| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Seethyr |
Posted - 12 May 2022 : 15:17:37
Since working on Anadia has been so much fun, and since Sleyvas and others have shown a lot of interest in Coliar as well, I figured I’d both summarize the canon information from Realmspace and introduce some brainstormed head canon. I’d like to keep as much as possible from the original but alter or make story born excuses for some of the wonkier facts. In the worst case scenarios a lot of this should be handwaived away. Do you agree? What might you add or subtract? Anything else new that comes up I’ll add later, rereading old Dragon magazines always inspires ideas.
Canon
*Spherical gas giant.
*Larger than Toril and it’s whole volume is available
*Consists of floating islands that have stabilized into their own orbits and no longer crash
*Main humanoid races are lizardfolk and aarakocra
*Dragons are abundant but always have a more neutral outlook than their contemporaries on other worlds.
*Never gets colder than 75 degrees except at poles where 40 degrees F is the minimum
*30 hours in a full day
*8 months is a solar year (making every three Coliar years equal to two Torillian years
*Elminster has a hideout 100 miles from the center
*Most floating islands are 50 miles to 30000 miles from the center.
*Aarakocra and lizardmen both have knowledge of Spelljamming
*The aarakocra mine gems and trade it for smokepowder to visiting jammers.
*There is limited wars between the aarakocra and lizardfolk where the bird folk treat it like a holy war.
*The lizardfolk send their eggs near the sun to increase the intelligence of their offspring.
*The dragons leave everyone alone unless provoked
*The lizardfolk share all of their wealth communally
*The aaracokra have a democratic society where the people choose five potential candidates and the five give a speech to all using a “horn of voices” to reach far with their speech. Then one is elected for seven years.
*Only females are ever elected because males are too aggressive (I need to eye roll here but it’s in there...)
*100 Aarakocran societies like this.
*No dragon wars of note, just the occasional rogue dragon whom the others usually turn on and destroy.
*Young dragons take care of their elders and family units are tighter than usual.
*Dragons have double the normal lifespan
*Dragon learn how to make air bodies when they reach a very advanced age.
*The dragons interbreed making splotchy multiscaled mixes.
*The upper atmosphere for 100 miles is thickly cloud covered
*Floating islands are pyramidal (upside down) in shape
*Islands are all unique and range from a small boulder to 20 miles. You can fall off.
*Some spelljamming socks pierce the clouds into wildspace
*There is a massive dragon at the center on an island who is buddies with Elminster and another dragon but a terror to everyone else known as Firebrand Flametongue.
*Els hideout is a 250 foot metallic sphere that revolves around Firebrands island.
*Lightning hits the uppermost islands but is rare on the lower. This is why lizardfolk choose the upper islands and aarakocra choose the lower (don’t ask me why this makes sense but okay)
The rest of the info goes into individual personalities.
Personal Headcanon
Dragons: (Note a lot of this comes from Fizban’s) The world once had many dragon species including chromatics, gem, metallic and FERROUS (from dragon magazine). The dragons fought and eventually the gem and metallic were all but eliminated leaving Graughlothor remaining who still had a personal vendetta trying to eliminate the remaining chromatics, particularly Firebrand (a greatwyrm).
Dragons who live past their lifespan become hollow dragons or maybe even dragon shards not “air dragons.” That’s a mistake made by ignorant visitors who don’t understand dragons and their echoes.
Aarakocra and Lizardfolk: Like Sleyvas has brought up, they were led here from Toril tens of thousands of years ago by aearee and sarrukh progenitors and abandoned in time. Perhaps the khaasta wiped out remnants of the sarrukh here and the dragons originally hated the aearee, but have since made a relative peace since the rise of the ferrous.
Miscellaneous: This is a MASSIVE world that’s much bigger than Toril AND gets to use its entire volume. It seems awful limiting to me to have only three races duking it out here and there. There should be other civilizations, other types of governments, organizations, etc etc throughout the world. Almost anything else can be here but sure, the three mentioned are the dominant species.
Could an old Netheril enclave have spelljammed here? When it fell during Karsus’ folly it took damage but really had no ground to hit and thus it still exists.
EDIT: Pardon the choppy grammar and editing, I write this whole post at work on my phone. |
| 10 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 27 May 2022 : 16:16:09
What with the feedback from DM's Guild, I know you may not be interested in pursuing this further, but I'm gonna keep throwing out ideas.
One thing I'd say to make this world unique.... there are no mammals here except imported ones. There are a lot of dinosaurs, but SMALL ones, other reptiles, and birds, insects, and fish. There are a lot of flying snakes (some feathered, mostly bat type wings). Pterodactyls are common as well as a relatively hidden tribe of pterafolk.
