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Anadia

Realmspace Spelljammer

Overview Anadia is the closest planet to the Sun in Realmspace, and due to its proximity, the persistent heat keeps the equatorial regions of the planet dry and uninhabitable by most humanoid standards.

Overview

Anadia is the closest planet to the Sun in Realmspace, and due to its proximity, the persistent heat keeps the equatorial regions of the planet dry and uninhabitable by most humanoid standards. This arid region covers nearly 70% of Anadia's surface area, and is scarred by gargantuan canyons that dwarf the Great Rift on the third planet Toril. Some of these canyons are several miles deep, miles wide, and hundreds of miles long. What soil exists is dry and encrusted with the petrified skeletal remains of every creature unfortunate enough to have died here.

Conversely, the polar regions are covered with rolling hills, dotted with beautiful fields and trees. The closer these lands are to the poles, the denser the trees become and the steeper the hills. The poles themselves are mountainous, and are snow-capped for much of the year. The land is criss-crossed with a multitude of streams and rivers. The mountains at the poles receive the majority of the rainfall. This, combined with the snow-melt from the jagged and rocky peaks, fills the smaller streams which feed the progressively larger rivers. These major rivers eventually flow into the lakes and inland seas lying between the pastoral polar areas and the arid equatorial regions. None of the water actually ever reaches the equatorial regions because it evaporates too quickly, due to the heat and the dry conditions.

All of the streams, rivers, and lakes are filled with crystal clear fresh water; there are no salt-water lakes or seas on Anadia. The northern polar region has twice as many seas as the southern pole, but they are somewhat smaller. The peaks in the southern polar region are much smaller, however, and do not receive as much snow and rainfall as the north pole. In the north, the six seas (named Footpond, Crystalsea, Bluewater, Frogspit, Squarelake and Fingerwater) are all connected by 20-foot (6 meter) wide canals which allow fishing boats and trading vessels to pass through, and serve as the main trading routes between the 13 counties of the Northern Polarate. In the southern polar region, there are three large seas, though what the natives call them is currently unknown.

Inhabitants

The Equatorial Wastelands

The wastes that make up the bulk of the planet are inhabited by various monstrous creatures, including a large population of umber hulks. The umber hulks form primitive tribes or bands which roam the desolate terrain in search for food and water. They were introduced to Anadia by the neogi, who were attempting to set up a self-sustaining slaving colony. The colony was meant to provide a communal source of lord-servants for the neogi, as well as kidnapped Anadian halflings from the polar regions.

Instead, when the great beasts began raiding outlying farms in the polar reaches, they tended to steal only water and food, leaving the halflings behind. Eventually the neogi abandoned the attempt, leaving the umber hulks to thrive as best they could. Occasionally neogi still visit the planet to capture and enslave both umber hulks and halflings, but in general the expense is considered too high to make the trade profitable.

The umber hulks, in turn, are preyed upon by the vicious native predators known as the Anadjiin and the Plainsjan, These voracious creatures ensure that neither the halflings nor the umber hulks ever become too plentiful, thus assuring the natural balance on the planet. The anadjin and plainsjan are omnivorous, and will eat umber hulks, halflings, polar grasses and leafy plants, careless neogi slavers, as well as ignorant spelljamming adventurers. A few anadjin or plainsjan have made it to other worlds, resulting in phenomenal devastation.

The Anadian Polarates

The northern and southern polar regions are home to a native species of unique halflings. These Anadian halflings are very dark skinned, with unusually small eyes and ears. They also do not have the innate ability to see in the dark common to other halflings, possibly due to the proximity of the sun. Anadian halflings that have gone off-world, have difficulty seeing as their eyes have adapted to the brighter light of Anadia, They view other worlds as if they were blanketed in perpetual twilight or complete darkness, which they find somewhat unnerving.

