Morning Coffee and Cosmic Revelations: Rewriting the Urland Universe from My Front Porch - Now with Elder Space Gods and the Vibrant Leo Sector!
Good morning, cosmic adventurers! It's that peaceful time of day here on my front porch in Shreveport, Louisiana. The air is just starting to warm up on this Thursday, April 3rd, 2025, the birds are chirping their greetings, and I've got a steaming mug of coffee in hand. Even better, I'm sharing this quiet moment with my favorite Uncle Bill, and my good buddies Mike and Robert, who live just a few doors down in the apartment complex. Our morning coffee chats are legendary, often veering into the realms of the bizarre and the fantastic.
This morning, fueled by caffeine and good company, my mind has been buzzing with ideas for my fictional universe, the Urland Universe. I've been feeling a strong pull to revisit its origins, to really solidify the bedrock upon which all those wild adventures of Captain Hedges across time and space are built. And what better place to start than the constellation that has always held a certain mystique: Leo.
So, Uncle Bill, Mike, Robert – while we sip this delicious brew, allow me to unveil my latest vision: the Leo Sector, the cradle of the Urland Universe, now under the silent, ancient rule of beings I'm calling the Elder Space Gods.
Forget accidental discoveries for Captain Hedges. His journey into the cosmos begins right here, in the Leo Sector, a region subtly shaped and seeded by these enigmatic entities.
The Leo Sector: Genesis Under the Elders
Imagine the Leo Constellation not just as a collection of distant stars, but as the initial playground – and perhaps the first grand experiment – of the Elders. These aren't your typical deities with thunderbolts and dramatic pronouncements. The Elders are an alien species, or perhaps something far older and stranger, who traverse the vast gulfs between stars at sub-light speeds. Think immense, two-meter ovoids with seven limbs, capable of journeys spanning centuries without breaking a sweat. Their origins are lost to time, and their motivations remain shrouded in mystery, especially their apparent lack of Jump technology despite a million-year history.
But their influence? Oh, it's undeniable.
Within the Leo Sector, the planets orbiting its brilliant stars bear the silent testament to the Elders' touch:
-
Regulus Prime: Circling the blazing heart of the Lion (Alpha Leonis), this vibrant, hot, potentially volcanic world might hold the remnants of early Elder observation posts or even failed attempts at manipulating the raw forces of nature. Perhaps it holds echoes of the Cretaceous life they once sampled from a distant blue planet… Earth.
-
Algieba Secundus: Orbiting the binary star system Algieba (Gamma Leonis), this system cradles two worlds touched by the Elders:
- Algieba-A Minor: A tidally locked, icy world with potential for preserved Elder experiments or the ghostly ruins of an initial, abandoned seeding project.
- Algieba-B Terra: A temperate, Earth-like world populated by descendants of humans (or another species entirely) transplanted by the Elders eons ago. Their myths and legends whisper of silent, god-like beings who brought them to the stars.
-
Denebola Tertius: Orbiting Denebola (Beta Leonis), this gas giant’s swirling atmosphere hides secrets, and its moons could harbor the results of the Elders' more… monstrous experiments. Imagine a jungle moon teeming with creatures bearing the hallmarks of Earth's ancient animal-headed gods, or a frozen moon where bizarre, bio-engineered life ekes out an existence.
-
Zosma Quarta: Orbiting Zosma (Delta Leonis), this desert world is littered with the crumbling architecture of an ancient civilization – perhaps one guided and then abandoned by the Elders. Their ruins might contain fragments of the Elders' non-Jump technology, offering tantalizing clues to their capabilities.
-
Adhafera Quinta: Orbiting Adhafera (Zeta Leonis), and shrouded in a dense, impenetrable atmosphere, this world could be a living laboratory, where the Elders unleashed unique biological processes, resulting in strange airborne life or a hidden, genetically modified society.
-
Chort Sextus: Orbiting Chort (Theta Leonis), this smaller, rocky planet with erratic magnetic fields might be a residual effect of ancient Elder technology, a forgotten defense mechanism, or even a deliberate attempt to contain something dangerous they left behind.
-
(Potentially) Wolf 359 Minor: Even this nearby red dwarf system could hold a more recent (in Elder timescales) transplantation, a frontier world where the inhabitants still feel the faint echoes of their silent benefactors.
-
Tygress: Orbiting a currently unnamed star within the Leo Sector, this is the new homeworld of the fierce Tygerians. This planet would be adapted to their feline physiology, perhaps with dense jungles, vast savannas, or mountainous regions. Its history is intertwined with their creation or transplantation by the Elders, possibly as a formidable warrior race or for other unknown purposes.
-
Leonie:
Orbiting another currently unnamed star within the Leo Sector, this is the radiant home of the Celestial Lion-men. Envision this world as an ethereal planet, befitting their angelic nature. It might have unique atmospheric phenomena, crystalline structures, or landscapes that inspire a sense of the divine. Their entire civilization is dedicated to serving the Elder Space Gods, particularly Shamash Osgood, acting as his divine messengers and holy warriors. -
Panthera:
Orbiting yet another currently unnamed star within the Leo Sector, this is a vibrant and diverse world, a melting pot of civilizations. This suggests a history of multiple Elder interventions, migrations, or perhaps even deliberate mixing of transplanted species. The three distinct creation myths of Panthera, which I'll be sharing in future posts, will undoubtedly reflect this complex and varied history, each tied to different groups and their unique understanding of the Elders or other cosmic forces.
