha'Gibborim empire was upon them, so the story goes, the leaders of this most powerful city in the system recognized that their fate was unavoidable and set in motion a plan to preserve the city, though without its population. The city of Eidolon was evacuated, sealed in a time-static bubble, and intentionally sunk deep into the clouds of Nona. It rests there to this day, with all its ultra-high Ha'Gibborim technology intact, waiting to be uncovered and exploited. Responsible experts conclude that this is simply a myth born of wishful thinking.

Foothills
Rolling, elevated areas of countryside, often found between plains and more mountainous regions, are known as Foothills. These areas are often covered with rich soil eroded from nearby peaks, which can support lush grasses and forests. Foothills are relatively rich in resources, and are great places to set up a refinery. In areas where the below-ground resources are scarce, hill areas are often cultivated for agricultural purposes. Most crops thrive in these regions, given the proper climate.

Framework
We can only guess at the real purpose served by this overwhelming network of orbital platforms, but one thing that is clear is that its residents abandoned it in haste. There are large areas of these structures that seem to have been partially dismantled, presumably for maintenance or repair work, and then left that way. These regions are good sources of both raw materials and data, as parts of the exposed infrastructure are easily scavenged and returned to our labs for analysis.

Gasbag
Ever since the nature of gas giant planets was discovered, imaginative people have speculated on the type of life that might evolve to survive and thrive in such an unusual environment. After our experience in the rest of this planetary system, explorers were not surprised to find that plant life had established itself on Nona. What was unexpected, however, was the extent to which the vegetable matter had spread--and its size. What early survey parties called "gas bags" are in fact Lycoperdon Leviathana, the largest species of basidiomycetous fungus ever observed. The "terrain" in these regions is actually just the topmost parts, the visible portion of these immense spore pods.

Graminiae
Areas of mild climate and fertile earth are often covered by vast forests. Where trees have not taken hold (or have been cleared), we find regions overrun with native grasses--scientific name "graminiae"--and other types of low vegetation. On a typical planet, these areas are characterized by marked wet and dry seasons, with annual periods of drought. These grassy lands are easily cultivated and used as pastures and grazing lands for herd animals. Because of the relatively low rainfall in these regions, the topsoil is high in nutrients. Areas of graminiae are well suited for growing crops, especially grain crops.

Ices
Every planet with a rotational axis near the plane of the ecliptic has polar caps, areas that receive less sunlight than the rest of the globe and which, therefore, never (or rarely) melt. The typical polar cap is a huge mass of ice and snow, but this ice is not necessarily frozen water. What freezes at the north and south poles depends on the chemical makeup of the planet's atmosphere and seas; water, carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia, and even more exotic gases have all been found frozen on some planet somewhere. All polar regions have one trait in common; they are inhospitable places, containing little life and virtually no resources of any kind. Only researchers can benefit--from studying the often strange ecology of these extreme climates.

Impalers
On low mass planets with miniscule gravity, there is rarely enough air (atmosphere) or liquid water (hydrosphere) for the processes of wind and runoff to cause any significant erosion. Thus, whatever mountainous peaks are raised--by geologic processes or meteorite impacts--tend to remain exactly as sheer, steep, sharp, and high as they are when formed. Combine this with the bleak sharpness of shadows on an airless world, and the vista of a chain of spiky peaks becomes an awe-inspiring spectacle--and a nearly impassable barrier to travel, as well.

Leviathana
Ever since the nature of gas giant planets was discovered, imaginative people have speculated on the type of life that might evolve to survive and thrive in such an unusual environment. After our experience in the rest of this planetary system, explorers were not surprised to find that plant life had established itself on Nona. What was unexpected, however, was the extent to which the vegetable matter had spread--and its size. What early survey parties called "gas bags" are in fact Lycoperdon Leviathana, the largest species of basidiomycetous fungus ever observed. The "terrain" in these regions is actually just the topmost parts, the visible portion of these immense spore pods.

Metallic Hydrogen
Studies carried out from orbit suggest that the core of Nona is a solid chunk of iron and silicates, and that this core is surrounded by a double layer of liquid hydrogen. The outer half of this layer is typical of liquid hydrogen, but the deeper half is metallic--the element is under such pressure that it goes through a phase transition and acts like a metal. Though we have no evidence for it, a popular theory holds that the ancient residents of this world somehow mined the core of the planet for metallic hydrogen, then by some technology we do not yet understand, converted it into a stable, solid form without losing its metallic properties. That solid, metallic form of the lightest element in the universe is what makes up the vast platforms on which we landed.

Mountains
On any planet, mountains are areas of high elevation, running the gamut from solitary peaks to rugged chains that can make up the backbones of continents. On tectonically active planets, most mountains are formed when the plates that make up the crust impact or slide below one another, raising layers of rock above the surrounding land. Mountains can also be formed by volcanic action, or through the erosion of softer rock from around a hard core. Although they generally offer poor agricultural prospects, mountains are often a source of great mineral wealth, especially when the raw ore is processed and refined. Aside from their economic value, mountains provide a natural defensive barrier, shielding settlements from invaders.

Ammonia
In the atmosphere of all known gas giant planets, convection is king. Nona is no exception. Heat generated in the heart of the planet warms the denser gasses, and the warmed "air" rises. When it reaches the upper regions of cloud, this air cools, and the complex gasses--ammonia among them--precipitate out as icy crystals. Some of the highest, coldest, and brightest clouds are filled with highly reflective ammonia.

Hydrogen
As far as we have been able to ascertain, the great majority of the atoms in the universe are hydrogen atoms. Hydrogen is the main constituent of most stars and of the disks of gas from which planets condense. Therefore, it is not surprising that the largest planets--the gas giants--are primarily made up of hydrogen. There is convincing evidence that this simplest of all elements exists in both solid and liquid forms in the dense regions of Nona, but what we see on the surface is gas. Hydrogen is the lightest element of all, and therefore it makes sense that the hydrogen in a planet would rise to the surface, while other, heavier compounds sink to form layers inside the giant planet.

