Map of the Sol System
-Nate
Worlds of the Sol System
Detailed below are each of the planets or other bodies from the map
above.
Sol
At the center point of the system sits its primary star. This medium
yellow sun might seem to be unremarkable when compared to other such
bodies around the galaxy, but it is the focus of all life here. As
such, Sol forms the basis of one of the more influential religious
sects, who view it as the embodiment of a deity who is a shining
beacon of hope and light.
According to legends, numerous creatures inhabit this star. One is
believed to be a phoenix, a bird-like being of elemental fire who
periodically rises up from the depths of the sun, only eventually to
fall back into it again. It is said that the phoenix is very old and
has much knowledge to share, provided that one can find it and win
its favor. Other tales tell of a coven of witchfires—hags whose
ship strayed too close to Sol and was immolated by its heat—that
haunt the surrounding space, preying upon unwary travelers.
Wodan
This small world lies too close to Sol for anything much to live on
it. It is covered mostly by broad areas of stony or sandy plains,
along with low ridges pushed up by tectonic or volcanic activity. The
plains also feature numerous craters caused by meteorite impacts.
There is very little water to be found; what does exist usually pools
in some of those craters, forming small oasis communities. That
reason—along with the fact that nighttime temperatures fall well
below freezing, while daytime heat becomes unlivable for all
creatures except those who are immune to fire—means that many have
had to adapt to survive. As such, they generally retreat into burrows
during the worst of the heat, and emerge during a “twilight”
period when it is more tolerable.
Creatures that can survive on this harsh planet include the magma
ooze, rast, thoqqua and shasalqu, with the cherufe being the top of
the local food chain. The conditions here have also led it to be a
popular place for fire giants to settle, and they bring with them
monsters such as hell hounds and trolls. Those settlers build
elaborate underground strongholds in which they forge weapons and
other items using metal gathered from the surrounding terrain. It is
also believed that certain efreeti maintain palaces on this world.
Freya
Of all the planets in the Sol System, this one is perhaps the most
beautiful—and the most mysterious. That is because the world is
shrouded in a dense, acidic atmosphere. While that feature makes it
glow brilliantly in the night sky of Homeworld, it also renders the
surface almost completely uninhabitable. Only a few bizarre monsters
are known to live there, such as the bhole, plasma ooze and shard
slag. Even then, however, these creatures dwell in expansive
underground tunnel networks.
What is worse, the planet's sky is home to the dreaded colour out of
space, along with any blighted victims that it has managed to claim.
Indeed, there are multiple legends regarding lost aetherships that
drift through the dense clouds, crewed by eerily glowing victims or
their ashen remains.
Of greater interest to interplanetary travelers are the islands that
drift high up in Freya's atmosphere. Because of its dense nature,
intrepid individuals have discovered that they can drag in asteroid
and similar bodies that have air pockets trapped in them; those,
then, float in the air. These have been developed into floating
retreats via an elemental obelisk, a bottle of air, or
the like. Such sky islands are already known to be favored by beings
such as angels and djinn, among others, and it is believed that the
Royal Interplanetary Company has been considering building one of its
own.
Homeworld
As mentioned previously, this world is an ideal place for most living
creatures. As such, it is the only one known to be widely populated,
with numerous native races and species that have developed myriad
different civilizations and cultures. It is also believed by some to
be the very embodiment of Gaea, the Earth Mother goddess. It is home
to numerous organizations that wield influence throughout the Sol
System, including the Royal Interplanetary Company and the Church of
Ptah.
Tyr
This planet consists of one vast, cold, red desert, sprawling amid
low-lying mountains and the occasional volcano. In many ways it is
very similar to Homeworld, but lacking the vital warmth and moisture
that makes its neighbor so verdant.
Unbeknownst to many, Tyr was once home to a small but advanced
civilization—the troglodytes. These reptilian humanoids built
impressive structures and achieved important discoveries in medicine,
astronomy and other fields of study. For some reason, however,
thousands of years ago their society collapsed and fell into ruin.
