Alleria
Alleria is the world in which World of Adaptation takes place. There are four major continents: Boyoma, Sippar, Hokuto, and Istres. Alleria is the second planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. This is enabled by Alleria being an ocean world.
Etymology
Etymology Allerians have always discussed the world at large as "Alleria." The origin of the word is unknown, but has been used universally to refer to the planet before recorded history. The first written instance of the word "Alleria" is in an ancient poem found in the Sippari sands:
And wold Alleria hal see þīn ansīen, / Nāt genōh wold witan þīn fægernes. / Nā.
—Author Unknown, The Sippari Papyrus
And would Alleria whole see your face, / Not enough would know your beauty. / No.
—Author Unknown, The Sippari Papyrus
Physical Features
Alleria is a disc-like planet with two unique edges. One is referred to as the Edge and the other is the Outer Rim. Both the edges have unique properties that enclose the world in something like a donut of atmosphere. Water at the edges rush upward and is dissipated into mist and clouds. The energy generated at the Spindle (inner Edge) often results in rough seas, storms, and strange phenomena. The Outer Rim, meanwhile, seems to be the opposite: described as a "reverse waterfall" and just as deadly, it is comparable to a wall of water enclosing residents.
Unlike Earth, Alleria exists on a plane rather than a sphere. The rotation of the planet is similar to a coin, where the sun rises on the Boyoma side and sets over Hokuto. Due to the mostly flat plane of the planet, the time difference between all locales is negligible.
Size & Shape
Alleria has a circular shape around that is approximately 12,000,000 square miles across its surface. However, scholars believe that the planet is toroidal (donut-shaped). Most believe that the planet is like a terrarium (or aquarium, depending on the scientist). The base of the planet, or the bottom half, is believed to be either water or rock while the surface is a minute layer on which life exists. There is then a dome over the surface that contains the atmosphere.
The Edge
In the center of the disc, there is a great hole that acts like a whirlpool and waterspout simultaneously. This phenomenon has been labeled the Edge of the World. There is both an inner and outer Edge. The inner edge draws the water around it in, then launches it into the atmosphere like a waterspout. It is approximately 19,000 square miles but the area around it is uninhabitable and unreachable due to the intensity of the pull as well as the weather caused by the Edge. The outer edge is much the same but rather than a whirlpool, the outer edge disperses the water both up and down along the atmosphere. This has only been observed from miles away as the outer edge does not draw in but rather, pushes out. The weather here is not as intense but the gravitational push keeps scholars from nearing it.
Surface
Alleria's surface is the boundary between the atmosphere and the solid ground and oceans. Alleria can be divided into four quadrants (necessary per the Edge of the World): the North, East, South, and West quadrants. Most of Alleria's surface is ocean water, called *The Ocean*, which is divided into the Inner and Outer Oceans, and even further into various seas within the cultural boundaries. While the world is divided into four nations, the continents are each acknowledged as their own land masses and are presided over by their governing nation. Many scholars have theorized that the continents used to form a cohesive whole until the creation of the Spindle predating known history. The impact that must have made the Spindle caused a shift and perhaps even altered the rotation of the Disc while creating immense shockwaves that could have made the hundreds of inner islands (some even too small to be on the map). The arrangement and creation of the modern continental arrangement is of interest to many scholars, and fistfights are known to erupt in the Disc Symposium once a year still in Sippar. One scholar of note once brought to the table that monstrous worms were responsible for the hole, to which another cried, "A worm has made a disc of your brain!" before jumping the table and punching the man responsible for his ire. Alleria's land has an estimated area of 970,517 square miles of the surface. The land surface includes many islands around the globe, but most of the land surface is taken by the continental landmasses, which are (in descending order): Istres, Sippar, Boyoma, Yūyake, Mikazuki, Besako, and Taroko. These landmasses are further broken down and grouped into the continents. The terrain of the land surface varies greatly and consists of mountains, deserts, plains, plateaus, and other landforms. The deepest point is the Karudera Sea while the highest point is Mt. Ngaliema. Land can be covered by surface water, snow, ice, artificial structures, or vegetation. Most of Alleria's land hosts vegetation, deserts, and ice sheets. The outermost layer of Alleria's land surface is composed of soil and subject to soil formation processes. Soil is crucial for land to be arable. Geology has become a growing field in the last century. The study of fossils, minerals, and the age of the planet is one of the booming areas of study at universities in Sippar and Istres.
Continents
While the world is divided into four nations, the continents are each acknowledged as their own land masses and are presided over by their governing nation. Many scholars have theorized that the continents used to form a cohesive whole until the creation of the Spindle predating known history. The impact that must have made the Spindle caused a shift and perhaps even altered the rotation of the Disc while creating immense shockwaves that could have made the hundreds of inner islands (some even too small to be on the map).