Methane
The convection currents that lift ammonia to the top of a gas giant's atmosphere have a down side, too. After the rising clouds have cooled and the trace gasses have precipitated out, the cold "air" then moves away (to make room for more rising gas) and sinks back toward the center of the planet. Areas where the atmosphere is sinking are much more transparent than other zones, and the complex chemical mix beneath the top layer shows through. On Nona, this allows an observer to see the methane layer, but spectral analysis has also revealed areas of ammonium hydrosulphide, water vapor, and phosphine.

Ocean
The oceans and seas of any planet are the most likely place for life to spring up, and Funestis is no exception. Her dark waters are home to millions of life forms, ranging in size from microscopic plankton analogs to the Monstrodon, the largest and most dangerous native life form yet discovered. The animals and plants that inhabit the sea provide an excellent source of food, and offshore mineral deposits can contribute to the industry in a city.

Old Platform
Despite the fact that any theory of Funestian history is purely speculative at this point, the terminology derived from the most popular timeline has become standard. Thus, these regions have come to be known as "Early Second Empire" platforms. They were built during a time when technology and quality construction were at a peak, and thus these structures have endured the centuries better than many of the newer sections. For example, they show none of the torn welds or the circular "plasma rot" holes that plague other platforms. Strengthening the two empire hypothesis is the fact that the remnants found on these areas show no commonality with those of older sites. Even the materials are different. The structure of the platform is similar, but the carbon fiber polyresinous alloys are absent, replaced by cross-tensioned metallic weaves overlaid around ceramic polymer reinforcement rods. We gain more materiel from this type of platform than from the older ones and the same amount of data, but we get no food at all without cultivation.

Orbiting Platform
Although these regions are the youngest of all the different types of platform in orbit around Funestis, they are also in the worst state of disrepair. According to the prevailing hypothetical timeline, these are "Late Second Empire" structures, built when the second major culture on Funestis was in decline. This was, some speculate, during or immediately preceding the time of whatever event or situation caused the ancient ones' complete disappearance from this planet. The shoddy workmanship allows us to extract materiel easily, and the mistakes in the engineering give clues to the techniques used. These areas provide no food, however, unless intentionally cultivated.

Permafrost
The non-polar areas of cold planets, like Mars, are not always as dry as they seem. Water is often "stored" below the surface in vast volumes of Permafrost--ordinary soil generously laced with frozen water, carbon dioxide, and other ices. This frozen soil prevents root plants from getting a foothold, but does not inhibit the growth of surface colonies of fungi, molds, mosses, and the like. Modern methods of agriculture can sometimes eke out small crops from this type of land, but mining for water has proven to be by far the more rewarding enterprise.

Polar
Every planet with a rotational axis near the plane of the ecliptic has polar caps, areas that receive less sunlight than the rest of the globe and which, therefore, never (or rarely) melt. The typical polar cap is a huge mass of ice and snow, but this ice is not necessarily frozen water. What freezes at the north and south poles depends on the chemical makeup of the planet's atmosphere and seas; water, carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia, and even more exotic gases have all been found frozen on some planet somewhere. All polar regions have one trait in common; they are inhospitable places, containing little life and virtually no resources of any kind. Only researchers can benefit--from studying the often strange ecology of these extreme climates.

Prairie
Prairies are vast, open tracts of land with very few trees. For many reasons, only hardy vegetation such as brush and various grasses find a hold in these regions. A prairie is not unlike graminiae, except that the topsoil is simply not as well suited for growing most types of food plants. However, there are often moderate deposits of minerals in these regions--not enough to make refining profitable, however. The indigenous plants of the prairie make them well suited for grazing, and large herds of native fauna often make their living roaming such areas. With the proper cultivation, a prairie can easily be transformed into adequate farmland for the production of grains and the raising of livestock.

Ridges
On any planet, areas comprised of a series of low ridges like grooves or folds are referred to as sulci. (Each groove is a sulcus.) In photos taken from space, these areas resemble waves or sand dunes, though they are in most cases much too large to be noticeable at ground level, except perhaps as wide, rolling hills. The moons of both Jupiter and Saturn show sulci. Planetary geologists are not yet confident that they can explain by what processes these wavy zones form, but ground analyses have proven that whatever the cause, the buckled crust often brings subterranean deposits of useful minerals nearer the surface.

Rifts
One of the ways that we know these orbital platforms are far older than any civilization currently extant on Funestis is the state of disrepair. Jagged rifts, some of them running long distances, have appeared over the millennia, probably caused by coincidental accumulation of micrometeorite damage in certain areas. Though you might expect that these ragged tears would hamper travel, the opposite is in fact true. In the sometimes disorienting free fall environment, any path is an aid to navigation. These breaks in the structure also allow us to study the internal workings of the platforms, which supplies additional data.

River
Fed by natural springs, snow melt, and small tributary streams, rivers flow from mountains and other upland sources into larger rivers, lakes, and oceans. Rivers can be found in almost any terrain, from the wettest to the most arid. Since the beginning of recorded time, towns and cities have grown up around rivers, because the land in river valleys is usually very fertile and well-suited for farming. In addition, a river provides easy and quick access between towns for trade and travel. Water can be channeled from rivers for the purposes of irrigation. Rivers are also good sources of mineral resources, and can provide power to run machinery and generate electrical energy.

Rust
Given enough time, the process of oxidation affects nearly any structure--even in space. The amount of rust found in some areas of the orbital platforms is a testament to their incredible age. It is also suggestive evidence that earlier inhabitants might have maintained an oxygen atmosphere on the platforms--at least in selected regions. How this might have been accomplished is unknown, but research is continuing. In the mean time, take note that these areas are useless for food production unless cultivated; they're better used as a source of refined materiel.

Salt Flats
Just as is true on Earth, most of the large bodies of water on Funestis are salt water. Over long spans of time, the movement of continents can cause new oceans to spring up, and old ones can become landlocked. Trapped in this way, shallow seas and lakes sometimes evaporate, leaving behind great expanses of dry, salty soil in which very little plant life can survive. These extremely flat areas are useless for agriculture, but provide some interesting data.

