Sphere Overview
Bralspace is rather small. Ironpiece, the furthest planet out, is about 10 days travel from the sphere, and 10 days travel from the primary. No planet in the sphere is ever more than 20 days from any other, regardless of current orbital position.
There are literally thousands of small planetoids inhabited by virtually every known space going species. These are all in regular orbits around the primary.
Bralspace has a series of commonly used major portals into the Flow, placed between the stars that line the sphere. The constellations have been named after creatures they resemble (usually creatures they resemble rather loosely). The portals are always refered to by the name of the constellation they exist within.
There are twelve such portals, and they exist in roughly the same plane as the orbital path of Bral and Spiral (these ports are thus in a very strategic spot). Each is located at roughly an 'O'clock' position. The constellations and their locations are below.
Constellation Location --------------------------------- Scavver 1 o'Clock Kraken 2 o'Clock Starbeast 3 o'Clock Kindori 4 o'Clock Neogi 5 o'Clock Dragon 6 o'Clock Sarphardin 7 o'Clock Giff 8 o'Clock Beholder 9 o'Clock Eagle 10 o'Clock Griffon 11 o'Clock Lion 12 o'Clock
Bral's orbit is such that the month corresponds to the nearest portal. Thus in the 5th month Bral is nearest the Neogi portal. The other planets in the sphere follow this orbiting pattern as well, though not exactly. Spiral, for example, is exactly opposite Bral so that when Bral is in the 3rd month and nearest the Starbeast portal, Spiral is nearest the Beholder portal.
Due to the Rock of Bral's recent fame, the name Spiralspace is slowely being replaced by Bralspace.
Worlds of Bralspace
Primary, "Sun"
Size C Spherical Firebody
Bralspace's primary is a fairly standard fireworld, it is not as bright as some, such that its light does not cause any penalties for orcs, goblins or other mildly photophobic creatures. Those with more advanced photophobia, such as drow, are affected as by standard suns.
Barre Sinister
Size A Irregular earthbody
This famous pirate bar and smuggler's port lies just two days out from the system's primary. An open secret among the navies of the sphere, the Barre is traditionally neutral ground. A strict code of no violence is maintained there, not by force of arms but by custom. The various pirate groups and military forces in the area realize the advantages of having such a watering hole in the sphere and avoid directly hindering the Barre's trade.
Red Belt
Shipwrecker
Size B Spherical Earthbody
Shipwrecker is a small planet, only about 90 miles across. It is covered in forests and mountains, about 50% of the planet is a stormy ocean. The planet is inhabited by goblins and harpies, as well as "normal" mountainous and forest animals.
Wrighters, a small colony town, is controlled by the Rock. About half the town is dedicated to a ship building operation run by Bral's Shipwrights' Guild, the rest is devoted to adventurers and miners. A few years ago gold was discovered in the mountains inland from town. This resulted in a gold rush which has still not completely abated, despite the relatively poor finds. This gold rush ignited a long simmering guerilla conflict between the local goblin tribes and the lumberers of Bral. The goblins were defeated and forced deeper back into the mountains.
Shipwrecker is named after a minor sea goddess worshipped by the goblins of the planet. Her goblin name, Latanuut ("Undernight"), was dropped by some humans and demihumans who took up her worship as a way of preventing the many shipwrecks she is said to cause on the planet. The goblins themselves continue to worship her, and are spelljamming aware, though not spelljamming capable. Prince Andru has forbidden trade with the goblins of Shipwrecker, something even the Arcane have not violated for fear of losing access to one of wildspace's most active ports.
- Extended description of Shipwrecker
Green Belt
Barbuda
Size C spherical waterworld
Barbuda is a beautiful planet, but aside from its fish has no resources of great value (the waters are salt, with fresh water coming only from the occasional storm). Floating coral islands dot its surface. Rumours place sahuaghin, sea sprites, and coatl as inhabitents of the planet.
- See SJR4 Practical Planetology (p. 30) for more information on Barbuda.
Minial's Arch
Size B spherical earthbody
This small, wooded planet is an elven colony world. The inhabitents, a tribe of displaced Gruagach who have been on this planet now for at least a millenia, refuse to speak with outsiders concerning their past. It is unknown where they came from, or why they choose to colonize this world. The tribe is incredibly insular, even by gruagach standards. The Imperial Elven Fleet is not welcome here, though a courtsey ambassodership is maintained by the tribes ruling council of elders. The grugach maintain no (known) jammers, and the numerous clans which make up the tribe live a nomadic lifestyle, travelling on before they begin to strain the delicate local ecologies. The planets wildlife are said to be exceptionally dangerous, "giant" versions of the more normal animals are the norm. Cave Bears, for instance, are present in numbers, but black bears are unknown.
