Lathuibbis (for Merckell Patrik)

>I hope to see more of this kind of messages. They are a lot more
>interesting than the long and boring discussion about rules and other
>details.
>
>If someone else has develloped some spheres, lands or adventures, please
>mail them !
>
>Let's roleplay !
>
>PM
>
>> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
>> Von:	Paul Arnold Stetzel [SMTP:pas@????????.net]
>> Gesendet am:	Freitag, 26. März 1999 09:53
>> An:	patrik.merckell@????-?????????.ch
>> Betreff:	[SPELLJAMMER] - new sphere
>>
While I'm flattered that you chose my post of Clirtalere to use as an
example of what you like to see, I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed
many of the recent rules discussions.

Also, here is the first half of the home sphere of my campaign.  My players
left it largely unexplored, instead heading out to the phlogiston and the
spheres beyond.  The second half has campaign notes at the end.  If I have
left anything out, let me know and I will try to make amends.

Enjoy!

LATHUIBBIS pg 22

# Name(Size)(Shape)(Type)(Moons)(Atmosphere)(Track#)(Move)(Day)(Year)Notes
1 Lathuibbis Field(V)(:)(Earth)(none)(All)(P-I4)(S)(v)(v)asteroid field
does not move but individual asteroids move semi- randomly within it
2 Gjoskrel(I)(o)(Water)(6)(S)(I5)(CC)(52h)(360d)
3 Wuistan(E)(O)(Earth)(1)(S)(I8)(CC)(24h)(576d)
4 Olkgishan(F)(o)(Earth)(2)(S)(O1)(CC)(30h)(24y)
5 Vrenotheis(F)(o)(Fire)(4)(S)(O3)(CL)(12h)(72y)dull violet, rings
6 Euflommos(G)(o)(Fire)(7)(P)(O6)(CC)(8h)(144y)bright red

