Verse:Calémere

Calémere ([kaˈreːmere] in Cerian, [kaˈleːmere] in Íscégon; Kalêmer [kaˈlemɛr] in Nordulik; Kalémeri [kaˈlɛmeri] in modern Nivarese; Liloejāṃrya [ɴ̆ʲiɴ̆ɔə̯ˈɟ͡ʑãːʀja] in Chlouvānem is an earthlike planet orbiting the star known with names such as Rénon (Cerian) or Hånna (Chlouvānem).

Planetary data

[TBA]

Human population: about 8,200,000,000
(Chlouvānem people are about 17,8%)

Continents

Calémere has, depending on definition, five to seven continental masses, which do not coincide with the culturally defined continents (from a Western Calemerian (Evandorian) prospective; other languages as e.g. Chlouvānem do not express the concept of "continent", even though they have adopted names for the same lands as the Evandorians). Most Calemerians, thus, recognize seven or nine different continents:

• Evandor (Cer. Evandó [ɛvanˈdoː]) is the cradle continent of Western Calemerian civilizations. From a geographical point of view, it is only a part of a greater landmass together with Márusúturon [maːruˈsuːturon] and Védren (Cer. Véduren [ˈveːduren]; Chl. Holmenas). While Védren has a single pretty large connection with the other parts and the border is only undecided in where in this large area should be put, for Evandor and Márusúturon there is no real divide, as even Evandorian countries have their own definition. A large part lying between the two major mediterranean seas of the Evandor-Márusúturon-Védren landmass is considered completely as part of Evandor by a few Evandorian nations such as Nivaren, Kalo, or Gathuráni, while for others, such as Ceria or Nordúlik, the geographical border of the Síluren Mountains, which splits the area roughly in half, is the eastern limit of Evandor; with this definition, Evandor is the smallest of the seven continents. The Chlouvānem Inquisition, which occupies (according to the broader definition of Evandor) most of Márusúturon, recognizes Evandor and Márusúturon as a single continent called Mārṣūtram (an adaptation of the Cerian name), even if this is mostly limited to scientific circles, with different, cultural-based definitions, which are popularly used in different areas.
• Púríton [puːˈriːton] (Chl. Destėna) is the largest continent (if Evandor, Márusúturon, and Védren are counted separately) and lies in the western hemisphere, mostly in the northern hemisphere but stretching up to about 18ºS; it and Márusúturon are the only continents which have all major biomes and climates (though Púríton has only marginal areas of tundra and, unlike Márusúturon, has no polar ice cap).
• Ceránento [kɛˈraːnento] (Chl.: Bėpata) is a continent in the western hemisphere, the third-smallest of the seven commonly accepted continents, completely in the southern hemisphere and mostly temperate.
• Fárásen [faːˈraːsen] (Chl.: Kūdrivas) is almost a twin continent of Ceránento, about 20º east of it and some 10 degrees of latitude south of southwestern Védren. It stretches more to the south and is larger than Ceránento; in fact it is the fourth-largest continent (after Púríton and all definitions of Védren and Márusúturon) and the southernmost continental landmass, reaching about 74ºS.
• Ogúviutón [oguːvjuˈtoːn] (Chl.: Hagvītas) is another continent completely in the southern hemisphere, with a distinctive elongated shape extending mostly longitudinally. Its climate is roughly divided by a mountain chain running all its width in a temperate north side and a more subpolar taiga on the south side. Some islands south of its main continental landmass are the southernmost continent-bound islands on Calémere, nearing 78ºS.

There are, furthermore, two "special" continents:

Quéaten [ˈkweːaten] (Chl.: naleiyutei lanāye "Eastern Islands") lies mostly in the northern hemisphere, between Púríton and Márusúturon, but it is not a single continental landmass, being a large island with lots of smaller ones around it.

Gurdugal (Cer. Gúrodogáro [guːrodoˈgaːro]; Chl. Gudarghāla) lies mostly on the same continental plate as Evandor/Márusúturon, from which it is divided by skerry-filled straits, but it is usually considered a different continent first of all for its sheer size - even if more than half of it is tundra or, most commonly, ice cap - and also because it is the only "continent" which is not populated by humans (apart from really small settlements on some coasts) but by orcs.

