Sernet

Map still heavy wip, click for greater quality

Note: this factbook will not describe the entire history of Urseom, that is still WIP and will go in a different factbook/dispatch, this is mainly an introductory factbook.

All about Urseom (still wip)
Urseom is Sernet's home planet and the central inhabited planet of the Solin System, being the 4th planet from its home star of Solin. The planet is broadly comparable to earth in terms of technological advancement, except for in a few fields where Urseom has advanced far beyond the capabilities of Earth.

note: Urseom isn't a pure sci-fi world where everything is futuristic. Most everyday technology remains recognisably modern. The extraordinary stuff is concentrated in particular areas, namely space travel and exploration, hence I label Sernet as "modern tech with some bits of post-modern tech" as it is the best fit.

Basic info on the Solin System, before we move on:

Above: Diagram of the Solin System
The celestial bodies below are displayed from left to right on the diagram
Moons are covered separately after the planets

Solin: The namesake star at the centre of the Solin Solar System, just your typical main sequence yellow star.

Tegam: A scorching hot small rocky planet, it is characterised by vast grey plains of rock littered with craters, the planet is the only one in the system which has no moons and virtually no atmosphere, not to mention its vast temperature differences between the Solin-facing side and the dark side. This makes it an interesting planet for scientific expeditions but not a realistic settlement target.

Sekvar: The second planet from Solin, its key feature is the colossal surface ocean of liquid sulphur, which takes up approximately 90% of the planet's surface. The exposed land mainly consists of vast sand and mineral deserts, with some enormous sulphur-encrusted mountains dominating over the barren landscape. Despite the vast sea of sulphur and the barren deserts, the landscape has plenty of interesting features, such as the Glass Plains, formed by volcanic activity which formed glass on the surface, the Red Mountains, a particularly iron-rich mountain range forming a stark contrast with the generally yellow hues of the planet, the Sulphur Cataracts, a huge slow-moving system of liquid sulphur waterfalls, and the Great Sulphur basin, a gigantic depression filled with liquid Sulphur, separated from the main ocean by a mountain range. This makes the planet scientifically interesting, but there is a second important characteristic of this planet. Sekvar contains huge reserves of precious metals such as gold and copper, as well as other resources such as phosphorous and iron, not to mention what is by far the defining resource, sulphur, which is present both in liquid form and as sulphide/sulphate minerals. Despite the thick, dense atmosphere and the average temperature hovering at around 250 degrees celsius, Sekvar is a major destination for mining expeditions from multiple Urseomite nations due to its vast reserves of minerals. Although still relatively limited due to logistical constraints, every year human presence on the planet grows larger, with a population of around 4000 permanent residents distributed across three high-tech settlements, all three of which are located in a relatively boring region of the planet so that mining operations there won't disturb the fascinating environment of Sekvar.

Vylt: The third planet, Vylt, is a remarkably habitable world despite being distinctly alien. It supports substantial plant-like vegetation which is purple as opposed to green, which gives Vylt its characteristic purple hue as seen from space alongside the blue seas present on the planet. The planet has a functioning biosphere, although its life is considerably simpler than Urseom's. There are no highly advanced native animals or complex ecosystems comparable to those of Urseom; instead, Vylt's biosphere is dominated by relatively simple organisms, particularly its extensive purple vegetation. Because of this, Vylt occupies a very unusual position in Urseomite exploration. It is not a dead world that needs terraforming, nor is it as comfortable and biologically rich as Urseom. It's an already-living alien world that humans can operate on relatively easily, making it arguably the most attractive extraterrestrial settlement target in the Solin system. The human population of Vylt is around 1.6 million, with it being entirely concentrated on the archipelagoes of Toperis and Ezgiland, with this being the only part of the planet where Urseomite nations actually get to possess sovereign territory, with the rest of the planet being No Man's land. The population of Vylt, distributed between 30 settlements across 8 different territories, consists of a large population of scientists from various nations, but mainly ordinary citizens who are nicknamed as "Vyltgoers". These Vyltgoers decided to leave their lives on Urseom behind and move to Vylt in the late 80s and early 90s following an offer by various nations on Urseom to transport them free of charge to the planet to pioneer a new frontier of civilisation and inhabit the new cities on Vylt. Today the population is growing steadily as society on Vylt develops further.

Urseom: The origin of the human race, at least the ones in the Solin System, and the cradle of civilisation... more on Urseom further down...

Lycantar: The fifth planet from Solin, Lycantar is a cold and arid terrestrial planet with polar ice at its poles and extensive geological features, as well as gargantuan mountain ranges and canyons. The planet also has what appear to be extensive ancient water features, suggesting that perhaps water flowed on Lycantar in the distant past. The crust is dominated by a mixture of manganese and iron, which naturally oxidise into a deep brown colour, giving Lycantar its characteristic orangey brown colour palette. The brown desert is slashed in some places with streaks of cobalt, which appears as blue and nickel, which appears as silver, which creates a stark visual contrast. During the day, the sky is a dark vacuum blue colour due to heavy ground dust, and on a good day on the equator, the surface temperature hovers at around a comfortable 20 degrees, however the moment Solin goes down and night starts, temperatures plummet to around -70 degrees. Across the mid-latitude plains, the average temperature would be at around -60 degrees whereas the plains at the poles and peaks of the planet's tallest mountains would be at around -150 degrees on average, with the polar mountains at the southern pole at a brutal -175 degrees. Human activity on Lycantar mainly takes place in a few localised pockets where all the iron, cobalt and nickel mining, the main industrial activity on Lycantar, takes place, alongside their respective refineries. These pockets are situated in relatively boring areas of the planet and altogether take up under 1% of the surface area. Industrial activity on or near the vast mountain ranges or the cobalt streaks or any other protected location is prohibited. The human population of Lycantar is around 15,000. Lycantar's Ferromanganese silt, which is essentially iron and manganese dust, is very problematic as it is hazardous to human health, and is completely opaque, rendering solar power useless and also result in complete loss of visibility during dust storms. Additionally, the dust is magnetic, meaning that machinery needs to be highly specialised so that it isn't damaged by the dust. This also applies to spacecraft, which have to be cleaned inside specialised facilities upon arrival and wrapped in a sacrificial layer before departure which is shed once the ship leaves Lycantar, so that the Ferromanganese silt isnt transported back to Urseom or any other destination.

