Neldum

> *"The second most populated World of the Zeurel System, Neldum is the Guardian and the Protector of the Holy Saikan. A place for remorse of the cruelty committed by the genocide, provoked by radical ideas. However, the people of this world are not responsible. They are peaceful, hard-working people, known to excel at piloting, manufacturing and trading, as well as being famous for their calm attitude and temper. It's hard to find more humble people than them"* - Melissa Marrash
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Its a planet of the Union, a terrestrial terra, in the Zeurel System. It is located in the Lewis Galaxy and thus inside Herschel Space. This world, is alongside Saikan, one of the key planets of the Zeurel System, a very strategic one.

## Political and Social Data

### Denomination

Neldumians

As a contrast to Saikan, Neldum is a very humid Marshy world, with some cold tundras to the north and wet jungles in the equator. Poles and desert are, for the most part, non existent. The planet is highly industrialized and serves as the main supplier of the entire system, most notably, the important world of Saikan.

The Planet is home to the ***Seleukirian Priests***, an order who forces acetic life and poverty into them, as meditation and knowledge of the human existence, and the Kaiganian Pilot Warriors, famous all over the Lewis Galaxy.

It is home as well of the Naval Guild and the Naval Academy of Neldum, famous all over the Union. Many ship companies have their headquarters here, such as Zytrant Naval Industries.

## Geography

It is orbited by 2 moons, Yekela and Virian. The Planet is divided in 4 continents: ***Osha, Kaigun, Shuma*** and ***Issal*** and 3 oceans, ***the Fizan Ocean***, ***the Eteriye Ocean*** and ***the Haretik Ocean*** which is the largest and most important.

* ***Osha***: It's a Marshy continent with some lush forests and mountainous terrain. A constant fog is always seen in some areas of the continent. The economy is based on manufacturing. Holds the Naval Academy and its biggest cities are Zyl and Aylisia. The continent's population is 15 Billion.

* ***Kaigun***: This continent is covered in plains, lakes and Marshes. It's a beautiful land, and the most inhabited. It has been based on finance, commerce and health. Many parasites are breed here to be exported to the nearby dry and arid planet of Saikan. It holds the Naval Guild. Its biggest cities are Egaural and Yith. Its total population is 18 Billion

* ***Shuma***: For the most part it's pretty warm and hot, covered by large jungles and forests. It serves as a main center for mineral, munition production and manufacturing of military equipment. Its biggest cities are Creolis and Gorsinu. Its total population is 9 Billion.

* ***Issal***: A cold continent, is based on chemical production and refurbishment of Ships coming across the system. It repairs and host most travelers through the Zeurel System. It has also a high amount of Gamble and Casino centers. Its biggest cities are Trath and Hievin. It has 12 Billion inhabitants

## History

The Planet was colonized very early on, by the 35 821 CE, by colonist coming from the deep Unionist core worlds, most notably Tarsus. However, a high amount of colonist came as well from nearby Saikan. Here, ***the Gift*** parasite boomed due to the fertile and humid lands. The parasite thrived so well that many were exported to several Planets. By 35 939 CE contacts between settlers and local primitives happened. At first, with pretty bad consequences. However, by 35 945 CE the relations improved and commerce appeared. The Unionist population grew fast and reached several billions by 36 000 CE.

In 36 024 CE, the planet was put under the command of the ***Theocratic Order of Hebeinus***. An offspring faction of the government who supported Peaceful Spread of the Religion to all intelligent life in the Universe. They created here a small community, and in 36 039 CE, the first Gift was given to its primitive alien inhabitants, the Neldans. The gift pushed the species from stone age to a type IV civilization status inside the Unionist civilization, becoming smarter and more capable than ever before, they integrated and developed inside the communities of Neldum as an advance race. Some members of their species still remained in a primitive stage.

Giving the Gift to alien species caused massive outrage around the Union and cause a massive Chism of ideological thought and a dilemma among humanity. Is it possible or a good idea to give the parasite to other alien forms? This small problem led to a small civil war and the creation of the current political Factions in 36 180 CE. The civil war was called the "***Unionist Civil War***" or "*The War of the Aliens*".

The Faction who was against it was very militant and won the war. Soon a delegation arrived to Neldum, wiping out the Neldans in what is known as the Neldan Genocide, occurred in 36 196 CE. The only surviving Neldans where those few who were not implanted with the Gift. These survivors were trapped and sent to massive Zoos and reserves. Today they live in primitive stages of development, in confinement all across the Union's zoos and in a small reserve in the Etteren World. Native Neldans today account for about 11 000 individuals (At their height they reached a population of 253 000 individuals).

## Demographics

Most of the inhabitants live within the larger continents of Kaigun and Osha, with the remaining staying in Issel and Shuma. The latter is the wildest due to its dense jungles while Kaigun is the most densely populated.

The City of Zyl however, in Osha, is the most populated city of the planet. Zyl is a high tech, finance and commerce center, but most of the continent dedicates itself to manufacturing production, with the city of Aylisia as it center. The continent has a total population of 15 Billion.

 File:Neldum City.jpg  In Kaigun, the most populated continent, the largest city is Yith, closely followed by Egaural. It is the center of this world, as its the finance, trade and service industries are located here. The continental shores are more populated than the interior. It has as well the large Plains of Legukan, which are fertile agricultural land, being this the main populated area inland and home to the City of Parseto. The total population of the continent is 18 Billion.

