Worldbuilding Week 5: The Planet Artok

Artok is a cataclysm-wracked planet with an inhospitably toxic and hot atmosphere. Plant and animal life, though evidence is presence for it formerly existing, is entirely absent from the surface, and none have delved into the sludgy tar-filled oceans to determine if anything lives there, though it is strongly doubtful.

Through the hazy fog of Artok's surface some artifacts of a past civilization are sparsely scattered, the constant volcanic eruptions and earthquakes picking and choosing what few things remain. Most common are "shrines" or "altars" consisting of crude stone pillars with a large circular hole in the upper end. For the most part these are found intact, indicating that much work was put into their durability. Considering the calamities that have completely ruined this planet due to its current proximity to its sun, it is agreed by most archaeologists that the society that built them either worshiped the sun or in some way sought to appease it.

Little else is known about the former inhabitants of Artok, but the massive, jagged cliffs and mountains appeal to both treasure seekers and scholars as possible hiding places for the forgotten wealth of a doomed civilization. Little can be done yet to further explore these places, but the pictures brought back by drones and rovers seem promising.

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