Realmspace

To whom it may
My name is Gantys Ordell. I’m an engineering consultant at Amaunator’s Forge, a speHjammer shipyard orbiting the planet Anadia. As of this writing, I am currently preparing for a most ambitious voyage of discovery.
Over the course of the next few weeks, the eight worlds of Realmspace will be aligning into a rare convergence, with the celestial bodies lining up almost perfectly. The distance between the worlds will as a result become the shortest they will ever be for millennia to come. if one wished to visit the known worlds one after another in complete succession, the process of convergence would greatly reduce the travel time; the danger of making such ajourney would naturally also be reduced. A trip that would normally take the better part of a year and far more expense (traveling supplies aren’t cheap) could be accomplished in less than two months’ time.
According to my family’s records, the last such expedition was undertaken in 1365 DR by The Great Pirate Lord Slade, who returned with vast riches and many tales of wonder. The wealth of information brought back by Slade provided great insight into the workings of the Celestial Design. More than a century has passed, however, and much of the data acquired from the Slade’s Expedition may have become obsolete. A new pioneer is needed to explore the worlds and return with updated lore.
I have volunteered myself for this most dangerous of tasks. I will take advantage of the planetary convergence to set forth on an accelerated (and affordable) survey of all eight worlds. To this end, I have spent nearly my entire fortune to personally finance the building of a new speHjamming vessel (of my own design I might add) and hired reliable companions to aid me along the way. With a stalwart crew of 46 in my employ, and the most powerful vessel to ever launch from Amaunator’s Forge, I will surely overcome any and all obstacles that appear on this mission.
I have given instructions to the crew to preserve and deliver my writings to the university should I somehow fail to survive the trials ahead. I’ve also asked the captain that I’ve commissioned to contribute a few words of advice based on her experience as a veteran sailor on the Sea of Swords and the past few years she’s enjoyed as a freighter ship operator in Selune’s speHjammer ports.
May the knowledge I compile be of use to you the reader, should you choose to explore the worlds of Realmspace yourself.
Best of luck,
Gantys Ordell 
REALMSPACE
Realmspace is a system of eight planets that revolve around the Sun, a massive globe of burning gases at the center of the system. In addition, a barrier shell of crystalline matter completely surrounds all of Realmspace; the entirety of Realmspace is also referred to as “the Crystal Sphere” for this reason.
The five planets closest to the Sun are referred to as the Inner Planets, and the three planets furthest from the Sun are referred to as the Outer Planets.
The Inner Planets and the Outer Planets are divided by a revolving trail of asteroids and clusters of ice known as the Arcus Belt. It has been surmised that many comets and meteors originate from the Arcus Belt.
Beyond the Outer Planets lie the Frigid Badlands, a trail of asteroids and ice clusters like the Arcus Belt, but much larger and more highly populated with ice clusters.
Even further beyond lies the Distant Fringe, the darkest and coldest region of Realmspace, believed to be all but dead space. There are legends of hidden worlds within this area that have yet to be discovered, as well as speculations of strange creatures that roam the void. This is the last region of Realmspace before reaching the Sphere Wall of the crystal sphere, which is supposedly impenetrable save for select portals along its surface.
All objects in Realmspace are constantly in motion, revolving around the Sun by the effect of the Sun’s powerful gravity. A conservation of angular momentum causes the planets to move more quickly along their orbital paths the closer they are to the Sun (or more slowly the further they are away from the Sun). Part of the challenge of spelljamming safely is to calculate the differences between celestial objects’ travel times correctly as to avoid missing a checkpoint location or to prevent a potential collision. Typical spelljamming vessels will have instruments and/or sensors to assist in such calculations.
The celestial bodies of Realmspace revolve at relatively the same axis, forming a disk-like orbit. There is a large amount of unoccupied wild space above and below the orbit. These two regions are called the Seas of Night (differentiated by north and south). There is speculation that besides clouds of dust and gas, there are a number of free¬floating structures within the wild space, such as asteroids or perhaps even entire planets that are somehow free of the Sun’s pull. It is common to hear tall tales about legendary treasure hoards hidden in such places.
NORTH SEA OF NIGHT
THE SUN
ASTRONOMICAL TYPE: COMBUSTIVE SPHERE
DIAMETER*: 800,000 MILES
CIRCUMFERENCE*: 2,513,200 MILES
*DIAMETER AND CIRCUMFERENCE ARE ROUNDED TO THE NEAREST 100.
THE SUN PROVIDES LIGHT AND WARMTH TO ALL OF THE PLANETS OF REALMSPACE. IT IS THE LARGEST, MOST MASSIVE IN THE SYSTEM. THE SUN IS OVER A HUNDRED TIMES THE DIAMETER OF TORIL, AND APPEARS TO THE CASUAL OBSERVER AS AN ENOR¬MOUS BALL OF BRIGHTLY BURNING FIRE. THE SUN IS SO BRIGHT THAT ONE CAN GO BLIND STARING AT IT FOR TOO LONG, AND IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE IT PROPERLY WITH¬OUT SPECIALLY PREPARED VISUAL FILTERS. THERE ARE NO AREAS ON THE SUN WHERE A SPELLJAMMER CAN EXPLORE WITHOUT BEING DESTROYED BY THE CONSTANT EXTREME HEAT (WHICH CAN REACH MILLIONS OF DEGREES IN TEMPERATURE). COUNTLESS PORTALS HAVE BEEN OBSERVED ALL OVER THE SURFACE OF THE SUN FROM WHICH CREATURES OF ELEMENTAL FIRE ENTER AND EXIT. THERE SEEM TO BE MANY DIFFERENT TYPES, POSSIBLY INCLUDING INTELLIGENT BEINGS SUCH AS EFREETI THAT ROAM THE SURFACE OF THE SUN. THE CREATURES LIVING ON THE SUN ARE ALSO FIERCELY TERRITORIAL, AND MANY OF THEM PATROL ITS NEARBY ORBIT; SHIPS THAT PASS TOO CLOSELY WILL OFTEN BE AT¬TACKED ON SIGHT.
