Clusterspace

Notable Locations: The Golden Girdle, The Inner Ring, The Sargasso of Skulls

Crystal Sphere: Yes

Astral Haze: No

Read Up: The Astromundi Cluster Box Set

The Astromundi Cluster is a Wildspace system encased within a Crystal Sphere but devoid of the Astral Haze that allows passage into the Astral Sea. Indeed, the Crystal Sphere of Clusterspace is unique in that the portals that dot its surface only open one way; they allow ships to pass into the system, but not back out—at least that’s what most inhabitants of the Cluster believe.

Primary: Firefall

Size I Cluster Fire Body comprised of many multi-hued stars that fall in and out of each other. A secondary, sapphire-colored sun called Denaeb orbits it, and the asteroids between them are uninhabitably hot.

System Overview

The Astromundi Cluster suffered an apocalyptic event in ages past that has completely devastated the system. Not a single planet remains intact—all of them were smashed over eons of cataclysm leaving only an enormous cluster of asteroids on which those who survived the cataclysms and those who have entered the system and been trapped there have settled on.

A complex web of factions, nations, and alliances keeps the cluster from exterminating itself, though there are some who push the good will of their neighbors to its very limit. Though Mind Flayers are one of the numerous species that find themselves trapped in Clusterspace, they are surprisingly not the most belligerent of them all.

The system is dominated by the Antilian Empire, led by a cabal of power-hungry human Sun Mages that exploit the power of Clusterspace’s many suns to fuel their magic and power their Citadels and Spelljammers. The empire is a mageocracy, where only the noble class is allowed to learn magic, and the greater one’s skill with magic, the greater their political power.

A Secret to Everyone

The elves alone know the secret to leaving Clusterspace once trapped inside; opening a portal from the deck of ship made of living material, such as a Star Moth, a Living Ship, or an Esthetic allows the vessel to safely pass through. All other ships are unable to escape.

Real Talk: The Astromundi Cluster is too dense for me to do it justice in so little space. Someone should write a whole book about it, like, I don’t know… Sam Witt?