The Environment
of Yori (Regina 0510)

Temperature

The basic temperature (for hex row N-4) is 30.5°C, but this is affected by several factors: axial tilt, eccentricity, day and night, and the moderating effect of water found in Scarland. Summer in the northern hemisphere coincides with periastron (closest orbital point to Liecs), and summer in the southern hemisphere coincides with apastron (the farthest orbital position from Liecs). The ‘arctic circles’ lie at about 12° from the poles, and thus cut through the middle of hex row N-10 and S-10.

General Base Temperatures
(°C)
Hex RowSummer in
Northern
Hemisphere
(Day/Night)
Summer in
Southern
Hemisphere
(Day/Night)
N-1123-21-1-45
N-1028-164-40
N-932-128-36
N-837-713-31
N-739-520-23
N-642-228-16
N-544036-8
N-4473440
N-3517484
N-25612539
N-160165713
S-160165713
S-25612539
S-3517484
S-4473440
S-539-541-3
S-631-1339-5
S-723-2036-8
S-816-2834-10
S-911-3329-15
S-107-3725-19
S-112-4220-24
Scarland Base Temperatures
(°C)
Hex RowSummer in
Northern
Hemisphere
(Day/Night)
Summer in
Southern
Hemisphere
(Day/Night)
N-1117-15-7-39
N-1022-10-2-34
N-926-62-30
N-831-17-25
N-733114-17
N-636422-10
N-538630-2
N-4419386
N-345134210
N-250184715
N-154225119
S-154225119
S-250184715
S-345134210
S-4419386
S-5331353
S-625-7331
S-717-1430-2
S-810-2228-4
S-95-2723-9
S-101-3119-13
S-11-4-3614-18
Effects
DGP Grand Survey
description
T5 hits/min
when exposed
50°CUpper limit of human habitability1
37°CPhysical strain on human body
30°CUpper limit of human comfort
25°CUpper limit of optimal temperature (room temperature)
18°CLower limit of optimal temperature (room temperature)
15°CBase temperature for Terra
6°CMinimum for crop growing season
0°CLower limit of human comfort
-5°CCrop “killing frost” temperature on most worlds1
-20°CLower limit of human habitability1
-36°CHardy plants killed on most worlds4
-78°CCarbon dioxide solidifies to form dry ice16

Altitude

As altitude increases atmospheric pressure (and thus oxygen pressure) decreases. It also gets colder. The equivalent altitude on Earth (based on oxygen pressure) is 3.5km higher (i.e. there is the same amount of oxygen at 0km altitude on Yori as there is on Earth at 3.5km). The temperature “lapse rate” is -4.59°C per km.

Altitude
Altitude
(km)
Air
Pressure
(atm)
Oxygen
Pressure
(atm)
T5
Effects
Temperature
Change
(°C)
-2.01.460.189
-1.51.380.177
-1.01.310.165
-0.51.230.152
0.01.170.140
0.51.100.13Suff-1-2
1.01.040.13Suff-1-5
1.50.990.12Suff-1-7
2.00.930.11Suff-1-9
2.50.880.11Suff-1-11
3.00.840.10Suff-1-14
3.50.790.09Suff-1-16
4.00.750.09Suff-1-18
4.50.710.08Suff-2-21
5.00.670.08Suff-2-23
5.50.630.08Suff-2-25
6.00.600.07Suff-2-28
6.50.570.07Suff-2-30
7.00.530.06Suff-2-32
7.50.510.06Suff-2-34
8.00.480.06Suff-2-37
8.50.450.05Suff-2-39
9.00.430.05Suff-2-41
9.50.400.05Suff-2-44
10.00.380.05Suff-2-46

Wind

Beaufort Scale
SeverityNameWind (kph)
0Calm1
1Light air1-5
2Light breeze6-11
3Gentle breeze12-19
4Moderate breeze20-28
5Fresh breeze29-38
6Strong breeze39-49
7Moderate gale50-61
8Fresh gale62-74
9Strong gale75-88
10Whole gale89-102
11Storm103-117
12+Hurricane117+

Events & Encounters

Altitude varies from -0.5km to +0.5km, use General Base Temperatures.

1: Roll for every 100 km travelled in the desert to find the predominant terrain. Note that an “oasis” on Yori means an outcrop of moisture producing Desert Coral.

Terrain
(1d6)
1Rocky desert plateau (roll 6 on 1d6 for an oasis)
2Rough valleys and canyons (roll 6 on 1d6 for an oasis)
3Rocky desert with mesas, buttes, and columns (roll 6 on 1d6 for an oasis)
4Salt flats
5Desert surface of gravel laid down in a mosaic (roll 5 or 6 on 1d6 for an oasis)
6Dune sea

2: Roll every 9 hours for an event.

