4.0 KiB
title, description
| title | description |
|---|---|
| Spelljamming and Travel | How to get around in the spheres |
Spelljamming
The word "spelljamming" refers to piloting a spaceship between crystal spheres through a hyperspace called The Phlogiston.
Spelljamming is the the process of using a spelljammer helm to propel a ship. A spelljammer helm is usually a chair with a helmet-like attachment that captures magical energy. The energy is then transferred to a machine called a phlogistonal phasic engine. The engine converts the magical energy to motion and teleports the ship into hyperspace. Typically one spell slot is all that is needed for approximately eight hours of travel time. A spelljammer helm and engine will allow a ship to move at light speed within a crystal sphere, and will propel the ship into a hyperspace lane once at the sphere's edge. Intersphereal couriers and other long distance vessels will usually employ one or more spellcasters whose sole responsibility is ensuring they have enough spell slots to power their vessel.
Spell slots are not the only way to power a spelljammer helm. The Star Cogs have invented helms that run on intellect known as MindJammers, helms that run on martial energy called KiJammers, even helms that run on luck called LuckJammers. The Neogi invented a helm that drains a user's life force called a LifeJammer. Regardless of the energy source, these helms collectively are called spelljammers and using them is called spelljamming.
The Phlogiston
The Phlogiston is a higher dimensional space that allows faster than light travel between spheres. While inside the Phlogiston, it seems as though you are surrounded by a background of swirling prismatic colors. The phlogiston contains no stellar objects, has no cardinality, and no edge. That is because the phlogiston is an energy manifold and not a space manifold. The Phlogiston energies are highly reactive to heat and radiant energy, and can explode when in contact with open flame.
Inside the Phlogiston the distances between spheres is shorter. However, the background of stars is not visible in the phlogiston and so navigation is difficult. If you are not following an established hyperspace route, you could easily become lost forever. The swirling background of colors looks the same everywhere, so there is no frame of reference within the phlogiston by which to navigate.
Hyperlanes
Hyperlanes are established routes through the phlogiston that connect spheres. They are defined by a series of vectors and course corrections made with specific timing. Although hyperlanes are drawn as lines on a map, they are written as a series of instructions to fly the ship and change its heading. There is no objective way to define a course through hyperspace, since the phlogiston has no navigational frame of reference, and so these rotations and timings must be made with careful accuracy.
Navigational instructions for a hyper lane read like this
- From your current sphere, orient the ship in a specific direction and rotation against the stellar background.
- Enter the phlogiston.
- Propel the ship forward using a specific magnitude of spelljamming energy for a defined amount of time.
- Cease forward motion.
- Rotate the ship to a new relative heading.
- Propel the ship forward again.
- Cease forward motion and exit the phlogiston.
Steps 3-6 above are repeated as many times as is necessary to remain within the hyperspace lane.
Existing hyperspace lanes were established long ago. The shortest routes were created by a joint effort between ancient dragons and space faring elves. To this day, those routes are almost exclusively used by the Emerald Armada and the dragons. Anyone using these routes without express permission from the Armada or a writ of passage from a dragon are politely and firmly asked to use a different route.
Other routes exist and, while not as fast, are relatively convenient for interstellar travel. Discovering new routes is a difficult and dangerous process. One may accidentally end up lost in Intersphereal space or in the heart of a neutron star.