WILDSPACE AND BEYOND
WHAT IS WILDSPACE?
The space outside of a planet’s environment is typically referred to as “wildspace”. It is the great frontier beyond the safety of the immutable ground. There is no breathable air in wildspace so spelljammers are designed to maintain a an airtight containment around or within their hulls; this is usually a bubble that forms around the ship as it begins transit into the air or into wildspace.
CELESTIAL BODIES
Planets are gigantic bodies of solid or gaseous materials that produce gravity, and revolve primarily around the sun. Bodies of materials that are large enough to produce gravity and revolve primarily around planets are called moons. Asteroids are large, solid clumps of rocky or metallic materials that drift through wildspace. Comets are large, solid clumps of ice, dust, and rocky materials that drift through space. Smaller solid clumps of materials are called meteoroids, which are called meteors when they fall into a planet’s atmosphere for imminent collision; if the meteor survives collision, it is then called a meteorite.
CRYSTAL SPHERES
According to records of spelljammers crossing beyond the Sphere Wall, the Crystal Sphere of Realmspace is not the only one. There are countless other Crystal Spheres outside of Realmspace, and each one has its own pantheon of deities to govern over it; some deities have footholds in multiple Crystal Spheres. Most other Crystal Spheres seem to be similar to Realmspace, with a system of planets that revolve around a Sun.
PHLOGISTON
The regions between Crystal Spheres are filled with a mysterious gas called phlogiston. It is a rainbow-colored, unstable, fluorescent gas (or gaslike substance) that flows turbulently between the Crystal Spheres. The gas will immediately dissipate when brought into the wildspace of a Crystal Sphere, and will easily burst into flame within the atmosphere of a spelljammer traveling in the phlogiston flows. Spelljammers can ride the currents of phlogiston to greatly reduce travel time between Crystal Spheres.
CREATURES OF THE VOID
There are many creatures that live natively in wildspace. These include spacefaring civilizations and various wildlife. There are legends of great Star Beasts that can dwarf even planets with their immense girth, and planets that are themselves living beings of unfathomable consciousness.
A spelljammer has three basic components: The hull, the engine, and the helm.
The hull is the body of the ship that contains its inner compartments and mechanisms. The engine is the device that propels the ship, powered by a connected fuel source (the type of fuel source may vary). The helm is the interface by which a crew member known as the “helmsman” gives commands to the engine (ex. “stop”, “move sideways”, “move forward” the interface is commonly a magical crystal ball or an enchanted ship’s wheel.
Extra components often include shields of force to protect the ship and maintain a safe breathable atmosphere, large sails enchanted to catch solar winds for auxiliary propulsion, and ranged weapons that shoot lightning, fireballs, beams of arcane energy, or solid projectiles.
Legend has it that the concept of spelljammers originated from the discovery of a living spelljamming creature native to the reaches of space. This creature is supposed to have been titanic enough to carry an entire city on its back.
THE LONG SILENCE
In the Year of Blue Fire (1385 DR), a terrible event caused the catastrophic disruption of magic everywhere throughout Realmspace - the death of Mystra, goddess of magic, triggered the unraveling of the Weave.
When the Weave collapsed, spelljamming ships could no longer function properly. This began the Long Silence, a period of history during which transportation between worlds in Realmspace became practically impossible and communication between the worlds was highly difficult except by extraordinary means. For reasons unknown until new information was brought back by Ordell’s Expedition, communication between peoples of the Inner Planets and the Outer Planets was cut off altogether.
THE GREAT REVIVAL
The goddess of magic returned to full power in the Year of the Rune Lords Triumphant (1487 DR), marking the end of the Sundering, a grand struggle of the gods that saw many of them brought back to life, and many of them in contention over their places in the divine hierarchy. With Mystra’s return the restoration of the Weave progressed in earnest. By the end of the next year, the Weave was renewed across all of Realmspace, more stable than ever.
The priests spread the good news across the worlds. Dreams of space travel that had been burned to ashes in blue fire rose back to life. Old ships were repaired and refurbished, and new ships were designed and engineered. The age of spelljamming was back.
THE GREAT MYSTERY
The Although commercial spelljamming operations within the borders of the Inner Planets have largely resumed with the return of the Weave, there had been no official attempt to venture beyond the Inner Planets prior to the launch of Ordell’s Expedition.There have been a number of concerns regarding potential threats from the Outer Planets, such as the illithids of Glyth or the beholders of H’Catha. Astronomers and diviners alike have reported the detection of disturbing emanations and unexplainable motions within the shadows of the Arcus Belt.Before Ordell’s Expedition, none who entered the Arcus Belt since the revival of Mystra had ever returned to tell of what they had seen beyond the veil of mystery.
SPELL JAMMING
WHAT IS SPELLJAMMING?
Spelljamming is a method of propulsion by which ships are able to cross incredibly vast distances in very short times. The average spelljamming ship, or spelljammer, can travel over a hundred million miles within a day.
In order to create propulsion, spelljamming requires use of the Weave, an invisible framework of magical control that exists interwoven with the very fabric of reality, like connecting strands of thread that lay beneath and between. It is everywhere and all around throughout known existence. The structure of the Weave is infinitely complex and governs the laws of magic by which all spells are cast as well as how receptacles of magical power behave.
Spelljamming works on the principle of contracting and expanding the space around an object, creating a wave in space on which the object can ride forward, surrounded by a “shell” or “bubble” of normal space. This warping of space is made possible by forcing or “jamming” a continuous stream of magical energy into the Weave underlying space; the Weave can then be manipulated into pulling at the space it is connected to, resulting in the contraction/expansion phenomenon.