Events
(1d6)
TerrainNo eventWild animalStorm
Oasis (any desert terrain)12-56
Rocky desert plateau1-456
Rough valleys and canyons1-34-56
Mesas, buttes, and columns1-456
Salt flats1-5-6
Desert surface of gravel1-456
Dune sea1-5-6

3a: If the event is a wild animal encounter roll to determine what animal and resolve as normal. (Animal table near bottom of page.)

Wild Animals
(1d6)
1Death Wings
2Sand Snake
3Plated Racoon
4Rainbow Flies
5Black Darter
6Little Devil (desert)

3b: If the event is a storm then a violent wind will start, causing a “dust storm” (or a “sandstorm” if in a dune sea). Roll 1d6+6 for the severity (Beaufort Scale number) and 1d6 for the duration in hours, but if a 6 is rolled then roll 1d6 for the duration in days!

Sand is heavy, so a sandstorm is rarely above 2 meters in height. It will resemble a vast, thick, rolling carpet gliding over the desert. Characters in the open without filter masks who cannot get their heads above the cloud will take 1 point of damage every 5 minutes (from smothering). Ground vehicles and shelters will be covered by 1d6-3 meters of sand. Characters in the open may take 1 point of damage from the abrasive action of the sand.

Dust, being lighter than sand, can be flung up to great heights by the wind. Characters in the open without filter masks will take 1 point of damage every 15 minutes (from smothering). Improvising a filter mask from a piece of cloth will reduce this to 1 point of damage every 30 minutes. Dust storms do not bury things like sandstorms do.

A dust storm on a salt flat is more dangerous. Characters in the open without filter masks will take 1 point of damage every 5 minutes (from smothering). Improvising a filter mask from a piece of cloth will reduce this to 1 point of damage every 10 minutes. Characters in the open may take 2 points of damage from the corrosive action of the salt.

Altitude varies from 0 to +3.5km, use General Base Temperatures.

1: Roll for every 50 km travelled in the mountains to find the predominant terrain. Note that an “oasis” on Yori means an outcrop of moisture-producing Desert Coral. (A “canyon” is a steep-sided valley.)

Terrain
(1d6)
1Mountainous with a valley (roll 6 on 1d6 for an oasis)
2Mountainous with a canyon (roll 6 on 1d6 for an oasis)
3Mountainous with a major fault escarpment
4Mountainous with a volcano
5Plateau
6Badlands (roll 6 on 1d6 for an oasis)

Then roll every 5 km travelled in mountainous terrain to find the predominant sub-terrain. The “Movement” column refers to speed on foot; some ground vehicles will find the more extreme slopes impassable and require a detour. (To detour “travel” 1 km at right angles to the intended path and then roll again.) To enter/leave a valley roll once on the slope table (re-rolling any 6s), the valley floor should be treated as Plateau. To enter/leave a canyon roll once on the slope table (re-rolling any 1s), the canyon floor should be treated as Plateau. (Scree slopes are covered by small rocks and debris, and thus are treacherous.)

Sub-terrain
(1d6)
SlopeMovement
1Gradual slope (15°)1.00
2Gentle slope (30°)0.75
3Gentle scree slope (30°)0.20
4Moderate slope (45°)0.50
5Moderate scree slope (45°)0.10
6Steep slope (60°)0.25

If a fault escarpment (a cliff produced by seismic activity) is present, determine its details. Roll 1d6, on 1-3 the PCs are at the foot of the cliff, on 4-6 the PCs are at the top of the cliff. It is 1d6 x 10 kilometres in length. If the PCs are on foot and are properly equipped, they may climb the cliff.

Fault Escarpment
(1d6)
1Sharp slope (75°)
2Sheer cliff (90°)
3Sheer cliff (90°)
4Sheer cliff (90°)
5Tiltback (105°)
6Severe overhang (120°)

2: Roll every 9 hours for an event.

Events
(1d6)
TerrainNo eventWild animalRockfallStorm
Oasis (valley)1-23-5-6
Oasis (canyon)12-456
Oasis (badlands)1-23-5-6
Valley1-34-5-6
Canyon1-23-456
Fault escarpment12-34-56
Volcano1-23-456
Plateau1-34-5-6
Badlands1-34-5-6

If a volcano is present, determine its details. Yori’s volcanoes are ash type only (no lava). Roll 2d6 once a day, on a 12 there is some activity.

