Greatspace

Notable Locations: Thesalys, Lagor’s World

Notable Figures: Gorath Shambrath

Crystal Sphere: Yes

Astral Haze: Yes

Read Up: SJA3 – The Crystal Spheres

Greatspace, according to its own legends, was created by none other than Zeus himself, and throughout the system the Olympians are highly regarded as beloved founders and inspirations. And yet, the Wildspace system that Zeus built is remarkably uninterested in the ancient myths of Mount Olympus.

Specifically, the society of the world-spanning civilization of Thesalys, the third planet from the sun within Greatspace, values reason and science above all else. To them, the ancient myths and legends of the gods are at best diverting amusements and at worst distractions from their pursuit of greater understanding.

Myths and mysticism, they teach, obscure the greater truths behind the powers that shaped the multiverse. Mortals too can learn these truths with careful study and diligent pursuit of knowledge; gods are aspirational figures to the people of Thesalys, which is reflected in their worship. They believe that they can unlock the power to become like the Olympians, and perhaps even to take their places among them as the demigod Heracles did.

(Zeus and the Olympian Pantheon can be found on page 298 of the Player’s Handbook. )

System Overview

The primary of Greatspace is a large yellow star called Lanth , which provides an unusual amount of heat. Its rays are so intense that its nearest orbiting planet, Karrington , is a hot, dead spherical earth body that can support no life.

The second planet, Skora , is much like Venus, having intense weather and an atmosphere toxic to most humanoid life.

It is the third planet, Thesalys , an ocean-covered earth body with a single moon, that serves as the cradle of Greatspace’s civilization. A thousand years ago it was divided into innumerable petty city states all vying for power. Over the past millennium, however, it has been united under a single system of governance ruled by the five most powerful dynastic houses, with the most powerful of these houses taking the most direct hand in global affairs. For the past eight-hundred years, that has been House Shambrath .

The fourth world, called Lagor’s World after the explorer who discovered it, is more populous than Thesalys, having numerous humanoid civilizations including dwarves, elves, and gnomes in addition to the native humans. However, there are over fifty individual nations on Lagor’s World and none of them have the influence or political power within the system that the five houses of Thesalys do.

The only other inhabited planet is the sixth world Hecth , a beautiful mountainous world, sparsely populated by humans and elves. It was once a barbaric place with frequent war, until the cult of Athena arrived six hundred years ago and gradually converted the tribes there into loose alliances.

Greatspace has two other uninhabited planets, Longpoint and Boran , which are volcanically unstable in the case of the former and too cold to sustain life in that of the latter. The system is also ringed by an asteroid belt that often serves as a haven for pirates.

House Shambrath

Currently led by its patriarch Gorath, House Shambrath has ruled over Thesalian politics for 800 years. While the administration is light, it is undoubtedly felt by people across Thesalys’ five nations.

However, Thesalys and Lagor’s World are spread too far apart for the non-magical ships favored by the people of Greatspace to easily bridge the gap, giving the economically weaker Lagor’s World some independence. Despite Gorath’s hard line about the supremacy of science, many merchants are turning to the use of Spelljamming helms to have an edge over their more orthodox competitors.