Archive | March 23, 2018

Tootplanet: Explorers’ Logs Planet 7-25-2

Our habitat landers are designed to fit in to natural environments.

Here, the thing looks as out of place as I would at a Founders’ Ball. It needs more square edges.

In one week here, we have found three edible-to-human plants, although one of them requires processing twice – once with an alkaline plant which grows near it in most circumstances, and then again with heat – to not give horrible gas.

We have also found animals.  Square animals. Square, fluffy, adorable, taller-than-humans animals.

This place cannot be for real.

Tootplanet: Captain’s Log Sector 7, Subector 25

Star Log, Sec. 7, Sub 25-1

It had been so long since we saw a technologically-advanced planet that we were momentarily stupefied.

This planet is perfect for humanoid habitation – large oceans, medium-sized continents, ideal atmosphere.

And to the south, it looks like it is only populated by machines, big ground-sweeping agra’bots.

To the north, though, huge, dense, sky-scraping cities crowd what looks to be a rocky, inhospitable continent, and north of that is a sinking mass of industrialization.

I applaud their specialization, but I’m not sure I’d want to live in it.

We sent down a greeting probe.  I’m sure they’ll have something to talk to us about. Continue reading

Tootplanet: Explorers’ Logs Planet 7-9-1

Planetary Day 393

Summer here is a riot of color, most of it pink (but there’s some purple).

We’ve managed to domesticate or at least sort of tame several of the pink-yaks and a litter of the Red Cats. Because of the yaks — they make a really nice yarn, if you’re okay with everything being pink — we found two more edible plants, one of them a starchy root that has to be boiled but is surprisingly tasty, and one a spinach-like leaf plant.

Torvi is developing pink-screening glasses.  

Tootplanet 7-24-5: Another Viewpoint

Star Log, Sec. 7, Sub 24-5 – Another View

Salek and Elkel saw the Strange Beings come down from the sky.

They spent four hours tucked in the boll of a tree arguing if they were the Malevolent Wings or the Beneficent Wings or, because they showed no literal wings on their bodies, if they were not Wings at all but some other creature.

Elkel bounced into their magical shield.

 

Tootplanet: Captain’s Log Sector 7, Subector 24

Star log Sec.7 Sub.24-1

From a distance, all you can see is the rings. The planet is impossible to land on, but we managed to get one probe through the mess.

It found ruins on ruins and in the middle, a society of child-looking humanoids.

I don’t know if rescue is even possible, but we got a message pod through, and, based on discrete sampling by our probe, an aid packet.

Where are the adults? What can we do for these kids?

Continue reading

A Digression to figure out a word in Calenyen – Written for Patreon

Three conlang words: kaler, pailizdanon, and dieddetpaiz, with conScript "translation."

All right, today we’re figuring out the word for Diplomat, the title for many people to graduate Estiessyaa house.

Let’s see, the English etymology of the word… is one of those weird ones, where state papers come from the Greek word for folded paper.

I’m thinking blunted-spear is the word for diplomacy.

And it looks like I have:

paiterz, snow-spears, with the quote “The Cālenyena call almost everything long and pointy a spear. When all you have is a hammer, etc.”

The Arran/West coast word for spear-leaf: adavijamin (Spear-blade is adavi in that language) Continue reading