Mongo and Mongonians

Mongo is a dark planet roughly the size of Mercury, whose atmosphere is cloaked in a sun obscuring layer of thick dust or smog of some sort. Being less bright than a small asteroid, even at closest approaches, seen only occasionally, it was often mistaken for a comet or asteroid. As such the sky is very diffuse light in perpetual twilight conditions, the sun an indistinct body, even the twilight and evening sky unaccountably bright with refracted sunlight.

Mongo, like the planet Mercury, is a dense metallic ball with a much thinner rock crust, with a surface gravity of about 65% of Telestia.

While its exact orbit is unknown, the most common estimate is 16 months, making its orbit about 1.2 Astronomical Units. Mongo’s angle to the ecliptic is extreme, so it only passes the plane of the ecliptic for only a few days every 8 months. Between its lack of luminosity (albedo) and that it only very occasionally crossed into the view where astronomers searched, Mongo’s existence went undetected until the 20^th century. It does mean that once every 8 Tellurian months, Mongo passes between 17 and 18 million miles from Telluria

Mongo has a volatile active core and a vast orbiting dust cloud. Mongo's dust cloud coalesced two or smaller moons over a hundred thousand miles beyond Mongo, and innumerable meteoroid and asteroid masses. One of Mongo’s satellites raced in a conventional orbit on the plane of Mongo's ecliptic, the other had a highly eccentric orbit, tilted over 45 degrees from Mongo's orbital plane. Tidal effects from this satellite might be in part responsible for Mongo's moving hot spot, which is also tilting at about 45 degrees. The interaction of these satellites kept the dust cloud from settling, their near approaches to each other continually stripping their accumulated dust covers.

Due to its perpetual dust shroud, Mongo's surface receives only slightly more light than Mars. On the other hand, due to scatter, Mongo's twilight and night side receives far more refracted light. The polar regions of Mongo also receive disproportionately more light. Mongo is a dim world, with few shadows and little more than a bright area in the sky to signify the sun, but true night is brief.

Mongo's reduced light means that the surface energy for photosynthesis is roughly equivalent to that in Telestia's northern temperate or subarctic region. Plant growth, while profuse, is relatively slower than in comparable latitudes on Telestia.

Mongo possesses a single continuous world Ocean of some 35 million square miles, about two-thirds of the total surface area of approximately 50 million square miles. With its many tributary bays and seas and fjords, the Ocean is Mongo's largest and richest biozone. Mongo's seas are warm and shallow with strong currents between polar and equatorial regions.

The sea floor is occupied by gigantic tentacled monsters and crustaceans, while fish-like animals swim in profusion. A notable large shallow bank similar to the Grand Banks off Newfoundland is the home of the Maritime nation known as the Shark Men whose semi-submerged cities dot the region. Mongo's oceans are not nearly as deep as the Telestia's, only a couple of hundred meters. The Shark Men's part of the ocean dozens of meters deep.

The land area of Mongo is, except for the few jungle and rain forest regions, generally spartan and sterile. Extensive volcanism has created rich landscapes, but high metal content makes many regions semi-sterile. Naked rock in vast quantities occurs everywhere on Mongo. Mongo is a very barren planet with large expanses of rock and boulders. But like most deserts, Mongo has oases. Mongo's shores and rivers have plenty of water, so life does exist in profusion in some areas.

Due to the low light, plants tend to thick broad leaves. Grasses never really emerged on Mongo. The dominant plant species are characterized by deep root systems, thick branching stems and large dark leaves. Often plants will sport multiple colours or shades to maximize photosynthesis. Land animals on Mongo include giant reptilians, large anthropoids and mammalian predators.

Transplanted Tellurian Animals are common -- Tigers, big cats, squirrels, horses, elephants, etc., all recognizably kin to their telestrial counterparts, but with enough changes and alterations to suggest either that they've been on Mongo long enough to adapt into new species, or perhaps artificially altered. One consistent peculiarity of Mongo life is that most animals are horned, even where their terrestrial counterparts are not -- including apes, elephants and tigers. The presence of recognizeably terrestrial lineages on Mongo suggests that there has been contact, perhaps recurring contact, between Mongo and Telestia in the distant past. There is also the theory that Mongo was an early now abandoned Mantadoan experiment which has now gone rogue.

Pseudo-dinosaurs are common. Unlike theropod dinosaurs who tended to be bipeds, or at least to have back legs much longer and heavier than front legs, these Pseudo-dinosaurs tend to have mammal-like proportions, long tails, long flexible necks, slim builds and differentiated teeth, albeit clearly vertebrate tetrapods.

