Mystryl’s Harbor
Tiny (C) Spherical Earth
Climate: Temperate
Orbital Position: Outer Lunar
Day Length: 18 hours
Year Length: 120 days
Native Races: Humans, gnomes, orcs, wood elves
This orb of a moon shimmers like a green jewel in the night sky. The various verdant greens is broken by scattered smudges of brown and white, likely snow-capped mountains, and a single azure northern sea.
Mystryl’s Harbor is a modest earth world. Most of the landscape is open prairie, broken occasionally by hills, mountains, forests, and even dusty badlands. It has an overall diameter of a little over 700 miles. The largest body of water is but only 200 miles wide at its widest point.
A somewhat remote moon, Mystryl’s Harbor is home to a survivor state of the once-mighty empire of Netheril. Though a shadow of the empire that once spawned it, this moon is the best preserved example of Netherese culture anywhere. A council of mystics governs the use of magic to ensure that it is not abused as it was in ancient Netheril, so that the people may avoid another catastrophe.
Summers are hot and dry, while winters are cold and wet. Higher elevations are often buried by several feet of snow. Seasons last only 30 days because of the moon’s short year. The lowlands see more seasonal variations than the upper elevations. Abundant rainfall ensures that the growing season, while short, is very productive.
Landmarks
Icefringe Sea: This small, ever-icy inland sea in the northern hemisphere. Its waters are largely undisturbed, as only a handful of fishing vessels keep to sheltered fjords. Silkies, seals, and narwhales have all been seen, as well as many white dragons that haunt its depths.
Wildspell Point: Long ago, this small mountain was the scene of an enormous spell-battle between an army of wizards and an army of sorcerers. So much chaotic magic was unleashed during the battle that the very fabric of magic was torn asunder, leaving the entire area riddled with wild magic zones. Any magic used in the area has a 50% chance of turning wild, making spellcasting in the area chancy. Spellcasters avoid the area, which serve as a refuge for those that have reason to fear from wizards.
Hallowbough Forest: This thick, dark forest of oak, birch, and shadowtop trees is notorious as a haven for orcs and fell monsters. Attempts to clear it out have failed utterly, as even the trees resist any effort to drive the monsters out. It is an evil place, where witches and hags rule over monstrous hordes. All towns within a day’s ride of its boundaries are heavily fortified, as raids are commonplace.
Native Creatures
Natural animals are rare on Mystryl’s Harbor while dire animals of all sorts are much more common. Likewise, magical and unusual monsters are commonplace, the result of centuries of magical experimentation by wizards. Most of these unfortunate creatures are hunted down and destroyed, but all too many elude destruction. Creatures with spell-like abilities are a growing problem in the wilderness.
Guide to Groundlings
The primary inhabitants of Mystryl’s Harbor are humans, wood elves, gnomes, and orcs. Humans and gnomes dwell in towns and cities in the plains and in the foothills. Orcs claim the caverns under mountains, and war with the elves over the forests.
Use of magic is very important to the natives of this moon, regardless of their race. Those that cannot cast at least a handful of low-level spells are regarded as peasants, and barred from all but the lowest work. True spellcasters able to cast spells beyond a few simple tricks are rare.
The humans, gnomes, and elves live in towns and small cities surrounded by pastoral farmlands and small forests. Every town has one or more wizard towers; part of a town’s prestige is the number of towers it has. The most powerful wizards take their towers into the sky, using powerful spells to craft ever-levitating towers in memory of the floating cities of old.
The people of Netheril of old had an ill reputation as arrogant and deadly, a memory that has all but faded. Even still, the people of Mystryl’s Harbor still bear some shame at the cataclysm they once caused. The populous is very conscious of the abuse of magic. A secret police force of powerful wizards enforces strict rules about what spells can be used. Extensive use of combat magic, particularly that which causes damage to surrounding landscape or buildings, can result in banishment or death of the offender.
Resources and Trade
This moon is not especially rich in resources; the sources of food, metals, and gemstones are sufficient such that they need not be imported in great quantities, but not great enough to create a surplus to export. Scroll scribing is the single largest industry and the moon’s main export. Potion brewing is only slightly less of an export, and various other magic items are sold as well. The moon imports spell components and exotic materials useful in crafting magic items.
Ports of Call
Mystilune (metropolis, 75,000): The capital of this moon is the many-towered city of Mystilune. Enormous white towers rise high into the sky, held aloft by arcane magic. It is a center of learning, trade, and art. There are no less than eight academies of arcane magic in this city. The nickname of this city is the “City of Scrolls”. Through use of powerful magic, a trio of ring-like deepwater lakes was excavated around the city to create one of the finest spelljammer docks anywhere. Almost anything can be found in the four markets of the city, from the mundane to artifacts of long lost empires. Troublemakers are warned that the city is well-patrolled and has a navy of almost twenty warships.
Jannatown (small city, 10,000): The agricultural hub of this moon, Jannatown sports several windmills and storehouses for grains, barley, and rye. Here the harvest is ground into flour to be shipped to other cities. It has a levitating loading dock so that flying ships can pull along side to be loaded with the next grain shipment.
Tychaven (small city, 8,000): The primary income of this frontier city is by way of four large gambling halls, brothels, and numerous tiny shrines to the goddess of luck, Tyche. The place has an ill reputation as an “anything goes” place, where one can quickly lose their fortune, their lives, and even their souls.
History
The history of Mystryl’s Harbor truly began a little less than two thousand years ago, in the cataclysmic destruction of a distant magical empire known as Netheril. Following the destruction, refugees fled by every means possible, including spelljammers. A fleet of such ships escaped the Netheril’s ruin, guided by an “echo” of the now-dead goddess Mystryl. That echo lead them here after a harrowing voyage, which they named Mystryl’s Harbor in her honor.
The survivors quickly discovered they were not alone. Two other survivor fleets arrived as well, one of elvish Man-O-Wars, the other orcish Scorpions, also following the echo. The orc fleet was larger, but was no match for the combined might of the elves, humans, and gnomes. The battle was fierce and left the orcs stranded.
Following the battle, the survivors discovered the source of the echo, inside an abandoned temple of Mystryl. Inside was a surviving avatar of the goddess who called herself the White Sorceress. She blessed the survivors, and chose from there number seven to be leaders and wardens. Afterwards, she bid them farewell, and the survivors set about rebuilding their civilization.
Since that time, the survivors grew from beggar refugees to a powerful, spelljamming civilization. All that time, the Seven and their arcane enforcers have kept vigil over the abuse of magic, at least on their world.
Satellites
Amaunator’s Watch: A large castle built on a circular disc of solid granite 500 yards in diameter. The castle has facilities to support its fleet of ten warships and more than twelve hundred soldiers. Wards have been placed around the castle to protect it from hostile races such as neogi, illithids, and orcs.
Bibliography
Spelljammer: Dungeons & Dragons in Space
Netheril: Empire of Magic
I've always had a certain fondness for the Netherese...
Nice!
I've always had a certain fondness for the Netherese...
Well, the goal was to make a moon where you could use, at least part of, the Netheril boxed set in your standard SJ game
I assume that Mystryl's Harbour would have temples to at least Mystral (and perhaps other gods that the Netherese worshiped back in the Arcane Age). Is there a list of gods in "Netheril: Empire of Magic"?
If there is we could take that, subtract the names of any gods that have died and work out what gods could have clerics there.
Now, I'm wanting to see the rest of this crystal sphere. If this is a powerful society, then would you call the sphere Mystrylspace?
I love this! I take it that Mystryl’s Harbor and Amaunator’s Watch are definately not in Realmspace.
There's no particular reason it couldn't go in Realmspace if the DM so desires, but its probably best in another sphere, probably nearby
Afterall, the whole purpose of MotM is to create moons that can be dropped anywhere! I assume that Mystryl's Harbour would have temples to at least Mystral (and perhaps other gods that the Netherese worshiped back in the Arcane Age). Is there a list of gods in "Netheril: Empire of Magic"?
If there is we could take that, subtract the names of any gods that have died and work out what gods could have clerics there.
