Shazzel

Climate and Weather

Shazzel has a hot and humid climate, undoubtedly caused by the great amount of water present. Though Shazzel has no true rainfall, the humidity is so high that most areas are shrouded in perpetual fog and mist. The asteroids closest to the center of the atmosphere are more humid and are eternally shrouded in mist while those at the edge are less humid and are fairly clear. The temperature is a constant 110 F, no matter the location in Shazzel. Storms are impossible, but floods are all too common.

Appearance from Space

This world appears as a smug in space. The asteroids are difficult to detect, but the water globes reflect water readily and easily visible. The center is a smug of white mist. The whole is of a white smug surrounded by tiny orbs of blue and green.

Continents

None.

Life Forms

The asteroids of the cluster are swampy and muddy, thus life conforms to such an environment. Cypress and other swamp-favoring trees are common, as is Spanish moss. Ferns are very common, but actual grass is rare. Lily paddies and reeds clog the waterways. Dangerous plants found on Shazzel include hangman trees, shambling mounds, and obliviax. The monstrous plants are rare and found only in the deepest and most misted parts of Shazzel.

Wildlife on the asteroids is fairly limited. The only predatory animals are snakes, giant frogs, minotaur lizards, and pteranodons; no other predator exist. They feast on the many frogs, fish, and lizards common to Shazzel. The misted parts hide small herds of 12'-long lambrosaurus that the lizardmen refer to as "throw backs" or the "untouched." Dangerous creatures include the many poisonous snakes, giant frogs, and the minotaur lizards.

The water globes are thick with water plants and fish, but since the water is fresh, they resemble large lakes rather than small seas. The center of the water globes is unexplored. The surfaces are sometimes traveled by lizardmen fishing vessels, but the largest of those ships is little more than a row boat. They hunt fish for their valuable oils and bones, which help in crafting spelljammers.

Guide to Groundlings

There is but one race native to Shazzel, lizardmen. These creatures, though termed lizardmen, are not directly related to standard lizardmen. Instead, they are decadents of the lambrosaurus in the heart of the swamps, somehow gaining intelligence and self awareness over the centuries. They are significantly different than standard lizardmen to be a separate species, but since they have no label for themselves, early space travelers labeled them lizardmen, and the name has stuck.

Physically, Shazzel lizardmen are slightly larger than normal lizardmen. They stand about 5' tall at the shoulder, but because of their tails, are just over 12' long. Their posture is more horizontal than vertical, with all of their weight balanced on their powerful hind legs. Their forward limbs are free and as useful as human arms. They are capable of standing vertical for short periods of time, raising their heights to 7' high. Their heads have duck-like bills and a crest of some type at the back. These crests are of a myriad of shapes and sizes, but are always hollow and used to communicate over long distances. Because of the loud noise that the crest emits, the lizardmen are capable of communicating quickly across the whole planet. The lizardmen are peaceful herbivores, keeping to themselves and working druidic magics. They had few ambitions in life. At least, that is until the dracons arrived.

When the dracons arrived in the sphere, they sought out allies, and the inhabitants of Shazzel was top on their list. The dracons arrived without much fanfare, and proceeded to befriend the lizardmen. Despite the language barrier, the two species found they had much in common and quickly became fast allies and friends. The lizardmen agreed to fell trees and build ships for the dracons, who in turn promised them travel to other worlds and adventure in the stars. Tales of adventures and space travel must have awoken a long buried spark inside of the lizardmen, as many were quick to board dracon ships and head off into the stars. Since then, hundreds if not thousands of lizardmen have journeyed to other worlds in the sphere, and enclaves of the two races are starting to appear in some of the more important ports.

Today, Shazzel serves as the dracon's primary ship building facility. The lizardmen busily construct ships that are either used by the dracons or sold off to other races. Young lizardmen, with stars in their eyes, sign on to spelljammers in hopes of traveling the space lanes. The dracons keep only a small enclave of their own on Shazzel, mainly to ensure the security of the construction yard, help build ships, and conduct trade with the lizardmen.

Resources and Trade

Spelljammers are the most prized item produced at Shazzel. The lizardmen use the cypress trees in the construction, but they don't follow standard techniques. Instead of using a large and noisy lumber mill to cut wood into boards, they use druidic magic to shape the wood into the shape they desire. While this process takes longer, the ships created at Shazzel are slightly better put together (+1 bonus to all saves). Fish bones are used as nails, as the fish have strong, steel-like skeletons. Fish oil is also an important component in the construction of spelljammers. Only a few key components, such as glass and sail cloth, are imported to complete spelljammers. Ships that the lizardmen are capable of building are typical of other lizardmen races. Their yards can build wasps, squidships, and hammerships.

Other goods shipped off-world include fish (prized for the oil and bones), wood, and lizardmen themselves. The lizardmen import glass, cloth, gemstones, and weapons.

Ports of Call