Scaffolding
Whatever the intended purpose was of the extensive network of platforms in orbit around Funestis, it is obvious that the work was left unfinished. Strewn throughout the structures are vast regions that were clearly abandoned in haste mid-construction. Whether this means that these platforms were never used, which seems unlikely, or simply that whoever built them was constantly making additions and upgrades, we will likely never know for sure. What we do know is that these areas are good sources of raw materials, as the construction crews left unused building supplies spread around their workplaces.

Solid Hydrogen
We know from analysis of orbital and seismic data that the core of Nona is probably a solid chunk of iron and silicates. That core is surrounded by a liquid hydrogen outer core in two layers. The deeper of these layers is metallic, but the upper layer, which is under slightly less pressure, is not. The evidence is all circumstantial, but many scientists believe that the ancient Ha'Gibborim residents of Nona somehow mined the outer core of the planet for liquid hydrogen, then by some technology we do not yet understand, converted it into a stable, solid form without allowing it to take on metallic properties. Great regions of these immense platforms are composed of this solid.

Space
Despite the popular image, space is not empty. Especially in the volume near a star, the near-vacuum of space courses with energy, fields, particles, atoms, molecules, dust, and micro-meteoroids. Though most of these occur in amounts that are unnoticeable without special sensory devices, a suitably equipped outpost could not only detect but easily collect and analyze the things that fill "empty" space. While it's true that the minute amounts of physical debris would never constitute cost-effective resources for industry, it is quite possible to harvest the solar energy that literally streams out from the central star.

Spikes
On low mass planets with miniscule gravity, there is rarely enough air (atmosphere) or liquid water (hydrosphere) for the processes of wind and runoff to cause any significant erosion. Thus, whatever mountainous peaks are raised--by geologic processes or meteorite impacts--tend to remain exactly as sheer, steep, sharp, and high as they are when formed. Combine this with the bleak sharpness of shadows on an airless world, and the vista of a chain of spiky peaks becomes an awe-inspiring spectacle--and a nearly impassable barrier to travel, as well.

Stone
On tectonically quiet planets with little or no atmosphere, no liquid water, and minimal native life, there are few mechanical processes for breaking rock down into dust and soil. Over millions of years, however, the slow but constant bombardment by meteorites is enough to cover much of a planet's surface with craters, dust, and other ejecta. On worlds like this, areas of bare rock are sometimes untouched primeval surface, but more often these smooth, flat areas are the result of molten rock welling up from underground and solidifying. The dark maria on Earth's moon are believed to have originated in this way. We have yet to catch this molten rock in the act of welling up, so what causes it to do so is still a matter for theorists. Some of the leading possibilities are: an unusually large meteorite impact, the gravitational stresses of a near miss with a large body, and heat left over from the planet's formation causing rare internally generated quakes. Whatever their origin, these areas are poor ground for farming, but well suited for production of materiel.

Storm
On gas giant planets, high-altitude convection storms can cover areas larger than the surface of the Earth and last for centuries. The Great Red Spot of Jupiter is the most prominent and well known example of this phenomenon. While the exact mechanism by which these gargantuan cloud formations are generated is not entirely clear, we know that they often reach deep into the planet's atmosphere and churn up volatile gasses not normally found in the visible portions near the surface. The wind shear near the edges of these storms is so great that no known material can survive the crossing; units simply cannot travel into a storm area.

Sulci
On any planet, areas comprised of a series of low ridges like grooves or folds are referred to as sulci. (Each groove is a sulcus.) In photos taken from space, these areas resemble waves or sand dunes, though they are in most cases much too large to be noticeable at ground level, except perhaps as wide, rolling hills. The moons of both Jupiter and Saturn show sulci. Planetary geologists are not yet confident that they can explain by what processes these wavy zones form, but ground analyses have proven that whatever the cause, the buckled crust often brings subterranean deposits of useful minerals nearer the surface.

The Willies
The Willies is best described by the admittedly misleading term "haunted swamp." These marshy regions are infested with members of an unusually large plant species known variously as Willies, Indigo Willies, and Dark Willies. These are among the most bizarre vegetable forms known to science. Early in its development, a typical Willie is a fast growing swamp grass. In extremely rare cases, as yet undefined environmental pressures cause one of two transformations. A single Willie out of a group becomes either a semi-sentient flowering plant--a Yellow Willie--or a fully sentient, mobile creature with an extremely violent nature--a Blue Willie. Even in the indigo form, however, these plants are dangerous. They can temporarily convert to a semi-mobile form capable of attacking and paralyzing larger organisms--which then drown. Small survey parties do not often arouse the creatures, and we are able to harvest a fair amount of data from these areas. However, any attempts at improving the terrain or moving large scale units through it have met with abject failure.

Tundra
In the near-polar regions of any world, there is a borderline terrain known as Tundra. These barren plains have an extremely low average temperature and a very short summer season, but they are not cold enough to remain frozen year-round. The primary characteristic of the tundra is a layer of permanently frozen soil just below the topsoil layer; this permafrost is relatively shallow compared to that on cold planets, but it is deep enough to prevent most plants from taking root, which makes agriculture all but impossible. Like deserts, tundra receives little precipitation. However, the flat, frozen ground keeps groundwater from draining, forming bogs where various grasses, mosses, and other simple vegetation can grow. Despite the harsh environment, a wide variety of animal life flourishes in the tundra, providing possible sources of food and potential for collection of unusual genetic data.

Adnausium Ore
Adnausium is a rare mineral on Funestis, and it is not found at all on our far-off home planet. Due to its unusually high content of enriched radioactive substances and useful rare elements, this ore is prized by both miners and industrialists, and any city with a nearby source of this should profit greatly in the materiel department. Our scientists have studied this mineral extensively, and most are convinced that adnausium is not a naturally occurring material. Rather, they speculate that during one of the advanced "empire" stages of Funestian history, the previous inhabitants of this planet developed techniques for seeding and manipulating the earth to produce the desired mix of elements. Mining projects are proceeding apace, despite the suspicious nature of the ore and its side-effects. Nausea is the most pronounced hazard of prolonged exposure to the unprocessed ore--thus the name.