Mongo Armoured Worms variously resemble terrestrial cephalopods, starfish and worms, but they're not quite any of these. Essentially, they appear to be invertebrates, but invertebrates with some sort of pseudo-skeletal structure inside. They're bilaterally symmetrical and wormlike or serpent-like in form, but instead of limbs, they sport tentacles growing from their sides. These tentacles may have eyes or sensors or some sort at the end. They're stronger and more maneuverable than a cephalopod's tentacles, but overall, the beasts appear lower energy than the other two, their metabolisms run more slowly. Some of them may grow huge. Giant underwater specimens may resemble giant octopuses.

Mongo possesses three major Mountain/Volcanic chains, each of which seem to run Northeast/Southwest near the equator. The placement of these chains seems to suggest that we are not looking at the conventional mountain/volcano building of moving tectonic plates, as seen in the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Mongo appears to have is a moving 'hot spot' similar to that which produced the Hawaian Islands, except on a vastly larger scale. The geography of Mongo seems best interpreted as the result of a vast, 45% arc of uplift which moved in stages from north to south before eventually proceeding east.

The best theory is that Mongo's outer crust is too thick and undifferentiated to allow for Telestia-like plate tectonics. Instead, the core's interior heat is dispersed through an uplift region similar to Barsoom Tharsis region, which represents an area of instability between the core and mantle, which has drifted over the ages. Geologically, this means that the oldest areas of Mongo are the north, and the youngest area is the Tropicana continent.

Mongo is more like Barsoom and Amtor than Telestia (Telluria) -- no plate tectonics, and a much thicker crust. Mongo's thick crust and moving 'hot spot' uplift means that Mongo's elevations are pretty narrow. Mongo, like Amtor, doesn't have the same highs and lows of Telestia or Barsoom. Telestia 's highs and lows are essentially light tectonic plates floating over and against heavier ocean plates on a sort of semi-fluid magma. Mars' highs and lows are probably the result of gigantic asteroid impacts in its southern hemisphere, and mostly that its 'tectonic hot spot' is not mobile but stationary -- so Barsoom’s 'highest' lands, the Tharsis bulge just kept getting higher and higher. But unlike Barsoom, Mongo's hot spot is moving slowly, so it doesn't reach the same elevation. Instead of piling up higher and higher, Mongo's hot spot keeps moving, building new land. Result -- shallow seas, relatively flat land masses.

Two of Mongo's mountain ranges are notable for their hypermagnetic properties. The Magnetic Mountains of the main continent, near the equator, and the Magnetic Mountain of Tropicana. These appear to be the magnetic poles for the planet, which means that the molten inner core appears to be rotating on an axis perpendicular to the planet’s north/south axis of rotation. It appears that the drift of the inner core's axis has been principally responsible for the formation of the continental masses.

It is not clear why the inner core began to drift out of alignment to the planetary axis of rotation. We know that Telestia's magnetic poles have drifted and even reversed, but have no clear idea of the mechanism or reason for this. However, telestia is a much larger world with a much thicker mantle. It seems that on Mongo, whatever the reason for the drift, the shift of the axis of the molten inner core affects the outer core, which in turn creates a stress area between the outer core and mantle resulting in an uplift region.

It seems that the process has been slow and progressive over much of the planet's history. It appears that only one pole has primarily produced uplift, so the most likely reason is that once an uplift region forms the weight or distortion pushes the out of balance core axis away and the drift continues. It seems notable that uplift formation changed direction after uplift formation at the south pole, moving north and east, rather than continuing in its broad north/south direction.

This suggests that a the force of a large body impact in the south hemisphere, just off the south pole, created a shockwave on the other side of the planet, similar to the Elysium and Tharsis regions of Barsoom or the disordered territory of Mercury. There's probably a very big archaic crater in Mongo's ocean that we can't see, because it's covered by Mongo's ocean. There might, however, be a circle of ringing seamounts or island archipelagos. Unlike Barsoom or Mercury, however, Mongo possessed a differentiated core and a molten inner core whose axis of rotation was set adrift.

Mongo possesses extensive ocean regions covering perhaps 2/3rds of its surface. Almost all of Mongo's land is a continuous mass consisting of polar regions and a connecting equatorial band, with two small Island continents and a handful of large islands. Mongo's land area is somewhere around 15 million square miles. Discounting uninhabitable glaciated polar regions, Mongo's habitable lands are likely 10 million square miles.

Mongo doesn't have polar caps, or at least not the same sort of polar caps as on Telestia or Barsoom. Telestia's Antarctic ice cap is the result of a land mass at the Telestia's pole, much like the land masses at Mongo's pole.

