Name: Bestial
Type: Cluster Life Body
Size: B
Escape Time: 24 turns
Satellites: none
Distance from Primary: 120 million miles
Day Length: 32 hours
Year Length: 400 days
Population Analysis: Elves
Bestial is a created world. It is a carefully grown, fully mature starfly plant, brought here by the elves. Over the centuries, they have gleaned asteroids from the Gauntlet and added them to the mother plant.
Though the plant stretches over seventy-five miles from end to end, much of that is open space. The core of the planet is a cluster of ten asteroids two miles across each. The vast majority of the remaining asteroids are only a few thousand yards across, small enough to be towed by elvish ships. The asteroid field is densest at its core, where well over five hundred asteroids have been towed in to provide root material for the mother plant. More than a thousand other asteroids orbit the core, to be used for later expansion.
The core of Bestial is a mass of roots, rock, and vegetation. The mother plant has grown over the core asteroids, melding them into one solid mass. The end result has been a round orb of green vegetation and life. The asteroids at the core of Bestial are no longer visible and are not even accessible, and those slowly being introduced to the mother plant are covered with life. Great tendrils of vines and leaves stretch out and envelop nearby asteroids, incorporating them into the greater plant.
The surface of Bestial is a mass of green leaves and thick bark. Every inch of rock has long been buried under several feet of plant life. Because of the jungle-like conditions on Bestial, there is no true ground, only various canopies of life. In many places, the plant hangs free in space, its endless branches overlapping and double backing on each other for strength and support. Distinguishing between the hanging zones and those clinging to asteroids is nearly impossible from a 'ground level' vantage point. Only from space, where one can view the various bulges in the plant's green exterior can one determine where the plant is firmly rooted to asteroids.
All asteroids in or near Bestial are covered with plant life. Even if an asteroid has not been assimilated into the mother plant, it has been planted with grasses and small trees. As they are added to the mother plant, they become homes for families of elves.
Water, vital to the survival of Bestial, is slowly added by the elves in a different manner. Given that the majority of the water in Bestial is recycled, there is little need to add vast quantities of water. Water is needed, however, if the plant is to grow and prosper. Thus, the elves send ships out every few months to scour the outer system, searching for comets and other water sources. When a suitable comet is found and secured, elven teams arrive to carve the comet into transportable blocks. The blocks are loaded onto elven ships that race back to Bestial. As the ice melts in the warm climate of Bestial, the elven ships allow the water to seep out and fall to Bestial's surface, watering the plant and continuing the process of life.
Bestial has a very unusual gravity plane as a result of being such an odd planet. For the most part, it has a spherical gravity well. However, as one travels farther out, the gravity becomes planar along the ribbon of asteroids. The outer gravity plane stretches out roughly one hundred miles from tip to tip, encompassing a little more than the atmosphere of Bestial. All of the asteroids that orbit the mother plant share the common gravity plane. The asteroids, for the most part, orbit at the outer edge of Bestial's air envelope and move at similar speeds and direction. Because of careful planning by the elvish residents, asteroid collisions only very rarely occur, and of the few collisions that do occur, all have been gentle bumps against each other that have caused no serious damage. In these cases, only a few trees are flattened and some turf is torn up, but the asteroids are otherwise undamaged.
The entire mass that is Bestial makes a complete revolution once every 32 hours or so. The main plant spins slowly on its axis while each of the smaller asteroids tumble and spin at their own pace. The rotation of the planet ensures every part of the planet receives enough sunlight and water to keep it alive. No part of the plant shows any sign of sickness or wilting.
Because of Bestial's plant nature, it always has a clean and fresh atmosphere. In most parts, the atmosphere is five miles thick, with an odd, elongated oval appearance. The plant creates its own weather, which is calm most of the time. Weather only varies when one crosses from the day side to the night side.
