Population: 4,585,000
Populous: Dwarves, Humans, Tarrinians, Felinxes
Trades: Agricultural, Sun Stones
Planets: Gounar, Ingus, Derig, Jungin, Bertta (Not in any Solar order)
Type: Hollow Spheres
Upon entering the sphere it seems as though there is no sun at all. On the contrary, this sphere is filled with suns. Each small sun happens to be inside each of the five large planets with Gounar being the largest. The outsides of the planets are fairly bare and have a few ports for ships to dock at. They are dark and foreboding. Once you walk through tunnels to the inside of the planet however, a small world on the inside curve of the planed with a sun in the center is revealed.
The constant sunlight is excellent for year round vegetation growth and the people that live here simple have underground levels on their homes where they sleep. Because of this only small parts of the houses are above ground and even large cities seem only like parks with small field houses stationed here or there.
Lakes and rivers flow all over the inside of the planets as well. Though the thin layers of dirt and rock do have minerals within them, the inhabitants are very careful not to mine the land much for fear of weakening the crust and breaking up the entire planet.
One of the biggest exports from these planets are the various types of power stones found naturally in fields and streams. These stones are anywhere from a small pebble in size up to that of say the size of a fruit. They have specially aligned crystals within them that soak up the light energy and store it. Though this is a very slow process, many stones have been sitting under the sun for thousands of years. When taken from this place, they will continue to glow for years to come. Sailors often keep one or two of these expensive stones on hand as a non-magical source of light in case they enter a magic dead zone and their continual light stones (most popular on all ships in the realm) go out. Some mages have also found use for these stones as they have recently found that they will store magical energy as well as solar energy. In recent years the Dwarves have been mining sunstones and laying them out in fields to soak up the sun for a year. They then sell these stones cheaper and constantly rotate their “crops.” For many people, having a light that works for a year but is cheap is better than one that lasts for centuries but is expensive.
Since the Felinx have taken up residence in Gounar the Jonga root has also been a popular export. Like the stones, the Jonga root stores concentrated oxygen. Chewing on a piece while in stale or limited amount of air can extend your breathing time.
Gounar: 1,925,000
Gounar is the largest of the planets in the system. It is not even close to its estimated maximum of three million inhabitants, so trade ships are allowed to come and go as they please with a quite a bit less paperwork than on the other planets. Its small yet bright white star in the center makes for an almost fake looking light over everything in the planet. People compare it to a magical light as apposed to natural sunlight. The largest export is the sunstones. Large fields are set to let them bask in the sun as well as less organized or sizable groups that forage for the stones in the wilderness. Only about one third of Gounar is in habited as apposed to the entire area in Jungin and Derig. Being one of the newer planets to be colonized, the buildings are fancy, new and ever growing. Since its outer crust is thicker, the dig line is set lower and grander halls and underground cities can be made.
This is the place that most outsiders will visit first, unless they have acquired the proper paperwork from somewhere else before coming to this sphere. A main stop along the post run, Gounar’s surface is filled with docking points for ships. Their cargo can be carried into the planet through the many access points on the surface that are marked with landing lights. Gounar is unusual in that they have no docking pay needed for a ship that docs there (Although tipping your dock guard is always a good idea.)
Gounar is ever expanding and constructing their subterranean cities. The main commerce of Gounar (aside form extra planetary trade) is centered around construction. They often find and use existing caves and tunnels beneath the surface. As new caves are discovered, new creatures are as well. It is quite common for ships to help fund their stay by taking on a tunnel clearing. These clearings will involve capturing and or killing all the strange spiders, scorpions, snakes, worms and other creatures that are in the darkness so that the workers may continue in safety. These can be a s simple as clearing out a giant spider nest to magical creatures that have already claimed a number of tunnel clearers sent in before.
Jungin: 1,025,000
Jungin is the birthplace of the native dwarves of Gounar. It is the only planet that was tunneled out of, instead of into. All the other planets were accessed once the dwarves of Jungin developed space flight. No other intelligent inhabitants have been found in any of the other planets.
Jungin is a religious and political center for the sphere. Its highest members of the ruling parties live there as to its religious leaders. Many of the underground structures are little changed in the past three thousand years. They were built well, and there is no need to expand since Jungin law prohibits it. Both Jungin and Derig are similar in size and each have been limited to 625,000 inhabitants plus a maximum of 5,000 visitors. These laws are strict. Birthing laws are in place and women may not become pregnant without first receiving papers from the government. Often those that are leaving permanently or are soon to die, will their citizenship to their relatives that wish to have a child. Though vacations are allowed, citizens that want to leave for extended periods of time must give up their citizenship permanently. It is a hard process to get passes to visit the world as the amount of people coming and going is strictly monitored.
Jungin Dwarves: Dwarves from the native world of Jungin share no historical lineage to any other dwarves. They are the same height and build as regular dwarves and have all the same abilities accept they cannot see in the dark very well at all. (In fact, most Jungin dwarves despise the dark.) Though they are excellent miners, they had no need to adapt to the dark because they have light stones that are commonly found on Jungin that were used to illuminate the tunnels.