Gargontel: The sixth planet from Solin, and by far the largest one. Gargontel is a gas giant with prominent horizontal cloud bands, composed mostly of hydrogen and helium, with numerous moons and an extensive magnetosphere. The planet's visual appearance is very striking, with its blue and grey stripes giving it a distinct look.

Orcheda: Another gas giant, slightly smaller than Gargontel but also has a system of moons. The distinct red colour comes from atmospheric hydrocarbons and other high-altitude compounds. While it is smaller than Gargontel, Orcheda is slightly larger than Soruleon, making it the system's second largest planet.

Soruleon: A deep blue ice giant surrounded by a system of rings and its own moon system. Soruleon is composed of hydrogen, helium and methane; the methane absorbs red light and reflects blue light, giving the planet the deep blue colour.

Azerna: Another ice giant, although considerably smaller than Soruleon. Azerna is more of a cyan colour, and has much thinner rings than Soruleon. However, it does also have its own system of moons.

Klombst: The tenth and outermost planet, it is nicknamed "the Emerald" due to its fascinating green colour. Klombst is a rocky planet, and the green colour comes from the planet's crust of oxidised copper. The planet does actually have an atmosphere despite it being only slightly larger than Tegam, which allowed the copper to oxidise in the first place. The crust is dominated by copper, with the vast copper plains and rolling hills of copper giving the landscape an alien feel. Being the outermost planet, it is essentially the symbolic gateway to outer space, and was the site of early gateway testing before gateways began to open on individual planets such as Urseom. The population of Klombst is normally around 1500 people, with these either being workers at the Gateway testing facility and the planet's gateway itself, or miners working at the limited but fast-growing copper mines on Klombst. The sky on this planet appears as an amber hue, which creates a massive contrast with the green copper landscape. The average temperature on the plains is around -110 degrees, with temperatures dropping even lower at higher altitudes or during winter.

Moons:

Tegam has no natural satellites. (it doesn't have artificial ones either, unsurprisingly)

Sekvar has one moon, Vasken. Vasken is a small, cold, dark and heavily cratered moon with a strange orbit. As a result of volcanic outgassing, it actually has an atmosphere, albeit a very thin one.

Vylt has two moons, Eldrinog and Nereth. Eldrinog is the larger of the two and is a relatively pale moon, with a thin atmosphere composed of argon, sulphur dioxide and neon. There are limited facilities harvesting argon from both the atmosphere and underground, which gives the moon economic significance. Eldrinog has a population of around 3000. Vylt's other moon, Nereth, is much smaller. Nether is a much more irregular moon with a dark surface that has a strange reddish-purple tint when illuminated by Solin.

Urseom has two moons, the larger one being Sorenc and the smaller one being Orel.
Sorenc is home to around 60,000 people, distributed across a few settlements. Mining on Sorenc is large-scale, with refineries complementing the mining industry. The main raw materials being mined on Sorenc are Anorthosite, which is processed into silicon and aluminium, as well as Ilmenite, which is processed into titanium. Unlike places like Lycantar, around 8% of Sorenc's surface is designated for mining, with these mines operated by different nations mainly being on the dark side. With the advent of space tourism, Sorenc has also become a major tourist destination, with people coming over to explore the moon and experience the low gravity, albeit at a high price. As a result, there is a sizeable entertainment and hospitality industry in Sorenc, despite the massive temperature variations and the lack of an atmosphere (yes, Sorenc has no atmosphere). Spacesuit production and logistics also employ a number of people on Sorenc.
Orel, Sorenc's smaller counterpart, is a smooth, nicely-rounded sphere. Orel's crust is made of Alabaster and Gypsum, giving it its snow-white colour. Underneath this smooth surface, there is an abundance of lithium, which is mined completely by automated means. Orel has no permanent residents, with the only humans that regularly visit being maintenance crews.

Lycantar has two moons, Miren and Tovek, with Miren being the largest one. Miren is quite large and slightly irregular, although still a spheroid shape. It has large canyons and extensive frozen deposits, and despite its lack of an atmosphere, it is believed that Miren has a subsurface ocean of water ice. Tovek is almost completely barren and heavily cratered, with the moon not having much economic significance, at least not currently.

Gargontel has a total of 62 moons, eight of which are considered major moons. The largest of these moons is Avaros, which is also the largest moon in the entire solar system, being around the same size as Klombst. Avaros is a rocky moon with huge mountain ranges and a thick atmosphere, although its colour palette is quite muted. However, it is rich in uranium and lithium, as well as much rarer materials such as yttrium, dysprosium and neodymium. The population of Avaros is around 400 due to there only being 2 outposts here.
Gargontel's second largest moon is Theskand, which is dominated by gigantic volcanoes, sulphur deposits and lava plains. Unlike Sekvar however, there are no liquid sulphur oceans and no mining operations either.
Veyrolt is the third largest moon orbiting Gargontel, and has a substantial atmosphere as well as a gigantic ocean of liquid water, making this a very interesting moon. The ocean covers 95% of Veyrolt's surface, leaving just a small exposed landmass above sea level. The moon is also volcanically active, and is rich in several minerals. Veyrolt has vast reserves of basalt, iron and titanium, as well as somewhat large reserves of zinc, copper, gold, silver, manganese, cobalt and nickel, with the latter list mainly found under the sea. This creates a unique situation where deep sea mining is taking place on a different world. Around 5000 people are present on Veyrolt at any one time, either as part of the mining operations, research or logistics. The resources are mainly extracted using Seabed Crawlers and Hydrothermal Cutters. The average surface temperature is 10 degrees, with little variation from the equator to the poles.
Onersta is the fourth largest moon, it is heavily ice covered and features enormous ice-covered plains, the surface shaped by Onersta's cryovolcanism. Similarly to Veyrolt, it is rich in uranium and thorium, and has a population of 300, mostly employed as part of a mining outpost.
The 5th largest moon is Karn, a dark and cratered moon rich in carbonaceous materials, however it has no permanent residents. Pelkar, Nys and Uvega are the 6th, 7th and 8th larges moons of Gargontel respectively, which are still somewhat shrouded in mystery despite crewed visits to all three of them. Gargontel has 54 other smaller natural satellites.