It’s worth noting that although research has shown that there is a definable limit to how fast an object can normally travel through space (the speed of light), spelljamming does not appear to violate this law of reality since the spelljamming object does not actually move locally through the “shell” or “bubble” of space that it occupies.
Traveling far beyond the speed of light is theoretically possible via the mechanisms of spelljamming, though no records seem to indicate that this has ever been accomplished, at least not by mortals.

A spelljammer has three basic components: The hull, the engine, and the helm.
The hull is the body of the ship that contains its inner compartments and mechanisms. The engine is the device that propels the ship, powered by a connected fuel source (the type of fuel source may vary). The helm is the interface by which a crew member known as the “helmsman” gives commands to the engine (ex. “stop”, “move sideways”, “move forward” the interface is commonly a magical crystal ball or an enchanted ship’s wheel.
Extra components often include shields of force to protect the ship and maintain a safe breathable atmosphere, large sails enchanted to catch solar winds for auxiliary propulsion, and ranged weapons that shoot lightning, fireballs, beams of arcane energy, or solid projectiles.
Legend has it that the concept of spelljammers originated from the discovery of a living spelljamming creature native to the reaches of space. This creature is supposed to have been titanic enough to carry an entire city on its back.
THE LONG SILENCE
In the Year of Blue Fire (1385 DR), a terrible event caused the catastrophic disruption of magic everywhere throughout Realmspace - the death of Mystra, goddess of magic, triggered the unraveling of the Weave.
When the Weave collapsed, spelljamming ships could no longer function properly. This began the Long Silence, a period of history during which transportation between worlds in Realmspace became practically impossible and communication between the worlds was highly difficult except by extraordinary means. For reasons unknown until new information was brought back by Ordell’s Expedition, communication between peoples of the Inner Planets and the Outer Planets was cut off altogether.
THE GREAT REVIVAL
The goddess of magic returned to full power in the Year of the Rune Lords Triumphant (1487 DR), marking the end of the Sundering, a grand struggle of the gods that saw many of them brought back to life, and many of them in contention over their places in the divine hierarchy. With Mystra’s return the restoration of the Weave progressed in earnest. By the end of the next year, the Weave was renewed across all of Realmspace, more stable than ever.
The priests spread the good news across the worlds. Dreams of space travel that had been burned to ashes in blue fire rose back to life. Old ships were repaired and refurbished, and new ships were designed and engineered. The age of spelljamming was back.
THE GREAT MYSTERY
The Although commercial spelljamming operations within the borders of the Inner Planets have largely resumed with the return of the Weave, there had been no official attempt to venture beyond the Inner Planets prior to the launch of Ordell’s Expedition.There have been a number of concerns regarding potential threats from the Outer Planets, such as the illithids of Glyth or the beholders of H’Catha. Astronomers and diviners alike have reported the detection of disturbing emanations and unexplainable motions within the shadows of the Arcus Belt.Before Ordell’s Expedition, none who entered the Arcus Belt since the revival of Mystra had ever returned to tell of what they had seen beyond the veil of mystery.
SPECIAL INTERESTS
THE TWELVE ZODIANS
There were once 12 globular zones of dead magic known as “sargassos” that circularly orbited the Sun from a distance of 40 million miles. They spanned 100,000 miles in diameter and doomed many unfortunate souls that sailed spelljammers into their affected areas. The ships engines’ would power down in the zones; the crews’ supplies and air were depleted as they helplessly drifted through the former dead magic zones, sentenced to slow deaths by starvation or suffocation.
After the Sundering, the dead magic zones were gone, replaced by twelve 100-foot statues of beasts on platforms. In addition, any spelljammer or foolish traveler attempting to damage or destroy these statues has been met with violence from powerful angels that seem to appear out of nowhere. Those who have been careful not to harm the statues on contact or approach and returned to tell of it claim to have heard soft, unintelligible whispers when they touched the statues.
THE SILENT SALVAGE YARDS
There have been some treasure hunters and salvagers searching for the derelict ships left floating in wildspace after the disappearance of the sargassos, eager to plunder the goods left behind in the wake of the crews’ demise. A few of the discovered ships have had infestations of shadow creatures or undead; all spelljammer entrepeneurs heading to the salvage yards are warned to make preparations for battle should they encounter one such “ghost ship”.
THE SUN PORTALS
Countless portals have been observed from afar all over the surface of the Sun, from which creatures of elemental fire enter and exit. There seem to be many different types, presumably including intelligent beings such as efreeti that roam the surface of the Sun. The creatures living on the Sun are also fiercely territorial, and many of them patrol its nearby orbit; ships that pass too closely will often be attacked on sight. It is rumored that if a spelljammer could survive a trip to the Sun’s surface, the portals will take them directly to the very realm of the great primal Kossuth, worshipped as a god of fire by many worshippers in Realmspace; if this is true, then the tight “border defense” of the fire elementals would make perfect sense.
TRAVELER’S TIPS
ALWAYS STOCK PLENTY OF SUPPLIES BEFORE EMBARKING ON AN OFF-WORLD JOURNEY. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOU MIGHT NEED TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE FOR LENGTHY REPAIRS.
DON’T BUY A USED SHIP BEFORE HAVING IT LOOKED OVER BY A PROFESSIONAL. SOME SWINDLERS CAN MAKE EVEN THE WORST PIECE OF GARBAGE LOOK LIKE IT CAN OUTRUN A STAR DRAGON IN LESS THAN TWELVE CLICKS.
IN SPACE, NOBODY CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM, UNLESS YOU’VE GOT CREW MATES NEARBY, IN WHICH CASE YOU SHOULD PROBABLY SHUT UP AND LISTEN FOR YOUR CAPTAIN’S ORDERS.
