Gateway Observatory
by Sean MeaneyIt may be an Idea that the Beagle comes from the Spillworld Sector of Space. I went back an checked and Travel to "Spillworld" is infact through the Alphatian Gateway to a WORMHOLE that leads to the Spillworld Cloud. Potentially The movement of the Beagle into this space could have done damage (Creating a Rift in its own Home Systems) that effectively decimates the Federation Homeworld spilling a monstrous cloud of Air and Planet-Sized boulders into the region from the Plane of Air and Earth. That would mean the "Federation of Gren" was destroyed or thrown into utter chaos - the reason no one came to rescue the F.S.S. Beagle.
WHAT THE ALPHATIAN ASTRONOMERS DETECTED
What Got the Interest of the Alphatian Wizards is not the SPILLWORLD CLOUD that sits on the other side of the Galaxy but the Mouth of the Wormhole where a Planet with an Air Envelope has come through from the other side. Having identified the source of the Air (Probably a Matter of Imperial Internal Security that Some Wizard is creating an Air Envelope out there in Space so they looked into the Matter) as a Wormhole from some place else. So there is a Wormhole near Mystaran Space. Maybe even a Barren World with Air Wrapped around it - though lets just say they saw a small cloud of Air form from nowhere.
GATEWAY OBSERVATORY: AN ALPHATIAN OUTPOST NEAR A WORMHOLE
The Alphatians Establish a Scientific Observatory and Outpost on a Small Asteroid (a few Miles Long) In a Cloud of Air marking the Mouth of a Wormhole that leads across the Galaxy to SPILLWORLD. Dwarven Miners work below the surface to Extract Mineral Samples to discern the Mineral Wealth of the Source.
AC1004: Alphatia Establishes the Gateway observatory after Discovering Air and Rock Spewing from a Wormhole on the otherside of the Mystaran Solar system.
AC1005: Alphatia and Thyatis Dispatch The Expeditionary Force to Investigate SPILLWORLD beyond the Wormhole.
AC1010: The Observatory is cut off from Homeworld for a week. The Inhabitants of the Outpost Starve without food and Water that comes from Magical Sources. The only thing they can live off is each other. Cannibalism breaks out after five days without food or water as the Station crew turn on each other. The Wormhole Collapses and the Expeditionary Force is trapped in SPILLWORLD Space.
AC1013: After eight years in Space, a Heldann Light Warbird reaches the GATEWAY Observatory only to find it "deserted". The surviving Alphatians abandoned it and Went to Mystara. In the concealed Mines below the Surface a few Dwarves huddle around the Star Corundum they found while Mining (1,000,000gp).
ADVENTURE IDEA:
A Wizard's last Words
"Out there past everything, on the very edge of Mystaran Space, is an abandoned Observatory built on a Lonely Asteroid in a Cloud of Air." Sardoz coughed blood into his drink.
"Where exactly?" Heronil the Navigator wanted to extract that last possible secret from the old man before he died.
"Sectors twelve...zero...eight, bearing..." A Cough stopped him now and he collapsed, slumping on the tavern table.
"...Bearing Where?" Heronil cradled the old mans head and listened closely.
"Firstsnow in Ambur..." He was gone. Heronil tossed a Platinum Piece to the Barman and walked out.
DM Briefing: PCs get the location of GATEWAY OBSERVATORY from a dying old Wizard.