Multiple groups are contending with this decimated sphere, each with its own goal or agenda.

THE TANAR'RI

This fell race can be grouped into three factions: The Expansionists, the Overlords, and the Hunters. Membership in these factions is not fixed; individual tanar'ri often change sides depending on their interests of the moment.

The Expansionists wish to establish a solid planar link between this sphere and the abyss, turning Lostspace into a sort of `stepping stone' for the invasion of the rest of the prime material plane.

The Overlords wish to take the Expansionists plans a step further: they want a solid link established between Lostspace and the Abyss, but instead of using that link to invade the prime material plane, they plan on dragging the whole sphere into the Abyss, essentially creating a `new' abyssal layer.

The Hunters have no grand plans for Lostspace; to them it is simply a place that they can visit, inflict a bit of mayhem, and dig up the odd magical relic or three in between schemes elsewhere.

The Expansionists and the Overlords have an on again/off again truce: this because both desire a greatly strengthened abyssal link, and the only way to get that link is to diminish or extinguish the power of Lostspaces Sun. Hence, tanar'ri from both factions have been fighting a long and bitter war with the elemental beings inhabiting the Sun for much of the past thousand years. The tanar'ri are gradually winning the struggle, as is evidenced by the Sun's steady dimming throughout the past few centuries. In another century or two, its luminosity ought to be reduced enough for them to attempt to strengthen the portal.

THE UNDEAD

The Undead of this sphere, under the lich Makal, last Emperor of Khabull, also wish the sun extinguished or diminished - that removes many of the restrictions placed on this odious echo of life. However, Lostspaces Undead are more and more a empty shell: most of them have been around for a thousand years or more; and that long a period is enough time to wear down even the unliving. As a result, while hostile, the Undead seldom go out looking for trouble.

THE MINDFLAYERS

The Illithid appear to have played a role of some sort in the dimming of the Sun (which implies a former (?) alliance of some sort with the tanar'ri). However, they are content to keep the Sun at its current dim level of radiance; they are only too well aware that they too, would perish if it were to be utterly extinguished. Hence, they play both ends against the middle, now aiding this tanar'ri faction, now helping (!) the Lightbringers.

These Mindflayers are dangerous in another context as well; for they possess a number of spelljamming vessels and are in contact with others of their ilk outside the sphere. It is possible that these other mindflayers may some day take a major interest in events here.

THE INVADERS

In the original version, the Invaders were assumed to be Vodoni, and Lostspace was the Vodoni occupied sphere of the same name. Another likely candidate for the Invaders is the Scro, perhaps backed up by human mages and mercenaries from the Tenth Pit. Lostspace is assumed to be well behind the Invaders lines of control - in fact they think of it as a `backwater'.

In any event, the chief goal of the Invaders is not so much conquest as it is to collect magical artefacts, spells, wealth, ect. Their reasoning on this point is straight forward - they know full well that Lostspaces Sun is likely to be extinguished in another century or two, and when that happens, most or all of the life in the sphere will perish. Hence, why expend major effort conquoring something thats only going to be destroyed shortly thereafter anyhow? They are aware that it might be possible to reignite Lostspaces Sun, but are not placing a lot of hope in that possibility (though that is one of the things they are researching).

Prior to undergoing major reverses in spheres elsewhere, the Invaders were going to wait until just before the Sun went out for good, then send in a major fleet which would round up as many of the spheres inhabitants as they could and send them off elsewhere, as (slave) labor. However, if the `long shot' of reigniting the Sun should somehow pay off, they would send in another major fleet, this one filled with their own people, and Lostspace would turn from `occupied wilderness' status to full blown `province'. However, until either event happens, they would keep a low profile, running things through local puppets.

The Invaders `Investigating Teams' number anywhere from as few as a dozen to several hundred. Usually, each is commanded by a powerfull spellcaster, backed up by skilled warriors, with specialist engineers and scholars along for critical examinations. Anywhere from one half to three fourths of the team members will be locals, usually criminals drafted from the local gaols, but also including mercenaries, minor wizards, ect. The Invaders make few distinctions regarding the races, religions, and beliefs of their local recruits, throwing disparate people together in a haphazard manner. In their eyes, the beliefs of the inferior locals matters little - and they're not expected to live all that long anyhow. The locals - especially new recruits - are seen as expendable. They are sent into ruins and dungeons ahead of the invaders to find traps, monsters, and guardians. Those who show some promise (by surviving two or three `missions') are sometimes trained as thieves, minor wizards, or guards. Few locals on the investigating teams have much in the way of equipment, weapons, or armor (by design, to prevent desertion and revolts). Most locals are expected to serve ten to twenty years on the `investigating teams'.