CHAPTER 1:
THE CANYONS OF ANADIA
Upon the walls of burning rock. I climb,
With stinging winds that brace across my cheek
The air itself does carry stench of death
Like umber hulks marauding for a meal.
And on the summit, standing on the cliff,
The words of Mother dearest come to mind:
Beware the falling fangs of light and flame
For danger lies in all the corners lit.
~Excerpt from “The Wanderer’s Epic”
Max Silverhand of Shadowdale
ORDELL’S EXPEDITION - DAY 1
While the sh ip was being loaded for departure, I decided to spend a few hours on the surface of Anadia. I paid a ferryman aboard Amaunator’s Forge to bring me over to Novalla, a mining town located on the outer border of the North Polar Region. The ferryman was an old, skinny, wrinkly, gangly fellow with long, graying hair and a powerful need for a shave; I would have liked to strike up a conversation with him but he wasn’t much for words. For the better part of the way, I sat silently in my passenger seat looking out at the scenery. As the ferry’s clunky old speHjammer took off from the docks, I stared back at the Forge and marveled at the ingenuity of building an orbital shipyard capable of lasting over a century in absence of maintenance.
I was a member of the first team of Coliar engineers to set foot on this port after the Island Alliance Council decided to reclaim the facility. There were many corpses aboard at the time; the engineers that were trapped on the Forge when the Weave collapsed. By Tymora’s Coin, I swear that I’d never felt such a terrible gloom in my life, yet also such awe for the fact that these men and women had kept working until their final breaths. According to the documents we found in the management offices, the previous tenants decided to continue building new ships with what materials were on hand in spite of their impending deaths - knowing that there would be no new supply ships bringing them precious food and water.
I was fortunate enough to study the very last speHjammers built at the Forge. Since they didn’t have to worry about expenses, the engineers went all out with their experimental designs. There were quite a few ridiculously shoddy attempts that got me scratching my head, but there were also many high quality prototypes that I was eager to examine. They couldn’t actually test any of these models for practical use, but they did come up with wild ideas that I could draw inspiration from. Brave souls, all of them; a pride to our profession, may they rest in peace.
When we arrived at Novalla’s port, I asked the ferryman if he’d recommend a good place to eat. I’d visited this town quite a few times but it was always on business and I usually brought my meals with me from the shipyard. The old man pointed towards the western district of the town and told me about an eatery run by his children and grandchildren. I thanked him and set off for the “Straight A rrow Steak and Grill”.
The town was larger than I expected when I made my first visit. When the Long Silence ended, and Novalla was repatriated to the Island Alliance, colonists and merchants migrated in droves to Anadia - they were attracted to the potential profits of Novalla’s mining operations. The miners had kept digging new tunnels throughout the Long Silence, and discovered enough veins of precious metals and gem deposits to make even the wealthiest dwarves drool in envy. The town became ajungle of brick and stone as it quickly developed into an influential center of trade.
I made my way through several long streets before turning the corner into the western district. I stepped into a busy promenade, lined with many small shops and food stalls. The smell of freshly cooked meats and spices pervaded the air, and the sounds of bustling traffic dominated the ears. After taking a few minutes to shop around for local trinkets, I found myself standing 
in front of a three-storied, gray-bricked building with a wooden sign over the entrance. There was a picture of an arrow piercing a slab of meat on the sign, and the title “Straight Arrow” inscribed on it. I entered the building.
Upon entry, a lovely young woman with deeply tanned complexion and shoulder-length scarlet curls greeted me; the hostess of the eatery apparently. I told her that I was recommended to the place by the ferryman and the hostess introduced herself as the ferryman’s youngest daughter. I couldn’t believe that such a dried prune of a man could produce such a vibrant flower; I decided to let that train of thought go since imagining how the ferryman wooed the hostess’ mother would definitely have made me lose my appetite.
I was seated at one of the dozen circular tables on the second floor. The place was packed for lunch time. A tall adolescent boy who I assumed to be the ferryman’s grandson served me a menu and took my order. When my twice seasoned, grilled Desert Mole steak arrived, my expectations had been surpassed; the dish was a savory masterpiece of gourmet, worthy of the rich and nobility. I was barely halfway through my meal when a heavily muscled woman with short, straight black hair in a form-fitting white jumpsuit abruptly sat down across from me. It was Annalise Flavian, the captain of the crew accompanying me on my expedition.
Apparently the captain herself was shopping around when she spotted me heading into the eatery. The “good capt decided to join me inside after finishing a long gauntlet of price haggling with shop owners over the goods she purchased.
I hate this woman. I truly do. She is the crudest, most self-centered, most narcissistic braggart that I’ve ever met. If I could have found any other willing spacefarer qualified to command this expedition, I would surely have hired that person over Flavian. Nonetheless, I am stuck with this individual for the next two months or so, and her skills as a speljamming professional are at least ll-reputed. The captain is a necessity for my plans, so I shall resolve myself to endure.
Captain Flavian started pestering me over some minute details about supplies and crew roster, as well as contingencies for potential emergency situations. I personally felt that the captain was being paranoid about some of the dangers we might face, but I humored her anyway and agreed to fund some of her more expensive ideas for preparation (much to my purse’s chagrin).
The final item on Flavian’s list of pre-launch logistics was a simple one: we needed a name for the ship. The captain argued that it would have been taboo to launch without giving our speljammer a proper christening. I took a moment to think about it, and then the serving boy brought over a menu for my unwelcome dining partner. My eyes were suddenly drawn to two words, prominently displayed on the back of the menu, and then inspiration was born; given the relatively linear nature of the expedition’s path the answer was right in front of me.
The ship will officially be named, “The Straight Arrow”.
