The nickname of the JWC Ottica. A mobile, water based research facility operated by the New Cascade Scientific Coalition. (NCSC). Closer resembling a floating platform rather than a ship, it resides primarily on Lake Emporer located on the Island of Hoshimi in the south.

The lake covers over 9000 square kilometers and takes on a bizarre jagged shape due to its location in the mountains. Most of Hoshimi is mountainous with the exception of the North Coast where Port Worden is located.

The vast majority of the lake is surrounded by dense mountainous jungle. The shores are sometimes accessible by water only. Many land expeditions have failed and required equipment and personnel evacuation.

The Forest Laboratory was built in 4 pieces, ferried up The Ikan River on barges, and assembled on the lake. It houses up to 45 people full time. Scientists, Geologists, Biologists, Naturalists and more spend a season or more there. There is a core staff of 15 people that essentially live on the vessel full time.

It was discovered during the building of The JWC Ottica that while the Ikan continues above-ground, a smaller sister river continues underground, feeding hundreds of small creeks and brooks and miniature waterfalls. This feature is known as The Lower Path.

The Ikan Delta lies on the far west side of the Port Worden Basin, away from the city. Here the vast, multi-tiered Gradient Locks allows the movement of personnel and equipment up the river and eventually to Lake Emperor. The construction of these Locks was hotly debated for years as it was invasive construction.

The general public were given the story of private funding and flood mitigation, while the real lynch pin to having the project greenlit was the anomalous readings both beneath the river, and in the lake up in the mountains.

A rare sediment lies at the bottom of the Port Worden Basin. Due to the depth and low current movement, things that flow into the basin generally stay there and eventually settle to the bottom. Here collects incredible amounts of granule consisting of Dusk Clay, Emperor’s Purple, Hoshimi Rubies, and other metals and minerals.

The result is a shimmering, sparkling, mud that shifts between iridescent purple, rose gold, and amber. Near the delta of the Ikan River, this sediment gets agitated in such a way that if one were to dive or swim here, when the light is right, they would be underwater in a storm of luminous particulate glitter.

The most popular archival method, Holofische, is an indispensable medium on Jaladri. Easily present lectures, scientific papers and reports, entertainment, and more, in a pre-recorded, projected 3 dimensional space.

The older cartridges could only display 3 color (white, black, and amber), but newer recording methods and storage space advancements have enabled 32 color presentations. Holofische can be viewed two ways. Either using a headset or a view room.

Most people prefer a headset as the 3 dimensional space moves relative to the user.

While having a personal vehicle on Jaladri is not a requirement, there are a good amount of them scattered around cities. Expovans, mobile printers, micro lorries, scooters, and more.

Travel by personal conveyance is impossible between the two large cities. Maglev rail lines move from New Cascade south to Port Worden. You can, however, drive to the small north colony of Columbia Reach.

From New Cascade, a tunnel bores through the mountains west of the city and continues north for over 200km.

An On-World nomenclature for the different forms of natural glass formed when lava from Hoshimi’s constant eruptions encounters deposits of alien igneous rock deep below the oceans of Jaladri. There is a saying on Jaladri that refers to the geothermal activity that increases towards the southern end of the Island Chain. Adopted from Earth’s ancient “Emerald Tablet”.

“Quod est superius est sicut quod inferius, et quod inferius est sicut quod est superius.

That which is above is like to that which is below, and that which is below is like to that which is above.”

While having roots in the occult back on Earth, this has become a more literal interpretation On-World, directly referencing the interlaced lava tubes, tectonic plate topography, and interconnectivity of Jaladri’s volcanic systems.

The rubies vary from cloudy orange amber, to a lustrous vibrant color most closely resembling polished cinnabar.Jaladri is composed of almost every building block as Earth, but it does boast some new minerals, metals, and elements that set it apart as an alien world.

Ketenocite is an igneous rock extremely high in a complex alien form of Silica that, when combined with the molten lava from the depths of the planet, create a glass that rivals the hardness of Earth Diamonds.

The cloudier and orange/amber the rubies are, the stronger they are. The provocative bright pink red examples are generally used for aesthetic purposes as they are the most fragile.

The concept of “Ikigai”( 生き甲斐 ) from Japan is a historical and colloquial tenant on Jaladri. “A Reason for Being”.

From the First Landers to the diverse and populous current day, the people On-World grew up embracing the idea that every single day is a brand new future for humanity.

Of course these things simmer and reduce over the decades, but the basic idea of falling in love with every single day is something that almost everybody can understand and adopt.

A very large river flows from natural watersheds in the center of Hoshimi. Ikan Raja Haring, or The Ikan River. Named after the Indonesian word for Oarfish, the river is incredibly crystal clear, resembling a flashing Oarfish reflecting the sun in shallow water. There is a waterfall up in the mountains, Presh Falls, where an entrance to a vast underground cave system was discovered.

The river splits here, while the Ikan continues above-ground, a smaller sister river, The Lower Path, continues underground, feeding hundreds of small creeks and miniature waterfalls.

The cave network covers dozens of square kilometers and hosts several sites where ancient ruins have been discovered.

Shortly after exploration began, the caves were closed due to "Imminent Mortal Danger". While JLA did not classify or suppress the cause, fabricated unstable seismic readings were what the public heard about.

During periods of heavy eruption, which end up being at least half of the year, the skies in and around Port Worden and Hoshimi are presented with accents of blue and purple.

Historically, people that remember Earth compared them closely to “seeing the aurora borealis in the fog”. It filters the suns’ light and creates iridescent shadows and patterns as it passes through panes of glass, in between structures, and amidst the empty spaces of trees, plants, and other flora.