Asteroid Belt

Alfar

Type: Spherical Earth Body

Size: B (90 mile diameter)

Day Length: 24 Hours

Year Length: 700 local days

Population Analysis:

Elves, sylvian creatures?

Seen from above, this is a pleasant little world dominated by temperate forests dotted with numerous small lakes and ranges of low hills. It is actually a place of testing for the elves of Sinaliel, who come here via a gate for periods varying from a few days to a few decades to see if they are ready to abandon the mortal world. When or if they pass the tests this world presents, they pass through another gate to?

The Invaders have tried to to land here a number of times. Each time, their vessels simply vanished, to never be heard from again. They have since declared this worldlet offlimits.

Bel

Type: Spherical Earth Body

Size: C (950 mile diameter)

Day Length: 21 Hours

Year Length: 800 local days

Population Analysis:

A few thousand each Humans and Gnomes, plus small numbers of Centaurs, Dwarves, Elves, Minotaurs, ect.

Largest of the Asteriods (actually deserving the title `planet'), Bel has a distinctly unfinished look about it - `like a cube with the corners knocked off and edges rounded down a bit' - was how one spelljamming traveler described it. The planets rings - tens of thousands of house sized chunks of rock and ice - only heighten this impression.

Bel's surface is mostly desert or arid grassland. Though there are a few tiny coniferous groves here and there, Bel has only two true forests: both hardly more than a hundred miles across, neither doing all that well. Both exist at all only because of extensive efforts by Bel's inhabitants. Bel has a number of rocky ridges, but these have few actual peaks, and are only sometimes tall enough to be considered mountains. Animal life ranges from normal insects, mice, rabbits, cats, dogs, goats, and horses to monsterous creatures such as basilisks, behir, cockatrices, and the like.

The icecaps are extensive, reaching down to latitude 50 in places, but they are also very thin, often no more than a dozen yards or so thick. There is one saltwater ocean, covering a fourth of the planet, but its ecosystem is distinctly underdeveloped, sporting only the most basic sorts of fish, crustaceans, and eels, none in great numbers. Rumors persist of giant octopi and large eel-like sea serpents, but these creatures - if they even exist - must be rare indeed. Sapient aquatic creatures are unknown, or nearly so. Bel does have two huge fresh water lakes - one almost six hundred miles long by a hundred miles wide (much of it bordering one of the two forests), but like the ocean, these lakes (linked by long rivers to the ocean) have only the most basic aquatic life (though one does have a community of aquatic `faeries').

Bel's first inhabitants were the `Celtic' type human barbarians encountered by the Regia empire during their early days of expansion. Unwilling to submit to Regia, and out of places to run, the senior barbarian priest (a 12th level druid varient) opened a gate to this world instead. More than eight hundred of the barbarians, along with their animals, seeds, tools, ect came through the portal before it closed. The barbarian druid and his next two successors spent the rest of their lives creating one of this worlds two forests.

As time went by, Daros, one of Dragonhomes best human wizards, began conducting experiments with teleport spells, eventually succeeded in creating a link between the two worlds. Over the course of the next few decades he sent hundreds of adventurers, explorers, mercenaries, misfits, and outcasts (including bands of centaurs and minotaurs) through the `teleport gate' he'd established.

Some of these new arrivals encountered the original barbarians, and after some initial skirmishes, the result was a split: some of the barbarians returned to their old ways, while the rest, influenced by the new arrivals, opted for a more `civilized' lifestyle, founding the kingdom of Lugh - about which time Daros got himself and most of his apprentices killed in one of Regia's civil wars. Shortly thereafter, the `teleport gate' ran out of charges, and the link between the two worlds was severed.

Cut off, the kingdom of Lugh embarked on a major forestry program of its own, creating the second of Bel's two forests.

Bel's next arrivals came on a seriousely overloaded and offcourse gnomish spelljamming vessel several hundred years ago. The already damaged craft became even more damaged while passing through Bel's ring system and wound up grounded (crashed) for good, stranding its three hundred plus gnomes, forty or so dwarves, and dozen odd giant space hamsters.

