Evolution of Mystaran planetary conceptions
by Travis HenryBefore synthesizing an archetypal Mystara, my "paraversal" approach would be to first untangle the discontinuities, and to recognize them as Official parallel universes (paraverses). I'll also account for the TSR "later trumps earlier" policy.
The first planetary conception we see is the Seven Magical Planets paraverse.
June 1980. In DRAGON #38. Moldvay explicitly refers to the BD&D game world: "Planetary correspondences can be useful in D&D and AD&D as
aids to the DM's imagination." Note: this was before the Moldvay Basic Set came out. So this was still the Holmes era.
Note: as in medieval tradition, the Sun and Moon are counted as a planets. Moldvay lists them in this order.
1. Sun
2. Moon
3. Mercury
4. Venus
5. Mars
6. Jupiter
7. Saturn
In the article, he describes the symbols, deities, and demons which are associated with each of the Seven Magical Planets. Given the "later trumps earlier" policy, we can assume that this cosmology continues on until it's contradicted. So the "Seven Magical Planets" is the implicit cosmology of the B/X Continent paraverse, and also of the BECMI paraverse until 1986. AFAIK, these many gods, demons, and other features (e.g. the Plane of Light, associated with the Sun) have not been added to the Mystaran fanon yet, even though Moldvay explicitly referred to them being dual BD&D/AD&D content.
Next, five years later, in February 1986, we see two planetary conceptions published in the same month! 1) B10's planet-based weekday names and 2) The "Five Heardian Planets" from Bruce's CM7: Tree of Life.
In B10: Night's Dark Terror, by the TSR UK team (Morris, Graeme, Bambra), we see Seven Weekday Planets implied in the weekday-names. AFAIK these first appear in B10. (Somebody correct me if I'm mistaken.)
1. Luna (=Moon). Clearly.
2. Grom (=Mars). Note the similarity with Crom, the the uncaring Cimmerian god of Conan in the Hyborian cycle.
3. Tser (=Mercury). Maybe inspired by the word "tsar."
4. Mol (=Jupiter)
5. Nyt (=Venus). Probably inspired by the English word "night."
6. Losh (=Saturn)
7. Sola (=Sun). Clearly.
(And also Yarth = Earth, from Yarthmont, which probably means "Earth-month." Even in later paraverses which are clearly named Mystara, "yarth" would be the name for the element "earth" and substance of the ground.)
These are implied to be the Thyatian names for the planets, but that's no contradiction with Moldvay's "Seven Magical Planets" cosmology. So that conception is still in effect. So, for example, Tser would be the Thyatian name for the the "Magical Planet of Mercury."
Note: at this point, the D&D game world was still conceivably "Earth", which was explicitly confirmed in Mentzer's Immortal Set, released a few months later.
Also in February 1986 we see Bruce Heard's Five Planets, an elven-oriented planetary and astronomical cosmology in CM7: Tree of Life. As others have noted, though the Star Map is beautifully rendered, it is not easy to relate it other schemes, before or after...or even to itself! For example, the Five Planets are drawn as connecting dots within five constellations. But...planets move!
Note: at this time, the Mentzerian "ten planet" cosmology hadn't been published yet--the Immortal Set came out four months later than CM7. So, from a paraversal perspective, the Star Map must first be compared to the Seven Magical Planets.
There are three reasonable solutions/interpretations:
A) Designer's intent is that the Five Planets are supposed to be a complete planetary cosmology for the D&D game world. And the team didn't fully consider that it doesn't make much sense for planets to be a part of a constellation. And thus, it should just be handwaved without thinking about it, and equated with five of the later Mentzerian planets.
B) The Star Map depicts a very, very auspicious moment from the past, when five planets happened to line up in a way that they filled out the shape of five constellations, at the same time! This interpretation is supported by how there's one scene (p.36) where the "symbols" on the Star Map then form on the domed ceiling, presumably forming a specific image of the night sky (at some time or another). If anyone has additional evidence, let me know.
Because on the other hand, CM7 says that the map will be useful in further adventures, which suggests that the planets are fixed.
"[T]the Star Map, may be [a] useful item in future games. [...] If players ask about the use of the star map, explain that it will be a useful tool to determine the direction of their expedition, or their location on the seas or continents, according to the stars. It can only be used during clear nights."
C) Which leads to another reasonable option: the Five "Heardian" Planets are actually *fixed planets.* They are "planets", in that they are solid, watery, or aeriform bodies, rather than stars; and they are visible in the night sky, at least to elven sight. But they don't orbit or move. It's a magical universe, so why do planets have to move? And that seems to be exactly what the map depicts.
Given the difficulties in interpreting the map, I feel that Bruce spoke truest when he said:
"The map only makes sense to elves."