Volcano Activity
(1d6)
1Seismic quake (automatic rockfall event)
2Minor eruption ... steam escapes from the crater (hopefully the PCs weren't in the crater at the time) visible as a tall white plume above the mountain
3Minor eruption ... steam escapes and seismic quake (as above)
4Moderate eruption ... a pillar of smoke extends into the sky, there are constant seismic quakes (automatic rockfall event), ash falls everywhere within a 10 km radius. Lasts for 2d6 x 30 minutes.
5Major eruption ... a pillar of smoke extends into the sky, there are constant seismic quakes (automatic rockfall event), ash falls everywhere within a 2d6 x 10 km radius and burries everything under 2d6 x 2 meters of ash. Lasts for 2d6 x 2 hours.
6Major eruption ... as above. In addition a cloud of poisonous gas will race down the side of the volcano at hurrican speeds in all directions (regardless of wind direction).

3a: If the event is an animal encounter roll to determine what animal and resolve as normal. (Animal table near bottom of page)

Wild Animals
(1d6)
1Death Wings
2Yorian Goat
3Plated Racoon
4Yorian Goatlings
5Yorian Mongoose
6Little Devil (mountain)

3b: A rockfall or landslide event is dangerous. Roll 9+ on 2d6 for each character and/or vehicle to be hit by falling/rolling rocks. However …

To dodge a rockfall while on foot:
Difficult, DEX, Fateful and Hazardous.

Referee: Task is harder if on a scree slope.

3c: If the event is a storm then a violent wind will start. Movement rates may be reduced and climbing may be impossible. Roll 1d6+6 for the severity (Beaufort Scale number) and 1d6 for the duration in hours, but if a 6 is rolled then roll 1d6 for the duration in days!

3d: A volcanic ash fall is dangerous. Characters in the open without filter masks will take 1 point of damage every 5 minutes (from smothering). Improvised a filter mask from a piece of cloth will reduce this to 1 point of damage every 10 minutes. Characters in the open may take 2 point of damage from the burning action of cinders.

Altitude of sources start at 0 and quickly descend to -0.5 km. Then, along most of Scarland’s length, gradually slopes down to -1.0 km at White Wash. Use Scarland Base Temperatures.

1: Roll for every 10 km travelled in Scarland to find the predominant terrain.

Terrain
(1d6)
1Suburban community
2Suburban community
3Suburban community
4Irrigated fields
5Irrigated fields
6Irrigated fields
7Open ground
8Open ground
9Open ground
10Open ground

DM +1 for every 10 km from the nearest city (max +4)


2: Roll every hour for an event.

Event
(1d6)
TerrainNo
event
PeopleDomestic
animal
Wild
animal
Storm
Suburban community12-56
Irrigated fields123-456
Open ground123-56

3a: If the event is an encounter with people, roll for specifics and resolve as normal.

People
(1d6)
Suburban communityIrrigated fieldsOpen ground
1Police patrolPolice patrolPolice patrol
21d6 citizens1d6 citizens1d6 citizens
32d6 citizens1d6 farmersMilitary unit
43d6 citizens2d6 farmersMilitary unit
5Military unitMilitary unitMilitary unit
61d6 offworlders1d6 offworlders1d6 offworlders
  • Police patrol – Usually one Human and one Zurph police officer in a patrol speeder.
  • Citizens – A group of local inhabitants (Human or Zurph or mixed) going about their business.
  • Farmers – A group of local inhabitants (Human or Zurph or mixed) going about their business.
  • Military unit – A squad of soldiers on a training exercise (usually a patrol).
  • Offworlders – Could be an IISS survey, tourists, merchants, off-duty marines from the starport, or a group of adventurers up to no good.

3b: If the event is a domestic animal encounter roll to determine what animal and resolve as normal. (Animal table near bottom of page)

Domestic Animals
(1d6)
1Hog Dog
2Sweating Hoglets
3Sweating Hoglets and a Hog Dog
4Yorian Goat
5Yorian Goat
6Yorian Goatlings

3c: If the event is a wild animal encounter roll to determine what animal and resolve as normal. (Animal table near bottom of page)

Wild Animals
(1d6)
1Rats
2Plated Racoon
3Rainbow Flies
4Rainbow Flies
5Yorian Mongoose
6Gull

3d: If the event is a storm then a rainstorm (possibly violent) will start. Roll 2d6 for the severity (Beaufort Scale number) and 1d6 for the duration in hours.