Orcheda has 31 moons, five of which are considered major. Orcheda's largest moon is Ravonchon, which is a reddish moon with a dry and mountainous surface, rich in iron. The population of Ravonchon hovers at around 150, running and servicing iron extraction operations there.
The second largest moon is Selka, an enormous ice-covered moon with fractures on its surface. Currently, there are no inhabitants of Selka, but it is believed that it may contain a subsurface ocean, however the presence of said subsurface ocean has not been confirmed.
Esvarion is the third largest moon, and appears surprisingly bright. This is due to ice geysers continuously sprays fresh, pristine water-ice crystals across the surface, covering up any old dust or darker rock. Despite this interesting feature, there is no permanent human presence on Esvarion. Dalkor and Idren, the 4th and 5th largest moons, are both medium-sized, dark and cratered satellites without much going on, and neither of the two have any human activity going on.

Soruleon has 27 moons, five of which are considered major. The largest of these is Ysen, which is quite big and covered with ice, and has a surprisingly acitve interior. There are frequent scientific expeditions, but no permanent human settlement.
The second largest moon is Jorvasol, which is quite a cold moon but it has an atmosphere and also has extensive surface hydrocarbon oceans on its surface. These liquid hydrocarbons act as water does on Urseom, evaporating, forming clouds, forming precipitation and flowing through river systems. Currently there is no industrial activity on Jorvasol, with the only permanent human settlement currently being a research station staffed by around 70 people.
The third largest moon is Monterelei, which is quite similar to Ravonchon, it is red in colour and has an abundance of iron. There is also a mining outpost here, with a population of 200.
Kelis is the fourth moon, and is interesting because of its confirmed subsurface ocean. Kelis has a thin atmosphere, but it is not breathable. There is no industrial activity here, but there is a research outpost inhabited by 50 people.

Azerna has 14 moons, three of which are considered major. The largest, Ressamnef, is a large white-grey moon with a huge canyon system. Some high-grade ore veins of minerals such as titanium and aluminium have been discovered there, as well as basalt and silicate rock. There are no permanent inhabitants here yet, but there is an unstaffed monitoring station which is visited somewhat frequently for maintenance purposes.
The second and third largest moons are Olvenok and Syrsyr, with the former being a somewhat large, intensely reflective moon and the latter having a strange, reddish atmosphere. However, neither of these two moons have any human settlement.

Klombst has one small, irregular moon, Perandor, which is a frozen rock that has only ever visited a handful of times.

The Solin Rim is the most distant and mysterious region of the Solin System, acting as a massive, spherical shell of icy debris surrounding everything else.

Nations of Urseom:

The continents of Urseom:
Urseomite Supercontinent: Mestretar (home to Metropolitan Union), Segarvia, Awelion
Other continents: Corvinia, Umberim

Key to continents for nations list below
Mestrent: M, Segarvia: S, Awelion: A, Corvinia: C, Umberim: U

Sernet (The Sernetian Empire), Palistade (The Palistadean Empire) and Kenstrolim (The Kenstrolimite Empire) are in both Mestrent (location of their metropoles) and Segarvia as a result of their holdings in Flanvoland and Osokertia.
The Socialist Empires of Daguro and Fullivad are in both Segarvia (location of their metropoles) as well as Umberim due to their holdings in the Umber Ocean

Nations, with continent marked:
Albon (M)
Armatonisdaristan (C)
Ashmiland (M)
Ausblich (M)
Bantastan (S)
Blackmarsh (S)
Branchiland (M)
Brezhistan (C)
Brigland (M)
Capilaco (A)
Cornetiland (M)
Corvinian Socialist Republic (C)
Daguro (The Socialist Empire of Daguro)(S, U)
Damanama (A)
Dican Darbia (U)
Dodberal (A)
Droliland (M)
East Calysso (A)
Flandacre (M)
Frystone (M)
Fullivad (The Socialist Empire of Fullivad)(U, S)
Haltu (A)
Hanglanden (C)
Hantavalia (C)
Heliloland (between C and M)
Hinasol (U)
Iptanof (A)
Kasigon (S)
Kenstrolim (The Kenstrolimite Empire) (M, S)
Kioweth (S)
Lebantork (S)
Lelaris & Shablivia (C)
Lillitonga (S)
Magnatoria (The Magnatorian Federation) (A)
Marivete (C)
Masrail (C)
Medisia (C)
Melyede (C)
Merviland (S)
Millistesia (S)
Mokteristan (S)
Moltonisle (A)
Montevillo (M)
Nacerdia (A)
Naisong (S)
New Styrland (A)
North Nolbistan (S)
Nurtwich (C)
Onderistan (S)
Oogrind Republic (A)
Palistade (The Palistadean Empire) (M, S)
Palm Coast (A)
Paxtol (S)
Polar Protection Pact* (Not a nation, international entity)
Qanpaltuk (M)
Qatlantiq (A)
Qaxlaseq (C)
Runtenland (M)
Saguland (A)
San Virenzo (M)
Sanievilaland (C)
Savendia (M)
Sayarostan (S)
Scozura (C)
Second Corvinian Republic (C)
Sernet (The Sernetian Empire) (M, S)
Sharselam (A)
Sisilo (C)
Skardiland (M)
Smantoria (M)
South Cornetian Republic (M)
Styrland (A)
Tassiland (A)
The Light States (Kingdom of the Light States) (M)
Three Rivers (S)
Umbriland (U)
Unctarctia (U)
Vrasilistan (A)
Watanga (A)
Weltforth and Rofland (M)
West Calysso (A)
West Cornetia (M)
Whitemarsh (S)
Xianhai (S)
Zhanglao (C)
Zorinthia (The Zorinthian Mercantile Conglomerate) (M)

History of Urseom
(abridged)

For millennia, the various early civilisations of Urseom gazed across the sea and up at the stars, and wondered what was there, what distant kingdoms lay beyond these endless oceans and what even are those balls of light in the night sky. Over centuries, civilisations strewn across the entire planet grew and developed, some interacted, cooperated or in some cases fought one another, and over time the patchwork of civilisations on each continent, but those separated by oceans had no knowledge of each other. However, by the late 12th and early 13th centuries, some civilisations had built ships good enough to traverse the oceans of Urseom. The age of Exploration officially commences in 1177, when the Sernetian navy landed on Smoltrendestof, which at the time was its own sparsely populated kingdom. However, there was a vague awareness of Smoltrendestof already, and a much more historic moment was to follow.

