Twinsun
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- Emerald Moon redirects here. For the record label, see Emerald Moon Records.
Twinsun is a fictional planet featured in the PC games Little Big Adventure and Little Big Adventure 2. According to the introductory text of the first game, it is a relatively new planet on the outskirts of a remote galaxy. Twinsun is orbited by the Emerald Moon.
Twinsun is positioned between two suns, presumably at their L1 Lagrangian point, each hemisphere being constantly warmed by a single sun. As a result, the poles are desert, while the equatorial band is frozen. This astronomical situation also implies that there is no night on the planet, though this is never explicitly stated in the games. (Strangely enough, though, the ending cinematic does show Twinsen looking out of the window during what appears to be night-time)
It appears to be an extremely small planet, about the size of an asteroid. Cutscenes depicting the planet show an extremely strong curvature on the horizon; a view of the planet (above) shows the equatorial Hamalayi Mountains to be impossibly high; the islands which make up the planet can be explored in their entirety in the course of a few hours. This is supported by the fact revealed in the sequel, where the Twinsunians have the height of a match or a clipper from (supposedly) planet Earth.
The center of the planet is hollow, and inhabited by beings known as Sendells. They are collectively known to the Twinsunians as 'the goddess Sendell', probably equivalent to our Gaia. The Sendells take care of the planet, which is critical to the gestation of a stellar entity that will be complete in the next centuries.
The planet's main currency is the Kash (plural: Kashes).
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[edit] History
We see Twinsun when under rule by Dr Funfrock's global dictatorship. An ages-old Legend existed about the planet's freedom by a Quetch known as 'the Heir' which proved to be Twinsen.
Years later, Twinsun was visited by some aliens from the planet of Zeelich. These aliens, known as Sups came to Twinsun in an apparent friendly matter, although there was obviously a darker purpose. With the arrival of the Sups came many alien agents in disguises such as garbage cans, and cacti seeking to assassinate Twinsen.
The arrival of these aliens also began the mysterious disappearance of the wizards of Twinsun, leaving the population confused and uneasy. It is later discovered by Twinsen that the disappearance of the wizards was indeed a plot set in motion by these aliens and their god, Dark Monk. The events that follow in Little Big Adventure 2 plunges Twinsun into darkness once again, and only Twinsen can save them.
Dr. Funfrock's clone planned to hurl the Emerald Moon towards Twinsun and to destroy it, releasing the magical essence inside, and with the help of the wizards, he planned to harvest and use this magical essence himself, not caring for the entire population of the planet.
[edit] Geography
Apart from the Hamalayi Mountains, which run all the way around the planet's equator and divide it into two hemispheres, the planet Twinsun is mostly oceanic, with a handful of islands forming the only land masses. The water is perhaps not clear in the majority of the world whis can be seen anywhere in the game is anything under the water cannot be seen. There is a lake of clear water in the Hamalayi Mountains, which is the only known source of the clear water.
[edit] Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is cooler, more populous and more heavily featured in the games than the Northern Hemisphere. It is the only hemisphere featured in Little Big Adventure 2 exept when Twinsen is trying to push back the moon in the game ending on polar island at the well of sendel, it is however an unplayible location.
- The White Leaf Desert: It is at Twinsun's south pole and the location of the Temple of Bù. It is mostly uninhabited during Little Big Adventure, though for LBA2, it becomes a tropical paradise for tourists; Port Ludo is built, as well as the Hacienda, a cart racing track and the School of Magic. During Little Big Adventure 2 the sacred Temple of Bu is used as a base for the launch and landing of Esmer shuttles on Twinsun as well as a theme park.
- Citadel Island: Citadel Island's main city is Lupin-Burg. Citadel Island is the home of the games' hero, Twinsen. It was also the site of the Citadel of Dr. Funfrock, which was destroyed after the end of the game and is seen ruined afterwards. LBA2 shows places that were not visitable in the first game: a lighthouse to the south and cliff areas to the north of the Citadel's ruins, home to a monster called the Tralü.
