Expel

Expel is an earth-like planet near Energy Nede. According to documentation from Star Ocean 3, it is the fourth planet in the Arkula System of Sector Theta, with an approximate population of one billion. Expel is one of three planets potentially visited by the player, along with Milocinia and Energy Nede.

Demographics
The majority of inhabitants of Expel are Expellians - sentient creatures almost identical in appearance to Earthlings - although a small number of sentient marine animals, called Blue Dolphins, dwell in the ocean. Mutations induced by the dark Heraldic power of the Sorcery Globe gradually warp the Blue Dolphins, and some are able to live on land for brief periods of time. Additionally, Expel is inhabited by native spirits, called demons, though their nature tends to be more neutral than a Judeo-Christian demon. The King of Demons is Xine, whose home is at the peak of Lasguss Mountain.

Politics
Three kingdoms rule the majority of Expel's land: Cross, Lacour, and El. If any division or war existed between them, it must have dissipated by the time the Sorcery Globe impacted into the planet. A prior conflict between Cross and Lacour is implied. Early on Leon D.S. Geeste suspects the player's party of being infiltrating spies from Cross, attempting to sabotage the Lacour Hope project. It may be inferred that the reason Cross would wish to infiltrate the project is that they fear Lacour armed with a superweapon.

Kingdoms have capital cities, which in turn the throne of their king. Kingdoms are further subdivided into cities, which govern surrounding terrain. All known cities are governed by elected mayors. Smaller towns and villages may be managed by mayors, although older traditional governmental apparatuses are permitted. For example, Mars is governed by a council of village elders, a tradition that predates the kingdom.

Kingdoms operate control over secular politics and military affairs. With the king as a figurehead, the government collects taxes, enforce criminal and civil code, and conscript soldiers. None of the kingdoms interfere with, or govern, religious practice, which may represent prehistoric Expellian traditions that strictly separates state from religion.

A king has authority to announce emergency measures that temporarily abridge citizen rights normally seen as fundamental. Examples are mandatory curfew, refugee fight, and conversion of property. When citizens of Clik flee the destruction of their city, Cross Kingdom re-locates the uprooted in Mars, Herlie, and elsewhere, overruling the chagrin of locals. The Kingdom of Lacour, on the other hand, assumes military responsibility for Expel when El falls, and plans to rescue any survivors from El and house them in Lacour.

Religion
See also Religion of Expel.

Expellian beliefs are varied. Most tend to hold polytheistic or henotheistic pantheons of gods. Most gods are unknown by name. Their modern worship in Expel seems to derive from ancient worship practices from thousands of years ago: relics of which are most obvious in the Cave of Trials and the Hoffman Ruins, where several worship altars still stand. In the most common order of Expellian polytheism, a host of gods represent places, things, actions, and ideas.

Inhabitants of Clik, however, practice a monotheistic worship of Tria. Rejecting the common polytheism of Expel, Clikans believe Tria is the creative force behind the universe, and is responsible for all good things.

Townspeople of Mars abandoned polytheism several centuries ago after what they claim was a mystical visitation by a celestial being. This being, as legend goes, introduced the people to Heraldry Arts and the use of symbological crests tattooed upon the skin. Further details of their folk religion are unclear.

Geography
Expel is broken into three continents, with several sub-landmasses. The continents are Cross, Lacour, and El; the smaller islands are unnamed, but two of them host the Hoffman Ruins and the Cave of Trials. The lithosphere features divisions of tectonic plates that give rise to mountain ranges, valleys, and all other features typical of Earth. Long expanses of grassland are often encircled by forests, with mountains beyond.

Forests are temperate, often populated by deciduous trees; grasslands feature nondescript grasses; deserts are long expanses of sand. Caves jutting into the mountainsides are inhabited by fell creatures and ancient guardians.