Editing Thra

{{Location|image1 = |point(s)_of_interest = [[Field of Fire]]<br>[[Mithra]]<br>[[Skarith]] |affiliation = |image = ThraSpace.jpg|other_names=}}
'''Thra''' was a planet located in the [[Uni-Verse]] orbited by [[Three Brothers|three sun]]s and [[Three Sisters|three moon]]s. It was nourished by [[the Crystal]], and was home to [[Aughra]] and numerous sentient races, including the [[Gelfling]] and [[Podling]]s.

==Description==
[[File:Thra & Mithra.png|thumb|100 px|A [[Fireling]] model of Thra's surface and subterranean worlds linked by the Crystal]]
Thra was orbited by the [[Three Brothers]] (the [[Rose Sun]], the [[Dying Sun]] and the [[Great Sun]]) and the [[Three Sisters]]. From space, Thra appeared to be spherical,<ref name="S01EP01">{{Age of resistance|Netflix = August 30, 2019|Title = End. Begin. All the Same.}}</ref> though [[J. J. Llewellyn]], in his annotated translation of the ''[[Book of Aughra]]'', hypothesized that Thra may have actually been triangular in shape, in line with the indigenous inhabitants' patterns of thought. However, this did not explain the planet's lack of glaciated regions, which would have theoretically formed at the triangle's apexes, and it was largely unknown if Thra even rotated.<ref name="WDC14">Froud, B. (2003). ''[[The World of the Dark Crystal (book)|The World of the Dark Crystal]]''. Pavilion Books. p. 14. {{ISBN|1-86205-624-2}}</ref> The [[Fireling]]s visualized Thra as a flat disc.<ref name="btdc1">Smith, A., ''[[Beneath the Dark Crystal]]'', #1, Archaia, USA, July 2018</ref> It had a seasonal climate which included autumn,<ref name="7clans43">[[J.M. Lee|Lee, J.M]] (2020), ''[[Songs of the Seven Gelfling Clans]]'', Penguin Young Readers Licenses, p. 43, {{ISBN|0593095596}}</ref> winter,<ref name="7clans43"/> and spring periods.<ref name="7clans192">[[J.M. Lee|Lee, J.M]] (2020), ''[[Songs of the Seven Gelfling Clans]]'', Penguin Young Readers Licenses, p. 192, {{ISBN|0593095596}}</ref>

The planet was kept alive by the [[Crystal of Truth]], which nourished itself with the rays of the Three Brothers<ref name="S01EP01"/> and distributed their vitalizing energies throughout the planet via a network of Crystal veins.<ref name="7clans95">[[J.M. Lee|Lee, J.M]] (2020), ''[[Songs of the Seven Gelfling Clans]]'', Penguin Young Readers Licenses, p. 95, {{ISBN|0593095596}}</ref> This energy translated into [[essence]], which gave life to the planet's inhabitants, and would be reclaimed upon their death to start the cycle anew and keep the world in balance.<ref name="S01EP03">{{Age of resistance|Netflix = August 30, 2019|Title =  What Was Sundered and Undone}}</ref> Preventing the Crystal from nourishing itself, as the [[Skeksis]] did, would cause Thra to develop an infection known as the [[Darkening]], which devastated plant life and briefly drove animals insane before killing them. Even when the Crystal was well nourished, blocking its refracted rays could still cause Darkening outbreaks.<ref name="potdc12">Spurrier, S. & Kennedy Johnson, P., ''The Power of the Dark Crystal'', #12, Archaia, USA, March 2018</ref>

Thra was a sentient planet, able to communicate directly with supplicants through the Crystal<ref name="S01EP03"/> and indirectly through [[Aughra]], an entity created by the planet to act as the guardian of the Crystal<ref name="S01EP01"/> and warden of Thra's inhabitants.<ref name="CM1">[[Brian Froud|Froud, B.]], Holguin , B., [[Alex Sheikman|Sheikman, A.]] & John, L. (2011). ''The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths, Vol. I''. Archaia. {{ISBN|978-1-936393-80-0}}</ref>
[[File:Triadic symmetry.jpg|thumb|left|Diagram illustrating the triadic symmetry typical to Thra's native life]]
Thra's surface world was dominated by a large landmass surrounded by the [[Silver Sea]].<ref name="bestiary8">Cesare, A. & Compiet, I. (2020), ''[[The Dark Crystal Bestiary: The Definitive Guide to the Creatures of Thra]]'', Insight Editions, p. 8, {{ISBN|1683838211}}</ref> The landmass consisted mostly of the [[Skarith]] region, which sported a wide variety of environments, including desert, alpine, temperate and tropical. Little was known of regions outside of Skarith, though the [[Field of Fire]] was stated to have been volcanic in nature and largely uninhabitable to all but the strongest of creatures.<ref name="CM3">[[Brian Froud|Froud, B.]], Dow Smith, M., [[Alex Sheikman|Sheikman, A.]] & John, L. (2015). ''The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths, Vol. III''. Archaia. {{ISBN|978-1-60886-435-5}}.</ref> Beneath Thra was a vast network of underground caverns and tunnels, among which was the realm of [[Mithra]].