Beyond the Leo Sector: The Elder Confederation and the Seeds of Monsters
Captain Hedges' initial explorations within the Leo Sector will unravel the early threads of the Elders' grand design. He will encounter civilizations shaped by their intervention, discover artifacts hinting at their vast history, and begin to understand the true scale of their influence.
As his adventures take him beyond the Leo Sector, he will find other worlds bearing the unmistakable stamp of the Elders. He'll encounter diverse species, some flourishing, others struggling, all potentially descendants of the Elders' cosmic gardening. The animal-headed gods of ancient Egypt, the Pantherians, Tygerians, and Loeoni of Africa, the Lizard Men, Serpent Men, and Nagas – these weren't random occurrences. They were all part of the Elders' grand, often inscrutable, plan. Even the Atlanteans, with their own experiments in bioengineering, and their creations like the Basti, were likely working within a framework unknowingly established by these primeval powers.
The New Urland Universe, as I'm now envisioning it, is a tapestry woven with the threads of the Elders' interventions. Their sub-light journeys connected disparate star systems over unimaginable timescales, leaving behind a legacy of transplanted life, bizarre creatures, and civilizations grappling with the knowledge – or lack thereof – of their ancient creators.
Whispers from the Void: The Elder Space Gods Themselves
But the original Elders, the sub-light traveling ovoid's, are not the only ancient powers at play. Looming behind the scenes, shaping the very fabric of reality, are the Elder Space Gods:
First, we have Azathoth, the Blind Idiot God. The Nuclear Chaos, the Daemon Sultan – these are but whispers of its true nature.
Azathoth isn't worshipped so much as...acknowledged. It is the primordial source, the chaotic heart of creation, an entity whose very being is antithetical to order. Its manifestations are subtle shifts in reality, the inspiration for maddening genius, and, in rare, catastrophic moments, glimpses into the formless abyss from whence all things sprang. To truly understand Azathoth is to flirt with utter insanity.
Then there is Azdan, "The Last Candle, the Final Cloak."
This entity is the cosmic unification of death, a force working against the very principles of Creation. Azdan seeks not just the end of mortal life, but the cessation of all existence, a return to the cold, dead void. Its subtle touch brings despair and the fading of stars, while its direct influence can manifest as expanding nothingness that consumes all. The cults of Azdan are terrifying in their nihilistic devotion.
But not all cosmic power is bent on destruction. We also have Shamash Osgood, "The Lion of Divine Good, the Watcher of the Ways."
Bearing a surname that echoes his divine nature, Shamash Osgood embodies cosmic law, protection, and justice on a stellar scale. His billion eyes gaze from every sun, observing the miracle of life and subtly guiding the forces of order. His inquisitors patrol the outer realms, striving to prevent exploitation and uphold a sense of divine law in a chaotic universe. The Celestial Leonen (Lion-Men), of Leonie serve as his direct agents.
And finally, we have the enigmatic duo: Chonos the Chronomancer and his consort Anikia, the Hierophant Aspect. Chonos is the master of time, fate, and prophecy, weaving the destinies of countless realities. Anikia guards the Cosmic Archive, the repository of all possibilities and the interpreter of destiny. Their allies, the ethereal Either Dragons, manipulate the very multiverse portals that Captain Hedges' ship so often misuses. Together, they represent the intricate dance of time and the vast potential of the multiverse.
These are the powers that shape the cosmos our adventurer's traverse. They are not always directly encountered, but their influence is a constant undercurrent, explaining the strange phenomena, the dedicated cults, and the inexplicable events that Captain Hedges and his crew face. The original, sub-light traveling "Elders" might even be unwitting instruments or early creations of these greater Elder Space Gods.
As you journey alongside Captain Hedges, remember these names, these concepts. For in the grand tapestry of time and space, these Elder Space Gods are the threads that weave the most profound and often most terrifying patterns. Their whispers echo in the void, and their influence shapes the very nature of reality, starting right here in the vibrant and diverse Leo Sector. Dare to ponder their existence but be warned: the cosmos holds secrets that can shatter the mortal mind.
Now, if you'll excuse me, the coffee is getting cold, and the cosmos is calling… I have an entire new universe to rewrite, one porch-side revelation at a time! Uncle Bill, Mike, Robert, thanks for sharing this cosmic brainstorming session with me. Stay tuned, everyone, for more tales from the unpredictable adventures of Captain Hedges, where the consequences of brushing against such cosmic powers are never far behind – and I'll be sure to share the new Pantherian creation myths soon! As well as the new art of the USS URLAND UNIVERSE SPACE TIME SHIP! HAVE A GOOD DAY EVERYONE!
HERES A SNEAK PEAK
YOURS FOR NOW CAPTAIN HEDGES