Charum

Coathal Lore Pages
Species Lore Pages		Coathal
Planet and System Pages		Charum
Governments and Organizations Pages		Vesreen Holdings

Charum is a desert world and is the capital planet of the Vesreen Holdings.

General Information

System: Vesreen System

Moon(s): Torrium I

Development level: Moderate

Capital: Xantiloc City

Population (Planetside): 4,270,000,000 (approx.)

Charum is characterized as a harsh desert world where surface temperatures can rise over a hundred degrees Fahrenheit. There is very little surface water on Charum, save for the odd oasis or two, and at a sidelong glance it may appear to be a lifeless, deserted husk - however, were one to descend into the dark caverns underneath the wind-whipped dunes, they would find an ecosystem teeming with life. The Coathal are the only species on their planet hardy enough to survive the rough sandstorms and burning heat for extended periods of time. Coathal cities incorporate both an above ground and below ground element. Homes and businesses typically have a subterranean portion where it is much cooler for individuals to be comfortable for long periods of time, but the Coathal's nature as a cold-blooded species necessitates that they eventually spend some time in the blistering heat.

Other than the Coathal, Charum is home to a booming insect population. These insects carve out caverns, tunnels and chambers to live in, and some Coathalan cities are even built in the remains of giant bug nests. Similar to Earth ants, these eight-legged foragers are kept as livestock by Coathal due to their biological use as mobile water storage tanks. These giant ants, known as Ch'irans, dig through the terrain with their strong mandibles and drink gallons of spring water to carry water back to their nest. Thus, they were perfect for domestication, and the Coathal use them to hunt down and find water to bring back to their expansive cities. Their ability to dig and burrow makes them effective livestock for construction efforts, as well.

Charum's largest city is known as Xantiloc City - it is also the capital of the Vesreen Holdings. Both the senate building and prime minister's office are located in the center of Xantiloc and it is a densely populated walled city that makes good use of the Coathal's strong shielding technology. To keep the harsh desert winds out of Charum's streets, an energy barrier is projected over the entire portion of the city that is above ground, thus preventing sandstorms or hostile fauna from entering over the walls. While most other Coathal settlements on Charum's surface can suffer what is known as sand flooding, Xantiloc's advanced technology ensures its population of rich bureaucrats and their families remain totally comfortable and sand free.

Society

For the majority of Coathalan history, Charum was split between several nations with differing cultures, races, and laws. These independent countries warred every so often but for the most part kept to themselves. As the Coathal race entered the space age and their world powers began to launch satellites into orbit around Charum, they kicked off a space race that saw wealthy nations furiously attempt to one-up one another in their efforts to explore Vesreenian space. Colonies were founded and swathes of territory were claimed by these nations, leading to increased tensions and consternation amongst the world superpowers. Everything changed, however, when the Coathal came into contact with humanity and were forced to grapple with the idea they were not alone in the galaxy.

Now, the Coathal are still as inwardly focused as ever. They busy themselves with their own problems and do not take kindly to outside interference in their politics. Issues like their economy or their expansion are more hotly debated topics in the Vesreenian senate that alien affairs, and most Coathal prefer to be introspective than worry about other space empires. A portion of the populace do desire for the Coathal to cut their own path amongst the stars, but given that only a few generations have passed since the days of their fiercely independent nation states reigning supreme, plenty of regions on Charum still have wildly different opinions. For the Coathal, trying their best to unify their race in the face of several galactic empires is the best thing they can do right now.

The Coathal place a high value on democracy; they have a typical family unit and each Coathal is expected to do their civic duty of voting. To reinforce this idea that Coathal have a duty to take part in government, every Coathalan young adult is forced to either serve two years in military service or two years as a government intern so that they can learn how their democracy works; this ensures that the Vesreen Holdings has a steady supply of volunteers to keep the wheels of democracy turning, as a respectable majority of young Coathal simply remain in these positions to forge a life-long career, as it is the first job they are introduced to and the Vesreenian senate will help pay for school or other necessities so long as you remain in service.