Algae Mats
On every life-bearing world so far discovered, there exists some form of algae. This extremely simple organism is accepted by many as, historically, one of the first living things to be capable of deriving energy from sunlight to produce nutrients. In the slow-convecting oceans of Funestis, clumps of algae gather in giant floating colonies. These tiny, slimy plants create lumpy floating "islands" made up entirely of material that, with some processing, is perfectly edible. These floating slime clumps also tend to inconvenience shipping, and movement through these areas is often slow.

Artifacts
When a civilization collapses, it leaves behind traces of itself that future archaeologists can find. From the largest, globe-spanning empire to the smallest peripatetic tribe, remnants of almost every culture lie buried or hidden in the areas where the population once lived. Tools and devices, whether complete, broken, or partial, can provide masses of information about their former users; these finds are grouped under the general terms 'artifacts' and 'relics'. In the Lalande 21185 system, most of the artifacts found are objects (and pieces of objects) left by long-dead native civilizations--alien empires whose technology seems to have been superior to ours. These devices are valuable sources of research, despite the fact that their original function often remains unknown.

Bauxite
Aluminum is one of the most useful of modern materials, and bauxite is the ore from which we make it. For reasons as yet undiscovered, the mountains of Funestis contain greater quantities of bauxite than those of our far-off home planet, and these deposits are closer to the surface than geologic theory would lead us to expect. As with so many things on this world, we suspect that the root cause lies far in the past, in some intentional interference in the natural processes.

Bunnies
As odd as the dust seas of this world are, the life forms that inhabit them are stranger still. The "bunnies" (named by one of our more fanciful researchers) bear a striking similarity to the tumbleweeds of the North American southwest. These plant-like organisms are, in fact, an agglomeration of Naumachian dust, on which a filamentous, orange fungus grows; the fungal threads serve to hold the dust motes together in a loose organization. Even more surprising to early explorers was the accidentally discovered fact that the bunnies are edible.

City in Stasis
The legend of the hidden city of Eidolon is generally accepted as a myth and nothing more. Supposedly, at the fall of the Ha'Gibborim empire, the leaders of the capital city set in motion a plan to preserve it, though without its population. The city of Eidolon was evacuated, sealed in a time-static bubble, and intentionally sunk deep into the clouds of Nona. If the story has any basis in truth (which is unlikely), Eidolon rests in the stasis bubble to this day, all its ultra-high technology intact, waiting to be discovered.

Closbeast
Theories of parallel evolution got a boost when our early colonists first discovered herds of closbeasts roaming the prairies of Funestis. These four-legged ruminants bear a startling resemblance to the grass-eating animals of home. The major difference--other than the oddments of internal anatomy--is the single, swept-back "miter" antler horn. This hard crest projects like a fingernail from the back of each individual's head to a length of almost twice that of the head itself. It is a dangerous weapon, but the miter is used only in self defense and during mating contests with other closbeasts.

Conduits
If anyone needs further evidence that the builders of the platforms on this world had technology far in advance of any we have yet discovered, these energy delivery systems should be proof enough. The conduit material itself is semi-transparent, yet it is strong enough to contain cosmic forces that boggle the minds of our high-energy physicists. We assume that these conduits shuttle energy to ancient alien centers of some type, but we have not been able to make sense of the pattern to the system--if there is one. Although we do not fully understand the energies involved, that doesn't stop us from putting them to good use, and the materiel boost these regions provide is substantial. Travel over these areas can be tricky, however.

Corrosion
The atmosphere of a gas giant planet is rife with reactive chemicals that can, over time, corrode even the toughest materials. Any weak spot in the structure is constantly bombarded, until it becomes a seed point of decay, which gradually enlarges over the decades. Corroded areas are slightly less defensible, but allow a city to prise more data and materiel from the ancient structures.

Debris
No program of space exploration and exploitation is without its share of lost and damaged equipment--space junk. The building of the massive platforms in orbit around Funestis was, evidently, no exception. In fact, given the scale of the construction project, it is surprising that there isn't much more debris floating around. Perhaps the orbits of much of it eventually decayed, and the material fell to the surface. Whatever its origin and original purpose, the debris we find in stable orbits today is useful only as a source of raw materials for industry.

Delerium (116)
Delerium (116) is an extremely unusual substance, unknown to our science until its discovery on Naumachia. It defies conventional chemical analysis, but x-ray crystallography shows that its crystalline structure is capable of absorbing, storing, and releasing enormous amounts of energy. We have as yet come up with no satisfactory natural mechanism by which this strange crystal could have been formed, and there is a growing suspicion among the experts that it was actually designed and engineered, and that a technologically advanced past empire somehow seeded and maintained whatever geological processes generated all the delerium in this system. The name of the substance stems from its anaesthetic side effects, which are useful in emergencies, but have proven harmful in long-term use. Delerium (116) is an efficient catalyst for all sorts of power generating reactions, but our researchers harbor a strong suspicion that we have only scratched the surface of this substance's utility.

Deposits
Since the earliest days of civilization, groups of people have drawn riches from beneath the ground. Coal, metal ores, gems and precious stones, quartz, and many other useful materials have supported the economies of nations throughout history. Without massive quantities of goods mined from under the ground--minerals--primitive forms of industry are nearly impossible. Modern, spacefaring societies quickly discovered that planets without water or a substantial atmosphere are often left nearly untouched by erosion. This has three consequences. First, the majority of deposits are pristine, left just as they formed when the planet cooled, not degraded by chemical interaction with water or air. Second, some more complex substances--like coal--never form, because they require air or water or biological organisms to exist. Third, lodes of ores near the surface are not uncovered by the scouring of wind and water; this makes them harder to find without advanced techniques. Nearly any rocky world is a good source of minerals, but those without native life forms are easier to exploit, for the environmental concerns are simpler.