But then that's contradicted later when it says the map can be interpreted by a 10th+ level human MU:
"An experienced astrologer (at least a 10th level magic-user or elf trained in astrology) may predict where the arch will land, by using an elven star map (such as the one given to the party)."
But since we don't need to take the Mentzerian Ten Planets into account yet, let's just compare what we have so far. In February, 1986, we have Seven Magical Planets and Five Fixed Planets. Twelve different planets.
As for their relative position: since the Fixed Stars (the constellations) in medieval tradition were always depicted as being a sphere beyond the seven classical planets, then the Fixed Planets would also be beyond the classical planets.
As for their order, let's look at the order that the constellation "medallions" are presented in the encounters on pp13-18, and which planet is associated with which:
1. Manticore: Planet Alith (note similarity to "Alpha / Aleph", the first letter. Which may imply this is the "first planet." However, "lith" in Tolkienian Sindarin means "ash, dust"; e.g. Anfauglith "Gasping Dust" in The Silmarillion.)
2. Eagle: Planet Zoar (note similarity to "soar"; matches with the Eagle)
3. Chimera
4. Centaurs: Planet Telax
5. Griffon
6. Warrior: Planet Loth (note, the word "loth" is an archaic/poetic word for "hate", which matches with war. But the author probably had in mind Tolkien Sindarin "loth", which means "blossom/flower", as seen in Lothlorien.)
7. House
8. Lizard
9. Justice
10. Nymph
11. Hydra: Planet Mym. Note: Mīm, the name of Dwarf in Tolkien's stories. Also, Mim / Mimir, the uncle of Odin, whose head Odin carried around as a source of wisdom and knowledge.
12. Narwhal
Another order, would be to go by the order of the constellations by the progression of seasons on the Star Map, beginning with spring. But the medallions are more saliently presented in a specific order.
So, as of Feb 1986, the planetary conception is:
1. Magical Sun Planet = Sola
2. Magical Moon Planet = Luna
3. Magical Mercury Planet = Tser
4. Magical Venus Planet = Nyt
5. Magical Mars Planet = Grom
6. Magical Jupiter Planet = Mol
7. Magical Saturn Planet = Losh
8. Planet Alith (first fixed planet)
9. Planet Zoar (second fixed planet)
10. Planet Telax (third fixed planet)
11. Planet Loth (fourth fixed planet)
12. Planet Mym (fifth fixed planet)
Beyond those twelve are the fixed stars of the Constellations, as seen on the Star Map.
(This saves us from trying to equate Bruce's planets to the Moldvayian or Mentzerian planets.)
[Edit: As per Ripvanwormer's comments below: the Five Heardian Planets could also be interpreted to all be equidistant from Sola. In that case, the ordering (with Alith first) is just a traditional ordering, not an ordering in space.
That cosmology continues for four months, until...
June 1986. We see the The Ten Planets of Mentzer's Immortal Set. Now we have a discontinuity break. Because Mentzer says there's no Mercury. So, according to the "later trumps earlier" policy, we're seeing a new paraverse. Mentzer's statement on Mercury contradicts Moldvay's "Seven Magical Planets" cosmology (which Frank may not even been aware of); and also contradicts the implicit "Mercury-day" seen in Tserdain on the calendar of B10. (Though Within this new paraverse, Tserdain could be reasonably interpreted to refer to Damocles.) And it contradicts Bruce's five fixed planets, because Frank says there are ten planets (including the sun!)...and because Frank's planets move!
So, in the future, Damocles is destroyed to form Mercury, Pluto, the asteroid belt, and various retrograde moons of the outer planets. As for when this happens, Mentzer gives two Official options: A) "a few years" from now; or B) "a few thousand years" from now. In either case, it might be awhile before those jagged fragments are rounded into the shape of Mercury and Pluto.
Later trumps earlier, so in this Mentzerian paraverse, there are Officially ten and only ten planets:
1. The Sun
2. Venus
3. Earth
4. Mars
5. Damocles
6. Jupiter
7. Saturn
8. Uranus
9. Neptune
10. Charon
Yeah I know it hurts to say that Bruce's Five Fixed Planets are not found in the Mentzerian paraverse. But discontinuities can be painful. It'd be nice if the editors had coordinated better, but they didn't. We can try to synthesize a newly archetypal paraverse later. But first, let's just acknowledge that things are broken.
However, the good news is: except for Mercury, the Moldvayian Seven Magical Planets are not in discontinuity; so all the gods, demons, and symbols which Moldvay listed off, are still an Official part of the BECMI game world.
