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Plata, also known as the Eye, is a planet in the Spelljammer campaign setting. This size E disk world is unique in that it has gravity on only one face.[1]

Overview[]

Plata is a perfectly circular disk-world, 8,000 miles (12,875 kilometres) in diameter and 50 miles (80 kilometres) thick. There are other disk worlds in the universe, but so far Plata appears to be the only one with a uni-directional gravitational field, meaning that it only has gravity on one face. The "underside" of Plata has no gravity and no atmosphere, and is completely uninhabitable. The breathable atmosphere of Plata forms a perfect hemisphere, extending 4,050 miles (6,518 kilometres) out from the center of the disk. This means that the atmosphere at the center of the planet is 4,050 miles (6,518) thick, while it only extends about 50 miles (80 kilometres) from the edge of the disk. The atmosphere ends at the gravitational plane of the planet. Theoretically, since Plata has no gravity whatsoever on its underside, the atmosphere should leak away into space. It doesn't, however, and nobody has a reasonable theory as to why.

It is possible to fall off the edge of Plata. Any object or creature which falls over the edge drops to the gravity plane and remains there. There is a gentle force that acts on such an object, pushing it outwards along the gravity plane. When it reaches the edge of the atmospheric envelope, the object falls free into the vacuum of wildspace.

Plata rotates about an axis that extends longitudinally through its disk, spinning like a tossed coin. This rotational axis is perfectly perpendicular to Plata's orbital plane around its primary. One rotation lasts 24 hours, so a day on Plata is exactly 12 hours long. When observed from a position near its sun, Plata resembles either a circular disc (when it is face-on to the sun) or a thin, virtually invisible line (when it is edge-on to the sun). The inhabitants of other planets in the sytem closer to the sun, call the disk world "the Eye," since it appears to blink every 12 hours. Plata has no seasons, and the length of its day never changes.

The habitable surface of Plata is similar to that of most terrestrial planets, with mountains and oceans. There are no oceans or lakes within 5 miles (8 kilometres) of the edge of the disk. Its highest mountains are about 25,000 feet (7,620 meters) tall, and its deepest oceans are 30,000 feet (9,144 meters) deep. Many of the taller mountain ranges are riddled with extensive cave networks. The underside of the disk is rough and mountainous, with no bodies of water. Plata is volcanically and tectonically dead, and has no volcanoes or hot springs, and never suffers from earthquakes.

Most of Plata's surface is dry land. The massive, world-girdling continent that makes up the edge of the disk is called Circulus by Plata's natives. There is a great central ocean called Braiemor that is roughly circular and about 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometres) in diameter. In the middle of this vast ocean, at the exact geometrical center of the disk world, is an island continent called Barrakis. The mountains of Barrakis are the tallest on the world.

Plata is a relatively cold world. The average daytime temperature is 50°F (10°C), dropping to about 30°F (-1°C) at night. The temperature drops with increasing altitude at a rate of about 4° for every 1,000 feet (1,609 kilometres) of elevation. Thus, on top of the the tallest mountain, the temperate ranges from about -50°F (-46°C) during the day to a deadly -70°F (-57°C) at night. Most mountains are capped with ice and snow.

The temperature of Plata's oceans varies quite widely, and nobody knows exactly why. While there are some bodies of water that remain at around 40°F (4°C) during the day and night, there are some that are a good 10° colder than that, and are always covered with a layer of ice. Precipitation is common on Plata. During the day at sea level, precipitation is usually cold rain, while at night, snow is common. On the mountains, snow is the rule. Cloud cover is rarely less than partial, and increases to total during precipitation. Storms are only rarely accompanied by lightning. Winds are much more common, and stronger, near the center of the disk.[1]

Inhabitants[]

The cold upper surface of Plata is home to many diverse species of plant life, ranging from simple mosses and lichens to extensive networks of motile vines known to explorers as "stranglers".[2] The plants of Plata share one characteristic: none grow any higher than about 6 feet (1.8 meters). Most are ground-hugging, spreading widely across the surface to maximize the surface area they can expose to sunlight. There are many forms of aquatic plants, ranging from species similar to kelp, to seaweed which form great, spreading mats on the surface of the warmer oceans. The shallows are also home to an aquatic species of strangler.

There are few forms of animal life adapted to the oceans: there are no fish as such, and all aquatic animals are quadrupedal. There are no large animals in the seas of Plata: the largest is the size of a medium dog, and resembles a large rat with longitudinal gill slits along its back. Although a single individual isn't overly dangerous, "sea rats" hunt in packs of 20 or more, and are exceptionally dangerous to anyone foolish enough to enter the water. The most common form of land-dwelling animal is a rat-like creature with a thick, shaggy coat. Like their aquatic cousins, these creatures are dangerous predators, and travel and hunt in large packs. There are no reptiles, amphibians or insects on Plata; all animals are mammalian.[1]

The Aarakocra[]

The most important sentient species on Plata are the aarakocra, or as they refer to themselves, the Chilterik ("the People"). The Chilterik are organized into small family groups of 10 to 30 members; each claiming a territory of about 10,000 square miles (25,900 square kilometres). Members of one group will very rarely enter the territory of another, and then only when invited, or when circumstances make it imperative. Different groups are on friendly terms, and will cooperate closely if conditions warrant.