Discharge
One of the ways we know that the orbiting platforms have been in place for a very long time is by studying their state of disrepair. The areas of rust and corrosion are the most obvious signs, but even more disturbing are the points at which conduits and other infrastructural components have been punctured and energetic plasmas are leaking out. In general, these areas allow us some insights into the workings of the platforms, and the plasmas are often useful in an industrial sense. The risks to the populace, however, pretty much preclude agriculture in discharging regions--except in unusual cases.

Diffuse Plasma
Not all of the leftover artifacts from the construction of the platforms are solid. Energy discharges during that time and in the years since the orbiting sites were abandoned have created wispy areas of ionized gasses floating in nearby space. These drifting plasma clouds are no danger to anyone, except in the presence of weapons fire. The energy derived from these sparse clouds allows some slight food production and minimal materiel, but the data boost is substantial.

Endolithic Algae
Even in the hostile environment of a barren rock world, life somehow manages to secure a hold and thrive. Nowhere is this more evident than in the forbidding spiky mountains of this planet. At least two different species of algae grow in great colonies at the bases and on the steep sides of these peaks. These plant colonies are endolithic, meaning that they actually exist just below the surface of the rock. Both the red and green forms are edible (after processing), and the plants provide other benefits, as well.

Enigmatic Device
This ancient machine has proved to be completely incomprehensible to every examiner. Some few of the component parts seem complete, and those provide clues. Unfortunately, it seems that significant regions of the device exist only in spatial geometries ("dimensions", if you prefer) that are inaccessible to us. Speculations abound, but to date, its purpose remains unknown. We can gather data, but little more.

Exposed Wiring
The jury is still out on whether the platforms orbiting Funestis suffer most from degradation due to time or from unfinished construction and haphazard repairs. One symptom of the latter problem is the prevalence of whole regions where the infrastructure--the wiring--is exposed to space. This is less of a danger in the oxygen-free vacuum than it would be on the planet's surface, but the risk of injury posed by these power cables slows travel through the affected areas. On the other hand, the access this gives us to the inner workings of the platforms is a good source of both data and scavenged materiel.

Fiah
They look like fish. They act like fish. They are edible like fish, and they even smell like fish. However, do not fall into the trap of thinking that fiah are fish. They are totally alien fish-analogs. The differences are only noticeable on the molecular level, but these are not fish. Really. Ground fiah provide compounds useful in industry, but due to the massive schools' interference with our research rafts, the presence of fiah also reduces the amount of data we can cull from a region.

Frozen Artifacts
Entombed in ice, artifacts are often better preserved than they would have been had they been left under less hostile conditions. The extremes of cold and dryness serve to protect the objects from deterioration, especially biological decay. Unfortunately, many of these artifacts rapidly deteriorate when returned to a warmer, wetter environment. For that reason, archaeologists working in polar regions must take special precautions to ensure the safety of their finds. An hour's lack of caution can undo centuries of preservation. For a more complete background on artifacts, please refer to the Artifacts Civilopedia entry.

Gracklings
Flying black worms the size of your head are not common on our home world, so the explorers who first encountered a grackling colony were understandably shaken. Though only a few outriders are visible on the surface at any one time, rest assured that beneath the ground there are hundreds more. The outriders' regular movement patterns have been the object of intense study, and we now believe that it is a social "dance" of communication similar to that of a swarm of gnats or the honeybee. With the right preparation, gracklings are edible, but they are not a popular dish. Crushed, the worms can be chemically treated to extract industrially useful solvents, and, as with most of the native Funestian species, there is data to be gained from studying these insects.

Huisca
The huisca plant is perhaps the most common vegetable on Funestis, and by a stroke of good fortune, it can be made edible with a minimum of processing. They generally grow in small clumps, but it's not uncommon to see a lone huisca establishing a new clump. The leaves are the edible portion of the plant; for cooking purposes, they are nearly as versatile as lettuce or seaweed. The bright red seed-bearing sac is tough and contains an unacceptably high level of toxic heavy metals. Efforts to cultivate a domesticated variety of this prolific plant have met with no success to date, but some of the best horticulturists in the system are at work on the problem, and it's just a matter of time.

Ice Worms
Extreme climates tend to produce unusual adaptations, and the Funestian ice worms are no exception. Taxonomists originally mistook these large, warm blooded worms for snakes, because of their great size. They weren't sure what to make of the fur. Ice worms typically appear in nests of hundreds or up to thousands of individuals (not that you can distinguish one from another in the writhing mass). Ice worms are poisonous and inedible, but their digging often exposes small mineral deposits, and additional genetic data is welcome in any city.

Interzona
On every planet where life has developed, native organisms have adapted and evolved to survive in their home environment. The salt flats of Funestis boast some of the largest species of insect ever discovered. One of these is the interzona (Diplopoda Funestia), an unusual variety of millipede. Outwardly and in many internal features, these creatures resemble huge black millipedes like those found in the African jungles on Earth. Unlike the Earth species, however, these are social insects; the interzona thrive in huge, labyrinthine underground nests. D. Funestia are nocturnal, but will swarm to protect the nest even at the height of day. Thus, travel near a nest is slow and careful. Interzona are considered a delicacy in many cities, and entomologists are still studying their unusual habits.

Keening Tree
In the crystalline forests of this world, one sometimes finds a rare and beautiful oddity--a keening tree. These are not different from the usual crystal tree, except that subtle defects in the crystal structure cause the keener to be highly sensitive to vibration. The entire tree resonates in harmony with the minute expansions and contractions of the planet's crust (as different parts of the planet warm and cool in the sunlight). Even in the sparse atmosphere of this low-gravity planet, the resonating crystal causes pleasant tones that often approximate music. You can find these rare trees easily, as the structural defects also change the color of the crystal. Study of these crystals brings in a good amount of data. What's less obvious is that the trees' music supplies a little food, by drawing tiny native animals close to the surface. The crystals are also useful in some industrial capacities.