Telestia’a Antarctic ice cap is a recent development, resulting from the Antarctic circumpolar current. The Antarctic circumpolar current is an ocean current which travels around Antarctica in a circle. Because of it, warm water and warm air don't circulate in to warm the continent. The effect is a deep freeze, keeping the cold in and the warmth out. Up until 25 million years ago, there was no circumpolar current. Instead, Antarctica was closely enough connected to South America, Australia and Kerguelen that instead of circling, water was forced north and south. Thus frigid antarctic waters circulated up the sides of continents, condensing clouds and bringing rain, while warm equatorial waters circulated south into the polar region warming it. In the northern hemisphere the European gulf stream warms Europe and Scandinavia, giving the region its temperate climate. There is a theory about some abandoned Elderian technology responsible, but that is for another publication entirely.

On Mongo, while glaciers may form at both poles, there’s a constant circulation of equatorial waters north and south which moderates the polar climate. It’s likely still cold and unpleasant, but ice caps are much smaller than on Telestia.

Ocean currents probably govern much of the climate of Mongo. A north current which begins in equatorial waters off of the region known as flame world. It moves north, moving warm waters up to the polar region where, and then turns into a southern cold current moving arctic waters south down the western border of the Tropican continent. This circular current revolves around the so-called 'Unexplored' continent. A comparable Arctic current begins in the southern polar kingdom of 'Naquk', and proceeds east, delivering Arctic waters north to the 'Tropican' continent. From there, it turns and brings tropical waters down the coasts of 'Volcano World.'

These Arctic currents, moving in opposite directions, deliver cold waters to the eastern shores of Tropican, lowering the equatorial temperature there. The result is constant inland rains, as moisture continually condenses from cold air. The result is the western side of the Tropican continent is the most well-watered region of Mongo.

The Polar Regions of Frigia and Naquk particularly in these areas benefit from temperate climates, although the climates are generally dryer. These regions are well watered, but their water derives mainly from glacial melt flow.

On the western side of the central continent, an immense south polar gulf opening onto the Sea of Mystery creates a reservoir of cold water. This becomes the source of cold currents which travel north up the western shore of the continent, creating a cool rain forest climate in Arboria. The current continues to move up to the land of the Lion Men, where the outthrust peninsula directs the arctic current into the open equatorial sea, leading to fierce and unpredictable storms.

The northern section of the Sea of Mystery, with its numerous bays, is probably the most moderate sea. The shoreline is too far from the extreme arctic to allow strong currents to form. The region is cool and generally dry, featuring moderating currents.

In the northern region is the land of Frigia, cold and semi-arid. Eastern Frigia features a relatively moderate/northern European climate with extensive rivers draining into the sea from glaciers. Western Frigia tends to be colder and more arid, because it is not warmed by strong tropical currents. Geologically, Frigia is the oldest region of Mongo, and so its mountain and valley features have shown the most wear. Frigia is a land of rolling hills and highlands.

Southeast of Frigia is an arid semi-desert but warm or temperate region known as 'Flame World.' The region is known for massive basaltic rock, with savage cliffs and chasms. It appears that volcanism has resumed after a long geological period of inactivity, but at a decidedly lower level. It represents a relative highland.

Southwest of Frigia are the temperate grasslands of the self-styled Lion Men. This region features open rolling plains and low weathered mountains. Its geography is remarkably flat, the weather temperate and rainfall extends through the year. Its peninsular geography at temperate latitudes means that its climate is relatively benign.

Almost directly south is mountain range running from the coast to the centre of continent. These mountains are some of the highest and most ferocious, blocking ocean rains from reaching the interior of the continent. The portion of the mountain ranges in the centre are known as the Magnetic Mountains, and appear to be the current location of the magnetic south pole. The mountain range also tends to divide northern and southern hemisphere climactic regions.

South along the western coast is the temperate rain forest region of Arboria, watered by rains from the ocean currents. The region borders on the Great Mongo desert located in the interior. The abrupt distinction between Arboria and the Desert suggests that the desert is a highland region and so inaccessible to low hanging rain clouds, while its elevation and slope drains away any internal rainfall which reaches the area.

Beyond the desert is a region of thick tropical jungle or rain forest. Beyond the jungle is a geologically active highland region called ‘Volcano World’. The jungle region drains by rivers both north and south, and may have once represented a trapped sea. It's clearly a lowland region and environmental sink.

North of the jungle and facing out onto the eastern coast is the region known as 'Syk' or 'Kira the Cave World' or Flash Gordon's Kingdom. With a moderate European or New England climate, the region is geographically hilly and mountainous, dotted with numerous valleys. It features a complex drainage into the jungle area.

