Torus is a planet in the Spelljammer campaign setting. This size F earth body is toroidal in shape, and resembles a hollow u-shaped cylinder, joined end to end.[1]
Overview[]
Torus is toroidal in shape, and resembles a u-shaped cylinder joined end to end: basically a gigantic "donut" of rock. The entire planet has an outer diameter of 30,000 miles (48,280 kilometres), while the "hole" of the donut has a diameter of 20,000 miles (32,186 kilometers). The solid portion of the planet has a circular cross-section, 5,000 miles (8,046 kilometres) in diameter.
Torus has two axes of rotation. It spins around a point at the exact center of the "donut's hole." It also "tumbles" around an axis that runs right through the donut, spinning like a flipped coin. This "axis of tumble" is perpendicular to the plane connecting Torus with its sun, meaning that to an observer located near the sun, the planet appears either as a circular ring (when it is face-on to the sun) or as a narrow rectangle with curved ends (when it is edge-on to the sun).
Torus has a breathable atmosphere that extends 50 miles (80 kilometres) above its surface. This means that most of the planet's central "hole" is within the vacuum of wildspace. The entire surface of the planet is habitable. The planet's gravitation extends only to the edge of the atmospheric envelope; thus the "hole" itself has no gravity.
The view from the surface of Torus varies wildly depending on where an observer is standing on the planet. For someone standing on the "outer" surface of Torus (that is, on the side of the planet away from the "hole"), the view is similar to that from any standard world. For someone standing on the inner surface, however, the view is quite different: the opposite arc of the planet's inner surface is visible as a massive arch across the sky. Due to its size and the distance from the observer, the "arch" fills about one-tenth of the sky. When the opposite portion of the planet's inner surface is sunlit, it appears as a blue-green arch, dappled with white clouds; when it's in darkness, it appears as a great dark strip occluding the stars.
The outer surfaces of Torus have a normal day / night cycle. The inner surfaces have two nights and two days in each 24 hour period. An observer experiences "primary night" when they are facing away from the sun. "Secondary night" happens around noon, when the opposite arc of the planet blocks out the sun, and is about 3 hours long. Torus also has seasons, but these result from the planet's spin, not from its orbit around the sun. A year, or a cycle of four seasons, lasts 200 days on Torus. Thus, each season is approximately 50 days long. Torus is a very strange world, and it often takes visitors many days to get used to its pattem of days and seasons.
Torus is completely stable in terms of both rotations and its orbit around the sun, meaning there are no disconcerting "wobbles." The planet is solid rock all the way through, and does not have a semi-molten mantle or liquid core. Therefore there is no volcanic or tectonic activity, and no earthquakes. However, Torus does have many rugged mountain ranges, indicating that the planet experienced some geological upheaval in the past. The tallest mountain peaks are about 30,000 feet (9,144 meters) or so, while the deepest oceans are about 15,000 feet (4,572 meters) in depth. Torus has several large oceans, including one that extends latitudinally around the planet. This great body of water, known as the Cylindrical Sea, is nearly 4,000 miles (6,437 kilometres) wide. There are a few islands scattered across the sea, but not many, and the largest is only 200 miles (322 kilometres) or so along its largest dimension.
There are three particularly large oceans, each with an island continent located roughly in the middle. These land masses are known as Davin, Telaria and Wysdon. There are also several smaller oceans and seas. Torus has no magnetic field, so compass navigation is impossible. The planet's two axes of rotation make celestial navigation extremely complex. The problem of navigation is simpler on the inner surfaces, since the arch is always visible in the sky to provide orientation.
At sea level, the daytime temperature is around 70°F (21°C), which remains constant no matter the season. At night, the temperature drops to about 40°F (4°C). The temperature decreases with increasing altitude, and for each 1,000 feet (305 meters) of increased elevation, the average temperature drops by about 3°. This means that the daytime temperature on top of the tallest mountain would be about -20°F (-29°C), dropping to a frigid -50°F (-46°C) at night. Most tall mountains are capped with ice and snow, although snow never falls on the lowlands.[1]
Inhabitants[]
Torus has a prolific and varied selection of plant life, ranging from simple mosses and lichens to huge deciduous trees with great spreading branches. Some of these monstrous baobabs are 500 feet (152 meters) tall, with leaves up to 10 feet (3 meters) long and half that wide. In some areas, the baobabs grow so close together that their branches intermesh. Beneath these trees, very little sunlight reaches the ground. The branches sometimes interlock tightly enough to create great platforms of wood and foliage, solid enough to support animals up to 100 pounds (45 kilograms) or more in weight. Within these great baobab forests, animal life is generally concentrated within the trees themselves, ignoring the shadowy ground beneath. There are some predatory creatures who make their homes on the ground, and then climb into the trees to hunt for food. The most common predator is a type of six-legged creature similar to an oversized giant rat. There are no evergreen trees on Torus.
