Poisson SJ Conversion pt 3/3

        The Holdings:  Poisson ^Ócontrols^Ô several nearby asteroids, defending
them as its territory.  These claims are not necessarily without
dispute, however, especially the forested asteroid, Reela (a shortened
form of its elven name which is nearly unpronounceable by humans and
dwarves).
        Reela:  Reela is the forested asteroid that is inhabited by wood elves
who have adopted the name as their tribe^Òs name also (before the
arrival of the humans, they had no need of a tribal name).  Reela is a
large, spherical earth body completely covered by massive trees.  The
asteroid itself is over 8 miles in diameter and has no gravity plane,
instead its gravity operates like that of most large, spherical planets
(down is always toward the center of the asteroid).  The trees that
cover the asteroid form an upper layer of foliage so dense that it
cannot be seen through.  Underneath the asteroid thrives with life in a
multi-tiered environment beginning just below the uppermost layer of
leaves and going all the way to the muddy forest floor.  There are
numerous layers to the tree ecology and these layers tend to have their
own sets of creatures and individual weather.  The forest floor is the
chilliest at about 40 degrees F while the upper reaches of the tree top
120 degrees F.  Water collects in hollows, large leaves, and bowl
shaped depressions in the wood and thick mists and fogs often develop
as the asteroid revolves (it revolves on a 24 hour cycle) from day to
night.  The mists can get so thick they produce rain, which spills down
to lower levels.  Many creatures live by operating between several
^Óeco-layers^Ô.
In this environment insects, arachnids, lizards, and mammals all dwell
in a surprising bounty of life.  In addition to normal-sized spiders,
ants, scorpions, wasps, bumblebees, honey bees, hornets, beetles, bats,
centipedes, cats, lizards, tree frogs, dragonflies, flies, ticks,
monkeys, squirrels, slugs, and snakes there are several unusual
varieties.   Most obvious are the oversized animals.  Spiders range
from large to giant in size.  Large spiders typically operate in small
groups while larger spiders operate alone.  There are no phase spiders
on Reela.  Scorpions also range from normal to giant scorpions.  Giant
bumblebees, dragonflies, giant bluebottle flies, honey bees, hornets,
and wasps all fly about the asteroid, doing their thing.  Bats range
from the usual to large but do not include any varieties larger than a
human or any special varieties.  There are no snakes larger than normal
size but as there are several varieties of both vipers and constrictors
this already includes a wide range of sizes.  Ticks get as large as
giant ticks but these are especially rare.  Large and giant centipedes
are found on Reela but none larger than this nor are there any
megalo-centipedes.  Slugs only come in the common sizes.  Tree frogs,
including poisonous varieties, are found in the usual small sizes as
well as sizes as large as a human.  Though there are several types of
ants on the asteroid, the only giant ants are a particular colony that
spawns by budding.  Each ant is hermaphroditic so only two ants are
required to produce offspring.  There is no queen (these ants are based
on some that actually exist on earth).  The ants are especially
rapacious, using slave bugs to do their work for them and are basically
a kind of army ant (treat all these ants as warriors).  The ants are a
true danger to the rest of the asteroid but if at least two are
separated from the colony they will form their own colony and within an
ant generation the two colonies will be hostile to each other should
they meet.  So while the ants are nearly impossible to wipe out they
also help control their own population.
Wild cats roam the upper layers of the trees as do jaguars while
panthers are known to stalk territory deeper in.  Elven cats live both
wild and with the elves.  Fire beetles are the only type of giant
beetle found on Reela.  Giant lizards are also present but their more
unusual kin such as fire lizards and minotaur lizards aren^Òt.
Carniovous flying squirrels are found here.  Among the other indigenous
inhabitants there are also cave fishers, rothe on the forest floor,
sleeks, tree sloths, and chattur.  There are no indigenous avians of
any type on Reela but visiting vessels have already introduced gullions
as well as rats to Reela.  The elves are well aware of how this could
damage the local ecology and are worried that other ships will bring
slinkers, wrybacks, or some other nefarious alien creature they^Òve
heard such wild stories about.  For now the elves are attempting to
eradicate the gullions and rats while deciding how best to prevent
further introductions of new creatures.
In additional to animals, the asteroid hosts a number of unusual plants
and fungi.  Glowing mosses bring a minimal level of light to almost all
levels of the asteroid^Òs ecosystem while more dangerous plants,
including strangler vines (choke creepers), , mantraps, and foresters^Ò
banes (snapper-saws) are also found here.  Phycomids and violet fungi
are the primary monsterous fungi found on Reela.
Reela^Òs elves are thought by outsiders to be descendants of a crashed
ship but they do not believe this.  They know about space (they could
always look through the top layer of leaves) but have no legends of
ever having been anywhere else.  The elves of Reela are essentially
wood elves.  They can speak their own tongue (an accented form of
elvish) as well as with forest dwelling mammals.  Their druids speak
druidic as usual and their clerics can learn abyssal, celestial, and
infernal.  Wizards do not gain special access to draconic.  Since
contact was established with the humans they can also learn additional
languages through this route but most Reela elves haven^Òt learned
these.  Due to this limited number of available languages, Reela elves
can choose to convert each unused bonus language (based on
intelligence) to an additional skill point.  Reela^Òs elves also lack
