TEXT: REALMSPACE
  REVISITED
  
  REALMSPACE
  REVISITED
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  INTRODUCTION
   
   
  Realmspace is the region of space containing Toril, as well as several other planets. It is 
  encased in a crystal sphere, beyond which is an ocean of rainbows that connects Realmspace 
  to other crystal spheres. At the centre of Realmspace is the Sun, which all the planets of 
  Realmspace orbit.
  This guide takes a look at the various celestial bodies of Realmspace, as well as some of 
  Realmspace's major factions. Will you get involved with the conflict between the aarakocra 
  and lizardfolk of Coliar? Will you trade secrets with the undead mind flayers of Haven? Will 
  you uncover the nefarious schemes of the dreaded Cult of Atropus? There are many choices to 
  be made and countless adventures to be had amidst the Skyward Realms.
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  PLANETS OF REALMSPACE
   
   
  ANADIA
  Anadia is the closest planet to the Sun, being located 50 million miles away from it. The planet 
  is incredibly hot; the vast majority of its surface is covered in rocky wastelands, broken up by 
  cliffs and chasms. These wastelands are inhabited by umber hulks, ankhegs, and nomadic 
  tribes of thri-kreen.
  The main sources of real civilisation are at the poles. These poles are mountainous regions 
  surrounded by large seas and inhabited by dark-skinned halflings. These halflings are believed
  to be the descendants of halflings from Toril who were abducted by neogi long ago, before 
  eventually breaking free from their control.
  The halflings of the north pole make up the Anadian Empire. The Anadian Empire is ruled by a
  totalitarian government that exploited fears of domineering, disease-carrying outsiders 
  during the Atropus Wars to gain total power over the north pole. As such, the Anadian Empire 
  is incredibly insular; shoots down foreign spelljammer ships that enter its airspace. It also 
  sends out spelljamming ships to seek out and eliminate potential threats to the Anadian 
  Empire across Realmspace.
  The halflings of the south pole are dominated by the South Anadia Trading Company. The 
  South Anadia Trading Company rose in power several decades ago when they gained access to
  spelljamming technology. Able to travel across the stars, they were swiftly able to 
  economically dominate the various nations and dynasties of the south pole. Now that they've 
  conquered South Anadia, they seek to extend their reach across the rest of Realmspace.
  COLIAR
  Coliar is the second planet from the Sun, being located 100 million miles from it. It is a gas 
  giant made up primarily of air. Within the planet's atmosphere, orbiting around its centre of 
  mass, are hundreds and thousands of earthmotes. These earthmotes vary widely in size and 
  elevation; many of them hosting their own ecosystems.
  It's believed that Coliar was once the battleground for a race of powerful avian creatures and a
  race of powerful reptilian creatures. All that remains of these creatures, though, is the 
  footsoldiers of their war: the aarakocra and the lizardfolk, who carry on their progenitors' 
  conflict.
  Both races believe they've created a society that allows perfect freedom. The aarakocra live in 
  a democracy with very few laws, which has allowed a small clique of powerful matriarchal 
  merchant houses to rise to the top of society, holding a great deal of power. The lizardfolk live 
  in a democracy with many laws, which theoretically prevents any one person or group from 
  attaining too much wealth wealth or power, but also stifles and constrains its inhabitants in an
  ironclad bureaucracy.
  The aarakocra and the lizardfolk inhabit the upper earthmotes of Coliar, with towers reaching 
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  out the planet's cloudy exterior; marking places where it's safe for spelljammer ships to land. 
  Both sides are engaged in a war of economics and alliances; both hope to crush the other by 
  spreading their idea of freedom across Realmspace.
  Also inhabiting Coliar are the dragons. By playing the aarakocra and the lizardfolk off against 
  each other, they managed to take control of the lower earthmotes, which are said to be rich in 
  gemstones. These dragons are neither particularly benevolent nor overly malevolent; are only 
  concerned with the ongoing prosperity and comfort of themselves and their families.
  TORIL
  Toril is the third planet from the Sun, being located 100 million miles from it. It has a diverse 
  geography and an incredibly complex history. Two thirds of the planet's surface is covered in 
  water. Its landmasses include the desert continent of Zakhara, the jungle continent of Maztica, 
  the bountiful continent of Kara-Tur, and the chaotic continent of Faerûn.
  Toril is home to many powerful individuals and factions. It is one of the reasons why 
  Realmspace is given such a wide berth by many major spacefaring organisations. The 
  spelljammers brave enough to visit the planet often keep their extraterrestrial origins a secret 
  from the locals, so as not to ruffle any feathers; often landing their ship out at sea and then 
  sailing into the harbour of major coastal cities, as though they were just another merchant 
  ship.
  Not all spacefarers are cowed by Toril's fearsome reputation. In Anchorome, there is a nest of 
  neogi slavers who are steadily working on spreading their influence across the continent. In 
  Katashaka, there is an ancient archmage who regularly imports monsters from far beyond the 
  stars; has them fight in grand battles for control of the continent. Lastly, in Osse, the meddling 
  of spelljammers has resulted in a spreading infestation of vegepygmies, which threatens to 
