Vavaren

Vavaren is a richly forested planet with large bodies of water. It's cold, not cold enough for snow but cold enough for frost to form overnight. The oxygen levels are high.

There are no mammals, only lizards, insects, arachnids and some birds. Everything is huge.
Their oceans are populated by giant squids, immense fish and various other enormous and terrifying creatures of the deep.

The Vavare have built large webbed communes in the trees.

Visitors are not common, Vavare tend to do most of their business off world but those who visit are welcomed warmly.

Ships will dock at a small simple space port which is surrounded by their capital "city", if you can call it that.
It looks more like a vast marketplace.

Visitors are advised to wear rebreathers when leaving their ship, dress warm and to avoid any flames, sparks or static buildup.

Enjoy your stay honored friends, welcome to Vavaren.

Starr stepped out in her dragon form and looked around at the view from the ramp before looking up to Vestia's side. Carefully, she moved away from the others so that she could fly up to where she could reach one part that would need painting. She looked around again, liking the view from here. To see such a green planet was lovely after so long in space.

Mourn clambered to the top of the ship and yelled a loud victory "HAH!", looking around delightedly.

Too many trees, he decided. And way too much water. He ducked as a giant dragonfly the size of a large hawk flew past with a loud hum of wings.

As the others settled themselves to paint the ship, Lilian took Cassi and the spider kids to the local Vavaren population, the children letting their legs out and admiring the place.

The city was vast, spreading through the trees on multiple levels. Large wooden platforms were interconnected with webbed walkways which swung like rope bridges in the breeze.
Most of the population seemed to be dark skinned Vavare, going about their daily business, tending stalls, shopping. There were a few green skinned spiderkin dotted about and one or two white cave spiders. A beautiful pink skinned male stood in the center of the market square playing a tune on a strange stringed instrument for the amusement of those around him.
Every so often someone would drop a coin, small stone or wooden disk into the busker's offering bowl.

The newcomers attracted attention of course, though the Vavare were generally polite, a few did stare at the biped and her half spider children.

A group of hatchlings, little older than the spider kids themselves passed by, pausing the study the group quizzically.

"Are you from the cruise ship?" one of them asked, pointing back toward the port.

"What are you?" Another asked.

A third scuttled around to get a better look at Lilian and Cassi who were of great fascination to them.

"How do you walk around with only two legs?" they asked.

Rey got a little overwhelmed from the sudden attention, hiding in the center of the group while peeking out between elbows and shoulders. Lilian answered for the kids, "Yes we are." She said with a smile, brushing a golden lock of hair behind an ear, "Well, these three and I," she motioned to the half-spider kids, "Are humans, but Cassi here is a Star Dragon."

To prove Lilian correct, Cassiopeia shifted, the tiny football sized dragoness climbing up the Lilian's should and stretching her wingspan before relaxing. "We walk on two legs because we... er... evolved that way I guess."

"Lizard!" two of the children ran and hid behind an adult who came over to see what was going on.

"You can't be human." The third and braver child declared. "You have too many limbs." They prodded at Jay's spider legs. "Why are they the wrong way round?"

The other two peered out from behind the adult, curious too.

The adult bowed their head to Lilian. "Welcome friends. We apologize for the curiosity of the hatchlings. They have not yet learned social graces."

"but Goran, they have a lizard!" one of the children protested

"And and... they say they're human but they can't be human." the other added.

The adult sighed. "Yes but it is a very small lizard."

"She said it was a star dragon" The braver one told them.

"A star dragon?" The adult looked suddenly tense. "We do not appreciate slavers coming here."

"Lilian isn't a slaver! Her friend Sonata saved me and my mum when she was running from slavers!" Cassi objected to the adult's words bravely.

Lilian looked at Jay, who meekly began hiding his legs again after they were poked and declared he wasn't human. "They..." Lilian hesitated a moment, "... Got those in an accident."

"An accident? What sort of accident?"

"Ooooh like in the comic books? Did you get splashed with radioactive goo and fly into a supernova and and.."

The adult raised a hand to silence the children.

"Forgive them, they are young. " They watched Cassi in fascination. "Then you are... a free Star Dragon? Such things exist in this universe? Praise be to the weaver, such a blessing. " The adult bowed their head and gestured that the children should to.
"Forgive my assumption, we have heard of none of your kind that are free of chains."

Others were starting to gather at the talk of star dragons. Most if not all of them had never even SEEN a star dragon, only heard old stories about them.
They whispered to one another "they say they can create suns from nothing."
"They used to soar among the stars"
"They can rearrange the cosmos."

"I am Goran Den-Kopman, Come friends, I shall be your guide!" The first adult declared, bowing their head low and shooing the children away.

