Database and Lore

Oshun, The Water World

“The planet's beauty is one that is only overshadowed by Cebravis. Yet, its true dilemma is not with the lack of space, but with the people themselves,” Frederick Dakari, 3rd Elected President of Oshun. A world of water. Oshun is known as the colony of former Africa. Its survivors of a dying world had managed to pave the way for a new beginning. However, with great achievements comes great strife. Oshun’s history is one that is often plagued with problems, internally and politically. History With the advent of the Gabatrix experiment, the desire to find new worlds became prevalent. Cebravis was in the process of being colonized, as were Batrice and Gillian. However, a group known as the African Colonial Revitalization Committee, or ACRC, was established in 2261. The goal of the committee was to recognize key major issues that plagued the Martian colony since the evacuation of Earth. The outlines, according to them, came out as follows: -         The former people of Africa need a home planet to govern themselves. -         The world must be self-sustaining, not in need of Martian influence to survive. -         The history of Africa and its descendants must be preserved. -         The history of the flooded oceanic nations must be preserved. The fact remained that the continent of Africa had taken the brunt of poor governments and economic depravity in the 20th and 21st centuries. What made matters worse was the rising ocean levels that flooded the low-level oceanic nations. Entire populations had been forced to migrate to other places and purchase land in order to survive. Africa, however, did take the reins in allowing these flooded nations to move in. The creation of the African Union further cemented the continent’s struggle to work together. Unfortunately, it was the Orange Muck crisis of former Earth that would take its greatest toll on the population. While other nations struggled to survive, the largest percentage of deaths reported were from the poorest nations on Earth. Regrettably, the African nations had as many as 90% casualties by the time the evacuations were called. Only 25 million had reached Mars, where the people knew they would soon be swallowed up by the much larger populations of China, Europe, and the USA. In 2267, a list of habitable worlds was found within a proximity of 100 light years from Mars. The ACRC had made the decision that HD 40307-star system would be colonized. Around the star was a planet almost entirely covered in water. The decision was controversial at the time. It was believed that the world was initially covered in ice with large concentrations of frozen water, but its orbit fluctuated, causing it to close in on the star in the course of several million years. This caused the ice to melt and form a single massive ocean that blanketed the planet. The fact remained that even with an enormous habitat of water, the planet had little landmass to establish settlements. Regardless, the ACRC decided that the planet would be colonized, citing the abundance of mineral resources on the other neighboring planets and the three moons that orbited the ocean world. The planet would be named Oshun in honor of an African Goddess of former Earth. At the time, Oshun’s colonization had very few issues in 2268. Despite the little landmass, there was only a small population of former Africans when compared to the other colonies. Much of the landmass had little life, and it was tucked away north of the massive hurricane known as the “Great White” that continuously spins in a never-ending path in the southern equator. With no landmass to slow it down, the hurricane serves as a natural temperature regulator, providing rainfall in the northern islands and keeping the oceans from overheating. It would take ten years before the entire population successfully migrated to Oshun in 2279. It became perfect timing for them as they would become a member of the UWA upon its establishment. The ACRC had declared Oshun’s colonization a success and disbanded shortly after. However, it was clearly evident that Oshun’s success had haunted them in the next thirty years. The population of the planet exploded. Many compared the great ocean to a lustrous paradise that rivaled Cebravis. No efforts were made to curtail population growth, and by 2300, overcrowding became evident. By 2315, discussions were made to begin an emergency expansion program. The goal was to build underwater cities that were close to the shoreline. While successful, it isn’t enough to stem the tide of overpopulation. By 2325, Oshun had become the third-largest populated world of the UWA. Despite overcrowding, Oshun has had a number of successes. Orsa, one of the three moons, had been converted into a military moon base. Basic shipyards were made, and Oshun started to build commercial spaceships. While it never competed with Batrice and Martian shipyards, Oshunian ships were still helping a growing economy. The landmasses did have proper planning for economic growth, and the abundance of aquatic wildlife allowed Oshun to be a food planet to compete against Cebravis. The tourist industry is also quite successful with a world that doesn’t hesitate to try new realms of sports-related activities. The greatest issues that persist in Oshun relate to an overstressed economy and a high population. It was a shock to Gabatrix, himself when an orphan walked up to him and begged to be fed. It was revealed that Oshun had become economically stagnant, with families that were known to abandon their children. It flew in the face of the tourism industry that called for immediate resolutions that shocked the UWA of the 24th century. Political corruption also persisted that was only rivaled by the planet Palora. The third northern island Oshun had been converted into a penal colony that properly disposed of criminals to help keep crime on the main islands low and to help keep the tourist industry flourishing. UWA human rights organizations have often called these issues on Oshun’s actions, but very little is done on the surface to resolve it. By 2349, Oshun’s problems remain, but some have often called the colony’s establishment a partial success. Many critics have pointed out the obvious areas that need improvement. Oshun has a vast array of resources at its disposal, an industry that can be expanded that could rival Batrice and Mars. It’s only a matter of taking advantage of it. Orsa is slowly becoming an economic hub, building freighters and now building warships for the expanding UHN forces. Only time will tell what the future of Oshun lies ahead.       *Spoilers if you haven’t read Gabatrix: The First Peace* With the advent of the Human Itrean conflict in 2349, colonies were placed on wide alert. Both Eutera and Cipra had been taken, and Oshun lay in the crosshairs of future invasions. With a larger human population on Cebravis, military assets on Batrice and Mars, and a nearly decimated UHN, Oshun was given the horrifying news. There would be no reinforcements that would come to the colony. Evacuations were considered and offered, but the fact remained that humanity had fewer and fewer places to go. Many of the Oshunians had accepted their fate despite the offered transport. In late 2349, a small Shal’rein clan task force of warships closed in on the system. Their goal was to wipe out the defense fleet and proceed to capture the planet. It was never made clear of the Shal’rein’s intentions at the time, but the Itrean fleet had nearly succeeded in their goal. The Battle of Oshun was a tight battle where the Shal’rein warships almost overpowered the UHN defense fleet. In the end, only one battleship and a few cruisers were all that was left of the Oshunian fleet. The victory was used as a propaganda move by the UWA that humanity could hold its own against the Itrean clan. However, it was far from the truth. Oshun might have survived that battle, but the fact remained that the planet was nearly defenseless. Another attack would have easily wiped out any last opposition. Only the T’rintar clan alliance would save the planet from further assaults. From there, lend-leased warships would serve as the core of the new defense networks. Oshun stands on shaky ground, but the war has been seen as a new beginning for the planet. With the conflict in full swing, Orsa has been expanded further to accommodate the UHN’s need for more warships. The economy is slowly improving for Oshun.