Komashi

Komashi
Shards	Splinters of Virtuosity
Investitures	Hion
System	UTol system
Universe	Cosmere

Komashi is a planet in the UTol system in the cosmere. The Shard Virtuosity Splintered herself in the vicinity of Komashi, and the entire region is filled with her Splinters. The planet is the original home of the hijo which power hion technology, as well as the yoki-hijo.

Astronomy

Komashi forms a double planet system along with UTol in the UTol system, and the pair orbit a large red-orange sun. UTol appears in the sky as a pale, soft blue star, and is the only celestial body whose light is able to penetrate the shroud. Yumi considers the appearance of the "daystar" to be an encouraging omen from the hijo.

Geography and Ecology

The planet itself is covered by both land masses and oceans. The land itself is predominantly formed of brown stone. Various changes over Komashi's history have resulted in major alterations to the planet's geology and ecology.

Before the Machine

It is likely that Komashi was predominantly a wasteland prior to the arrival of the hijo--if such a time existed. These spirits came to dwell within the surface of the planet, where they warm the stone ground in some areas, providing energy. The heat isn't hot enough to burn cloth, but can burn skin if left touching for long enough. This geothermal energy is also responsible for bringing subterranean water to the surface through steamwells. Life during this phase of Komashi's history is entirely dependent on the steamwells, with all of human civilization occupying the basin where they can be found, which stretches no more than fifty miles across. The ground heat around steamwells can vary somewhat, with warmer spots used by the yoki-hijo, called "kimomakkin", and cooler areas sometimes allowing for a "cold spring", especially at relatively higher elevations, where clogs are not necessary. The cold springs generally contain waist-deep water and may be a dozen or more feet across.

The areas between steamwells, called the searing barrens, is known to be so hot that plants cannot survive and clogs can catch fire. The temperature drops only slightly during nights, allowing for travelers on hovering wagons to cross it. On the outskirts of this region lies the cold wastes, a wasteland of soil and unheated stone at higher elevation, and beyond that is unexplored. The cold wastes are very sparsely populated by nomads.

The flora and fauna of Komashi are adapted to their strange environment. Plant life is generally able to float by various means, to avoid the hot ground. Most notably, they do this by some magical means which reduces their weight, and the weight of anything near their center. Many have broad leaves which catch thermals from the ground for a boost into the air. Some plants also have additional means to stay above the surface, such as the gas pockets on the mingo plants which can expel air for propulsion. These plants have roots that absorb nutrients and moisture from the air. A complete ecosystem exists floating in layers in the air above steamwells, up to one hundred feet or more, where moisture collects and the air stays very humid. Plants sometimes dive closer to the ground, especially during the evenings as the surface cools somewhat. Some few plants can be found actually growing on the surface, in cooler areas, such as bamboo that can be found around cold springs or in the cold wastes. In general, the plant life includes everything one might expect to find elsewhere in the cosmere: large trees, vibrant flowers, and bushes.

Many animals dwell in the plant life to stay above the ground. Many are nocturnal--sleeping in plants during the daytime hours, while the surface is hot. Some forms of lizards are able to jump and glide between plants. Animal life on Komashi seems to be dominated by smaller creatures, including mammals like mice, lizards, and snakes. There are also many forms of birds, including giant crows that can grow to the size of a human child.

Ecology Under the Shroud

Following the activation of the father machine the energy of the spirits is redirected to hion, which completely diminishes the former geothermal energy emanating from the ground. This affected the water cycle on the planet, resulting in regular rainfall not bound to specific locations. Plant life was forced to adapt rapidly as the shroud came to cover the planet--eventually blocking all sunlight. Fortunately, hion proved to be an acceptable alternative, allowing for plants to grow and be cultivated in the vicinity of hion lines. Beyond this, the plants came to settle on the ground and lose the strange nature allowing them to float.

The shroud lasted for roughly seventeen hundred years.

Ecology After the Machine

Ultimately, with the shroud suddenly evaporated, these two distinct ecologies of Komashi's past are merged into a compromise of the two. With hijo continuing to supply the hion lines with power, the surface of Komashi doesn't return to the extreme temperatures it once did. Seeds preserved in Torio City of ancient plants are able to be planted and to grow under the light of the now-visible sun, while plants adapted to the hion lines continue to rely on that Investiture.

History

At some point in the distant past, the Shard Virtuosity Splintered herself in the vicinity of Komashi. It is unclear whether the hijo existed prior to this or whether they were created by it. The earliest human society on Komashi was the kingdom of Torio, which settled around the steamwells. These people relied on the yoki-hijo to bind the hijo, the spirits, into useful tools required to live and cultivate crops in their harsh environment. As the Torish society developed, scholars created the machine--an Awakened device intended to utilize the hijo to produce hion lines. When activated, the machine consumed the souls of the people of Torio, leaving alive only the nomads living on the outskirts of the kingdom.

The outcome of the machine's initial actions created the shroud--a black miasma formed from the human souls that it fed upon. The shroud spread out from the machine, coming down from the sky, and eventually blanketed the entire planet. At the same time, as the machine moved on to utilizing the hijo, hion lines began to emerge from the ground in the vicinity of former Torish villages. The shroud spread over the course of several decades, giving birth to the nightmares that threatened survivors until survivors resettled around the new hion lines. Eventually humans settled and learned to defend themselves from the nightmares using painters. Lines were extended between settlements to allow for easier travel between cities. Over time several nations developed, including Nagadan--the largest and most developed--as well as a dozen other smaller nations beyond it that were frequently in conflict with one another. Knowledge of the past was lost, and the machine's activities were kept secret during this period. It held the souls of the yoki-hijo hostage in prisons within the shroud, surrounded by solid walls. The only clear interaction between these human societies and the machine was the "Incident", in which the machine sent nightmares to attack and destroy Futinoro after spirits made contact with people there.

This lasted until a spirit was able to Connect Yumi and Nikaro, and the yoki-hijo was able to free the spirits, destroying the machine. This event resulted in the dissipation of the shroud and the end of the nightmares. In spite of the major ecological changes this caused, human society persisted and adapted, particularly with the help of seeds of former plants found preserved in Torio City.

Settlements

Before the activation of the father machine, humanity was focused around steamwells in the kingdom of Torio. However, after the formation of the Shroud, the few surviving nomads migrated outwards and formed several cities and nations around hion stubs. The largest and most significant of these nations was Nagadan, though twelve other nations exist. These other nations were smaller than Nagadan, and tended to fight amongst themselves.

Humanity has inhabited very little of the planet, with Torio and Nagadan, the two largest nations in known history, only being around fifty Rosharan miles across. This small area is a result of several factors: during the pre-machine era, humanity was forced to stay around steamwells; post-machine, they were kept around hion stubs and expansion was discouraged by the shroud.

Nagadan

• Kilahito
• Futinoro
• Fuhima
• Jito

Torio

• Torio City
• Gongsha Town
• Ihosen

Notes

This page is probably complete!

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