The day side of Bestial is always calm and clear, the plant taking in as much sunlight as possible. The same is not true for the twilight zone or the night side. The twilight zone is an ever-changing ring around Bestial, separating the planet's day and night sides. This mile-wide zone is very stormy and windy. Rain is always falling and wind gusts can reach up to 25 mph. While this area is not too dangerous to a spelljammer, most captains would rather avoid trying to land under such conditions. The night side is completely enshrouded in mist and clouds. These clouds hide all of Bestial's features from sight. Visibility during night on Bestial is only twenty feet or so (at best), and few travel at night for fear of becoming lost.
Bestial has a constant temperature of 75 degrees Fareinheight. The mother plant moderates the temperature so that the whole planet has a constant and uniform temperature. This uniform temperature is perfect for keeping the plant alive and encouraging growth of new roots.
Bestial appears as a great, misshapen green orb. The core of Bestial appears as an almost solid sphere of green. Along the equator, the planet sprawls out with great branches to incorporate the new asteroids being added to it. Slightly beyond the branches, just out of their reach, is a small, almost unnoticeable ring of small, green asteroids. The day side of Bestial is a rich emerald green, while the night side is cloaked in gray clouds and mists.
As one approaches Bestial, individual twigs (often bigger than most redwood trees) can be made out. Great leaves spiral up to receive sunlight and conceal the lower reaches of the plant in eternal twilight. A few branches are clear of leaves and receive ample sunlight. These are the places where elvish cities are located.
Because Bestial is essentially one giant plant, it has neither large bodies of water nor any open land areas. There are no continents on Bestial.
Bestial is a created world. The elves have nurtured the mother plant for as long as it has existed. They have also controlled what life forms are to be introduced into their private little paradise. All creatures on Bestial are for the sole benefit of the elven people. Thus, a large number of "faerie" creatures have been added to Bestial's ecosystem, while there are very few "monster" creatures.
At the very bottom of the food chain is the mother plant itself, which provides a solid and stable surface for other, smaller plants to grow upon. The most prominent of these plants is a fruit-baring vine. This vine coils around the smallest twigs of the mother tree, and provides fruit and thick, green leaves for the animals of Bestial to eat. The fruit of these vines resembles a blue-green orb, roughly the size of an ogre's fist that is soft and easy to eat. This fruit has a delicate taste reminiscent of honey and sugar. The smallest leaves of the mother plant are huge, fern-like leaves over two feet across. These leaves provide nutrition for most of the herbivores of Bestial. Other than providing a steady food supply to the animals and elves of Bestial, the fruit and small leaves serve no purpose what so ever.
Next up on the food chain is a small horde of insects. These insects were introduced by the elves over the last few centuries to provide a food supply for birds as well as act as pollinators for the various fruit vines and ensure their survival. The majority of these insects are simple honey bees, which are kept in check by elvish beekeepers. The only other major insect species is the monarch butterfly. The monarchs were introduced by the elves solely for the sake of aesthetics.
The herbivores of Bestial are few. The majority of the herbivores are small squirrels and related creatures, including chipmunks, rabbits, and ground hogs. Hunting these animals is allowed, but careful measures on how many animals a family may take are enforced to prevent over hunting an area. Traps and snares are not allowed. These devices are considered truly barbaric and inhumane.
The larger herbivores include boars and large deer, which were introduced as sport animals for the elvish nobles to hunt. The animals that are killed on these hunts are consumed by the noble's family. Rights to hunt these creatures are reserved solely for the nobles. If another is caught hunting a deer or boar, the punishment is a years hard labor at the noble's estate who caught the offender.
A number of beautiful birds have been introduced into the ecology of Bestial over the years. The majority of these birds are white doves, red cardinals, and blue jay birds, which were brought for their esthetic qualities rather than any real value. Humming birds have also found their way to Bestial and released in the wilds. The songs of these birds fill the jungles of Bestial with music that the elves find appealing, but can cause insanity in others (any humanoid creature hearing such songs must save vs. spell with a +4 bonus or be driven temporarily insane).