To the south, connected by an Isthmus is the ice kingdom of Naquk, which is presumably partially glaciated.

Beyond this, there are two island continents, which might just be very large islands. The smaller of which is largely unexplored, but is known for year round stormy weather. The island continent of Tropica is about two thirds subtropical grassland and rain forest, with a large central tropical rain forest/jungle. Mountain ranges bisect the centre of the continent, with the other side being desert and volcanoes.

Mongo is characterized by complex disordered geography over shifts of latitude with extreme changes in elevation, rainfall, rock composition, age, temperature, climate and fertility over short distances. The result is a series of sharply defined microclimates and discrete ecological and environmental zones.

Mongo lacks true alien species. There is nothing like the Tharks, the Formians, the Lunar Ga-Vas, etc. Rather, Mongo is populated by humans and in some cases by what are clearly human variant subspecies, whether naturally evolved or artificially is unknown.

Yhe Lion-Men of Mongo definitely appear to be a human subspecies, diverged from the main line. Are the Shark-Men of the Sea a true human subspecies, natural divergent or artificially modified. Are the Hawk Men a human subspecies, or are they merely a clever tribe which uses artificial wings to fly?

Mongo as a whole is thinly populated, and the population distribution is very uneven. Large areas of Mongo empty of sentient life, even in many fertile areas. Mongo’s populations had been isolated from each other for long periods.

Mongo is very geographically diverse. Most of Amtor is tropical jungles and islands. Most of Barsoom is water poor desert and oasis. So both of these worlds tend to have uniform populations (within reason – Barsoom has icy polar regions, and lost marshland and wet regions which host unique species of animal and intelligent/human life. While Amtor has cool polar regions which appear to have unique populations -- but for both worlds over 80% of the planets are uniform). Perhaps Mongo's geographical and climactic diversity have led to very different cultures and very different human races.

The diversity of 'races' and lifestyles of Mongo's humans are not echoed by the certain cultural features. Most or all of the sentient species on Mongo seem to speak a common language, and common styles of clothing and governance predominate. Among many of the civilized nations of Mongo a uniform level of technological accomplishment seems to exist, with local variation or adaptation in places like Frigea or the seas of the Shark People.

The implication is that Mongo had long periods of planetary government where a single empire has been able to enforce and spread its language, technology and culture across the world. On the other hand, it appears that the different regions of Mongo prize their independence highly. It may be difficult for an Empire to maintain its control over a long span of time. It's likely that Mongo's history is a long one of on again/off again empires punctuated by periods of squabbling but isolated states. Kramg and Ming's dominion may only be the latest in a long line of them. Krang’s rule seemed to include the other major powers, while Ming has them under his dominion.

The last we heard about the Ming autocratic rule is that it somehow lasted at least in part until the early part of the 23^rd century, under the rule of Ming the Merciless’ descendant Ming XIII. Some form of presidency and parliament was formed after the dread civil was or the 23^rd century.

 

Mongo is not heavily populated.

The largest population is the Golden Scaled Mongonian, originating from the Mingo Deserts. Characteristically thin with an enlarged skull, sharp teeth and pointy ears, black eyes, black hair often bald, and golden and yellow scales. The Fire People are identical to the Golden Scaled Mongonians, but are thus named because of the asbestos suits they commonly wear in their work.

The People of Arboria (sometimes called Tree People because they build in large trees) are very similar, but are more physically robust and do not tend towards being thin or gaunt.

The Blue People of Syk, are very similar in that they have scales, black hair and eyes, pointy ears, sharp teeth, and vary between the gauntly thin of the Golden Mongonians and the thicker athletic Arborians, but tend towards an indigo tinted skin or scale. There is some thought that the skin or scales are dyed indigo somehow which makes them less visible at night. There appears to be two major varieties of Blue People, one known for using magic sometimes known as the witch people of Syk and one raised as highly trained soldiers.

Orange People. Much like the Golden Scaled Mongonians, but have orange/red golden scales. Sharp-toothed, pointy-eared, large skull, thin, black eyes, black hair.

Orange Cave People. Much like the Golden Scaled Mongonians, but have orange/red golden scales. Sharp-toothed, pointy-eared, large skull, thin, black eyes, black hair.

Green People. Much like the Golden Scaled Mongonians, except they have copper green scales. Sharp-toothed, pointy-eared, large skull, black eyes, black hair.

