Tersten, the fourth planet of the Gavil System, which is located just under 50 light years from Sol, is an occupied plains world located in the Lordanian Cluster, a small grouping of ten occupied stars with closely tied political systems. The planets was named after Jonathan Tersten a few years after his death. It was historically known as Pinascimate, which was the planet's name during penal occupation. The planet is still known as Moore's World by several cultures, mostly contained to the north and west of Tersten. While it's inhabitants are known as Terstener, there are many cultures and ethnicities that developed on the planet. It's current President is Robert Mackenzie, President of Tersten. The Capital City is Tersten City which is located in the northern regions of the planet, in the geographical area known as Calian. Tersten is roughly divided into the northern hemisphere, which contains many mountains, forests, plains, steppes, and taiga forests; the Sahamptha, a band of extreme desert and desert shrublands that encompasses much of the planet's equator; and the southern hemisphere, which contains many cold deserts, swamplands, and mountainous regions. Tersten is the 5th largest inhabited planet in the outer regions, with a radius of 8681 kilometres (1.36 Earths).
The Republic of Tersten is a member of the Second Lordanian Republic, a region of space that is part of the United Nations of Sol-Aligned Systems. Both Tersten and Sol enjoy warm, friendly relations, and Tersten bases several detachments of the Sol Defence Forces. A major producer of heavy materials, oil, and agricultural products, Tersten fills many economic needs of the outer reaches of human space, prioritising raw materials and food production. Tersten City and Nevada serve as Tersten's primary economic sites, with nearly two-thirds of Tersteners living within their metropolitan areas. The Tersten people are culturally unique, having developed as a response to penal injustice and harsh living. While it is no longer the case for all Tersteners, they have a reputation as a rough, rowdy frontierspeople with strongly held beliefs and family structures.

Geography

Tersten is a geographically diverse planet, harbouring many ecological regions including Plains, Forests, Deserts, Oceans, Mountains and Steppes. Tersten has four primary mountain ranges: the Pinascimate Mountains, the Pearlstone Mountains, the Yukela Mountains, and the Greenlime Mountains. The Pearlstone mountains lie to the west of Nevada, stretching to the eastern borders of South Harelstone, while the Yukela mountains snake westwards to the edge of the White Ocean, just south of the dustbowler city of Harmony. The Greenlime Mountains lie to the west of major logging city Moore.
Unlike continental worlds, Tersten's continents are largely combined to form an entirely landlocked planet, and it is entirely possible to walk across the planet in a complete circle. The planet is divided into ten large continental regions, divided along both geographic and tectonic boundaries.

Regions

North Tersten

Calian

Main: Tersten County
Calian, the great north continent, is the largest continent on Tersten, and contains the federal province of Tersten County. It stretches across many temperate features, from the highlands of Acton, to the Finatawa National Park, to the rough plateaus of Uludere. It is bordered to the south by Medilama, Nevada, and Sahamptha along the Pinascimate Mountains. To the west it is bordered by Mora along the Samuel Moore Rift Valley, a geographic trench denoting the continental boundary between the two regions. At it's eastern edge, Calian is bordered by Suzzara and Saralost. Calian is the most urbanised region on Tersten, containing Tersten City and the remains of the Harelstone Prison.
The Pinascimate Mountains run along the border of Tersten City and White Ocean, protecting the Capital from desert winds, while also bringing rainwater from the ocean. Priceless Peak, Tersten's tallest climbable mountain and national park, lies in this region.

Mora

Main: Mora County
Mora is a large region located in North-West Tersten. Its easternmost border is the Samuel Moore Rift Valley, with the city of Carver being the most populated city within the valley itself. Much of Mora is temperate forests, and home to Tersten's logging industry. The city of Moore is located in the center of Mora, around the Genesis Lake. Its southwestern edge is made up by the vast Greenlime Mountains, leading into the vast Vallian region. The Samaritan Sea makes up Mora's south border, with the Tersten Pass leading into the Lawless Frontier. This entire region contains Moore County, which is comprised of both Mora and Vallian.

Vallian

Main: Mora County
Vallian is a vast, dry coulee, bounded on the north by the Great North Tersten Mountains, and to the south by the mighty Greenlime Mountains. Its eastern border is a sharp boundary between lush forests, into dry hillsides, and then barren steppe. The only green parts of Grand Vallian are depressions in the land deep enough to reach groundwater. It is in this region, specifically on the boundary between Vallian and the Great North Terstens, that the city of Coolridge is settled. Beyond that, in the western edges of Vallian, the deserts give way to the fertile Shank Valley, with soils deeply rich in nutrients. Vallian is part of the greater Moore County, which controls a large part of north Tersten.

