Ucharpli

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Ucharpli
File:Ucharpli Geographic Monochrome.png
A geographic map of Ucharpli
Astrography
Star Szon
Type Ice age planet
Satellites Revlis'maan, Der'maan
Gravity 1.2 G
Orbital distance 1.4 AU
Day length 48.7 hours
Year length 612 standard days
Axial tilt 12.1°
Atmosphere
Composition 82% nitrogen, 17% oxygen, 1% other gases
Surface pressure 0.9 atm
Demographics
Polities Karalian Empire
Population 9 billion
Imports Helium-3
Exports Petroleum, iron

Ucharpli (ancient name Rauch) is the homeworld of the Vaikan. It is located in the Dhragolon Expanse of the Crucible Galaxy in the Twin Hearts Nebula. Ucharpli formed about 5.2 billion years ago.

While the planet used to be covered in many sprawling cities, the planet has seen thousands of years of war that put the ecosystem on the brink of extinction. Since then, Ucharpli has mostly recovered, and today, large expanses of wilderness cover the surface with pockets of cities built over resource node, sometimes even against cliffs or underground.

In less than one billion years, Szon is expected to turn into a red giant which would destroy all life on the planet. Despite this, the planet has managed to evolve remarkably advanced life forms in a short amount of time.

The planet fell victim to the Eye of Uszaroth supernova. Although the planet is still technically habitable, the ecosystem was irreparably damaged by the gamma rays. The Vaikan have since relocated their homeworld to Jaran.

Orbit

Ucharpli has two moons, Revlis'maan and Der'maan. The tidal pull of both moons has slowed down Ucharpli's night-cycle to 48.7 hours. Ucharpli's slight axial tilt gives it minor seasons, but are hardly variable in comparison to planets with a tilt greater that twenty degrees. The north pole will almost always point towards the star Aldenari, also known as the Guide Star. Every 50,000 years, the tilt will deviate away only slightly, but all of the constellations will remain in roughly the same position for years to come.

The poles have two extreme seasons however: a day season and night season.

Constellations

There are many constellations in Ucharpli's sky. They are named after mythological figures.

  • Yoltox - A constellation in the shape of a dragon meant to symbolize conquest. The tip of the nose is Aldenari, the Guide Star, which has consistently appeared directly above the north pole which is meant to show the way to victory and true self-fulfillment.
  • Mother - A constellation in the shape of a woman believed to be the pagan goddess Emira. She represents the beginning of life itself.
  • Krizael and Krizus - These are said to be two brothers arguing over the founding of the city of Krizen ultimately ending in Krizus's death. These two represent war.
  • Burwof - A powerful warrior wielding a sword and a bow. It represents the way of the warrior.
  • Panthos - A constellation depicting a Panthos representing stealth and agility.
  • Parchment - A scroll that represents order and law.
  • Kani - A constellation in the shape of a howling Kani representing the beasts of the world.
  • Dunecat - A constellation shaped like a Dunecat meant to symbolize the majestic landscapes of the earth as well as the virtues of strength and honor.
  • Goblet - A constellation meant to symbolize the pleasures of the world such as a fresh goblet of wine.

Atmosphere

Ucharpli's high concentration of nitrogen will give the sky a purple tint during midday. During the afternoon and mornings, it will appear blue like most skies on a garden planet. During sunset, the sky will change to red and orange paired with intense wind storms.

Ucharpli's lower levels of oxygen along with its energetic Class F star make its ozone layer dangerously weak. As a result, during the day, Ucharpli is blasted with Szon's intense UV rays which are lethal to all but the most adept of life.

Climate

Ucharpli has entered an ice age, and thus, much of its surface is covered in glaciers, with the equator and tropical regions being extremely dry and arid. Volcanic activity is sparse yet concentrated in pockets such as in locations like the Fire Plains. The planet is only 54% water, so many inland areas hardly get any rain or snow. The record high humidity on Ucharpli was 80% on one of the islands in the Shinereach Archipelago.

