Garrash is a celestial body in orbit around the system primary of the crystal sphere known as Vistaspace. This dull-red size J spherical fire body is surrounded by a ring of liquid fire, and has a single moon.[2][4]
Overview[]
Garrash appears as a colossal dull-red ball of flaming gas, surrounded by a thin ring of yellow fire. With a diameter of 15 million miles (24 million kilometres), Garrash is over 2,100 times the diameter (and over 9 billion times the volume) of Toril from Realmspace, It is larger than all but the most extremely unusual suns. In fact, Garrash is considerably larger than its own primary.
Garrash is much cooler than most fire worlds. It burns with a dull red light, making it look at a distance like a sullen, dying ember. The world is believed to have a core of molten iron, rather than liquid fire. There is certainly no planar portal at the world's center, although there may be spontaneously-occurring gates elsewhere within its immense volume.
Garrash's most distinctive landmark is a single "sunspot" that appears to have been in existence for several decades. Known as the Great Storm, it drifts slowly around the equator of the world, resembling a darker circle against the glowing face of the world. The storm is almost one million miles (1.6 million kilometres) in diameter, and extends from the edge of the planetary atmosphere deep into the depths of the planet. The atmosphere within the Great Storm is much colder than the rest of the planet.
There are several hundred "continents" floating about Garrash's fiery surface. Most are discs of metal or semi-molten rock, and all are small in comparison to the massive scale of Garrash. The largest, named "Greendale" by someone with an obviously twisted sense of humor, is 10,000 miles (16,093 kilometres) in diameter, giving it a surface area of about 78 million square miles (202 million square kilometres), or about half of the total surface area of the planet Toril. Only one continent, called Zaberie, has been explored to any extent. Relatively tiny, the continent is only 500 miles in diameter, and is a rugged disk of basalt and granite, boasting impressive mountains and valleys over its entire surface.[5]
Inhabitants[]
The fires of Garrash are home to many species native to the Elemental Plane of Fire, including salamanders, fire bats, flame swallows[6] and efreet. The vast majority of these elemental creatures appear to have animal intelligence, and it is assumed that most of them found their way to Garrash through spontaneous gates to the Plane of Elemental Fire somewhere within the world.
The continent of Zaberie is inhabited by a community of azer[7]. Apparently, these creatures were sent by their ruler, Amaimon, to "claim" Garrash for their race. Unfortunately, it is apparent that Amaimon has no true understanding of Garrash's size. The azer outpost takes the form of a tower complex built from the basalt and granite of Zaberie, and is ruled by one of Amaimon's nobles, named Aladair. There are also persistent rumors that suggest that Imix, Prince of Elemental Fire, maintains a temporary home on one of the other floating continents, where he is apparently served by salamanders, fire elementals, and even efreet.[8]
The ring of liquid fire that encircles Garrash is said to be inhabited by massive creatures known as the Zat. The Zat are huge, metallic creatures that resemble vessels with delta-wings. Their bodies are cylindrical and about 100 feet (30 meters) long, while their knife-edged metal wings span about 150 feet (45 meters). The "stem" of their bodies are blunt, while their "bows" are sharp enough to act as piercing rams. Zats are made entirely out of high-melting-point metal alloys, which has an almost perfect mirror finish. They soar through the ring of fire, apparently using their huge wings to "tack" against the light pressure from the fire world, like huge solar sails.[9]
Satellites[]
Garrash is encircled around its equator by a ring of liquid fire, while its single moon travels in a polar orbit.[10]
Ring of Fire[]
Around the equator of Garrash lies a ring of liquid fire. This ring begins 5 million miles (8 million kilometres) above the planet's surface, and is 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometres) wide. It is only 50 miles (80 kilometres) or so thick, which makes it virtually invisible from edge-on. On very rare occasions, during so-called "fire-rains", sheets of liquid fire will pour down from the ring onto the surface of Garrash.[5]
Taran[]
Taran is a size E spherical earth body that travels around Garrash in a polar orbit.[5]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ Nigel D. Findley, The Cloakmaster Cycle, The Broken Sphere, 1993, (TSR Inc.), page 201
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Nigel D. Findley, SJR4 Practical Planetology, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Garrash section, chapter 3 Fire Bodies, pages 22-24
- ↑ Nigel D. Findley, The Cloakmaster Cycle, The Broken Sphere, 1993, (TSR Inc.), page 234
- ↑ Nigel D. Findley, The Cloakmaster Cycle, The Broken Sphere, 1993, (TSR Inc.), pages 199-202
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Nigel D. Findley, SJR4 Practical Planetology, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Garrash section, chapter 3 Fire Bodies, pages 22-23
- ↑ Nigel D. Findley, SJR4 Practical Planetology, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Flame Swallow (Ignia, Garrash) section, page 54
- ↑ Nigel D. Findley, SJR4 Practical Planetology, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Azer (Garrash) section, page 53
- ↑ Nigel D. Findley, SJR4 Practical Planetology, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Garrash section, chapter 3 Fire Bodies, pages 23-24
- ↑ Nigel D. Findley, SJR4 Practical Planetology, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Zat (Garrash) section, page 63-64
- ↑ Nigel D. Findley, SJR4 Practical Planetology, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Garrash section, chapter 3 Fire Bodies, page 22