There are also kobolds, specifically urd, who once opposed the draconic leadership and have some bad relationship with the aarakocra surrounding their goddess Syranita. The aarakocra consider the urds thieves and pests and kill them when possible, often followed by turning them into jerky. Many of these urd however possess powers of sorcery, and they seem to use some spell to make sure that their children are born as urd instead of regular kobolds. In the rare instances when regular kobolds have visited this world and come across these urd, the urd have captured them and slaughtered them upon altars to their god.
Varieties of wyverns are common, different colors, some without poisoned tails but instead some other sort of attack (perhaps spikes that they fire like a manticore).... but not magical type attacks such as breath weapons. Maybe a poisoned bite that might stun, cause confusion, or do poison damage
Many of the "earth islands" might have a jungle type feel to them, but perhaps the jungle is differntly hued. There should be near constant rain, but almost always of a light variety. Fog might surround earth islands, limiting vision somewhat hazily. There are portals on dozens of the earth islands in hidden locations that periodically open to the plane of water, and when they do new water islands form. These water islands eventually convert to clouds, and then the clouds become the rain. |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 13 May 2022 : 04:09:09
Ok, we've established some canon, let's tear it apart and make some of what's canon... incorrect. Also, let's just create some ideas.
This was once a solid world. SOMETHING happened which shattered it. There are many theories as to how the world was destroyed ranging from the lighting of the sun causing the world to heat, wars between dragons and elemental beings, elves did it with their sundering, and pretty much fifty other theories. This shattering occurred prior to the rise of the Sarrukh empire.
This world has dragons that are different. The dragons of this world can and often do have feathered wings and bodies in addition to scales and are indeed another species of dragon. In addition gem dragons are common on this world. The mating of gem and feathered dragons has resulted in dragons with different feather colorations and different powers. In addition, there are numerous variations of couatl that are also to be found on this world.
There are also dragonborn that are natives of this world and they lived in relative peace with the dragons and birdfolk. Many visitors in the past confused these dragonborn with lizard folk.
The lizardfolk that are on this world were part of a sarrukh invasion of the world via a portal that they FOUND in Lopango, Land of Fire. This portal connects these two worlds and is deep in a volcanic rift in that jungle. They discovered this world and sent their reptilian forces through so as to establish a beachhead and explore/conquer the world. Unfortunately many of the lizardfolk actually turned traitor when they met the dragonborn of this world.
Phoelarch HAD or HAVE a society here. It might be that they came to Toril. It might be that they were wiped out. It might be that they had a schism amongst their own ranks. These phoelarch have some history with Anadia and also Lopango on Toril.
While there are aarakocra here, there are birdfolk of numerous varieties. The original Aeaeree were also on Coliar and they came into conflict with the Sarrukh, but they also learned some of the Sarrukh magic related to modifying races. Conflict arose between the sarrukh and the Aeaeree, and the Aeaeree summoned powerful elemental beings to aid them in their fight against the Sarrukh. The Sarrukh are pushed off world and the portal is sealed. The Aeaeree set guardians to guard the portal should it ever be opened again.
The Batrachi begin exploring ancient Sarrukh ruins and reopen this portal between worlds. This has something to do with the freeing of the primordials that end up hurling a frozen ball of ice at the world. The Aeaeree send their forces through to forestall an invasion and find the world in a shambles. They contact their fellows back on Coliar, and they pilot earth islands from Coliar to Toril and establish several flying "earthmotes" from which they begin establishing the Aeaeree empire. They resided primarily over Anchorome and Katashaka. Don't need to delve this history overmuch, but hints might be useful. I added Katashaka to link it to the Wakanari Highlands concept that I have with a bunch of earthmotes and the "Council of the Reborn Phoenix" that leads a bunch of bird folk living alongside other native races of Katashaka. These groups that come to this world are cut off from their fellows on coliar and eventually diverge paths.
Perhaps there's still a group of sarrukh that inhabit a small group of earth islands.
Pirates of some sort active in this world only makes sense. Maybe there's several competing pirate fleets on various earth islands. Some of these might be with the native races. Others might be some things like neogi, etc... Some may even have a vendetta against dragons and seek to capture and control them magically.
|
| sleyvas |
Posted - 13 May 2022 : 02:54:29
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by TheIriaeban
Edit: Oh, I just remembered that suns are not big balls of fusion but huge balls of elemental fire and thus no radiation. It is canon that Selune created Toril's sun that way (elemental fire).
I designed my own crystal sphere, back in the day, and the sun was a ginormous, radiant, multifaceted gemstone.
Some of my other ideas proved to be less than workable, but that one is a keeper.