The Sernetians then went on to discover Corvinia, landing in modern-day Armatonisdaristan in 1198 when for the first time, the two civilisations from across the oceans met. Instead of finding virgin lands as the Sernetian voyagers had expected, they had found a similarly advanced civilisation with their own cities and nations. A trade route was established, and over the next few decades the network of trade routes was significantly strengthened, both on land and sea. The Horizon Roads were formed in 1206, these being a vast network of trade routes linking the civilisations in all parts of the Urseom Supercontinent, leading to far more interconnection between the civilisations of Mestrent, Segarvia and Aswelion. The civilisations of the known world at the time, far larger than it had been a century ago, slowly grew together in what was the start of the age of Globalisation. Technologically, the humans of Urseom made advancements at an even quicker rate, with improvements in navigation, shipbuilding, metallurgy, agriculture and mechanical power making long-distance travel increasingly practical and tying together a fragmented world.

As Urseom became even more globalised throughout the 14th century, these technologies matured: larger ocean-going ships, better cartography, mechanical clocks, improved metallurgy and increasingly sophisticated water and wind-powered machinery as well as improvements in fields such as science and medicine allowed trade and exploration networks to expand dramatically. Now, seas and oceans weren't barriers, instead they were highways. The 15th century brought an even more dramatic acceleration, particularly through mechanised printing, improved astronomical navigation, mathematics and increasingly accurate maps. Books, scientific observations and geographical knowledge could suddenly spread across Urseom far more rapidly, creating the foundations for a genuinely interconnected world. Then in 1486, the age of Exploration reached a new level, when a Flandacrean expedition discovered a new continent: Umberim. Following this discovery, settlers from numerous Urseomite nations established communities there. Over time nations like Umbriland and Hinasol became an extraordinarily multicultural society, with peoples from across Urseom living alongside one another. This multicultural character became one of the defining features of Umbriland once it became an independent nation. The entire world converged, with settlers from Sayarostan, Sernet, Zorinthia, Droliland, Skardiland, Armatonisdaristan, Fullivad, Palistade, Kenstrolim, Daguro, Magnatoria, Lebantork, Ausblich and more mixing together and eventually forming new nationalities on the newfound continent.

The 16th century marked the start of the Urseomite Renaissance, a broader intellectual and scientific revolution encompassing mathematics, astronomy, medicine, engineering, architecture and the arts. Universities and scientific institutions expanded, explorers increasingly travelled alongside scientists and cartographers, and printing allowed discoveries to circulate internationally. At the same time, Linteric emerged as Urseom's major international lingua franca, developing through centuries of trade, communication and interaction with other nations and cultures rather than being imposed by one empire. Linteric itself was a melting pot of languages, which started out as a language used mainly by merchants, diplomats, explorers and scholars, but by the end of the Renaissance, Linteric had gone through standardisation and become the primary language of many Urseomite nations, with it having replaced the previous language of everyday speech in many places. However, in most places, local languages still remained in use, with varying levels of dominance. Together, these centuries transformed Urseom from a collection of largely regional and highly fragmented civilisations into a globally connected, technologically sophisticated and intensely multicultural world.

The Renaissance paved the way for the Scientific Revolution, which commenced in around 1580. Astronomy, physics, chemistry and mathematics develop rapidly, with scientists increasingly relying on controlled experiments, measurement and mathematical models. Telescopes, microscopes, precision clocks and scientific instruments improve substantially. Universities and independent scientific societies become major institutions, and scientific knowledge becomes increasingly international thanks to Linteric. Thanks to these advancements, life expectancy and literacy among the general population shot up, and using telescopes, astronomers could develop more accurate diagrams of the Solin Solar System. This is also when Urseomite governments start investing in science and engineering. Exploration became less about discovering coastlines and more about surveying resources, studying climates, cataloguing plants and animals, and understanding geology. Early experiments with steam, pressure, electricity and magnetism begin appearing, although none are yet powerful or efficient enough to trigger industrialisation just yet. Global trade also reaches an entirely new level. The discoveries and settlements of the previous centuries have created enormous maritime network, and banking, insurance, joint-stock companies, stock exchanges and more sophisticated international finance develop. This is also when Linteric really becomes the language of global commerce and science. A merchant from Sernet can conduct business with someone from Umbriland, a scientist from Cornetia can publish work read in Armatonisdaristan, and diplomatic correspondence can increasingly be conducted without needing translators.

Throughout the 17th century, life for the general population increased in quality substantially, with the rise of individual freedoms and the abolition of the feudal system, serfdom and slavery in many places freeing former peasants from their chains. As a result of all the technological advancements, agricultural productivity increased substantially, urban life became much more pleasant and education was much more accessible to ordinary people, not to mention sanitation and healthcare. Meanwhile, the 1640s and 50s saw the formation of the four empires, The Sernetian Empire, The Cornetian Empire, The Palistadean Empire, The Wenklarian Empire and The Kenstrolimite Empire, whose goal was not to colonise other civilisations, but to fill the gaps on the world map and simultaneously to make new discoveries. 1669 saw the discovery of Osokertia by Kenstrolimite explorers, a large island completely devoid of civilisation, which was followed by the discovery of Flanvoland by Sernetian explorers in 1671, which was similarly devoid of civilisation. The few inhabitants of the islands assimilated with the newcomers, enjoying the luxuries of modern life. Palistade and Fullivad were also pioneering polar exploration, and the Sernetian navy successfully circumnavigated the globe in 1688.

The sheer common desire to advance as a species propelled Urseom into the Pre-Industrial Era. Steam engines are developed and progressively improved. Metallurgy becomes considerably more sophisticated. Coal mining expands because coal is increasingly recognised as an efficient source of concentrated energy. Precision manufacturing improves, meaning machines can increasingly be built from standardised components rather than individually crafted parts. Early factories start to appear in certain industries such as textiles, and there is a huge expansion in canals, turnpikes as well as early rail experiments. The nations of Mestrent were at the centre of these new developments, with other nations following suit alongside them. This period ultimately powered the upcoming Industrial revolution, which kicked off in 1760.

