Conatha

Conatha
Side and cross-sectional view of Conatha
Basic Information
Crystal sphere	Greyspace
Type	Planet
Size class	C
Shape class	Elliptical
Type class	Water body
Satellite of	Oerth
Day length	36 hours
Year length	120 months
Population summary	Sahuagin, merfolk, other aquatic creatures
Orbit distance	1,000 million miles (10 days)

Conatha is the sixth celestial body in orbit around the system primary Oerth in the crystal sphere known as Greyspace. The size C elliptical water body has two large earth bodies at its core, separated by many miles, which accounts for the planets' elliptical shape and tumbling orbit. The permanent state of war that exists between the various Sahuagin kingdoms ensures that landing on Conatha is always hazardous.

Overview

Conatha is an elliptical world that tumbles end-over-end as it revolves around Oerth along its roughly circular orbit. Although Conatha is a water planet, it does have an atmosphere 5 miles (8 kilometres) deep, with about the same pressure and oxygen levels' as Oerth’s atmosphere. The thin layer of air is perfectly clear, with no clouds or other signs of weather, and is never disturbed by any winds.

The surface of Conatha’s ocean of salt water is smooth and flat, since there is no weather to stir up any waves. Although there are no waves or storms, or even the barest hint of a wind, navigating Conatha’s surface is relatively risky, As Conatha tumbles in its orbit around Oerth, the warmth of the Sun heats the water unevenly, causing currents to flow from the daytime side, where it is warmer, to the cooler nighttime side. These currents form rivers that flow rapidly through the otherwise–placid ocean, at speeds of up to 20 Knots (37 kilometres per hour). The currents are strongest and fastest at the surface of Conatha. However, as one goes deeper into the planetary ocean, the currents become less frequent, and become slower and less powerful. Near the center the planet, there are no currents at all.

Conatha has no islands or other land masses on its surface. However, there are two earth bodies, approximately 10 miles (16 kilometres) in diameter, deep within the planetary ocean near the planets' core. These rough spheres of rock revolve about the planetary center once every 36 hours, and are about 100 miles (161 kilometres) apart. These earth bodies account for Conatha's elliptical shape, and it is their motion that causes the world to tumble end-over-end as it orbits around its' primary.

These two earth bodies are mostly solid rock, although their surfaces are riddled with networks of caves and caverns to a depth of a mile or two. They are covered in a thick layer of biological slime and ooze, much of which is bio-luminescent, which causes the earth bodies to glow with a cold blue-green light bright enough to illuminate the otherwise-black depths of the planet. Tiny bio-luminescent creatures similar to plankton float freely in the salt water, causing much of the planet to be illuminated, equivalent to starlight on the surface of Oerth.

Inhabitants

Conatha has a strong and vibrant aquatic ecology. At the bottom of the food chain are many species of plankton, mold, and microscopic shrimp. There are a profusion of fish species, ranging in size from harmless minnows to over-sized and highly aggressive barracuda and shark analogues, and several species of aquatic mammals. There are believed to be six distinct species of whales native to Conatha; three of which resemble the more-familiar blue, sperm and killer whales common to other worlds. The other three species, however, are unique to Conatha. The largest, and most interesting, is the Conathan Leviathan, an aggressive predator some 200 yards (182 metres) long that feeds on blue whales and other large prey. The most intelligent whale species on Conatha is a relatively small creature that resembles an undersized killer-whale. While they can understand spoken languages; due to their physiological challenges, they are unable to vocalize any spoken tongue.

Conatha is home to two sentient species:

• Merfolk - The water world is home to two small communities of merfolk. These merfolk live in the depths of the planet, making their homes in the caverns and chambers that riddle the two earth bodies. Known as Loquasti and Varanais ("Security" and "Vigilance"), the two communities are very distinct and independent, with individuals very rarely straying more than a couple of miles from their home caverns. In the past, there was a great deal more cooperation between the two communities: however, with the rise of the aggressive sahuagin kingdoms, any forms of contact have faded. Unfortunately, it has become a fact of life that any merfolk that wanders too far from the protection of their home caverns will surely be slain.

• Sahuagin - Conatha is dominated by the extremely aggressive and territorial sahuagin. There are thousands, possibly millions, of these vicious and rapacious creatures living in the oceans of Conatha. The "devil-men of Conatha" have established half-a-dozen major kingdoms throughout the depths of the water world, and maybe a dozen smaller sub-kingdoms and principalities. The most powerful kingdoms include Zuplisti, X'kabantun, St'kils, K'klosh, and L'k'stiz. Each sahuagin kingdom is interested in only one thing - the total domination or complete destruction of all other kingdoms on the planet. Almost all of the kingdoms are simultaneously at war with all of the others. Occasionally, one nation will attempt to strike a bargain or form an alliance with a neighboring kingdom: but such is their mindset that as soon as the signatories of such an alliance have left the bargaining table that they are already plotting to betray their erstwhile allies.

Trade

Since there are no islands or any other land masses on the surface of Conatha, only water-capable vessels can put down on the planet. Landing is dangerous, especially since the native creatures of Conatha are only too eager to get a chance to snack on any visiting vessels. The Leviathans especially have a tendency to greet landing vessels with their mouths agape and are quite capable of swallowing even a hammership whole. And of course any lingering sahuagin will certainly take an unhealthy interest in any spelljamming vessel. The average sahuagin raiding party will simply attack the ship, aiming to kill the crew and destroy the vessel. More intelligent (or crafty) individuals might try to take over the ship, hoping to use it to gain some kind of advantage over their rivals.

The earth bodies at the core of Conatha are rich with minerals and ores. The merfolk who live in and around them have no interest in such material wealth, since all they really care about is beating off raiding sahuagin and surviving the immediate future. Visiting merchants have attempted to strike a deal  with the mermen, hoping to receive mineral wealth in exchange for providing military protection, or weapons and equipment the mermen could use to defend themselves. However, so far all such attempts have met failure at the claws and teeth of the sahuagin.

Notable inhabitants

• T'brinish, the cunning warlord of the sahuagin kingdom of the same name.
• Rendal, the prime minister of the merfolk kingdom of Varanais.
• X'kabantun, the vicious warlord of the largest and most powerful sahuagin kingdom on Conatha.

Appendix

External Links

• Conatha article at Greyhawkonline.com, a wiki for the Greyhawk campaign setting.
• Conatha article at the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.
• Greyspace at Beyond the Moons (the official Spelljammer website)