Overview
Greela is a cluster-world comprised of several hundred planetoids, ranging in size from tens of miles across (size A) to a few hundred miles across (size C). Most of the planetoids average about 150 miles (241 kilometres) long and 100 miles (160 kilometres) in diameter at their widest points.
The Greela cluster itself is almost perfectly spherical, and all the planetoids that make up the planet are contained within this spherical air envelope. The planet has a diameter of roughly 9,000 miles (14,484 kilometres), about 1,000 miles (1609 kilometres) greater than that of Oerth. Despite its apparent greater size, much of Greela is empty space, with the result that the cluster-world only has about one half the total mass of Oerth.
The average distance between planetoids within the cluster is about 5 miles (8 kilometres). Closer to the center of the cluster, the gap between planetoids begins to decrease, and most of the largest planetoids can be found within 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometres) of the planet's geometric center.
Each planetoid has its own gravity, with "down" being toward the center of mass. All of the major planetoids (longer than 70 miles [112 kilometres]), have a gravitational field almost exactly equal to that of Oerth. The minor planetoids have highly variable gravities; some have fields many times stronger than that of Oerth, while others have virtually no gravity whatsoever. Generally speaking, a planetoid's gravity field extends about two miles from its surface, (Except for the smaller planetoids, whose gravity fields rarely extend more than one-tenth of their longest dimension from their surface.) Similar to the asteroids that comprise Borka, the gravity fields of the Greela planetoids do not overlap. When they are in very close proximity, their gravity fields change shape to avoid overlap. No matter how close two rocks are, there is always a gap of at least 50 yards (45 meters) between their gravity fields.
The large atmospheric envelope that surrounds the planetoids of Greela is much thinner than that of Oerth. The oxygen content is about one-tenth that found on Oerth’s surface, meaning that oxygen breathing creatures become fatigued four times as fast as normal. However, individual planetoids have their own atmospheric envelopes, which extends from the planetoid's surface to the edge of its gravity field, wherever that may be. Individual envelopes are usually considerably denser than the thin planetary envelope, and have higher oxygen levels. The major planetoids have individual envelopes that are quite similar to that of Oerth at sea level. Some of the smaller planetoids have thinner individual envelopes, and the smallest have envelopes similar to the large planetary envelope itself. Several explorers have noted that some of the smaller planetoids have atmospheric envelopes quite different from the planetary envelope: some lack oxygen entirely, some are highly flammable, or toxic or even corrosive. Fortunately, these deadly atmospheres are very rare.
Each planetoid rotates around its own axis at its own rate. Most planetoids spin around their major axis (like a football in flight), but some tumble end -over-end. Some of the smaller ones have even more complex motions, apparently rotating around several axes simultaneously. The rate of rotation almost always relates to mass, and the major planetoids have days ranging from 20 to 35 hours, while the smaller rocks have much shorter days.
The planetoids of Greela all orbit around a point at the center of the cluster, with an average orbital period on the order of 40 years. Planetoids may come very near to each other during these orbits, but there are never any collisions. Planetoids that seem in imminent danger of colliding actually seem to shunt each other aside, almost as if their gravity fields adjust to repulse each other. This repulsion and the resulting shunting are both so gentle that the inhabitants of the planetoids scarcely notice any effects whatsoever.
Inhabitants
Although most sages believe Greela's planetoids never developed any native animals, the advent of spelljamming introduced a profusion of animals, birds and insects to the cluster, plus many new species of trees and other plants not native to the planet. Most were transplanted to the cluster by spelljamming visitors, either accidentally (as in the case of rats, lice and mosquitoes) or on purpose (as in the case of Oerth bronzewood trees and maize plants). Today, almost all of the planetoids in the Greela cluster are covered with various species of grass. Toward the center of the cluster, however, the larger planetoids have rich forests. The most interesting native tree is something called the baobab, which grows to height of well over 300 feet.
There are no monstrous creatures on any of the planetoids. This does not mean Greela is a harmless garden, however. Certain misguided visitors, apparently trying to recreate their ideal ecology, released various predatory creatures on Greela, including jaguars, panthers, eagles and dogs. In some cases these creatures have become even more rapacious than they were on their home planet.
Over the last few centuries, explorers and settlers have come to Greela from elsewhere within Greyspace and from other crystal spheres entirely. Most of these settlers were humans or elves, although small contingents of other humanoid races have arrived over time. Predictably, considering their higher reproductive rate, humans outnumber elves on Greela by almost two to one now. The elves, however, seem to have developed a more sophisticated civilization. While the humans are more concerned about day-to-day survival and increasing their material wealth, the elves have a higher level of art and culture.
The elven civilization has limited itself to one large planetoid near the center of the Greela cluster, called Cenalterian (“Forest of the Stars”). In contrast, the humans have spread over two major and several minor planetoids. Although the humans nominally make up one nation, called “Frontier”, the various planetoid settlements operate more or less autonomously.
