"Sooner sail blind through the Grinder than trust a neogi"
- A Greyspace aphorism.
Overview
The Grinder is a dense asteroid field, composed of countless millions of asteroids, planetoids and rocks, ranging in size from 100 miles (161 kilometres) down to the size of a golf-ball. The vast majority of the asteroids fall somewhere in the middle, with the average rock being several yards (meters) across. There are perhaps 100,000 size A bodies and no more than 200 size B bodies. The larger asteroids, those with a diameter of a mile or more, usually have breathable atmospheres, while the smaller rocks are generally voidworlds, although exceptions in both cases do exist.
Unlike a typical asteroid belt, the Grinder does not lie along the ecliptic (the plane along which the planets orbit the primary) in a doughnut shape. Instead the planetoids of the Grinder are spread out into a hollow sphere, completely surrounding Oerth and the inner planets (including Liga). This means that every spelljamming vessel bound for Oerth from the outer planets or the crystal sphere must pass through the Grinder. As a result, the Grinder has become the center of Greyspace's spelljamming traffic. This has also resulted in a natural division between short-haul merchants, who carry out trade between Oerth and the asteroid settlements, and long-haul merchants, who travel to the outer worlds and to other spheres.
Because they all lie in approximately the same orbit, all of the asteroids and planetoids that make up the Grinder move at approximately the same speed. Unfortunately, they do not all move in the same direction. Each body has its own distinct orbit, inclined at its own angle to the ecliptic, and traveling in its own direction. This of course leads to many collisions, with rocks constantly slamming into each other, shattering or bouncing off in new orbits.
The 200 or so size B bodies have settled into orbits and positions aligned so that they never collide with each other. This does not mean, of course, that these large bodies will not collide with smaller asteroids. Although the Grinder is a dense asteroid field in astronomical terms, there is still a great deal more empty space than there are celestial objects. The average distance between objects is measured in miles, meaning that a spelljamming vessel could conceivably charge right through the Grinder at full speed without coming anywhere near an asteroid, in theory at least.
In practice, the only sane thing for a captain to do is slow to tactical speed when the vessel reaches the outer margin of the Grinder. The helmsman must then weave a course around the most threatening objects, while lookouts keep a sharp eye out for planetoids approaching the vessel from unexpected directions. For obvious reasons, pirates and predatory creatures of wildspace, such as radiant dragons, find the Grinder to be a perfect place to ambush prey.
Asteroid settlements
Virtually every spacefaring race in known space has some presence in the Grinder. While some races have built their own settlements, including ports, markets, military bases and repair docks throughout the asteroid field; other races are represented by a handful of traders, explorers, mercenaries, diplomats and missionaries.
The most important asteroid settlements in the Grinder are described below:
Ceres
Ceres, also known as the Pup, is the largest and most important asteroid in the Grinder, This size B asteroid is roughly kidney-shaped, with a circular lake 10 miles (16 kilometres) in diameter. The settlement is built along the curving shore of the lake, and comprises roughly 50 buildings with a permanent population of about 250 individuals. Spelljamming vessels either land on the lake or on a smooth stretch of rock just outside the port area.
Even though it has both air and water, Ceres has no native lifeforms more sophisticated than a kind of slime mold that lives on the rock. Inhabitants have tried to cultivate food crops, from Oerth and other worlds, but they have all failed. Ceres is, therefore, entirely dependent on trade for its existence. Most of the population is human, with maybe a quarter of the population made up of demihumans. The rest include perhaps a dozen giff, and a pair of reigar.
Khadazah
Khadazah ("Motherlode") is a size B asteroid claimed by a group of dwarven miners from Toril who traveled to Greyspace onboard their citadel, which still orbits around the asteroid. Thus far, Motherlode has proven to be a major source of zinc, copper, and lead, which the dwarves sell to the highest bidder for a vast profit. There are rumors that the dwarves have discovered gold as well, and some wild speculation that they may also have found mithril. Although the dwarves have no intention of leaving, the orbiting Citadel (and its weapons) are manned at all times to defend Motherlode against claim-jumpers.