	Lathuibbis is a sphere located near Greyspace.  Hanging from the
inner surface of the sphere are the stars, immense tetrahedrons hundreds of
miles across, each one hanging from a single mile thick cable.  Some cables
are attached to one of the points of the tetrahedral stars, some are
attached to the center of one of the sides, and the rest are attached at
the midpoint of one of the edges.  The length of a particular cable seems
to be inversely proportional to the size of the star which hangs from it.
Many of the stars appear to be arranged in recognizable shapes.  The most
commonly known constellations include the Sparkling River, the Spider
Queen, the Dancing Hut, Mind Splitter the Illithid, the Sword of Aulleh,
the Great Pyramid of Two Ton Qoman, the Aboleth, the Mother Unicorn and her
Foal, the Manticore, the Chimera, the Minotaur, the Cross of Lord
Avthiraffix, the Flying Carriage of Ny Kluembri the Necromancer,
Zirathkev's Singular Wand of Miraculous Marvels, Hadfra Snut the
Thri-kreen, Swimbethar the Singing Fish, the Tome of Creation, the Flaming
Staff of Nu Har the Law-Giver, the Magic Shield of Behn Invris, Direndis
the Hunter, the Djinni's Lamp, the Ship of Fools, the Snake in the Grass,
the Crystal Claw, and the Drinking Dagger.
	Visitors to Lathuibbis are cautioned to avoid coming into contact
with the beautiful and elegant ice ships of the vpwe.  These methane
breathing creatures can be encountered throughout the sphere, but mixing
atmospheres with a vpwe ship will be deadly for the crews of both ships.
Commerce with the vpwe is possible only with powerful magics to protect all
parties involved.
	Other hazards of Lathuibbis include a deadly mage killer sargasso,
clouds of spores, invisible flame rings and frequent cosmic storms.  The
mage killer sargasso lurks among the seven heavily populated moons of
Euflommos.  When a spelljamming vessel enters it, all mages aboard
immediately begin losing 1-4 hp per turn spent within its confines.
Fortunately, it is relatively small, being only about seven hundred and
fifty miles across.  Spore clouds are typically found within the Lathuibbis
Field or by some of the permanent portals in the crystal sphere.  For this
reason, most travelers make their own portals with spells whenever
possible.  Ships which come into contact with spore clouds are likely to
end up covered with bizarre fungal growths, its crew reduced to skeletal
remains scattered across the decks and littering the interior.  One of the
more insiduous and deadly of hazards of Lathuibbis is the existence of
invisible flame rings.  When these rings are encountered by a ship, all
flammable objects on board must save vs. breath weapon or ignite.
Creatures without protection from fire take 6d6 damage, half damage if a
save is made.  Fortunately, the rings are thin and a ship passing through
one will soon emerge on the other side, giving those aboard a chance to put
out any fires that started and tend to surviving crew members.
	The Lathuibbis Field is a densely packed sphere of asteroids
located at the center of the crystal sphere.  Whenever an asteroid passes
through the exact center of the sphere, it produces a brilliant flash of
light which can be seen throughout the sphere and is usually quite annoying
to the inhabitants of the asteroid.  Observers as far away as fifty million
miles may be momentarily blinded if looking directly at it.  Elemental
pockets of air, water or fire are rare, but are no surprise when
encountered.  If you look hard enough and long enough, every type of
atmosphere that has been classified can be encountered here.  However, the
vast majority of the asteroids have quite breathable atmospheres.  This
area is heavily traveled.  Gravs, dwarves, beholders, illithids, neogi,
horg, loxo, githzerai, two radiant dragon families and the Imperial Elven
Navy all control sizable holdings within the Lathuibbis Field.  Much
smaller areas have been staked out by the scro, vpwe, halflings, k'r'r'r,
insectare, xixchil and thri-kreen.  Several human groups are also well
represented.  Naturally with such diversity comes constant squabbling over
every little bit of rock that drifts by.  The sole exception to this
continuous conflict is the vpwe, who are avoided by all others and likewise
approach none.  The asteroids are heavily mined, for they are very rich in
mineral wealth.  Found here are diamonds, rubies, elbronds, mithril, iron,
silver, copper, tin, wirene, fragracite, marble, obsidian, porvithium,
nilithium, salt and many other things besides.  A great many asteroids are
farmed.  Commonly grown on some of the larger asteroids are wheat, rye,
barley, rice, adrih, corn, beans, apples, morm fruit, kiwi and grapes.
	The planet nearest the Lathuibbis Field is Gjoskrel, an enormous
sphere of water four million miles across.  A day on Gjoskrel is a
leisurely fifty-two hours long.  There are enough tiny pockets of fire in
the Lathuibbis Field that their dim glow can be detected from the surface
of Gjoskrel even during those times when both Vrenotheis and Euflommos are
visible.  Huge numbers of floating islands dot the surface, populated by
even more types of creatures than can be found in the Field.  Centaurs,
wemics, treants, cynamoulgi, caiveh and more can be found on many of the
islands.  The largest of the islands are about the size of Australia and
the smallest are only a few miles across.  Persistant rumors claim that
denizens of the deeps have been sinking some of the smaller islands in
order to consume or enslave their inhabitants.
	Six moons orbit Gjoskrel, each in a clockwise direction within the
ecliptic.  The moon closest Gjoskrel is called Thignfoyld.  It takes
Thignfoyld 48 days to orbit Gjoskrel.  It is a spherical air world 1,200
miles across that never has visible clouds even when it is raining or
snowing.  Thignfoyld is dominated by a family of gold dragons and their
allies, the Zhynyiis people who live on natural platforms underneath great
balloonlike beings called kigu.  Each clan of the Zhynyiis is led by a
shukenja priest.  There are no samurai or sohei in their culture, only the
bushi, wu jen, shukenja and yakuza classes are available to those of
exceptional ability.
	The second moon is a cluster of seven live worlds which share a
common atmosphere.  This common atmosphere is about twenty-four thousand
miles across.  It takes the cluster 61 days to orbit Gjoskrel.  The largest
of the vines is not quite five thousand miles across and the smallest is
just over one thousand miles across.  Collectively, the seven vines are
known as Gjoskrel's Garden.  Each of the seven is a distinct type of
infinity vine.  One produces bunches of large, purple, halfling sized
fruit.  The fruit is edible and has been known to forment naturally in
their thick skins.  The resulting fluid is bitter and tart.  The elves have
found that storing it for a few years in shells from the barrel sized nuts
of a nearby thorn vine will eliminate both the bitterness and the tartness,
leaving behind a robust and refreshing wine that is also an extremely