FROM THE JOURNAL OF GANTYS ORDELL 
ANADIA
ASTRONOMICAL TYPE: TERRESTRIAL SPHERE DIAMETER*: 4,400 miLes CIRCUMFERENCE*: 13,800 miles DAY LENGTH: 12 hours YEAR LENGTH:30 days
*diameter and circumference are rounded to the nearest 100.
SATELLITES
Amaunator’s Forge (ormtaL shipyard)
ANADIA is THE FIRST PLANET FROM THE SUN. IT IS KNOWN FOR HAVING THE HOT¬TEST, DRIEST CLIMATES OF ALL THE WORLDS IN REALMSPACE, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE FIERCEST DUST STORMS AND EARTHQUAKES. APPROXIMATELY 4/5 OF THE WORLD IS ROCKY CANYONS, DEEP ARID VALLEYS, AND IRREGULAR MOUNTAIN RANGES. THE LOCAL REGIONS AROUND THE NORTH AND SOUTH POLES HAVE A MORE TEMPERATE CLIMATE;
THEY ARE CHARACTERIZED BY ROLLING HILLS, AND PLENTIFUL STREAMS AND RIVERS.
THE NORTH AND SOUTH POLES THEMSELVES ARE CAPPED WITH MOUNTAINS AND FORESTS. AT ITS EQUATOR, THE PLANET IS DOTTED WITH A BELT OF OVER THREE THOUSAND ACTIVE VOLCANOES AND OVER ONE THOUSAND DORMANT VOLCANOES. 
NORTH POLAR REGION
ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT
The southern half of the North Polar Region is covered by grass-covered hills and lightly wooded forests, and aside from the livestock raised by the intelligent races living here, the animal life is mainly composed of small lizards and furry mammals. The northern half has rocky mountains teeming with lush rainforests, and aside from the smaller animals, there are some dangerous large and medium-sized predators. AH of the rain in the northern hemisphere of the planet falls on the Northern Crown, the central area of the North Polar Region containing the North Pole. The rivers and streams of the entire region flow from the Crown’s reservoirs of water.
PEOPLE
The majority of the people living in the North Polar Region are brighteyes, a subrace of halflings unique to the planet Anadia. The brighteyes halflings are normally dark brown-skinned, with varied hair colors including dark brown, light brown, blonde with dark brown streaks, and black. Their eyes are small and slanted, and their ears are tightly pulled back against the sides of their heads. The brighteyes halflings’ eyes are strongly adapted to bright light, having evolved on a world that is close to the Sun, so dim light is treated as darkness for them, but in turn they are not easily blinded by bright light.
Notable minorities include humans and dwarves. The humans are concentrated most in villages and towns along the border between the North Polar Region and the Northern Gorgelands. The dwarves don’t actually have settlements on the surface but rather checkpoint way stations established at the mouths of caverns and tunnels that lead to their underground cities; these way stations are sparsely spread out all over the region.
GOVERNMENT
FEDERAL POLARATE
The territories of the North Polar Region are largely governed by a single power: the Federal Polarate, a constitutional oligarchy led by representatives from thirteen designated provinces. The representatives are elected by the people to participate as members of a ruling body called “The House of Elders”. Each individual province maintains a level of autonomy in its government while the House of Elders focuses on legislation dealing with wider-spanning issues. In addition, the Elder officials of a province have the power to veto any bill that is passed through the province’s local legislative body, known as a “House of Landers”. Only registered, tax-paying citizens have the right to vote in elections and run for political office. The Federal Polarate has existed for over three hundred years, but it’s a popular tradition to exaggerate the age in telling as much as “three thousand years”; this custom was started by the worshippers of Brandobaris, the halfling trickster deity, to have fun with gullible tourists.
For most of its history, the Federal Polarate segregated belligerently against non-halfling races, forcing the humans to live at the outer border and severely limiting contact with the dwarves. The segregation was born of a racial prejudice in which the dominant halflings believed themselves to be a master race, superior to all others; non-halflings were unable to officially register as citizens. During the time of the Sundering however, three Chosen (one human, one halfling, and one dwarf) arose from among the peoples living in the North Polar Region. These three put aside their racial differences and worked together as equals to fight against the Abyssal forces of a powerful demon lord attempting to lay claim to Anadia. The legend of these heroes and their rare friendship spread across the provinces, and the citizens of the Polarate pushed for social and political reforms. Now non-halflings can register as citizens and live wherever they please.
IMPORTANT LOCATIONS
THE NORTHERN GROVE
A large grove situated at the very center of the North Pole. There is an ancient treant of immense size that lives in this grove; according to local legends, this being knows the history of the entire world, and may answer questions in exchange for favors it may ask of the knowledge seeker.
NAVALLA
The largest town along the border between the North Polar Region and the Northern Gorgelands. Navalla is a major trading hub that attracts merchants from all over the region, and it is also one of only five spelljammer ports in the north authorized by the Federal Polarate. The main industries here are metals and precious stones. Unlike the other border towns, Navalla is officially governed by representatives from the Coliar Island Alliance; a special concession made between the Federal Polarate and the Island Alliance as part of an extensive series of international trade agreements signed in the Year of the Staff (1366 DR).
GALTUFAR
The capitol city of the Federal Polarate. With high defensive walls, dozens of catapults, and a militia over twenty thousand strong, Galtufar is the most heavily defended location in the North Polar Region. The House of Elders holds its meetings in a large palatial structure at the center of the city, which doubles as a secondary fortress should the city ever be overrun - a concern that has all but vanished since the early days of the Polarate. Galtufar is also home to a prestigious military academy that trains warriors and mages alike.
