Editing Astral Sea Freebooters (section)

== Setting ==

<center>http://home.earthlink.net/~wingsofdarkness/astralsea/astralmap.png</center>



The Astral Sea is a vibrant place, a misty ocean that stretches from the Elemental Chaos to the Far Realm.  Countless worlds, big and small, mundane and fantastic, drift like islands in the Astral Sea.  Majestic vessels, constructed by the great Astral-going civilizations, ply their trade from world to world, sometimes bringing commerce and wealth, and other times bringing slavery and death.

As the campaign starts out, the player characters have just overcome their captors and freed themselves from their bonds aboard a Varian Confederation prison ship, the Varian Confederation Spelljammer (V.C.S) Relentless.  Now in command of the ship, they must determine their own course for adventure!

The average journey time aboard a Planar Dromond between close worlds is two months -- half that time aboard an Astral Skiff or Spelljammer.  Utilizing a Sextant of the Planes enables much more rapid travel, at the price of a small fortune of arcane material components.

=== The V.C.S. Relentless ===

http://th07.deviantart.net/fs26/300W/f/2008/063/b/7/Flying_Imp__Elven_Spelljammer_by_juanosarg.jpg

Formerly a prison ship of the Varian Confederation, this newly liberated ship is in the hands of the players, along with its former Navigator's very valuable Sextant of the Planes.

=== Carceri ===

http://home.earthlink.net/~wingsofdarkness/astralsea/carceri.jpg

This prison plane was crafted by the gods themselves, and is used by all the Astral-going civilizations as a place to imprison their worst criminals.   With the relatively free access of Raise Dead rituals, the best way to assure you'll never see an enemy again is to usher him to the gates of Carceri and place him in the care of the powerful angels who vigilantly guard the gates to this realm.

This was the planned destination for the player characters, and the Relentless is within sight of the red color veil of Carceri at the start of the campaign.

=== Freeport ===

http://home.earthlink.net/~wingsofdarkness/astralsea/freeport.jpg

This world plane is relatively small, and is dominated by an Astral Port (also helpfully named Freeport) located on its only sea, and serviced by a river that leads inland to Freeport's lush and fertile farmland.  Any magic items of the Heroic and Paragon tier are available for purchase at the Astral Port, though if you wish to purchase items above your character level you'll need to engage in a Skill Challenge to locate them.  Inland, however, only items of the Heroic tier can be found, as most folk are suspicious of magic and other worlds, and of the city folk from the Astral Port, many of whom are off-worlders.

The astral port is a haven for freebooters, renegades, heretics and mercenaries.  The city is run by a de facto "Pirate King" -- Astrid Velhagen, a former Varian captain who lost one of her hands when she was accused of thievery by a Varian planar governor (which one she won't say), and lost one of her eyes during her time spent in Carceri.  Somehow, she escaped from that prison plane (an epic feat, to say the least).  Her reputation alone is enough to keep a veneer of order in the rowdy astral port of Freeport.

Freeport has an astral satellite, a mountain sized moon named Cove Rock, upon which docking facilities and a teleportation circle is located.

=== The Institute ===

http://images.epilogue.net/users/hythshade/central_city.jpg

The Institute is a small world plane, inhabited by a dull heroic-tier civilization dominated by humans.  The plane, however, is named after the plane's most exalted university, which is, many consider, the finest learning facility in all of the known multiverse -- simply known as "The Institute".  

The Institute brings people from all across the Astral Sea, and thus has spawned an Astral Port of vibrant trade and commerce.  The Institute is governed by Provost Henrik Plume, who is answerable only to an advisory council of Chancellors.  The Provost administers the Institute with an eye for detail and a hunger for academic freedom.

The vast libraries of the Institute are thought to contain a copy of every book, every ritual, and every scap of information that is available anywhere in the Astral Sea.  The libraries are so vast, however, that most visitors are forced to hire a professional guide to find whatever it is they are looking for.  Many a guideless student, hoping to save a few coins, has vanished in the darkest corners of the library, never to be seen again.

The Institute is served by Charter House, an astral fortress orbiting just outside the color veil.  Charter House has docking facilities and a Teleportation Circle.