Blue Belt
Numeliador
Size B cluster earthbody
This small elven colony is located on a "live" world, a cluster of asteroids are joined together by a plant of unknown origin. This world supports a varied ecological system, and is inhabited by elves of nearly every variety. This small colony is focused on a single "tree" town with an associated spelljammer dock and the same name as the planet.
The elves here are all refugees from other spheres. They are a tired, cynical, and proud lot. The Imperial fleet maintains a small garrison in the town, and a man-o-war is often nearby, but "Imperial" involvement is not desired by the inhabitents, who are a fiercely independent group. A small amount of trade is carried with vessels of the Sindiath line, but the colony is essentially self-sufficient.
Violet Belt
Diamondhammer's Stake
Size A irregular earthbodies
This Dwarven nation is set in an asteroid field named after itself which trails Bral by five million miles (about half a days travel by spelljammer). They control three citadels, and are one of the more prosperous groups in Bralspace.
- Extended description of Diamondhammer's Stake
Gods' Marbles
Size A irregular earth cluster
This asteroid field, inhabited by Rock Hoppers, is rich in the animal life of wildspace. Virtually every known wildspace animal species can be found somewhere amongst this tight group of over 100 asteroids of various sizes. Scavver, delphinids, asteroid spiders, and zard, especially inhabit this field. The native Rock Hoppers normally live off of the scavver schools, but occasional pods of kindori within the field provide a supplement to their diet. The ecology of these field is possible primarily through the large amounts of infinity vine scattered throughout.
Major Asteroids:
Grainfields
Size A irregular earth cluster
This large asteroid group holds several farming asteroids owned and operated by Merchant Houses of Bral (Houses Moune, Kullek, and Daxault). For this reason priveteers and ships of the Royal Bralian Navy are often found within, hunting for pirate groups and making sure none of the astorids become isolated enough to make a tempting target for pirates. The field is composed of approx. 50 asteroids and it's rumoured that ghost ships and undead vessels haunt the deeper regions of Grainfields.
Major Asteroids:
- Finagle
- Torik's Luck
Rock of Bral
Size A irregular earthbody
This famous asteroid city is well detailed in SJR5 Rock of Bral and the original SJ boxed set. The city is within a small, unnamed field of perhaps 30 other asteroids. Bral claims soveriegnity over all of them, though most are useless except for mining. Many nobles and merchant houses of the Rock own these asteroids, most sit seemingly abandoned.
- Extended Description of the Rock of Bral
- Illithid Embassy
Spiral
Size C spherical earthbody
A former elven colony, this planet was conquered by the Scro Tarantula Fleet in 5043 OC. Since the naval actions of that year, which resulted in the destruction of the Tarantula fleet and the near destruction of the IEN Spiralspace fleet Spiral has been the center of a vicious, low intenisty conflict between the humanoids, the natives of Spiral, and the IEN.
Spiral, a small world, was always the focus for the Imperial Elven navy in this sphere, elves have always termed the sphere "Spiralspace". The planet is dominated by polar seas and an equatorial ocean which forms an unbroken band around its center. Strangely curving rivers lead between this ocean and the polar water bodies. The dry ground was dominated by old mountains and thick evergreen forests. A pleasent world whose few monsters had been driven into the remote corners of the world, Spiral had been inhabited by high elves, humans, and a few dwarf clans. All living under the rulership of the elven House of Spiral. The Imperial Elven Fleet for this system had been headquartered in the Crown of Correlon, an elven station orbiting Spiral, though under the command of Admiral Cirathorn the bulk of the fleet had shifted to Bral due to the Admiral's personality conflicts with House Spiral.
Today, the elven, human, and dwarven natives of the planet have been driven to the least hospitable regions. Spiral's cities and towns are now inhabited by goblins, orcs, and their slaves and the Crown of Correlon is now controlled by the Scro. The Scro maintain a small but disciplined fleet from this base, and the humanoid tribes of Spiral have small fleets of their own as well (no one is entirely certain of the numbers). The current Scro commander is apparently one Admiral Dushgoi, Prince Andru has negotiated a peace through him between the Scro and the Rock. The IEN is of course far from pleased, but are currently in no position to challenge this either legally or with force.
- Extended description of Spiral
Unipaxala
The Peace Asteroid
Size A Spherical Earthbody
The people of this asteroid settlement are pacifists who worship 'Peace', a philosophical concept which nonetheless seems to be able to grant spells to the priests of Unipaxala. Their basic tenent is simple, "To Revere Peace in All its Myriad Forms, To Bring No Harm to Others, and To Resolve Conflict through the Powers of the Mind" [1]
One of many independent asteroid settelments in Bralspace, the Unipaxalans live simple lives of meditation and labor. Their society is a theocracy, and has virtually no crime (irredeemable criminals are exiled from the community). They produce much of their own food, and conduct some limited trade with Bral merchants, the Unipaxalans export food and cloth.
