Zerne

Zerne is the 6th planet of the Vitalui Star System. It is the second largest of the system's eight terrestrial planets (not including another planet's moon, which is also larger) and the only known source of life in the Jombrian universe. Throughout its history, it has been home to millions of diverse species and many human beings, reaching a maximum population of about 10 billion at a time. Many states and civilizations have existed on the surface throughout its history.

Zerne's dry land is divided into five continents: Tombi, Ambaya, Ntege, Hrøthgrim, and Selvarim. The continents are separated by five oceans: the Inner Sea, the North Sea, the Sea of Storms, the Dark Sea, and the Empty Sea.

Etymology
The name Zerne is a Jombrian word, adapted from the Phangem word Therna, meaning World. The Jombrians adapted the name to be used as the name of the planet.

History of Human Civilization
Humans first came into being in the Cradle of Humanity in central East Tombi along the River of Greeting and the Sea of Man. Civilization first sprung along the Western Coast, where the Fields of the Firstmen were sown, eventually stretching for thousands of miles along the shore from Phangem to Shemjhu. and continued to be maintained until the abandonment of the continent. Over the next few millennia, humans spread throughout the globe, living in every conceivable environment from desert to jungle to mountain to tundra, even people living on the polar ice caps and people who spend their entire lives at sea.

The Inner Sea region became the post politically active region in the world, being the convergence of diverse cultures in East and North Tombi and Eastern Ambaya. The Nashki Empire of Malsa grew to prominence, becoming the most powerful political entity in the region before it fell in the Malsa Fracture. What followed was the Great Imperialist Age, in which a number of civilizations, mostly around the Inner Sea, fought for control of as much of the world as they could. Most notably among these were Jombria, Shemjhu, Haloviki, and to a lesser extent Thamdans.

With the eventual dissolution of many of these empires, Zerne, particularly the Northern Powers, entered an industrial revolution, which began the Industrial Age. With the first spaceflight, the Industrial Age gave way to the Space Age.

With the Apocalyptic Ignition event, Zerne's atmosphere was damaged beyond repair. Many people left the planet to look for new worlds to colonize, while the vast majority stayed behind. Many of the remaining humans either migrated towards Ntege in the North, or Hrøthgrim and Selvarim in the South where the heat was more bearable. Those who stayed nearer the equator died, resulting in a massive drop in human population.

With the warming climate, the polar ice cap of Selvarim began thawing, revealing many things that had not been seen for millennia, including the remains of the ancient Hyrro civilization.