Calama

Calama is a small continent/region in north west-central Tersten. The Calama Steppe is a small microregion, with the Hassossabbi River flowing through it. Its most diverse region is the Hassossabbi Delta, a lowland swamp and wetland. Its largest city, Delta, is located here. The entire Calama Steppe is controlled by the Calama Oblast. It is bordered by Saralost and Suzzara to the north, Vallian to the west, Sahamptha to the south, and the White Ocean to the east. It is geographically diverse, with steppes and mountains in the east, and low-lying deltas and marshlands to the west.

Saralost

Saralost is a large marshy region located at the northern edge of the White Ocean. Numerous large lakes break up the marshy land, with the city of Loving serving as the capital of the Saralost County. Much of the land is inhospitable, with settlements developing where they can. It is bordered by Suzzara to the north and east, Calama to the south-east, and Calian to the west.

Suzzara

Main: Rovena Repúblika
Suzzara is a geographical region in north-east Tersten. It is comprised of dense broadleaf forests around its heartland, and mountainous taiga to its north and north-east. The region is under the administration of the Suzzara Oblast, with its capital located in Rovena. It has control of much of Jacob's Lake, the large freshwater body located in its geographic south. It is bordered by Saralost to the south-west, Calama to the south, Calian to the west, and Vallian to the east.

Central Tersten

Sahamptha

Sahamptha is a large continent that runs across much of central Tersten. It contains the Sahamptha Desert, which gives the area its name. The Lawless Frontier is located along the Sahamptha's northern edge, bordering Mora along the Greenlime Mountains. Where Mora, Sahamptha and Calian meet, a large freshwater sea known as the Samaritan Sea has become a source of water for much of the desert. The Sahamptha Desert is divided into three major geographical regions, the Western Sahamptha, the Mesa Lawless, and the Eastern Sahamptha. The Lawless Frontier oversees administration for much of the east, with the Sahamptha Frontier making up its western edge. The cities of Bibisango and Harmony are located here. Harmony is located on the edge of the White Ocean, while Bibisango is located in the Greenlime mountains, on the border between Calama and Vallian.

Medilama

Medilama is a geographic region containing much of the White Ocean. It is located around the equator and stretches to include many swamp and coastal areas. This region extends to the edge of the Jeevan River, on the border with Lawless Frontier. It contains a vast number of diverse ecosystems, with swamps in its southern reaches, vast mountains to the west, leading to temperate savannas and even a desert. The Medilama County has its capital in White Ocean City. It is bordered by the Onooga Desert to the south, Nevada to the south-west, Calian to the north, and Yukela to the east.

South Tersten

Nevada

Nevada is a large geographic region in the southern hemisphere. It stretches from the equator to to the southern pole of Tersten. It contains mostly temperate forests, warm rolling plains, and temperate steppes. Its north is protected by the vast Pearlstone Mountains, blocking it from the harshness of the Sahamptha Desert. It is here that the República De Nevada is situated, with its capital, Nevada, located north of the Liberty Lake, on the banks of the Jeevan River. The region stretches as far as Marcustown to the southwest, where the terrain quickly gives way to taiga and polar conditions. The city of Johnsmarsh makes up Nevada's eastern extent, with the vast Whitecliffe Steppe serving as the border between Nevada and Yukela. It is bordered by Calian to the north, Medilama and Onooga to the east, Yukela to the west, and Antarctica Tersten to the south.

Onooga

Onooga is a small continent in the southern hemisphere. Its primary feature is a large lowland basin that gives the region its name. The Onooga basin is similar to Earth's Gobi Desert, cold nights, warm days, and an overall very mild desert climate. It is sparsely populated by humans, with the exception of its largest city, the Corral Oasis. It is largely populated by Unathi frontierfolk, who found the challenging environment to be easily adaptable to their needs. It has since become home to several major Unathi settlements, many of which are migratory, travelling across the region and grazing. It is bordered by Yukela to the east, Medilama to the north, and Nevada to the west.

Yukela

Main:Yukela Pradesh
Yukela is a continent in the southern hemisphere. It is the most mountainous and smallest continent on Tersten. It is bordered by the Sahamptha Desert to the north, and Nevada to the east. It is bordered by Onooga and Medilama to the west, but only Onooga is easily accessible, due to the large Yukela mountains that make up much of the continent. This region, known locally as the Yukela Pradesh, is well developed, with the city of South Harelstone being considered Tersten's most advanced city. The region is also home to many corporate holdings, specifically around the South Tersten Sea. Yukela is considered one of the most inaccessible regions of the planet, being isolated from the North by the Sahamptha Desert, to the west by the Onoogan Desert, and to the east by the Whitecliffe Steppe. It is only really accessible via dangerous mountain routes, by sea connection via Port John, or from space.