SOUTH POLAR REGION
ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT
The northern half of the South Polar Region is covered by barren dirt hills and fungal forests with giant mushrooms and crystalline growths. The southern half has rocky mountains sparsely seeded with trees and bushes. Other than small animals and insects, hundreds of thousands of umber hulks specially bred by the neogi inhabit the wilderness of the region. AH of the rain in the southern hemisphere of the planet falls on the Southern Crown, the central area of the South Polar Region containing the South Pole. The rivers and streams of the entire region flow from the Crown’s reservoirs of water.
PEOPLE
Neogi are the dominant race living in the South Polar Region; they are aberrant intelligent creatures that resemble moray eels crossed with wolf spiders, with serpentine heads, furry bulbous bodies, and eight chiton-clad appendages. The neogi have formidable telepathic abilities, which they use to mentally dominate and enslave other races. The neogi of Anadia originally resided solely in the subterranean Underdark caverns, living symbiotically with the umber hulks - enthralling the hulks to act as the neogis’ muscle. Despite being the dominant race, the neogi make up only a small fraction of the people living in the region.
The majority of the population are a mix of humans, halflings, svirfneblin, and dwarves. All non-neogi races in the South Polar Region are treated as slaves, with the neogi as their masters. The halflings used to be the dominant race as well as the overwhelming majority in the South Polar Region until most of them were wiped out during the years of the Spellplague. The svirfneblin and dwarves in the region are slaves and descendants of slaves brought to the surface to accompany their neogi owners.
GOVERNMENT
KASSANI CONGLOMERATE
The neogi-ruled Kassani Conglomerate “owns” every bit of land and every living organism in the South Polar Region. Profits are everything in the civilization built by the neogi. Most neogi are employees or owners of trading companies and other business entities; the only thing that is “free” in the region is trade. A ruling body known as the Business and Trade Committee oversees enforcement of a longstanding set of rules and procedures for conducting “fair business” in neogi society. The Committee is composed of the chief executives of the largest major trading companies among the neogi. Neogi are the only ones who can register as citizens in the Conglomerate, and every other inhabitant is either a paid employee or property of the neogi; travelers are warned to never lose their paperwork when visiting this part of Anadia otherwise they might be apprehended as a product for future sales. The Kassani Conglomerate does not maintain a specific capitol. The Business and Trade Committee votes to meet in a proposed city for their next meeting at the end of a conference. The location is usually based on which company holds the most influence at the time of the vote.
The South Polar Region was originally ruled by a chaotically arranged feudal system of halfling kingdoms governed by many different clans. The disorganization of the Southern halflings worked against them after the death of Mystra (goddess of magic) in the Year of Blue Fire (1385 DR the magic-users among the halflings were greatly weakened because with Mystra’s death, the rules of magic changed without warning. The neogi took advantage of this opportunity to invade the surface from their subterranean dens, and the disorganized halflings were too slow to mount a united defense.
The halfling kingdoms were unprepared to face the hordes of umber hulks that poured out from the ground during the neogi’s invasion. Without the full strength of their mages, the Southern halflings suffered terrible losses in the initial exchanges. At the turning point of this war, the neogi unleashed a titanic monster upon the halflings, the likes of which they’d never seen before; though this monster was eventually slain by a powerful halfling warrior, the damage dealt to the resisting armies was too great, and the survivors of the war were forced to either flee to the north, or submit to the neogi’s dominion.
The Kassani Conglomerate formed atop the corpses of the slain halfling armies. After their final victory, the neogi refocused efforts towards consolidating their hold on the borders of the region, and rebuilding the infrastructure of the cities they’d conquered. If the Federal Polarate in the north didn’t have the Gorgelands as a buffer between them and the Kassani Conglomerate, it’s possible that all of Anadia would have been completely overrun by the neogi forces. All attempts to mount an insurgent resistance and topple the regime have failed due to the mind-reading abilities of neogi inquisitors.
The neogi are currently expanding their operations into other worlds of Realmspace, and have been negotiating non-aggression pacts and trade agreements with other powers, including the Coliar Island Alliance. To this end, the neogi have many ports for spelljammers but they are all high security facilities that force paperwork forms on travelers that launch or dry dock.
IMPORTANT LOCATIONS
THE SOUTHERN GROVE
A large grove situated at the very center of the South Pole. According to questionable information from an escaped prisoner of the neogi, the ruins of an ancient spelljammer shipwreck can be found here. The spelljammer is large enough to host hundreds of crew members, and the symbols on its exterior are an archaic form of the neogi language. If the neogi of Anadia are not originally native to the planet, then this shipwreck might hold the secrets of their true origins in wildspace.
BONE SHAKER HILL
The battleground where “The Glorious Titan” died in battle. The neogi have preserved the site as a potential tourist attraction; the bones of the monster that sealed the victory for the neogi remain where they fell, and many guards are posted at all hours to protect the location from thieves. There are several buildings erected near the Hill where neogi wizards have been working on...something.
THE GORGELANDS
ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT
The Gorgelands are a rocky desert environment, with many canyons, deep valleys, and mountains. Most life in the Gorgelands exists within three to five hundred miles of the borders of both the North and South Polar Regions; this area of the Gorgelands is known as “The Wet Lands” by its inhabitants, since there are a number of oases and underground water reserves that can support plant and animal life. In the rest of the Gorgelands however, there are almost no living creatures except for elementals of wind and earth. Creatures that can burrow up to the surface from cooler, wetter places underground are an exception and may be encountered almost anywhere in the Gorgelands though such encounters are uncommon. The most notable burrowing species are Desert Moles, Umber Hulks, and Tremor Worms; most travelers do not survive encounters with the latter two unless they are well-armed or can run very quickly.
There is a range of volcanoes spanning the entire equator of Anadia that separates the Gorgelands’ northern and southern sections. This area is known as The Belt of Fire. The ground is darkened by the ash falls of past volcanic eruptions, and the air quality is unsuited for long term survival by natural living creatures. Elementals of fire may be found frequenting various parts in The Belt of Fire. Occasionally, expeditions have been made to The Belt of Fire by the peoples of Anadia to gather clay and rare minerals.
