Size C spherical earthbody
Spiral has two continents, though neither is named. Each rings the planet within its hemisphere (north or south), and is seperate from the other by a large equatorial sea. Seas at each pole further enhance the "striped" appearence of the planet. Each continent is marked by a series of twisting, turning rivers which connect the equatorial ocean, Serekeros ("Blood Sea" in the Eledhel tongue) to the polar seas.
The northern polar sea, Himgaer ("Cold Sea"), is often beset by icebergs which drift down from a polar ice cap after it melts away in the summer. Earel ("Star Sea"), the southern polar sea, is a deep, clear blue and at night the stars are reflected clearly in its depths, given it its name. A mild sea, storms seldom mar its surface.
Spiral has over fifty major rivers, a remarkable number for such a small planet. Most are of very similar, but two do stand out. The Culsir ("Red River") flows across mud of an unsually bright hue, after floods or thunderstorms the river itself takes the hue on for a day, at most. The Tatharsir ("Willow River") is shallow, slow, and wide. Small islands appear along it, and its banks are very marshy so that willows crowd the banks all along its flow. Its source is not a series of springs and lakes, like most spiral rivers, but instead it arises out of the only swamp on the planet, a rather dingy affair which is miserable in summer and winter both.
Spiral has a fairly standard weather pattern, four seasons, none of which are particularly extreme. Over all the temperature is on the cool side, going as high as 85 f or so and dropping in winter to 5 F. Rain and snow are sufficient, but not overly abundent. The planet does tend towards fog and mist, especially in the morning hours. In general, the seasons are harsher in the northern hemisphere, with hotter summers and colder winters.
Spiral is home to a wide variety of typical terrestial plant life, especially thouse typically found within mountainous, temperate regions. Evergreen trees dominate, though oak and laurel are not completely unknown. The planets soil is relatively fertile, mosses, ferns, shrubs, and grasses are plentiful.
The Fauna tends to be on the normal side as well; deer of varying sorts, moose, rabbits, groundhogs, fox, and wolves are some of the larger mamals, while falcons and hawks dominate the skies. The seas are poorly explored beneath the waves, but many species of fish have been taken by fishermen. Interestingly, there appear to be no sea mammals.
Like most smaller planets, the number of indigenous "monsters" species is small, as it can support only a few. The mountains hold the majority of these creatures. There, Bloodstingers (see DR #251) take the role held on most planets by dragons, though they are smaller and less intelligent then the great Wyrms. Another danger in the mountains are Shadow Panthers (see DR#251), relatives of Displacer Beasts who stalk mountain deer and careless travellers.
Sentient species are also present, of course. Elves, humans, dwarves, orcs, and goblins have all been present long enough to be considered native. Sprites and Lythari are also present, though in small numbers.
Spiral was colonized in the year 3233 OC by a group of high elves from Darnnanon led by a charismatic elven warrior-mage, Amian ("Swanlord"). Landing his fleet of swanships in a bay on the north shore of the southern continent, Amian renamed his folowers the Eledhel ("Star Elves") in honor of their origins. On that bay he founded the first city of Spiral, Anfalas, and his followers began a long tradition of working with nature to establish their civilization. Eventually other cities were founded and the elves became farmers, fisherman, and craftsmen. Amian took the planets name as his family name and established House Spiral, from whom the planet's rulers would be drawn in the future.
When the elven colonists arrived, they found the planet was already inhabited by goblin and orcish bands (most likely survivors from crashed spelljammers). These tribes were confined to the mountains and deepest forests, they attacked lone travellers and the occasional farmstead, but were too few and ill-equipped to be a danger to the elves themselves.