A few other birds have also been brought to Bestial. These are birds of prey, imported for their value in keeping the number of other birds in check. Hunting hawks and falcons were most prized by nobles, and as a result, have strong populations on Bestial. Owls, however, had a difficult time with the foggy night conditions prevalent on Bestial, and imported flocks never took hold.
A number of ground predators, bred and specialized by the elves, have been imported to Bestial. Wolves, both wild and domesticated, have large and stable populations. They survive by hunting the small rodents common in the branches of the mother plant. The wolves have developed slightly larger claws, which allow them to better navigate the plant maze that is Bestial. More domestic animals include cooshee (elven dogs) and cath shee (elven cats), both of which are considered pets and allies of the elves. Though fed a regular diet of small game animals, the domestic elvish animals prefer to hunt for their food rather than be fed.
Other domestic animals imported by the elves include chickens, goats, and small ponies. These animals are always kept on elvish estates and never released into the wilds.
The only sentient race on Bestial is elves. They created Bestial to serve their interests alone. The planet is to be one their homelands, a place where they can gather and dwell in peace. The elves are refugees from the a bloody elf/orc war who fled to Banesun in an effort to escape a vast orcish fleet. This war happened thousands of years ago, and is now long forgotten. The elves were badly outnumbered and many were civilians, not trained in the arts of war. Unfortunately, the orcs were hot on the heels of the elves, and pursued them into the heart of Banesun. It seemed that the elves would be handed one of their greatest defeats of the war and one of the biggest massacres of the war.
However, the elves were saved by a quark of fate. As the orc fleet was closing in, they happened pass the Banesun while it was undergoing some particularly violent solar flares. While the orc ships were far enough from the Banesun to avoid the flares, but they were completely unprepared for the thousands of asteroids sent their way. The deadly meteor storm tore through the scorpion ships like vorpal blades through paper. When the asteroids passed, the orc fleet was no more. The elves, who had been watching the orcs through a crystal ball, were awe struck. They believed that the orcs had been destroyed by divine intervention, and that the Banesun was a god. The elves immediately took up worship of the Banesun as their primary god, and began construction of Bestial as both their home and temple to the Banesun. Somehow, the worship of the Banesun has warped the elves in ways that few thought possible. While they have the same appearance of elves around the spheres, they have been altered mentally and spiritually.
The elves of Bestial appear exactly like high elves. Though their skin is bronzed to exposure from the Banesun, they have the golden hair and eyes of high elves. Their dress, however, is different than standard high elves. Instead of pastel blues and greens, the elves of Bestial wear crimson reds over blacks and grays. Rust red is considered a holy color to the elves, and they will wear it only on holy days. The wardrobe of an elf will include a crimson red vest (no shirt), black trousers, and black, knee high boots. Most elves highlight their features with a light coating of makeup, preferably reds, purples, and grays.
Because of the nature of their society, the elves can be fighters, priests (the Banesun only), mages (invokers and necromancers only), and thieves. In the society that the elves have created for themselves, the commoners make up the lowest order. Peasants, farmers, traders, herders and freemen make up the bulk of the commoners. While the commoners are subject to the upper classes, there is little actual strife between them and those with higher social rank. Fighters and thieves make up the next rung of the social ladder, many of which form the nobility of the elves. The lesser fighters protect the people from the other races of Banesun, while those fighters with noble rank lead them into battle. Thieves are likewise valued for their infiltration and assassination skills. It is because of their daring raids that many potential problems for the elves never arise. At the top of the Bestial elven social structure is the priests and wizards, who guide the people spiritually and secularly. Even more importantly, the priests and wizards run the spelljamming helms that are so vital to the elven society. This importance is stressed greatly by the elves, and for another elf to sit in a helm is considered a felony, punishable by 20 lashes. Helms are considered holy relics by the elves, and treated as such.