Lassh'tz Zst'q
Lassh’tz Zst’q ("We are here") - also known as Swamp to the humans of Oerth, Cenerea ("Fetid place") to the elves of Toril, and Harkalopenarigastinoven to the gnomes of Krynn - is a small outpost established by lizardmen. This size A asteroid is unusually warm, with a thick, humid atmosphere, and its entire surface is covered with shallow, stagnant lakes and ponds – a veritable paradise for the lizardmen.
Skullbringer
This size B asteroid, known as Skullbringer, is home to a small mind flayer colony that has only recently been established. Although nobody knows where the illithid originally came from, many suspect they came from the world of Falx. Similarly, no one is sure why the illithid have established the colony, although they appear to be quite happy to engage in trade with other asteroid settlements. One merchant captain reported spotting a neogi mindspider putting in at Skullbringer while on his way to Greela, but thus far the report is unsubstantiated.
Reaper
Reaper, also known as Charnelhouse or the Graveyard, is reputedly a size B asteroid overrun by various undead. According to legend, the asteroid was once a well-populated outpost established by human explorers from another sphere. Some time ago a collision between their asteroid and another large rock killed everyone who resided there, and for some yet unexplained reason most of the inhabitants rose as undead.
Beholders
At one time there were two beholder colonies in different regions of the Grinder, populated by two distinct beholder nations. However, the chaotic nature of their orbits brought both size A asteroids close together for the first time in recorded history. As soon as the two colonies were within a million miles (1.6 million kilometres) or so of each other, both colonies launched a raid against the other. The two fleets met in wildspace and annihilated each other. Currently, both colonies appear to be uninhabited.
The Horg
The Grinder is home to a mysterious race known as the Horg. These bizarre winged creatures have been known to attack spelljamming vessels traveling through the Grinder, and even to have overwhelmed small asteroid outposts.
Trade
Trade is the lifeblood of every settlement or outpost in the Grinder. None of them are self-sufficient; all depend on Oerth and other sources for food. While many of the asteroids are rich in raw materials, none of them have the facilities to refine ore or to manufacture finished goods from those materials. Instead the asteroid societies must trade their natural resources for food, water and other necessities, usually for great sums of money.
In general, entrepreneurship and laissez-faire capitalism is the cornerstone of life in the Grinder; among the asteroids, everything is for sale, if you have the money. The various communities and outposts are generally in competition, trying to outdo each other in handling the huge volume of trade passing through the Grinder. With few exceptions, this rivalry is purely economic, rather than militarily. From time to time, the outposts put aside their differences to collaborate in a specific endeavour; usually ridding the Grinder of various pirate groups preying on the merchant ships passing through.
Rumors
One of the greatest mysteries in all of Greyspace concerns the origin of the Grinder. Some sages believe it is the remnants of a planet that, for some reason, never formed properly. Others postulate that it is the wreckage of a planet destroyed in some calamity (which range from a war between the gods, to deific retribution inflicted upon the inhabitants, to a cataclysmic impact between the nascent planet and the legendary Anti-Liga).
The sage Marzaria of Chendl, in Furyondy on Oerth, once estimated the combined mass of the Grinder and came to a fascinating result: if all the rocks, asteroids and planetoids were combined into a single planet, they would form a sphere almost 500,000 miles (804,672 kilometers) in diameter (size H)! Considering that this was significantly larger than the Sun, Marzaria concluded that both the "unformed-planet" and the "destroyed-planet" theories were flawed. Following on from her work, other sages have speculated that the Grinder was created by some deity, or pantheon of deities, to protect Oerth from invaders from another sphere.
Appendix
Notes
External Links
- The Grinder article at Greyhawkonline.com, a wiki for the Greyhawk campaign setting.
- Oerth article at the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
- Greyspace at Beyond the Moons (the official Spelljammer website)