Aside from this minor nuisance Spiral was a happy, prosperous world. House Spiral produced wise leaders, who lacked the common elven failing of overweening pride. In 4011 OC they allowed hill dwarves of the Delvar clan to settle on Spiral. The Delvar clan established mines and a stronghold in the mountains near the city of Naugost. In 4057 OC, buoyed by the success of dwarven immigration, humans were allowed to settle in small groups. All the humans and dwarves who came to Spiral swore fealty to House Spiral, though they governed their communities according to their own customs. Within a century of the arrival of humans on Spiral a human knightly order, the Company of the Chalice, had established Spiral as the headquarters of their Spiralspace chapter.
Spiral was always the focus for the Imperial Elven navy in this sphere, in fact elves have always termed the sphere "Spiralspace" and even now do not use the more modern "Bralspace". The Imperial Elven Fleet headquarters for the sphere had long been the Crown of Correlon, an elven station orbiting Spiral made from 7 joined men-o-war. The Sindiath Line made regular stops at Spiral, and and House Spiral maintained a small, defensive fleet of their own, ten Swanships.
When Admiral Cirathorn of Aerlofalyn took command of the IEN Spiralspace fleet the close cooperation between the IEN and House Spiral collapsed. The Admiral was offended by House Spiral's open attitude towards the dwarves and humans now inhabiting parts of the planet, and especially offended that they had been permitted on an elven world at all. Moreover, he took the traditional IEN distrust of groundling elven realms to heart and saw himself as the highest elven lord within the sphere, a feeling House Spiral's current lord, Cuthalion, did not share. After many disagreements the Admiral shifted the bulk of the IEN Spiralspace fleet to Bral, and broke off offical contact with Spiral. House Spiral received control of the Crown of Correlon as a result of a clause in the original treaty between House Spiral and the IEN.
The planet was conquered by the Scro Tarantula Fleet in 5043 OC following a swift, brutal campaign. The campaign was very successful, the Scro even managed to prevent word of the conquest from spreading through the sphere. Since the later naval actions of that year, which resulted in the near destruction of the Tarantula fleet and 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.
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. The Crown of Correlon is now controlled by the Scro and used as their headquarters. 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.
The Eledhel are in game terms identical to High Elves in all respects, culturally they are very similar as well. They are more friendly with humans and dwarves then is typical, though they see themselves as the natural leaders of the "goodly" races. They have a deep reverence for Spiral, and try to live in harmony with the planet's ecology.
Though they worship the Seldarine, two minor members of that pantheon have abnormally large followings among the Eledhel. Sarula Iliene, the Nixie Queen, goddess of lakes, streams, and water magic is very popular. Though Spiral does not have a native nixie population, the planets many waterways make her worship only natural. Alathrien Druanna, The Rune Mistress, goddess of Runemagic and conjurations is the second minor goddess of the Seldarine with an unusually large following on Spiral. A sect of Totem-sisters (the kit from Elves of Evermeet; Totem-sisters use rune magic much like runemasters from the _Vikings_ accessory or the _Giantcraft_ accessory) are sworn to her service.
The Eledhel make great use of magic. For example, Spirit Warriors were still grown here on occasion, until the scro conquest. Travel between cities was often accomplished by "Alquacir", or swanboats. These craft are fairly small, helmless vessels enchanted to levitate and propeled forward by the wind. Cooshee (elven dogs), are common as companions, even familiars. Many Eledhel have some minor knowledge of magic.
Eledhel follow many paths, often the restless or adventureous joined the IEN, or Sindiath line. They are renowned as bladesingers, rangers, archers, mages, and Totem-sisters.
Note: All populations are elves only and pre-Scro conquest
The capital of Spiral, this was a beautiful city with buildings built from white marble and traced with gold and silver. Temples to all the Seldarine were here, as well as House Spiral's palace, Celeros ("Silver Flame"). Barad Curu ("Tower of Skill"), an academy for elven scholars was here as well, making Anfalas the center for learning on Spiral. The fields beyond Anfalas were carefully farmed, and the port supported a small fishing fleet. The city was fairly cosmopolitan, as it received a great deal of the spelljamming traffic coming to the planet.
