One of the Thousand Wonders of the Galaxy, the giant
rock platforms of Insador seem to march over the horizon, while
on the rolling plains below, the "Troadis" harvest
the oil of the green santooth plant (lower right) a mologen
whose nourishing oil is a staple and trade good of the inhabitants
of this dry world.
Troadis trade for food, tools and machinery. Their fascination
with machines featuring lots of lights and buttons has motivated
some traders to build pseudo-machines specifically to trade with
the Troadis.
The Troadis are the only known civilization to occupy the monoliths,
each one housing a community of over 20,000 whose lives are devoted
to santooth production. The origin of these stone structures remains
a mystery, but Federation scientists suspect that the monoliths
may have been built to humidify the planet, a function they still
perform.
Water from deep underground rises by osmosis up the columns to
the cave-riddled platforms above. There, dry air flows through
the caves gathering moisture from perpetually damp walls.
Because it rarely rains, the plants of Insador can only survive
near the monoliths, which girdle the planet at mid latitudes.
What lost civilization built these stone platforms may forever
remain a mystery.