Humans and other sentient species

Calemerian societies are not only human, even if they're by far the largest and most advanced civilization: there are some other sentient species that live in certain areas of the planet and often do not really like contact with humans. These include:

• Orcs (Cer.: orógio; Chl.: eteklen), living mostly in subpolar areas - all of Gurdugal and northern Púríton in the northern hemisphere, and a good part of central-southern Fárásen and the southern reaches of Ogúviutón in the southern; orcs of the two hemispheres are still of a single species, but there are three radically different races. They're the largest non-human civilization.
• Lizardmen (Cer.: féronébosa; Chl.: mevišlas), living in wetlands and swamps by some coastlines; like orcs, there is a southern hemisphere race, living mostly in eastern Ogúviutón, and a northern hemisphere one on the islands between Márusúturon and Quéaten (even if, geographically, some of these are actually south of the Equator).
• Harpies (Cer.: čúero; Chl.: šortas), dwelling on the semiarid islands off the southwestern coast of Védren and on those in the ocean between Védren, Ceránento, and Fárásen. They are the most hostile to humans.
• Dragons (Cer.: cépota; Chl.: kaṃšūs) — there are actually three species of dragons (belonging to two different genera), none of which exactly similar to our prototypical dragons. All of them are sentient, but to different extents.
  • The kaṃšūve (from kaṃšūs, Chlouvānem for "dragon"; in Cerian véduréoni cépota "Védren dragon" or éronoténosi cépota "Jungle dragon") are the least sentient dragon species, mostly living in equatorial and tropical wet areas — never farther than 20º from the Equator, and never in dry places — in central and eastern Védren (they have been largely driven away from the coast by humans) and in the southern part of Márusúturon, particularly in the unspoiled areas of the southern part of the Inquisition; they are also known to be able to immerse and breathe underwater, so that they may be spotted also flying above the ocean. Kaṃšūve, to Earthly eyes, mostly look like gigantic moths, with six large wings (giving them an almost flower-like appearance when they fly), and a large torso, covered with wool-like hair in older dragons. They have two stings that can be extended with arm-like appendages, but have no actual hands; they are still known to manufacture and use rudimental tools. They're substantially larger than humans, but only slightly taller. They're also harmless except when attacked.
  • The common dragons (Cerian: cólifuni cépota; Chl.: ñarikaṃšūs "mountain dragon") are closer to our prototypical dragons, but far smaller; they look like big lizards with wings, but they're roughly as tall as humans and are actually smaller than kaṃšūve. They, however, have arms and hands (but not the extendable arms of kaṃšūve), something which makes them capable of building better tools. Like the kaṃšūve, they are also able to breathe underwater. They inhabit the higher latitudes (above 45ºN) in the northern hemisphere, between Evandor and Púríton; their dens are very common across the hills and mountains in the arctic wilderness (taiga and tundra) of Holenagika and northern Púríton; human civilization has made them much rarer farther south. They are also found in high altitude areas in mountains across Evandor and Márusúturon, as far south and east as the Camipāṇḍa range.
  • The dry dragons (Cerian: émérósin cépota; Chl.: chlebakaṃšūs "sand dragon") are the biggest dragon species, inhabiting the dry steppes and deserts of northern and central Védren as well as northern-central Fárásen. They are almost like giant worms, about 9 meters long, usually brown or dark gray, and with a scaled body. They have humanlike arms and mostly live in underground caves; while not loving human contact, there are populations around the areas where dry dragons live that have contact with them, and there are as such some humans that can speak the language of dry dragons.
• The forbošor (from Nordúlik forboš; Cer.: foruboše; Chl.: forbas) are short but fat humanoids with pig-like faces (like Earthly pigs, not Calemerian ones, which look more like tapirs!) and live in the steppes of northern Ceránento, and were known among local populations before modernity as great in the art of iron working and as good traders. forboš is an adaptation of one name given them by local people; early Western explorers called them "desert orcs", a name which is still used for them in Nivarese (ogeróti knetsína, sg. ogeró knetsína)

[TBA]