Maroon Island Universe
Planet
SwRm
Home of Maroon Island's Villains. The nearest planet to Earth with intelligent life — a mere 100 light-years away. Hell on High.
Hell on High
A Planet Born from Catastrophe
Billions of years ago, when its solar system was still forming, the young planetoid was knocked from its natural orbit by an apocalyptic collision with another still-forming, but smaller planet. The impact obliterated the smaller planet and sent Planet SwRm reeling into its current position — creating its hostile ecosystem.
It is an awful place to live. One side in permanent day, the other in total night. Its “southern” half locked eastward toward the sun it circles. Its “northern” half strangled by darkness, constant subfreezing temperatures and relentless storms. The planet now spins perpendicular to the sun along its east-west axis.
Planet SwRm: Endless Night, Endless Day
Geography
Three Zones
Habitable Zone
The Ring of Life
The only habitable zone on Planet SwRm. The Sun can always be seen on the horizon, bathing the Ring in gentle light. Vegetation and drinkable water can be found here — as ice melts from the frozen zone, rivers form all along the Ring, flowing eventually to the edge of the desert.
Eastern Pole
The Hot Zone
Towards the Sun lies endless desert. At the Eastern Pole — the closest place to the sun — magma forces its way to the surface from the internal core. Massive volcanoes riddle the Eastern Pole and blanket it in a shroud of sullen gray clouds of pumice and ash.
Western Pole
The Frozen Zone
Icy mountains and ice sheets stretch beyond the Ring. The Western Pole is saturated with ice volcanoes — massive structures that spew magma and water which instantly freezes in the harsh conditions. These ejections condense water into the atmosphere, falling as snow in the Frozen Zone and rain in the Ring of Life.
The Western Pole — ice volcanoes spew magma and water that freezes instantly in the harsh conditions
Emergence
Life Finds a Foothold
Even on this frozen desert ball of hell, life found a foothold in the limpid warm pools of the habitable zone. Over billions of years life reinvented itself a thousand thousand times until, from nearly nothingness, creatures who strode on two feet emerged.
For millennia they fought the greedy encroaching desert on one side and the fearful dark and cold on the other — and each other in endless wars of conquest, revenge and greed. Long bitter battles lusting for every last inch of precious arable land.
The victors swarmed like locusts over the conquered, taming the edges of the desert and the grip of ice — expanding into the uninhabitable, shielding themselves from the constant sun and icy gloom in underground cities. Soon they took to riding the hot thermals above the ocean of sand and one day found themselves ready for the stars.
History
The Road to Earth
Billions of Years Ago
The Collision
Planet SwRm is knocked from its natural orbit by an apocalyptic collision with another forming planet. The impact obliterates the smaller planet and sends SwRm reeling into its current hostile position — one side locked in endless day, the other in endless night.
Millennia Later
Rise of Civilization
From nearly nothingness, creatures who strode on two feet emerged in the Ring of Life. For millennia they fought the encroaching desert on one side and the fearful dark and cold on the other — and each other in endless wars of conquest, revenge and greed.
The Master Phase
The Rogue Scientists
Planet SwRm reaches its Master Phase. A small cabal of Rogue Scientists divides the planet among themselves, ruling in privileged isolation from their fiefdoms. Their Leader embarks on the ultimate experiment — extending life indefinitely through artificial transfer of consciousness and induced hyperbaric sleep.
The Wars of Revival
Revolution & Exile
The insane theocracy cannot hold. The populace rises in rebellion — a near equivalent to Earth's French Revolution. The wars last for decades. When one scientist switches sides, the Losers are rounded up and given no choice: exile in space, taking their dangerous technology with them.
1,000 Year Journey
Heading for Earth
Traveling at 1/10 the speed of light, the exiled SwRm begin the thousand-year journey to Earth — the nearest habitable planet — where they plan to reincarnate themselves through The Joining. They drop out of subspace 10,000 years ago.
10,000 Years Ago → 2019
Waiting for Equivalence
The human brain is still evolving — The Joining would cause it to crash. In spirit-like fashion The SwRm begin to interfere with events on Earth, inducing calamities, fomenting wars, increasing knowledge, culling the population to create a human capable of withstanding The Joining. Now it is 2019. The human brain has reached Equivalence.
Now
They Make Their Move
The ancient systems of The SwRm begin to fail and they cannot awaken their sleeping cohorts. They kidnap The Maroons to help them find the Knowledge of Immortality and other Secrets scattered through the universe — hidden in The Book of Skulls and other artifacts. They have plans for Earth.
The Knowledge of Immortality
The Book of Skulls
Secrets scattered through the universe at the beginning of time — hidden in The Book of Skulls and other books and artifacts. The SwRm believe The Maroons hold the key to finding the Knowledge of Immortality. They have plans for Earth. The Joining is coming.
The Story Continues
Only The Maroons Can Stop Them
The SwRm have waited 10,000 years for this moment. The human brain has reached Equivalence. The Joining is imminent. Explore the full Maroon Island project — watch the teaser, follow updates, and support the mission.