Summary of the Mystaran Solar System
by Cab DavidsonHere's a summary of the Mystaran Solar System from my campaign.
I use the twin moons of Mystara. Matera is mostly a dense jungle moon, with one continent and a single vast sea. It is invisible (as per VotPA), and made up of two distinct Rakasta cultures; Myoshima and the Free States. Thus far, the oceans and the polar regions are unexplored, and little is known of the Free States.
Patera is the one known as 'the moon'. Pandius (City of the Immortals) is well known and explored, but it's a separate planar bubble, so not strictly 'on' the moon. The moon is rather desolate. Unknown even to most of the immortals, it was once a green, fertile place. One day I'll have some PC's adventure extensively on Patera and discover what happened.
Further afield, the solar system I use comprises 9 planets, formerly 10.
The first planet is Masauwu, it is a hot, almost molten planet, inhabited Efreet, fire elementals and other fire loving creatures. Certain immortals of energy make bases there, but few travellers from Mystara visit this place.
The second planet is mysterious, covered in constantly swirling clouds, and it is known to most as Valerias. It has a mysterious history, is a place where creatures such as spectral hounds, mujina, diaboli and other monsters of the dimension of nightmares can be seen.
Then comes Mystara, also known as Urt. Mystara possesses more water than all of the other planets combined, and is the only planet on which elemental water based creatures truly thrive.
The fourth planet, the bright morning star Ixion, is a harsh, cold desert world, named Ixion not for its heat but for its intense red colour in the sky. Water is at a premium on this world, and many of those creatures that make their home there are associated with the element of earth.
Then comes the detritus left by the destruction of the planet Arik. An ancient battle between Immortals and Outer Beings left this world shattered; various asteroids have been colonised over the years, but there is nothing substantial. Ghosts and spirits of the former inhabitants of Arik make their home here; the dark shadows hide beholders, fiends and undead.
Chronos is the fifth planet; it is a vast, ringed planet, with a rocky, windswept surface. Chronos has a dense, breathable atmosphere that encompasses dozens of moons, each itself habitable. Its heavy atmosphere retains heat well, making Chronos the ideal habitat for creatures native to the plane of air.
Thanatos is the sixth planet; it is a dark, almost black planet, a gas giant made up of swirling grey clouds. It is rarely visible from Mystara, but when it is it seems to gleam with a brightness that outshines the other planets; many cultures on Mystara view it as a herald of death to come. No explorers from Mystara have ventured there and returned, no scrying has yielded any information, so consequently nothing is known about the inhabitants of Thanatos.
Eiryndul is the seventh planet. A gas giant like Thanatos, it reflects a pale green light. It has special interest for the Elves of Mystara, who view it as a bringer of luck. The serene green beauty of the planet from a distance belies the truth beneath, which is that the clouds that make up the planet are cold, caustic, and so very turbulent that any mortal contact with the strange creatures scryed living there has thus far been impossible.
Ka is the eighth planet. After Mystara, it has the most water of any planet in the system, but that water exists only as ice. However, creatures such as hydrax thrive here. It is a small, ice planet reflecting pale white light.
Nyx is the ninth planet, and cannot be seen from Mystara without magic or technology. It is a small, bare planet, known to be made up of frozen poisonous gasses toxic to all known living things. Visitors have reported seeing some movement on the planet, a race of metallic, spider like beings, rumoured to be the creators of the dreaded Meks, have been sighted.