Paracelsus is the name of both a small island in the southern hemisphere of Tempestas and the SSC development and testing facility situated on it. The island's most notable trait is its biodiversity, larger than anywhere else on the planet. The animals also demonstrate bizarre traits unlike anywhere else, with the lifeforms having traits from outside their lineage or even entirely inorganic. This biodiversity is the official reason given for the facility's establishment, to study the life of Paracelsus and find ways to utilize it to inspire new biotechnology, including advancements in Assignment and the development of several of the most unconventional war machines in production.
One of SSC's most carefully-guarded secrets is that the source of Paracelsus's biodiversity is a hot spot of creation magic underneath the facility that exerts its influence on the island above.[1] The Paracelsus facility utilized this same magic itself in the development of its technology, enabling them to accomplish more drastic changes than a lone creation mage would otherwise be capable of. Only recently, a powerful eidolon named DHIYED was discovered to reside within the hot spot[2], with former director Caelia Lucillus slowly establishing mental contact with it. This contact, and the subsequent descent into obsession that resulted, was the source of the Apotheosis Incident, in which Caelia intentionally ruptured the Paracelsus hot spot to gain the power to ascend to pseudo-godhood in pursuit of the perfection of humanity.[3]
Geography
Paracelsus is a small island, 65 km in length and 35 km in width.[4] Its coasts are high, steep formations of hexagonal basalt, something that prevents access to the island by sea.[5] Outside of the cliffs, the island's geography itself is largely flat, little in the way of hills or valleys. The island's interior is dominated by old-growth redwoods, reaching as tall as 80 meters, forming a thick canopy that casts most of the island below in shadow.
Facility
The Paracelsus facility sprawls across the island's center. At its heart is the development labs, where Caelia Lucillus's ley line processor was established to better draw on the hot spot's magic.[6][7] Other areas of note on the campus are the archives, where records of the facility's experiments and staff are kept; the library, with a vast collection of books and digital resources on magic, engineering, and biology; the faculty offices, where the facility's staff manage administrative and data entry tasks, such as personnel files and test results; testing facilities, where new inventions are put through their paces, including stress tests, to ensure they're ready for mass production; the medical bay, where members of the staff are given weekly check-ins to compare to a DNA baseline, to catch unwanted changes from the island's hot spot before they become a problem; and the quarters, where the staff are housed, a necessity given the island's remoteness and inaccessibility.[8]
In addition to advancements in assignment, the Paracelsus facility is responsible for the creation of SSC's White Witch, Mourning Cloak, Dusk Wing, and Rosy Maple frames.
Known faculty
- Morte Inuriosa (head of the archives)[9]
- Aemilus Decimus (head of security)[10]
- Helvia Hestus (security)[11]
- Gordianus Minicius (magic researcher)[12]
Former faculty
- Caelia Lucillus (director, former)[13]
- Solus Internus (magic researcher, former)[14]
Flora and fauna
The life on Paracelsus, due to its unique manner of evolution resulting in DNA from even distantly-related species can be intertwined, is hard to classify with traditional methods of classification. The staff of Paracelsus assign them a genus that aligns with what seems to be the closest relative of most of their DNA, though many of their biologists are frustrated by it failing to properly grasp the true relations of them to other life.[15]
Bambudzu
Bambudzu (Pueraria bambusa) is a species of plantlife abundant in the forests of Paracelsus. Its name, both scientific and common, is derived from the plant lineages it seems to have originated from, having inherited– and improved upon– the rapid growth and spread known to both kudzu and bamboo. The stems of P. bambusa are flexible during growth and wind around obstacles in their path, then harden into thick, rigid stems as it matures, locking the plant in place. Though it thrives most in the temperate climate of Paracelsus’s forests, testing has shown it to resist temperature changes down to approximately -20°C, and its seeds remain viable for several decades. Researchers predict that should P. bambusa be introduced into a non-native ecosystem, there would be an extinction event of nearly 90% of plantlife. As such, extreme caution is advised in handling the specimens.[16]
Berryhorn
The berryhorn (Rangifer myrtillus) is a species of deer, seemingly closest related to the caribou. Its defining features are a pelt of glossy green simple leaves and branch-like antlers. In the spring, its antlers bloom with small pinkish-white flowers which, when pollinated, fruit into small bluish-purple berries. There don’t appear to be male or female R. myrtillus, but rather, when one eats the berries of another, the berry germinates into an offspring inside it. Other than this bizarre method of procreation, R. myrtillus does not appear to require food to acquire energy, instead reclining in sunlit areas to photosynthesize as a herd. A researcher who harvested and taste-tested the berries of R. myrtillus described them as mildly sweet, with a strange salty aftertaste.
