another boring lunch has spawned this port of call, a Romanisc asteroid cluster
Isles of Pumii
Planet Name: Isles of Pumii, Islands of Pumii, Pumii
Planet Type: Cluster earth body
Planet Size: B (Cluster: C)
Escape Time: 4 Turns
Satellites: None.
Distance from Primary: *
Day Length: 30 hours
Year Length: *
Population Analysis: Humans, dwarves, halflings
The Islands of Pumii is a trio of so-called "Trojan asteroids"
leading a major world. The islands are flat worlds, the largest 80 miles
across while the two smaller islands are 50 miles across. The distance
between the highest peaks on both sides is about 4 miles. A sea 2,500'
thick unites the islands and brushes the edge of the atmosphere. The sea is
surrounded by a layer of ice 100' thick, a solid ring that keeps the sea
from touching the void. Interestingly, the ice is warm to touch, yet
remains solid.
Spelljammers know Pumii more for the wares it produces than have
been there. Pottery, statues, and copperware originate from these islands.
Many tradesmen make Pumii a stopover on their trade routes.
Climate and Weather
Pumii has a pleasant, mild climate. At sea-level, the weather
is balmy and humid, while the mountains are cooler and drier. There is no
difference in seasons; crops grow year-round.
Appearance from Space
Pumii is seen as a trio of mountainous islands surrounded by a
flat ocean. An egg-shaped atmosphere surrounds the planet, with clouds
swirling about obscuring parts of the planet.
Continents
None. Though there are several islands, none are large enough
to count as a continent.
Native Creatures
Despite Pumii's small size, it has abundant and diverse life.
All of it was imported aboard spelljammers and has gone native. Large
creatures are scarce, but include cattle and some deer. There are over
fifty species of rodents, many colorful birds, lemurs, and various insects.
The top predators are leopards, lions, house cats (many that have gone
wild), and dogs (including wild blink dogs). Forests are deciduous with
ash, birch, oak, and fruit trees dominating.
Guide to Groundlings
Natives, no matter their race, are called Pumians. Goods that
originate from Pumii are said to be Pumiran.
The humans and halflings of Pumii are farmers, working fields of
wheat and barley, groves of olive trees, or fields of grapes. Halflings are
particularly noted for their pottery skills, while humans tend excellent
vineyards. Both races live in one of the nine towns, and work in the
fields. Citizenship is gained through military service of 10 years and
guarantees certain rights and privileges. Those that fail to gain their
citizenship have few privileges and are relegated to the most degrading
jobs. Only men can legally qualify for citizenship, although women have
managed to serve their time to gain citizenship when their commanders have
"looked the other way.
Dwarves live in the mountains, mining for copper, iron, nickel,
and other less valuable metals. They are miners, coppersmiths, and
laborers. The dwarves also run the hot springs in the mountains, famed for
their healing and youth-preserving qualities. They rarely bother trying to
gain citizenship, as they have little use for it.
The mountains are also home to a family of copper dragons that
settled here perhaps 400 years ago. The dragons share a system of former
mines that played out centuries ago. Pumians give tribute to the dragons,
which in turn watch over the islands and will take wing to defend them from
invasion. Like all copper dragons, they enjoy practical jokes of all sorts.
Resources and Trade
Pumii offers a veritable cornucopia of goods for sale. Its
markets are well-stocked with wares and the citizens welcome traders from
across the spheres. Copper mined from the mountains is forged into various
good, mostly utilitarian. Clay taken from the riverbanks is used to create
pottery. The largest urns are sold to passing spelljammers to be used to
transport goods.
Agricultural exports include grain, olive oil, and four vintages
of wine that originals solely on Pumii. Wine and olive oil are the primary
exports of Pumii; pottery and copperware are added bonuses used to fill out
a cargo hold. A bottle of Pumii wine can fetch as much as 1,000 gp on the
open market, although most recent vintages fetch around 200 gp a bottle.
Pumii imports gold and silver (for currency, since it has no
local sources of such metals); steel tools, weapons, and armor; and lumber.
There are precious few trees in Pumii that are suitable for building, and
they must be carefully managed.
Ports of Call
The largest city is Pumj, a well-stocked spelljammer port.
Almost anything required by a spelljammer can be found here. The docks
district is surprisingly clean and well-patrolled; the Pumians believe
(rightly) that the docks district is the lifeblood of their whole nation.
Pumj also offers numerous well-lit cafes, taverns, and inns where a good
meal, wine, and a night's rest are affordable. The slums of the city are
conveniently located on the other side of Vin Hill, downwind and not visible
from most of the city. Most legitimate trade is done at Pumj. Tariffs and
taxes are fair, but not excessive. The city has ten hammerships for
defending the docks and for patrolling the wildspace around Pumii.
Smugglers head towards Lanternbrook, a small port town located
on the smallest island. Lanternbrook is run by the Onyx Glove, a thieves'
guild that operates most of the crime on Pumii. Most nobles have been
bribed to look the other way, but there are always efforts to crush this
large and powerful group of smugglers, pick pockets, and extortionists.
History
Pumii began a thousand years ago. A spat between rival
elemental lords escalated into a full-scale war, and the wildspace where
Pumii is today was one of the battlegrounds. From nothingness, space
erupted with conflicting elemental forces, air versus earth, fire versus
water. As quickly as it began, the battle was over, leaving a trio of
barren islands surrounded by sea and atmosphere.
The next century brought curious travelers and visitors. Few
stayed long, but accidentally introduced plants and animals to the islands,
which flourished in an environment without predators. A hundred years after
its creation, Pumii had a thriving ecosystem.
Halfling settlers were the next to arrive. They took advantage
of the rich soil and lush landscape. The first towns were built around
successful halfling estates. They were quickly joined by humans also
seeking fertile lands, and dwarves seeking metal to mine. Although the
dwarves found few gems or gold, they discovered deep, almost never-ending
veins of copper.
The islands were first unified by Pumj and Pumii, sibling
diplomat and warriors. The pair wrote the laws that govern the islands and
established the Senate to settle disputes. Pumj created an army of sorts to
defend the islands. When the two finally passed away, a stable government
was in place, one that remains to this date. In honor of the two, the
nation took Pumii's name, and the largest city was named for Pumj.
Since those early days, Pumii has had its run of problems,
ranging from pirates to plague to erupting volcanoes and invasion attempts.
The people have weathered these and other storms, and now are enjoying a
time of peace and prosperity.
Satellites
None. Pumii does not have any moons or orbiting bodies.
If I may ask, what is it about your lunches that are so boring that you can create these wonderful places?.
For me, I find that most of my ideas form just before I leave for work (necessitating the need for me to find a scrap piece of paper to write it down for later use), or, just after I get home. Sometimes, if it's a slow work day, I can normally use some of that free time to work through what I had thought about during the morning.
I also find the period just before I go to sleep to be a wonderful time to expand upon ideas I had thought up during the day...;)
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