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Nehalennia
(Classical Latin) - IPA(key)
Nehalennia (/ˈnɛ.hɑː.lɛn.ni.ɑː/) is a large moon with a faded orange surface, which is set with gentle hills and wide open plains. Its atmosphere is quite thick and its largest composite gas is surtrite. Throughout the day, the sky shifts through dusty blues and yellows, fading to orange at dusk. It has an unusually thin purple asteroid belt with relatively sparse minerals, which is visible from the surface throughout the day.
History
Nehalennia was first visited in Early Access by a player named "Zz", known by some for his obsession with cost-efficiency. He travelled far out into space with multiple small propellant tanks stored in his inventory while riding an absurdly small and cheap ship (6000-7000 credits) consisting of only one triangle thruster, along with three solar panels to generate power as opposed to the standard generator. Initially, the intended destination was Amethystos, but it became difficult to maintain power and travel speed due to the unfavourable position of the sun, leading to a change in plans. After roughly 11 days of real time, Zz reached Nehalennia's belt. However, his expedition was hilariously cut short when he decided to visit Silde, the sub-moon, only to crash his ship and immediately die upon contact with the lava surface.
The moon later became notorious for its incredibly large gravity well radius, which extends into the asteroid belt. As a result, players would sometimes be struck by moving asteroids while navigating the belt, discouraging mining despite the presence of much-coveted Targium.
Formerly, Nehalennia and Silde were known as Alstel and Spud, respectively. According to Zz, the former was a typo - it was intended to be "Astel" instead.
Nomenclature
From Classical Latin, Nehalennia is a goddess of unclear origin, perhaps Germanic or Celtic, who was attributed power over trading, shipping, and possible horticulture and fertility. She is attested on and depicted upon numerous votive altars discovered around what is now the province of Zeeland, the Netherlands, where the Schelde River flowed into the North Sea. In sculptures and reliefs, she is depicted as a young woman, generally seated. Typically she wears a short cloak over her shoulders and chest. Often she is accompanied by a dog; she has as attributes a basket of apples or bread loaves and ship parts.