- Principal Island: The biggest and most populated island, therefore perhaps the capital of the planet. Its main city is Old Burg. Here Dr. Funfrock built his main headquarters and a military camp. There is also the Library, and some mysterious ruins to the east whose origins aren't explained in the games.
- Proxima Island: The closest island to Citadel Island. Its main city is Proxim City which features the famous Maritime Museum. It also hosts two mysterious runic Stones, the Marked Stone and the Eclipse Stone. It was also the home of Baldino in the first game, before he moved to Port Ludo on Desert Island.
- Rebellion Island : An island of rebels against Dr. Funfrock, often ravaged by his forces, it's port is continously when you are there at Rebelion island.
- The Island of The Dome of the Slate: A very small island just off the coast of Citadel Island, which can only be accessed by Twinsen through the use of Dinofly. A 'maze' inside the dome on the island must be completed in order to graduate from the School of Magic on The White Leaf Desert.
[edit] Hamalayi Mountains
The Hamalayi Mountains form a supposedly impassable mountain barrier that separates the hemispheres. The only natural way to cross the mountains is the heavily defended Okojo Pass. There is also a military port on the southern coast with a subway track leading under the mountains to the north. It is suggested in the games, however, that DinoFly can pass over them.
[edit] Northern Hemisphere
Dr. Funfrock evacuated the Northern Hemisphere from civilians, claiming it has become uninhabitable, in order to build his operations. While this is not true, the Northern Hemisphere is indeed hotter and more inhospitable than the Southern. This hemisphere is unexplorable in Little Big Adventure 2
- Polar Island/Crater Island: A small desert island connected with Fortress Island and ringed by impassably high mountains. Polar Island is situated at Twinsun's north pole, and is the location of a tower which contains the Well of Sendell, a shaft leading all the way to the centre of the planet.
- Fortress Island: Fortress Island is actually a peninsula of Polar Island. The Runic Stone of the Septentrion is located here. Dr. Funfrock built his Secret Fortress over the top of this Stone in order to dissimilate it. This is also where he produced his clone army. Fortress Island is isolated by currents and cannot be reached by ship.
- Brundle Island: This is where Dr. Funfock built his Teleportation Center, where clones are sent around the planet to a series of telepods.
- Tipett Island: The citizens of Tipett denied to migrate to the Southern Hemiphere, rebelled, and remained in the sewers where they founded Funky-town.
[edit] Inhabitants
Four intelligent humanoid species inhabit the planet.
- Quetches: The beings closest to humans. They have oval heads with hair growing only on the top, making them look like they are wearing a ponytail or two. There seems to be both white and black Quetches. The player character Twinsen is a Quetch, so is his girlfriend Zoe and his arch-nemesis Dr Funfrock. Quetches are never seen as clones (apart from replicas of Twinsen, Zoe, and Dr. Funfrock himself).
- Grobos: Stocky humanoids with elephantine heads. Grobos appear to have a natural affinity with mechanical exploits, as Grobo characters often appear as technicians. One of the most notable Grobos would be the technician Jerome Baldino. Living on The White Leaft Desert, Jerome owned a powerful telescope, and managed to build a vehicle capable of space travel to the nearby moon and planet, Zeelich.
- Rabbibunnies: Tall, skinny, rabbit-headed humanoids. Many wizard characters are Rabbibunnies including the Weather Wizard of Citadel Island who holds an integral part of the LBA2 storyline by bringing sunshine back to the island.
- Spheros: Spheroid heads with limbs, without body or waist. Karao'ke the healer of The White Leaf Desert is one of the most notable spheros in the story.
There are other intelligent species of which only one or two examples appear in all of both games. These include Elves, blue horses, and a winged lizard-like creature called a Dinofly.
Twinsun's non-sentient fauna include snakes, bats, kamis (snow weasels), one-off monsters such as the Tralü, and artificial mutants.