Animals

Animal Table
QtyAnimalMassHitsArmourWoundsWeaponsReactions
1Black Darter8 kg3/1none1teethA6F8S2
This mammalian animal is a hunter. It is very territorial and the largest Yorian animal. On a roll of 6 on 1d6 there are 2 Black Darters (a mated pair). Its bite is venomous and does 2 points of damage per day for 3 days (total 6 points of venom damage).
QtyAnimalMassHitsArmourWoundsWeaponsReactions
2d6Death Wing1 kg1/0none1beakA8F4S3
This bird-like animal is a flying carrion-eater very similar to the Terran vulture. Treat its beak as teeth for combat purposes.
QtyAnimalMassHitsArmourWoundsWeaponsReactions
1d6Gull2 kg1/1none2clawsA3F8S3
This bird-like animal is a flying killer. Treat its beak as teeth for combat purposes. It usually nests in the faces of Scarland’s cliff walls, and hunts like an eagle (but with more aggression once combat is joined). Although attacks on people are rare they are not unknown. Gull’s behaviour is often likened to that of Terran sharks.
QtyAnimalMassHitsArmourWoundsWeaponsReactions
1Hog Dog50 kg5/5none2claws & teethA5F7S4
This smart mammal is a chaser. It is a canine used as a “sheep dog” for the Sweating Hoglets. It is not natural to Yori.
QtyAnimalMassHitsArmourWoundsWeaponsReactions
1Little Devil (desert)3 kg1/1jack1stingerA0F0S1
This arachnoid animal is a pouncer. It is sometimes called a “sand spider”. It has a hard shell for defence, and a venomous stinger for attack. The stinger’s venom does 1 point of damage per day for 3 days (total 3 points of venom damage).
QtyAnimalMassHitsArmourWoundsWeaponsReactions
1Little Devil (mountain)4 kg2/1jack1stingerA0F0S1
This arachnoid animal is a pouncer. It is a slightly larger version of the sand spider. It has a hard shell for defence, and a venomous stinger for attack. The stinger’s venom does 1 point of damage every 2 days for 4 days (total 2 points of venom damage).
QtyAnimalMassHitsArmourWoundsWeaponsReactions
1Plated Racoon6 kg2/1mesh1clawsF0A6S1
This mammalian animal is a intermittent. It looks like a Terran racoon inside a Terran tortoise shell.
QtyAnimalMassHitsArmourWoundsWeaponsReactions
1d6Rat1 kg1/1none1teethA9F3S1
This rodent is a carrion-eater.
QtyAnimalMassHitsArmourWoundsWeaponsReactions
1Sand Snake6 kg4/1jack1teethF0A8S1
This reptilian animal is a grazer. A herbivorous snake!
QtyAnimalMassHitsArmourWoundsWeaponsReactions
6d6Sweating Hoglet15 kg4/2none2teethF10A4S4
This proto-mammal animal is a grazer. A cute piglet-like creature with big, mobile ears. It has brown and red stripes, a heavily-furred tail and belly, toed digitigrade feet, and a long prehensile nose. It is very fast. The sweating hoglet is not natural to Yori but was imported as a meat source.
QtyAnimalMassHitsArmourWoundsWeaponsReactions
1Yorian Goat6 kg5/1none2hornsF5A5S2
This marsupial is a grazer. It resembles a Terran goat, however it is egg laying. (See also: Yorian Goatling.)
QtyAnimalMassHitsArmourWoundsWeaponsReactions
1d6Yorian Goatling1 kg1/0none1hornsF6A4S1
A Yorian Goatling is an immature form of the Yorian Goat. Goat eggs are laid in clutches of upto 6, and when hatched the troop of goatlings stay together for defence until maturity.
QtyAnimalMassHitsArmourWoundsWeaponsReactions
1Yorian Mongoose6 kg2/1none1clawsF0A6S1
This mammalian animal is a gatherer. It is sometimes called an “Egg Thief”. It is related to the Plated Racoon but without the hard shell (it looks like a hunch-back Terran racoon). In addition to eating mountain grasses it also eats Goat eggs. It is not uncommon for the Mongoose to steal a Goat egg and take it back to its borrow, and wait for it to hatch before eating the new-born goatling.
Desert Coral
One of the strangest creatures on Yori is Desert Coral. It is actually a fish, with three distinct stages in its lifecycle.

Desert Coral’s first stage is as a ‘sea snake’ in the Undersea. When it reaches a length of about 1 meter in length, it seeks out the highest point of the Undersea it can find. There it burrows into the roof until only its tail remains exposed.

In the second stage of its lifecycle, the creature relies on its exposed tail to filter-feed nutrient from the water. Its outer skin becomes a hard tube, and the creature continues to grow upward through the rock. Some specimens have been reported at over 250 meters in length!

If the creature reaches the surface it enters the third stage of its lifecycle. When the head is exposed to daylight, it dies and begins to rot ... however, the creature as a whole does not die. The revealed skull becomes colonised by algae. This algae relies on water pumped up from the Undersea by the Desert Coral. The Desert Coral receives nutrients from the algae in return.

When a Desert Coral fish successfully reaches the third stage of its lifecycle, it releases chemicals into the water that attract other Desert Coral fish in the first stage of their lifecycle. Thus, when Desert Coral is found, it is usually a large (but tight) mass of rotting fish heads. Such a mass can give off a foul odour which draws animals from the surrounding areas.

Hemdian’s Notebook