As a whole, the elves of Bestial are darker and more violent than their cousins on other worlds. Internally, there is little violence and strife between the elves. Externally, however, the elves are violent and dangerous. They think nothing of killing a man in cold blood, since they, the elves, are the chosen of the Banesun and the rest are not worthy of the Banesun's attention. Slavery is an acceptable practice on Bestial, so long as the slaves are not elves. For the most part, only nobles and the richer traders keep human slaves, who do all the dirty work for their masters. They are assigned any duty that the elves consider "beneath" them, including cleaning, care of livestock, and hard labor. The slaves are not allowed to prepare food (unless its their own) because of the fear that they might poison it. The slaves have no social rights, and are completely at the mercy of their elvish oppressors.
Very rarely, an elf will take a human woman as a mistress. Some very powerful nobles will have multiple slaves fulfilling this service, but these large harems are rare. Any children that result from these unions are spirited away by special agents to a secret monastery, where the half elves are taught the skills of infiltration and murder. Half elves become assassins and spies for their elvish parents, but only after being completely brainwashed by elven priests. All half elves from Bestial are fanatically loyal to their elven ancestors, and will never willingly betray them.
The majority of the elves living on Bestial live in towns that average about a thousand elves. Each town is ruled by a family of nobles, who dwell in a small stone keep. Noble keeps are well-fortified against attack, but rely on obscurity for their primary defense. Most towns and keeps are located in the shade of leaves and hidden from orbital view. Because elvish towns are built to blend in with the rest of the plant, spotting them while flying is nearly impossible. Even from the ground it is difficult to find them, even when deliberately looking for them. Most are found only when the elves want them to be found.
Connecting the towns is a series of well laid out trails. While hard to find, the trails offer a smooth, even road for any traveler. The roots grow very close together and at a uniform height. This means that any creature can traverse the trails without fear of getting a foot stuck between two branches or roots. These roads are often traversed by messengers on pony, riding from town to town, bringing news and mail for the elven populous.
The asteroids hauled in by the elves to expand their world are often rich in mineral and gem deposits. The elves use enslaved dwarves to mine these asteroids and fashion useful objects from the ore. Gemstones are almost always used in jewelry and decorations. Iron is rare, but bronze and copper is much more common than normal. Thus, the elves have a bronze aged technology, but mix iron into their bronze to create a special alloy that is as strong as iron. Gold and other precious metals are common enough from asteroid mining and pirate raids that their currency is based on gold coins and jewelry. The elves commonly use gold chains as currency, but readily accept gold, silver, and platinum coins and trade bars. Elvish warriors commonly use spears, long swords, flails, maces, short bows, and awl pikes. All of these weapons will be fashioned from the bronze alloy the elves employ. Armor, which is also bronze, is limited to plate, chain, scale, and medium shields. Some elves who cannot afford better pick leather or padded armor and use medium leather shields.
The elves trade armor, weapons, art objects, wine, and exotic foods for glass, helms, livestock, and slaves. They will trade with just about anyone, from pirates to legitimate traders to illithids. They run one of the most extensive black markets in the entire sphere, and are more than willing to deal in stolen goods. Elvish smugglers are hated by authorities throughout any lawful port in the sphere, and because of their lawless activities, elves are treated with distrust and suspicion when they pull into port.
One of the two open ports of Bestial, Na'Trik is the older and larger port. It has more nonelves than any other city on Bestial and is most open to exotic cultures and races. The city has a population of 22,900 beings, of which 75% are elvish. The nonelves are kept in separate enclaves scattered throughout the city. Interestingly, the enclaves are separated from the docks by a considerable distance. This was probably done for security reasons; with the nonelves cut off from the docks, they would be less likely to rebel and riot.