access to any sort of minerals beyond a rare crystal growth that forms
on the trees over centuries and so do not have access to crafts and
spells that require such things.  Instead they make all their equipment
from bones, wood, animal shells, animal hide, leaves, vines, bark,
teeth, and other natural sources.  Due to this lack of materials they
are proficient in spear instead of longsword or rapier (as these items
didn^Òt exist in their culture until recently).  Reela^Òs elves have
begun a lucrative trade with the humans in metal work items for their
own goods as well as occasion trees from the forest but have not become
addicted to the new items and strictly hold to their beliefs about
protecting and living in balance with the environment.  In addition to
Corellon Larethian, Solonor Thelandira, Sehanine Moonbow, Rillifane
Rallathil, and Hanali Celanil are all revered by Reela^Òs elves.  A
missionary priestess of Aerdrie Faenya has also come to dwell with them
since they were ^Ódiscovered^Ô and has managed a few converts.
Gold:  Despite its name, gold is actually the asteroid on which gems
are mined.  The dwarves have a contingent of guards and a fortified
mine entrance to ensure they have no trouble with raiders.
Additionally a number of hardy plants have been planted on the asteroid
to help with the air supply.  These are well fertilized by the dwarves
bodily and food wastes.  A dock exists on the gravity plane near the
mine entrance.
Iron and Copper:  These two mining asteroids are actually named for
what they produce.  Neither mine is highly productive as neither iron
nor copper is worth as much as gems.  Despite this, both seem to be
rich in their respective materials and the miners take great pride in
their work here.  Both these asteroids are set up similar to Gold.
Farming Colonies:  Poisson^Òs two farming colonies are both struggling.
Neither is in danger of being wiped out but the high prices the Water
Cult charges for the water they need have prevented their making
extensive use of the rich soil that is present.  The Ptahians have
earned a lot of friends by trying to help break the stranglehold the
Water Cult has but have as yet been mostly unsuccessful.  One of the
primary problems is both asteroids were too quickly inhabited by too
many people all trying to farm as large an area as possible and raise
animals on the side.  Now these settlers have their entire life savings
invested in the farms and there is no way to produce nearly enough
water for them.
Beacon Rock:  Beacon Rock holds the arcane beacon that caused Poisson
to be founded here.  A spherical asteroid about 4 miles in diameter
with the gravity all pulling toward the asteroid^Òs center, Beacon Rock
is covered in over 2000^Ò feet of water over most of its surface.  The
surface is only broken in one place, by a single jutting promontory of
rock on which is a tower (see the Old Lighthouse Map) at the top of
which is the arcane beacon.  The asteroid^Òs sea is known to be filled
with a large varieyt of aquatic life but the tower and the asteroid are
carefully controlled by the Water Cult, specifically those who worship
Indra.  They do not allow fishing or removal of the sacred water from
the asteroid.  Poisson^Òs leaders have all sought to oust the Water Cult
or cut a deal but the truth is, no one else has ever been able to hold
the asteroid reliably from attacks by pirates.  Since the Water Cult
doesn^Òt charge anyone for its defense of the asteroid and holding the
tower and keeping the beacon on is essential for Poisson^Òs livelihood,
there is little Poisson^Òs leaders have been able to do to oust the
Water Cultists.  As such the asteroid remains in the Water Cult^Òs
hands.  The Indrans, however, vie constantly with their Susanowo
worshipping brethren over their dominion over the asteroid as the
Susanowans believe it is inhabited by a powerful place spirit that the
Indrans do not properly respect.
The asteroid is home to giant crabs, giant lobsters (giant crayfish),
moray eels, electric eels, and giant squid as well as more usual
creatures.  The aquatic ecosystem thrives with life, both plant and
animal, and the Water Cultists have recently begun exploring its
bounty, locating giant and normal clams and oysters on the bottom as
well as all types of kelp and coral.  They hope to begin harvesting and
selling both coral and pearls soon but their continued in-fighting has
prevented any action so far.
Unknown to everyone else there are some other intelligent inhabitants
of Beacon Rock.  A clan of locathah dwells in the depths, having
arrived from the elemental plane of water within the last two decades.
They are on friendly terms with the powerful water elemental that
guards the gate to the elemental plane of water that is the original
source of all the water and life on the asteroid.  They have
established a shrine to their god, Eadro, on the sea bottom.

In the Astromundi Cluster:
Placing Poisson in the Astromundi Cluster is not that difficult.  The
colony may be Calidian or possibly free Varan.  Replace the giff with
dwarven mercenaries and make Liffir a gnome.  Change the hadozee to
lizard men.  The elves could be left alone or changed to barbaric
humans.  Neither halflings nor hurwaet are mentioned in the AC boxed
set so either leave them as is or change them to humans.  The same
applies to the gnomes except they should be changed to dwarves if the
DM decides not to use them.

2e Conversion:
Beorn Lammond is a F3 and uses the noble warrior kit.  Shentle is a F6
and uses the corsair kit from CGR1.  Liffir uses the merchant kit from
CGR1 but is otherwise a standard dohwar (i.e., class-less).  The town
guard are mainly F0s or classless hurwaet (and most of the giffs are
class-less, except the sergeant who^Òs a fighter with the marine kit
from CGR1).  It is recommended that 1st Edition shukenja and monks from
the 1st edition Oriental Adventures guide be used for the Water
Cultists.


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Finance - Get real-time stock quotes
http://finance.yahoo.com