The list of gods Netheril worshipped was: Amaunator (Lathander), Jannath (Chauntea), Jergal (predicessor to Bane/Bhaal/Myrkul), Kozah (Talos), Moander, Mystryl (Mystra), Selune, Shar, Targus (Tempest), Tyche (Tymora). Amaunator, Moander, Mystryl, & Tyche are all "dead", although all have new manisfestations of themselves in new gods.
PS: Netheril can be downloaded at:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads
Now, I'm wanting to see the rest of this crystal sphere. If this is a powerful society, then would you call the sphere Mystrylspace?
LOL...I really didn't plan to build an entire sphere around the moon; like the rest of the Moons, its meant to be something a DM can place anywhere they need it
No, let's base a whole sphere around it... it sounds like a good idea to me!
LOL! Man, this is a first, people wanting to take a single MotM & wanting it expanded into an entire setting
Ok then, what would you like to see in this sphere? Undoubtedly there's room for other Netherilese colonies, and time enough (1,500+ years) for them to be settled. Are there other cultures you'd like to see there? Narfell, Mulhordand, Immarask? Or maybe other world empires as well; Suel, Bakluni, Ur-Flan from GH, Istar & Egroth from DL? What would you be interested in?
;)
But a Netherese sphere... that would be so incredibally cool! I always loved that old box set... to see it combined with another old boxed set I loved... well... and on a sphere-wide scale! Ahhhh.
Illithids'll prolly feature somewhere... maybe the good ol' phaerimm (NO -S FOR PLURAL, SO THERE!). Okourse.. given how the Netherese typically got on with Elves...
Edit: Oh, and feel free to hop in with your own ideas! :D
enclaves sailing in space, colonies at the bottom of a water world, orbital elevators, mining asteroids where mined ore is pushed towards the refining factories on the other sied of the sphere using a reverse - gravity catapult, teleportation circles between fartest points of the sphere and a project to create a permananent gate between 2 crystal spheres
High magic with sci-fi concepts? ;) Lol...
to boldly go where no spelljammer has gone before :P
LOL...well if you have anymore ideas or want to contribute something to the sphere, don't hesitate to post it ;)
Illithids'll prolly feature somewhere... maybe the good ol' phaerimm (NO -S FOR PLURAL, SO THERE!). Okourse.. given how the Netherese typically got on with Elves...
-Thank you for saying 'Phaerimm', not 'Phaerimms'. You make me want to cry tears of happiness...And, I'm not being sarcastic, either!
Okourse, I dunnae rightly know whether it's Flumph or Flumphs... :P
And that quote about boldly going... wow. that just needs to be sig-ified!
This is turning into quite a nice little project!
It also seems we've attracted all the Netheril-nuts on the boards ... :P
But it always seemed to me that that ol' box coulda had so much more in it etc. Ah well. I think I woulda prefered it if they'd done a second Netheril box rather than the Cormanthyr box later on. Meh. too late now.
Gettign back to the sphere...
Names?
I'm liking those Stargate-Esque concepts, but remembering that it's gotten harder to do *big things* with magic... also, just wondering... 1. did the death of Mystryl and subsequent alteration of the fabric of Magic affect other spheres? and 2. could Mythals still be built? Where this sphere goes depends quite a lot on those two...
But now for more cool stuff... an Illithid enclave - slaves etc. should probably be in there somewhere. IEN and Netherese having a tense standoff type situation... with extreme elements in the IEN wishing to obliterate this splinter-nation before it creates another fall-type event...
A Netherese survivor /sphere/ should be a place of wonder as ancient Netheril was!
Read How The Mighty Are Fallen, specifically the section on Yeoman's Loft for how a typical SJ port in Netheril operated etc.
1. A "stargate", in effect, is not really any different than a portal. The mechanics may be different (which honestly, you're not going to care how it gets you from point A to point B), but the end result is the same. So a Netherese survivor sphere building portals to get around, whether you call them stargates or not, is entirely believable and do-able.
2. An enclave, if built in space, is not vastly different than your typical asteroid community, other than it can move around. And really, how much moving did the Netherese enclaves do? As I recall, most tended to hover around in one spot. They didn't move around much, which sorta implies its a lot of effort to move em. So maybe they could have lots of unmoving (or at least, moving outside of orbiting) enclaves which are magical asteroid cities, and maybe a couple of enclaves that do move about (thus making those really special).
3. Not sure if I'd go the route of the elven fleet having a Mexican Standoff with the Netherese. What might be more interesting might be the elven fleet has little interest in the sphere, and make the real foes illithids, phaerimm, drow, and beholders. Obviously the elves are busy with the scro, so could probably care less about this sphere. Heck, Netheril seemed to have "weird" foes anyways, so maybe toss in guys like Spellweavers, the lizardmen creator race, gith, and dopplegangers in the mix as well.
Anyways just some thoughts :D
P.S. - Btw, I'm glad this is generating so much interest. It is gratifying to see a MotM that excites people so much they want an entire sphere based on it
Amaurora
Large (F) Spherical Fire
Climate: Tropical
Orbital Position: Primary
Day Length: 50 hours
Year Length: N/A
Native Races: Lizard folk, dragons
This brilliant sun is too bright to look at with unprotected eyes. Viewed through a filter, it appears as a bright, round sun surrounded by a fiery aura.
Amaurora is a small, young sun when compared to the ancient giants of other spheres. Unlike most other suns, it can be approached an even landed upon, provided the ship has sufficient protection from fire to pass through the sun’s aura. The surface of the sun is covered by reddish-gold seas and jungle-choked islands and small continents. The entire sun is considered “tropical”.
Amaurora is small for a sun, about 12,000 miles in diameter. The aura that surrounds the sun and provides light and heat for the sphere extends to about 1,500 miles, thus giving a total diameter of just over 15,000 miles.
This sun is named for the sun-goddess of the sphere, Amaurora, who is held to be the daughter of the Netherese sun-god Amaunator. Though only a demi-goddess, she is held in high regard by the Netherese survivor-states in the sphere.
Landmarks
The Nine Cities of Gold: These ruined cities, nine in all, dot one of the larger islands. The ruins are not truly made of gold, but instead have yielded much gold in the past and continue to give up treasures to this day. The ruins are notoriously difficult to find, due to extensive jungle growth. Under the surface, labyrinth caverns stretch on for miles, perhaps even joining together into one vast network of caverns that runs the length of the island. Adventurers report powerful, magic-using undead lizardmen are quite common. The fabulous treasures unearthed thus far keep drawing adventurers back, despite the lethal traps and monsters taking their toll.
Native Creatures
Dinosaurs and other creatures from prehistoric times dominate Amaurora. Reptiles, insects, and arachnids, mundane, gigantic and magical all are found in great abundance and in great variety.
Guide to Groundlings
Savage lizardmen inhabit the jungles. Kobolds, troglodytes, and other related lizard races are likewise found on Amaurora. Though their technology is limited to Stone Age tools and weapons, the inhabitants are quite sophisticated magically. Warriors typically carry magical flint spears (+1 to +4 in value), and have devices similar to Bracers of Defense. Sorcery is common, with any given tribe having a powerful sorcerer or wizard (7th to 12th level) and a large number (4-16) of apprentices (1st to 6th level). The spells they have available are well-suited for their jungle environment.
A few of the largest and magically powerful tribes are ruled by Sarrukh warlords and their naga servants. These ancient creatures, magically mighty by even the standards of ancient Netheril, have recently taken an interest in wildspace, and have made the first steps at building their own spelljammers. Thus far they have remained undetected, using servants and intermediaries. They are in no hurry and measure progress in centuries rather than years. It may be thousands of years before they feel ready to strike, instead content to send out scouts to explore and learn.
At the top of the food chain are dragons. Bronze dragons are most common, with scattered territories of copper, red, green, emerald, and amethyst dragons. The dragons of this sun are more sociable than most, and a lair will typically hold an extended family of a dozen or more of the creatures, not to mention hundreds of guards of the lizard folk. Dragon families will habit the same lair for generations, and improve upon them with each generation, until the lair becomes magnificent underground cities of stone. Lairs are always heavily guarded and warded against intruders.
