Basics:
Name: An’katerr
Size: An’katerr is a small planet, a little more than half the size of Earth.
Location: It is the fourth planet out from the sun.
Rotation: 22 hours
Revolution: 312 days
Division of the year: A year has 312 days
The year is divided into seasons rather than months
Each season has 78 days
A day is 22 hours
About the Planet:
About the Sun(s): There is a single sun in the system called Shildrian.
About the Moon(s): Only one moon orbits around An’katerr. It’s fairly large and pearly white in color. The planet’s inhabitants call it Imbria.
Any other celestial bodies: There is a red comet that passes by the planet every 150 years. Known as the Tail of the Dragon, it heralds a time of change in the country of Telvan. In the other four countries, it’s largely insignificant.
There are 6 other planets in the system: 3 closer to the sun and 3 further out
Average distance from its Sun: 210 million km
Main Terrain: An’katerr has a single continent and several islands that sit roughly on the equator. The continent is mostly grasslands with one mountainous region and a very large desert. There is a great deal of water, as the continent is surrounded by ocean and many rivers run through it, forming deep lakes and marshy areas.
Telvan: The climate here is generally mild, though it has been known to get fairly hot on occasion. The terrain here is widely varied, though there is a great deal of forested land. There are hilly areas in the southernmost part of the country. The Shadaran mountain range dominates the land at the most northern part of the border Telvan shares with Zalityu.
Shanshiire: Shanshiire is almost entirely a desert country with very few areas where water is plentiful. As a result, towns are small and spaced far apart.
Zalityu: The terrain is mostly flat prairies with very little forest—most of the woodlands are along the border Zalityu shares with Telvan.
Jiinal: Terrain here is mostly flat with some mountains in the central islands.
Doval:
Interesting Geographic Features:
The Dragon River: It winds its way south through the most northern part of the country. It originates in the Great Basin Lake in Doval. The Dovalians have an entirely different name for that river.
Great Basin Lake: There are two rivers that spread out from the Great Basin Lake. One terminates down in Telvan while the other goes into Zalityu and branches off.
Wild Howl River: The river running westward from the Great Basin Lake into Zalityu is so named as where it begins is a massive waterfall.
Red Water River: The south running river from the Great Basin Lake, named for the reddish clay found at the bottom. Some historians think that the Red Water got its name because it runs into Telvan.
White River: the only river that flows into Shanshiire. It comes out of Zalityu where it is better known as Maiden’s River.
Maiden’s River: a branch of the Great Mother River
Great Mother River: a river that flows into Zalityu from Doval. It branches off into the Maiden’s River. Where the two rivers meet is a sacred site to the Zalites as the daughter of the First Emperor drowned there.
About the Soil: The soil is generally a chocolate color. When it’s healthy, it feels smooth and moist, like handling thick batter. When it’s unhealthy, it’s gritty and crumbles easily. In Shanshiire, however, the ground is covered in a sand that is nearly white.
Rare Resources: Jiinalese Sea wine, Kistrala
Popular/Common Resources: Arillira paste
Largest known Surface Feature: The Shadaran Mountain Range is the tallest part of the landscape collectively. The largest mountain in the group is Mount Olayen.
About the Atmosphere:
Sky Color: Typically, the sky is a pale blue.
Air Quality/Composition: Earth equivalent
Average Surface Temperature: It varies from country to country. In general it stays fairly warm. Winters are only really cold in the northernmost country of Jiinal while a summer in Shanshiire can be fatally hot given that it’s a desert country. Telvan experiences a more moderate climate, rarely getting hotter than 25 degrees Celsius. Doval is cooler than Telvan, staying in the mid teens. Zalityu has a climate similar to Telvan’s, though it has been known to have temperatures similar to those in Shanshiire as they are the most central country and don’t benefit from the ocean as its neighbors do.
Maximum Surface Temperature: 47 degrees Celsius
Minimum Surface Temperature: -29 degrees Celsius
Common Weather Patterns: Hurricanes and such similar storms are common in Doval, Telvan, and Shanshiire. Jiinal, due to the nature of its layout, experiences them in a different manner though they still occur. The outermost islands have much more severe storms than the other countries while the innermost ones get the mildest storms. Zalityu, being landlocked, doesn’t get as many storms. It has a single rainy season but is otherwise fairly dry.
Rare Weather Patterns: Earthquakes are rare.
About the Civilization:
The Dominant Species: Human
Level of Technology: basic stuff, very medieval.
Animal Life: There is a great deal of animal life present on An’katerr. Each country has animal life unique to them and there are ones that are found in more than one countryy.
About the People:
Main Language(s): Most people of An’katerr speak the same language with some cultural variations. Only the Jiinalese have a separate language. The purest form of the language, according to the scholars, is spoken in Zalityu.
Common Traits: Each country has their own distinctive appearances.
Telvan: they have a Caucasian skin tone and predominantly brown hair, though other colors do show up from time to time. Red heads are rare yet considered very lucky.
Doval: they have an Asian skin tone and predominantly black hair though darker toned brunettes have been known to pop up.
Shanshiire: the Kasheran people have the darkest skin tone and are typically dark haired; blonds are extremely rare and are viewed with a bit of distaste by the general populace.
Zalityu: most commonly red haired are very common here, though blonds aren’t.
Jiinal: the Jiinalese have a tanned skin tone and are primarily blond.
Major Religion(s): Each country has a Sky Lord which they venerate.
Important Historical Events:
0 – The Beginning of Days
03 – The first copy of the Book of Days is written down
02 – Tanjihad built, Calen Hall built
04 – Karath built, Wolf Rock built
06 – Dathren Cove built
26 – The daughter of the first Emperor of Zalityu drowns
206 – Jiinal breaks away from mainland
462 – Shadow Hawk Bandits established
840 – Balindren made Metal Sage
853 – Shinjaloye becomes Empress
859 – Lehenar dies, Leshmiir becomes Emperor
Type of Government: Monarchy (Imperial – Emperor and Empress)
Major Cities: Karath, Wolf Rock, Dathren Cove, Tanjihad, Calen Hall
About the Social Structure:
Each country is ruled by an Emperor or Empress. There is no stigma against either gender when it comes to ruling. Some countries have more favor towards a specific gender, but won’t completely discount someone from the opposite gender. Such a thing is contrary to the will of the Sky Lords.
Preferably, the throne is passed from parent to eldest child. Bastards are rarely tolerated and only when there is no other choice. Should an illegitimate child inherit the throne for some reason or another, it is the duty of the Chief Priest(ess) to ensure that the individual rules fairly. As soon as a child reaches a proper age, the illegitimate ruler is forced to abdicate in favor of the child.