Other races have settlements in Greela. One large planetoid is home to several hundred giants of various species. Another planetoid is home to a dwarven mining colony. Various types of gnomes have settlements on a number of planetoids. The contingent of Krynnish tinker gnomes have instead built huge floating-air towns, massive wooden structures supported by hot-air balloons. The gnomish air-towns float from planetoid to planetoid, carried by the gentle winds. Because of the gnomish penchant for modifying everything in sight, the air-towns can change so much over a period of months that they are almost unrecognizable.
Trade
Cenalterien
The elves of Cenalterien (“Forest of the Stars”) dislike the idea of dwelling in towns or cities, preferring to live in smaller communities in the great baobab forests of their home planetoid. The only large settlement is the spaceport and shipyard known as Cenbreâdinė ("Star Harbor"). This is a natural shallow bowl more than five miles (8 kilometres) across, with lots of smooth flat terrain for ground-capable ships to put down. There is also a freshwater lake about a mile in diameter, where water-capable ships can land.
It is here that the elves build – or more correctly grow – their ships of living crystal, both for their own use and for export to other elven civilizations. The elves of Cenbreâdinė are protective of their facility and port, and suspicious of non-elven visitors. While other races may land at Star Harbor as long as they get permission from the Harbormaster beforehand (using magic or semaphore flags), they are discouraged from staying long. For a fee, the elves will provision visiting ships, and may even agree to carry-out repairs. While the ship is in port, its crew can only leave the vessel with an armed elven escort, which politely but firmly directs them away from areas the elves consider sensitive. Once the ship is provisioned and repaired, the Harbormaster strongly “encourages” the visitors to leave.
The elves of Cenalterien trade almost exclusively with other elves. They export various natural resources, such as baobab seeds, different kinds of wood and plants, and the 'armored bamboo' known as velasti in the elven tongue. Velasti is used throughout the universe, as a building material and in the construction of various elven musical instruments. It is also rumored that the military scientists of Shou Lung on Toril are purchasing great quantities of velasti through elven middlemen for use in building smokepowder-propelled rockets.
Of course, the major trade item for which Cenalterien is famous for, is its spelljamming vessels. The shipmasters of Cenbreâdinė have mastered the art of growing the living crystal that is used in many classes of elven vessel, including flitters, men-o'-war and the mighty armada. The elves of Cenbreâdinė do not provide the helms for these vessels; instead they must be supplied by the prospective buyer, or purchased directly from the arcane (who frequently visit Cenalterien) at a nominal mark-up.
Frontier
The human towns of Frontier are boisterous, vibrant and more than a little dangerous. The original settlers who founded Frontier were from Oerth, and wanted to get away from a life they found more and more oppressive. Leaving behind all the laws, rules and customs they disliked, they created a freewheeling civilization that combines the best and worst elements of humanity.
Each of the planetoids that make up Frontier has at least one town with port facilities for spelljamming vessels. Some of these are built around small lakes; others have no bodies of water, and are limited to ground-capable vessels. The largest and most influential town is called Bonanza, and has the largest and best port facilities. The nearby lake and the towns' landing fields are usually occupied by at least half a dozen visiting vessels, loading or unloading cargo, or buying provisions for further journeys.
The humans of Frontier mine their planetoids for mineral wealth. The Greela cluster is rich in many rare metals, including platinum, and Frontier supports itself almost exclusively by selling its unprocessed natural resources. There are some Frontier residents with foresight who anticipate the day when there will no longer be mineral wealth to excavate. By that time, they recognize, Frontier must have moved into a secondary industry of some kind. Most people, however, seem to view the mineral bonanza as limitless, and have no interest in messing with something that is working.
Officially, Frontier is ruled by a democratically elected President. In reality, however, the President's authority doesn't extend beyond Bonanza's city limits - and often doesn't even reach that far. Technically, the mayor's of all other towns in Frontier answer to the President, but in practice they pretty much do what ever they want. The mayor of each town - usually the richest mining baron - runs the town however they like and the inhabitants either put up with it or they move on. While the President may promulgate laws, in practice "law" and "justice' are exactly what the mayors say they are.
Rumors
"Planets have been shattered before. Who is to say it can never happen again?"
- excerpt from Reflections on a Hostile Universe by Taengelen Elderbower.
Unlike Borka, which was shattered within the living memory of some of the inhabitants of Greyspace, nobody can remember a time when Greela was a single planetary body, if it ever was. Most sages are convinced, however, that it must have been a spherical earth world at some time, shattered by some cosmic cataclysm. Divination magic has proven beyond doubt that Greela has been in its present form for millions of years: this, however, doesn't prevent certain sages, referred to as the "Martial Cataclysmists", from claiming that Greela may have been shattered in some ancient and devastating war between forgotten races of great power. Other sages, the so-called "Steady Staters", argue that Greela had always been a cluster-world, that it had never coalesced into single planet.
Appendix
External Links
- Oerth article at the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
- Greyspace at Beyond the Moons (the official Spelljammer website)