Leakage
One of the ways we know that the orbiting platforms have been in place for a very long time is by studying their state of disrepair. The areas of rust and corrosion are the most obvious signs, but even more disturbing are the points at which conduits and other infrastructural components have been punctured and energetic plasmas are leaking out. In general, these areas allow us some insights into the workings of the platforms, and the plasmas are often useful in an industrial sense. The risks to the populace, however, pretty much preclude agriculture in discharging regions--except in unusual cases.

Lode
Since the earliest days of civilization, groups of people have drawn riches from beneath the ground. Coal, metal ores, gems and precious stones, quartz, and many other useful materials have supported the economies of nations throughout history. Without massive quantities of goods mined from under the ground--minerals--primitive forms of industry are nearly impossible. Modern, spacefaring societies quickly discovered that planets without water or a substantial atmosphere are often left nearly untouched by erosion. This has three consequences. First, the majority of deposits are pristine, left just as they formed when the planet cooled, not degraded by chemical interaction with water or air. Second, some more complex substances--like coal--never form, because they require air or water or biological organisms to exist. Third, lodes of ores near the surface are not uncovered by the scouring of wind and water; this makes them harder to find without advanced techniques. Nearly any rocky world is a good source of minerals, but those without native life forms are easier to exploit, for the environmental concerns are simpler.

Minerals
Since the earliest days of civilization, groups of people have drawn riches from beneath the ground. Coal, metal ores, gems and precious stones, quartz, and many other useful materials have supported the economies of nations throughout history. Without massive quantities of goods mined from under the ground--minerals--primitive forms of industry are nearly impossible. Modern, spacefaring societies quickly discovered that planets without water or a substantial atmosphere are often left nearly untouched by erosion. This has three consequences. First, the majority of deposits are pristine, left just as they formed when the planet cooled, not degraded by chemical interaction with water or air. Second, some more complex substances--like coal--never form, because they require air or water or biological organisms to exist. Third, lodes of ores near the surface are not uncovered by the scouring of wind and water; this makes them harder to find without advanced techniques. Nearly any rocky world is a good source of minerals, but those without native life forms are easier to exploit, for the environmental concerns are simpler.

Mites
The rare species that eke out a living in the dust seas of Naumachia are invariably unusual. One of the few that is actually dangerous is the mite (Callinectes Pyroglyphida). These crab-like animals do not form social groups, but their biology is such that they never stop growing, shedding shells much as many terrestrial species of crabs do. This species has no known predators, and population control is limited to starvation, parasites, disease, and occasional cannibalism. Thus, older individuals can grow to enormous size. There is some minor danger to shipping for any city established near a concentration of mites, but this is more than compensated by the usefulness of these edible creatures.

Monopoles
In nature, every magnet, every object, and every particle that has a magnetic field is a dipole. That is, the magnetic field generated by a thing has two opposite poles, commonly referred to as "north" and "south", or "+" and "-", or "positive" and "negative" poles. According to some quantum field theories, however, it is possible for a one-sided magnetic charge to exist. The subatomic particle associated with this partner-less magnetic field would be half of a dipole--a magnetic monopole. If these particles actually exist, each one would be massive.; the smallest weight predicted by gauge theory is on the order of a thousand times the mass of a proton. In fact, without some hitherto unknown technology to prevent it, a sphere of monopoles more than a meter in diameter would collapse to form a black hole. Based on our estimates of the total mass-energy in the universe and the amount of mass already accounted for by observation, it is guaranteed that monopoles, if they in fact exist, must be extremely rare.

Mysterious Thing
Not only do we not know what this antique instrument does, we can't even figure out what it is made of or from where it derives its motive power. As is true of many of the ancient devices we have stumbled across on this planet, significant parts of the thing exist only in spatial geometries completely inaccessible to us. Speculative theories are a dime a dozen, but the real use of these things remains unknown. We gather data, but that's all.

Ores
Since the earliest days of civilization, groups of people have drawn riches from beneath the ground. Coal, metal ores, gems and precious stones, quartz, and many other useful materials have supported the economies of nations throughout history. Without massive quantities of goods mined from under the ground--minerals--primitive forms of industry are nearly impossible. Modern, spacefaring societies quickly discovered that planets without water or a substantial atmosphere are often left nearly untouched by erosion. This has three consequences. First, the majority of deposits are pristine, left just as they formed when the planet cooled, not degraded by chemical interaction with water or air. Second, some more complex substances--like coal--never form, because they require air or water or biological organisms to exist. Third, lodes of ores near the surface are not uncovered by the scouring of wind and water; this makes them harder to find without advanced techniques. Nearly any rocky world is a good source of minerals, but those without native life forms are easier to exploit, for the environmental concerns are simpler.

Pachyloumis
Plants referred to as "ground cover" stay low to the ground and spread out in wide patches. They provide both hiding places for smaller animals and some protection against erosion of the topsoil. The sub-arctic Pachyloumis vine also has edible roots. Though this Funestian native resembles ground ivy in many particulars, it is in fact subtly different--but not in any substantial way that would interest anyone but a molecular botanist.

Pictoglyphs
Though many technologically advanced cultures use alphabets in which the symbols (letters) represent sounds, that is not the only way to form a language. For example, each symbol in the Egyptian hieroglyphic "alphabet" represents a word or an idea. The characters of modern Chinese evolved from ancient forms, and a single symbol can represent a complex thought. Thus, it is not surprising that many alien civilizations use pictoglyph languages. Even when the authors are of the same species, pictoglyphs are nearly impossible for an outsider to translate. This difficulty is multiplied when the creators of the language are completely alien and long dead, as in this case. Still, we try, and the resulting data adds to a city's treasury of information.

Picus
The forbidding Willies are home to perhaps the most trusting of the Funestian animal species--the picus lizard. These agile, curious, cat-sized creatures have no fear of any species, and will approach anyone without hesitation. In fact, they are sometimes kept as pets--a picus thrives on attention and does not seem to miss its litter-mates, though it will not breed outside of its home nesting ground. Developmental ecologists hypothesize that, because they were always protected by the plant life in the areas where they chose to nest, these creatures never had the need for a defensive flight response. Properly prepared, picus meat has a delicate, complex flavor, and any city near a nesting area can profit from the occasional controlled hunt. Data collection, however, is hampered in these regions by the constant interruption by hordes of attention-seeking lizards.

