Opium Bird

As a new era of space colonialization began following humanity’s independence from the Bea’wiskarian Empire, among the first to be settled was Kali Thanda. The planet was selected for colonization for its close proximity to human space and its high concentration of nitrates, an ingredient essential for industries.

Initial colonization proved, difficult, however, due to the planet’s frigid conditions. To get to the nitrates [or indeed geothermal for power], miles of ice had to be dug into.

Yet eventually, the colony began to make a profit, and with profit came more settlers. It was then that a startling discovery was made. Kali Thanda had been prior inhabited by humanity for many thousands of years. Entire cities were found encased in ice, serving as tombs of countless millions.

What was surprising was that there were no prior records of humanity even having reached this part of space before. Nevertheless, amidst the ‘gold rush’ of the space age, this news was quickly forgotten save by a few resident researchers and the colony’s onboard A.I.

Yet, as the planet entered its long winter during its elliptical orbit moving away from the sun, the days grew darker, and an ominous unease pervaded the colony. Every settler, young and old, sensed an intangible presence as if something out there resented humanity’s intrusion into its domain.

Reports emerged of a creature that thrived in the inky blackness, its eyes casting an ominous glow as it stood motionless just beyond the lights of human settlement. It was as if it was studying the feeble glow of electric lights and the warmth emanating from within the shelters; the intentions of its alien mind a mystery.

As time passed, such reports grew more frequent. Residents complained of the elusive creatures growing bolder, nearing ever closer to the settlements under the cover of darkness. Some unfortunate souls even claimed to have seen the creature up close, its elongated, avian silhouette casting a grotesque and nightmarish figure.

People began to grow afraid to venture out in the dark, paralyzed by the dread of encountering those glowing eyes in the depths of the polar night. The chilly winds carried with them strange whispers, igniting an instinctual fear of the enigmatic entity that had awakened from its icy slumber, seeking to again reclaim what was once its own.

Researcher’s Note:

Captured sounds of an Opium Bird. Click to play.

What came to be referred to as the ‘Opium Bird’ and associated by the colony with everything sinister turned out to be a rather docile fauna native to the planet. Apparently, these creatures were attracted to the settlements by the relative warmth they emanated. All sinister reports one hears of the creature are all a product of mass paranoia that engulfed the colony as a result of its relative isolation during winter months. In retrospect, the true monster lurked not in the darkness but in their imagination, which was then projected onto the Opium Bird. Despite continued assurance by the onboard A.I., the fear within continued to worsen. It, however, would be resolved as days again began brighter and the real identity of these “nightmarish figures” was made apparent.

As to the subject of lost cities found frozen within the ice, research is still ongoing on unraveling their mystery.

 

This entry was made by the Lore Master.