Baobab forests are relatively rare, and most regions are covered by great savannahs: rolling plains of 5 foot (1.5 meter) high grasses and cereals. Surprisingly, there are very few flying creatures on Torus. There are no birds as such, but there are several species of large insects. The largest is a kind of giant hornet growing up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) long, with a wingspan of almost 10 feet (3 meters).
All creatures on Torus are either mammalian or insectile: there are no fish, reptiles or amphibians. There are creatures adapted to every environment on the planet, including the sea, and filling every ecological niche. The oceans are home to mammalian species ranging in size from creatures like seals to great carnivorous whales. These whales differ from their terrestrial counterparts only in that they have pelts of soft fur like those of otters. The Cylindrical Sea is also home to small populations of selkies. The rolling grasslands are home to many species similar to deer, and even larger creatures similar to terrestrial buffalo or bison. The only sentient land animals native to Torus are a race of centaurs.
The Centaurs[]
The centaurs of Torus are very social compared to their kin on other worlds. Family groups join together to form tribes, and many of these tribes have joined together to form great confederations. Tribes and nations vary in behavior and outlook. Some are warlike, raiding neighboring tribes for slaves or food, to prove their courage, or sometimes (seemingly) just for the fun of it. Others are very peaceable and cooperative. All live in close harmony with the land, however. Some few tribes practice limited agriculture, but most live nomadic lives, following the herd animals that make up much of their diet.
Some centaurs become tribal shamans. These individuals are highly respected by their tribes, and this respect often extends to other tribes. Even the most warlike group is unlikely to attack another tribes shaman. The centaurs worship deities of the land, including storm gods, bison gods, grain gods, river gods, and the like. They also revere their ancestors, although this reverence doesn't cross the line into true worship. They are also ever-mindful of the traditions of their group, tribe or nation. The welcome that a visitor to Torus might expect varies widely. Some groups of centaurs are friendly and trusting, welcoming the opportunity to speak with and learn from strangers. Others will attack and kill strangers on sight. Even the most friendly group can turn hostile, however, if they come to believe that the visitors will somehow damage or disrupt their way of life.[1]
The Humans[]
The coasts of the Cylindrical Sea are dotted with human settlements. The humans originally arrived on Torus decades ago, as settlers from a planet named Synex which was undergoing major climatic upheavals. They were supposed to be the first wave of a major migration, but Synex blew itself to fragments long before the migration could proceed. The settlers on Torus are now stranded: The ships that brought them here returned to Synex to pick up the next wave of settlers, and never returned.
Expecting to be reinforced by more waves of immigrants, the original settlers treated the centaurs as obstacles to be overcome in the most efficient manner, and earned the enmity of many tribes and nations. When it became obvious that further waves of settlers wouldn't be coming, the original human colonists realized that their initial approach had gotten them into a lot of trouble. They've spent the last thirty or so years trying to smooth things over with the centaur tribes near to their coastal homes. They've only had marginal success: The centaurs have long memories, and are very good at holding grudges. For this reason, the humans have looked to the seas rather than to the inland regions for expansion. The centaurs have an innate fear of the oceans, and the humans have come to depend on this to protect them. They've built fishing communities, and their great fishing fleets set sail each morning onto the Cylindrical Sea to net or spear the small seal-like creatures that make up most of their diet.
The human settlers have split into several groups which compete economically and for fishing rights. The groups have yet to come to blows, but many cynics believe that open conflict is just a matter of time. Several of these groups still seem to consider the centaurs as "savages" to be eradicated, resulting in ongoing "centaur wars" between these groups of humans and the planet's natives. These conflicts poison the attitudes of the other centaur tribes not actually engaged in the conflicts, and is making it ever more difficult for the peaceful human groups to win the trust of the native tribes.[1]
Spelljamming[]
The Centaurs[]
Some centaurs understand the rudiments of spelljamming, and know something about cosmology. They have absolutely no interest in leaving their homes, however. The gods have decreed that space travel is not for the centaurs, they believe, although other races are free to practice it without fear of breaking centaur tribal taboos.[2]
The Humans[]
Among the humans, stories and tales have kept knowledge of spelljamming alive, despite the fact that more than a generation has passed since the colonists first arrived. Many of the humans dream of a day when spelljamming ships will return to take them from Torus to another world. Others, however, have decided that they like living on Torus. These are the people who've had the most success in befriending the centaurs and earning their trust. To these humans, Torus is home, and they have no interest in leaving.[2]
Appendix[]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Nigel Findley, SJR4 Practical Planetology, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Torus section, chapter 6 Unusual or "Non-Standard" Worlds, pages 44-46
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Nigel Findley, SJR4 Practical Planetology, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Torus section, chapter 6 Unusual or "Non-Standard" Worlds, page 46