About this time, Castor, another powerfull Regian wizard, managed to create a teleport link between Dragonhome and Bel - but his gate opened into one of Bels more desolate regions, few people were willing to leave a comfortable life on Regia for the unknown hazards here, so he turned the area about the gate terminus into a testing ground for some of his more dangerous spells. He also created teleport links between Bel and other worlds, most notably Delphos. Unlike Daros, the secrets of Castors teleport links did not die with him - various daring wizards and their agents continue to use and expand the network into the present time.

Currently, Bel has three organized `kingdoms':

Lugh:

This is a sort of laid back agricultural realm on the north shore of the Manannan ocean. It is much like groundling kingdoms elsewhere, boasting one small city (Lugh, situated well inland), and half a dozen outlying villages (one of which, the port of Connerby is actually large enough to be termed a `town').

Wherearewe:

This is a more or less typical tinker gnome enclave built into a mountain overlooking a grassy plain roamed by giant space hamsters, and is pretty much half industrial facility and half giant hamster ranch. A teleport gate, deep within the mountain, opens into the underdark beneath the city of Vulcan on Dragonhome.

Refuge:

Refuge is a new realm, created as a base of operations for rebels opposed to the Invaders. Its inhabitants have a rather militant outlook; its towns have the `feel' of army bases. Refuge's inhabitants are concerned about security, and often send out patrols to far corners of the planet. Several well guarded teleport gates here open up onto most of the other habitable asteriods (and a couple that aren't), plus Dragonworld and Suynama.

The Barbarians:

These are quasi nomadic bands of humans barbarians, centaurs, and minotaurs, none numbering more than a few score, generally following herds of cattle and/or deer about Bel's more habitable regions. The barbarians maintain a series of `great camps' at widely spaced locations where members of all bands meet, without fear of violence, four or five times a year. Depending on their nature, they sometimes raid or trade with the inhabitants of Refuge and Lugh.

Notable barbarian `Great Camps' include Deepcleft (with a tunnel connecting to this worlds underdark), Silverwater (next to a lake that is home to a number of `water spirits' - actually Nixies), Treewalk (governed by a grouchy old treant), and Shaper (which is visited often by traders and others from Bels more developed areas and is in the process of turning into a permanent town).

The Underdark:

Interestingly, Bel does have an underdark, populated by Drow, Duagar, and Goblins. Apparently, the Drow and the Duagar - allies of some sort - were on the loosing side of some vast underdark war elsewhere (probably in another sphere altogether), and chose stepping through a scroll opened gate to an unknown destination as preferable to being exterminated, bringing their goblin slaves with them. Since then, there has been a general fragmentation: while there is still one or two mixed race communities, each race has maybe four or five settlements occupied by only its own people, none with more than a few hundred inhabitants.

These Drow are not Lolth worshippers - but they are not all that pleasant either. The Duagar, for their part, have no clerics and little interest in theology - though many are expert psionists. While there are a number of access points to the surface, only three - Cross, Deepcleft and the Pyramids - have any sort of surface worlder presence. Hence, contact between surface and underdark is erratic at best.

The Pyramids:

The origin of these three edifices - the largest of which rises close to eighty feet - is unknown (one may be a long grounded pyramid ship). They are ancient in the extreme, and badly damaged. A extensive, ill explored labyrinth of tunnels, linked to the underdark, lays beneath them. Only a few barbarian outcasts, scholarly hermits, and misfits dwell in the area.

Cross:

Set admidst a tangle of ridges, this is the largest of several outlaw towns, populated by misfits, bandits, and exiles from all across Bel, many of them descended from those sent here by Castor and unable to fit into the other societies. It is home to a number of nonhumans, including Duagar and Drow who came here through a link to Bel's underdark.

The Invaders know of Bel's existence, and are aware that it is inhabited, but the ring system claims many vessels that attempt to land, so they have given up trying to take the place. However, there are small bands of Invaders on the surface, survivors of various crashes. They are hunted by patrols from Refuge and sometimes find sanctuary at Cross.