Resources and Trade
There is no organized trade between the natives and the rest of the sphere. Off-world adventurers raid the ruins and jungles seeking gold, useful resources, gemstones, and magic items from time to time. These raids are irregular, due in part to the needed magical protection needed to penetrate the sun’s aura.
Ports of Call
Aurora (small city, 9,000): This enclave hovers above Amaurora, about 500 miles past the sun’s aura. At this distance, the enclave does not need magical protection, but it remains very hot. The enclave’s bottom is always pointed towards Amaurora, thus the enclave remains in perpetual twilight. The city is a base of operations for adventurers seeking to explore the surface of the sphere’s sun.
History
Soon after arriving in the sphere, Netherese scouts began to explore the sun and planets of the sphere. They quickly learned that the sun’s surface was habitable, but the aura kept away any serious attempt at colonization. Bold explorers did bring back gold, magic, and jewels from ruins they found on the surface, and eventually the enclave of Aurora was founded to act as a base of operations for those explorers.
Bibliography
Spelljammer: Dungeons & Dragons in Space
Monster Manual
Serpent Kingdoms
Netheril: Empire of Magic
Nice! You always manage to come up with such excellent stuff, even in short spaces of time!
Thanks! Something like this isn't too hard to pound out in an hour. The trick is to keep my concentration long enough to get it done ;) Quite a few MotM's are the result of boring lunches. Of course, no access to books, so I have to write most anything that refers to other books from memory
Yep. I like the /old/ spellings.
Okourse, I dunnae rightly know whether it's Flumph or Flumphs... :P
And that quote about boldly going... wow. that just needs to be sig-ified!
This is turning into quite a nice little project!
It also seems we've attracted all the Netheril-nuts on the boards ... :P
But it always seemed to me that that ol' box coulda had so much more in it etc. Ah well. I think I woulda prefered it if they'd done a second Netheril box rather than the Cormanthyr box later on. Meh. too late now.
Gettign back to the sphere...
Names?
I'm liking those Stargate-Esque concepts, but remembering that it's gotten harder to do *big things* with magic... also, just wondering... 1. did the death of Mystryl and subsequent alteration of the fabric of Magic affect other spheres? and 2. could Mythals still be built? Where this sphere goes depends quite a lot on those two...
But now for more cool stuff... an Illithid enclave - slaves etc. should probably be in there somewhere. IEN and Netherese having a tense standoff type situation... with extreme elements in the IEN wishing to obliterate this splinter-nation before it creates another fall-type event...
A Netherese survivor /sphere/ should be a place of wonder as ancient Netheril was!
Read How The Mighty Are Fallen, specifically the section on Yeoman's Loft for how a typical SJ port in Netheril operated etc.
The name should be nethersphere
1 the weave extend only to realmspace so the the death of mystryl affected only relmspace magic
2 I suppose that you mean mythallars: with epic magic you could create them; search Epic Spell Emporium thread in the Epic Section
The name should be nethersphere
1 the weave extend only to realmspace so the the death of mystryl affected only relmspace magic
2 I suppose that you mean mythallars: with epic magic you could create them; search Epic Spell Emporium thread in the Epic Section
I use "Netherilspace" as a working title simply until I get something better
Now on to the points.
1) This sphere should probably have a "weave" similar to that of realmspace. If its connected to the Realmspace weave, I'm not sure it really matters. The colonists came after the weave was repaired, so if it died during the fall of Netheril, who can really say?
2) Given the nature of the Harbor, I'd say mythallars are rare, probably illegal items.
But probably still do-able.Couple of points to be made
1. A "stargate", in effect, is not really any different than a portal. The mechanics may be different (which honestly, you're not going to care how it gets you from point A to point B), but the end result is the same. So a Netherese survivor sphere building portals to get around, whether you call them stargates or not, is entirely believable and do-able.
2. An enclave, if built in space, is not vastly different than your typical asteroid community, other than it can move around. And really, how much moving did the Netherese enclaves do? As I recall, most tended to hover around in one spot. They didn't move around much, which sorta implies its a lot of effort to move em. So maybe they could have lots of unmoving (or at least, moving outside of orbiting) enclaves which are magical asteroid cities, and maybe a couple of enclaves that do move about (thus making those really special).
3. Not sure if I'd go the route of the elven fleet having a Mexican Standoff with the Netherese. What might be more interesting might be the elven fleet has little interest in the sphere, and make the real foes illithids, phaerimm, drow, and beholders. Obviously the elves are busy with the scro, so could probably care less about this sphere. Heck, Netheril seemed to have "weird" foes anyways, so maybe toss in guys like Spellweavers, the lizardmen creator race, gith, and dopplegangers in the mix as well.
Anyways just some thoughts :D
P.S. - Btw, I'm glad this is generating so much interest. It is gratifying to see a MotM that excites people so much they want an entire sphere based on it
2) enclaves could move freely without effort (same speed of a galley); they usually CHOOSE not to wander much
3) Spellweavers YES !!!! :D i like them VERY much Dr338 has the ecology of them; they're a perfect match for an high magic society; maybe the nethersphere is the Spellweavers home sphere and the netherese drive them off; now they have a fragile truce but the spellweavers secretly try to create a powerful machine to reverse the course of time and eliminate the netherese (this is more or less detailed in the ecology, along with their history).
Did i already mentioned the fact that i like spellweavers ? ;)
Doppelgangers should make a good enemy: living at border of human society; barely accepted and barred to access to high quarters of cities and enclaves via magical wards that reveal instantaneouly their true aspect.
Some of the doppelgangers (maybe greater doppelgangers) developed the ability to bypass the wards and are hunted on sight. Maybe doppelgangers living on the cities must be tattoed with an arcane mark visible from everyone (this scerario it's very similar to real history so think carefully before adding it).
Another thing that could be added are Eberron's changelings (result from intermingling of races).
I wouldn't add phaerimm too... they were supposed to be a threat contained into the Anauroch desert by the Sharn wall.
Gnomes and dwarves should almost be unheard of given their relations during Netheril age.
Elves should be confined in one single forest planet and mantain some powerful orbital bases (6 - 8 monarch armadas fused together) near the crystal shell.
Another cool feature could magically created miniature suns (using the Amaunator Eternal Sun epic spell * or some other mean) to illuminate farming asteroids too far from the sun
* detailed in Power Of Faerun and rewritten in the Epic Spell Emporium thread
Another feature that comes to my mind could be patches of rock attached to crystal sphere wall like a hand made Dyson Sphere with miniature sun to give warmth and light
I use "Netherilspace" as a working title simply until I get something better
Now on to the points.
1) This sphere should probably have a "weave" similar to that of realmspace. If its connected to the Realmspace weave, I'm not sure it really matters. The colonists came after the weave was repaired, so if it died during the fall of Netheril, who can really say?
2) Given the nature of the Harbor, I'd say mythallars are rare, probably illegal items.
mythallars are required to fly enclaves...
i'll read the description of the Harbor again maybe i'm missing something
EDIT: i have re - read the Harbor description; some things that i wrote obviously conflict with the flavour so feel free to ignore them.
epic created mythallars and epic spells that mimic 10+th lvl spells should not be a problem because they coexisted at Netheril time (but were not used by Netherese in favor of Nether Scrolls magic)and are NOT banned from Forgotten Realms (this is clearly detailed in the Player's Guide To Faerun)
mythallars are required to fly enclaves...
i'll read the description of the Harbor again maybe i'm missing something
EDIT: i have re - read the Harbor description; some things that i wrote obviously conflict with the flavour so feel free to ignore them.
epic created mythallars and epic spells that mimic 10+th lvl spells should not be a problem because they coexisted at Netheril time (but were not used by Netherese in favor of Nether Scrolls magic)and are NOT banned from Forgotten Realms (this is clearly detailed in the Player's Guide To Faerun)
Heh, probably won't ignore anything; might morph some ideas to make them work with the whole. Besides, this whole danged sphere wasn't originally intended when I started!
