[Cosmosdex] The Universal Encyclopedia

[Cosmosdex]

Buckingfield
     

The Shifting Frontier

Buckingfield
β€œIt's everyone for themselves out here, ya know. You gotta care for yer own. Except you, Joel. Ya get over here. Stop playin' wit' that fyucking saber-coyote for the last fyuking time.” β€” Unknown

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Dominant Residents: Waylend

Fauna: Beasts with antlers or tusks, Perennial plants
Weather: Periodic ice ages/green ages

Danger Level: High
Purpose: Ranch lands, Textile industry, Underground animal-centric tournaments

Original Creator: CosmicClaxon


Physical Description

Buckingfield, like the species that calls it home, is a planet dominated by polarity. Halfway through the year, Buckingfield's temperature will rise to extreme heights, turning the land into a desert plain with sparse grass fields and crumbling mountains. Some seasons have gotten so hot that parts of the ocean will recede from the shoreline, having been evaporated. While these conditions are capable of boiling visitors alive, they're ideal for the ranchers. The native fauna are born with the ability to store gallons of water and food for long stretches of time, and the largely predictable, expansive land is good for herding several livestocks from one field to the next. Not to mention that the land is very cheap. These domestic fauna, known as feral waylends, are versatile and account for most of the planet's exports.

When the halfway point is over, Buckingfield's temperatures will then drop to sub-zero levels. The oceans freeze over, and the planet's deserts and fields will be covered in buckets of ice and powder. Once again, these less than attractive conditions offer livestock a specialized opportunity, producing fine white wool that can be sold for a decent price at the marketplace. Followed by the ringing of bells, shops can be found pulled around by sled dogs, except that the sled dogs are just more feral waylends.

During each summer or winter season, the poles of the planet will be reversed. If it's cold near the equator, there's a good chance there'll be warmer climates north or south, and vice versa. However, the poles are only havens to an extent, and their temperature difference, while more tolerable, is seldom comfortable.

Most of Buckingfield is dominated by ranching communities, being primitive and dusty as if they've never left the pioneer era. While the main reason these towns haven't updated is because the inhabitants see little reason to do so, there exists a spot on the side of the planet where primitive build is a necessity. This spot is a large crater caused by the meteor that hit the planet a millennium ago. While the radioactive substances of the meteor has dried out, the meteor itself was never removed, and creates a magnetic barrier within the crater and the surrounding towns. AIs are not advised to approach it. Only structures and tools made of non-magnetic materials, like wood and stone and special non-magnetic metals, can be used there.

History

Buckingfield was always a place of extreme, but consistent, temperature and large beasts of burden. When the meteor crashed into the planet, a radioactive substance accelerated the dominant beast's evolution, producing the waylends. These waylends would then populate the planet and begin fauna production after settling the era of "camelboys vs aliens". While the outward appearance of the land and the people change by the season, the heart of Buckingfield has been the same, simple place for eons, and it's on course to remain that way for eons more.

Locations

The Poles: The poles of the Buckingfield are the most mild regions, making them a good location for trade towns. Herds will migrate here to sell their wares to passers-by and participate in events such as "shear-fests". While most towns of Buckingfield are built with outdated tech, at the very least the pole towns will have just recently outdated tech.

Ghost Towns: Given their nomadic habits, several towns of one to five houses scatter the fields of the planet for ranchers to move in and out of at their leisure. These towns will appear to be abandoned, but the reality is that they are awaiting use. Ghost town houses are usually stocked with rations that are locked in tight, heavily guarded cellers to reduce spoilage from season to season or a wild fauna from moving in while the herd is away. Each house has a combo air-conditioning/heater system and beds made of burlap sack, but little more. The simpler, the quieter, the easier they are to maintain. Traditional waylends will be suspicious of travellers who enter their ranch lands, but in more recent years, the owners of ghost town houses have been leaving their keys under the doormat so lost travellers won't be swallowed by the weather.

The Meteor Market: The Meteor Market of Buckingfield has become code for the black market. This town within a trench hosts underground tournaments and sells goods of dubious origins, unlike their herding neighbors. It was built the closest to the meteor crash-site, giving it its name and making the magnetic field the strongest here than in any other wayland town. There is little surveillance and very few gadgets, like compasses and record devices, will function properly. If one wants to do something off the grid, this is a recommended place.

Special

Can't Make Up Its Mind: Buckingfield cycles from being a snow-dominated planet to a desert-dominated planet halfway through the year.

Trivia

• Waylend towns are often decorated with the skulls of loved ones. Some visitors find this morbid, but waylends couldn't care less.

• While most industries from Buckingfield specialize in fauna, there is a small business that took off in recent years called, "Cud". It's a chewing-gum distributor which waylends seem to be addicted to.

• Yet another small but common business is the group hatchery. Most juvenile waylends are sent to these places where they can be evenly distributed amongst applying parents and herds who have suffered loss. The government rewards the herder(s) a deposit for every baby they donate.

Image Gallery

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