Wherever the sun sets or rises on Ucharpli, wind storms appear as a result of temperature differences, which can exceed speeds of 60 mph. In deserts, dust storms occur, and in flat plains, tornadoes can appear almost every day.

These windstorms are referred to as "dry storms" as rain is rarely ever paired with it. Lightning is also rare as a result, which combined with low oxygen levels, makes wildfires highly uncommon. Because these dry storms come at regular, predictable intervals, both tree analogues and Vaikan structures were built to adapt to these storms.

Geography

The more frequent tides have also eroded the edges of Ucharpli's continents to consist of steep cliffsides and mountains at the coasts. Islands have also been affected as well, with most of them consisting of lone mesas, jutting out of the ocean. These mountainous coastlines have created rain shadows resulting in grasslands and deserts in the inner areas.

Continents

Ucharpli has four large continents surrounded by oceans. The presence of two moons have caused immense tides that flooded and eroded the edges of the continents over time. Thus, beaches are a rarity, as most coastlines consist of steep cliff sides.

Kyartula

Main article: Kyartula

This is the largest continent as well as the one where Yallvus is located. It consists of a variety of biomes since it extends all the way from the north pole to the Sea of Diamonds. However, it is mostly grasslands, deserts and forests. Small reptiles ranging dominate here as Kyartula is more open that Tralgatar though larger creatures still roam about.

Kytayur

Main article: Kytayur

Kytayur is much rockier than Kyartula, but is also notable for being one of the few locations on the planet to have near constant volcanic activity.

Tralgatar

Main article: Tralgatar

Tralgatar is the smallest continent separated from Kyartula by the Reef Ocean. It is covered in temperate rainforests and is home to a large variety of megafauna.

Aggateya

Main article: Aggateya

This continent is located at the south pole. It is also the coldest continent being a tundra, but it also has rich mineral deposits much like the surrounding Sea of Diamonds does. Small mammals reside here more on any other continent because of their ability to adapt to the colder weather.

Oceans

Sea of Diamonds

Main article: Sea of Diamonds

This ocean borders Aggateya. The seafloor is covered in amazing crystal formations and variety of gems ranging from diamonds to rubies. The presence of these gems helped lead to the discovery of the rare alloy known as Dragonrock.

Reef Sea

Main article: Reef Sea

Magnificent coral reefs cover the bottoms of this ocean which surrounds the northern portion of Tralgatar. Most of the coral stands over 50 feet tall. Crystal formations are also found here, complementing the coral. Unlike the Sea of Diamonds however, there are nowhere near as many rare gems in this ocean.

Ocean of Thought

Main article: Ocean of Thought

Bordering Tralgatar's west coast is the Ocean of Thought. Ruins have been found in this ocean which leads to many mysteries. Some have hypothesized ancient Vaikan built many temples, only to find them engulfed by a great flood. These underwater temples have also made home for many invertebrates.

Abyssal Ocean

Main article: Abyssal Ocean

Located in the eastern areas surrounding Kyartula is the deepest ocean as suggested by its name. Most of the ocean in fact consists of mesas dotting a high-pressure dark abyss. Bioluminescent, aquatic fungus is very common, and in some areas it is as bright as a city with electrical lighting. The deadly Salakuus is known to stalk these waters in large packs.

Polar Seas

Main article: Polar Seas

A large ocean which covers the north pole.

Ten Sacred Hills

The Ten Sacred Hills of Ucharpli are the ten tallest mountains on the planet.

  • Cloudreach Island
  • Mt. Windhill
  • Mt. Umageishi
  • Levenslang's Cradle
  • Refuge Crater
  • Krayhan's Eyrie
  • Frostwater Falls
  • Great Ascension
  • Mt. Tarara
  • Aldapika

Ecosystem

Template:See also

There are trillions of different species across this varied planet. Creatures with the appropriate radiation protection dominate the day, while mammals dominate the night. Many animals are also a hybrid between reptiles and mammals, or repto-mammals.

The ecosystem varies from continent to continent. Most life in the temperate and equatorial areas are reptiles, while the poles consist of mammals. The oceans on the other hand are filled with invertebrates.