The arrangement and creation of the modern continental arrangement is of interest to many scholars, and fistfights are known to erupt in the Disc Symposium once a year still in Sippar. One scholar of note once brought to the table that monstrous worms were responsible for the hole, to which another cried, "A worm has made a disc of your brain!" before jumping the table and punching the man responsible for his ire.
Orbit & Rotation
Alleria orbits the Sun and is the second-closest planet to the Sun.Alleria orbits the Sun approximately every 365 days. With an apparent movement of the Sun in Alleria's sky, on average it takes 24 hours for Alleria to complete a full rotation about its axis. The Disc-Moon system orbiting around the Sun results in a month that lasts approximately 29-30 days. Alleria orbits the Sun in a counterclockwise direction and its orbital and axial planes are not precisely aligned: Alleria's axis is tilted perpendicular to the Disc-Sun plane, and the Disc-Moon plane is tilted up against the Disc-Sun plane. Without this tilt, there would be an eclipse every two weeks. alternating between lunar eclipses and solar eclipses.
Seasons
Due to Alleria's tilt, the amount of sunlight reaching any given point on the surface varies over the course of the year. This causes the seasonal change in climate, with summer in the Northern Plane occurring when facing the Sun, and winter in the Southern Plane. During the summer, the day lasts longer, and the Sun climbs higher in the sky. In winter, the climate becomes cooler and the days shorter. The four seasons can be determined by the solstices - the points in the orbit of maximum axial tilt toward or away from the Sun - and the equinoxes, when Earth's rotational axis is aligned with its orbital axis. In the Northern Plane, winter solstice occurs in the middle of the 12th month; summer solstice in the 6th month; spring equinox in the 3rd month, and autumnal equinox in the 9th month. In the Southern Plane, the situation is reversed, with the summer and winter solstices exchanged and spring and autumnal equinox dates swapped.
Moon
The Moon is a large rock, that is approximately a quarter of the size of Alleria. It revolves around the planet every 30 days. Only one side of the moon faces Alleria. The Moon's gravity causes tidal forces on Alleria. There is a small percentage of people that believe the moon was born of Alleria. That perhaps it was part of the world, then somehow ended up in the heavens. This belief was given credence when surveyor Igor Thompson and astronomer Esmat Jahanara determined that the size of the moon and the size of the Edge are roughly the same size.
Climate & Geography
The atmosphere of Alleria is dry and made up of mostly gas or water vapor. It has no definite boundary, gradually becoming thinner and fading into outer space. Alleria's weather and climate vary depending on location and season. Alleria's surface can be subdivided into specific belts of approximately homogenous climate: tropical, subtropical, temperate, and polar. Further factors that affect a location's climates are its proximity to the ocean. Places closer to oceans typically have colder summers and warmer winters, due to the fact that oceans can store large amounts of heat. The wind transports the cold or the heat of the ocean to the land. Temperatures decrease with height causing mountainous areas to be colder than low-lying areas. Water vapor generated through surface evaporation and caught up in the Edges, is transported by circulatory patterns in the atmosphere. When atmospheric conditions permit an uplift of warm, humid air, this water condenses and falls to the surface as precipitation. Most of the water is then transported to lower elevations by river systems and usually returned to the oceans or deposited into lakes. The water cycle is a vital mechanism for supporting life on land and is a primary factor in the erosion of surface features over geological periods. Precipitation patterns vary widely, ranging from several meters of water per year to less than a millimeter. Atmospheric circulation, topographic features, and temperature differences determine the average precipitation that falls in each region.
Life on Alleria
Alleria provides liquid water which feeds bacteria, flora, and fauna varying levels of complexity. These organisms take up nutrients from water, soils, and the atmosphere. These nutrients are constantly recycled between different species. Alleria's species diversity reaches a peak in shallow waters and with forests (particularly tropical and subtropical biomes) while freezing polar regions and high altitudes or extremely arid areas are relatively barren of plant and animal life.
Challenges for Life on Alleria
Extreme weather, such as tropical cyclones, occurs over the surface and has a large impact on life. Many places are subject to earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, tornadoes, blizzards, floods, droughts, wildfires, and other calamities and disasters.
Natural Resources
Alleria has resources that have been exploited by humans. Mineral ore bodies have been formed within the crust. These metals and other elements are extracted by mining. Many useful biological products for humans include food, wood, pharmaceuticals, and the recycling of organic waste. The land-based ecosystem depends upon topsoil and fresh water, and the oceanic ecosystem depends on dissolved nutrients washed down from the land.