Intro: Vakkour is a large rocky planet in the Padran system (Padoro being the sun). It has a very dense atmosphere and covered in violent storms- from the outside, it looks similar to the planet Venus.
The surface is dominated by plateaus, deep canyons, and dramatic formations created by the winds and rains. Another prominent thing is the occasional remains of former civilizations.
Not only is there severe storms, the air is too hot to sustain life. There may be microbes thriving, but no one can really be sure.
Another feature of the surface is massive cave entrances, often tens of miles wide. Some appear as holes in the ground, or often on the sides of plateaus and the remains of mountains.

And while temperatures are still high, it is within these caves that life thrives.
Enter the caves