potent intoxicant.  Infinity Wine from Gjoskrel's Garden has been exported
even to elves of distant spheres, but non-elves are so rarely privileged to
sample it that its existence is virtually unknown outside of elven
societies.  Another vine is the source of huge blue flowers nearly twelve
feet across.  The petals of the flowers are used in dyeing processes and to
make inks, but the enormous thorns of the vine make acquisition of the
petals problematic.  Yet another vine has a peculiar sap unlike the others
that is suitable for use as a sealant and waterproofing agent.  The leaves
of this and other vines are used by the elves to make small gliding craft
capable of travelling between vines.  The largest of these hold up to five
passengers in addition to a crew of six.  The smallest leaf craft of elves
are barely more than a simple hang glider that will transport only one
person at a time.  There is a vine with thorns that are barbed on the end
and another has thorns that have three very sharp edges.  Thorns from both
of them are commonly used as weapons, and their leaves are harvested for
treatment in the sap of the seventh vine to make paper.  All of the vines
are populated mainly by flying squirrel people called Xecwarl.  Only on the
rarest occasions will one of the xecwarl ever willingly leave the cluster
of vines.  Xecwarl of exceptional ability are capable of being thieves
(12th level maximum), bards (15th level), wizards (16th level), druids
(20th level), and fighters (10th level).  The songs of the xecwarl bard
Ebrichanajelji have been sung in elven courts of Darnannon and in Evermeet
on Toril.  Elves and aarakocra are less common here, but maintain a
significant presence nonetheless.  Giant insects can often be encountered
flitting from one vine to another, as can birds of all sizes.
	In contrast to the second moon, the third moon is a desolate piece
of sand and rock fourteen thousand miles across.  It is known as Gjoskrel's
Wasteland.  Gjoskrel's Wasteland orbits Gjoskrel once every 66 days.
Rumors abound of ancient inhabitants and lost civilizations on Gjoskrel's
Wasteland, but no physical evidence of either has been found.  Though the
atmosphere is breathable, no native lifeforms are known to exist.  On an
irrregular basis, the famed elven glassblower Girirdithancris Enaralanthrin
comes here to get sand to take back to his home on Gjoskrel's Garden.
	The fourth moon of Gjoskrel is called The Pearls of Heaven.  Like
Gjoskrel's Garden, The Pearls of Heaven consists of seven bodies which
share a common atmosphere.  Unlike Gjoskrel's Garden, The Pearls of Heaven
are water bodies of identical size that are in a line instead of clustered
together in a clump.  Each "pearl" is two thousand miles across.  The
Pearls of Heaven take 83 days to complete one orbit around Gjoskrel.  There
are no land masses on any of The Pearls of Heaven.  Tritons, mermen, sea
giants, locathah, ixitxachitl and sea elves are typical inhabitants of the
pearls.
	The fifth and sixth moons orbit a point in space midway between
each other in addition to orbiting Gjoskrel.  They are called the Dancers,
and their complex path across the skies of Gjoskrel has tormented sages for
centuries.  It takes the Dancers 100 days to make one orbit.  The
atmospheres of each of the Dancers is comprised of methane, and both have
been colonized by the vpwe.  One of the Dancers is 1,800 miles across and
the other is 2,100 miles across.  Their cloud shrouded atmospheres preclude
knowledge of the interior of either.
	Wuistan is an oblong earth type planet 6,000 miles from pole to
pole and 4,000 miles around the equator.  Its axis is perfectly
perpendicular to the ecliptic, so it does not have seasons caused by axial
tilt.  The seasons are instead determined by its relative position to the
two outer planets, which are fire worlds.  Wuistan takes 24 hours to rotate
upon its axis and 576 days to orbit the primary point.  Its four major
continents and two sub-continents are dominated by warring Oriental
cultures.  Though there are places where other types of culture thrive,
they are few and far between and most are at least slightly influenced by
neighboring Oriental cultures.  Its single moon, Wuildra, orbits in a
clockwise direction within the ecliptic, taking 21 days to do so.  Its
surface is largely uninhabited sylvan areas.  In just the last few years,
the illithids have established a base here.  For this reason, Wuildra has
begun having an evil reputation.
	Olkgishan is a large spherical earth world, 30,000 miles in
diameter.  Its axis is tilted 17° from vertical, giving it a full range of
seasons.  Due to the length of its year, seasons on Olkgishan are usually
experienced only a few times during a human lifetime.  Seventeen continents
grace its vast oceans.  Two of the continents show signs of immense
terraforming efforts.  The polar continent of Dandedor has five perfectly
straight sides and a sixth side that has never been completed.  The nearby
temperate continent of Groothewl is a perfect circle with a perfect circle
sea at its center.  Whatever mammoth undertaking produced these obviously
altered continents was apparently interupted well over 30,000 years ago and
never resumed.  Sages searching for signs of the expected three pointed
stars of the Elders have without fail been disappointed.  All manner of
kingdoms, empires, free cities, nomadic societies, humanoid realms, lost
civilizations and more can be found on Olkgishan if one looks hard enough.
There are many places on most of the continents where spelljamming vessels
are welcome and as many or more that will attack spelljamming vessels on
sight.  In ancient times, the elves and dwarves of Olkgishan fought a
series of bloody wars which decimated both their populations and those of
other races who lived nearby.  To this day, elves and dwarves from
Olkgishan are likely to attack members of the other race.  In the rest of
the sphere, elves and dwarves have always gotten along reasonably well.  It
is for this reason that the elves and dwarves from other parts of the
sphere often greet each other with an immediate disclaimer that they are
not from Olkgishan.  The depths of Olkgishan's oceans are dominated by
aboleths.
	Two moons orbit Olkgishan.  The orbits of both moons are tilted 50°
from the ecliptic.  The closest moon, called Mirimad, is the largest at 800
miles across.  It takes 35 days for Mirimad to orbit Olkgishan.  It is
inhabited solely by humanoids.  Humans and demi-humans have been hunted to
extinction upon its surface, and the IEN has proscribed it to spelljamming
vessels.  This proscription is enforced by four armadas which patrol the
area for two months at a time before being relieved by another armada.  The
other moon is called Elvranulasthia.  The IEN has taken this bit of rock as
its own.  During the Unhuman Wars it was attacked repeatedly but managed to
repel each assault.  Elvranulasthia is 230 miles across and takes 57 days
to orbit Olkgishan.



PAS

"I lost my soul when I fell to Earth.  My planets call me to the Void of my
birth..."
	from 'Space Lord' by Monster Magnet