Aurumia

​In “Ticking: The Hawking Sequence”, this country lies south of Southumbria, as per the author hand-drawn map on page 74. The country is characterized by its rich mineral deposits, primarily silver and gold. Its very name is taken from the word for ‘gold’ in the Mother Language.
The Aurumia/Southumbria border meanders, as it is primarily based on the location of three major rivers: The River Ingens in the east, the Camino River and the Ovum River in the west.
Southumbrian families, particularly the Dispossessed, trying to find a better way of life journey south in the hope of entering Aurumia. Similarly, with mineral stocks nearing depletion in some parts of Southumbria, Southum prospectors and adventurers travel south to attempt to cross the border.
But illegal immigration is forbidden. So, the Aurumian government, through the iron-fisted Federal Immigration Regulating Enterprise, guards the border closely. River patrols are conducted daily by armed airships, ornithopters and steam boats. The waters of the Ovum Gulf are also patrolled, watching for insurgents from Siccanus, the large peninsula on the southwest portion of Southumbria. Aurumian border guards are able to act with impunity, and often shoot first and ask questions later.