Quench Fruit
If you are familiar with the life cycle of the Funestian burning tree (Pyroquercus Funestia), then you will understand that these forests could not have developed without evolving something like quench fruit. The sparkbags that serve to start the fires that activate and spread the trees' seeds are not foolproof systems. Though they are meant to ignite in the dry summer, when the seed pods are ready and all the quench fruit have fallen off the tree, environmental stresses can sometimes "fool" the bags into detonating at inopportune times. If a tree somehow catches fire at the wrong time of year (even due to other natural processes, like lightning), any quench fruit near the flame erupts, spewing out an odd chemical that quickly snuffs the fire. What is so odd about this chemical is that, beyond being an efficient fire retardant, it is also quite delicious.

Rare Earths
The oxides of elements 57 through 71 (Antimony to Lutetium) are considered the "rare earths" and are found in many common minerals. The rare earth elements are closely related (in terms of chemical properties), and all of them are considered "metallic" in that they share electrons more easily than non-metallic elements. The rare earth ores are relatively easy to mine, and range in color from orange-red to yellowish-white. The elements derived from them are extraordinarily useful in high-tech applications.

Razor Beast
It takes a tough hide to survive in the acid shallows of Funestis, and the razor beast (Sus Xyricthys) has one. This animal has been compared, both in appearance and taste, to the European wild boar and the razorback found in southern North America. The abundance of tiny, razor sharp, quill-like bristles found all over its hide make it somewhat more dangerous than either, however. Debristled razor beast hide can be cured and tanned, and the result is a tough, waterproof, workable leather-like material.

Relics
When a civilization collapses, it leaves behind traces of itself that future archaeologists can find. From the largest, globe-spanning empire to the smallest peripatetic tribe, remnants of almost every culture lie buried or hidden in the areas where the population once lived. Tools and devices, whether complete, broken, or partial, can provide masses of information about their former users; these finds are grouped under the general terms 'artifacts' and 'relics'. In the Lalande 21185 system, most of the artifacts found are objects (and pieces of objects) left by long-dead native civilizations--alien empires whose technology seems to have been superior to ours. These devices are valuable sources of research, despite the fact that their original function often remains unknown.

Ruins
We find ruins on Funestis much less frequently than one would suspect, especially considering the abundance of artifacts left by long-dead civilizations. The most convincing theory our archaeologists have put forward is that these ruins are not remnants of the same "empire" that built the majority of the artifacts and relics we have found. They propose that the older civilization was much more advanced, and that these ruined buildings survive from a later, less powerful culture. Whatever the truth, ruins provide some data and extra materiel for a city that exploits them.

Salvage
You no doubt know that our landing on this planet was a difficult event. During the final approach, our ship was disintegrating, and pieces of it fell off to litter the local space. The larger pieces fell to ground on Funestis, ending up as wreckage on the surface, but many of the smaller fragments went into orbit. As we regain our space-going abilities, we have found quite a lot of the original debris--small equipment and bits of scrap metal--on the ancient platforms. Most of this can be salvaged and put to some use. If you find salvage, draw what materiel you can from it. Despite some claims to the contrary, it is no one's property.

Scrap
You no doubt know that our landing on this planet was a difficult event. During the final approach, our ship was disintegrating, and pieces of it fell off to litter the local space. The larger pieces fell to ground on Funestis, ending up as wreckage on the surface, but many of the smaller fragments went into orbit. As we regain our space-going abilities, we have found quite a lot of the original debris--small equipment and bits of scrap metal--on the ancient platforms. Most of this can be salvaged and put to some use. If you find salvagable materials, draw what you can from it. Despite some claims to the contrary, it is no one's property.

Sparkbags
If you understand the life cycle of the Funestian burning tree (Pyroquercus Funestia), then the existence of sparkbags will come as no surprise to you. During the spring season, each tree grows a multitude of hard seed pods. In summer, a large fruit--the sparkbag--grows on certain trees. At the end of summer, when all the trees are driest, the sparkbag detonates, starting a forest fire that activates and spreads the seeds. Botanists are still not sure how a grove chooses which tree will bear fruit, but in some areas that process seems to get out of hand, and a harvestable accumulation results. Sparkbags are no good as food, but they can be put to all sorts of industrial uses.

Stable Cyclone
The long-lasting convection "storms" on a gas giant planet are typically huge. Jupiter's Great Red Spot, for example, is large enough that you could fit the entire Earth inside it. Thus, it is not surprising to find smaller weather patterns inside these giant meteorological phenomena. Just as some of the storms themselves last for decades, the violent cyclones--technically, they're denser convection cells--that often form inside those storms frequently survive nearly as long as the entire overall convection pattern. Storm areas provide very little that is of use, and in the dangerous cyclonic regions, even that is not available. These cyclones are utterly useless to cities and difficult to travel over.

Supply Box
As you are already aware, our arrival on this planet did not go exactly as planned. In the process of plummeting through the system almost completely out of control, our starship left pieces of itself strewn throughout local space. Naturally, most of these fragments followed roughly the same course as the main ship; we were not able to make many course corrections in those final hours. The larger pieces fell to ground on Funestis, ending up as wreckage on the surface. Many smaller fragments went into orbit. By sheer blind luck, a number of supply containers survived intact, and we have found them scattered about on the orbiting platforms. These are welcome sources of both food and materiel; do not squander them.

Supply Crate
As you are already aware, our arrival on this planet did not go exactly as planned. In the process of plummeting through the system almost completely out of control, our starship left pieces of itself strewn throughout local space. Naturally, most of these fragments followed roughly the same course as the main ship; we were not able to make many course corrections in those final hours. The larger pieces fell to ground on Funestis, ending up as wreckage on the surface. Many smaller fragments went into orbit. By sheer blind luck, a number of supply containers survived intact, and we have found them scattered about on the orbiting platforms. These are welcome sources of both food and materiel; do not squander them.

