Ucharpli

Ucharpli (Rauch before the Fourth Era, Foldgarde to the Khathics) is the homeworld of the Dhragolon. It is a very lush world with a variety of creatures. It is located in the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way in the Soul Nebula approximately 7,000 lightyears from Earth.

It's original name was "Rauch" which means "the world", but after the Fourth Era, the Dhragolon renamed their planet Ucharpli to distinguish it from other worlds which they would later discover. Since then, Rauch has become the informal name of Ucharpli, much like how Earth is the informal name for Terra.

Ucharpli is a garden world forming about 5.2 billion years ago. Because there is less oxygen in the air, many non-native, carbon-based life forms will tire out much more quickly than on other nitrogen-oxygen atmospheres. However, wildfires are far less common as a result, so Ucharpli's forests can spread out even in arid, dry areas. Though slightly smaller than Earth, Ucharpli's core is much denser and therefore has a higher gravity as well as a wider temperature range. Ucharpli has an average temperature at the equator of 100°F. This results in the geography being mostly forests, grasslands and deserts, while the islands tend to have sprouting jungles.

Ucharpli is also entering its final stage of its evolution. In less than one billion years, Szon is expected to turn into a red giant which would destroy all life on the planet. However, Ucharpli's current age has allowed for some highly adaptable, advanced life forms.

Orbit
Ucharpli has two moons, Brunikor and Himmingarde. The tidal pull of both moons has slowed down Ucharpli's night-cycle to 48.7 hours. Ucharpli also has seasons due to its axial tilt of 26.1°. While most of the planet has four seasons, the poles have only two: 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 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 goddess Bevelen. 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.


 * Panther - A constellation depicting a panther representing stealth and agility.


 * Parchment - A scroll that represents order and law.


 * Wolf - A constellation in the shape of a howling wolf representing the beasts of the world.
 * Lion - A constellation shaped like a lion 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.

Ucharpli's lower levels of oxygen along with its energetic Class F star makes its ozone layer very weak compared to Earth's, so ultraviolet radiation is far more intense on Ucharpli as a result. Diurnal creatures will have a protective carapace or thick tough skin to shield themselves from the UV radiation, and some will have the ability to make use of solar energy and convert it to sugars much akin to photosynthesis. Mammals on Ucharpli are nocturnal as they the lack the natural protection to be able to survive the UV rays.

Climate
Overall, Ucharpli's climate is very arid and dry. It is incredibly difficult for carbon dioxide to get cycled throughout the planet as volcanic activity is confined almost exclusively to a single location. 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, tornados 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 Dhragolon structures were built to adapt to these storms.

Geography
The more frequent tides has 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.

Continents
Ucharpli has four large continents surrounded by oceans. In the past, there used to be tectonic activity much like how it is on Earth. Because of how old the planet is, its core has cooled down over time, reducing tectonic activity to almost nothing. Continents no longer move and erupting volcanoes are rare, though geothermal activity persists in some locations. Each of the continents tend to spherical in shape. The lack of tectonic activity has locked the continents in place, and the oceans have eroded them overtime into a spherical shape.

Ucharpli is doomed to suffer from an excess buildup of CO2 due to the relative lack of tectonic activity. However, such an event will occur around the time Szon turns into a red giant which is not for another several hundred million years.

The cooling of the planet's core has also resulted in many crystal and rare gem formations appearing at the seafloor. In fact, the southern ocean has been affected so much by the halt of tectonic activity that the Dhragolon have named it the Sea of Diamonds. An archipelago surrounding the planet's north pole experienced a similar effect and was named Crystal Isles.

The most notably location where vulcanism occurs is in the Fire Plains. The continents, which are still quite locked in place, are still attempting to push away from each other causing volcanic eruptions and flowing lava on the surface. As a result, this particular region is covered in ash clouds, trapping heat inside.

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 from the size of a mouse to a dog dominate here as Kyartula is more open that Tralgatar though a larger creatures still roam about.

