|
Note
|
Yanorra is a terrestrial planet in a state of societal and environmental crisis. |
Roughly 400 Earth years ago, a massive celestial object, called Lo-Disporum, entered the solar system and disrupted the stable orbit of Yanorra, throwing the planet into an unstable elliptical orbit.
This event became known as The Drift.
As the orbit became more elliptical, summers became shorter and hotter; winters longer and colder. Yanorran astronomers are uncertain of the planet’s fate — whether it will fall into its star or be ejected from its system.
The Drift stunted global development and triggered long-term societal depression, as most people believe extinction is inevitable.
The approximate size and shape of the planet have long been established with a high degree of confidence. This understanding predates The Drift and is preserved through astronomical observation, early navigation records, and geometric measurement techniques refined over many centara.
By observing the motion of the sun, stars, and moons across different latitudes, early scholars were able to independently calculate planetary curvature in multiple regions. These results were later reinforced by overland surveys and maritime logs from the pre-Drift era, which recorded distances traveled, heading changes, and horizon behavior over extended routes. Although individual records vary in precision, their convergence supports a stable planetary circumference and mass within narrow tolerances.
The Drift disrupted direct verification of these measurements, but it did not alter planetary scale. While orbital instability reshaped climate and sea conditions, contemporary astronomers continue to observe stellar parallax and lunar behavior consistent with inherited models, reinforcing confidence in the established dimensions of the world.
It is therefore broadly accepted that the known world represents only a portion of the planet’s total surface. Large regions, particularly across the southern oceans, polar expanses, and any lands beyond the Eastvoid and Westvoid remain unmapped not because they are believed not to exist, but because access to them is currently unachievable.
Modern cartography operates with clearly defined boundaries of knowledge rather than assumptions of completeness. Maps reflect what is reachable, observable, and verifiable under present conditions, while acknowledging that substantial portions of the planet remain undocumented.
The existence of other continents or distant landmasses remains a subject of debate. Numerous myths and historical accounts describe lands beyond the known world, many of which originate shortly before The Drift, when advancements in ship-building made long-distance oceanic exploration possible.
Thalen of the Eastvoid is among the most frequently cited figures in these accounts. He claimed to have crossed the Eastvoid Ocean and returned with unfamiliar artifacts, plants, and wildlife from a land he and others on the voyage called Aunqara.
According to these accounts, a group now known as the Aunqaran accompanied Thalen back and settled primarily in Velu, with smaller populations elsewhere. The existence of Aunqara, as well as the origin of the Aunqaran, is widely disputed and regarded by many scholars as mythological. The Aunqaran themselves remain a small, insular community and continue to assert cultural ties to Aunqara.
Since The Drift, several expeditions have attempted to cross the Eastvoid and Westvoid Oceans in search of other lands. None have returned. The oceans are considered impassable under present conditions, and the existence of other continents remains unverified.
East Yanorra is the easternmost continent in the known world of Yanorra.
| Name | Area | Population | Capital |
|---|---|---|---|
10,000 sq km |
(TBD) |
Avelis |
|
41,000 sq km |
(TBD) |
Seshai |
|
4,700 sq km |
(TBD) |
Monstagt |
|
52,000 sq km |
(TBD) |
Rangy |
|
217,000 sq km |
(TBD) |
… |
|
8,000 sq km |
(TBD) |
Towboketer |
|
6,400 sq km |
(TBD) |
Hilmore |
|
29,000 sq km |
~1,100,000 |
Qaria |
|
3,000 sq km |
(TBD) |
Saple |
|
150,000 sq km |
~300,000 |
Paz |
|
31,000 sq km |
(TBD) |
Saple Town |
|
9,300 sq km |
(TBD) |
Worths |
|
200,000 sq km |
~500,000 |
Byad |
West Yanorra is the western most continent in the known world of Yanorra. It is divided into four major regions:
-
Dudbinia: A large island in the southeastern region of West Yanorr.
-
Eanorra - The eastern part of West Yanorra, which includes Duvessa, Moe, Bibi Shirif and the Three Sisters (Totoku, Endotoku, Obetoku).
