Greyspace
Greyspace is a crystal sphere that is home to the GREYHAWK Campaign Setting, and contains the planet Oerth.
"Between Oerth, the firmament of the universe, and all the other wonders therein, is it any wonder the gods find perfection in Greyspace?"
- Azil Mestavin, Priest of Boccob
Overview
"If the universe is a wilderness as many say, then Greyspace is an oasis."
- excerpt from Memoirs of a Far-Ranger by Justin Moot
Greyspace is one of the largest crystal spheres yet discovered, with a diameter of 16,000 million miles (25,750 million kilometres). It also features perhaps the widest variety in planetary shapes and types, ranging from standard spherical planets to elongated, irregular and flat worlds, as well as belt and cluster formations. The wildspace of Greyspace is cooler than that of Realmspace, but not as cool as that of Krynnspace. Most sages believe this means Greyspace is younger than Realmspace.
Location
Greyspace is part of a stable triangular configuration in the phlogiston that also includes Realmspace and Krynnspace. Currents within the Flow allow free travel from Greyspace to and from Realmspace, but only one way travel from Greyspace to Krynnspace. Greyspace also has Flow connections to Clusterspace, Moragspace, Shadowspace, and Vodonispace
Celestial bodies
Greyspace is a geocentric system, with the system primary, an earth body known as Oerth, located at the center of the sphere and orbited by the other planets and an asteroid field. This sets Greyspace apart from the vast majority of Known Spheres, which have fire bodies (suns) as their primaries. Most of the major planets orbit in the same plane, except Ginsel and the Spectre, both of which have orbits that are inclined a couple of degrees to the ecliptic.
Oerth (Primary)
Oerth is Greyspace's primary and is a size E spherical earth body.
Kule
Kule, also known as Celene, is a size B spherical earth body. It is tidally locked and has no atmosphere.
Raenei
Raenei, also known as Luna, is a size D spherical earth body.
Liga (Sun)
Liga, also referred to as "the Sun", is a size G spherical fire body. It has one moon.
The Grinder
The Grinder is an asteroid field made up of size B asteroids of various celestial body types.
Edill
Edill is a size G spherical air body.
Gnibile
Gnibile is a size G spherical air body.
Conatha
Conatha is a size C elliptical water body.
Ginsel
Ginsel is a size C irregular shaped earth body. It is crescent shaped.
Borka
Borka is a size A cluster of asteroids which are all earth bodies. Borka's asteroids have a common atmosphere and variable gravity.
Greela
Greela is a size E cluster of asteroids which are all earth bodies. Greela's asteroids have a common atmosphere and variable gravity.
The Spectre
The Spectre, also known as the Wink is a size B flatworld earth body.
Additional astronomicals
The Sisters
The Sisters are a group of nine star-like objects that burn with a brilliant blue-white light, though they appear as a single bright star from Oerth. The Sisters are surrounded by a field that repulses objects as well as a magic-dead zone. However, ships passing through the center of the formation of star-like objects may be displaced in space and time.
The Great Sargasso
The Great Sargasso is an enormous spherical magic-dead zone that lies somewhere in the depths of space between the Spectre and the crystal sphere, travelling in an incredibly complex orbit.
The Habitat
The Habitat is the name given to a large mysterious elliptical object orbiting in the depths of wildspace.
The Dark Stars
The Dark Stars are mysterious spherical black objects orbiting in the depths of space somewhere between the Spectre and the crystal sphere. According to rumor, any physical object touching the surface of a dark star is instantly and irrevocably destroyed.
Crystal shell
"To the Pearl without price, and a safe berthing."
- Greyspace spacefarers' toast
From a distance, Greyspace’s crystal shell appears utterly flat to observers, due to the sphere’s great size. The exterior surface of the sphere is highly reflective, and on close inspection resembles highly polished steel. From a distance, the surface takes on a shifting, iridescent quality reminiscent of mother–of-pearl. The shell’s silver sheen appears to be shot through with streaks and whorls of subtle pink and blues, with the net effect that from the Phlogiston, Greyspace resembles a massive pearl that appears to float in the turbulent currents of the Flow.
The interior surface of the sphere is as smooth as the exterior, with no discernible ripples or imperfections. However, it is totally non-reflective, and appears night-black as it absorbs all light that falls on it. The surface also has no texture and does not register to the sense of touch, other than as a barrier through which nothing can pass.
Portals giving access to and from the Flow open spontaneously in the crystal sphere, always opening between star-gems. Perfectly circular, most of these portals are small, usually tens of feet across, though a rare few may be larger than 100 feet (30 metres) in diameter. Once every 5 years or so, truly massive portals on the order of several miles in diameter open in the crystal sphere. These ‘major portals’ are exceedingly rare. Spontaneous portals are much more uncommon in Greyspace than they are in Realmspace, and there are probably fewer than two dozen portals open at any one time.
Constellations
The stars of Greyspace are actually huge, glowing, multifaceted jewels embedded in the material of the shell. The largest of the star-gems are 10–20 miles (16-32 kilometres) across, while the majority are smaller than 1 mile (1.6 kilometres) in diameter, with the smallest only a few hundred feet across.
Despite being visible for billions of miles across the sphere, the stars are not overly bright when approached directly, and pose no danger when gazed upon with unprotected eyes. For all their dazzling brilliance, the star-gems do not appear to radiate any heat, and can be safely approached up to 100 feet (30 meters). However, approaching closer than 100 feet (30 meters) apparently crosses some unseen boundary, because the temperature surrounding a star-gem is actually hot enough to ignite or melt any non-magical material. The massive heat of a star-gem will instantly cremate or vaporize any foolhardy explorer that comes too close.
The star-gems form complex yet subtle patterns that straddle the border between order and chaos. Sages from Oerth have identified various constellations that make up the Twelve Lairs of the Zodiac, through which the Sun passes as it completes its' annual journey through the sky. They have also named several of the other constellations as well, such as the Druid, the Dancer of Swords, and the Swan.
Appendix
External Links
- Greyspace article at Greyhawkonline.com, a wiki for the Greyhawk campaign setting.
- Greyspace article at the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
- Greyspace at Beyond the Moons (the official Spelljammer website)
- Canonfire! (the leading World of Greyhawk fan website)
