The Droods' Origin and Catastrophe
The Droods were once a flourishing and harmonious civilization, revered for their mastery in blending technology with nature. Their home planet, Droo, nestled within the Juno system, radiated serenity with its emerald forests, shimmering lakes, and awe-inspiring mountain ranges. Cities rose with elegance, built from materials as ancient as the mountains themselves but enhanced with the Droods' unique innovations. From the power drawn from winds sweeping through the valleys to the sun’s infinite energy harnessed through cutting-edge solar systems, Droo was a testament to sustainable brilliance. Art and music flowed like water through their culture, echoing their reverence for the beauty around them.
But fate had a cruel twist in store. A gamma ray burst (GRB) from an ancient supernova tore through the system, destroying Droo in mere moments. It left no chance for salvation—stripping away the atmosphere, boiling oceans into despairing steam, and transforming vibrant lands into a shadow of devastation. The few Droods who had journeyed into the cosmos became the last remnants of a civilization lost to cosmic tragedy.
The Exodus to Gomillia
Heartbroken but resilient, the surviving Droods ventured across the void, seeking refuge in the Gomillia system—a celestial haven renowned for its bountiful, habitable planets. With every planet they touched, the Droods poured their collective spirit into reconstructing their world. On Lithsa, a sun-soaked desert planet, their ingenuity thrived. Harnessing solar energy and tapping into underground aquifers, they turned barren stretches into thriving oases of life. Their journey wasn’t just about survival—it was a quest to imbue their settlements with the beauty and harmony that had defined Droo. Sculpted wind farms danced with grace on Lithsa's dunes, and bio-domes shimmered under its fiery sun, nurturing life even in the harshest of environments.
The Rise of Interstellar Velocity Gates (ISVs)
With population numbers soaring into the trillions, the Droods faced new challenges that demanded even greater innovation. Enter the Interstellar Velocity Gates (ISVs): monumental gateways of light and energy capable of connecting distant stars in the blink of an eye. These marvels allowed not only exploration but expansion, offering the Droods access to uncharted territories and untold possibilities. From simple wanderers to mighty galactic pioneers, the Droods embraced the stars as both home and destiny.
The Rebirth of Cylero
Meanwhile, the Juno system itself was undergoing remarkable transformations. Cylero—a barren wasteland before the gamma ray burst—experienced an unexpected revival. The GRB thickened its atmosphere and thawed frozen waters, sparking an era of creation. From microscopic lifeforms to the diversity of ecosystems, Cylero became a garden for emergent life. The Droods, now a galactic species, couldn’t ignore the signs of rebirth within their old home system. Their scientists observed Cylero’s growing vibrancy, intrigued by the possibility of rekindling connections to their ancestral lands. Expeditions to Cylero were fueled by both scientific curiosity and nostalgic longing, as they began to see the planet’s transformation as a metaphor for their own resilience.
Gomillia's Wanderer: The Brown Dwarf Mystery
Beyond the Droods’ personal tale lay cosmic enigmas, such as Gomillia’s Wanderer. This rogue brown dwarf, tossed between star systems by unfathomable gravitational forces, now danced near the Juno system. The Droods’ astronomers sought to unravel the mysteries of its wanderings, discovering that its arrival was responsible for shifting planetary alignments and creating new possibilities for habitation. To them, Gomillia’s Wanderer symbolized both chaos and opportunity—a celestial nomad mirroring their own journey through the stars.
A Cosmic Symphony
As the Droods continue to colonize distant worlds, they bring with them the legacy of Droo. Every settlement is a celebration of their lost home, with each planet bearing the marks of their harmonious touch. From Lithsa’s desert cities to Cylero’s burgeoning life, the Droods have become architects of the cosmos, striving not just to survive but to thrive as stewards of worlds.
Their story is a testament to the resilience of life, the boundless potential of innovation, and the beauty of finding purpose even amidst loss
The Edge of Known Space: A Call to the Unknown
For centuries, the Droods had thrived among the stars, building settlements on the edges of cosmic wilderness. Their mastery over technology and harmony with nature allowed them to flourish despite the vast dangers of space. But no matter how advanced their civilizations became, no matter how far their starships traveled, there remained places no Drood dared to go.
At the farthest reaches of the Gomillia system, beyond the outermost habitable planets, lay an area known simply as The Silent Zone. Here, space was too quiet—devoid of natural radio waves, free of cosmic dust, untouched by wandering asteroids or rogue planets. It was as if the universe itself had abandoned this region, sealing it off from the natural order.
Early probes sent to scan the area failed in inexplicable ways. Some disappeared outright, vanishing without trace. Others returned broken and distorted, carrying data so corrupted it appeared as endless static. And the few that successfully transmitted information back contained a signal, buried deep within their logs—a sequence of fractured pulses and ghostly interference. When decoded, the message was simple, chilling, and undeniably deliberate:
"RUN BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE."