I could see adding a small Phaerimm community. Of course, how I'd do it would be there's no more than say 4 high-level Phaerimm (15+ level), a group of younger phaerimm (1-10th level...their spawn), and oodles of servants. Obviously, a behind the scenes player. :D
I'll have to read up on spellweavers; I remember a little about the monster, but not much
I like the idea of distant suns, since I sorta envision this a as a young, cold sphere. Maybe even whole "constellations" of colonies :D
I'm toying with a new idea, based in part on something I wrote in the Sun part. I'm thinking the sphere should have 10 planets (including the sun), one for each major Netheril god. I want to play a little more with the idea, see where it goes
The spellweavers could be a third faction that pursues its goals (the acquisition and hoarding of magical items and artifacts for unknown purposes, like detailed in Dr338) and live very isolated; they have an uneasy truce with netherese because they respect their sheer magical power.
The spellweaver are not a "evil" race as a whole BTW (like illithid or neogi) they have a very alien mindset and objectives.
The spell weave ability would make them a formidable opponent (and maybe some of them has even an improved/doubled form of spell weaving)
-Thank you for saying 'Phaerimm', not 'Phaerimms'. You make me want to cry tears of happiness...And, I'm not being sarcastic, either!
2e sources identify more than one phaerimm as just "phaerimm". Whereas in 3e references, "phaerimms" seems to be a common occurence.
The creators of the 2001 FRCS decided to simplify language and terminology, including regularizing all plurals.
The 's' is correct by the letter of the 3e Realms, but I prefer to see that as just a simplifying 3E lens, and indeed it's not unlikely that a later editorial policy will reinstate the underlying Realms' authentic plurals, just as 'Zhentilar' made its return in Power of Faerûn after being edged out in prior 3E books.
Ah well. They'd be a potential ally against the Elves...
I like teh doppleganger stuff, adn a doppleganger-phaerimm plot just sounds so good!
I thought Dwarves had a good relatoinship with the Netherese
Ah well. They'd be a potential ally against the Elves...
I like teh doppleganger stuff, adn a doppleganger-phaerimm plot just sounds so good!
Heh, dwarves seem to have good relations with just about anyone except orcs & goblins! ;)
what... even elves? Or in this case, dopplegangers, spellweavers and phaerimm?
For all the talk about elves not liking dwarves & vica-versa, there's very little real support for this. There are innumerable stories of dwarf & elf characters hanging out, constantly jabbing each other in jest, but really, how many dwarf-elf wars have there been, outside of home-brews? I can't think of any in FR, or DL or even GH for that matter. In fact, there are more stories of them making steadfast allies than there are of dwarves fighting elves.
Generally, its rare to have dwarves at odds with anyone other than evil races like goblins & orcs. They must be a pretty likable race, as they don't get into too many wars with humans or elves :D
Going good so far - we have power groups, a few worlds...
Jannath
Small (D) Cluster Live
Climate: Temperate
Orbital Position: Outer Orbital Track #2
Day Length: 40 hours
Year Length: 700 days
Native Races: Humans, elves, woodlings
This world appears to be a gigantic, planet-sized flower growing without root. A ring of brightly lit verdant green rocks orbits around this strange world.
This cluster of asteroids, perhaps 150 in all, is centered on a single, living plant that is just over 1,000 miles tall. Each individual asteroid is tiny, no more than 100 miles across and irregularly shaped. A sun rises above each asteroid, casting them in eternal daylight. The largest asteroids require two suns to cover the entire surface, while the smaller ones have but one, with small sections in darkness.
The entire cluster is perhaps no more than 5,000 miles across. The asteroids orbit at a distance of about 2,500 miles, marking the outermost boundaries of the cluster. The suns above each asteroid are in fact, the result of powerful spell-casters using the Amaunator’s Eternal Sun spell. Through use of this and other potent spells, the asteroids moved into orbit around Jannath blossomed with life.
The planet is named for Jannath, the Netherese goddess of the harvest and agriculture. Her influence is easily noted by the fact that plants growing on this world are extremely healthy. Plants grow very quickly, far faster than typical, which makes Jannath the breadbasket of the sphere.
Landmarks
The Green Dwarf: This strange sight is actually an abandoned dwarven citadel that was caught up in efforts to move asteroids into orbit around Jannath. Although it was not suitable for agriculture, a small, green forest sprang up on its sides, top, and bottom. The grim dwarvish face is overgrown with flowering vines, although its features are still recognizable. This small citadel is overrun with plant-creatures, such as twig blights, wood woads, thorns, and woodling-animals.
Native Creatures
The animals of Jannath tend to be small, furry, inoffensive creatures such as squirrels, mice, rabbits, and chipmunks. Monstrous, dire, and even magical creatures are unknown. Livestock such as chickens, ducks, cattle, sheep, goats, and llamas all have been imported as well. There are a few packs of wild dogs and feral cats, but their populations are kept low due to the limited options for them to escape and go wild.
Guide to Groundlings
By far, humans are the most dominant race in and around Jannath. It was human wizards who guided the asteroids into orbit around Jannath, and they seeded the asteroids with life. Wood elves helped as well, providing valuable advice and labor to make the asteroids bloom.
The asteroids are divided into farming estates, each ruled by families of wizards. The families are the descendants of those wizards who moved the asteroids and lighted the suns. There are 19 families in all, each ranging greatly in strength and the amount of property they own. Each family is headed by a powerful wizard (usually of 12th to 25th level) and has several dozen members, mostly wizards or other spell-casters. They have built hundreds of fanciful castles, manors, and palaces around the asteroids. No family owns less than a dozen such castles, and some own many more.
Common folk are simple farmers living as feudal peasants, tied to the land they farm. They grow the food that the rest of the sphere eats, of which the landowning wizards take a cut. Because farming conditions are so good on Jannath, even peasants with the smallest cuts still make enough to make a good living. The wealthiest farmers live almost as good as lords on other worlds, owning their own land, living in a large house and even have their own gnomish servants. The less fortunate are still better off than most, living in comfortable houses and spending their days tilling fields or working as laborers on other farms while waiting to harvest their own crops.
Not long after the settlement of Jannath began in earnest, an order of druids arose from the ranks of the commoners to strike a balance between nature and cultivated lands. To further help these druids, Jannath rewarded them by turning them into woodlings. The woodlings now inhabit the wilder parts of Jannath’s asteroids and even the main plant. They are well-respected, even by the wizard families (who know full well that keeping the woodlings happy means improved productivity of their farms!).
Resources and Trade
The core of Jannath itself is poor in resources and thus has been left largely untouched. The constellations of asteroids and suns orbiting it, on the other hand, produce enormous amounts of grain, barley, rye, vegetables, fruit, meat, and the like. Such is the bounty that Jannath is the breadbasket of the entire sphere. More than half of the food consumed in the sphere comes from Jannath and its moons.
The vast majority of the food Jannath produces is exported. A steady supply of iron tools, magic devices to aid farming, and specially bred slaves keeps the farms operating smoothly. Much of the money raised from the sale of food goes into the pockets of the wizards that own the various asteroid estates.
Ports of Call
Jannath’s Bounty (large city, 21,000): The city of Jannath’s Bounty is an asteroid enclave that orbits Jannath at a distance of about 400 miles. The city is overgrown with plants, and appears from a distance to be ruined, but this is not the case. The city is a thriving marketplace where food from the asteroids is processed, such as wheat ground into flour, and then loaded onto ships to be sent elsewhere in the sphere. Assisted by magic, the loading process is quick. Ten whaleships, modified with enormous holds of holding, run non-stop to keep the food flowing to various enclaves. Hundreds of smaller tradesmen are also available to make regular shipments as well.
Planetary Aura
The area around Jannath to a distance of 2,500 miles from the planet’s center is very beneficial to plants. The growth rate for all natural plants is five times greater than normal. Thus, a single field will yield five crops in the same time that a like field will yield on another world. Magical and monstrous plants also benefit, but only have their growth rate doubled. All living creatures, animal and plant, heal at twice the standard rate when inside Jannath’s aura.