Progress is gradual at first. The Scientific Revolution has already given Urseomite engineers a much better understanding of mechanics, pressure, chemistry and materials, while years of mining and manufacturing have created the infrastructure needed to exploit that knowledge. Early industrialisation is concentrated around coalfields, mining regions, major rivers and ports, with steam engines initially being used mainly to pump water from mines and power machinery. Factories become increasingly common, mechanised textile production expands, ironworking becomes more efficient and steam engines steadily get better. Canals and improved roads connect industrial regions with ports and cities, while early experiments with steam-powered vehicles and rail transport begin. Then, around 1820, everything changes.

Steam engines become powerful and efficient enough to transform entire industries rather than simply supplementing existing machinery. Sernet pioneers the Railway Age, developing the working steam locomotive in 1830. Railways emerge as the defining technology of the era, connecting cities, mines, ports and agricultural regions at speeds previously incomprehensible. A journey that once took days can now take hours. Rail networks begin spreading across national borders, creating an increasingly more integrated Urseomite economy. The iron and steel industries explode, allowing bridges, railway tracks, ships, machinery and increasingly enormous buildings to be constructed on a scale that previous generations simply couldn't manage. Steamships begin replacing sailing vessels on major trade routes, making international commerce faster and even more reliable. Telegraphy follows, allowing information to travel between distant cities almost instantaneously for the first time. Linteric becomes even more important as international business, science and diplomacy become increasingly dependent on rapid communication, becoming the primary language in many industrialised nations. Cities grow, with many major ones such as Sernetesen, Balterham, Aberstorff, Renleigh, Mesingau, Hosking, Lomsterdam, Nisisau and Kasigon surpassing milestones of 2 million inhabitants in the 1840s and 50s.

Ordinary life is also revolutionised by industrialisation. Mass production makes clothing, tools, household goods and eventually consumer products considerably cheaper. Urban populations gain access to increasingly sophisticated water and sewage systems, gas lighting and eventually electric lighting. Public transport develops in major cities, while education expands to produce the engineers, technicians and administrators required by industrial economies. Living conditions in early industrial cities wasn't always great, with overcrowding, pollution and dangerous factories, but the enormous wealth generated by industrialisation eventually gave governments the resources to begin addressing these problems. Urseomite nations continue to advance; electricity spreads, chemical industries produce new materials and medicines, telephones begin to connect households and businesses, photography and recorded media emerge, and mechanical engineering becomes an enormous profession. Factories increasingly use interchangeable components and sophisticated machine tools, while scientific research becomes closely intertwined with industry.

Weaponry also advanced, with these new developments being made apparent in 1892 when war broke out. But this was no ordinary war, this war would later be known as the Continental War, a conflict on a scale which had never been seen before. The Wenklarian Empire, which encompassed modern-day Branchiland, as well as parts of Smantoria, Savendia and Qanpaltuq, launched an invasion on Savendia, resulting in the country's surrender in a matter of days. Sernet and Kenstrolim called for Wenklarian withdrawal, but before any action could be taken, Wenklaria invaded Smantoria, successfully capturing the nation within a matter of weeks. The Wenklarian Empire was now on the doorstep of both Sernet and Kenstrolim. Worried about this growing threat to the stability of the region, Sernet and Kenstrolim began to station their armies on the border, when in the summer of 1893, Wenklaria declared war on both simultaneously. At first, the war was going well for Wenklaria, with their army surprisingly digging deep into Sernet and rolling through Kenstrolim, but then the tides turned, with Sernet pushing right back, eventually ploughing past the old border into Smantoria in late 1894. The Kenstrolimites also forced the Wenklarians back, and after a bit more stagnation, the two allies were eating at Wenklaria on two fronts. Wenklaria finally fell in early 1896, surrendering to both forces. The Wenklarian Empire was dissolved, with Savendia and Smantoria regaining territory which was part of the empire that once belonged to them, and Qanpaltuk regained independence. The old nation of Branchiland was reinstated, reverting things back to before the formation of its' empire which had also led to the name change. However, just as things were cooling down, civil war broke out in Fullivad, which lasted until 1898 and resulted in the formation of a big new nation in the western half of the nation, Masnelin.

Things go back to being relatively peaceful in Mestrent, with the development first working plane in 1898 in Cornetia being another great achievement and reinstated the theme of unprecedented technological advancement from before the war. At first, aviation is mainly experimental, but several governments began to realise the incredible military potential possessed by these newfangled planes and began investing in air forces. Over the next few years, aircraft becomes faster and more reliable. Additionally, early military aviation develops alongside radio communication, improved artillery, submarines, armoured vehicles and increasingly sophisticated naval technology. Alongside this new arms race, aviation companies, electrical manufacturers, automobile firms and chemical industries expand rapidly. Cities get airports, motor vehicles become increasingly common and radio and television begins entering civilian life. Several wars occured throughout the 1910s, such as a coup in Daguro, another coup in Fullivad, leading to the country splitting up, with half of it uniting with Masnelin, and a civil war in the Corvinian Republic that led it to splitting into two successor states. The Cornetian Empire also fell apart, although in a much more peaceful manner than Wenklaria. The successor states are the South Cornetian Republic, Cornetiland, West Cornetia, Albon and San Virenzo. Despite more conflicts across the world, passenger aviation begins to develop alongside military aviation. Major cities establish airports and regular air routes. Aircraft become capable of crossing seas, and international travel becomes dramatically faster, with many citizens now being able to visit places on holiday which would've taken their ancestors ages to reach. Meanwhile, physicists become increasingly interested in the structure of matter. The discovery of radioactivity leads to experiments with radioactive minerals, while improved spectroscopy and electrical equipment allow scientists to investigate atoms in much greater detail. They also work out that atoms aren't indivisible, and that enormous amounts of energy are associated with their internal structure. Research into heavy elements, radioactive decay and nuclear reactions becomes particularly important. The discovery that certain nuclei can undergo chain reactions is the real turning point.

