Jaron

''This page pertains to the collaborative "Thrive Universe" project, and is not necessarily part of Thrive's official development. More information here and here.''"'I have come to find that understanding their home planet is essential to understanding the Jre. After all, such a sturdy, resilient and above all profitable culture could only be brought forward by a planet that is the opposite of all of these things.' -Ashrrol Tekanbash, First Emperor of the Commonwealth of Stars"

Astronomy
Jaron is a planet orbiting the red star Ralij. The planet is a super-earth, and is within the Goldilocks zone. It has two moons, Nayra and Jir, both of which are almost fully uninhabited except for a few mining and research bases. The same applies to all other planets in the system. Other bodies in this system are: Struj (earth-sized planet, extremely close to the sun), Najon (small toxic planet), Zraj (earth-like planet, somewhat similar to Mars, but a bit more habitable), Tajon Asteroid Ring, Jrala (small frozen planet), Nraj (ringed frozen super-planet) and Suraj (gas giant). The system is located in the outer Seregon Arm

Geography
Jaron’s surface consists for 55% out of land, with the entire remaining 45% being ocean. Most of the landmass is concentrated in one supercontinent, called Jrema, with some small island archipelago’s also existing in the planet’s super-ocean, Tranka. Jaron is much hotter than earth, with an average temperature of about 20-22°C (70-72°F). Jrema is an incredibly dry continent, with the only wet parts being at the coasts, which mainly consists of rainforest and swamp biomes. Most organisms live here (99% of all plant species, 90% of all animal species). Further inland, dry grass biomes (e.g savannas, prairies, Taigas) exist. Most of the continent consists of desert biomes though, with the occasional oasis or river valley. Most of Jrema is a dry or hot biome, though temperate and even cold biomes exist further up north. The planet is recovering from a minor global warming effect dating back from the Jre’s industrial and information periods.

Biosphere
Jaron’s plant life mostly consists of large tree like species that live in the coastal areas of Jrema. Although, grass equivalents exist further inland. Even further inland, in the deserts, most plant species have a hard exterior shell, in order to keep water in, though some desert plant species have an incredibly short lifespan instead, blooming only right after heavy rainfall. Interestingly, flowers or seeds have never developed on Jaron, as all plants reproduce through pollen instead. Some plant species also go through a parasitic stage, where they take root on a (usually living) host, and use it as a fertile soil. Almost all animal species on Jaron either have an exoskeleton, or an exterior shell, although exceptions to this rule exist, mainly in aquatic species. Most animals have four eyes, and about 5 legs. Most animals also reproduce by eggs.

Notable Lifeforms
-Jre (dominant sapient species)

Infrastructure
Jaron is a heavily industrialised planet, with a lot of cities. A lot of the planet’s infrastructure has been modified to be accessible to as many species as possible. Many mining and industrial areas also exist on the planet. Jaron has a population of about 30 billion Jre, 80 million Commonwealth species and a further 800 000 non-Commonwealth species.