History
Not long after Mystyl’s Harbor was settled, scouts discovered Jannath. At first, the great space plant was uninteresting, as it held little resources. When the nature of the aura surrounding Jannath was discovered, enterprising wizards began efforts to turn this world into a breadbasket. Through use of repeated Amaunator’s Eternal Sun spells, they created miniature suns to light each and every asteroid that orbit around Jannath. Asteroids were moved in close to Jannath, and each was transformed by magic and hard work into a bountiful garden estate.
Sources
Netheril: Empire of Magic
Spelljammer: D&D in Space
3rd Edition Monster Manual III
I thought Dwarves had a good relatoinship with the Netherese
Ah well. They'd be a potential ally against the Elves...
I like teh doppleganger stuff, adn a doppleganger-phaerimm plot just sounds so good!
Yes my mistake, i m playing a Mystara/Glantri campaign and mixed and matched sorry :P
Nightdruid, Jannath cluster planet is GREAT :D
The two planets shuold share the same atmospheric envelope (or maybe a thin "bridge" of air where the 2 gravity fields touch).
Flying beings could jump from one planet to the other using this "bridge".
Shar should be strongly connected to the plane of shadows (many portals) while Selune should have the Ring Of Moonlit Glory (like the FR counterpart): a ring of asteroids wrapped between the two poles made of ice, snow and rock (like comets) that leave a perennal trail like a normal comet; trough magic (or maybe direct intervenction of Selune) the ring of comets is never consumed like for normal comets.
It certainly combines SJ and Netherese flavour well!
I liked the Gnome servant touch, keeping things tied to Netheril...
Good idea with the Planet Aura thing.
Shar cuold have a coin - shaped object made of pure shadow that permanently eclipses the sun.
Selune could be a safe haven for lichantropes (but only if they worship the moon goddess) and grant some moon - related metamagic feat for free (after one month or year of permanence)
On Shar Normal Weave magic could be banned (as a dead magic zone that envelop the planet) and shar worshiping casters could have Shadow Weave Magic as a bonus feat after a reasonable period of permanence
In terms of aura, maybe on Shar shadow-related magic, when cast, gets free meta-magic effect.
The SWM feat is simple at first sight but requires the introduction of the Shadow Weave (with all its quirks and problems)
You could even restrict the bonuses to the illusion(shadow) school and the spells with [darkness] descriptor.
Penalties should apply to spells with [light] descriptor (you could even ban them)
Nice work NightDruid! Very cool ideas all around for Netheril Space! Thanks
Thanks! Haven't made much headway lately (again, bad week), but I just finished up laying down a very simple outline of the sphere, noting the size, shape, & nature of each planet (I've got a killer idea for Tyche...:D ). Should have more after the board upgrade.
Board upgrade postponed...
Irritating, ain't it? ;)
indeed :D
Just gives me more time to finish up more planets (just finished Tyche...;) ).
This one is a little whimiscal, but I was taken by inspiration ;)Dicebag of Tyche
Diminutive (B) Regular Earth Cluster
Climate: Temperate
Orbital Position: Inner Orbital Track #8
Day Length: Varies
Year Length: 700 days
Native Races: All standard races
A colorful haze surrounds this brightly colored collection of asteroids. Each asteroid has a regular, polygon-like shape. Tetrahedrons (4-sided), cubes, octahedrons (8-sided), trapezohedrons (10-sided), dodecahedron (12-sided), and icosahedrons (20-sided) asteroids all float inside the haze.
This cluster of regularly-shaped asteroids is colorfully referred to as the “Dicebag of Tyche”, as the asteroids found within are shaped like dice. There are numerous “sets” of dice, with each “set” having a common color and texture. Each set consists of a tetrahedron, a cube, an octahedron, two trapezohedrons, a dodecahedron and an icosahedron. There are no less than 20 different sets within the cluster, thus there are 140 asteroids in all. All are bound by a common atmosphere, which is the “dicebag”.
Most individual asteroids range in size from 10 to 80 miles across. Most of the asteroids are near the larger end of the scale, although some “sets” are very small. Each set has a similar color and texture, such as red, blue, green, and yellow solids and marbled, and even a few sets made of colored ice that appear clear when viewed from afar. Every century or so, a new set appears, increasing the overall number of asteroids by seven. The appearance of a new set always causes a “gold rush” of prospectors looking for some resource to exploit, be it precious metal or gem veins, forests of rare trees and plants, spices, or even magic.
The entire cluster shares a common oval atmosphere roughly 1,000 miles long and 600 miles wide. The asteroids sometimes come close to crashing into one another, but seem to repel each other at a distance of just over 100’. An oddity is that the entire cluster shares common weather, which can be quite random. One day might bring blistering snowstorms, while the next might be sunny and warm. One never quite knows that to expect out of the weather.
Landmarks
Snake Eyes: This pair of white cube asteroids is always found within 10 miles of one another, never moving farther apart. The asteroids have a bad reputation as being unlucky, thus the name. The white sands deserts of these asteroids kick up a great deal of dust and haze, making it impossible to spot anything from the air. Bandits and outlaws inhabit Snake Eyes, hiding out in the innumerable hidden caverns. Snake Eyes is a perfect hold-up for anyone on the run.
Hell Dice: This large, red icosahedron is riddled with dungeons below ground and ruins above. Rising from beneath the ground volcanic rends and boiling hot springs make areas all but uninhabitable. Though the ruins here are known to hold fabulous wealth, they also hold many death-traps and monsters aplenty. The whole asteroid is considered a meat-grinder that has claimed a steep toll in lives for the meager riches taken away.
Native Creatures
A few decades ago, a powerful and very wealthy wizard decided to establish the sphere’s first zoo. It was ambitious undertaking, to create an enormous, park-like zoo where exotic animals and monsters could be bound in pens made to resemble their natural surroundings. For a nominal fee, visitors from across the entire sphere could days wandering the winding paths from pen to pen, watching animals from the safety of well-protected pathways. The zoo, which became known as the Tyche Zoo, proved quite successful, and continues to exist on one of the icosahedrons. In fact, it proved too successful. Many animals bred quickly, overwhelming the zoo’s staff, and with nowhere else to put them, the animals were turned loose on many of the asteroids.
Prior to the founding of the Zoo, there were relatively few creatures living in the asteroids, besides a few species of vermin that had stowed away on ships. Much changed after the Zoo started dumping animals on asteroids. Temperate rainforests cover many asteroids and are home to all manner of strange creatures. Dinosaurs, gorillas, hundreds of exotic hoofed animals, countless exotic birds, tigers and other big cats, wolves, dire animals and a number of rodent species all dwell in the forests. Monstrous creatures such as displacer beasts, owlbears, chimera, griffons and wyverns are known, and even more exotic monsters can be found as well. Virtually any animal, plant, or monster with an intelligence score of 4 or less can be found on any of the asteroids.
Guide to Groundlings
All of the standard races can be found in Tyche’s Dicebag as well as almost any race native to wildspace. Every year brings new arrivals of all races, be it human, dwarf, halfling, elf, giff, half-orc, or even more exotic races. Halflings, who view Tyche as their patron goddess, come here in great numbers.
The people of Tyche tend to be risk-takers, prospectors, and young bloods looking to strike it rich. Some settle down to start businesses and raise families. The people view Tyche as ripe with opportunity for those lucky and bold enough to take it. Fate can be fickle, and many have found ruin just as quickly as they found riches.
The cluster is ruled loosely by a council of elected citizens, most of whom are respected business leaders or famed adventurers. The Council has little real power, letting people go about their business as they see fit. Below the Council are the Marshals, powerful lawmen who keep the peace. A typical Marshal has 4-9 levels in a martial class (such as fighter or ranger), 7-12 levels in a magical class (wizard or specialist), and a flying mount (griffon, hippogriff, or even a roc!). Backed up by their deputies (usually fighters or wizards of levels 3-7), the Marshals keep lawlessness to a minimum. The Marshals’ authority extends only to the bounds of the cluster’s air envelop, although they have been known to hire ships to pursue a particularly dangerous and wanted bandit or pirate.