Their skin is a dark tan regardless of how much time they spend in the sun. Their hair tends to be a light brown in color, though red and blonde are also common. Though they grow facial hair as rapidly as other dwarves, it is common for males to shave their heads and faces except for a single patch on the chin that is allowed to grow. Jungin dwarves take pride in having long chin beards. They never let them get longer than a few inches off the ground however and instead at this point add adornments to the beard every time they have to have it cut. Females shave the sides and backs of their head and allow the rest to grow. The hair is braded and the same customs on length apply to their braided hair as to males beards.
Jungin dwarves are experts in mining, drilling, and underground sculpting of cities. They have the greatest knowledge of the ground on a planetary scale. They have taken great care to calculate how many inhabitants a planet can sustain and how much digging they can do without causing irreversible damage.
Jurigar the Philosopher: This Jungin dwarf lived over three thousand years ago. His writings have become extremely popular among dwarves in general. At the time he was alive, the inhabitants of Jungin believed that nothing existed outside of their world. They believed that if they dug deep enough, they would find a great ocean that would swell up from the ground and flood their world until it was filled and every dwarf drowned.
Jurigar was the first to suggest that there was not an ocean outside the planet, but instead there was nothing. He believed that beyond this nothingness there existed other places like Jurigar. Lare rocks floating in nothingness that they could dig into and get to their center. He was of course, scorned for his beliefs. Although best known for his philosophy, he was also a great engineer. Late in his life, after creating many wonderful inventions and taking the beatings of the churches of Jungin for his multiple world theory, (literally and figuratively,) he moved to a remote area to construct the Great Rig. It was a huge towering drill that was to bore down into the ground until it reached the outside. Great secrecy was taken to not let others know that he was doing this, because most thought that this would bring about the destruction of the world. He almost finished drilling to the outside when the Great Rig was attacked by religious zealots that set it on fire. Jurigar managed to escape the blaze only to be captured by the zealots. They tied him to a wagon wheel and threw him into the now burning hole in the ground.
Though the zealots sought to stop the rig from drilling through, they actually helped. The Great Rig was only a few feet from breaking onto the outer surface and the heat from the blaze that fell down the shaft broke the last parts and opened a hole into space. The followers that survived the attack came back to the spot later and noticed that they could see points of light at the end of the hole. They sent scouts down and found that indeed they could reach the outside and that there was nothing there.
The rest of course is history. The religions changed to reflect the truth and the wagon wheel was adopted as their emblem in remembrance of Jurigar. The same dwarf they despised and had killed was instead put up on a pedestal as a main religious figure. The first tunnel is still used as an access point into Jungin today. A replica of the Great Rig has been rebuilt on top of the hole and is the first thing visitors see when entering through that access.
Derig: 1,125,000
This planet has all the same customs and laws as Jungin. It was the second planet populated over 1,500 years ago. The structures are somewhat newer and the temperatures are a bit cooler in Derig than Jungin. It has a normal commerce since it is not a political head. There is nothing particularly special about the planet. It has the size and form of Jungin with the newer make and ideas of Gounar. With its limiting pass papers, people usually seek out Gounar instead for its ease of access, or Jungin for its rich historical value.
Bertta: 170,000
Though Bertta is larger than Ingus, it has fewer inhabitants because it has only been accessed recently. Bertta is on the further outreaches of the sphere and has a particularly hard outer crust. The stone that has been mined to make the access tunnels was taken away and used in many architectural designs or statuary designs for its strength.
The Sphere has only been accessible for about he last thirty years. Once inside, the dwarves found a wonderful land filled with unique creatures and vegetation. Many of the creatures are predatory, and have not taken easy to the fact that new species have started to live in the planet. Colonizing is slow, and many farmers and common workers do not wish to go to the planet for fear of the creatures it holds within.
A rather successful tourism trade has been set up where guides will take a party through a hunt for some of the more interesting or challenging predators in the planet for a price. Non experienced adventurers are advised to stay indoor at all times while on this planet. Even experienced adventurers are suggested to have a guide.
Ingus: 340,000
The smallest of the planets is also the warmest. Due to its beautiful beaches, crystal clear waters, and year round warm climate, it has almost reached its peak population already. The inside of this planet is covered in beautiful jungles, rivers, and small oceans. The fish are delicacies that are only surpassed by that of Quaria (though certainly it can only near its exotic nature, not the volume of fish on Quaria.)
Little clothing is worn by those living here due to its constant temperatures near 90 degrees. Though digging into the ground would surely aid in having cool places to live like on the other planets, that way of living does not exist here. The ground is loose and the vegetation over grows things rapidly. This has hampered any effort to have large underground constructions. Instead, the inhabitants use the existing trees, vines, and large leaves in the jungle to create huts. Don’t let the term fool you. They have four story “huts” that can house hundreds of people.
