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Edill

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Overview

From a distance, Edill resembles a robin-egg blue sphere, with no discernible features. Although there are numerous elemental bodies spinning throughout its atmosphere, Edill does not have a solid core – it is simply a massive concentration of breathable air.

Edill is enveloped by an invisible “membrane” that possibly prevents the air world from dissipating into the void. Objects, such as ships or living creatures, can pass through this membrane freely, without affecting it in any way (when passing through the membrane, or simply extending a hand through it, there is a momentary sensation of resistance, but nothing more). Air pressure does not increase toward the center of Edill. In fact, air pressure and oxygen levels throughout the huge planet’s volume remain constant and are similar to conditions on the surface of Oerth.

Although there is no solid matter to block the view, it is impossible to see completely through Edill's atmosphere. Even clear air absorbs some light, and as a consequence, the level of light decreases the deeper a vessel travels into Edill’s atmosphere. The light of the sun does not penetrate deeper than perhaps 500 miles (800 kilometres) into the atmosphere, and the level of illumination drops to that of twilight or starlight long before that. This means that the majority of the planet’s volume is in eternal darkness, broken only by rare lightning storms and artificial (or magical) sources of light.

Edill's atmosphere is remarkably calm. Although there are winds, they never blow above a breeze, and major storms, including lightning storms, are very rare. Billowy white cumulus clouds sometimes form, and can occur throughout Edill's atmosphere. Rainfall is unusual but not uncommon, and the ambient temperature remains relatively constant throughout.

Even though Edill does not have a solid core, it does have gravity. “Down” is towards the geometric center of the planet. The force of gravity remains constant regardless of the distance from the geometric center, and is slightly less than one normal Oerth gravity. The gravitational effect stops abruptly at the atmospheric membrane, and does not extend beyond into wildspace. A falling object will drop to the center of the planet, accelerating to terminal velocity. When the object reaches the center, it passes right through and flies toward the opposite side of the planet, decelerating all the while. Because of air resistance, the object will not achieve the same height from the center that it started at. Once the object has slowed to a halt, it will start falling towards the center again. An object will continue to oscillate until it eventually comes to a stop at the center, after many, many cycles.

There are many elemental bodies spinning around in Edill's atmosphere, all orbiting the planets' geometric center. There are exactly 20,736 bodies of each elemental type, including earth, fire and water. The earthbergs are huge chunks of rock, roughly spherical, and half a mile (0.5 kilometre) to a mile (1.6 kilometre) in diameter. The fire bodies are massive fireballs, 100 yards (91 meters) in diameter, that roar and crackle through the atmosphere. The water bodies are teardrop-shaped clusters of water droplets – rather like mobile, compact high velocity rain storms.

These bodies follow stable orbits around the planet’s center, The speed of any elemental body increases the closer it is to the center of the planet. Most but not all of the earth bodies follow roughly circular orbits, far from the planet’s center. The water bodies usually orbit further in, and follow more elliptical orbits. The fire bodies generally follow the most eccentric orbits, climbing almost to the atmospheric membrane, slowing as they do, and then plunging toward the center, before repeating the process on the other side of the world. For some mysterious reason, the orbits of the various elemental bodies do not appear to intersect in any way, preventing catastrophic collisions.

Inhabitants

Edill is home to many thousands of dragons. While there are a few chromatic dragons, the vast majority are metallic, with silver dragons predominating. Nobody knows whether the Edill dragons evolved on the air world, or came to the planet from elsewhere. If the dragons themselves know, they aren’t telling. The creatures are identical to their cousins on other worlds, except they are much larger, and a great deal more social and cooperative.

The silver dragons have developed a sophisticated and quite idiosyncratic society, based on the ideals of philosophical contemplation, rational thought, intellectual debate and the renunciation of material things, and prefer to inhabit the larger and slower moving earthbergs that orbit within Edill's atmosphere. The adult silver dragons spend most of their time soaring through the air of Edill, usually within a hundred miles (160 kilometres) of the atmospheric membrane, where the skies are blue and the sunlight is brightest. As they fly, they contemplate and create, taking a break every now and then to hunt the ever-flying skykine, massive air-borne herd animals that provide most of the dragons' sustenance.

All of the larger earthbergs have at least one silver dragon hatchery on it; an area where eggs can be safely laid and is guarded by an organised system of draconic sentries. The other draconic species, particularly the red dragons, will occasionally raid a silver dragon hatchery, but usually they are driven away without loss.

Other winged creatures also live in the skies of Edill, including wyverns, aarakocra, and other avian species. Some of the larger fire bodies are home to small family groups of salamanders and other fire loving creatures.

Trade

Perhaps the most important resource that Edill possesses is air. Ships whose air envelope has become stale or foul can solve the problem simply by dipping into the upper reaches of the planet’s atmosphere. Some of the earth bodies, particularly the ones with eccentric orbits, are rumored to have large deposits of minerals and valuable ores. Unfortunately most of them are home to rapacious dragons of various species, making mining operations rather hazardous.

There is no organised trade with the inhabitants of Edill. That being said, both the silver dragons and the red dragons maintain settlements that have seen limited contact with spelljamming vessels.

  • Skyhaven - At almost three miles in diameter, Skyhaven is by far the largest floating island in Edill's atmosphere. It orbits within a mile of the atmospheric membrane, and is home to nearly 100 silver dragons, plus one or two other metallic dragons. The upper surface of the rock has a large lake suitable for water-born vessels to land (approaching ships should always be on the lookout for bathing dragons). There are also many relatively flat places for ground-based vessels to set down. Although the dragons of Skyhaven do not care about material possessions, they are willing to trade for new ideas or intellectual creations, but will only pay for these with other ideas or pieces of information.
  • The Diver - About one third the size of Skyhaven, the Diver has an exceptionally eccentric orbit, coming within a mile or two of the atmospheric membrane, and then diving down into the black depths to pass within several miles of Edill’s geometric center. The Diver is one of the fastest-orbiting earth bodies, traveling at an enormous speed when it passes closest to the planet’s center. The Diver is home to about 75 massive and extremely aggressive red dragons. The Diver does not have a lake large enough for a water-landing spelljammer to put down, although there is more than enough clear ground for a ground-based ship to land. The red dragons are quite likely to incinerate any incoming ships, unless they are expected or they see some benefit in letting them land. However, the red dragons do appear to have struck some kind of trade deal with various goblinoid groups.

Notable inhabitants

Rumors

The silver dragons are aware that the red dragons have been visited by various spacefaring goblinoid groups, including orcs, scro and others. These meetings had begun well before the second Unhuman War started but ramped up as the war progressed. No one knows what the purpose of these meetings were, but some believe that the red dragons were negotiating to purchase spelljamming helms, ships and weapons from the goblinoids. Nobody knows exactly what they would do if they got this equipment but the ramifications are disturbing.

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