Re: Bral Business Postfest

Actually I realized that some of the terraformed asteroids might have a
tendency to explode because the gnomish inventor of the bolt used unstable
elemental earth, that shady salesman... KHAAAAAAAANNNN! 


-Mike
"Genius? Nothing! Sticking to it is the genius. I failed my way to success."
-Thomas Edison

-----Original Message-----
From: Spelljammer Setting Discussion
[mailto:SPELLJAMMER-L@??????.???????.com] On Behalf Of Matt Hoffman
Sent: Sunday, September 02, 2007 11:39 AM
To: SPELLJAMMER-L@??????.???????.com
Subject: Re: [SPELLJAMMER] Bral Business Postfest

Spooooooock?

On Sep 2, 2007, at 9:47 AM, Michael Billard wrote:

> Wow, that's really cool! Any truth to the rumors of a rival 
> terraforming group called Genesis Incorporated? I hear they use some 
> powerful magical ballista bolt to shoot asteroids and terraform them 
> in six minutes.
>
>
> -Mike
> "Genius? Nothing! Sticking to it is the genius. I failed my way to 
> success."
> -Thomas Edison
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Spelljammer Setting Discussion
> [mailto:SPELLJAMMER-L@??????.???????.com] On Behalf Of Brian Faller
> Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2007 9:12 PM
> To: SPELLJAMMER-L@??????.???????.com
> Subject: Re: [SPELLJAMMER] Bral Business Postfest
>
> well, here goes, my first post (hopefully).
>
>   just a couple of businesses i had been thinking of for a while (the 
> second sort of followed from the first) (and i hope the formatting 
> doesn't go
> crazy)
>
>   **************************************
>
>   Name: New World Outfitters
>   Type: Terraforming Company
>   Location: Great Market
>   Quality: 4
>   Prices: 5
>   Danger: 1
>   Description:
>   Not exactly what most people are expecting when they see the name, 
> New World Outfitters does not primarily sell exploring or adventuring 
> gear, but rather actually sells "worlds" (or at least, planetoids). 
> They sell pre-terraformed asteroids as well as custom-built ones, of 
> any shape and size (and in almost any location, even!). The company is 
> owned by a human mage named Harald Sheppard (LN, 14th level), who 
> mostly uses it to finance his research in terraforming. Occasionally, 
> he has been known to offer smaller planetoids with minor "quirks" at 
> reduced prices, and typically has
> 1-3 of these at any given time, typically 100 spatial tons or less.  
> (Quirks
> may include, but are not limited to: unusual gravity planes, asteroids 
> made up of unusual substances such as ice or sand, minor spell 
> effects, various small animal or insect species infestations, 
> overgrown plant life, and so forth. Quirks should not be life 
> threatening or dangerous, but should be minor flaws that might  result 
> from using various mundane or magical methods to terraform an 
> asteroid, or planets terraformed to non-standard requirements).
>   Recently, because he gets tired of telling people he doesn't have 
> exploration gear, he has begun to include a limited selection of 
> mid-high quality equipment, which he largely buys through his sister, 
> Jenna (see the Stonewall Exploration Company). He also has a 
> 'catalogue' of sorts, with a list of equipment he can order for a 
> later date if you need, as well as offering the full range of services 
> from that company, and this takes up most of the front room. Apart 
> from the front room full of this equipment, the shop is largely full 
> of reference books, drawing tables, star charts, and loose stacks of 
> paper, most of them detailing processes to create atmospheres, or to 
> make land usable for farming, or other asteroid modifications 
> (including a few that make you wonder who they're desireable to).
>   It is possible to purchase a plan to modify an asteroid, but most 
> people don't have the training to follow these processes. The 
> necessary equipment can also be bought here, although certain items 
> are not actually stored here (if you want 4 tons of seeds for a 
> fast-growing moss, for example).
> Depending on the processes used, converting an asteroid may take 
> anywhere from less than 1 day (using magic) to 2-3 years (depending on 
> how big of a change you want made; it takes time to create arable 
> land, but merely getting the atmosphere breathable could be rather 
> quick, provided you don't mind a moss-covered rock when it's done). He 
> also offers services to move planetoids; 100 tons is not usually a 
> problem within the sphere, or even larger ones (provided you don't 
> mind it being moved 100 tons or less at a time), but larger objects 
> generally cannot be moved all at once for very long distances except 
> at great expense.
>   Perhaps the most interesting thing the company offers to some would 
> be what Harald calls an "Instant Terraformation Kit". This magical kit 
> includes a Transmute Rock to Mud effect (enough to provide a layer of 
> topsoil, but not enough to turn the entire thing to dirt), various low 
> level fog cloud spells (ie spells that produce fog and renew an 
> atmosphere), and a plant growth effect, all sufficient for 100 spatial 