The common home here is a 3-6 room structure build out of the local vegetation in a square shape with an open court yard in the center. The roof is made of rubber plant like leaves and slopes from a high point in the center outward. The sides of the walls are covered on the outside in straw thatching, and on the inside with a thin bark that comes off of trees in sheets. The tree’s in question grow new bark within a week, making them a ready source for writing, walls, boat coverings, etc. The rooms are separated with this bark creating visual blocks and sliding walls. There is always a central open garden in the home with a single tree in the middle that stands tall and provides additional shade. Great pride is taken in having the larges and most out reaching branches on your own tree. Many trees have been cared for by generations. If the house catches on fire, it would be left along with many positions or pets in an effort to douse the tree with water in hopes of saving it. Though it is obviously not illegal to cut down trees, it is an offence punishable by death to purposefully cut down a Family tree in Ingus.
Ingus exports expensive and exotic fish, animals, and plants for pets, gardens or eating. It is also a pleasant vacation spot for those that like this kind of setting. Though not as dangerous as Bertta it is still recommended to have a guide if you plan to go outside a village or off of one of the main paths.
Social Tips While Visiting the Gounar Sphere
There is no day or night on any of the planets. There is only the constant sun up above. This changes many things that other people consider normal.
Greetings: Do not say good day, or good night, as these terms are foreign. Instead say, “The sun shines on you well,” when first meeting someone and “Well lit dreams” when leaving a friend. The last refers to the tradition of sleeping under a skylight (or under a light stone) so the sun is in your face. Jungin’s that have clouds or other things obscure the light will fall into shadow and often dream of dark and scary things then. “Shine on,” can also be used to say farewell when it is expected that you will meet again soon, in other words, within eight hours or before you know they will take time to sleep. Some times this form of farewell is a way to point out that the other should stay awake and wait for your return.
Schedules: There is no set global schedule for a day and night time cycle. Dwarves sleep when they want and keep their shops open when they want. There is always someone open somewhere, and often there will be more than one type of business open at different times. Jukkir the black smith will be open for eight hours and then Gunttil the black smith will open up his shop when he knows that Jukkir goes to sleep. For the most part, anything can be accessed at any time on any planet. It is common placed to schedule a meeting time by bowls (hours) instead of days. If you wish to see someone in what you would think is the next day, you should say to them “I’ll see you in sixteen.” This is enough time for eight hours of work and eight hours of relaxing.
Calendar: The Jungin dwarves had no day or night, stars, tides, or seasons to judge a calendar or even time by. In the early days of civilization, there was no need to keep track of time at all. You hunted when you needed food and slept when you needed sleep. As civilizations grew, and cities were being built under ground, it became obvious that some sort of system was needed to help coordinate all these people together.
It was Jurigar the Philosopher himself that devised the first timepiece. He noticed that a light stone left in the sun would shine for an equal amount of time when taken away from the sun. He filled a bowl with water. He drilled a hole in the bowl and left a freshly dug stone in the sun for as long as it took the bowl to drain. (Coincidentally, this amount of time was roughly an hour. Sixty seven minutes to be exact.) He then covered the stone with a special box that allowed to view it, but that would not let sun light in. He then refilled the bowl with water and watched the stone. The stone showed brightly until the very last minutes when it began to fade. When it was completely extinguished, the bowl was also empty of water. He then let the stone in the sun again, and observed that there was a light flash at the moment when he had first covered the stone. He went on to find out that a stone could be conditioned in such a way as to give off a pulse of light at a set time (which he chose to keep the sixty seven minute mark that he first used.) So long as they were kept exposed to light, they would pulse on a regular basis. Many of these, light stone “clocks” were manually kept in cities with bells being rung every bowl.
Modern time pieces are very intricately made using the same original findings of Jurigar. A piece the size of a small compass can have one large sunstone in the center and eight other stones around it. Every time the stone pulses, one of the attached stones responds. In this way each eight stones will light up in turn over the course of eight bowls (approximately nine hours. Eight hours and fifty six minutes to be exact.) The main stone needs to be exposed to sunlight for at least one bowl in an eight-bowl period for it to continue functioning. Otherwise the conditioning used to make the piece work, stops. This is not a problem on any of the Gounar planets, but tends to be a bit of an issue to those taking the pieces off into space. Some priests have used light spells to some success to keep the pieces working.
“No dwarf digs below the line.” This common saying refers to the line set by the grand engineers. It is a set distance down determined for each planet that no one is allowed to dig past. The only exceptions are access points. This is done to keep the planets crust from breaking up. The saying originally meant, “Dwarves do not do things that could endanger themselves.”
Example:
Dwarf 1: “I am going hunting for Gongian. Do you want to come with?”
Dwarf 2: “You are taking about five others with correct?”
Dwarf 1: “Of course, no dwarf digs below the line.”
The saying has since been used by individuals to mean anything from, “don’t get too depressed in your work,” to “don’t spend all your money on foolish things.” Though it is over used now days, the idea can usually be grasped through the context of the conversation.