Korzen

Korzen (//) was a planet in the Mezlag sector of the. It became a vassal world, then a member of the Tetrarchy of Mezlagob before surrendering to the Golden Empire toward the end of the Great Liberation. Korzen's native sentients were the Twerfungs.

Geography
Korzen's surface was eighty percent water. Though most of it was oceans, seas, and large lakes, many of Korzen's littoral regions were marked by marshes, bogs, and wetlands. Even inland, swamps were common, especially close to major rivers.

Forests, swamps, and jungles took up most of the landmasses. Korzen had few major mountain ranges, and its stretches of open plains were far smaller than those found on other worlds. Korzen was also more humid and slightly warm than many other terrestrial worlds.

Society and culture
The Twerfungs were dominant on their homeworld; even when it was incorporated into the Tetrarchy and later the Empire, aliens did not settle in large numbers. Korzen's swamps and marshes provided fertile grounds for farming various crops, including edible fungi, and many areas proved capable of growing not only all manner of native plants, but various offworld species as well. After the importation of a vine fungus from Mir Kaldu`uz nearly devastated local wildlife in the area where it was imported, the local government took more care in rigorous testing of alien flora before authorizing its importation.

Most buildings on Korzen, public and private, favored color schemes and decorations which were both complementary and subdued.

Because of the presence of immensely diverse fauna in Korzen's jungles and swamps, including some notoriously dangerous predators, Korzen did a small trade in hunting tourism, though the vast majority of its export wealth came from crops.

History
The Twerfungs evolved from omnivores which were subject to predation by a variety of species. Though they evolved the ability to manipulate tools and build their societies, they generally left the darkest and most dangerous wilds alone, preferring to leave native predators to their own devices and kill them only when necessary rather than hunt them into extinction. Even into the reigns of the Tetrarchy and the Empire, areas of Korzen remained very dangerous.

The Tetrarchy arrived some time in the third century before the. Korzen was initially incorporated as a vassal world, but eventually promoted to full member status. Many political theorists, on Korzen and off, felt this had less to do with Korzen or the Twerfungs and more to do with the fact that Korzen was located in the Mezlag sector. While many Twerfungs were excited to take advantage of the expanded opportunities afforded to member worlds, the planet never developed the intensely loyalist attitudes seen on Mezlagob, Ommol, or even Dolomir. Many Twerfungs, rather than lording their new status over former vassal worlds, sympathized with the plight of less fortunate planets, though many did not voice these concerns too loudly, for fear of being reduced back to vassal status themselves.

Korzen did remain loyal during most of the Great Liberation, but offered surrender to the Golden Empire after the Capture of the Vall`to sector. The planet fared as well under the Empire as it had under the Tetrarchy and remained a producer of foodstuffs and some specialty crops. Korzen remained a vastly majority Twerfung world.