Metropolitan Union is formed in 1920, an economic and military alliance for the nations of Mestrent, many of which join the alliance. The formation of MU coincided with further developments in military aviation. Nations develop fighters, bombers, reconnaissance aircraft and long-range patrol aircraft, while radar-like detection technologies and increasingly sophisticated radio systems start to emerge. The arms race is in full swing, with Sernet, Palistade, Masnelin, Daguro, Umbriland, Fullivad and more rapidly building up their arsenals, being ready in the event of war. Meanwhile, rocketry starts emerging from military research, initially through experimental artillery and high-altitude propulsion. It's still primitive, but scientists begin realising that rockets could potentially reach the upper atmosphere.

Things start getting worrying in 1926, when Manselin becomes an openly fascist dictatorship, followed by Daguro in 1927 with the elimination of the relatively new socialist government by a coup. In Daguro, the fascist transition leads to a bloody civil war within the nation which is suppressed at the cost of hundreds of thousands. The world started to really pay attention when Daguro begins a racial purity campaign, vowing to make their nation a ethnic Daguran superstate. Daguro also annexes Lillitonga and Blackmarsh, supposedly as part of a union. Meanwhile in Manselin, the nation became a totalitarian militaristic dictatorship essentially worshipping their leaders. Manselin swiftly invaded Onderistan as well as Fullivad in 1930, followed by Merviland and Paxtol in 1931, all of which fell relatively quickly. The two police states signed a treaty in 1932, promising to work together to "restore order" to Urseom. Millistesia also joined in this pact, following their transition to a dictatorship bent on expansionism. They were, at the time, far larger than today, having invaded the city state of Kasigon as well as South Naisong.

The war officially started in 1933, with the simultaneous invasions of Kenstrolim and Ausblich by Manselin, Xianhai by Daguro and North Naisong and Whitemarsh. The fragile peace shattered instantly, and the entire Metropolitan Union joined in the war to assist Kenstrolim and Ausblich. Hantavalia also declares war on Medisia in 1933, with Hantavaland (today Hantavalia, which is still a dictatorship funnily enough) having followed the footsteps of Daguro, Manselin and Millistesia in becoming police states. The war was long and brutal, and nearly every nation had some involvement in the war. After nearly occupying the entirety of Mestrent, Manselin invaded Sernet at last in 1935, and after an extremely lengthy battle between the Sernetians, assisted by Umbriland and the soldiers of occupied allies in Mestrent, the invaders were toppled and Manselin fell in 1942, at the mercy of the Sernetian Empire and Sernet's allies. Daguro also helped invade Manselin from the east, following the collapse of the fascist government and the reinstatement of the socialist government. Meanwhile in Corvinia, Armatonisdaristan and Melyede, as well as Sernet later on, defeated Hantavaland in 1943, while Daguro and a newly-liberated socialist Fullivad focused on toppling Millistesia from 1942, which became infamous due to it being possibly the bloodiest part of the bloodiest conflict ever to take place on Urseom. To finish them off quicker, Sernet, Palistade, Umbriland and others joined forces with socialist powers, but progress was excruciatingly slow and the war was devastating. In 1944, after over two years of absolute hell in the area, the decision was made to drop some newly-developed nuclear weapons in Millestesia to bring them to their knees and bring a quicker end to the horrific human suffering in the region. Umbriland, Sernet and Daguro, the first three nations to develop an atom bomb, each nuked Millistesia, with Umbriland nuking them once more to deliver the final blow. The country crumbled and descended into chaos, before officially surrendering to the victorious powers.

The war had ended, and evil had been vanquished by the victorious powers, but at what cost? The Great War of Urseom, as it would be known from now on, had resulted in 90 million deaths, with nations such as Blackmarsh, Whitemarsh, Xianhai, Naisong, Millistesia, Daguro, Kenstrolim, Bantastan and Brigland suffering the heaviest death toll. To ensure the horrors of the Great War would never be repeated, the nations of Urseom signed the Treaty of Global Security. The Treaty of Global Security outlined that espect national sovereignty, settle disputes through diplomacy wherever possible, restrict territorial conquest and cooperate against governments attempting to launch another war of continental or global scale. The key principle was essentially "Never again" and that a second war on such scale could threaten more than just the sovereignty of nations, but civilisation on Urseom as a whole.

The peace doesn't last as a period of complete unity, however. The victorious powers have very different political and economic visions for post-war Urseom. The enormous reconstruction effort creates competing models of government, economics and international cooperation. Three broad spheres gradually emerge, with these spheres being known as Power Blocs. The first Power Bloc is Metropolitan Union, which also included its close allies of Armatonisdaristan, Lebantork and the Magnatorian Federation. The second bloc is the East Segarvian Cooperation Sphere, made up of all the communist states in the region, namely Daguro, Fullivad, Lillitonga, Merviland, Blackmarsh, North Nolbistan and Mokteristan. The final bloc is the White Star Alliance, formed of Umbriland, Hinasol and Untarctica. None of these blocs wants another Great War. In fact, they're all terrified of one. They all vow to keep the peace between one another, but they increasingly compete through economics, diplomacy, intelligence, technological development and military deterrence. And the Space Race.

Following the war, researchers across the planet began to consider whether the powerful rockets developed during the conflict might have another purpose: rather than merely carrying weapons, perhaps they could carry things, and eventually people, beyond the atmosphere and into Space. This marked the beginning of the Space Race.
At first, scientists and engineers from all three blocs co-operated together, because neither could develop a space-worthy rocket by themselves yet. The first successful spaceflight occurs in 1950, a joint international mission. 1953 saw the launch of the first satellite into space by a joint Metropolitan Union, and then in 1961, Umbriland send the first human to space. The next target was to land a human on Sorenc, and all three blocs, led by Sernet, Daguro and Umbriland respectively, scrambled to achieve this feat. Then in 1966, Daguro finally did it. Daguro landed the first Urseomite humans on another world, but instead of that other world being Sorenc, they had landed on Orel, the smaller moon, by accident. Despite it being an accident, the landing was a huge success and was celebrated back home. Sernet responded by being the first nation to land on Sorenc in 1972, which also coincided with Sernet's 1100th anniversary. This was of course another huge milestone, and marked the start of space exploration using crewed spacecraft.