=== Archipelego ===

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/__mMx7lCefGY/Sd8ctPUnQzI/AAAAAAAAAOU/pBFiA9aBwZE/s400/Archipelago+Los+Roques+Venezuela.png

This normal sized world plane is a flat water world, filled with countless islands and independent city states.   A unique feature of this world is that, if one can navigate the storm-wracked edges of the plane, one can sail straight off Archipelego and into the Astral Sea, and vice versa.

There are no outstanding rulers on Archipelego.  It is its lack of unity and order that makes it of interest to Freebooters, and many Freebooters have a favorite island or port on Archipelego that they use as a personal headquarters, or find beaches to bury their treasure.

=== Starview ===

http://home.earthlink.net/~wingsofdarkness/astralsea/starview.jpg

This normal sized world plane is home to many kingdoms, and many races.  The various peoples have been attacked countless times by Illithid and Hegemony slavers and Freebooter pirates.  Having had enough of these attacks, a group of heroes from Starview constructed a Fortress in the Astral Sea, just beyond their plane's color veil.  Starview Fortress is a massive, city-sized fortress, served by a teleportation circle and defended by a fleet of dangerously maneuverable Astral Skiffs (along with heavy Galleon support).  

Ironically, Starview Fortress has become a cross-world trading post, and Freebooters now see it as part of their shared community.  However, the surface folk of Starview are currently in negotiation with the Varian Confederation about become a member planet, much to the chagrin of the Governor of Starview Fortress, and his administrators, merchants, and mercenaries, all of whom have benefitted greatly from Starview Fortress' position.

Starview Fortress is administrated by Governor Alexianus Corinello, a Half-Elf of exceptional diplomatic skill, and open-mindedness.

=== Skyfall ===

http://www.ugo.com/images/galleries/pirates3_filmtv/pirates3_1.jpg

Skyfall is a large world plane, with an interesting history.  It was once a barren world, devoid of life.  A huge battle between Freebooters took place in the Astral Sea, just outside its color veil.  Several ships were disabled and drifted out of control through the color veil, only to crash on the surface.

The survivors salvaged what they could from the fallen vessels and were pushed to the extremes the first few years of life on the surface of Skyfall, but eventually they were able to make homes, grow food, and even have families.

Many years later, contact was made with their friends in the Astral Sea, and Skyfall City, an astral port on the edge of a great sea of dust, was founded.  It seems that the barren planet holds many secrets.  Ruins of ancient civilizations, lost temples to primordials, and more.

A fleet of derelict wrecks, the remnants of that immense Astral Sea naval battle, have been lashed together and form the "Armada of Skyfall", a port of call just beyond Skyfall's color veil.  A teleportation circle has been constructed aboard the Armada.

=== Skull Island ===

http://www.eagleonemedia.com/Skull%20Island.jpg

Skull island is a small water world, dominated by a huge vine-covered island in the shape of a skull, upon which a notorious pirate port has been founded.  The port was founded by the notorious Eladrin pirate Captain "Silver-Eyes" Estrander, who now goes by the title "Goblin King".  Skull island is a notorious port, friendly to the more dangerous and unruly types -- Goblins, Gnolls, and their unpleasant monstrous ilk.

There are few laws and regulations on Skull Island, and murder, mayhem, and worse are every day activities.  The only rule is to stay out of the Goblin King's way, and to not interfere with his business.

=== Earth ===

http://home.earthlink.net/~wingsofdarkness/astralsea/earth.jpg

This normal sized world is typical in almost every respect.  It has nearly all races and species represented.  Many scholars believe that this plane is the "Prime Material Plane" from which all the creatures in the Astral Sea originated.

The civilizations on Earth are almost archetypical.  There are several continents, many of which have elven forests, dwarven mountains, and lizardfolk in the swamps.  Most of the civilization is thoroughly based in the heroic tier, but there are a handful of paragon heroes, and even a few living epic legends.

Because of Earth's special history, the Varian Confederation has placed it under their protection.  Varian agents keep a close eye on this plane, neutralizing dangerous spellcasters when they arise to threaten the peace of the plane, and interdicting when another planar civilization attempts to interfere with Earth's natural progression.