After the conquest, Anfalas is home to the primary scro groundside port. The buildings are dirty and chipped in many places, though their inate beauty remains. Three goblin tribes, the Red Skulls, the Bonegnawers, and the Wolveskin live here now, serving under the boot of the dominent orc tribe, the Black Eye. The city houses many human slaves as well. (When the planet was conquered, captured elves were sacrificed, humans and dwarves were enslaved.)
Anfalas was the traditional seat of House Spiral, but all the elven noble houses had homes there.
This small city, nestled between the ocean and the mountains on the southern continent, was the port where the dwarves of Spiral brought their wares for trade. A large enclave of dwarven merchants and laborers [pop. 350] lived in harmony with their elven neighbors. Because the forests to the south east held the largest populations of goblins on Spiral, the city was fortified, with a strong wall built by the Delvar clan. Within, the city was a unique blend of elven and dwarven architectural styles which melded the indomitable foundations dwarven with elven balance and beauty.
In the wake of the scro invasion very few elves remain alive within the city, and the dwarves have been enslaved. Orcs of the Slayer tribe now control the city.
The mountains to the south-west of the city (called Ered Telpe, "Silver Mountains", by the elves, or Olmorndin, "Magic Peaks" by the dwarves) are rich in silver, mithril, and some iron. Barak Ultok [pop. 1,000], the clan's stronghold, is deep in these mountains. For six years now goblins of the Speared Eye and Slashing Claw tribes as well as orcs of the Black Blood tribe have beseiged this underground fortress with no result. Scro patrol vessels ensure no spelljammers contact the dwarves, and the Delvar clan lacks the warriors to break the seige. Many wonder how much longer their supplies can hold out.
Naugost was traditionally ruled by the leader of House Zathereth
Named for the appeaance of the stone used for most of the buildings, Caranbar is the second largest city on Spiral. In design and appearence the city is much like Anfalas (save for the red stone), and like that city the fields surrounding the city are tilled by human and elven farmers. In many ways, Caranbar was the breadbasket of Spiral, producing far more food then its population needed.
Today, the Scro maintain a company of Marines (4th Company, 20th Marines) in the city to keep the three orc tribes (Shattered Bone, Headhunter, and Deathdealer) which garrison the city from slaughtering the human slaves who are now forced to work the fields for their scro conquerers.
Caranbar was traditionally ruled by an elf of House Nuavel or House Ruadar.
This small city on the Culsir river is comprised predominately of tree houses built among the massive redwoods which dominate the stretch of the coast on the northern continent. Culaglar was the most isolated Spiral city, as its residents tended to keep to themselves. They made their living in the traditional elven manner, living close off the land. In many ways Culaglar resembled a wood elf village more then a high elven city.
Now, the city is virtually deserted, guarded only by the goblins of the Horned tribe. The few human slaves taken here were sent to Gilnole, and none of the captured elves remain.
Culaglar was traditionally ruled by House Or'Rusaris.
This city, smallest of the cities on Spiral, was home to the Noleithel ("Well of Knowledge"), a school for swordcraft and magic. The swordmasters of Noleithel were renowned for their skill, all bladesingers trained here followed the way of Kirlhach ("leaping flame cut"). They carry distinctive longswords marked on blade and pommell with carvings of swans. All the officers of Spiral's Swanship fleet were trained in Gilnole. Though the city was used to train warriors and mages, it was not itself a fortress, and was as beautiful as any city on Spiral.
The Order of the Chalice, a mostly human knightly order devoted to eradicating evil from wildspace while searching always for a legendary Chalice, had its Bralspace chapter headquarters in Gilnole, in a small keep near the port. They were conquered by the scro as well during the invasion.
The keep is now the headquarters of a company of Scro marines (3rd Company, 20th Marines), who along with the orc Render tribe and the goblin Dripping Dagger and Demon tribes garrison the city. The scro use Gilnole as their headquarters on the northern continent.
Gilnole was traditionally ruled by House Traim.