The exploration of the Solin system was in full swing now. The next target was Vylt, with Fullivad landing on Vylt's biggest moon, Eldrinog, in 1974, which was followed by Sernet's landing on Vylt in 1975, and the discovery of the lush purple and blue forests, with the establishment of Sernetian Toperis on the archipelago of Toperis following on in 1976, making Sernetian Toperis the Sernetian Empire's first extraterrestrial territory. Other nations followed suit, and in the 1990s the Vyltgoers programme led to a huge increase in the population on Vylt. Daguro launched an extensive survey of Sekvar in 1979, and successfully landed a crewed spacecraft there in 1980, the same year in which a joint Sernetian-Armatonisdaristani mission landed on Lycantar. These voyagers become national heroes, for example, in Sernet they were known as the Sernetian Starfarers.

While Urseom is busy with the Space Race, the Second Industrial Revolution takes off at the same time, characterised by the rapid development of computers, telecommunications, automation, satellites, advanced materials, nuclear power and the internet. Computing moves from enormous specialist machines to businesses and ordinary households. By the late 20th century, computer networking develops into the planetary internet, connecting ordinary Urseomite citizens across national borders. The same technologies used to communicate with spacecraft and coordinate enormous industrial systems eventually became everyday consumer technology.

The Space Race reached new heights, with the first probes reaching Gargontel and Orcheda in 1981, and Umbriland's landing on Tegam in 1982 followed by Sernet's landing on Avaros in 1984 and Palistade's landing on Veyrolt and Umbriland's landing on Onersta in 1985, with multiple nations sending probes towards Soruleon and Azerna in 1985 and 1986. Daguro lands on Ravonchon in 1987 and Kenstrolim landed on Ysen in 1988. Sernet landed on Jorvasol in 1989, with Armatonisdaristan landing on Monterelei in the same year. Sernet landed on Azerna's moon of Ressamnef in 1992, followed by Palistade's landing on Klombst in 1994 and Daguro's programme of crewed expeditions to smaller moons such as Uvega in 1995. By 1998, exactly a century after the first plane, Urseomite nations had discovered every single relevant celestial body in the Solin System. It was time to go beyond.

From 2000 onward, Urseom enters the "New Age", building on decades of space exploration. The early 2000s see massive investments in gateway research, pioneered by Sernet, alongside continued exploration of the Solin system and the expansion of permanent settlements on worlds such as Sekvar, Vylt and the various moons. The first successful gateway was demonstrated at a site in Klombst in 2004, and this year also saw the first voyages beyond the Solin System, done by conventional propulsion with the goal of establishing gateways at new planets, mainly by Sernet's Starfarers. The Sernetian Empire makes two massive accomplishments in late 2011 and early 2012, with the former being the discovery of Earth, a planet populated by humans over 1400 light years away, discoverable but practically out of reach. This discovery raises a lot of questions; Urseom was aware of nearby planets populated by humans, which was perplexing enough, but the presence of humans so far away, with relatively similar technologies outside of the spacetravel field, as well as similarities in other places such as religion and language, raised many questions. The latter achievement was Sernet's landing on the planet of Timoria, around six light-years from Urseom, inhabited by an established civilisation and beginning a new era of interplanetary diplomacy and technological exchange. During the late 2010s, Urseomite explorers encounter further civilisations and gateway systems beyond their immediate neighbourhood, demonstrating that faster-than-light travel is not uniquely Urseomite. The discovery of these independently developed systems leads to increasing cooperation and eventually the construction of an interconnected gateway network.

By the 2020s, Urseom is no longer merely exploring its own solar system, but becoming part of a much larger interstellar community. Around 2024, expeditions finally begin reaching worlds in the wider Nationstates Cluster, and in 2025 Sernet participates in the Nationstates World Cup, the multiverse's most prestigious football tournament, for the first time. This was solely as a result of the advancements in Space Travel and the Gateway System enabling insanely rapid travel times between destinations several light years away. Sernet was now playing against other nations who had been playing the exact same sport that they had been playing for over 150 years, which somehow developed on their worlds independently, raising so many questions. Smoltrendestof have also partaken, and Armatonisdaristan and Vrasilistan, as well as Sernet for the third time, will play in the next edition of the NS World Cup, which despite its name, features nations from many different worlds as just mentioned. While the NS World Cup is a highly specific example, it showcases the incredible possibilities made possible by Space Travel and the Gateway System. 2026 saw the creation of the Solin Accord, established between the nations of Urseom to prevent the new era of interplanetary and interstellar expansion from becoming a source of war, done by prohibiting individual nations from claiming entire planets or moons while permitting settlements and colonies, the main asterisk to that rule being territories on Vylt as long as they are confined to the archipelagoes of Toperis and Ezgiland.

Today, Urseom is a modern, highly developed and increasingly interconnected planetary civilisation of around 8.6 billion people. Most Urseomites still live ordinary lives in their own nations, cities and communities, using familiar modern technology, while advanced industries support a growing presence across the Solin system. Urseom is also well connected by the interstellar gateway network, allowing people, goods and information to travel to distant civilisations, but this network isn't infinite... more on modern Urseom below.

Urseom Today

The development of spaceflight did not fundamentally transform everyday life on Urseom in the way that science fiction movies might suggest. Conventional aircraft, railways, cars, computers and other familiar technologies continued to dominate ordinary life. Instead, the insane technological advancements were concentrated in a handful of specialised fields. Nuclear power became an increasingly important part of Urseom's energy infrastructure, particularly as the demands of advanced spaceflight and eventually gateway technology grew. Uranium and other nuclear materials consequently became important resources within the interplanetary economy.

The greatest technological breakthrough in Urseomite history eventually came with the development of the Gateway System. These enormous structures allow vessels to pass through engineered wormholes and emerge at distant locations across space. Urseomite gateways are constructed as enormous rectangular frames, with the transport aperture occupying the centre. Spacecraft can approach the structure using conventional flight procedures and pass directly through the opening.

The gateways are extraordinarily energy-intensive. Their operation is governed by a fixed energy model incorporating a 1.05 terrawatt "callout fee" requirement, an exponentially increasing energy multiplier of approximately 1.35 per light-year, and additional factors relating to the physical size of the gateway and the length of time for which it remains open. Gateways therefore do not operate continuously. Instead, energy is accumulated and released in relatively short bursts during scheduled operating windows. A distant destination may require only a few minutes of gateway operation because traffic volumes are lower and vessels can be dispatched in concentrated batches.