Despite this warning, the anomaly remained an enigma, drawing in the curious and the reckless.
The First Attempts: A Pattern of Fear
For years, the Droods ignored the anomaly, writing it off as a glitch in their instruments, a trick of deep-space interference. But there were always those who refused to accept the unknown. Among them was Commander Vorus, an esteemed explorer with a reputation for defying caution. He had led expeditions into black holes, scouted star systems on the brink of collapse, and mapped regions that even the bravest refused to enter. The anomaly was a challenge he could not resist.
Equipped with the best ship and the finest minds, Vorus led his team toward The Silent Zone, determined to uncover its secrets. As they approached, their instruments flickered with strange readings—gravity itself seemed to waver, shifting erratically. The anomaly pulsed ahead of them, twisting light in ways that defied physics. But it was not until they crossed the final threshold that they realized something was wrong.Suddenly, their ship’s communications went dark. Time itself seemed unstable—chronometers showed minutes vanishing, then reappearing. Shapes flickered on the outer scanners, moving without mass or heat signatures. And then came the message—this time louder, clearer, closer.
"RUN BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE."
And they did.
Vorus and his crew barely escaped, their ship damaged beyond recognition. They refused to speak of what they saw, of what they heard before they fled. But the few fragments of data recovered revealed garbled screams, frantic breathing, and strange whispering sounds—as if something had been inside the ship with them.
The Anomaly in the Outer Reaches of Gomillia
In the shadowed outskirts of the Gomillia system, nestled far beyond the last colonized planet, lies an enigmatic phenomenon that defies explanation. The anomaly—known among the Droods by the cryptic name ".-- .-.-.- . .-.-.- -. .-.-.- . .-.-.- . .-.-.- -.. .-.-.- .... .-.-.- -....- . .-.-.- .-.. -....- .--. .-.-.- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .- .-"—pulsates with eerie, shifting lights, seemingly alive and aware. Its very presence distorts the fabric of space and time, creating gravitational anomalies and electromagnetic surges that wreak havoc on any vessel attempting to draw near. The name itself, deciphered from the ancient code of Morse, is a chilling message: "RUN BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE." This unsettling broadcast is interspersed with fragmented screams, distorted pleas for help, and static-laden cries that suggest it is not merely a natural phenomenon but something far more sinister. Drood scientists and explorers have ventured to understand it, driven by both curiosity and dread. Instruments aboard their ships fail as they approach, succumbing to interference that seems almost intentional. Those who return recount harrowing tales of lost time, unexplainable visions, and an overwhelming sense of being watched. Some theorize the anomaly could be a tear in the fabric of reality itself—an interdimensional gateway or a prison holding a malevolent force at bay.
The anomaly that they found, was way WAY more worse than Cladh discovered in 2025, thousands of years ago..
The Ominous Origins of the Anomaly
The anomaly is believed to have been born from the same gamma ray burst (GRB) that obliterated Droo centuries ago. In its wake, the GRB may have left more than just destruction—it could have opened a scar in the universe. The Droods speculate that this scar acts as a conduit, linking their universe to another that operates on incomprehensible principles. Some even whisper that the anomaly is sentient, an entity rather than an event. Its cryptic broadcasts, interpreted as warnings, may be attempts to communicate—or manipulate. The message, "RUN BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE," could be a genuine caution from an unknown intelligence or a malicious lure to draw the curious into its grasp.
The Droods' Dilemma
The anomaly's existence has divided the Droods. For many, it represents a cosmic terror to be avoided at all costs. They advocate for isolation and the restriction of exploration near the Gomillia system's outer edges. Others see it as an opportunity—a puzzle to be solved, a challenge to be overcome, or even a potential source of power or knowledge that could elevate the Droods to new heights.
Attempts to study the anomaly continue, despite the risks. A covert faction within the Droods has even begun constructing advanced probes designed to withstand its hostile environment, seeking to uncover its secrets. These probes, cloaked in mystery and fear, carry with them not only scientific aspirations but also the weight of a civilization's hopes and fears.
A Dark Legend in the Making
Among the Droods, the anomaly has become a legend, whispered in hushed tones. Some call it the "Watcher in the Void," while others refer to it as the "Harbinger." Its presence is a reminder of the Droods' fragility in the face of the cosmos' vast and unyielding mysteries. For every scientist eager to unravel its enigma, there is a poet weaving tales of caution, a parent teaching their child to stay away, and an adventurer dreaming of what lies beyond. In the ever-expanding tapestry of the Droods' journey through the stars, the anomaly in Gomillia's outer reaches stands as a testament to the universe's infinite complexity and the fine line between discovery and danger.