The Chilterik have no central government. Individual groups are led by the eldest female, who is often a tribal priest. Members of the group are free to ignore the suggestions of the leader, but most members of the group will always obey their leader. If individuals find themselves in disagreement with the leader, the most frequent response is to break away and find like-minded individuals to form their own band.

The Chilterik speak their own language, while some have learned the Common tongue. The aarakocra are generally safe from native predators, as long as they're careful. They can swoop down on the biggest pack of rats with impunity, and pluck out their prey before the others can respond. Occasionally an unwary individual might wander within range of a strangler vine, but this is very rare. The greatest danger to the Chilterik are the various tribes of humanoids, who use bows and arrows to bring down the occasional aarakocra, and who sometimes attack their mountain-top eyries.[1]

The Humanoids[]

Plata is home to various species of humanoids, mostly orcs and goblins, but including some kobolds, flinds, bugbears and gnolls, who live mainly in the caves that riddle Plata's mountain ranges. The humanoid races living on Plata aren't native to this world, but are in fact the descendants of humanoid troops who attempted to conquer Plata during the First Unhuman War, but were eventually defeated when they were abondoned.

While the troops who initially landed on Plata were disciplined veterans of the Unhuman War (as disciplined as humanoids get, at any rate), this quickly changed. The aarakocra concentrated their attacks on commanding officers, destroying their command structure, and causing the humanoid forces to dissolve into autonomous tribes, usually divided along racial lines. For the first few decades, these tribes cooperated freely with each other, but that eventually began to change. The humanoids began breeding rapidly, and the creatures soon began to suffer the effects of over-population. Since there are only so many caves, the obvious answer to a growing population is to wrest caverns away from other tribes. Thus the humanoids have become locked into continuous, ongoing conflicts among themselves. Because it's their nature, the humanoids still dream of eradicating the aarakocra and claiming Plata as theirs alone. They continue to fight the bird-men, and over the generations they've become much better at it.[1]

Spelljamming[]

The Aarakocra[]

The Chilterik have a strong "racial memory" made up of stories and epic poems. These oral histories recall the arrival of the humanoids, and the sight of spelljamming ships in the skies of Plata causes the aarakocra to fear the arrival of more their racial enemies. Their actual response to the arrival of a vessel aften varies from group to group. Some (especially those who have suffered most from humanoid attacks) might attack the ship on sight. Others might prefer to observe from afar to determine what the crew's intentions are. It's important to realize that virtually the only non-avian human-like beings the aarakocra have ever met are enemies, and the bird-men are quite likely to respond based on this.

If the crew members of an approaching vessel make it obvious that they're not hostile like the humanoids, the aarakocra will accept them as potential friends. The Chilterik will be friendly towards those who treat them well, but will be confused and confounded by the fact that their new-found friends can't fly without use of magic or without their ship. Even though they might come to accept that spelljamming technology is available to others other than their natural enemies, the Chilterik will always feel some distrust of the technology. They will have no interest whatsoever in leaving their world and travelling among the stars.[1]

The Humanoids[]

Although the humanoids have heard no word from the greater universe, they believe that the Unhuman War are still ongoing. Furthermore, their general racial biases assure them that their forces must be winning. Even while the humanoids tribes are fighting each other, they keep alive their "heritage" as members of the Goblinoid forces. About the only thing that could possibly stop the warfare between humanoids tribes is the arrival of elves on Plata. They'll immediately forget their grudges, and cooperate in trying to obliterate the newly-arrived "elven expeditionary force."

If the humanoids see a spelljamming vessel in the sky of Plata, their first assumption will be that it's a supply ship for their "outpost." Once they discover that this isn't the case, they'll do their best to acquire the ship for themselves. After all, with a ship, at least some of the "army" can leave the planet and rejoin the humanoid fleet to continue the glorious battle against the elves. Explorers who've come to Plata in the past have tried to persuade the humanoids that the Unhuman Wars are over... and that they've lost. Predictably, the humanoids haven't accepted this news with open minds, and the "messengers" have generally been eaten for their efforts.[1]

History of Plata[]

The humanoid races living on Plata aren't native to this world. During the Unhuman Wars, the humanoid forces decided to turn the disk world into a fortified stronghold. They landed with a great many soldiers, expecting to have no difficulty in subjugating the bird-men. As it turned out, the aarakocra were much more capable than the humanoids had expected. The humanoid armies were ill-equipped to fight a foe that could fly, and were quickly decimated.

As the Wars turned against the humanoids, the ships that were supposed to reinforce and resupply the bases on Plata were reassigned elsewhere, and eventually destroyed by the elves. The humanoids on Plata quickly had to accept that they'd been deserted. Many died, as much due to despair as to the harsh weather conditions and the continued attacks of the aarakocra, but those who survived learned to adapt to their new home. They quickly claimed the extensive cave complexes of the mountain ranges as theirs, and used them as shelter from the aerial attacks of the Chilterik.

While the troops who had initially landed on Plata were trained and disciplined veterans of the Wars, the situation quickly changed as the aarakocra concentrated their attacks on the humanoid commanders. With their command structure in ruins, the humanoid forces soon dissolved into autonomous tribes, commonly divided along racial lines.[1]

Appendix[]

External Links[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Nigel Findley, SJR4 Practical Planetology, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Chapter 6 Unusual or "Non-Standard" Worlds, Plata section, pages 46-49
  2. Nigel Findley, SJR4 Practical Planetology, 1991, (TSR Inc.), Strangler (Plata) section, page 61
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