Valeris (Planet)

Valeris is the homeworld of the Votos species. The planet is an inhabited glacial world, with a thick layer of ice and snow covering most of the planetary surface, with landmasses and liquid water oceans beneath the ice. As of 2100, it is a member of the Alliance of Systems as a protectorate of the Union of Sol.

Overview
Valeris is a terrestial planet in a star system with the same name. The planet lies on the outer edge of its star goldilocks zone, meaning that the planet can support liquid water on its surface. While it does this, most of the surface water of Valeris is permanently frozen.

Most of the planetary surface consists of a frozen icesheet with buried landmass or ocean underneath it. Various mountain ranges break up the otherwise monotone glaciers of the surface. Various vulcanoes and hot springs poke holes in the thick sheet of ice, allowing for vegetation and liquid water on the surface. The conflict between cold ice and hot water causes a constant storm of mist and hail around these spots.

As Valeris drops closer to its parent star in its yearly orbit, some of the equatorial ice starts melting, causing yearly minor changes in the landscape.

Most life on Valeris exists either in the liquid oceans beneath the ice or in extensive subterrenean caverns. After thousands of years of artificial tunneling from the Votos, most of these caverns are connected in a vast network spanning the entire planet.

While most of Votosian civilization still exists underground to this day, there are various settlements on the surface, usually near the warm-water pockets.