Explorers have found some of their structures and even encountered a
few of the remaining creatures, and while it's clear that they retain
a few vestiges of their old accomplishments, they have long since
devolved into what is little better than lives of primitive hunting
and gathering.
For a list of creatures that can be found in this world's vast
underground warrens, refer to
http://d20pirates.blogspot.com/2017/03/planetary-ecologies.html.
Some of those cave networks, warmed by volcanic activity and
containing traces of water long since lost from the surface, have
become oases of fungal life.
The Asteroid
Belt
For the most part, the bodies in this region of the Sol System are
little more than rocks, big and small, floating through space. Those,
in turn, are home to the unusual worm-like creatures known as
somalcygots. There are exceptions, however.
One such settlement, founded by the Royal Interplanetary Company, is
the Crossroads asteroid colony. It provides a hub for trade, but is
also developing its own population. For details, refer to
http://d20pirates.blogspot.com/2015/07/crossroads-pdf.html.
Another example is the Grotto, a place that is home to various
scallywags: http://d20pirates.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-grotto.html.
Finally, the Dwarven Mining Guild has outfitted numerous floating
forges that mine and refine ore throughout the Belt:
http://d20pirates.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-dwarven-mining-guild.html.
Scholars have long debated how the Asteroid Belt came to be. While
many argue that it is just a planet that never managed to coalesce
out of the aetherial debris like the ones around it, some claim that
it was actually a world in its own right, but that it was obliterated
in some kind of tremendous, cataclysmic event. Some collectors even
claim to have found artifacts of a lost civilization among the
asteroids, but others dispute those claims.
Thonar
One of two gas giant—or Jovian—planets in the Sol System, this
one is best known for its giant red spot, which is actually a massive
and unending storm. Just what caused it, and why it is unceasing, is
a topic of interest among scholars. Thonar is also home to the
mutable, telepathic beings known as brethedans. While they have not
built any structures in their own right, they are known to attract
the massive, aether-swimming oma, which the brethedans have tamed for
use as interplanetary transports. The planet also has dozens of moons
that are ripe for further exploration.
Kronos
In many ways, Kronos is very similar to Thonar. Instead of a giant
red spot, however, it is most easily recognized by the prominent set
of rings surrounding it. It, too, boasts numerous moons, only one of
which has been fully explored. That is Enceladus, a moon that is
frozen on the surface but that features hidden seas warmed by thermal
vents. For a list of creatures that can be found in its seas, refer
to http://d20pirates.blogspot.com/2017/03/planetary-ecologies.html.
Enceladus is also home to Starfort Station, an outpost of the Elven
Navy. To find a layout of that facility, refer to
http://d20pirates.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-elven-star-fort.html.
Additional details about the location and those who can be found at
http://d20pirates.blogspot.com/2016/02/plot-hooks-for-and-inhabitants-of-elven.html.
In addition to their aetherial galleons, arkships and other vessels,
it is believed that the elves maintain interstellar portals
hidden amidst the debris of the planet's rings, ones that they use
for traveling to worlds beyond this solar system.
The Beyond
Little is known about what lies beyond the Known Worlds of the Sol
System. The region not far outside the system is believed to be the
origin of the comets that periodically drift through the system,
although just how they are created and sent drifting toward Sol is
unknown. Some scholars speculate that there could be additional
planets further out than Kronos. Finally, the elves are known to have
sent their arkships on interstellar voyages in search of other star
systems.
One such mission took them to the planet that is home to the kasatha
and shobhad, the world on which gunpowder was first devised:
http://d20pirates.blogspot.com/2017/03/planetary-ecologies.html.
It is believed that there are more stars and planets, of course, some
of which might be the original homes of such interstellar travelers
as the lunarma, mercane, mi-go and witchwyrds.