Most major Urseomite gateways are located on artificial islands offshore, where they can be combined with specialised aviation and transport infrastructure. The islands effectively function as enormous international airports for interstellar travel. Passenger spaceplanes can land on conventional runways, taxi to the gateway complex and subsequently depart through the gateway. The gateways themselves are not necessarily the destination of the traveller; they are essentially the interstellar equivalent of a major transport interchange. Despite these gateways being completely safe, it just feels like sensible planning to place them away from urban centres due to the nature of the operations involved.

The gateway network consists of eight major gateway sites on Urseom. Six are associated primarily with Sernet, Palistade, Daguro, Fullivad, Armatonisdaristan and Umbriland. The seventh gateway serves the other members of Metropolitan Union (MU) and is situated somewhat near the Sernetian gateway, while another functions as an international gateway for the wider world beyond the principal blocs. Two additional gateways associated with Urseom are located away from the planet itself. The system deliberately contains only a limited number of major gateways rather than hundreds of small specialist installations. These gateways do not operate as isolated Urseomite infrastructure. Urseom is connected to a much larger interstellar gateway network, developed and maintained by numerous human and non-human civilisations. Some societies have adopted gateway technology similar to that used on Urseom, while others possess their own systems capable of interacting with the wider network. Consequently, the practical range of interstellar travel is much greater than the range of a single Urseomite gateway. A journey from Urseom to a destination twenty light-years away may be completed directly, while destinations sixty or seventy light-years away can potentially be reached by travelling through several interconnected gateway systems.

The network is not infinite, however. Vast regions of space remain outside the established gateway infrastructure, meaning that conventional spacecraft continue to have an important role in exploration. A world that is physically closer to Urseom can even be harder to reach than a more distant world if the latter is connected to the gateway network while the former is not. This preserves a genuine frontier for conventional space exploration despite the existence of faster-than-light travel.

Passenger transport between celestial bodies is consequently dominated by gateways. Conventional spacecraft are used more heavily for cargo, particularly where delivery speed is not important. Much of the interplanetary cargo trade consists of raw materials such as metals, minerals, rock and nuclear materials. Gateways are still used for particularly valuable or urgent cargo, but transporting bulk materials through an enormously energy-intensive gateway is often unnecessary. Cargo spacecraft remain crewed rather than completely autonomous, with automation assisting their crews while humans remain responsible for the operation and maintenance of the vessels. Long-distance cargo flight is therefore a specialised and an almost heroic profession, albeit one involving long periods away from home.

The gateway network also transformed interstellar communication. Rather than creating a permanently connected, instantaneous "interstellar internet", Urseomite nations developed an interstellar postal system. Digital information can be encrypted and stored on physical data packages, which are then transported through the gateway network aboard passenger or cargo spacecraft. A message destined for a world ten light-years away might therefore travel from Urseom through several gateway hubs before reaching its destination. Text, photographs, videos, software, scientific datasets and other digital information can all be transported in this manner. The system is extremely fast once a package is dispatched, but messages may have to wait for the next scheduled gateway window.

This system also means that interstellar communication remains distinct from ordinary planetary internet infrastructure. Each world can maintain its own networks, governments and communications standards, while the interstellar postal network provides the physical bridge between them. The result is an unusual technological situation in which interstellar communication can be faster than many journeys within a single planet's conventional transport network, while still not being an instantaneous universal internet connection.

Economically, Urseom is therefore deeply integrated with the wider Solin system and, increasingly, the interstellar economy as well. Nuclear energy provides a major component of the power required to support advanced infrastructure, while mining operations on other worlds supply materials that are difficult or expensive to obtain on Urseom. Sekvar is particularly valuable for its mineral wealth, while other worlds are likely to acquire their own economic and strategic importance as exploration continues.

Despite all of this, Urseom remains recognisably a modern civilisation. The overwhelming majority of its population does not live in futuristic cities or regularly travel between stars. People still work ordinary jobs, travel using conventional transport, use familiar consumer technology and live within their own national and regional cultures. The extraordinary nature of Urseomite civilisation is concentrated in specialised sectors: aerospace engineering, nuclear energy, interplanetary transport, gateway technology and the institutions required to operate them. Other than that, Urseom is almost like Earth in terms of tech and development. This contrast is perhaps the defining characteristic of modern Urseom. A person can live an entirely ordinary modern life while, somewhere in the middle of the sea, enormous spacecraft are landing at a Gateway island and preparing to cross dozens of light-years through a network shared with civilisations from across the galaxy. Urseom is therefore not a fully futuristic world; it is a modern world that has learned how to reach the stars.

List of nations with assets on other worlds:
(said other worlds are listed)

Sernet:
Sernetian Toperis (Vylt)
Eldrinog
Sorenc
Orel
Sekvar
Lycantar
Avaros
Veyrolt
Ysen
Jorvasol
Ressamnef
Klombst
other holdings outside of the Solin System (eg Sleweptos)

Armatonisdaristan:
Sekvar
Sorenc
Orel
Armatonisdaristani Vylt territories
Lycantar
Veyrolt
Monterelei
Klombst
other holdings outside of the Solin System

Daguro:

Sekvar
Vasken
Vylt
Eldrinog
Nereth
Sorenc
Orel
Lycantar
Miren
Veyrolt
Theskand
Ysen
Ravonchon
Klombst

Umbriland:

Tegam
Sekvar
Vylt
Sorenc
Orel
Lycantar
Miren
Veyrolt
Onersta
Klombst

Palistade:

Sekvar
Vylt
Sorenc
Lycantar
Veyrolt
Selka
Esvarion
Klombst

Fullivad:

Sekvar
Eldrinog
Vylt
Sorenc
Orel
Lycantar
Veyrolt
Klombst

Kenstrolim:

Sekvar
Vylt
Lycantar
Veyrolt
Kelis

Sayarostan:
Vylt
Sorenc

Joint MU:
Vylt
Lycantar

Internationally open:
Vylt
Sorenc

Note: "Assets" include, but are not limited to, mining outposts, research stations, territories on Vylt, unstaffed monitoring stations and more.

OOC notes:
-Pings: The Sernetian Empire (whyd i ping myself lol), Outer Armatonisdaristan, Natkr
-History is WIP, and more in-depth versions will be released in the future
-This took hours to write, so please leave an upvote if you liked it
-Anyways, I am genuinely so delighted to have finished this lore at last.