1. The Sun = Moldvayian Magical Sun = Sola
2. Venus = Moldvayian Magical Venus = Nyt
3. Earth = Urt
4. Mars = Moldvayian Magical Mars = Grom
5. Damocles (discongruous)
6. Jupiter = Moldvayian Magical Jupiter = Mol
7. Saturn = Moldvayian Magical Saturn = Losh
8. Uranus
9. Neptune
10. Charon
Note: if you wanted to synthesize this with the Five Heardian Fixed Planets, they would of course be located beyond the orbit of Charon:
11. Planet Alith (first fixed planet)
12. Planet Zoar (second fixed planet)
13. Planet Telax (third fixed planet)
14. Planet Loth (fourth fixed planet)
15. Planet Mym (fifth fixed planet)
And if you wanted to synthesize Moldvayian Mercury/Tser, you could either reasonably posit a paraverse where either:
A) Damocles is the Moldvayian Magical Mercury; and is called Tser in Thyatian.
OR
B) Mentzer is mistaken. Both Mercury/Tser and Damocles exist. This would definitely be a different paraverse than the Official Immortals Rules paraverse.
***
Next, five months later, in November 1986, we see the Moldvayian cosmology re-affirmed! In the Seven Realms of his M3: Twilight Calling.
Note: Moldvay says that these Seven Realms are *not* the "actual planets" (of Earth/Urt), but that they're "pocket universes"..."mystical, magical places" which are the "traditional ideals" of those seven planets. But this still tells us something about those planets.
The symbols (colors, metals, etc.) seen in these Seven Realms totally line up with his Seven Magical Planets article, even in the details (e.g. electrum = Mercury; bronze = Jupiter). Except that they're given a new set of fantastic symbols (seen in the illo of the Seven Henges); but even those are equivalent to the RW symbols drawn for the DRAGON mag article.
Note: in 1986, the D&D game world is still Earth, in the prehistoric Jurassic "Age of Magic"; so its not incongruous for Earth/Urt to have the Seven Magical Planets which closely parallel Earth.
***
Sometime in 1986, Frank Mentzer leaves TSR. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Bruce Heard's team doesn't really keep all the continuity in mind going forward. And so, basically, a different setting is gradually developed...which, at a certain point, is no longer the ancient Jurassic Earth "Age of Magic."
***
In July 1989, in DotE, we get to see the Alphatian names for seven of the planets (including the sun and moon). AFAIK, the Alphatian calendar first appear there. (If I'm mistaken, let me know.)
DotE says that the Alphatian's adapted the calendar of the Thothians. But then "gave the months and days new names derived from their original calendar." Which tells us that the Thothians / Nithians also named their seven weekdays after the seven classical planets, since the Alphatian names clearly refer to the seven planets. It also tells us that some of the elements of words or word-elements in the Alphatian calendar were already in use (to refer to other months and day) on Old Alphatia.
1. The Sun = La (like Thaytian so-LA)
(2. Mercury = Wo (like Wednes-day, Wodens-day, Wotans-day, Mercury-day)
2. Venus = Fla (like Fri-day, Frigga's-day, Freya's-day, Venus-day)
3. Earth = Sud
4. Mars = Ti (like Tues-day, Tiw's-day, Mars-day)
5. Damocles = ?
6. Jupiter = Tha (like Thurs-day, Thor's-day, Jupiter-day)
7. Saturn = Se (like Sa-turday)
8. Uranus = ?
9. Neptune ?
10. Charon = ?
***
July 1990: The ancient Jurassic Earth "Age of Magic" concept is finally ditched. The HWCS gives the diameter of the world...and it's "small world." No longer Earth. This is a huge discontinuity. Though the planet is not yet named "Mystara", we're not seeing Earth anymore. The previous paraverses are a different world than Mystara.
This may have implications for any and all Mentzerian features, including the planetary system. Whatever was said about the Age of Magic may not apply to Mystara.
Unfortunately, the Heardian team rarely talked about the solar system, other than a few things like the Immortal City of Pandius on Matera, the invisible moon of Myoshima/Patera, Spillworld, and the Pyrithians. But since the TSR policy was that things were still true unless contradicted, the Mentzerian "Ten Planets", plus the Moldvayian Seven Magical Planets (minus Mercury), and the implied Thyatian and Alphatian planet names, would still be the Official planetary cosmology till the end. The five planets from CM7 remained an unaddressed discontinuity, and thus shunted to a side paraverse.
Later factors: Havard and others have reported on the Spelljammer-Mystara crossover. There are a few features which could be relevant to Mystara-space. Though officially, the AD&D game universe is a separate Reality (rules lens) than the D&D game universe. The Mentzerian Known World is explicitly in the Milky Way Galaxy. Events which took place in the 2E Reality ("Mystara-A2") might have parallels the D&D Reality ("Mystara-B"), but it'd be drastically converted. In Mystara-A2, there's a crystal sphere, with all stars and constellations being enormous 2D glowing lights on the sphere. But in Mystara-B, there's 3D galaxies. So, if there were also a giff visitor to Mystara-B, they would've travelled through outer space (in some sort of vessel which is appropriate for the D&D game universe), rather than through phlogiston and a crystal sphere.