Yukelan Region

Fauna & Flora

Forests cover 24 percent of Tersten and prairie grasslands composed of shortgrass, mixed-grass, and tallgrass, harbor expansive ecosystems in the planet's central and western portions, although cropland has largely replaced native grasses. Where rainfall is sparse in the western regions of the planet, shortgrass prairie and shrublands are the most prominent ecosystems, though forests grow near rivers and creek beds in the far western reaches of the regions.
Marshlands, deciduous forests dominate the planet's southeastern quarter, while mixtures of forests cover northwestern Tersten.
The planets holds populations of animals, both native and introduced. In prairie ecosystems, bison, chickens, badgers, and armadillo are common, having been introduced by the Lordanian Government during the early colonisation. The Tersten Territory, a region transitioning from prairie to woodlands in Central Tersten, harbors 671 vertebrate species. The Pearlstone Mountains are home to black bear, red fox, and grey fox populations, which coexist with a total of 328 native species in southeastern Tersten.

Natural Resources

Tersten has been hospitable for life for much of its existence, and as such as vast deposits of oil, coal, and natural gas.  Much of this has been exploited in recent years thanks to the industrialisation efforts of the modern Republic of Tersten.  The vast north Tersten oil reserves have become a source of contention across the planet as various corporations attempt to weasel their way into the nationalised Tersten industry.
The logging industry in Moore County continues despite opposition.  The vast forests are extremely important to the Tersten economy, but also to its natural protection against desertification and climate change.  While the logging industry is still very small and very restricted, with Tersten now a member of the United Systems of Sol, several corporations have pushed for a deregulation and easing of Tersten laws.

Gavil System

Gavil is a G-Type Main Sequence Star, with similarities to the Sol System. There are seven planets in the system; Marduk, an iron-dense planetoid, suspected to be the remnants of the core of a gas giant; Ki, a barren super-earth with many fledgling mining colonies; Anoxia, a gaseous, methane rich world; Tersten, an occupied plains world; Ninazu, a Neptune-sized gas giant with many moons; Ninshubur, an Ice Giant at the outer edges of Gavil's asteroid belt; and Carc, another neptune-sized ice body located at the very edge of the Gavil system and responsible for the unusual orbits of dwarf bodies in the system. Along with its planets, Gavil is also several space stations and automated facilities, largely in the hands of private corporations rather than any major governmental ventures.

Republic of Tersten

Colonised
2224 Capital
Tersten City
Culture
Terstener
Government
Federal Presidental Republic
President
Robert J. Mackenzie
Population
972,989,756

Alternative Name(s)

Pinascimate, Moore's World

Type

Planet

Location under

Lordanian Cluster

Included Locations

• Lawless Frontier
• Mora County
• Nevada
• Rovena Repúblika
• Sahamptha Desert
• Samaritan Sea
• Tersten County
• White Ocean
• White Ocean City
• Yukela Pradesh

Included Organizations

• Republic of Tersten

Owner/Ruler

Robert J. Mackenzie

Ruling/Owning Rank

President of the Republic of Tersten

Owning Organization

Second Lordanian Republic

Related Ethnicities

• Pinasc
• Terstener
• Yukelan

Contested By

• Confederate Systems of Lordania

Characters in Location

• Jonathan Crenshaw

Related Tradition (Primary)

• Tersten Flight

Related Historical Events

• 2281
  Republic of Tersten Founded
• 2263
  Founding of Tersten
• 2254
  Death of Jonathan, Birth of Tersten

History

Main:Republic of Tersten

Evidence suggests that the native flora and fauna evolved on Tersten as early as three million years ago. Archaeologists from the Tersten City University are currently in heated debate regarding a specific extinct species of invertebrate that fossils show possibly used stone tools, a sign of intelligence and sentience. However, by the time of human colonisation, no signs of intelligent life has been discovered on the planet, and many of the planet's native species have been domesticated for cattle use.
Humans first arrived on the planet in 2224, with the arrival of Samuel Moore, and the first colony ship. Originally a backwater planet with few settlements, that changed in 2225 when the Pinascimate Penal Authority was established, and the planet turned into a penal colony. This was eventually abolished in 2253, and Tersten became a planet of many nations, unified by the People's Republic of Lordania in 2263.