PEOPLE
Aside from a few wandering caravans of humans and halflings, the habitable zones of the Gorgelands are populated by thri-kreen and lizardfolk. The thri-kreen live as nomads in groups called clutches, moving from place to place; they are experts at hunting the more dangerous animals of the region. The lizardfolk permanently settle at oases and are known to wage war against each other for possession of precious water sources.
GOVERNMENT
THRI-KREEN NATIONS
The Anadian thri-kreens have a distinct hierarchy and adaptive system of borders despite their nomadic lifestyle. They have formed loose “nations” revolving around very rare Choka-Kochaa (Queens) that give birth to t’chaka-kreens, a powerful subrace of the thri-kreens that serve as the guardians of the Choka-Kochaa, and assault leaders when hunting particularly large prey such as tremor worms. Their nomadic movements are actually defensive patrols that revolve in organized routes around the main groups containing the Choka-Kochaa and her t’chaka-kreen protectors.
The Choka-Kochaa’s group itself also moves nomadically. The thri-kreens in a nation will scatter and be absorbed by other roaming nations if the Choka-Kochaa passes away. The thri-kreens are open to trade with outsiders but they normally forbid non-thri-kreens from living among them or approaching anywhere near their Choka-Kochaa.
OASIS TRIBES
The lizardfolk in the Gorgelands have no over-arching government that unites the tribes settled around oases, but there will be alliances made between tribes from time to time. Such alliances often last for generations when the tribal leaders exchange their children for marital unions. In the distant past, the lizardfolk had built large civilizations rivaling that of the Federal Polarate until wars and plagues took their toll, reducing the lizardfolk numbers and forcing them to scatter across the Gorgelands. The lizardfolk of Anadia’s oases are slightly xenophobic as a society but are willing to allow non-lizardfolk to live among them if the oasis leaders permit it; such permissions are hard to come by, as the leaders would usually demand some great price or labor to earn their trust.
IMPORTANT LOCATIONS
CRADLE OF THE SUN
A hidden valley in the Northern Gorgelands, surrounded on all sides by steep mountains. This valley contains a ruined temple dedicated to the worship of Amaunator (an identity associated with the deity Lathander). A powerful sphinx remains here as the temple’s guardian, and some faithful priests of Lathander believe that a holy artifact related to their god resides within the temple; they say that the sphinx is waiting for a destined hero to pass the trials of worthiness and earn possession of the artifact.
CASTLE BLOODFANG
After a demonic invasion from the Abyss was foiled by an army led by Chosen, a fortress built by the demons was left behind in their retreat. Castle Bloodfang was meant to be the permanent headquarters of the demons in The Belt of Fire, but now it is abandoned to ruin. Superstitious rumors abound of monstrous shadows that come from the direction of the castle, but none have stepped forward to investigate.
THE DEEPER MAW
Strange noises could be heard coming from the depths of this huge miles-long crevice in the Southern Gorgelands. They come at night, and the grounds around The Deeper Maw appear to be changing color to a sickly purple and red. The neogi have begun sending groups of enthralled slaves to climb down into the crevice and investigate what is going on there. Some of those slaves have returned but none of them have reported anything unusual, and mental probes conducted by neogi interrogators confirm the veracity of these reports; the mystery grows by the day.
SPECIAL INTERESTS
THE CHILDREN OF THE GREEN
The Children of the Green are a league of druids that protect the natural habitats of the Polar Regions. They work tirelessly to maintain the living qualities of the land in resistance of the dry heat of the Gorgelands, which would turn much of the Polar Regions into deserts if left unchecked. The Children of the Green do not directly oversee each other’s efforts nor do they have a regularly governing system. Once a year however, the most senior members of their league will congregate to discuss the state of the regions. The druids in the South Polar Region are currently in turmoil, due to harassment from Neogi slave hunters.
AMAUNATOR’S FORGE
A spelljammer shipyard orbiting Anadia. This port is owned by the Coliar Island Alliance and defended by a small fleet of ten Island Alliance military spelljammers. Building of the shipyard was completed during the Year of the Shield (1367 DR construction began the previous year, after a landmark trade agreement with the Federal Polarate allowed the Island Alliance to maintain a port town on the outskirts of the North Polar Region. The port town, named Navalla, would send up raw materials from its mining operations for the building of new spelljammers at the shipyard. The Forge is used by the Island Alliance to build prototypes for new spelljammer designs. Solar collectors built on the Forge’s exterior gather energy from the Sun to power many of its inner mechanisms, including a magical shield of force that protects the structure and its inhabitants from harm.
THE WANDERING STORM
There is a dust storm in the Gorgelands that never grows and never shrinks from a diameter of 10 miles. It wanders all over the rocky wastes in an unpredictable pattern, and has done so for as long as records go back. Various rumors about the storm include the storm being a living elemental creature, the storm hiding a magically moving temple of Talos (god of storms), and the storm simply being a magical spell that was never dismissed by its caster.
UNDERDARK FRONTIER
The Underdark, the subteranean world underneath Anadia’s surface, is filled with wonders yet unexplored. The dwarves and sverfneblins of the upper levels are always looking to expand their domains deeper underground, where underground springs flow and the air is much cooler. It has been observed that the further down one delves into Anadia’s Underdark, the more deposits of various crystals one will find laid out across the cavern and tunnel walls. Legend has it that the core of the planet is not molten, but rather a great labyrinth of pure crystalline tunnels that lead to a hidden treasure of incredible value...
