Veltheria

Veltheria is a name applied to the world in which the human race originates.

The term is highly contextual, given that it can refer to several places, on very different scales. Most commonly it refers to the Veltherian solar system, which contains every centre of fixed human population, but other uses of the term are similarly common.

Veltheria as Homeworld
The planet upon which humanity evolved has, of course, at least as many names as it has ever had cultures upon it. Historically it has been called 'the world' or 'the earth', and indeed both are still in use. Now that the total human population has reached 4 billion, and other bodies in the solar system are colonised, it is more formally correct to refer to the homeworld as either 'the Homeworld' or 'Veltheria Prime'.

The Homeworld is the third planet from the sun, and its surface is around 70% covered in water. It possesses a thick atmosphere primarily of nitrogen and oxygen, and exhibits ideal temperature ranges for the evolution of complex life. The Homeworld possesses a single natural satellite, called Luna or more commonly 'the moon', which has been visited but never colonised.

Veltheria as Civilisation
See also: Veltherian Society

The idea of diverse unity has been easier for humanity to understand and participate in since the discovery of the Keystone of Harmony. From that time forward, national identity has become increasingly one of history and legacy than of forming boundaries between one community and another. As such, the term 'Veltheria' has become synonymous with the overall civilisation of humanity.

That civilisation has explored perhaps more of the universe than any other (though still an infinitesimal fraction of the totality of existence), in part because its voidship technology allows it to visit realms beyond the normally observable universe.

Veltheria as Solar System
Besides the billion residents of the Homeworld, there are a number of facilities and colonies which house 10 million or so total humans on a permanent basis. As such, Veltheria is also a name for the solar system, along with the astronomical name the A'vel system, or more poetically Greater Veltheria.

The Inner Worlds
One of the earliest plans for extraterrestrial colonisation was aimed at neighbouring planet Mars, known for its rust-red soil and thin atmosphere. In the modern day, Mars is home to several hundred colonies, all built independently and with different parameters. In a sense, Mars has become the test planet for different versions of terraforming and colony management.

The planet Cythera, once thought a twin to the Homeworld, remains an inhospitable place where the thick, corrosive and toxic atmosphere produces unlivable temperatures and weather that makes colonisation impossible. In its upper atmosphere, however, all is serene, and the poisonous but beautiful clouds are home to a small number of colonies. These spaces are dedicated to philosophers and exquisitors, and their families. Cytherian could-cities are home to some of the most advanced laboratories humanity has constructed.

The Outer Worlds
Other facilities exist and feature permanent human habitation, but none on the scale of Mars. Most notable is the Starfort, located beyond the orbit of the sun's most distant planet, Neptune. It is home to the Void Legion, the closest thing Veltheria has to a military, and their famous aegiscraft.

The other notable facility that far from the Homeworld is the Overlook, the primary hub of communication for all voidships and other exploration craft. The Overlook has only a small permanent population, a few thousand, but in terms of scale it is larger than any other settlement humanity has ever produced. Build on the icy moon of Triton, the Overlook is the facility that constructs voidships, trains ultranauts, and monitors all exterior signals, a vital part of Veltheria's early warning systems. The Overlook is governed by the Academy of Void Exploration, which reports but does not answer to the Grand Chancery.