The Horror Within the Anomaly
The anomaly in Gomillia's outer reaches had always been a source of unease. The gravitational distortions, the cryptic Morse code message, and the unsettling electromagnetic interference were chilling enough. But no one expected what lay within. The first landing attempt was undertaken by a group of elite Drood explorers aboard the Vela Dawn, a vessel designed to withstand the anomaly’s chaotic environment. Equipped with reinforced hulls, advanced life-support systems, and sensor arrays, they had prepared for extreme gravitational shifts, violent energy fluctuations, and even unknown atmospheric conditions. What they weren’t prepared for was something alive. When the Vela Dawn touched down within the heart of the anomaly, all transmissions ceased within minutes. The emergency beacon briefly activated, but the only message that managed to escape the interference was an incoherent, distorted scream—cut short before its meaning could be deciphered. Later, a recovery probe sent to locate the ship found nothing but torn fragments of its outer hull, drifting aimlessly in a void of shifting light and darkness. Scorch marks lined the wreckage, but not from heat or radiation—these were jagged, unnatural, as if something had clawed through reinforced metal with terrifying precision.
The Nightmare That Watches
Survivors? There were none. But motion-sensor logs extracted from the wreckage revealed horrifying glimpses of something lurking within the anomaly. It moved unlike any creature the Droods had ever encountered—flickering in and out of visible light, its form indistinct, as if it existed on the precipice of reality itself. Shadows bent around it in unnatural ways, as though light feared its presence.
Analysis of the few recovered data fragments described a series of inexplicable events leading up to the explorers’ demise:
- Time distortion—explorers reported losing minutes, then hours, in the blink of an eye.
- Unseen movement—heat signatures flickered into existence just outside their vessel before vanishing.
- Whispers without origin—voice logs contained strained mutterings, but none were spoken by the crew.
Perhaps most disturbing of all was an eerie, final transmission from the Vela Dawn’s captain, barely audible amid the static:
"It sees us. But—we—shouldn't—be—able—to—see—it."
The Droods' New Fear
The Droods now regard the anomaly with heightened terror, not just as an unexplained cosmic rift, but as a hunting ground for something that should not exist. Some believe it is a predator from another dimension, feeding off whatever dares to cross its threshold. Others theorize it may be an entity that is itself a part of the anomaly—not living, but not dead, a force beyond definition.
Regardless of its true nature, no further landing missions have been attempted.
For now, the anomaly remains untouched.
Waiting. Watching....
The Aftermath: Rebuilding from Fear
The events surrounding the anomaly had shaken the Droods to their core. Never before had they encountered something so inexplicable, so unrelenting in its silent menace. The loss of the Vela Dawn weighed heavily on them, and for the first time in centuries, explorers hesitated before charting the edges of known space. In response, the Droods convened on Lithsa, their desert stronghold, a place where wisdom and technological mastery intertwined. Leaders, scientists, and philosophers debated whether the anomaly should ever be approached again. Some argued for silence and retreat, for leaving the void untouched. Others insisted that understanding was the key to preventing catastrophe. But most agreed on one thing—they needed time. Time to heal, time to learn, and time to prepare for whatever the future would bring. With exploration halted, attention turned inward. Cities expanded, culture thrived, and the Droods embraced the art and history they had carried from Droo. New music filled the streets, literature flourished, and architecture reached awe-inspiring heights, blending tradition with innovation. They did not forget their fear—but they refused to let it define them.
Watching, but Not Acting
Though the anomaly remained untouched, its presence was never far from the Droods’ thoughts. Observation stations were established at safe distances, quietly monitoring its movements, its pulses, its strange distortions. Occasionally, the unsettling broadcast would return—"RUN BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE"—but now, the Droods listened without panic. It was a warning, but a warning alone did not demand action. Not yet. Time passed, and with it came stability. While scientists and military strategists worked behind closed doors on new theories, new safeguards, ordinary Droods reclaimed the joy of everyday life. Families continued, artists thrived, and cities became brighter. The stars remained vast, full of promise, and despite everything, the Droods were not ready to abandon them.
The Return of Hope
*One day, a discovery rekindled optimism—a small probe, one of the first lost years ago, reappeared from the anomaly. It drifted silently, nearly forgotten, yet perfectly intact. Though much of its data had been erased, one file remained—a single recording, quiet but clear. *
It contained no warnings, no screams—just a soft, rhythmic sound. A pulse. A heartbeat.
It was different from the previous signals—no urgency, no fear, just steady existence. Scientists theorized that something within the anomaly had shifted, changed, or even reached out—not to harm, but to simply be known. For the first time, the Droods wondered—was the anomaly only darkness, or was there something beyond their terror? Had they misunderstood what they feared? Could there be something waiting—not a threat, but an answer? The Droods had learned caution, but they still believed in discovery. They would not rush. They would wait, listen, and when the time was right—they would understand. Until then, the stars remained their home. And the unknown was not only something to fear—but something to one day embrace.