Carci

Type: Spherical Water Body

Size: C (400 mile diameter)

Day Length: 15 Hours

Year Length: 1200 local days

Population Analysis:

Monsters and small temporary encampments of various races (including Invaders)

This partly frozen water world has two large size B earthbodies imbedded in it, one at either pole. The earth bodies projects above the water in several places and are partly frozen in place, making them stable, fixed `continents'. The land areas boast grass, berry bushes, and a few conferous trees, along with various large and small animals. The half frozen ocean is home to several species of fish and eels. If it were not for Carci's other inhabitants, it would be merely unpleasant instead of downright nasty.

Carci seems to be a dumping ground for powerfull monsters that the Gods didn't care to have running around loose on Dragonworld or Suynama; these include Remorhaz, Kraken, Behirs, Giant Two Headed Trolls, Ettens, and a few other, possibly unique creatures as well (DM's discretion here).

Locations on Carci include:

The Old Wizards Tower:

This crumbling four storey tower stone edifice is at least several hundred years old, and is thought to have been built by an apprentice of Daros. Sometimes used as a monster lair, its chief feature is a teleport gate linking Carci with Bel (Refuge). Minor magical items may be here as well. The Tower is unknown to the Invaders.

The Vault:

What this structure contains is unknown, though several mid to high ranking Invaders have been killed trying to find out. Its guardians include several nasty spells, some traps, and a pair of golems (type according to GM's discretion).

The Secret Base:

A number of captured Rebel spelljammers are based here, occasionally leaving to raid Invader shipping. The Secret Base is also a training ground for extremely high level Rebel troops (8th+ level fighters and rangers, plus fighter/thieves, and war wizards). The Invaders have no idea the base exists.

The Invaders send patrols here now and again. Currently, there are two groups of them here: some survivors of a crashed spelljammer (no spellcasters or helms left), and some renegades, who are hiding out and contemplating going pirate. The two groups are not aware of each other.

Delphos (Dragon Sun)

Type: Spherical Earth Body

Size: C (500 mile diameter)

Day Length: 12 Hours

Year Length: 1300 local days

Population Analysis:

Several thousand humans, others

This world has an odd symmetry - it is equally split between a shallow sea with a single central island, and a single continent with a single central lake. The continent is mostly level - indeed almost flat, covered with short grass (almost like a huge lawn), and dotted here and there with groves of regularly spaced trees. Hills, too, are evenly spaced and oddly symmetrical - the occasional sheer slopes are almost perfectly sheer, with few signs of erosion. Dotting the landscape here and there are half or wholey ruined buildings, once elaborate edifices that suggest palaces or temples. A close look at the crumbling inscriptions reveals the builders identities: the priests of Apollo, who used this asteriod as a sort of religious retreat in eons past. But they were not the only ones, and they had good reasons both for building this place and for keeping it secret - this worldlet is home to the quasi divine `Son of the Great Dragon' and the source of many of their prophecies.

The `Son of the Great Dragon' still dwells here, as do some of Apollo's followers, who have degenerated into a collection of fanatics, fortune tellers, petty mages, and swindlers. The several sphinxes, centaurs, dryads, and satyrs (along with a few Tabaxi and Minotaurs) present here only add to the confusion - visitors sometimes get the impression they've been dropped into the middle of a badly told fairy tale - the stereo typical characters are never quiet who or what they're supposed to be, constantly `blowing their lines', helping instead of harming (or vice versa), running away, or not showing up at all (or showing up too often). Hence, the `mighty hero' is revealed as a cowardly charlatan, the `native guide' a bumbling wanderer, the `evil wizard' is a rather helpfull sort, the `ferocious monster' a sham, `the lady in distress' a true villian.

Nonsapient life includes all sorts of common animals from common insects to rats, cats, dogs, cattle, chickens, plus a few deer and lions.