Several million years ago, a meteor collided with Ucharpli causing a storm that blocked the sun with debris and only the hardiest of creatures lived. However, this was only one of numerous mass extinctions in Ucharpli's history. Life on Ucharpli is a constant struggle for survival.

Types of flora

Because of the intense UV radiation, flora on Ucharpli has evolved to use sunlight as a secondary source. Surprisingly, most of Ucharpli's soil is very fertile with high amounts of nitrogen, so most plants derive their energy from there. Rather than primarily relying on growing taller, plants will spread outwards to cover more ground. Leaves and petals on plants are polygon shaped because their ridged structure gives them extra sun protection.

The roots of plants have to grow far distances - sideways in cold environments and downwards in deserts. Ucharpli's severe sunset windstorms are often strong enough to knock down young trees.

Because Szon is an F-class star, it has a great effect on the planet's flora regarding color. Not only does blue light emanate from the sun, but ultraviolet radiation is highly intense due to Ucharpli's relatively long day-night cycle. Plants will often range from blue to green depending on the altitude.

  • Trees - Trees are large plants with thick, tough stalks.
    • Discleaf - Discleaf trees trees large plants with thick, tough trunks to be able to withstand Ucharpli's regular windstorms. However, it uses these storms to its advantage. Its leaves consist of polygonal discs which not only carry out photosynthesis, but also contain seeds. When a leaf has matured, it will allow itself to break off with the wind carrying the seed to a new destination.
    • Rootspreader - Rootspreaders are trees that can appear to be a forest, but are actually one organism. This has allowed some Rootspreaders to live for tens of thousands of years.
  • Lichens - Primitive flora that can grow on rocks. Some have grown into trees.
  • Flowering plants - Flowering plants will rely on the spreading of pollen by other creatures as well as the wind.

Types of land creatures

Many life forms on Ucharpli are liquivores. That is, they secrete enzymes on the outside to turn their food into soupy material. Herbivores will often uproot plants to feed on their stalks. Carnivores usually have a set of grinding teeth to tear off meat chunks, while others have proboscises which are specialized for attacking unarmored prey.

  • Arthropod- A primitive yet versatile animal with a chitinous exoskeleton efficient at protecting itself from UV radiation.
  • Avian - A flying creature with smooth feathers designed to reflect radiation off of it. Avians will usually be blue in color as a result. While some arthropods are capable of flight, avians are far more specialized.
  • Kite - Invertebrate flying creatures that rely on thermal updrafts keep themselves aloft. They often have umbrella-like structures to serve as sun protection.
  • Reptile - A cold-blooded creature with thick-protective skin. They are adept to hunting during the day as they can withstand the UV radiation.
  • Fish - Creatures with soft, fleshy skin that dwell deep in the oceans. In the past, some managed to live on land as amphibians, but returned to the ocean when they were overpowered by far more adept creatures.
  • Mammal - Nocturnal creatures with large eyes adept for hunting at night. They cannot survive during the day since they lack the protective skin, but they can survive colder temperatures far more easily than reptiles because they have fur.
  • Repto-mammal - The most complex organism on Ucharpli and one of the last to evolve. They exhibit both a protective thick skin as well as the warm-bloodedness of a mammal. They are capable of hunting both during the day and night as a result.

Population

Ucharpli is home to several sapient species though the Vaikan emerged as the most dominant. Notably, Ucharpli is not as populated as many homeworlds and only has 4 billion inhabitants. Since the nuclear holocaust, most Vaikan within Ucharpli's vicinity instead live in orbit space stations and the planet's two moons.

Natives

  • Vaikan - The most predominant sapient species on the planet
  • Yolsark - Semi-sapient crustaceans that live in the oceans.
  • Muruu-kai - A native species said to be a distant relative of the Vaikan.
  • Muruu-fai - An intelligent species native to the Fire Plains region.

Non-natives

Several alien race can be found living on Ucharpli.

  • Eteno - Many Eteno began moving to Ucharpli as a result of cultural sharing.