Shuma however, is sparsely populated with its population concentrated in coastal areas and river bends as it is covered in dense jungles and humid climate. Not many live here, as it is the least populated continent, however it is concentrated in focal point or large settlements. The City of Creolis is the largest one and a center of the military production and industry. The ***CK-Creolis*** are very popular weapons used in the Union. On the other side, the City of Gorsinu is the center of the resource extraction industry. As it is located nearby a mountain range, they extract minerals from the rich mountain ores and the closeby soil. The wood and biomaterial is also extracted and processed in this city. The innerlands of the Continent are very much wild and preserved for Alien nature to thrive. It has a constant flow of tourists and expensive retirement villas. Around 9 Billion people live in this continent.

Issel, is the smallest continent. Its population is dense and sparse all over the coasts and inland equally. The biggest city is Trath on the coast and its a center of the Shipbuilding and repairing industry. It is famous for its gamble and casinos as well as the entertainment industry being big here. Hievin, the second biggest city, is located inland and is based around the Chemical industry and energy production. However the city also holds many repairing facilities and gamble and casino industry. This continent is more cold and arid that the others, and tundras are located here. Hievin is thus a center of the tourism industry as well offering relaxing option in the cold lands. The continent's total population is of 12 Billion.

## Culture and Society

The culture of Neldum is very much advance and technological, still a big amount of settlers and cultural aspects of this world come from the neighboring Saikan. Many Saikanian communities live here. It is estimated that they make as much as 3 Billion individuals.

### Gastronomy

* **Meat and Fish**

The Eithelian Cooked Steak is one of the most famous cuisine dishes of the planet. It's often marinated with Yithian sauce, made with spices and hormone-like plants (like the Onmoya), as well as Melomeni sauce. It is also cooked in many other ways, as stew or barbacued. It can also be added to soups or used as a component of other dishes.

The Muindar is used fried, cooked in stew and in many dishes. Most notably in Kaigun and Osha, but is not rare in Issel.  It presented with large sweet vegetables, like the Mahean or the Ulpeki. Its eggs are also highly appreaciated, boild, fried, cooked or simply as complement to sauces, desserts and many other dishes. The Most famous is the Muindarian Cake, which is made with Muindar meat and Muindar eggs, mixed with Hoyal fruits.

Common hunted fishes (which are reptilian like creatures), are the Seleyoma, the Terezaya, the Fetexi and the Opuriwen.

The Beleki is a high large animal several meters tall, living in the dense forests of the planet, in the wild. It is rarely hunted down as it is considered beautiful and majestic, but when it is hunted, it is cooked as a delicacy only affordable for the very rich.

* **Vegetables and Fruits**

 Vegetables like the Onmoya or the Melom are common and highly farm foods. Most of them are used to make sauces, cooked to serve as side dishes or given to animals. This crops are also used for making beverages, desserts and other dishes. The Onmoya Drink is an alcoholic-hormonal beverage, pretty popular among the casinos of Issel.

The Mahean is highly cultivated to uses as a sweet vegetable, mostly used for beverage making and sauce. Still it is rarely eaten as a single cooked vegetable.

One vegetable, known as Ulpeki is a very common crop. It is used for making Ulpeki bread, as a main dish, cooked with cheese, milk and other products, and is used in daily life foods not only here but all over the Lewis Galaxy. Ulpeki licor is a very fine and popular drink as well.

Fruits such as the Hoyal and the Enhen are also farmed and used to be eaten raw, cooked or used, most notably in many desserts and yogurts.

Vegetables from other worlds are also produced in the planet but severely restricted so they don't invade the ecosystem.

## Biodiversity

### **Fauna**

It is based most notably on reptilian like creatures. Some of them are small and highly appreciated in the cuisine of Neldum.

#### *Domesticated*

* Eithelian

It's is a high animal breed in large herds in Neldum to produce massive amounts of food. It was domesticated by the early settlers in 108 310 CE, becoming one of the main food supplies.

* Muindar

This animal is a lizard like bird, bred in large numbers. It was domesticated in 108 349 CE and had been a stable source of food ever since.

#### *Wild*

* Beleki

This wild animal is hunted sometimes. Its big and large and lives in small familiar groups, never bigger than 20 individuals. Males usually live alone, except for the young males who live in teenager groups of 5 or 7 members. They live in foggy Marshes and are large and horned, what deters the Henkaya but not always and it is a common prey of the later.

* Henkaya

Its a large predator, usually very dangerous but also admire for its force and bravery. The Renni and the Siwefe are its main preys. The live in wild areas of Kaigun, Osha, and some areas of Shuma and Issel. It is considered the apex predator of Neldum.

* Renni

Large long animals, with long legs to run fast and to walk on watery Marshes. They are consider yummy prey to hunters and are very common in forests, plains and Marshes. They live in massive large groups and usually have twin offspring.

* Siwefe

They are horned animals, a bit more complicated to hunt, stubborn but also pretty agile. They can climb and run fastly in forests and humid terrain. They live as well in Herds, but less massive than the Renni. Usually, if attacked, they form large circles to protect the young. They migrate between Kaigun and Osha.

* Taintre

Its a large reptile bird, who hunts many preys. Usually lives in forests and nearby hills or mountains as they like to make their nest in high altitudes. They live in pairs and raise up to three offspring each time. The Renni are among their pray but sometimes they also hunt the Muindar or the Eithelian.

### **Flora**

Ihim is a plant used for its medical properties all over Neldum and the Zeurel System. It has also reached other areas of the Lewis Galaxy and has become very popular in creams and as medicines. Several algae are also used for medical purposes.

## Orders

* The Theocratic Order of Heibenus

* The Kaiganian Pilot Warriors

* The Seleukirian Priesthood

* Order of the Arkons