The second planet from the Ansion star, Gaulix has experienced an unusual and noteworthy history. First surveyed by teams nearly two thousand years ago, the planet at the time was an unlivable wasteland. Expansive regions of volcanic activity across the planet superheated the incredibly dense and caustic atmosphere. The resulting air was described by planet surveyors as a boiling stew of acid. This description proved accurate during a reconnaissance mission when a small science freighter lost power in an unexpected ion storm. As the vessel fell into the atmosphere, the extreme heat and acidic gases ate through the reinforced hull. The only question remaining of the crew’s fate was whether they were boiled alive before impact.

Deadly to practically any vehicle regardless of shielding, the broiling planet was given a wide berth until a neighboring planet in the Ansion system, Soltan, began developing into an industrial hub. At that time, investors set their eyes upon the volcanic compounds on Gaulix that were responsible for the atmosphere. These resources would prove valuable in the forges and chemical plants on Soltan. Several large investors embarked on a terraforming project, utilizing materials located on a third planet in the system, Sulmou. The endothermic substances responsible for the frozen atmosphere on Sulmou were seeded into several locations on Gaulix. The resulting reaction supercooled a third of the active volcanic regions on the blazing planet. As the project progressed, the scorching atmosphere dissipated. The caustic elements in the stratosphere slowly froze, developing glaciers on the planet’s newly frigid poles.

Hundreds of years after its discovery, explorers set foot onto the now cold planet for the first time, alive. With a breathable atmosphere requiring only warm clothing to survive, Gaulix was soon colonized. Its natural resources were directly added to the system’s already growing economy. Lush forests and grasslands cultivated with off-world species slowly grew into the regions that were kept warm and humid by the remaining volcanic areas. Walking through the beautiful woodlands, listening to songs of eye-snatchers, and watching the gizkas brought from other planets race across the forest bed, one would be hard-pressed to believe the once hellish state of the planet or the fate that befell its first visitors. Some claim that the spirits of the tragic reconnaissance crew linger where the ship finally crashed and can be heard wailing at night. Unfortunately, the final resting place of the damned vessel is unknown, as it had disintegrated within hours of the catastrophe.