Travel warnings

Temperature-wise and atmospherically, Ucharpli is comfortable to most carbon-based life. The planet has less oxygen than usual, so some species will require breath masks. However, the weak ozone layer makes Ucharpli extremely vulnerable to UV radiation. Non-native species travelling during the day are advised to wear protective clothing.

Ucharpli's native wildlife is very hostile as well. Civilians should stay within the cities and the roads. Those who travel outside are highly advised to carry a weapon.

Geological history

Ucharpli formed about 5.2 billion years ago in an accretion disk. It was initially molten until a large celestial mass collided with it, producing the moon Der'maan. Volcanic activity produced its early atmosphere, and eventually, the planet cooled off. It was said that the planet repeated cycles of snow and jungle, but it is unknown how many of these occurred.

Swampy era

For most of Ucharpli's history, life was confined to the oceans as the surface was uninhabitable due to Szon's powerful ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, life in the sea became highly complex. Underwater flora would grow to immense sizes, and some were even carnivorous.

The first major climate shift occurred when Ucharpli captured another dwarf planet in orbit called Revlis'maan. This caused the day-night cycle to significantly lengthen, causing massive windstorms and oceans as well as higher tides. Ucharpli would enter an era where it was covered constantly in clouds with frequent rainstorms.

Soon enough, Szon's UV radiation became far more forgiving allowing plants and animals to clamber onto the warm, wet surface. The land was dominated by giant amphibians. The UV also allowed many creatures to take advantage of exotic forms of bioluminescence. Trees on the other hand were able to grow to enormous size with their canopies blocking sunlight.

During this time, Szon had far more oxygen in its atmosphere allowing insect-analogues to grow to enormous sizes.

Desert era

It is largely unknown what caused this mass extinction, but roughly 90% of species during this early era were wiped out. Along with the merging of all of Ucharpli's landmass into one supercontinent, the ozone layer is believed to have weakened causing most of the world to become desolate desert.

From this point, the continents begun to move towards their current position, diversifying life once more. Because the climate was drier than it was previously, reptiles became the dominant life form. With moderately high oxygen levels, some of these reptiles could grow to enormous sizes.

Ice age

The concentration of greenhouse gases dwindled from the dry climate. As less heat was trapped, temperatures got cooler, and Ucharpli's ice caps got significantly larger resulting in a drop in sea level. The landscape was now dominated by deserts, prairies and tundras. Rain became significantly rarer, and thus, a new breed of animal evolved that had a symbiotic relationship with photosynthetic protists.

Roughly 7 million years ago, the earliest bipedal species with a leg configuration similar to the Vaikan appeared. The ice age prevailed, thus Vaikan would become short in stature and have short limbs.

Vaikan civilization

By the time early Vaikan civilization appeared, the planet had recovered a significant degree. However, the Second Age of the Vaikan would begin when a meteor known as Saskana collided with Ucharpli, blocking the sun and plunging the planet into another Ice Age. Fifty percent of all Vaikan were wiped out, but they pressed on. This event is known in Jamzezism mythology when the divine beast Saskana was enraged at the Vaikan for their sinful ways and rammed himself into the earth to bury himself in the core.

Eventually, the Vaikan would build a civilization along with large scale urbanization. In its prime during the Fourth Age of the Vaikan, the planet was home to 16 billion inhabitants and largely became overcrowded.

Nuclear holocaust

However, 4,000 years into the Fourth Age of the Vaikan, a war between the Ramusian Socialist Republic and the Children of the Dhragolon created a nuclear holocaust that destroyed most of the planet's cities. Not only did this lead to a major economic depression, but the planet's ecosystem was largely damaged enough to warrant another series of extinctions. Vaikan civilization on Ucharpli would be forced underground.

Recovery

After four hundred years of desolation, Ucharpli's surface became habitable again and civilization had begun to rebuild. Further efforts were spearheaded when Rustiagon Karalius rediscovered the Tomb of Kings and restarted the Rustiagon bloodline. Today, Ucharpli consists of mostly vast landscapes of wilderness.