Weapon of world destruction (A1-0)
A weapon of world destruction (WWD) is any device that can render a world totally uninhabitable to its current residents by destroying the world's structure and/or living environment. WWDs more powerful than weapons of mass destruction by several orders of magnitude and similarly weaker than theorised weapons of system destruction.
(OOC: please note that some of this might be unknown to other civilisations.)
Types
Warp ramming
Any object that can fold space and travel relatively faster than light will release an extreme amount of energy when they collide with an object. This is utilized by projectiles such as torpedoes and missiles. The speed of the projectile and the mass of the target will decide the size of the explosion.
Antimatter
When antimatter gets into contact with normal matter, they annihilate each other. As they do, extreme amounts of energy is released, causing further damage. Antimatter can be delivered by many systems, including torpedoes, missiles and bombs. The severity of the explosion is decided by the amount of antimatter and degree of pressure build-up on the target.
Biological
Also known as Bioseeds, Self-replicating flesh that drains the resources from a target planet to continue to grow and spread, until all the available surface area is covered. Depending on the specific type of Bioseed used, it can spread and grow by consuming other organic matter, metals or atmospheric gases.
Transmutation
Continuous beams of Genesis Energy capable of converting a planet's surface in a chaotic mural of different materials, rendering it uninhabitable. All matter present on the surface will be converted, be it artificial or biological. Such beams can only be produced by special ships with specially-built Genesis Reactors and Cannons, whose size requirements only make it possible for bigger ships to use them.
Arsenals
Treecuu Star Empire
The Treecuu Star Empire has warp ramming and antimatter WWDs. As they typically have programmable yield (meaning they can cause as little damage as a rifle or as much as many larger nuclear devices combined), they are also used as conventional weapons in e.g. ship-to-ship combat. It is likely that every ship of frigate size and above have active WWDs, but the devices can also be launched from any platform, such as planetary defence batteries. WWDs doubling as conventional weapons is controversial, as it may be impossible to distinguish between a conventional strike or a WWD strike, increasing the risk of premature retaliation.
Holy Imperium of Trianar
Trianar is known to have several warp ramming projectiles that are used both as WWDs and ship-to-ship weapons. Some Trianarö fleets are outfitted specially for destroying planets.
Celestial Empire Of Galactya
The Celestial Empire Of Galactya possesses an arsenal of unknown size of Warp Ramming and Antimatter WWDs, as well as being the inventors and only known possessors of Biological and Transmutation WWDs. Despite their peace-prone nature, their WWD arsenal is rumored to be very expansive. The number of existing Bioseeds is currently unknown, but it is rumored to be very large as they are a repurposed terraformation technique, still heavily employed by the Empire. It has been confirmed that more than 2000 of their ships are capable of hosting Transmutation WWDs, but it is unknown how many of them already do. Additionally, Warp Ramming WWDs have been confirmed to be part of the arsenal of smaller ships.
Attested uses
Trianar
The Ikaranarean Star Empire is known to have destroyed the former planet Altara, former capital of the kingdom of Sûtra. Modern Trianar destroyed up to 15 planets during the Hemmerhaldian War.
Galactya
The Galactyan Empire is known to have destroyed many planets belonging to both the Melanean Federation and U'Lnuib Hegemony during the First and Second Interstellar Wars in 7600 and 3800 BBT. Due to the
Suspected uses
Treecuu Star Empire
Both the Treecuu Star Empire and the Aryyt't government (Yim-Lootuu III) are suspected to have deployed WWDs on the Aryyt't home world five standard years ago, although with limited yield or contained explosion. There is evidence of one or two antimatter explosions on the planet's surface that destroyed a continent and disrupted the atmosphere. [1] The planet is currently under quarantine.
The Treecuu Star Empire is also suspected to having destroyed a planet near the Zelvan border on the Treecuu side. [2]