-
Sounorra - A sparsely populated large island in the southern region of West Yanorra. Sounorra is known for it’s wildlands and harsh weather.
-
Wanorra - The western part of West Yanorra, which includes Ronobetu, Tsutodo, and S’Tsutodo.
| Name | Area (approx.) | Population | Capital | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
8,200 sq km |
~1.2 million |
Thetbury |
Dudbinia |
|
220,000 sq km |
~1.5 million |
Zayn al-Qamar |
Wanorra |
|
310,000 sq km |
~800,000 |
Côte du Soleil |
Wanorra |
|
180,000 sq km |
~300,000 |
Ornerston |
Wanorra |
|
500,000 sq km |
~50,000 |
Flord-Clif |
Sounorra |
|
120,000 sq km |
~700,000 |
Sanceibei |
Wanorra |
|
350,000 sq km |
~1.9 million |
Cam Tower |
Eanorra |
|
200,000 sq km |
~700,000 |
Dima Eta |
Eanorra |
|
15,000 sq km |
~1.2 million |
Thetbury |
Dudbinia |
|
140,000 sq km |
~1 million |
Moa City |
Wanorra |
|
14,000 sq km |
~1.5 million |
Carmouth |
Dudbinia |
|
210,000 sq km |
~800,000 |
Holt |
Eanorra |
|
80,000 sq km |
~600,000 |
Totoku |
Wanorra |
|
160,000 sq km |
~400,000 |
Cliford |
Eanorra |
|
50,000 sq km |
(TBD) |
… |
Sounorra |
The Three Sisters is a collective term for three neighboring nations in the Eanorra region of West Yanorra: Totoku, Endotoku, and Obetoku.
These islands form a distinct geographical and cultural cluster, sharing historical ties and maritime connections despite being governed as separate territories.
Aunqara is a disputed land said to exist beyond the Eastvoid Ocean. Knowledge of its existence originates primarily from accounts attributed to Thalen of the Eastvoid, a mariner active several decara before The Drift. Surviving records describe a voyage to an unfamiliar shore and the return of artifacts, plant specimens, and a small group of people who identified themselves as Aunqaran. These individuals are believed to have settled primarily in Velu, where their descendants remain a distinct and insular community. While some scholars cite the continued presence of the Aunqaran and associated material culture as evidence supporting Thalen’s account, others argue that the voyage was misrecorded or later mythologized following the collapse of reliable navigation. No confirmed crossings of the Eastvoid Ocean have occurred since The Drift, and Aunqara itself remains unverified.
-
Large ocean separating East Yanorra (Velu) from West Yanorra (Duvessa).
-
Ships have not been able to navigate it since The Drift.
-
Travel from West Yanorra to East Yanorra now requires a stop in the Riftlands.
-
Sea separating Eanorra and Wanorra, with Thornbelt in the north acting as a land bridge between the two sub-continents.
-
Cold, unstable waters with large swells and unpredictable storms
-
Given the relative proximity of East-West Yanorra and West-West Yanorra, the Brooding Sea is considered a dangerous barrier to maritime travel. Less than 200 miles apart at its narrowest point, only about 20% of ships attempting to cross the Brooding Sea survive the journey.
-
Terrestrial, Earth-sized
-
Rotational cycle ≈ 1 Earth day
-
Yearly cycle = Increasingly unpredictable, no longer follows a fixed calendar. Calendar system is based on cycles (i.e. days) rather than years.
Yanorra has two satellites. Their competing gravitation has made sea travel difficult — an issue amplified by The Drift.
-
Serya - Larger moon, stable, linked to timekeeping and tradition.
-
Mirelda - Smaller, erratic moon associated with misfortune and tidal chaos.
Time used to be measured by the planet’s revolutions around the Ember Mother. After The Drift, the concept of a complete orbit became unreliable due to the planet’s erratic trajectory. Time is now measured by the planet’s rotations on its axis, known as cycles. Each cycle is roughly equivalent to one Earth day.