The city is laid out in a rough oval shape with the docks at the center and the nonelvish enclaves at the edge. The docks are capable of handling land-landing craft easily, but water-landing ships must land in a nearby lake and make use of the docks of a small town. Goods are then loaded into wagons and hauled about four miles to the heart of Na'Trik. The market is found at the gate that connects with the port town. All manner of goods is found there for sale, but the city imposes a 3% tax of all sales in the market. The elves patrol the city with a powerful garrison of soldiers, mages, and even a handful of magical golems. The slave market is one of the most extensive in the sphere.
The smaller of the open ports of Bestial, Ruaon handles more of the illegal goods that flow to the planet. Many smugglers and pirates pull into port here to fence their stole wares and enjoy the spoils of their profession. The elves have established a vast network of fences and money lenders that operate out of this port, and any good that is too hot for their hands is sold off in a distant sphere, well away from the lawful owners.
Ruaon is not well known outside of smuggling rings, but is a popular place none the less. It has a population of 10,000, but only 55% of that is elvish. The rest are nonelves, especially slaves. The elves provide many luxuries sought after by pirates and their crews, including ship repair, taverns, festhalls, and houses of pleasure. Slaves provide most of these services, most often unwillingly. Guard patrols are not as visible, but defenses are actually stronger here than at Na'Trik. The elves will know of any and all transactions that happen in this quiet city.
The city has the general shape of a circle, with docks at one end and a citadel at the opposite. The buildings in between are remenicent of elvish tree settlements, but are fairly low to the ground. Most are only 20' to 30' above the ground, and none are over 50' above the ground. Buildings are large and maze-like structures with multiple floors and often span across several trees.
While Bestial has no natural satellites, it does have a constructed base orbiting it. Actually, it has no less than four bases orbiting it.
Two of these bases are Skyflower-classed Men-O-War rings, which have the widest and most distant orbits. These two bases, the Rualarrid ("Spear of the Shining Star") and the Baeldar ("World Guardian") are the first line of Bestial's defenses. Each serves as a base for no less than twenty-eight battle-rigged flitters and two cutter-classed Men-O-War and have a garrison of about 100 fanatical elves. The leaders of both of these stations are fighter/mages of 7/9th level. At least 20 of the elves are officers, who are fighters of at least 4th level. Each base has 5 war mages of no less than 7th level. Each of the 7 "spokes" of the base is armed with a light catapult, 2 light ballista, and a medium ballista, all facing outward.
The third base is the shipyard Amki ("Void Sea"), which is a small, mile-wide asteroid that the elves hauled into orbit. The interior is riddled with low-gravity caverns, where the elves grow new ships in utter secrecy. The mineral wealth of this asteroid was long ago mined out and the elves have fortified the place with numerous hidden weapons and thick barriers. The base has a total of 20 double-ranged heavy ballista set into fortified weapon turrets scattered throughout each "side" of the asteroid. The main entrance is guarded by four heavy catapults and two bombards, all protected behind a thick stone wall magically enchanted with a one-way passwall spell effect that also allows one-way sight. The base has a garrison of 400 warriors and 200 workers and ship trimmers. The leader is a 10/11th level fighter/mage with many magical items at his disposal. Of his garrison, 50 are officers and he has 10 war mages of 7th level or higher at his disposal. The base's capacity is unknown, but currently it grows 5 Men-O-War per year, of all strains, and about 25 flitters each year. This roughly covers all losses with enough room for slow but steady expansion.
The last base is the headquarters of Bestial's navy, the Lord-classed Armada ring Laki ("Void of the Night"). It is a sprawling place that orbits closely to the planet, and is always defended by two Light-Wing-classed Men-O-War, a Royal-classed Man-O-War, five cutter-classed Men-O-War, and 20 battle-rigged flitters. It has a garrison of 550 elves, of whom 90 are officers and 12 are war mages of 8th level or higher. The master of the place is Admiral Mairah (LE em F15) who is the overall leader of the Bestial War Fleet. Admiral Mairah is a brilliant but brutal elf, and is the mastermind behind the recent elvish aggressive expansions. His ultimate goal is to start a war that will consume all of the elvish foes, leaving them on top.