Supply Pack
As you are already aware, our arrival on this planet did not go exactly as planned. In the process of plummeting through the system almost completely out of control, our starship left pieces of itself strewn throughout local space. Naturally, most of these fragments followed roughly the same course as the main ship; we were not able to make many course corrections in those final hours. The larger pieces fell to ground on Funestis, ending up as wreckage on the surface. Many smaller fragments went into orbit. By sheer blind luck, a number of supply containers survived intact, and we have found them scattered about on the orbiting platforms. These are welcome sources of both food and materiel; do not squander them.

Supply Pod
As you are already aware, our arrival on this planet did not go exactly as planned. In the process of plummeting through the system almost completely out of control, our starship left pieces of itself strewn throughout local space. Naturally, most of these fragments followed roughly the same course as the main ship; we were not able to make many course corrections in those final hours. The larger pieces fell to ground on Funestis, ending up as wreckage on the surface. Many smaller fragments went into orbit. By sheer blind luck, a number of supply containers survived intact, and we have found them scattered about on the orbiting platforms. These are welcome sources of both food and materiel; do not squander them.

Thalarctos
Thalarctos are big, dangerous, and not as dumb as they look. It takes keen predatory instincts to survive as a carnivore in the empty tundra, and this bear-like mammal has what it takes. More than a few foolhardy adventurers have been felled by the backhand swipe of a huge, clawed foot, then gored by the saber-tooth canine fangs hidden under the thalarctos' jowl flaps. These animals are hunted both for food and for their tough hides--as useful as leather and longer lasting.

Time Bubble
The legend of the hidden city of Eidolon is generally accepted as a myth and nothing more. Supposedly, at the fall of the Ha'Gibborim empire, the leaders of the capital city set in motion a plan to preserve it, though without its population. The city of Eidolon was evacuated, sealed in a time-static bubble, and intentionally sunk deep into the clouds of Nona. If the story has any basis in truth (which is unlikely), Eidolon rests in the stasis bubble to this day, all its ultra-high technology intact, waiting to be discovered.

Unearthed Artifacts
Soil is not the same everywhere. An object buried in one area will quickly deteriorate as microbes and other biological forces attack it and use its component substances for food. The same artifact, buried a few hundred yards away, will find itself desiccated--dried up, mummified, and preserved for centuries. In yet a third location, a thing could be soaked in mineral-rich waters, and its every molecule could slowly, over thousands of years, be replaced by stone--petrified. Careful digging is one of the most powerful tools in the archaeologist's arsenal. When an artifact is uncovered, it is recorded in place, then gently removed for study. Professional researchers take every precaution to preserve the object intact; carelessness can be catastrophic, and much valuable information is lost when untrained amateurs attempt to unearth artifacts. For a more complete background on artifacts, please refer to the Artifacts Civilopedia entry.

Vertida
Grain plants were among the first to be domesticated, and they have always been among the staple crops of any long-lived civilization. The Vertida is one of the few grains native to Funestis that is safe for our colonial populace to eat. Easy to grow and harvest, this plant is a rare friend in an otherwise hostile environment.

Vetch
Wherever there are successful life forms, you inevitably find parasites that feed on those organisms. Some are simply dependent, like fleas, and others, such as the wood-digesting microorganisms in a termite's gut, are actually symbiotic--they give the host something in return. Vetch falls into the second category. This vine-like plant species comes in many varieties, but all live only on the surface of the L. Leviathana gasbags. In exchange for the nutrients they steal from the larger plants, the leaves of the vetch secrete powerful biotoxins that paralyze many insect parasites that prey on the gasbags. After the hull has been removed, the vetch bean can be cooked and is safe to eat.

Water Generator
After all the time that has elapsed, it is amazing that any of the ancient alien artifacts and devices function at all. One of the most surprising and useful discoveries yet made in orbit is the existence of the ancient water generation systems--and that fact that they still work. Our engineers and researchers have yet to figure out how these self-contained units generate water seemingly without input of any kind; the only resources available to them are the minimal power they draw from the general grid and the exceedingly rare molecules that populate orbital space. Despite not knowing how they work, our cities are more than happy to put these devices to regular use, primarily as an aid to agriculture, but also (in some cases) to industry as well.

Water Ice
On any planet, water is one of the most valuable resources of all. We can lose sight of this when we live in an area where it is plentiful, but the fact remains--without water, life as we know it is impossible. Deposits of frozen water on a dry world are more precious than platinum. Water ice is relatively free of contaminants, and requires less processing than most sources of water to be useable. Both agriculture and industry become much more productive when a supply is nearby.

Water Vapor
No matter how advanced and how expert at biological science we become, one thing remains true--without water, life as we know it is impossible. Thus, on any planet, water is one of the most valuable resources of all. On gas giant planets, the most plentiful supply takes the form of clouds of water vapor. At a depth where the temperature and pressure are in the right range, water can exist in liquid form. On Nona, these life-sustaining clouds are found approximately 100 to 150 kilometers beneath the "surface" of the atmosphere. They range from 25 km above to 25 km below the ancient floating platforms. Even on such a hostile world, both agriculture and industry become more productive when a supply of water is nearby.

Yellow Willies
The semi-sentient yellow form of the bizarre plants known as "Willies" was the most unusual and controversial species discovered on Funestis--until the discovery of the violent Blue Willies. (Please read the Civilopedia entry on The Willies for more details.) When a crop of the normal version of these plants is threatened by environmental pressures, one individual out of the group undergoes a transformation, a hormonal cascade that we still do not have a firm grasp on. The plant becomes a flowering animal (at least on the cellular level), and is then partially mobile, slightly less intelligent than the average dog, and toxic. With it's powerful paralyzing venom, a Yellow Willie is capable of defending the stand from even the largest Funestian beasts. Regions infested with Yellow Willies are useless for food crops, but great places to do horticultural research. The stalks of dead Willies can also be used for building furniture, but the cost of harvesting them is high.