Resources and Trade
Tyche lacks abundance in any one given resource. Caches of resources are small, ideal for making the individual rich, but not so large that they are suitable for large scale exploitation. Almost any given resource might be found, from precious metals and gemstones to rare herbs and wood to even lost treasure vaults and dungeons that mysterious appear in some asteroids, no matter how young they might be.
Ports of Call
Fortunii (large city, 22,000): This enclave bustles with light and activity, even though the asteroid it is upon is positioned such that it is in perpetual night. Magical lanterns of varying colors line the streets. The enclave is a hotbed of gambling halls, brothels, theaters, festhalls, taverns, inns, and other dens of sin. People from across the entire sphere come to this city for entertainment, and possible even strike it rich. More often than not, many leave with naught but the shirt on their back, if that.
Quilton (large city, 19,000): This enclave is found on a yellow dodecahedron. The whole asteroid is covered by hilly grasslands suitable for the raising of sheep, goats, yaks, llamas, rothe and like animals. Each animal is branded with magical marks to identify the owner. A steady supply of wool flows into the enclave, where it is made into garments for sale in markets around the sphere. The more upscale seamstresses add a bit of magic to their cloth that allow for dresses that billow even when there is no wind or tunics that make the wearer seem to glow.
Tyche Zoo (large city, 10,000): Built on a 20-mile wide icosahedron, the Tyche Zoo is one of the best zoos anywhere in the Spheres. The entire asteroid has been transformed into one gigantic park, with well-marked paths for visitors to travel. Admission is a mere 1 sp for an adult, 1 cp for children, halflings, and gnomes. Given the enormous size of the zoo, there are innumerable inns where patrons can stay for the night, for the same cost as admission. It is common for visitors to bring their families and stay for an entire tenday, to take in as many sights as they can. The population lists only the Zoo’s staff; visitors number 25,000 at any given time. The Zoo is particularly popular with children.
Planetary Aura
Tyche is surrounded by chaotic energies that can transform the landscape. This usually results in dungeons appearing seemingly from nowhere, spewing out a horde of monsters. Or a formerly barren landscape may turn into a forest over the course of a year. Tyche seems to like to challenge the folk of her asteroids, adventurers in particular. The newly formed dungeons, ruins, and dice-like asteroids are said to be created whole-cloth by Tyche’s devious mind.
History
Tyche has been collecting dice for many centuries, if the legends are true. It is not really known when Tyche’s Dicebag first came to be, but it was discovered a little over a thousand years ago. Its discovery caused a gold-rush atmosphere in the sphere as thousands of prospectors came to this cluster seeking fame and fortune. Many departed rich or broke, while many more chose to stay and settle the untamed asteroids. Many have struck it rich here, and every time a new set of dice-like asteroids appear, the cluster experiences yet another rush of settlement. The last such rush was just over 100 years ago, so the cluster is overdue for the appearance of yet another set of asteroids and another rush.
Jergal
Small (D) Spherical Earth
Climate: Cold
Orbital Position: Inner Orbital Track #18
Day Length: 24 hours
Year Length: 44 standard months
Native Races: Humans, Undead
This spherical world appears no different than a thousand other like worlds across the Known Spheres. It is a bright blue-white orb with few clouds. There are no visible oceans or seas. Gazing upon it brings a sense of serenity and tranquility.
Jergal is a relatively unremarkable minor earth world about 3,400 miles in diameter. The planet is somewhat dry and barren, with only the occasional oasis in otherwise pale white barrens. The sky varies from blue to gray. The planet is cold tundra and desert. In the exposed parts of the plains, winds can be quite fierce, although lessen in the mountains and hills.
Jergal has not seen much settlement. It is not a place of commerce or trade, nor of farming or mining. It is a place to lay the dead to rest. The mountains and hills are peppered with tombs, graves, cairns, and catacombs. The dead from across the sphere are brought to this planet for a proper burial so that they may rest eternally and not return as undead. Though undead do indeed exist on this world, their numbers are small and limited to wizards who wanted to live on as liches, so that their research might proceed unimpeded.
The planet is named after Jergal, Netheril’s god of the dead. His presence is felt on the planet, and though long believed dead on Toril, Jergal’s church is still very strong in this sphere.
Landmarks
The Grand Catacombs: For much of the common folk of the sphere, the Grand Catacombs is their final resting place. This is an enormous, multi-level complex that stretches on for miles under a basalt plateau. The Catacombs were carved from the earth through use of mighty magic and hard labor. The floors and walls are polished white marble and the whole complex is lit by countless magical lanterns. After proper preparation, bodies are laid to rest in individual niches, which are then sealed. Caretakers keep careful records of every body, care for the vaults, and ensure the restful sleep of their wards, be it from grave-robbers or those that return to the living as undead abominations.
Tomb Mountains: For the wealthy and influential of the sphere, a special tomb in the Tomb Mountains is the only way to put their bodies to rest. The mountains are a range of hard granite peaks that stretches on for hundreds of miles. Underneath the mountains is a maze of tombs, ranging from simple affairs with a few chambers filled with burial goods to elaborate labyrinths stock full of traps, guardians, and curses. Some powerful wizards and priests rise again as liches or mummies, wandering their halls and conducting their research. So long as they remain confined in their tombs and do not bother the living world, they are left undisturbed. Patrols of living and un-living creatures keep the area clear of grave robbers, and many liches take a very, very dim view of those that blunder into the area in search of riches.
Native Creatures
The cold, desert conditions makes it difficult for much to survive for long on Jergal. The predominant creatures are scorpions, spiders, beetles and scarabs that have adapted to the cold and thrive in the deserts. Asps, thick-furred jackals, and buzzards are less common, although more commonly seen since they congregate around cities. The sewers under the cities are home to a few dangerous creatures, such as lecrrota, kobolds, packs of wererats, and even a rogue vampire or two.
Guide to Groundlings
The church of Jergal settled this world to create the perfect graveyard for the sphere’s departed, following the tenants of their deity. The majority of the groundlings are undertakers of some sort, from grave diggers to skilled artisans and masons that build the most elaborate tombs.
The majority of Jergal’s groundlings are human, with a smattering of other races. The weak sunlight means that they can appear pale and ashen. Lifetimes of dealing with death leave them morbid and depressing to be around. Few have a sense of humor, though there is a strong sense of duty to protect and care for grave sites. Their solemn duty is to guard the bodies of the departed from undeath and the deprivations of insane necromancers. Many are wizards and priests specially trained to combat the undead, with magic items and spells that specifically damages and destroys such creatures.
Despite the church of Jergal’s distaste for undead, such creatures do dwell on Jergal. Most are wizards who have decided to embrace lichdom, but want a quite place away from the living where they can exist in peace and not endanger the living. A few powerful mummy lords and death knights haunt extensive tombs as well, some banished to rot in their tombs, others chosen for tasks that spanned well beyond their lifespans. Others still are guardian undead, such as crypt things and swordwraiths.
Resources and Trade
When it comes to resources such as precious metals, gems, or even lumber and crops, Jergal has little to offer. Its primary resource is as a final, peaceful resting place for the dead. Every month ships arrive carrying the bodies of the recently deceased for burial. Sometimes they are accompanied by family, who want to pay final respects, but most often they do not.
Ports of Call
Mortuary (small city, 5,500): This small enclave is located not far from the Grand Catacombs. Its citizens are primarily responsible for the care of those catacombs and to prepare the dead for internment. The city is divided in two, divided by a small mountain. The eastern half of the city is the site of a dozen or more mortuaries, while the western half is the residences and markets of the living. The city was laid out as such so that the living could escape the distaste of their daily work. This is further encouraged by the city’s two ports. One is designated as the landing area for ships carrying bodies, while the other is designated for all other ships to land.
Crematiir (small city, 4,100): Built near the planet’s only active volcanic vent, Crematiir is the enclave where unclaimed bodies and the bodies of the poor are sent. After ceremony, the bodies are cremated by hurling them into the vent to be consumed by the lava down below. A nasty rumor has it that the town is truly run by a spell-casting ghast and his ghoul minions, although this has never been confirmed…or denied; Crematiir is not a place many wish to visit.