Thra's indigenous life was highly variable, teeming with plant and animal life, though the boundary between the two in some species was remarkably fluid.<ref name="bestiary8"/> Such taxonomic ambiguities included [[Seedle]]s, [[Thrushpog]]s and [[Vindle]]s. As with all aspects of the planet, the bodies of Thra's creatures displayed a triadic symmetry.<ref name="WDC65">Froud, B. (2003). ''[[The World of the Dark Crystal (book)|The World of the Dark Crystal]]''. Pavilion Books. p. 65. {{ISBN|1-86205-624-2}}</ref>

==Native inhabitants==
[[File:Hup and Barfinnious.jpg|thumb|The [[Gelfling]] (left) and [[Podling]]s (right) were the most ubiquitous of Thra's surface-dwelling inhabitants]]
Thra was home to numerous sentient species of varying degrees of technological advancement. The [[Gelfling]], native to [[Skarith]], were the most widespread race and established numerous settlements throughout the known world,<ref name="bestiary13">Cesare, A. & Compiet, I. (2020), ''[[The Dark Crystal Bestiary: The Definitive Guide to the Creatures of Thra]]'', Insight Editions, p. 13, {{ISBN|1683838211}}</ref> including the port cities of [[Cera-Na]] and [[Ha'rar]], and landlocked villages like [[Sami Thicket]] and [[Stone-in-the-Wood]]. They were the closest creatures to Thra, being particularly rich in [[essence]],<ref name="S01EP01"/> and, while culturally diverse, were linked by common values such as respecting nature.<ref name="bestiary13"/> Throughout the later stages of their history, they developed a rivalry with the [[Arathim]], a race of intelligent arthropods that the Gelfling had displaced from their homeland of [[Grot]]. By the late Age of Division, the Arathim lived in scattered bands throughout Thra, with some occupying the [[Endless Forest]]<ref name="S01EP02">{{Age of resistance|Netflix = August 30, 2019|Title = Nothing Is Simple Anymore}}</ref> and others eking out an existence in the intestinal tract of the [[Mondo Levidian]].<ref name="aor11">{{AoRC|Author = Erman, Matthew|Issue # = 11|Alt Title = The Journey into the Mondo Levidian|Published = September 2020|Alt # = 11}}</ref>

The [[Podling]]s were another prominent species on Skarith, who lived primarily in the [[Endless Forest]]<ref name="bestiary66">Cesare, A. & Compiet, I. (2020), ''[[The Dark Crystal Bestiary: The Definitive Guide to the Creatures of Thra]]'', Insight Editions, p. 66, {{ISBN|1683838211}}</ref> and [[Spriton Plains]].<ref name="7clans36">[[J.M. Lee|Lee, J.M]] (2020), ''[[Songs of the Seven Gelfling Clans]]'', Penguin Young Readers Licenses, pp. 36, {{ISBN|0593095596}}</ref> They were almost exclusively agriculturalists, with no set religious or political systems, and had a natural affinity with animals.<ref name="bestiary64">Cesare, A. & Compiet, I. (2020), ''[[The Dark Crystal Bestiary: The Definitive Guide to the Creatures of Thra]]'', Insight Editions, pp. 64-65, {{ISBN|1683838211}}</ref> The [[Bobling]]s, a subspecies of Podling, evolved within the Mondo Levidian and established a monarchical system of government.<ref name="aor10">{{AoRC|Author = Erman, Matthew|Issue # = 10|Alt Title = The Journey into the Mondo Levidian|Published = August 2020|Alt # = 10}}</ref>

Thra's underground cave networks were originally home to the [[Makrak]]s, a race of proud miners, though they were forced to relocate to the [[Field of Fire]] after an earthquake destroyed their subterranean domains.<ref name="CM3"/> Their former territories were later settled by the [[Fireling]]s, descendants of Gelfling exiles, who established the realm of [[Mithra]], which was ruled by a triumvirate of [[Ember Queen]]s. Mirroring the hostility between Gelfling and Arathim, the Firelings developed an enmity with the [[Fragor]]s, a race of sentient insects.<ref name="bestiary151">Cesare, A. & Compiet, I. (2020), ''[[The Dark Crystal Bestiary: The Definitive Guide to the Creatures of Thra]]'', Insight Editions, p. 151, {{ISBN|1683838211}}</ref>

The [[Gruenak]]s were once the most technologically advanced race on Thra, before being driven to extinction by the [[Skeksis]].<ref name="bestiary74">Cesare, A. & Compiet, I. (2020), ''The Dark Crystal Bestiary: The Definitive Guide to the Creatures of Thra'', Insight Editions, p. 74, {{ISBN|1683838211}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:CrystalOfTruth.png|thumb|Thra during the Age of Innocence]]
===Age of Innocence===
{{Main|Age of Innocence}}
Thra was given life when the [[Uni-Verse]] sang it into existence, after the formation of the [[Three Brothers]]. According to the ''[[Covenants of Thra]]'' by [[Fellen the Elder]], the new planet initially fell into chaos, with ceaseless warring between flora, fauna, water, land and sky. In response, Thra created [[Aughra]] to mediate between the combatants and assign each one its respective task and domain. Aughra then turned her attention to the young [[Gelfling]] race, teaching its members the nature of the [[Crystal of Truth]] underground, as well as how to survive and establish a culture and language.<ref name="CM1"/>