Delpos has perhaps a dozen communities, linked by a long cart track forming a huge circle. They include:

Oracle Gate:

This complex is where the gate to the city of Apollo is located, and the oldest community on Delphos. It is a tightly run theocratic village of about five hundred, presided over by fanatics appointed by the mother temple on Dragonworld.

Temple Row:

Originally a retreat for spellcasting priests of Apollo, Temple Row eventually aquired shrines to a number of other Greek gods, including Zeus, Hera, Hermes, and Rhea, each of which is the focus of a tiny clutch of worshippers (these are almost the only shrines not dedicated to Apollo found on Delphos). Mostly, Temple Row is a quiet, laid back place.

Tent Town:

This is a quasi-permanent market, serving five nearby tiny villages. While there are usually a few hundred people here at any given time, almost the only permanent residents are its handfull of merchants and their employees.

Seaside:

With a population of just over seven hundred, Seaside is the largest of Delphos's towns. Half its populace are farmers, fishermen, and artisans; the other half can be divided into flakes (entertainers, eccentric scholars, artists, third rate wizards, ect), and criminals (petty thieves, swindlers, and the like). A small shrine to Posiedon is located here. Just outside of Seaside is a fortified coastal complex - a Rebel spelljammer base.

Dracos:

This is a ring of six tower like spires set at regular intervals around a central terraced hill. Each of the spires is home to a distinct group: one is home to a small number of sphinxes, another is the headquarters of what passes for a wizards guild here, a third is abandoned and thought to be haunted, the fourth and fifth are controlled by Apollonian fanatics, while the last is home to a misfit collection of gnomes, elves, minotaurs and the like. The central hill is the dwelling of the `Son of the Great Dragon', and cannot be climbed unless he wills it - those who try run into a permanent Wall of Force.

The small central island in the midst of this worlds single sea has only one feature of note: the Tomb of the Creator, a great opaque crystaline casket set beneath a roof supported by carved pillars. Only the uppermost part of the casket is visible; more than four fifths of its bulk is underground (the egg shaped casket is more than forty feet long by twenty wide). It cannot be opened from the outside. A indistinct figure can be glimpsed through the caskets visible portion - sometimes.

Besides the main gate to Apollo, Delphos is linked by Teleport Gates to Suynama, Hecate, a small island off western Panthea on Dragonworld, and Bel.

After tangling with the `Son of the Great Dragon', the Invaders decided to leave this world alone - for now.

Hecate

Type: Spherical Earth Body

Size: C (600 mile diameter)

Day Length: 10 Hours

Year Length: 1400 local days

Population Analysis:

Centaurs, mongrelmen, minotaurs, various others

Most of Hecate is covered by a shallow, frigid sea that varies from a few dozen to a few hundred feet deep. The water of this sea is (barely) drinkable fresh water, heavily laced with contaminents. Those who do not boil the water prior to drinking it run a high risk of disease. Hecates sea is home to several species of fish, eels, and octopi; unusually for the worlds of this sphere it is also home to small schools of dolphins, whales, and sharks. There are also a few more exotic creatures found here, notably mermen, sea serpents, and kelpies.

Rising from Hecates cold sea are four widely spaced large islands - Estate, Secure, Monstrum, and Freeward - each perhaps a hundred miles across in its greatest dimension. Additionally, there are some three dozen smaller islets rising from Hecates icy sea, collectively called the Pebbles, both for their small size (none is larger than two or three miles across) and for their near lifelessness.

Indeed, `ordinary' land life on Hecate is rather sparse - straggly grass, tough brush, and the odd coniferous grove is about it for plant life; insects, mice, and similiar creatures seem lacking in number, though there are reports of huge all devouring insect swarms (very much like a `Creeping Doom' spell). There are small populations of other natural creatures here as well - bears, boars, cats, cattle, chickens, deer, dogs, horses, rabbits, ect - brought here for food or experimentation.

