Herdspace is a unique crystal sphere inhabited by megafauna.[1]
Overview[]
Herdspace is extremely unusual in that the inside of the crystal sphere has gravity and has an atmosphere consisting of breathable air. The inner surface resembles that of a habitable planet, and features a variety of terrains, including lakes, rivers, forests, mountain ranges and extensive grasslands.[2] The atmosphere extends several miles towards the center of the sphere, before being replaced by the void of wildspace.[3]
Some of the lakes are the footprints left by the megafauna that inhabit the sphere, and are filled with water that inhibits the functioning of magical items, including helms.[4] Some of these "footprints" measure over 120 miles (193 kilometers) in length.[5]
Celestial bodies[]
Herdspace has no notable celestial bodies,[6] except for the enormous bright yellow-white sun lying at the center of the system.[7] The sun regularly fades to darkness to provide the system with a day-night cycle.[8]
Inhabitants[]
Herdspace's most notable inhabitants are the megafauna, planetary-sized living creatures that slowly perambulate around the inside surface of the crystal sphere. Some of the megafauna are so tall, that they extend beyond the limits of the atmosphere into wildspace. Unlike starbeasts, megafauna have their own gravity and support extensive ecosystems on their bodies, including plants and animals, and even sentient creatures.[9]
Considering the near infinite size of the land available within the crystal sphere, logic dictates that any number of creatures can reside within the sphere. However, thus far only two notable races have been encountered, the falmadaraatha,[10] also known as fal, and a tribe of rastipedes,[11] the descendants of the survivors of a crashed spelljammer.
Crystal sphere[]
From the phlogiston, the crystal shell of Herdspace is so vast that it appears as a perfectly flat, dark grey wall to most observers. The portals leading into the sphere resemble slowly rotating, burning-yellow whirlpools of light, with a sky-blue dot at the center, which slowly grows larger the closer a vessel gets to the portal.[12] The portals do not, in reality, lead through the crystal shell; instead they function like a gate, immediately teleporting anything that enters a portal into the sphere, so as not to disturb the inner surface.[13] Considering that any ship entering the sphere will immediately drop to tactical speed and have to deal with the gravity of the shell, this can prove difficult for those vessels that are unprepared.[7]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ Roger E. Moore. The Cloakmaster Cycle; The Maelstrom's Eye, TSR, Inc., 1992 (pp.167–313)
- ↑ Roger E. Moore. The Cloakmaster Cycle; The Maelstrom's Eye, TSR, Inc., 1992 (p.75 and 224)
- ↑ Roger E. Moore. The Cloakmaster Cycle; The Maelstrom's Eye, TSR, Inc., 1992 (pp.224–225)
- ↑ Roger E. Moore. The Cloakmaster Cycle; The Maelstrom's Eye, TSR, Inc., 1992 (pp.186–187)
- ↑ Roger E. Moore. The Cloakmaster Cycle; The Maelstrom's Eye, TSR, Inc., 1992 (p.200)
- ↑ Roger E. Moore. The Cloakmaster Cycle; The Maelstrom's Eye, TSR, Inc., 1992 (p.203)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Roger E. Moore. The Cloakmaster Cycle; The Maelstrom's Eye, TSR, Inc., 1992 (p.174)
- ↑ Roger E. Moore. The Cloakmaster Cycle; The Maelstrom's Eye, TSR, Inc., 1992 (pp.204–205)
- ↑ Roger E. Moore. The Cloakmaster Cycle; The Maelstrom's Eye, TSR, Inc., 1992 (pp.226–227, 236, 238–247)
- ↑ Roger E. Moore. The Cloakmaster Cycle; The Maelstrom's Eye, TSR, Inc., 1992 (pp.210–215, 274–278)
- ↑ Roger E. Moore. The Cloakmaster Cycle; The Maelstrom's Eye, TSR, Inc., 1992 (pp.194–200, 202–203)
- ↑ Roger E. Moore. The Cloakmaster Cycle; The Maelstrom's Eye, TSR, Inc., 1992 (p.167)
- ↑ Roger E. Moore. The Cloakmaster Cycle; The Maelstrom's Eye, TSR, Inc., 1992 (p.175)