The priests of the asteroid wear blue and purple robes with gold trim, high priests wear blue robes with gold trim. acolytes wear green robes with gold trim, until they have deomnstrated that the Peace has blessed them with spellcasting abilities.
They defend themselves through careful use of their priestly powers and a powerful artifact called the 'Ice-Ring Projector' which is powered by mysterious crystals. when the crystals are shattered the projector surrounds the asteroid with a sphere of ice, impervious to normal siege weapons or ramming ships. The asteroid has been conquered once, by the neogi, but was soon freed by the efforts of the infamous wizardess Meredith.
The High Priest of Unipaxala is Pax Ahlmun, an aging man whose mind is nonetheless still sharp. Pax tries to mediate disputes between the various powers of Bralspace, but the II Unhuman War is proving impossible to end through negotiation. Pax is still very depressed over the loss of his nephew, Tember. When Pax was kidnapped by neogi a decade ago, it set off a chain of events which eventually led Tember to reject the Peace of Unipaxala. Pax feels a certain responsibility for Tember's apostasy, and has sent several agents looking for his nephew throughout wildspace.
Unipaxala is a stationary asteroid, it rotates on its axis but does not orbit Bralspace's primary. It lies about 12 days from the sphere, and rests between the Giff and Sarphardin flow portals. Several dozen other asteroids surround it, all are claimed by Unipaxala, though most are little more then useless rocks.
Gray Belt
Ironpiece
Size C Coin Shaped Earthbody (approx 390 miles across)
A gnomish colony world, Ironpiece is carefully avoided by most other spelljammers, despite the fact that it is inhabited by forest and rock gnomes as well as the more common (in wildspace) tinker gnomes. Since the Battle of Ironpiece in 5043 OC the gnomes have been engaged in a strenuous arms building program, convinced that the scro intend to conquer their planet next. The Spudnik I Space Superiority Fighter is one of that buildup's results. Many of these little spellfighters now defend Port Walkaway, the primary naval port on the planet.
- Extended description of Ironpiece
Inhabitants of Bralspace
The Freeholds
Besides the planets and asteroid settlements mentioned above, Bralspace has many other settlements and organizations. Thri-kreen, neogi, beholders, and many human settlements exist as independent communities within the sphere. These various asteroid settlements are called, collectibely, "The Freeholds". Most of the human freeholds follow a typical feudal structure, with the asteroid fullfilling the role of the manor, and the asteroid's owner fullfilling the role of the manor lord.
Other Groups
Ships and Crews
Blue Orion — Flame! — Flowfish — Golden Hawk — The Mercy — Silent Star — Starbeast
Magic and Religion
Additional Material
Bralian Calendar
The Bralian calender is simple, 12 months of 30 days each represent 1 year. Days and months are simply number, 1-30 for days and 1-12 for months.
Saying some thing will happen on the "13th of the 13th" is like saying "never" on Bral. This calender is fairly widespread among SJ merchants and societies, though within spheres with thriving groundling communities the groundlings calender sometimes dominate. Years are numbered via the Olven method of Greyspace, so that the current year is 5049 OC.
Days are measured in 24 hour increments, regardless of the actual light cycle of a given world.
Imports and Exports
Shipwrecker
Imports: tools, manufactured goods
Export: Timber, gold, fish
Industry: none
Minial's Arch
No known trade.
Numeliador
A small amount of trade is carried with vessels of the Sindiath line, but
the colony is essentially self-sufficient.
Spiral
(Pre-Scro conquest, now off the trade routes)
Imports: Gems, artwork, magic
Exorts: foodstuffs, timber
Industry: crafts, musical instruments, magic
Rock of Bral
Imports: Everything, especially food, timber
Exports: Manufactured goods of all types
Industry: Trade, diplomacy, shipbuilding
Diamondhammer's Stake
Imports: foodstuffs, gems
Exports: Metal wares, weapons
Industry: smithing, armorers, weaponsmiths
Gods' Marbles
Imports: tools, manufactured goods
Exports: mithral, adamant, silver, electrum, Kindori oil, meat
Industry: none
Grainfields astroid field
Imports: Tools, water, manufactured goods
Exports: Grains, meats, vegatables, fruits
Industry: Little
Ironpiece
A gnome colony with all that entails.
Bibliography
- SJR5 Rock of Bral
- Spelljammer Boxed Set
- The Maelstrom's Eye, Book 3 of the Cloakmaster Cycle
- "Shipwrecker" Module Role Aids #712
- SJR4 Practical Planetology
- SJR8 Space Lairs
- 1st Spelljammer MC Appendix
- 2nd Spelljammer MC Appendix
- TSR Worlds Annual #1 (1990)
- Spelljammer #3 "The Rogue Ship:3", DC Comics, Nov 90
- Spelljammer #4 "The Rogue Ship:4", DC Comics, Dec 90
