Venus

Orbital radius: 0.7233 AU (108,200,000 km)
Mean Diameter: 12102 km
Length of Day: 243 standard days
Length of Year: 224.5 standard days
Atmosphere: Standard, high pressure with contaminants
Resources: Venetian pitch, agricultural goods
Inhabitants: Giff, Lizardkin, Rastipedes, Tasloi

Venus is an earth world, the second from the sun in the system. The planet is extremely hot and uncomfortable, with temperatures ranging from 90 to 120 degrees, humidity levels starting at 90 percent, and an air pressure level much higher than normal for a planet its size. Non-natives of Venus tend to get tired very quickly because of the heavy atmosphere.

About half of the planet is swamp or marsh. The rest of the surface is covered by rain forest and grasslands. There are two major mountain ranges, but even these are heavily forested. Oddly, there are no open seas or desert regions of any size. There are a few lakes, and some of them are large enough to have free standing water, but most of them are choked by swamps.

Most of the life forms on Venus are typical for a swamp: birds, insects, small reptiles and mammals. The one notable exception is the existence of dinosaur species. Most of the larger herbivore species are present, while the predators tend to be the smaller ones that travel in packs - especially Dioneichus and Veliceraptor. Larger predators, like Cetrasaurus and Tyrannosaurus are very rare, but even they can be found if you look long enough.

Among the intelligent races that can be found on Venus, tasloi, lizard men, and rastipedes are among the most advanced species. Of these, only the lizard men have easy access to spelljamming (explained below). The rastipedes appear to have turned their back on it, as most Venetian rastipedes have adapted an inward-looking, spiritual society, very different from their space traveling cousins. Some of the rastipede communes produce agricultuiral goods that are suitable for export.

The most visible spelljamming race on Venus are the giff, who have four active colonies on the planet. The Venetian giff are different in outlook from most of their otherworld bretherin. Most of these giff do not hire themselves out as mercenaries (though some do), but act instead as arms dealers. The peat and silt of the Venus swamps can be turned into a substance called Venetian Pitch, which, with refining, can be used to power a furnace helm or made into a variat of smoke powder. The giff hire lizard men to dredge the silt from the bottom of the swamps, and then refine it into the pitch for sale to other travelers.

One cubic foot of the refined pitch can be used to power a furnace helm for one day, or it can be baked and converted into 2-5 pounds of smoke powder. Needless to say, this stuff is very expensive, in short supply, and the refining process closely guarded.

The giff have some ships of their own, which look somewhat like the ironclad warships of the (real world) United States Civil War. While Venus is rich in metals and mineral resources, getting at them is very difficult, so the steel ships tend to be made from imported materials. Even though the ships are powered by a furnace helm, they could easily be outfitted with a minor or major helm. One can order an ironclad from the giff, and they will do everything they can to have the ship delivered on time (a satisfied customer often comes back). Usually, a buyer will submit an invoice on Venus, but the actual ship will be delivered elsewhere, usually Terra (the buyer will be given delivery options). The giff make a profit either way, so they aren't fussy. One should note that the giff will not pull a crooked deal on a buyer. At the same time, they are not fussy about who buys their goods.

Some gnomes have been experimenting with the ironclads, often with humorous and/or disastrous results. Those few lizard men who have spelljamming ships tend to prefer smaller ships like eels, lampreys, and vipers.

Visitors are advised to be prepared for a lot of rain and very uncomfortable temperatures. Fortunately, two of the giff settlements have facilities for visitors for most races. Their motives are simple: if you want someone to buy your wares, you should make them comfortable.

The largest port on Venus, Diana, is a sizable city with citizens from a variety of races. It is a flashy place, despite the constant rain and uncomfortable heat. It is also rather decadent, with a variety of gambling establishments, brothels, black market fronts, and even some slave trade.