The Dactyl (sometimes called Hawk People) are more robust like the Arborians, but are lighter due to their hollow bones. Despite popular depiction, they do not have wings sprouting from their back, but possess a great variety of flying machines and are quite adept flyers. Their flight suits, jetpacks, jet cycles, gliders, etc, give them a remarkable tactical advantage. Their tend towards cragged brownish skin.

The Shark People are definitely modified to live in the water. It is unknown if they can breathe underwater with gills or if they merely hold their breaths for a long time like whales, dolphins, and other aquatic mammals. The Shark people do possess a thick rubber skin and sharp teeth, and are unsurprisingly very good swimmers. It is possible they use a breathing apparatus much like the lung machine used the undersea people of Coralia for visitors

Coralians are another undersea people visibly indistinguishable/, but definitely are known to breathe underwater, using water helmets when on land. Otherwise they resemble Caucasian Homonodae Sapiens.

The 'Monkey men' strongly resemble the genus Paranthropus, more specifically robust australopithecines. Some have orange or red fur, others are nearly hairless. The Paranthropus inhabit the jungle areas of the south, and live in Paleolithic conditions. They are hunted for sport and raised to fight for cruel entertainment. They Paranthropus pronounced fangs, which are sometimes removed by their captors.

The 'Ape Men' strongly resemble Homonidae Erectus and Homonidae Habilis.

There are a few varieties of Neanderthals, typically referred to as Dwarves. The Brown Dwarves inhabit the Magnetic Mountains. The Death Dwarves are also brown, and also warlike. The people of Syk hunt them Death Dwarves to drive them from their territory. The Dark Dwarves of Syk also inhabit Syk, but are not hunter, they are also brown.

The Lion People are very robust, have golden coloured slit eyes and excellent night vision and an excellent sense of smell, excellent leaping ability, claws and fangs. They have light golden brown fur. They inhabit the area north of Mingo City.

The Panther People blue, are much like the Dragon People. Horns (but not the back spine and no hooves) and blue skin, gray/grey-furred felinoid humanoids. Built more for speed and leaping than strength, but they are strong. Sharp teeth and claws, pointy ears, felinoid eyes.

Lizard People. Thick green scales, damage resistant, susceptible to cold, no external ears, enhanced sense of smell.

Dragon People. Blue green scales, horns, boney back spines, damage resistant, susceptible to cold, no external ears, enhanced sense of smell, reverse knees, hooves.

People from Frigia and Tropica are indistinguishable from Caucasian Homonidae Sapiens.

The Tusk men are blue often hostile Paleolithic Homonidae Heidelbergus with tusks whose small bands inhabit forested parts of Mongo

Cliff People and Cave People are Homonidae antecessor who inhabit the region of Kira. Neolithic but not unfriendly if unprovoked.

The Caucasian Homonidae Sapiens of Frigia and Tropica indicate that people from Telluria have been transported to Mongo as late at the past few thousands of years. The Existence of Paranthropous, Homo Erectus, Homo Habilis, Neanderthalis, Antecessor and Heidelbergus Homonidae indicates this practice has been going on for at least 600-800 thousand years.

Most of the sentient species appear to be Homonidae Sapiens, natural offshoots of Homonidae Sapiens or other Homonidae, or genetically modified Homonidae.

The technology of Mongo appears to be more advanced than Telestia, particularly in the 1930s, but only in part, and they do not appear to have the same mastery of it that one would have expected if they had developed it on their own, indicating that it might be borrowed or stolen technology. Ming’s father, Krang, had a détente appeasement relationship with the very advanced Mantadoans or the Kurri (who the Mantadoans keep at bay in the asteroid belt), and maybe got the technology from them.

While Mongo does appear to possess space travel, they only do so when Mongo and Telestia or when Mongo and Barsoom are at close distances.

Mongo is mostly feudal and tribal and city states, with definite slavery issues. Before the rule of Ming, the other nations of Mongo had more self rule and more participation in the ruling of Mongo as a whole. Krang, the former emperor of Mongo, had an appeasement agreement with the Mantadoans. Ming wants a more vigorous response to the dangerous Mantadoan aliens, but cannot do so t without the resources and manpower that Telestia possesses.

Since the attempted invasion of Telestia in 1899 by the Barsoomian Sarmek and Kaldane, Mongo has been sending scientists to study Telestia. Some agents are from Mongo, some from Barsoom, some from Amtor. Several Mongonians live in exile in Telestia, hoping to win back the favour of Ming so they can return home.

Mongonians, like Barsoom and Amtor, live much longer on average than Telestians. Mongo is about 2/3^rd Telestia gravity, Amtor about 90%, Barsoom about 40%. Thus Telestians seem much stronger on average.