Guytrap
The guytrap (Drosera sarcophagus) is a massive species of carnivorous plant, specimens ranging from 5 to 20 meters in height. Despite the common name assigned to them, genetic testing has proven the guytrap to be a member of the sundews, as evidenced by the viscous “drool” that coats the interior of its jaws. The jaws themselves seem to be convergently evolved to those of the flytraps, containing enamel teeth similar to those of a predatory reptile. D. sarcophagus has a more sophisticated form of thigmonasty than most plants, able to react to nearby movement and seize prey in its jaws. Researchers are advised to keep a reasonable berth from D. sarcophagus specimens and make no more sudden movements than necessary.
Mockingtoad
The mockingtoad (Duttaphrynus polyglottos) at first appears to be almost identical to its closest mainland relatives, albeit more vividly colored, and its behavior and diet are quite similar. The most striking difference comes from its larynx; rather than a normal frog’s larynx, D. polyglottos’s is in fact an almost perfect copy of the human larynx. This allows it a much greater range of sound than other toads, including the natural ability to mimic human speech, though it does not seem to have a capacity for language otherwise. The presence of a human larynx in D. polyglottos could be evidence of prior human occupation of Paracelsus, though Paracelsus researchers have yet to find any archaeological evidence to support this.
Careless speaking around mockingtoads is something of an issue among researchers, having resulted in at least one incident where a young Ezra Meir heard one swear profusely.[17]
Mountainback
The mountainback (Gryllotalpa mineralis) is a species of giant mole cricket, larger than any insect known to science, and in fact larger than thought scientifically possible for arthropods. Its defining feature beyond its size is its shell, which is made up of a form of sandstone. Despite its inorganic structure, the shell is formed on pupation, and grows along with its “host”. As a defensive measure, G. mineralis is known to bury itself partially into the forest floor, camouflaging as an erratic boulder. Though this was initially believed to have developed to mitigate the danger of their 1.9 m/s preferred walking speed, further studies have found that, when startled, G. mineralis can move at speeds of up to 15 m/s, even as soon as it breaks free from its hiding place.
- ↑ Solus nods at that. "Yes, the biodiversity... or at least, that's the official story. In truth, the biodiversity is just a symptom of the real reason: this island rests on a hotspot of creation magicks." (Mission Log, 12/29/2023)
- ↑ After Project Dusk Wing, we successfully pierced the ley line’s veil to find the source of the humming. What we have found we have tentatively labeled Unknown Arcane Entity 07 (designation “DHIYED”.) UAE-07 appears to be a manifestation of the eidolons of old– summoned creatures made of pure magic, but the name DHIYED is unregistered in the Rationarium Supermundae. If we didn’t name DHIYED, then perhaps no one did. Perhaps DHIYED is an eidolon in its purest form– an entity of pure creation magic with powers none of us could comprehend, until now. (Paracelsus Bestiary, 1/4/2024)
- ↑ It happened again… that nagging dream. Lost in the fog. All I can hear– no, not quite hear; feel?– is that humming. Louder, this time. Too loud to ignore. What does it mean? A premonition? A calling? It’s almost… beckoning me. As if, even after everything we’ve accomplished, it’s not enough. No, I know it isn’t enough. I could do so much more for humanity. Maybe I just hadn’t realized it yet. But what is the next step from here? (Caelia's Journal, 1/3/2024)
- ↑ Solus runs numbers in his head, gnawing on his finger in thought. "Paracelsus isn't a large island by any means-- 65 km long and 33 km wide. The facilities are spread across it to some extent, but assuming we make it there, the archives should be only around 20 km away." (Mission Log, 12/30/2023)