Planetary Aura
Jergal is toxic to unintelligent undead. No unintelligent undead, such as skeletons and zombies, can exist on Jergal. Attempts to animate these creatures will simply fail. Animate dead spells will fail when cast. Such undead will fall to dust if they so much as come within 1,000 miles of Jergal. Nothing short of a greater deity can override this power. Intelligent undead are not affected by this power.
History
Initial surveys and explorations of Jergal discovered little of interest, other than poor resources, a fairly cold climate, and vast wastelands. The whole planet was eventually turned over to Jergal’s church, whose leaders had dreams of a vast graveyard. The well-funded church made their dreams a reality, building the Grand Catacombs and the tombs under the Tomb Mountains. The proper disposal of corpses has done wonders to keep the number of undead in the sphere to a minimum, barring the occasional lich, ghost, or necromancer-led skeleton horde.
Sources
Netheril, Empire of Magic
Spelljammer, Dungeons & Dragons in Space
Rampart of Targus
Diminutive (B) Torus Earth
Climate: Cold
Orbital Position: Inner Orbital Track #14
Day Length: Varies
Year Length: 40 standard months
Native Races: Dwarves, minotaurs, humans
Stretching on for farther than the eye could possibly see is this unbroken line of gigantic flying mountains. Like a cosmic mountain range, the massive mountains are snowcapped. The mountain range appears like an endless line, and even the smallest mountain would dwarf even the greatest groundling mountain!
The Rampart of Targus is quite an unusual asteroid belt: it is more like a range of mountains than a torus of oddly shaped rocks. Snow-capped mountains up to a hundred miles high ring the inner portion of the sphere. The mountains hang in the void without any base. Like planetary mountains, there are gaps and passes through the mountains. The average width of the mountains is about 1,000 miles and range in density from very packed to almost completely clear.
The Rampart is a barrier between the inner and outer system, one that cannot be easily avoided. Above and below the mountains is a magic-dead zone, one that completely encases the inner sphere but for the thin band that is the mountains. Any ship that attempts to travel through this magic-dead zone will lose power and drift for 2d6 weeks before emerging on the other side. Most ships find it easier to pass through the mountains than take a risk with losing all magic for weeks on end. Ships will usually head for one of the clear passes through the Rampart rather than trying to fly over the mountains, as powerful monsters inhabit the peaks and will attack trespassing ships.
Landmarks
Harakil’s Pass: Named for the explorer who discovered this enormous gap between two thick regions of mountains, this pass offers the only easy route for millions of miles. The Pass is about 500 miles wide, allowing ships to pass through at full speed rather than slowing to battle speeds. The Pass is a favorite haunt for pirates, so a nearby base is being built to serve as Port of Call for four hammerships.
Sword of Targus: This cluster of active is noted for being particularly high and dangerous, with many red dragons dwelling here. The peaks always glow bright red as they spew fire and brimstone high into the sky. From a distance, they appear as a line-like constellation of stars known as the Sword of Targus. Rumor has it that both red dragons and fire giants have enormous, city-like castles hidden somewhere in the Sword.
Oracle Peak: This snow-capped mountain is famed throughout the sphere as the home of a cabal of prophet weirds. At least two dozen snow, ice, and air weirds dwell together in a fairy-tale-like city of snow and ice. Below their city is a more traditional city of brick and mortar, where visitors seeking their advice stay. The oracles are noted for their accuracy, bringing visitors from not only across the sphere, but beyond.
Native Creatures
The Ramparts are rich in life adapted to cold, alpine life. Forests of pine and evergreens cling to the mountainsides. Mountain goats, llamas, and other hoofed animals inhabit the lower peaks. Predators include wolves, foxes, and bears, both normal and dire animals, have been encountered. At the top of the food chain are monsters that include achaierai, bulettes, frost worms, gorgons, manitcores, owlbears, purple worms, remorhaz, and rocs. Many are larger and stronger than normal. Clerics of Targus make pilgrimages here to battle these monsters. Victory in such battles, which must be made one-on-one, brings great honor.
Guide to Groundlings
The alpine reaches of the Rampart is home to many races. Most common are humans and dwarves, who delve into the mountains for riches. The dwarven nation of New Delzoun is the largest community. It is a series of massive caverns under a 100-mile high mountain. Magma flows power enormous foundries and forges, and the chambers echo with the hammerings of thousands of dwarven smiths. Though Delzoun is but a memory, its daughter kingdom of New Delzoun thrives.
Giants are known to inhabit all parts of the Rampart. Hill, frost, and cloud giants are most common, the largest community being the cloud giant enclave of Amaniir. Giant clans typically keep a number of “house servants”, most often ogres, gnolls, trolls, and yeti. Some explores have reported groups of mountain, stone, fire, and even storm giants as well. The wildest claim is of a huge fire giant citadel on the slopes of a volcano, where a great fire giant king rules over a court of fire and stone giants.
Dragons, particularly red, silver, and white dragons, make their lairs in the loftiest peaks. These beasts are, if anything, more magically adept than normal. Using their magic, they carve out magnificent lairs, craft golem guardians, and command legions of followers and servants. The dragons of the Rampart tend to be more sociable, although this is more of their desire to have servants to cater to their whims than a desire to be around people.
Other, minor races also inhabit the Rampart. The most important of these include minotaurs and snow elves. The minotaurs are former gladiatorial slaves of a remote enclave notorious for its blood sport games. The slaves rose up in rebellion, overthrew their cruel masters, and turned the enclave into a pirate haven. The snow elves are a group of elves that broke from the main elven communities. They sought a haven of their own race, free of the influences of humanity and other races. This secret enclave is not marked on any map, and can only an elven guide can lead a ship to its location.
Resources and Trade
The Rampart of Targus is a belt of cosmic mountains, and as can be expected, is a rich source of metals and gemstones. It is also the source of good solid stone in which wizards carve out flying cities that they use to fly around the sphere with. Other rocks have been found to be good for agriculture, and moved to the Jannath cluster, where they can be fully exploited with farms and forests. Other resources might be found as well, such as good clean water, magical nodes, or rare animals.
When a suitably rich mountain is found, it is moved to a more convenient place to be exploited. Those to be mined are moved to the Golden Cluster, where dwarven miners go to work. Those more suited for farming are sent to Jannath to be greened. If a wizard wishes to create a new enclave, a mountain peak is sheered of and sent to Mystryl, where skilled artisans construct buildings, roads, and the like.
Ports of Call
Amaniir (Large City, 24,000): A legendary enclave was founded not by humans, but a spellcasting family of cloud giants. At about the time of Netheril’s fall, the giants rescued an entire city of humans from an erupting volcano. Later, they passed through a gate that led them to the Rampart. Generations later, they were discovered by other survivors of Netheril, and were overjoyed to be reunited with their cousins. The giants are more numerous these days, just over 1,000 in all, while humans have likewise grown more populous. The enclave occupies a mist-enshrouded hanging valley, with a cloud castle floating above.
Citadel Zanderhir (Metropolis, 30,000): This underground enclave is the capital of New Delzoun and the single largest settlement of dwarves in the sphere. The entrance is guarded by a gatehouse so large that a ship can sail under the portcullis. Beyond the gatehouse is a long passage wide enough that a Man-O-War can pass through, which leads to a vast central chamber over three miles wide. The port is built along the gravity plane, allowing a hundred ships to dock at any give time. Inns, taverns, businesses, and dwellings occupy the space between the docks and cave wall, some buildings rising to ten stories high.
Longhorn (Metropolis, 52,000): This enclave once was known for its gladiatorial combats between slaves, paid gladiators, and monsters. The ruling wizards were overthrown by a slave revolt lead by minotaur gladiators, who seized control of the enclave. The enclave became a pirate haven, with minotaur-crewed ship prowling the sphere. The enclave is home to scalawags of all races, along with a fair number of slaves and servants. The minotaurs have learned the basics of magic, usually having 2-8 levels of a wizardly class in addition to a martial or rogue class. The minotaurs move the enclave from time to avoid being discovered.
