Teppala

Teppala or Tebbala is the planet that contains the human population in Soap's conworld. The diversity of spellings (Teppala, Tebbala, Tippala, Tipala, and even more rare ones) is due to the fact that no one language ever reacghed majority status on that planet.

Humans share the planet with many other sapient animals, and are at the mercy of the more powerful ones. For example, in the very center of the Poswob Empire, from about 7700 to 8200 AD, "the Great Feast" occurred, where the population of humans and rabbits began to swell enormously, leading them to spread out and be attacked by predators such as cats and some birds. After 500 years the human population was whittled down to a few survivors in hard to reach places, as it remains today, but the rabbits survived the attacks and became the dominant species even though they are still fighting off those same predators today.

Climate

In the year 0, the average temperature along the south coast of Rilola was about 40F (at places like Paba) with almost no change in seasonal temperature bursts. This is because the eccentricity of the planet was twice as severe then as it is now, and it was balanced such that the perihelion was at the same time as northern winter, and the aphelion was during northern summer. Inland, sumemr was actually colder than winter, and indeed, the eccenticity was so strong that the whole planet south of aboyut 45N had its seasons all at the same time, and therefore winter cold ruled the world and even the tropics got snow. However, in the southern hemisphere, summer was extremely hot, with places such as 20S deep inland averaging -10F in winter and 170F in summer. THus life was impossible there even for the hardiest of animals, and life retreated to the coaasts.

Temperature averages (°F):

10000 years ago (1300BC)
                 Global     Global
                 Summer     Winter

North Pole        -54        -39                                    
55N Deep Inland   -55        -42   
45N Deep Inland   -22        -51
30N South Coast    61         27
Equator Coast      92         15         
20S Deep Inland   158        -21

Today
                January      July

North Pole        -27         22                                    
55N Deep Inland   -32         20
45N Deep Inland    17         45
30N South Coast    46         82
Equator Coast      78         96         
20S Deep Inland   121         93

Thus it takes up until 45N for the seasons to be in their "proper" order. Also, note that in 1300BC, winters actually become colder going from 30N to the equator. This is due to cold air crossing the ITCZ and penetrating the northern hemisphere. But it cannot get all the way to 30N generally. This is similar to the very rare phenomenon found on Earth where a very strong cold wave from Antarctica will chill out the Amazon rainforest and occasionally peep up over the equator into the Caribbean, making for a cold wave in summer that's colder than any cold wave in winter.

Global Warming

Even as recently as 4500 AD, roughly the time of the founding of the major cities of the Wamu Empire, the climate was much colder. For example, winter in Paba was about 15F colder than present. Lypelpyp was 45F colder than present. Summers in Paba were about the same, but were much shorter and the warmest time of the year was the vernal equinox. Summer in Lypelpyp was even hotter than present ... their winters averaged about -5F and summers about 98F ... thus arly Lypelpyp was a difficult place to live. However, it did have more rain than at present.

Climate of Early Cities


              Warmest     Coldest
               Month       Month
Blop             78          8
Paba             82         37
Lypelpyp         98         -5

The persistence of cold into fairly recent times is the main reason why pine trees are the dominant type even in the present-day subtropical south coast (areas like Paba).

Asteroid Impact Event

In the year 0, an asterioid smashed into the area near the Equator, killing most humans, animals, and plants instantly. The outdoor temperature soared to over 500°F and melted hte rocks and boiled away the water. For more than three years after the impact, atmospheric temperatures in this region often exceeded 150°F, and there was almost no rainfall. In the southern hemispgere, the temrpature was as high as 260°F, killing most of the dinosaurs living on Gitaipanu. (The asteroid actually hit slightly south of the equote, so the impact was wors there.) Humans had to live in that environment, survivning by staying mostly underwater in order to keep cool. In the mountains, humans ducked into caves to stay cool (teh caves did notget as hot as the outdoor environment). Since there was almost no rain on the whole planet for several years, most plants and animals died. However, rapidly melting glaciers provided a source of fresh water for much of the mainland and even some islands.

The record-breaking temperatures produced towering thunderstorms that delivered as much as 150" of rain per day on those few places lucky enough to receive them; these were mostly in high mountains.