Naharrai

Naharrai is the third planet in the solar system and the homeworld of the Ghru and the Ellaticurids.

Background
The learned are aware that Earth is the second planet from the sun. Thus, that would make Naharrai the third. Legends says that it was once a lifeless place of reddish sands, but that was so long ago, and some great force transformed it into a lush, green place, not unlike the Earth.

If that's true, and Naharrai was once like the Ninth World, those days have long since past. Perhaps the same force that altered the planet decided to alter it again. Or, more likely, those forces are so far into the past that their work has now started to crumble. The air of Naharrai smells stale to anyone form Earth, some would go as far to call it the "faint whiff of doom" - or death. They liken it to the odor of a patient slowly dying of a wasting disease. In any event, Naharrai is now a place quite different from anywhere else.

Most people believe the Earth and Naharrai were once partners, with people from Earth establishing the cities and sites of Naharrai. These is, in fact, a direct "tunnel" between the city of Lhauric on Earth and the city of Arthoyn on Naharrai. However, this is a closely guarded secret, and use of thus tunnel is restricted from both ends.

Naharrai has only 1/3 the gravity of Earth. that means that any characters operate according to the rules of low gravity. Natives suffer no penalties and move with grace in the environment.

The Summers are extremely hot, the winters are just as cold, and the seasons tend to be twice as long. Each day is just a bit a shorter than it would be on Earth, but not enough to make much of a difference. However, even at high noon, the sun's light on Naharrai seems dimmer overall than humans are normally accustomed to.

Something within the air of Naharrai is poisonous to non-natives over the long term. Travelers from Earth (or in theory, anywhere elsewhere) often wear some kind of breathing apparatus or filter, or they take any pills or injections produced by the native inhabitants. Those that don't must attempt a Might defense roll with a difficulty of 4 once each day. On a failure, the traveler will suffer 4 points of damage. Worse, each day thereafter they'll suffer the same damage, with no chance of resistance.But if they continue to breathe the Naharrain air, they must continue to make Might defense rolls each day. Thus, a number of failed rolls can result in 8, 12, 16, or even more points of damage suffered per day. A cure must be administered to end the continuing damage, even if the traveler utilizes a breather or leaves Naharrai altogether.

And then there be the colossal storms. Naharrai's storms are gigantic, horrifying cataclysms of wind, hail, and rain that can last for days or even weeks, particularly during the late summer.

Meteors are much more frequent on Naharrai than they would be on Earth. Falling stars are a common sight every night, and meteor strikes are known everywhere around the world.

When a meteor strikes a creature or a object - which is still quite rare - the target will typically suffer 8 points of damage. Even more rarely, a large strike might affect all within the immediate vicinity, inflicting 12 points of damage. Larger strikes (which are far more rare) can obliterate everything within an immediate radius, leaving nothing but an empty crater.

Travel across Naharrai via the established roads is safe by Ninth World standards. Exploring the reaches beyond the reaches of civilization, however, can be quite dangerous. Bandits - usually ellaticurid, but sometimes even ghru, can attack travelers, but worse would be the unexpected appearances of bizarre beasts. The roads that lie across Naharrai are ancient, but they stretch between between the Cold Cities and still remain in serviceable condition. The natives aren't leery of traveling the roads the way typical Ninth Worlders are, however, they fear the wilds just the same.

Flora and Fauna
The types of creatures and plant life recognizable to explorers from Earth also reside upon Naharrai - grasses grow along the hillsides, trees thrive throughout forests, birds fly across the sky, fish swim through the water, and mammals, reptiles, as well as insects, and other beasts live on land. However, none of the specific creatures of Naharrai have any identical counterpart throughout the Ninth World:

· Yarbis Trees - Green-leafed trees that grow to be about 80 ft. tall and which produce a weird moaning sounds whenever the wind blows.

· Reddith - Fern-like plants that produce a secretion so toxic that to even touch one of the leaves will require a Might defense roll (difficulty 4) just to avoid suffering 2 points of Might damage and one point of Speed damage.

· Corra Birds - Semi-gelatinous avians that catch insects in its flesh as it flies to eat them later.

· Vlinx - A catlike mammal about 2 ft. long that has 6 legs, with the middle pair wielding huge, envenomed claws.

· Terror Ants - Insects that move just under the ground in swarms, attacking much larger creatures from below.

· Voranochs - Reptiles large enough to be ridden when domesticated, with 10 insectile legs and eyeless heads. (Both native races of Naharrai uses voranochs as mounts and as beasts of burden.)

· Terredel - Vicious pack hunters that prey on voranochs and everything else.

Of course, this is just a small sampling of the world's flora and fauna. There are many tens of thousands (or more) of species alive and Naharrai, although the storms - and in particular the droughts - claim many of them each year.

Cities
• Arthoyn

• Taranhall

• Mehbivrobek

• Cold Cities

Other Points of Interest
• Mines of Talbiss

• Fortress of Vibborn

• Ghru Articulated Temple

• Stone Trees

Medical Slaves:
Bartheum, the ruler of Arthoyn, has agents seeking ghru who are knowledgeable in medicines. He plans on capturing those individuals, holding them indefinitely, and forcing them to create the antidote and the cure for human visitors who have problems with the air.

Threat in the Trees:
A terrible predator not unlike a giant, tentacled cephalopod climbs amid the Stone Trees and poses a threat to the treehomed. They'll pay a handsome reward for proof of its demise.

Spies Sought:
The ghru queen, aware that outsiders come to their world very occasionally, puts out an offer to pay them to spy on the ellaticurid communities closest to ghru territory.

Ancient Red Desert:
A ghru man named Gerat claims to have visions of the distant past in which Naharrai appears to be a desert without water, air, or even life. A single wheeled automaton rolls across the dark red sands.

Singers of Strange Songs:
Deep within the Barharail Sea dwell intelligent crustaceans that create music by passing water through the various tubes within their shells.

Mist of Tongues:
A verdant mist floats across the lands, altering the minds of anyone it touches. Victims begin to speak in a different (otherwise unknown) language, and only in that language. Those affected by the mist can converse with one another. This alteration will fade after a few weeks time.

Miscellaneous
In the Distant past, humans once called it Mars. Ninth Worlders refer to it as the Earth's "Evil twin".

The environment of Naharrai is slowly degrading.

Other regions of Naharrai bear different climates, although the differences aren't as dramatic as on Earth. So the relatively lifeless poles are cold, and the most uninhabited equator is hot, but the rest of the planet fits generally into what is provided.