THE VODONI

Overlord Hector J'Sinoth - Vodoni Male
Thief 7/Mage (Diviner) 14
S:14 I:17 W:17 D:15 C:11 Ch:14; HP:40; Thaco:16; AL:LN

Hector J'Sinoth is not of the Breeder nobility. Instead he came up through the ranks, initially as an `Investigator' on the various missions plundering the ruins of the system. Eventually, he was selected for `special' (magical) training, and rapidly exceeded all expectations, becoming the `Senior Investigator' about a decade ago. His title is somewhat precarious; the previous Sphere Overlord was recalled to Vodoni Prime immediately prior to Vulkaran's downfall (and was killed in the aftermath of that event); his chosen successor perished in an accident almost immediately thereafter. Hector got the job as a result of a compromise between two contending Breeders; both wanted the post, but neither had sufficient support to claim it. Since then, one has left the system and the other has perished. Spending the better part of forty years in this sphere has had its effect on Hector; more and more he questions the wisdom of what the Vodoni are doing here: after all - who is to say the devices unearthed here will not utterly destroy his own people the next time they are used? He is also sympathetic to the locals (which is one reason why they have so much free reign). He divides his time between the Invaders moon base, Fell, and the Museum (he counts several of the staff there as personal friends).

Pollanya - Vodoni Female, Governor of Fell
ex Fighter 7/Mage 12
S:14 I:18 W:8 D:11 C:9 Ch:12; HP:50; Thaco:14; AL:LE

An older aristocratic Breeder, Pollanya was sent to this sphere mere months before Vulkaran's reign collapsed, the result of being on the loosing side of a petty intrigue back home. She does not like the idea of a nonbreeder as Sphere Overlord, but is not ready to confront Hector - yet. Her current post, Governor of Fell (and defacto planetary overlord) is a result of the same shaky compromise that made Hector sphere overlord.

Kono - Vodoni Male, Official
Fighter 9/Mage 14
S:16 I:18 W:8 D:14 C:7 Ch:8; HP:46; Thaco:11; AL:LE

Kono is the Vodoni Breeder charged with restoring Girru to an operational condition, a task he approaches with near monomania. He cares nothing for the petty intrigues among his peers - though he is planning on using Girru as a means to make himself supreme among the Vodoni. However, his peers are aware of his ambitions, and his `loyal' staff is riddled with spies. Kono suffers from very poor health - he is always taking some potion or undergoing some magical treatment to stay healthy.

Luggit - Vodoni Male, Official
Fighter 9
S:18/82 I:13 W:10 D:10 C:16 Ch:9; HP:101; Thaco:11; AL:LE

Huge, bald, and brutal, Luggit is the Vodoni taskmaster charged with overseeing the mines on Ious. He is a natural sadist. Unlike the other Vodoni, Luggit likes being posted here - anywhere else, and he would be a minor functionary at best.

Trabbit - Vodoni Male, `Investigator'
ex Fighter 8/Mage 9
S:17 I:17 W:11 D:9 C:10 Ch:9; HP:41; Thaco:13; AL:LE

Until being posted here a decade ago, Trabbit was a typical Breeder; suave, arrogant, powerfull, and ruthless. Ten years of commanding `Investigating Teams', confronting conjured monsters, deadly traps, tanar'ri, and undead have changed all that; these days he is badly scarred in body and soul, paranoid in the extreme - as far as he is concerned the primary purpose of the investigating teams is to kill off Breeders. All the really worthwhile material, in his view, was carted off decades ago or has long since decayed into dust.

OTHERS

Lostspace is not exactly an unknown sphere; it would be more accurate to say it was mostly forgotten. It appears under a variety of names in some of the earliest records of the Church of Ptah (apparently they once had a major temple here, and regarded it as the most distant of the civilized spheres). The Elven Imperial Fleet also knew of the sphere, maintaining a base here until just before the Final War; even afterwards a rare Man-of-War would swing through the system. Likewise, the gnomes of knownspace are vaguely aware of Lostspace.

Even in the millenia since the Final War, Lostspace has recieved a more or less steady trickle of adventurers, explorers, and wanderers from the Known Spheres. What sets the Invaders apart from these others is that they arrived in force.