The Planet of Cielia is a peaceful one, situated well outside any of the busy trade lanes that snake in the hundreds across and through the various sectors of The Delta Space. It is a simple planet, lucky enough to have been blessed by a decent amount of trees, water, and air. Though they have precious little landmass, their planet being predominately open water. Leaving them a race with a fairly small population, and only a small handful of concentrated population centres.
Instead many of them live in smaller cities or villages ranging in the thousands to even a few hundred. They live a life with minimal technology and are not capable of constructing their own space-faring ships. Though they are aware of the greater galaxy and have on occasion traded with a selection of foreign species from the stars. Cielia is, for the most part, a calm and typically tranquil place to live.
One of the most important sites for the Cielian people is that of Ahboria Lake, which is the planet's largest freshwater body of water. Many villages and cities are situated around this large lake, pulling their drinking water from it, using it to travel to nearby neighbouring communities, and fishing its waters for sustenance. Though the people of Cielia are quite careful and are conscious about sustainability, only taking from the waters what they need.
The lake itself is roughly 220,000 km2, and has an average depth of about 125meters, though its central region can go much deeper often going over 200 meters before the lakebed is reached. Though closer to the coasts shallower waters exist of only a few feet sit. It has incredibly bright blue waters and has clear visibility to near the bottom of the lake, despite its depths. This is not seen in any other lake on Cielia.
It also has small blue, crystal-like structures, not much larger than a grain of sand, that float in the water across almost its entire stretch. This sand, called Luminos Sand by locals, floats near the surface and collects in a layer a few centimetres thick. They pose no harm as far as anyone can tell, easily move aside when swam through by person or boat, and cause no difficulties with visibility. The only potential harm comes from ingestion, and only if swallowed in large amounts, as the crystalline structures of the Luminos Sand may cause small internal cuts if swallowed. But small amounts of inhalation usually pass without any harm.
A famous story about Ahboria Lake actually involves these small crystalline specks and involves their potential celestial origins. Many generations ago, when Cielians were first beginning to colonize areas around the lake, a sudden event almost put an end to the blossoming race of nurturers. A large crystalline meteorite crested the horizon, said to have been about 175 meters in diameter. The largest to ever hit the planet during the lives of the Cielian people. Cielia is typically lucky to live in a quadrant of space where there is little asteroid/meteorite activity.
The crystalline meteorite, which was subsequently named the Luminos Meteor, entered the atmosphere and within six seconds was only several hundred feet from the surface of Ahboria Lake. Here, under the immense pressures of entering the Cielia atmosphere, it exploded, shattering into billions of tiny pieces. Which subsequently floated down into the lake itself, where it is said to remain today as the tiny sparkling specks known as Luminos Sand, which were named after their celestial bodied origin.
Though there are some detractors to this theory, with some Cielians saying it is just a fantastical story told to children as a way to entertain them and instill in them additional awe to the lake itself. Hoping that the story inspires them to respect and support the lake's health in the coming generations. Especially as traffic and fishing across the lake increases as the Cielian population slowly, but surely creeps upwards.
Some believe that the specks are merely flakes that have broken off similar crystalline structures found at the lower depths of Ahboria Lake - further positing that a meteorite of that size would have caused more significant damage and would have at least left more extreme evidence of its arrival near the lake.
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