There were also some writings by Bruce on how to convert Spelljammer to D&D and vice versa (in CoM and the "Up, Away, and Beyond" DRAGON mag article). And also a post-TSR story where Alphatian wizards accidentally filled Mystara-space with air! Anything written by Bruce while at TSR is Official. Anything afterward is another fanon paraverse; though a salient one.
When the Mystara line ended in 1996, it was still not clear how many planets there were, and how the various sources fit together.
But, I'm not all about "splitting" into paraverses. I like synthesizing an archetypal Mystara as much as the next Mystarophile. But I gotta untangle things before I put them back together.
And here's how I'd do it.
First off, the Mentzerian "Ten Planets" paraverse is not Mystara. It's a "campaign model" of Earth. In the Jurassic Age of Magic. It exists as a paraverse, but it's not my archetypal Mystara. Mystara exists in the same time as Modern Earth.
Basically, I'd say that all of the best, most interesting features of all three Official planetary conceptions are all present:
-The Moldvayian Seven Magical Planets. All those overlooked contents of Moldvay's describe the actual M-planets!
-The Heardian Five Fixed Planets
-The Mentzerian Ten Planets
I'm still not sure what to make of the Seven Realms of M3; whether those are *actually* the planets the PCs are visiting, or if those are merely planes which are attached to the actual planet (like their Feywild, or like the Pandius "pocket universe" on Matera). Also relevant: the seven color-worlds from CM7; though they don't line up exactly with the Moldvayian colors.
Anyway, this is not a complete list, but gives the gist of my approach:
1. Sola / Ixion = Moldvayian Magical Sun
2. Tser = Moldvayian Magical Mercury
3. Nyt = Moldvayian Magical Venus
4. Mystara / Urt (Immortals' name) / Yarth (common name for the substance and ground of Mystara)
- Matera / Luna
- Patera / Myoshima
5. Grom = Moldvayian Magical Mars
6. Damocles
7. Mol = Moldvayian Magical Jupiter (the outer planets have various moons, as mentioned in the Immortals Set)
8. Losh = Moldvayian Magical Saturn
9. Uranus
10. Neptune
11. Pluto
12. Charon
13. Alith (first fixed planet). Maybe an ash world inhabited by Alphatians. And manticores. And it's definitely a Meg-alith.
14. Zoar (second fixed planet). A planet with eagles and soaring birds.
15. Telax (third fixed planet). Has something to do with centaurs. Maybe all sapient beings have the "tauric" template!
16. Loth (fourth fixed planet). A planet of flowers...and warriors.
17. Mym (fifth fixed planet). A planet with hydras. And ruled by Mimir, the Norse god (i.e. an Antalian Immortal). And with quasi-Tolkienian petty dwarves.
https://dungeonsdragons.fandom.com/wiki/Mimir
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Mīm
And also later bits and bobbles, such as Spillworld, etc.
Since WotI says that Ixion is "the embodiment of the Sun in all its glory", I see that Ixion is a valid name for Sola. Especially since WotI says that Ixion doesn't even remember his origins, and has been worshipped by mortals since ancient times.
But I'm leery of equating other Immortals with a particular planet, even where it would make sense. E.g. Odin and Tser (M-Mercury) and Thor and Mol (M-Jupiter), Protius and Neptune, Hel and Pluto. Because, even though their names mean "earth", Terra and Djaea aren't "the embodiment of Mystara."
I'd need to look into the Official sources for Spillworld, the Pyrtians, and the Spelljammer-Mystara locales (e.g. rocks). But I will say, that if they exist in the 2E Reality, they also exist in the BD&D Reality, though they are firmly converted to conform to the cosmology. And vice versa.
Same for representing the archetypal Mystara in any ruleset (Reality): 3E or 5E. An archetypal Mystara has parallel events in all Realities (rules editions).
BTW, I didn't get into the question of how to reconcile the Star Map constellations with the later Mystaran astrology horoscope. I've seen that others have wrestled with that. But for now, I'm just focusing on the planets.
Since Mystara means "mystery star", the word "stara" might also mean "planet/world." In a similar way that there are other ways of referring to RW planets, such as "day star" for Venus, or "planet Mercury" vs. just "Mercury", a longer form of the Common planet names might be:
Solastara
Tserstara
Nytstara
Mystara
-Lunastara / Materastara
-Paterastara
Gromstara
Damoclestara
Molstara
Loshtara
Eirstara (from Eirmont "air-month")
Vaterstara (from Vatermont "water-month")
Helstara
Charonstara
Spillstara
Alithstara
Zoarstara
Telaxstara
Lothstara
Mymstara