Dahls, located at the very edge of the Old Karirian Cluster, is one of the smallest inhabited worlds, with a diameter of around 100km or 62mi. Despite its meager size, it developed an advanced civilization, at first thanks to the unique gems called dallites, then because of the rapidly advancing technomagic. However, near the end of the tenth millennium after the fall of Karir, it was on the brink of collapse. The population reached over one billion and although the city covered the entire surface of the world and reached almost to the skydome, there was simply no more space and resources to sustain that many people.
Dahls was infamous for its meteor showers, though at that time it experienced an unprecedented increase in both frequency and volume. That prompted scientists to search for the reason, and soon they discovered a new world entering Dahls’s hyperspace, pushing pramatter towards it. The research continued, and soon a merge with this new world was opened.
It turned out to be a completely unknown and previously uninhabited world, with the surface hundreds of times bigger than that of Dahls. Due to its rugged terrain, Dahlsi named it Sfal, which in their language means “uneven”. Soon, a mass exodus began to a newly built city, Marka-Na-Sfal.
However, a new world was tempting not only for Dahls, but also its neighbors. Dahls was economically dependent on both Tarviss and Tayan and couldn't afford to alienate them, but at the same time didn't want to lose its autonomy. Therefore, Dahlsian politicians developed a plan: they opened Sfal to everyone who wanted to settle there. People from Tarviss, Tayan, and more distant worlds started flocking, looking for better lives. And because there were so many nations, neither could lay claim to it. Dahls, however, controlled the only path connecting Sfal to the old worlds, and through that, it controlled the settlement program.
Soon, natural merges were discovered in Sfal, leading to more unknown worlds. An entire new cluster, named Meon from the Dahlsi-é word for “blossoming”. The Cosmographic Society was established to find, explore, and catalog new worlds. Then, through the Ministry of Immigration, it aided new groups of settlers. It was kept secret from the outsiders, but everyone involved knew that people from any culture could only settle two worlds if the merges between them were no closer than one lir–100km or 62mi. Ideally, neighboring words were inhabited by peoples from feuding nations -i.e. Tarvissi and Tayani, Tarvissi and non-humans, Chaarites from the Rima Empire and the kingdoms it conquered. This way, Dahlsi made sure that no coalition opposing them would arise. The balance was precarious since the first settled worlds were all close to Marka-na-Sfal, but as the known part of the cluster grew, Dahlsi made it work.
As the settlements grew in size and profitability, Dahlsi also established a tax system: after the first cycle, each settlement had to pay 1/12 of its produce to Dahls. Bigger and more significant worlds were under strict supervision, but for most, the tax worked on the honor system. From their side, Dahlsi were ready to provide each world with necessities, like food and medication. State-run trading companies aided in the exchange of goods.
Keeping hold of the new settlements was easy due to a particular quirk of Meon Cluster: all the discovered worlds merged only once, with Sfal. The theoretical existence of other merges was predicted, but none seemed functioning.
Kooine was discovered in the 3rd cycle after Sfal, though its significance wasn't realized for a while. At first, it was settled by Dahlsian scientists, Garam In-Agaba, who moved here to conclude certain experiments that had just been banned in Dahls.
In the 5th cycle aS, Tydus was discovered and initially settled by refugees from Varpul. However, a new finding made it elemental to Dahlsi: Tydus merged with other worlds. Previously unknown worlds. Sfal and Tydus were dubbed junction worlds. Soon, calculations revealed Kooine to be the third, which drew the attention of Dahlsian government, leading to the discovery of Garam In’s experiments, his arrest, and subsequent exile.
Finally, in the 16th cycle aS, a fourth junction world was discovered - Daesi. Though its settlement provided difficult as the entire world is filled with water. Daesi merged with Kooine and Tydus, completing the circle. To this day, no other junction world has been discovered.
Initially, there was no oversight of the exploration of Meon Cluster. The Cosmographic Society calculated the locations of possible merges, but anyone could apply for the information and set out to explore. Many said expeditions were undertaken by adventurers from Tayan and Xzsin Nyeotl. However, the mortality rate was very high: many worlds were uninhabitable due to toxic atmospheres, temperatures, etc. Others teemed with wild beasts or crackled with aberrant magic. Finally, competition was rampant and many explorers were killed by their partners who wanted to take all the credit. The Cosmographical Society paid a hundred eyelets to anyone who managed to discover and make a magic model of a new world. If the world was settled and taxed, 1/12 of said taxes was paid to the discoverer (up to a Dahlsian wealth cap).
In the 10th cycle aS, a non-governmental organization called Mespana brought together seasoned adventurers. They started providing training and establishing rules for safe exploration. In the 14th cycle aS, Mespana received the exclusive right to explore new worlds. The Cosmographic Society stopped giving information and anyone caught in an unregistered world was exiled. Mespana uses funding from Dahlsian government and private entrepreneurs to provide the explorers with the best training and equipment available. The training was so good only 1 in 144 exploration missions resulted in fatalities, and 1 in 12 Mespanians ended up with life-altering conditions. Despite not being affiliated with the government, Mespanians were often employed to protect tax collectors and solve conflicts between settlers.
My novel, The Outworlder takes place approximately 20 cycles (or 40 earthly years) after the discovery of Meon Cluster. At this point, Marka-Na-Sfal houses ten million Dahlsi in the domed Inner City and over a million outworlders in the Outer City. Paved roads lead to Varokka, Jalee, and a few other significant worlds, while magic-powered trains connect it with the merges with Kooine and Tydus, with the newest line leading to the nearest edge.
Thousands of worlds were explored and hundreds settled. But most settlements are limited to the areas close to the merges, with single towns or a handful of separate properties.
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