Some time later, a living meteorite collided on Thra and was reshaped by Aughra into [[Raunip]], a creature of both Thra and the stars. This prompted Aughra to take a greater interest in the cosmos,<ref name="CM3">[[Brian Froud|Froud, B.]], Dow Smith, M., [[Alex Sheikman|Sheikman, A.]] & John, L. (2015). ''The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths, Vol. III''. Archaia. {{ISBN|978-1-60886-435-5}}.</ref> and erected the [[Standing Stones]] to chart the movements of the Three Brothers.<ref name="CM1"/> The Gelfling, meanwhile, colonized the [[Crystal Desert]] and began to forge the first weapons in response to [[Arduff]] attacks.<ref name="bestiary157">Cesare, A. & Compiet, I. (2020), ''[[The Dark Crystal Bestiary: The Definitive Guide to the Creatures of Thra]]'', Insight Editions, p. 157, {{ISBN|1683838211}}</ref>

===Age of Harmony===
{{Main|Age of Harmony}}
A thousand [[trine]] after its formation, Thra was visited by the Fallen [[urSkeks]], who arrived on Thra through the Crystal during the first [[Great Conjunction]]. For the next millennium, they assisted both Aughra and the Gelfling in their technological development, allowing the former to study the movements of astral bodies, and the latter to cross oceans and colonize much of the planet.<ref name="CM1"/>

During this time, the Gelfling made first contact with the [[Podling]]s in the [[Endless Forest]],<ref name="bestiary66"/> and the [[Gruenak]]s created a technologically advanced civilization.<ref name="bestiary74"/>

===Age of Division===
{{Main|Age of Division}}
[[File:Map-of-Thraextended.jpg|320x300px|left|Thra in the Late Age of Division]]When the time came for the urSkeks to return home, the darker halves of their natures prevented them from entering the Crystal. Instead, they were split into two new races; the cruel [[Skeksis]] and gentle [[urRu]].<ref name="CM2">Froud, B., Dysart, J., Sheikman, A. & John, L. (2012). ''The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths, Vol. II''. Archaia. {{ISBN|978-1-936393-80-0}}</ref> The Skeksis took control of the Castle, while the urRu took refuge in the Valley of the Standing Stones. The Skeksis cracked the Crystal, chipping off a [[The Shard of the Division|shard]]<ref name="CM2" /> and thus infecting the world with the [[Darkening]].<ref name="S01EP07">"[[Time to Make...My Move]]" ''[[The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance]]''. Netflix. August 30, 2019</ref>

The Skeksis and the Gelflings formed the [[Alliance of the Crystal]], though the aging Skeksis eventually began to capture Gelflings for their [[essence]]. When the Gelfling elders prophesised that one of their own would heal the Crystal and reverse the Division, the Skeksis initiated the [[Garthim War]], aiming to exterminate them all. The species was ultimately cut down to a mere two individuals; [[Jen]] and [[Kira]].
[[Image:Castle of the Crystal - Pure.jpg|thumb|300px|The Castle, after the healing of the Crystal.]]
Jen's quest to restore the shard to the Crystal began after the death of his urRu master [[urSu]], who instructed him to find Aughra before the Three Suns met again. Jen took the shard from Aughra, and encountered Kira. Together, they rendered the Crystal whole again, and the urSkeks departed to their homeworld, leaving Thra green and verdant again.<ref name="DC">[[wikipedia:Jim Henson|Henson, J.]] & [[wikipedia:Frank Oz|Oz, F.]] (dir.); Henson, J., [[wikipedia:Gary Kurtz|Kurtz, G.]] & Lazer, D. (prod.); Henson, J. & Odell, D. (writ.) (December 17, 1982). [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083791/ ''The Dark Crystal''] (Motion picture). New York City, NY: [[wikipedia:The Jim Henson Company|Jim Henson Productions]].</ref>

===Age of Power===


===Second Age of Harmony===
When Jen and Kira finished their task as guardians of the Crystal and left with the urSkeks, the Crystal was left in the hands of the remaining Gelfling, with [[Kensho]] watching directly over it. Mithra and Thra were at peace with one another, continuing to grow and understand one another even with the threat of the Skeksis' corrupt influence.

==References==
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==External Links==
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 ===Age of Power===
-{{Main|Age of Power}}
-Jen and Kira's rule as caretakers of the Crystal saw the re-emergence of the Gelfling, though their keeping of Skeksis artifacts and abuse of the Crystal maintained scattered pockets of the Darkening in some areas. Their accumulating of offerings to the Crystal prevented its light from nourishing [[Mithra]]'s [[Mother Sun]], causing the [[Great Dim]] which nearly resulted in the extinction of the [[Fireling]]s.
 ===Second Age of Harmony===