The sinister figure known as the Grand Conjurer was tortured, dismembered, and then burned a millenia ago, but some of his secrets remained, and chief of those is Hecate, the world he reached via a gate spell and turned into a combination laboratory, refuge, and treasure house. After his death, his apprentices formed a Circle in his honor - the Grand Conjurers Circle - and Hecate became their secret base of operations. Down through the centuries they have brought others to this world as slaves and experimental subjects. Some remain under the Circles sway; others have rebelled and found a measure of freedom. Some centuries ago, an apprentice of Castor (who virtually rediscovered Teleport magic) found her way to Hecate, and went head to head with the Grand Conjurers Circle, eventually wresting a portion of the planetiod from their control. The Circle she founded - the Mysterium - is still a major influence here. The

Invaders made a single half hearted attempt to conquor Hecate some decades ago, but after a few initial failures, decided taking this world was simply was not worth the resources required.

Estate:

This large round island, dotted with grassy fields and small groves of trees was the personal headquarters of the Grand Conjurer; his seaside manor - a stone complex sprawling over several acres and featuring everything from artisan's shops to barracks to summoning chambers - is now the secret headquarters of the Circle that bears his name. The only other permanent habitation is a village of some two hundred odd mongrelmen, used as menial laborers.

Secure:

A third of this island - located near Hecates north pole - is covered by a large glacier while the rest is a tangled labyrinth of knife sharp ridges and narrow canyons dotted with traps and patrolled by gargoyles, golems, and conjured creatures. Secure was intended to be just that - a secure place to cache various magical and material treasures. Down through the intervening centuries, the Grand Conjurers Circle has established a number of mines (worked by mongrelmen and captured enemies) to tap into the islands mineral wealth. A lich - a former apprentice of the Grand Conjurer - oversee's Secure.

Monstrum:

The largest of Hecates islands, Monstrum is a bewildering maze of low, steep hills, swamps, forests, and sheer walled valleys, connected by a long peninsula with Secure. It was the Grand Conjurers `monster factory' and `zoo' - here are found basilisks, catoblepas, chimera, cockatrices, manticores, and other monsters hunting each other and more normal creatures. There are no sapients on Monstruim, though the Invaders had a secret base here for a time, until it was abandoned in the face of repeated monster attacks.

Freeward:

Diamond shaped Freeward is dominated by a narrow central ridge with jutting spurs that spit this isle into sections, some wooded, some grassy. Like Monstrum, Freeward was once a combination laboratory and zoo; though the monsters kept here were of a more intelligent nature - centaurs, lycanthropes, minotaurs, sphinxes and the like. Under the influence of the Mysterium mage circle, these creatures banded together and evicted the Grand Conjurers Circle. Currently, the island is dotted with small villages of `free' mongrelemen, lycanthropes, and centaurs, who are watched over by the Mysterium mage circle, based at a tower rising from a central plateau on the island.

The Pebbles:

This chain of half frozen islets is mostly ignored by the rulers of Freeward and Estate, even though they occupy the sea between them. One of these near lifeless rocks contains a ancient Teleport Gate liking Hecate with Delphos. Another houses a Invader watchpost - the only Invader presence left on this worldlet after the failure of their half hearted invasion (capturing Hecate was not deemed a major priority) and abandonment of their base on Monstrum.

Zephyr

Type: Spherical Air Body

Size: C (400 mile diameter)

Day Length: 11 Hours

Year Length: 1000 local days

Population Analysis:

10,000+ Invaders, slaves

This is a very small air world, with a size `A' firebody at its center. Orbiting this firebody at the same speed as the planets rotation are three size `B' flatworlds, set at 120 degree angles from each other.

Prior to the arrival of the Invaders, Zephyr's earthbodies were barely habitable lumps of rock. But thats changed. One of the earthbodies is the Invaders system headquarters, with a large fleet of spelljammers permanently based there. The second is covered by huge slave worked fields, while the third is used for intensive training exercises. The Invaders regard Zephyr as exclusively and entirely theirs, a utterly safe fallback point. Slaves brought here do not return.

What the Invaders don't know about is the teleport gate placed here by the rebels...