Kytayur
Kytayur is much rockier than Kyartula, but also sports one of the most whimsical and unique ecosystems such as mushroom forests to the west, icy waterfalls to the north and fiery plains to the south. Kytatyur is notable for being one of the only locations on the planet to have near constant volcanic activity.

Tralgatar
This is the smallest continent separated from Kyartula by the Reef Ocean. Being centered mostly about the equator it is tropical being almost entirely a rainforest. The largest creatures, often the size of dinosaurs and bigger, live here. Their large body mass makes it ideal for navigating the dense rainforests.

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.

Sea of Diamonds
This ocean borders Aggateya. The seafloor is covered in amazing crystal formations and variety of gems ranging from diamonds to rubies. Also in this ocean is one of the few locations known in the universe of the rarest gem which is often called Dragonrock which is the hardest known material in the universe.

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
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 Dhragolon built many temples, only to find them engulfed by the Great Flood. These underwater temples have also made home for many invertebrates.

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.

Polar Seas
A large ocean which covers the north pole.

Ten Sacred Hills
The Ten Sacred Hills of Ucharpli are said to be the refuges of the Dhragolon during the Great Flood. They are all towering mountains, each of them are the highest points on Ucharpli.
 * Cloudreach Island
 * Mt. Windhill
 * Mt. Umageishi
 * Levenslang's Cradle
 * Refuge Crater
 * Krayhan's Eyrie
 * Frostwater Falls
 * Great Ascension
 * Mt. Tarara
 * Aldapika

Ecosystem
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.

Much of Ucharpli's wildlife is aggressive because some of them have control over Maj. Unlike Dhragolon who are able to control their instincts, the wildlife cannot, so they can get extremely volatile.

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. The higher gravity results in the wildlife developing stronger bone structure in comparison to Earth. Smaller animals the size of dogs are far more common. Ideally, a well-evolved animal on Ucharpli has a long-elongated body with long legs.

At the end of the First Era, a planet-wide storm known as the Great Flood occurred endangering all life. The Great Flood was caused by a combination of tectonic activity and a solar flare. Great downpours flooded the low lands, and the mountains were plagued by deadly lightning storms. Most species had to either move to the highlands to survive the floods, and the mountain creatures had to hide in caves. No figures are available as to how many species went extinct during that time.

Types of flora
Because of the intense UV radiation, flora on Ucharpli has evolved to use sunlight as a secondary source. The high amounts of nitrogen in the air makes the soil rich with nutrients, 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 downards 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.
 * Deciduous - Trees with large leaves. They are only found near the equator as they cannot survive the winter unlike those from Earth
 * Coniferous Analogue - Trees which remain active all year and reproduce in a similar manner to the aspen tree.
 * Lichens - Primitive flora that can grow on rocks. Some have grown into trees.
 * Thermosynthetics - A unique type of plant in the Fire Plains which acquires energy through convection currents. However, like most plant-life on Ucharpli, it derives the majority of its nutrients from the soil.


 * Flowering plants - Flowering plants will rely on the spreading of pollen by other creatures.

Types of land creatures
Many of Ucharpli's native wildlife share similar Maj abilities as the Dhragolon. Because these creatures cannot deliberately control their Maj output, wildlife tends to be highly aggressive towards travellers. As a result, wandering the wilderness is incredibly dangerous. As a result, large expanses of virtually untouched land exist between cities. Anyone that travels through these wilderness areas are advised to carry a weapon. However, the need to expand to cover the entire planet has since become obsolete because the Dhragolon have colonized many other worlds aside from their own.
 * 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 using concentrated heat Maj to 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 advanced organism on Ucharpli. 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.


 * Vulcanite - One of the earliest, large multicellular creatures on Ucharpli. Their carapaces are even harder than reptiles and are built to survive near volcanoes. Some Vulcanites instead secrete protective oil which is also heat protective.

Population
Ucharpli is home to several races though the Dhragolon emerged as the most dominant.