-
1 cycle = day
-
1 decara = 10 cycles
-
1 centara = 100 cycles
-
1 milarna = 1,000 cycles
Dates are written in the format: milarnas.centaras.decara.cycles, where each unit represents a place value.
| Megnara (1,000,000 cycles per) | Kilara (1,000 cycles per) | Decara (10 cycles per) | Cycles (1 cycle) |
|---|---|---|---|
unlimited |
0-999 |
0-99 |
0-9 |
The current date is approximately 146.10.0, meaning that about 146,100 days have passed since The Drift, or about 400 Earth years.
Communication beyond immediate proximity relies primarily on packet radio and shortwave relay systems. Handheld and stationary devices transmit data and voice signals across relay towers, though effective range is typically limited to line-of-sight or single-bounce transmission. Signal interference is common, particularly in regions affected by atmospheric instability, and messages are frequently delayed or lost in transit.
While no centralized communication network exists, regional systems are interconnected through long-distance wired connections, enabling cross-regional voice communication and data transmission. Long-distance calls can be placed between regions, though connectivity depends on the maintenance and availability of physical infrastructure, which varies significantly by location.
Transportation remains largely terrestrial and coastal. Oceanic vessels are restricted to short-range coastal routes and inter-island travel, as no ships capable of sustained transoceanic navigation have been developed since The Drift. The primary maritime vessels are steam and diesel-powered trawlers and ferries, which serve regional trade networks and passenger transport along stable shorelines.
Long-distance overland travel relies on rail networks where they exist, supplemented by diesel-powered road vehicles in areas with maintained infrastructure. In more remote or resource-scarce regions, animal-drawn transport and foot travel remain the primary means of movement.
Aerial transportation has not been realized. In recent years, several experimental programs have attempted to develop functional aircraft, but thus far no practical method of sustained aerial travel or cargo transport has been successfully demonstrated. The combination of technological limitations, resource scarcity, and the planet’s increasingly unstable atmospheric conditions has hindered progress in this field.
Electricity is common in larger cities and towns, but remains unreliable in many areas. Power generation typically relies on solar panels, wind-up generators, and diesel fuel, though the latter is increasingly scarce. Wind power has become more commonplace in recent years, as The Drift has destabilized the upper atmosphere, creating persistent turbulent conditions that generate strong and unpredictable surface winds. While this atmospheric instability has proven advantageous for power generation, it is also a primary factor preventing the development of aerial flight. In rural and resource-limited regions, kerosene lamps, firewood, and candles remain in daily use.
Computing developed cautiously in the cycles following The Drift, guided by the need for stability, predictability, and administrative clarity. Digital systems exist throughout much of the known world, but their value lies in controlled use rather than ubiquity. Where employed properly, they support governance, record integrity, and long-range coordination; where adopted carelessly, they tend to amplify fragility rather than reduce it.
Most machines in common circulation are text-oriented systems designed for documentation, correspondence, and structured calculation. Interaction is typically mediated through keyboards and monochrome or low-resolution displays, encouraging disciplined input and concise communication. Storage is managed conservatively, and processing tasks are expected to complete deterministically, reinforcing a culture that favors reliability over experimentation.
The Intalink reflects these priorities. It functions primarily as a text-driven network, centered on message boards, indexed archives, and direct terminal access. Information is exchanged deliberately and is intended to be retrievable rather than ephemeral. Proposals for visually expressive or interactive extensions surface periodically, but such systems impose substantial demands on power and transmission capacity and have yet to demonstrate sustained practical value.
More advanced graphical computing environments are maintained within universities, state research facilities, and select government offices. These systems are used for modeling, analysis, and planning tasks where visual abstraction provides measurable benefit. Access remains restricted, and their operation is closely managed; broad public deployment has not been pursued.
Accordingly, mechanical instruments, analog radios, and paper documentation continue to underpin most everyday workflows. Computing systems are employed as supplements to established practices, not substitutes for them. Film photography remains technically achievable, but the materials required for reliable production and preservation are scarce and are therefore reserved for institutional, archival, or scientific use rather than routine application.