"We want to stay and talk to the hatchlings!" the children protested.

"We want to hear their stories!"

"Return to your mothers at once small ones." Goran insisted.

"You're mean" The kids whined.

The three mutants looked quite relieved when the adult had silenced the invasive questions. Lilian bowed her head in gratitude at the gesture.

"Not only me!" Cassi continued bravely, realizing she wasn't in any obvious danger here. "Starr is a Star dragon too!" She then thought, "Sonata said she was a special Star Dragon, but she wouldn't tell me why... She says she'll tell me when I'm older, but I don't like waiting."

Lilian softly hushed the talkative Cassi, returning her attention to Goran, "I'm Lilian, and this is Rey, Jay and Kaleb. You've already met Cassiopeia, but Cassi will do. We would love a tour, thank you."

Goran bowed their head once more. "We are truly blessed to have such rare and unusual guests then." The looked meaningfully at the gathering crowd who started to dissipate slowly, several trying to catch a glimpse of the group through the crowd.

"Come, follow me." They would lead the small group across the market square and up a stairway that wound around the massive trunk of an immense tree.

The small little group, a bit overwhelmed by the popularity, ducked through the crowd and followed Goran up the tree. Below them there was a snapping sound, like a whip crack. "Shock must be running around again..." Lilian mused disapprovingly.

The cracking sound got a reaction, everyone ducked and then, realising it wasn't lightening, confusedly went back to their business.

"Who is Shock?" Goran asked, leading them up and up and up.

"An Avian." Lilian explained, "But a 'Vessel,' as they call them. He had the ability to run faster than the speed of sound."

"An Avian? By the weaver... an endangered race these days." Goran made a quick gesture with one hand and crossed their chest. "Such a tragedy." They reached the top of the tree where there was an observation point, the view was breathtaking. They were above most of the canopy now and the view stretched across the forest to the mountains and river beyond.

"Woah!" Kaleb leaned on the railing, only to be pulled back by a paling Lilian. Cassi opened her wing span a bit more in delight as all the children looked on in awe.

in the distance they might see giant hawks flying above the trees.
Far below there were clearings where huge lumbering aphid-like creatures grazed, watched over by Vavare shepherds.

Goran smiled. "Best view in the city."

Starr looked around as she got a bucket finished and raised a wing towards Cassie, Lillian and the others on the observation deck from where she stood on Vestia

Goran pointed out the hawk far away. "Avoid them. They usually stay away from the cities, but sometimes one gets brave and tries to take the aphids. They have carried off people before now. Avoid large open spaces. You will be perfectly safe so long as you remain with civilization."

Matt would teleport all over, transporting supplies and anything else needed.

Mourn would paint, getting completely absorbed in the job so much he didn't even pay attention to anything around him.

Luka would also paint, though she kept a safe distance from Merith who's appearance just flat out terrified her.
A few huge insects flew past her face which only served to freak her out more. This place... argh.. too alien, far far too alien.

Asher stayed near Mourn to translate, but it wasn't really needed for the most part. Things were pretty uneventful.

Tala was painting and singing a war song to get in the spirit of the job.

Ellie sneaked off to shop for medicinal native plants.

Starr looked around then took off, flying closer to the city then shifting in midair and placing the mask on as she did. She headed for the kids to make sure they were enjoying the time off Vestia

Ellie headed into the city, admiring the sheer strangeness and the design of it all. It was almost weird enough to remind her why she used to hate aliens, but she managed to shrug off her fears and head over to a nearby vavare who might have been male or just not full grown, she couldn't tell. "Excuse me," she said, "Do you know if there are any herbalists or botanists nearby?"

The kids admired the view Goran showed them. Meanwhile, several miles away by now, Shock skidded to a halt out in the wilderness, breathing heavily. He waddled over to a nearby forest pond, admiring its glassy texture while curiously dipping a claw in it.

After successfully scaling to the top, John and Sonata would also grab their brushes and help paint, though stopped in bewilderment as Vanessa's bell-like laughter echoes through the air. She and Merith were racing along the sides, paint buckets magically trailing behind them as they skated across the ship's out surface at an angle, the brushes following behind their feet in circles and curls. It didn't stop there. The paint seemed to move and expand from whence it came, curling outward like frost in graceful patterns that quickly spread across the hull. Quinn and Sara watched, the fox hopping along the top making similar but not as intricate patterns while the borrower rode on top.

Asher smiled at Merith and Vanessa's work. It was nice that they were still trying to have fun.

Tala looked annoyed. They should be taking this work SERIOUSLY. They were getting PAID for it.