Prospect (Large City, 11,000): The enclave of Prospect picks its way through the Rampart, looking for suitable mountains for mining, farming, or otherwise suitable for exploration. When a candidate mountain is found, the wizards of Prospect use powerful magic to move the mountain from the Rampart to a more suitable destination, such as the Golden Cluster or Jannath. The city is home to both dwarven prospectors and druids, experts in their fields.
Planetary Aura
The mountains seem to encourage bravery, perhaps foolhardiness. Adventurers feel the need to prove themselves, to push themselves to their physical limits. Likewise, fear-like spells and powers are less effective; all creatures gain a +2 to their saving throws against all such effects.
History
The Rampart was discovered shortly after refugees from Netheril arrived, as well as the magic-dead zone that forces ships to pass through it rather than sailing around. The Rampart proved an excellent barrier between the inner and outer planets, allowing the refugees to settle the inner planets and grow strong again without fear of invasion. Settlement of the Rampart began early by dwarves and giants, and later by humans and elves.
The Rampart has never seen any large-scale war, perhaps due to the sheer size and sparseness of its population. It does have more than its fair share of legends about hunters, prospectors, and individual heroism and courage. Telling the tales of heroes long past is a favorite pastime while huddled around a blazing campfire.
Bibliography
Frostburn
Monster Manual
Netheril, Empire of Magic
Spelljammer, Dungeons & Dragons in Space
The Dicebag was... wel, excellent!
LOL! Man, this is a first, people wanting to take a single MotM & wanting it expanded into an entire setting
It isn't just this time. Every time I see one of your moons, I always wonder what is in the rest of the sphere. They are both as good and as frustrating as the planets in Practical Planetology.
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I love the sun, Amaurora, as well. Although I think that it needs some sort of mechanism that allows creatures living there to see without being blinded. You could downgrade their eyes and make them unable to see anywhere else in the sphere. That was already done with Anadian Halflings.
Alternatively, you could give them an iris that acts like a Mylar filter. Take away the white bits of the eyes and have an almost totally opaque iris where the centre hole shrinks down to nothing. (This could have a similar protective effect to the second eyelid of Mr Spock from Star Trek.) Creatures leaving the sun would need to learn how to open up their iris to be able to see in the rest of the sphere (I'd make any sentient PCs from Amauraora buy a feat to use their eyes elsewhere).
Following the destruction, refugees fled by every means possible, including spelljammers. A fleet of such ships escaped the Netheril’s ruin, guided by an “echo” of the now-dead goddess Mystryl. That echo lead them here after a harrowing voyage, which they named Mystryl’s Harbor in her honor.
It would be really cool if the "echo" was still around.
How about the "echo" being one of Mystryl's avatars. With the goddess herself being dead the avatar could change from a goddesses tool into a self-aware creature. Mystryl could have powered up this creature to give it eternal life and it could still be living somewhere on the original moon.
If you don't like that idea then how about copying the Jason and the Argonauts film and make the "echo" a figurehead on the first ship of the Netheril fleet. The "echo" could then be an intellegent magical item that was enchanted by the goddess when she realised she had to sacrifice her life to save the weave.
An enclave, if built in space, is not vastly different than your typical asteroid community, other than it can move around. And really, how much moving did the Netherese enclaves do? As I recall, most tended to hover around in one spot. They didn't move around much, which sorta implies its a lot of effort to move em. So maybe they could have lots of unmoving (or at least, moving outside of orbiting) enclaves which are magical asteroid cities, and maybe a couple of enclaves that do move about (thus making those really special).
I would like to see cities flying in the atmosphere of a world rather than through space. Maybe you can design a world where people wouldn't want to land and have cities hovering above its surface. How about a primitive world full of dinosaurs and primitive reptiles (with no mammals). Any sentient life could be reptilians who do not see mammalian life as truly intelligent and practice cannibalism on anyone who tries to start a colony. The Netherese refugees could have made several aborted attempts to found a colony on the world, before chopping the top off of several mountains and creating cities that fly above the reach of the dangerous creatures below. You could put one partially completed city on the planet itself to attract PCs who want to be treasure hunters.
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We have a "weave" in Realmspace and we also have a "shadow weave" there. How about this new sphere having a slightly different weave? If you change the weave to something else you can tweak a few things and avoid using PI from the 3e FRCS. With your sphere having a cool sun and sun magic being used at Jannath it might be good to connect that unusual celestial body to the local weave.
Perhaps the inhabitants of Netherilspace are gaining magical power by draining the plane of radiance. The flying cities that I mentioned above could be upended volcanoes and the crater that was originally filled with lava could now be filled with a portal to the plane of radiance. Each city could ride along on a beam of blinding light.
Other powerful magic could also create light. You could create a feat that accesses the full power of the "radiant weave" (needs a better name if you use it). This would be the opposite of the "shadow weave" and would reflect the way that these refugees turned in a different direction to the shades who stayed in their original homeland.
You could even have a prestige class that slowly allows a spellcaster to transform themselves into a luminous being made from the same material as Amaurora. (I'd give them natural abilities to repel undead on the way to becoming a radiant outsider.)
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Any phaerimm in the sphere should be xenophobic fanatics who have spent several hundread years searching for the colonists. I'd avoid giving them Spelljamming ships and make them planewalk their way around the spheres looking for these colonists
I'd stick a portal to the plane of elemental earth in the centre of one of more of your worlds. It would be a good idea to make the world that Mystryl's Harbor orbits so that their planwalking scouts can pick up the unmistakable magical signature of their foes overhead.
You can then turn the entire planet into a gigantic ambush ready to capture any Neterese ships that land. They could even be playing the long game and allowing farmers to start growing crops while murdering the occasional traveller who wanders off alone.
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I love the Dicebag of Tyche and Jergal. I don't have any suggestions for them at the moment but might think of something later.
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Planetary Aura
The mountains seem to encourage bravery, perhaps foolhardiness. Adventurers feel the need to prove themselves, to push themselves to their physical limits. Likewise, fear-like spells and powers are less effective; all creatures gain a +2 to their saving throws against all such effects.
History
The Rampart was discovered shortly after refugees from Netheril arrived, as well as the magic-dead zone that forces ships to pass through it rather than sailing around. The Rampart proved an excellent barrier between the inner and outer planets, allowing the refugees to settle the inner planets and grow strong again without fear of invasion. Settlement of the Rampart began early by dwarves and giants, and later by humans and elves.
The Rampart has never seen any large-scale war, perhaps due to the sheer size and sparseness of its population. It does have more than its fair share of legends about hunters, prospectors, and individual heroism and courage. Telling the tales of heroes long past is a favorite pastime while huddled around a blazing campfire.
The Rampart of Targus is also great. I think the "magic-dead zone" needs a name - I'd suggest the "Sargasso of Targus" as it associates the area with the planet. As the phaerimm are supposed to be able to have a magic draining effect you could link the magic dead area to them and have it kick in when they arrive in the crystal sphere to start plotting their revenge (this is probably better than my above idea of putting them on the world Mystryl's Harbor orbits).
Spelljamming helms "suck" the magic out of people who sit on them, so why not use a slightly similar effect on The Rampart? You could for example make The Rampart of Targus orbit slightly faster everytime a spelljamming ship sails into the sargasso (although the acceleration should be so slight that it hasn't yet been noticed.
The "Planetary Aura" could also be down to the phaerimm as they are using it to bolster the creatures above them that form a natural defence against their foes. These phaerimm can have decided that their Anaruch desolation failed to work against those who chose to become shades and in some ways helped them. You could turn them all into evil rangers and get them to secretly breed agressive dire beasts to menace would be colonists).
If you like this idea you might want to tweak the history a bit to make the discovery of the sargasso a bit later. If Mystryl's Harbor lies outside the orbit track of The Rampart of Targus and there is nothing else inside except Amaurora then the original colonists could have thought that the sun was uninhabitable and ignored the inner part of the system until later.
Are there any more planets for this new crystal sphere?