T’CHAKA-KREEN

T’CHAKA-KREENS ARE THE OFFSPRING OF A CHOKA-KOCHAA, QUEEN OF A THRI-KREEN NATION. THEY ARE LARGER, STRONGER, AND MORE DURABLE THAN MOST THRI-KREENS - ELITES DRIVEN BY NATURE TO PROTECT THE QUEEN AND THE NATION AT ANY COST.
T’CHAKA-KREENS ARE USUALLY FOUND ESCORTING A CHOKA-KOCHAA AT THE CENTER OF A THRI-KREEN NATION. THEY WILL NOT STRAY FROM THEIR QUEEN FARTHER THAN THEY CAN LEAP UNLESS INSTRUCTED BY THE QUEEN TO DO SO.
LIKE MOST THRI-KREENS, T’CHAKA-KREENS DO NOT REQUIRE SLEEP AND CAN REST DURING LIGHT ACTIVITIES. THEY LIVE
UP TO 50 YEARS OF AGE, 20 YEARS LONGER THAN THE AVERAGE THRI-KREEN THANKS TO THEIR ENHANCED PHYSIQUE.
ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE GREATER LONGEVITY, THE T’CHAKA-KREENS ARE BORN STERILE AND HAVE NO REPRODUCTIVE URGES.









CHOKA-KOGHAA

Choka-Kochaa are the queens of the thri-kreen nations. They are born with a greater capacity to think and Lead, and their powerfuL minds are BLessed with psionic abilities. These queens are the rarest births among thri-kreens and are practicaLLY worshipped as sacred beings among their kind.
A Choka-kochaa WILL be almost always be found at the center of a thri-kreen nation, urging her dutch members to move at her whims.
The Choka-kochaa can ONLY give birth to maLe T’chaka-kreens, who in turn are steriLe. UnLike most thri- kreens, the Choka-kochaa need at Least 4 hours of sLeep per day after reaching aduLthood, most LikeLY to ease the burden of their awakened PSIONIC powers. A Choka-kochaa WILL Live up to 200 years, Leading muLtipLe generations of thri-kreens IN her Lifetime.









NEQGI

THE NEOGI ARE A GREEDY, AMBITIOUS RACE WITH A MASSIVE SUPERIORITY COMPLEX. THERE IS NO SCHEME TOO COWARDLY FOR THESE CREATURES TO CONSIDER IN THE NAME OF PERSONAL PROFITS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE PRESSURES OF SUCCESS (OR LACK THEREOF) LEAD SOME MIDDLE-AGED NEOGI INTO THE THROES OF SEVERE ANXIETY DISORDER, AT WHICH POINT THEY BEGIN TO DESCEND INTO MEGALOMANIACAL DELUSIONS OF WORLD DOMINATION AS A COPING MECHANISM.
NEOGI WILL NEVER GO ANYWHERE WITHOUT A PET UMBER HULK ACTING AS THEIR MUSCLE AND CONVENIENT TRANSPORTATION.
THE NEOGI GIVE BIRTH THE OLD FASHIONED WAY: HERMAPHRODITIC INJECTION OF EGGS INTO THE STILL-LIVING, STILL CONSCIOUS BODY OF AN AGING ELDER GOING SENILE. IN ADDITION, THEY PREFER MODERATELY COOL, MOIST CLIMATES SO THEY’LL INFEST THE LAND WITH MAGIC MUSHROOMS AND HEAT ABSORBING CRYSTALS TO TRANSFORM THE ENVIRONMENT TO THEIR LIKING, OR AT LEAST MAKE IT MORE FASHIONABLE.









TREMOR WORM

THE TREMOR WORM is A GREAT SCOURGE OF THE GORGELANDS. FEW EXPLORERS HAVE ENCOUNTERED ONE AND LIVED TO TELL ABOUT IT. WITH THE ABILITY TO BURST FORTH FROM THE GROUND OR A CLIFF WALL AT ANY GIVEN MOMENT, IT is INCREDIBLY FRUSTRATING TO FIGHT THIS BEAST IN ITS OWN NATURAL HABITAT.
TREMOR WORMS ARE EASILY TRIGGERED BY LOUD NOISES, AND WILL SEEK OUT THE SOURCE OF ANY SUCH SOUND WITHIN ITS RANGE. YELLING IN THE CANYONS MAY BE FUN FOR MAKING ECHOES, BUT IT’S ALSO A GOOD WAY TO BECOME LUNCH FOR THE TREMOR WORM.
TREMOR WORMS PREPARE THEIR PREY FOR CONSUMPTION BY GRINDING THE BODIES UP WITH THEIR SERRATED TEETH AND SPEWING DIGESTIVE FLUIDS TO TENDERIZE THE MEAT. THE WORMS’ ACIDIC SECRETIONS ALSO HELP SOFTEN THE EARTH THAT THEY BURROW THROUGH. ESPECIALLY WHEN PASSING THROUGH METAL ORE DEPOSITS.







TRAVELER’S TIPS
CLEAN WATER is A PRECIOUS COMMODITY ON ANADIA. NEVER COMPLAIN ABOUT NOT HAVING ENOUGH TO TAKE A BATH OR THE LOCALS WILL RIDICULE YOU.
IF YOU GET LOST IN THE CANYONS, DON’T SHOUT FOR HELP. WAIT UNTIL NIGHTFALL TO USE THE STARS AS YOUR GUIDE BECAUSE THERE ARE PREDATORS IN THE WILDERNESS THAT WILL FOLLOW THE SOUND OF YOUR CALLS TO HUNT YOU DOWN.
IF YOU FULFILL A DIFFICULT REQUEST FOR THE HALFLINGS, THEY’LL CUSTOMARILY GIFT YOU WITH DELICIOUS MEAT. REMEMBER TO GIVE SOME TO YOUR CREW MATES BECAUSE SHARING is CARING.