Native races

 * Dhragolon - A race of blue humanoids that have become the most predominant race having expanded into space.


 * Yolsark - A race of crustacean people that live in the oceans.


 * Muruu-kai - A race of monkey people that live in the jungles.


 * Muruu-fai - A race of primates with skin that protects them from the convection of lava.

Non-native races
Several alien race can be found living on Ucharpli.


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


 * Human - After the Harbingers attacked Earth, about 10,000 humans moved to Ucharpli making their homes in the province of Spason.

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.

Before Life
According to legend, the earth god Rhuuz-tih shaped the world of Ucharpli, forming it from the Soul Nebula. After that nebula began to coalesce the sun Szon and moons Brunikor and Himmingarde was formed along with the other planets.

Age of Vulcanites
At this point, the air had very little oxygen. Most of the land at this point consisted of ancient creatures called Vulcanites, fiery creatures that inhabited the volcanic, lava covered landscape. Much of the world at this point, save for the oceans, resembled the Fire Plains. A precursor to the Muruu-fai, the Old Muruu-fai, inhabited the land and managed to build civilizations fairly early.

Age of Aquatic Creatures
The land was completely devoid of life and was a barren landscape. However, primitive aquatic creatures flourished, mostly microscopic protists. Overtime, these protists evolved into more complex organisms such as vertebrate fish.

Ozone Layer Destruction
An enormous volcanic eruption had set off a chain reaction that destroyed the ozone layer exposing Ucharpli to dangerous UV radiation. The Vulcanites managed to survive but the rest of life would be slow to arrive on land as the ozone layer needed to recover over time.

Age of Land Creatures
The oxygen from the oceans overtime was released into the air, allowing many creatures to live on land. At the same time, the world began to cool down and volcanic activity decreased which reduced the influence of the Old Muruu-fai. Overtime, vast forests, jungles, and plains replaced the volcanic landscape. Reptiles and mammals soon began to dominate the land, while the Old Muruu-fai had retreated to what is now the Yolpika Mountains.

Arrival of the Dhragolon
According to legend, the goddess Bevelen (better known as Marana) brought the Dhragolon to Ucharpli for them to live. Some believe that the Dhragolon have evolved from repto-mammals instead.

The Great Flood
This is generally associated with the Second Era of the Dhragolon time system. Once the Dhragolon dominated the world, a disaster struck. A massive storm spread across the entire planet, flooding the low areas and plaguing the land with deadly lightning storms. Legend also has it that a Dhragolon named Nolara built a massive wooden ship containing many animals saving them from extinction.

Rise of Modern Civilization
This era is known as the Third Era in the Dhragolon time system. By this time, the massive tsunami resided, Yallvus as it is today was first built and a writing system was composed. Several tree species survived their time underwater by going dormant, while the animals that could escape to the mountains migrated to fill the empty land. Some animals were able to adapt by simply living in the oceans formed by the tsunami. Many cities all over the world were built by Dhragolon that were isolated from the tsunami. The Dhragolon at Yallvus united with these other city-states to form a worldwide nation through not only trade and economic prosperity, but a series of conquest campaigns, eventually leading to a brutal unification war known as the Yallvus Revolution.

Early Space Age
This is broadly referred to as the Fourth Era in the Dhragolon time system. Once the dust settled after a global civil war, the Rustiagon bloodline emerged as the victor, and the Yallvusians constructed the first incarnation of the Yoltox Prime. It was declared that only a king could pilot the ship.

Sinister Era
Sometime later, the Dhragolon Federal Monarchy was conquered by the Sinister Hegemony. Many Dhragolon colonies were razed along with large portions of Ucharpli. Many locations except for a few wilderness areas were turned into slave labor camps.

New Space Age
After the end of the Second Sinister War, the extinction of the Sinister Hegemony allowed for Ucharpli to recover to its previous state. Virtually no trace of the Eghos remains on Ucharpli as the planet had several thousand years to overtake the old abandoned structures.