Actually, I propose that realmspaces sun is exactly the same thing. We do have statements of a "crystal sun" being breathed on by Asgorath. We had been correlating that with the ice moon that was destroyed and hurled into Toril, but hey why not a giant crystal at the center that has a lot of fire portals dotting its surface. Maybe even the vast heat is what turned it into a crystal. |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 12 May 2022 : 23:29:56
quote:
Originally posted by TheIriaeban
Edit: Oh, I just remembered that suns are not big balls of fusion but huge balls of elemental fire and thus no radiation. It is canon that Selune created Toril's sun that way (elemental fire).
I designed my own crystal sphere, back in the day, and the sun was a ginormous, radiant, multifaceted gemstone.
Some of my other ideas proved to be less than workable, but that one is a keeper. |
| TheIriaeban |
Posted - 12 May 2022 : 21:22:32
Yeah, I actually went through all this when I redesigned the random planet generator tables for the old Star Trek: The Role Playing Game. Your basic assumption is that all planets have the same average density as Earth when you really don't need to follow that. Anadia can have the same gravity if you have a relatively larger, more dense core. Truly non-standard locales could be because of magic but dirtballs can be handwaved with just a sentence or two about higher average density for smaller bodies with normal gravity and lesser average density for larger bodies with normal gravity.
Keeping the gravity within a range of say .75g to 1.5g would still be manageable and still give each location an "exotic" quality. I doubt there are rules for that in SJ but it could be added as optional stuff.
As for radiation, that can be ignored just like magnetic fields or it can be assumed that all planets with atmospheres have some kind of magnetic field (have compasses been invented yet) and that fire resistance may include some kind of radiation resistance, too.
Edit: Oh, I just remembered that suns are not big balls of fusion but huge balls of elemental fire and thus no radiation. It is canon that Selune created Toril's sun that way (elemental fire). |
| Seethyr |
Posted - 12 May 2022 : 20:21:29
quote:
Originally posted by TheIriaeban
Ships is one thing but planets is another. Toril works on "normal physics" as well as other places. If Coliar IS an outlier, then I would propose that it is artificial. If it is the norm, I suppose it could still be artificial but there would have to be someone behind them. Maybe they were bases for Jergal's people before they all disappeared?
The problem with using that level of physics is that it brings about an almost unmanageable level of detail needed for every other planet with the exception of those that are earth sized.
On tiny Anadia, can you jump 1000 feet? Can you fly off the planet if you jump too hard? How does it maintain an atmosphere?
On the spindle that is H’Catha, the gravity fluctuations would be patently absurd. Forget making a torus shaped planet? These things need to be explained simply as “magic.”
I mean, there are living creatures on the sun that simply have resistance to fire damage. Radiation would kill them in an instant just as gravity rips them to atoms. There’s no way to have a Spelljammer setting that includes more physics than even sci-fi shows like Star Trek it Star Wars uses (amazing how so many planets are earth like with hardly a mention of the far more common gas giants and cruisers make sound in space.)
Even Toril might get its atmosphere stripped unless it has a molten, rotating nickel core like earths. |
| TheIriaeban |
Posted - 12 May 2022 : 18:55:27
Ships is one thing but planets is another. Toril works on "normal physics" as well as other places. If Coliar IS an outlier, then I would propose that it is artificial. If it is the norm, I suppose it could still be artificial but there would have to be someone behind them. Maybe they were bases for Jergal's people before they all disappeared? |
| Seethyr |
Posted - 12 May 2022 : 18:03:36
I think Spelljammer has 100% done away with our universes physics , but it does stay consistent within its own set of rules. At least most of the time. If I can accept air envelopes and planes of gravity that could keep humans bound to a ship that only weighs a few tons, I can accept gas giants without needing a PhD in analytical physics. With that being said, it should remain consistent. |
| TheIriaeban |
Posted - 12 May 2022 : 16:25:09
Unless you completely suspend the laws of physics, that planet is impossible. Especially gravity. But, going with what you have there, the Aarakocra would have picked a spot closer to the core since the atmosphere would be thicker there and it would be easier for them to fly.
Edit: Oh, and if you do go with all that information on the planet, I would suggest that it is artificial in nature with something at the center of the planet keeping it that way. And, to avoid the destruction of the planet during the Spellplague, have it based on rune magic (which would not have been affected by the Spellplague since it is based on fundamental truths about the universe and would have remained constant even if magic itself was going nuts). |
| Seethyr |
Posted - 12 May 2022 : 15:36:33
Also, though not specific to Coliar, part of this discussion is being had at Piazza as well.
https://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?t=29296&sid=89f35be4f9711d4a0febc7e5fb637002 |
|
|