- ↑ "One last thing," she says, snapping her fingers to bring the aerial view of Paracelsus back in front of them. "Paracelsus's coast is made up of high cliffs, so an approach by ship is impossible. You'll be transported by dropships and dropped here--" She zooms in on the island's southern coast. "--where the cliffs are lowest. The water will cushion your fall, so it will just be a matter of scaling the cliffs in your frames." (Mission Log, 12/26/2023)
- ↑ "But Caelia... she became obsessed with the hotspot. She always wanted to perfect the human body, and to her, it was a limitless supply of magic with which to do it. She made a machine to draw on its energy more efficiently, and in doing that..." (Mission Log, 12/29/2023)
- ↑ Solus bites his lip. "The device is in the heart of the facility-- the heart of everything. I can plot a course there, but... if there's anything else you need from the facility before we fight Caelia, you should take care of it before we draw her attention." (Mission Log, 12/29/2023)
- ↑ Solus's eyes close as he thinks. "Well... it's a big facility, but there's the development labs, the test facilities, the archives, the medical bay, and then there's the various faculty needs, such as cafeteria, library, offices, quarters for scientists and test pilots..." (Mission Log, 12/29/2023)
- ↑ "...I agree," Solus says slowly. "That's the voice of the head of the archives-- Morte Inuriosa. She was one of Caelia's most ardent supporters... and there were rumors she was more than that. Whatever this is... I don't think it's as simple as a cry for help." (Mission Log, 1/1/2024)
- ↑ The Missionary, compared against the data Sieghild gathered on the facility's medical records, is identified as Aemilius Decimus, head of security operations on Paracelsus. Perhaps that explains the military strategy it seems to remember, even in this state. (Mission Log, 1/3/2024)
- ↑ The Archangel's processes are a cut above the previous Enlightened they've encountered. Helvia Hastus, as Alruna's systems name her, has thoughts-- simple ones, but thoughts nonetheless, largely about the protection of Apotheosis-- and how she's the only one who can. (Mission Log, 1/10/2024)
- ↑ The man smiles sheepishly at that. "...You're right about that. Sorry, someone my age shouldn't be making excuses like this." He chuckles softly. "...Name's Gordianus, by the way." (Mission Log, 1/13/2024)
- ↑ After all these years of work, I’ve finally done it. Chairman Escelius personally confirmed it this morning. This island– all its secrets, all its potential, at my disposal. Just thinking of the advancements I could guide us to… Paracelsus has long been underutilized for what it is. We could truly change the world here, if people would only listen– and now, they will.
Head Scientist Caelia Lucillus… It has a nice ring to it. (Caelia's Journal, 1/3/2024) - ↑ "...I should introduce myself. I am... I am Solus Internus, a magic researcher for Paracelsus." (Mission Log, 12/29/2023)
- ↑ Note from Director Lucillus: the taxa of Paracelsus are difficult to classify due to their strange genetic makeup. Species are classified along with what we believe to be their closest unmodified relatives elsewhere on Tempestas, but we’re still searching for a better method of classification that captures their complex biological histories. (Paracelsus Bestiary, 1/4/2024)
- ↑ Advisory from Head of Security Decimus: Smuggling bambudzu out of Paracelsus is not only against SSC company policy, but international law. Persons found with bambudzu seeds, sprouts, or clippings without proper paperwork will be immediately disbarred and may face up to a lifetime in prison, a 1 million manna fine, or both. Security is authorized to use lethal force to prevent the spread of bambudzu to the mainland. This is not a joke. (Paracelsus Bestiary, 1/4/2024)
- ↑ Advisory from Director Lucillus: Please watch what you say around D. polyglottos specimens, especially before receiving visitors. We were fortunate the incident with the Meirs ended on good terms. I refuse to let Paracelsus be known as the lab that teaches toads to swear. (Paracelsus Bestiary, 1/4/2024)