> tons of asteroid (plant life not included). Multiple kits can be used 
> for larger asteroids.
>   The company also rents a small warehouse near the docks, and owns a 
> lifejammer helm, a tradesman, and 2 wreckships (the tradesman is 
> powered as needed using Create Minor Helm spells; the the lifejammer 
> is for transporting asteroids and is actually kept stored when not in 
> use (and typically teleported to an asteroid), being too expensive to 
> lose.
> It is
> powered using animals commonly considered pests, such as rats, in 
> large numbers. the wreckships have nonmagical engines, and are used 
> like
> tugboats)
>   *****************************************************
>   Name: Stonewall Exploration Company
>   Type: Surveying, Exploration, and Prospecting
>   Location: Just outside of Bral Territorial Space (Services can be 
> bought through New World Outfitters in Bral's Great Market, however)
>   Quality: 3
>   Prices: 3
>   Danger: 3
>   Description:
>   Actually a 75 ton asteroid outfitted with a nonmagical engine to 
> allow it to reposition itself (to stay outside of Bral's territorial 
> space), the Stonewall is the headquarters for the exploration company 
> of the same name.
> A large ovoid rock covered in plant life of various types, designed to 
> allow easy access for small ships to dock at. (2 wreckships are 
> typically available for travel to the Rock of Bral; depending on how 
> far away you place the Stonewall, they are either powered by 
> nonmagical engines, or by Create Minor Helm spells) The Stonewall is 
> set where it is to avoid paying the various taxes at Bral, and is 
> designed to be as self sufficient as possible. The company has close 
> ties with New World Outfitters in Bral, through the owners of the 2 
> companies: Jenna Sheppard (HF TN Thief, level 6) is the sister of 
> Harald, the owner of New World Outfitters, and has arranged for the 
> services of the Stonewall company through his shop. The stonewall 
> company owns several small  ships which it uses for carrying out it's 
> various activities. Primarily they explore nearby asteroid belts, 
> charting them, and marking them.
>   The first thing the company checks for is potential for mineral 
> resources, and the location of these asteroids are typically sold to 
> the highest bidder from the various noble houses on Bral, as well as 
> any others who are interested. Naturally, the presence of an air 
> envelope is a definite plus, and if the asteroid already has an air 
> envelope they will often mark it's location for other forms of 
> exploitation. These asteroids are also auctioned off, mainly to those 
> who have farming interests or other colonial interests.
> Naturally, if the asteroid has plant life, the value becomes much 
> higher.
> (often, the services of Harald are used to increase the value of an 
> asteroid before sale; the two companies share a lot of business).
>   Asteroids (particularly small asteroids) which are not immediately 
> useful are often turned over to Harald, with a star chart detailing 
> it's location, physical description, and any other information 
> gathered by the company. the company also owns a few small asteroids 
> itself (sometimes it's really convenient to have close ties to a 
> terraforming company), and offers resupply services in various 
> locations, including various gear needed for exploration and travel 
> (including the office on Bral); while the company owns a few small 
> ships, these supply posts offer their services to other explorers and 
> prospectors as well (ironically, while the company is almost 
> completely external from Bral to avoid paying air taxes, they do 
> charge them to others). They do offer transport between these various 
> outposts and Bral, and other nearby stops along the way, as well as 
> detailed star charts for the areas nearby and along the routes in 
> between them (including other small communities in the  area). Their 
> outposts require that they keep a small engineering corps available, 
> including the production of small (10 tons or
> less) wooden ships, ship weapons, and such. They can also build small 
> buildings (hard to find a construction company in the middle of an 
> asteroid field sometimes). Finally, they also offer temporary storage 
> just outside of Bral where goods can be left (so you won't have to pay 
> the tax for bringing them into Bral, and aren't restricted by Bralian 
> laws)
>   Due to the Stonewall's location (just beyond Bral territory), they 
> are not under the same laws (and, more to the point, they don't have 
> as many guards), nor are they under the protection of the Bralian 
> forces (who naturally resent the deliberate evasion by the company).
> Occasionally, these
> combine to cause a little bit of excitement, such as pirate raids or 
> hassling by the Royal Bralian Navy when the ship gets too close to 
> Bralian territory (the precise location of which can be extremely 
> subjective); visitors are advised to be cautious.
>
>
>
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