The Northern Polarate

The northern polar region is dominated by the Northern Polarate, a nation loosely governed by a constitutional federal government. The Polarate is divided into thirteen autonomous counties, which are self-governing. The central government ensures that the laws passed by the counties in no way conflict with the divine rights granted to the people by their gods (and the government). The counties, in turn, pass laws they feel would be beneficial to taxpaying voters, with the Polarate officials having the final say. This system of government has been in place for well over three thousand years without any organised opposition,

The halflings at the northern pole believe that humans and other humanoid races are stupid and easily manipulated. In order to ensure that the industrious halflings do not take advantage of these “sub-halfling” races, the government confines them to small reservations bordering the equatorial wastelands and in heavily patrolled areas of the cities. The police forces assure that none of these ignorant humans are taken prisoner or indentured as slaves. However, the government is quite happy to sell skilled humanoids to passing spelljammers.

Of the thirteen counties, only a few allow spelljammers to enter their airspace, namely the counties of Anadjiin, Hairfoot, Powderpuff and Umberguard. The other counties have established extensive air defenses to destroy or drive away any errant spelljamming vessels. This extreme hostility is driven by paranoia and a fear of extraterrestrial diseases and plague. About 200 years ago, nearly 30% of the southern pole's population was killed by a plague introduced by an infectious spelljammer crew.

The Southern Polarate

The Southern Polarate is governed – and that term is used loosely – by anyone who has the upper hand at any one time. This creates a constant power struggle between the largest and most powerful halfling families. The ensuing chaos not only affects the ruling class, but also trickles down to other aspects of southern halfling culture.

It is not uncommon for smaller families to feud over land rights, including fencing (which prevents freedom of movement) and the ownership of water sources. Blood is shed every day over seemingly insignificant issues, but to the southern families nothing is considered a trifle.  Anything worth fighting over is worth dying for. Often, the current ruling family, which makes its own laws when it comes into power, tries to settle feuds between smaller families. The forces they send to police these conflicts are always met with hostility, and the minor families have a tendency to unite against anyone they perceive as a common enemy. Once the interfering forces have been driven off or eliminated, the feuding then resumes.

This state of continuous quarreling may seem beneficial to passing spelljamming crews, but be forewarned, When approaching the Southern Polarate, be cautious. Should a ship land here, it can expect to be attacked by every able-bodied halfling warrior within running distance. A spelljammer represents the ultimate in power to these halflings, and should a family gain control of such a vessel, they would gain the upper hand against any other family that dared confront them. In fact, that is how the current ruling family gained control of the government.

Trade

Both the northern and southern polar regions have several locations that can accommodate spelljamming vessels. However, only dry docks are available since the halflings are paranoid about their water supplies, and absolutely forbid spelljamming vessels from coming into contact with their precious rivers and lakes. Since the Southern Polarate is in a constant state of feuding, there is no organised trade with any spelljamming merchants.

The Northern Polarate, however, is a different story. There is an abundance of plant and meat products that are grown by the halflings and are commonly used for trade, including a smokepowder equivalent made from a native plant known as a powderpuff, and an appetite suppressant known as crispyleaf. In addition, the halflings often trade the humans and humanoid races from their “Idiot Reservations” as well. Of the thirteen Northern Polarate counties, only four allow spelljammers to land. These four counties are relatively easy to spot: whenever a spelljammer passes over the northern polar region, the lack of a barrage of ballistae bolts and other heavy weapons indicates that its probably safe to land there.

Most spelljamming ports will usually have facilities with four dry docks, which can each accommodate up to a 100-ton ship. Their most sought after imports include weapons, worked metal items, and common magical items of all sorts. The weapons are used to combat marauding umber hulks, neogi slavers, or the occasional attack from the Southern Polarate halflings. The capital city of the Northern Polarate is located in the county of Crispyleaf, situated directly over the north pole. Within a mile of the capital is the largest, most majestic spelljamming port on Anadia. The relatively inexpensive water and food available, and their willingness to pay “top gold” for magical items, make it a popular place to dock.

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