  consume the entire continent.
  ABEIR
  Abeir is a planet that shares the same dimensional coordinates with Toril. It is ruled over by 
  powerful dragons and elementals. For much of its history, few in Realmspace have known of 
  its existence. However, during the Spellplague, Toril was engulfed in blue flames and parts of it
  exchanged places with Abeir.
  This caused many rumours to abound of ways to get to Abeir from Realmspace. Some claimed 
  it was possible to do so by casting the right conjuration spell as one entered Toril's 
  atmosphere; others claimed that it had something to do about entering Toril's atmosphere at 
  the right velocity.
  These types of rumours continued until the time of the Second Sundering, when they were all 
  replaced by a single rumour. This rumour states that the Second Sundering well and truly 
  sundered Abeir and Toril; the two of them now linked in a synchronous orbit on opposite 
  sides of the Sun.
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  Many have gone out in search of Abeir, hoping to plunder what wealth it has to offer. While 
  some return with fantastical tales of the strange sights they saw on Abeir, many more have 
  returned claiming they couldn't find it at all. Worryingly, there is also a sizeable percentage 
  who went out in search of Abeir and never returned.
  KARPRI
  Karpri is the fourth planet from the Sun, being located 300 million miles from it. The planet's 
  surface is almost entirely water, with no landmasses or islands. The closest Karpri comes to 
  solid ground are the icy poles, as well as the thick mass of seaweed that encompasses the 
  planet's equator.
  Long ago, the aquatic elves of Toril grew fearful of the encroachment of other races into their 
  territory; believed that they and their way of life could be wiped away. Feeling certain that the 
  only way they could be safe was to be far away from other humanoids, they left Toril and set 
  up a new life in the vast oceans of Karpri.
  The aquatic elves of Karpri today are incredibly insular, share the paranoia of their ancestors; 
  attacking any ship that lands on their ocean, seeing them as invaders. The polar regions and 
  seaweed jungle are also dangerous to land on; the icy regions being inhabited by a whole 
  manner of arctic monsters, and the seaweed jungle being home to giant insects and arachnids.
  The only noteworthy port of call on the entire planet is an exclusive hunting lodge located at 
  the south pole, run by a gnome named Rhododendra Redcap. Wealthy clients who visit the 
  hunting lodge are given the opportunity to hunt a whole manner of icy beasts such as yetis, 
  winter wolves, polar bears, and remorhazes. Those who pay exorbitant fees can also have their
  quarry stuffed, mounted, skinned, or even fashioned into armour and accessories.
  CHANDOS
  Chandos is the fifth planet from the Sun, being located 400 million miles from it. The entire 
  planet is a hot, humid swamp. Its surface is covered mostly in water, with thousands of islands 
  spread across it. These islands are unstable; a mix of tectonic and volcanic forces causing them
  to sink beneath the water and rise back up out of it, seemingly at random.
  The planet's instability is believed to be the result of a terraforming project gone wrong. 
  According to one story, long ago, an ancient race of powerful amphibian creatures fled Toril 
  and tried to transform Chandos into a new home. In some tellings, they failed spectacularly 
  and wiped themselves out; in others, they knew the transformation would take millennia and 
  so locked themselves away in hibernation until the terraforming project was complete.
  Due to its instability, Chandos is unable to hold any major form of civilisation. However, 
  rumours of large gemstone deposits have attracted many spelljammers, some of whom have 
  wound up getting stranded by islands suddenly rising or sinking. Those who get stranded 
  often have to resort to eking out a nomadic existence, their spacefaring days behind them.
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  The major inhabitants of Chandos are the clans of dwarves, humans, and orcs. The dwarves 
  are the most aggressive, adorn themselves in the bones of their enemies, and attack all non-
  dwarves they come across. The humans are the most cunning, rely on ambushes, stealth, 
  sabotage, and psychological warfare to overcome their perceived foes. The orcs are the most 
  peaceful; rely on shamanic magic to overcome aggressors, most of their clans being led by 
  powerful druids.
  GLYTH
  Glyth is the sixth planet from the Sun, being located 1,000 million miles from it. It is a ringed 
  planet with a rocky, barren surface that is completely uninhabitable. Beneath the surface, 
  though, there is a vast, underground complex run by mind flayers.
  This complex is powered by some kind of strange, organic technology and is overseen by a 
  vast elder brain that seems to permeate the entire complex. The mind flayers are completely 
  self-sustaining. They have large numbers of humanoid “cattle”, which they breed and keep in 
  permanently in simulation baths.
  These simulation baths psionically simulate experiences and sensations for the humanoids, 
  causing them to believe they're living whole other lives on Toril. This allows the mind flayers 
  to gain the pleasure of devouring intellectually stimulated minds, with none of the risks that 
  come from having educated cattle.
  Despite their insular nature and the fact that their complex is completely self-sustaining, the 
  mind flayers of Glyth still have a navy that patrols Realmspace. This is because the mind 
  flayers of Glyth are paranoid; live in constant fear that their enemies are plotting against them.
  As such, their navy exists to protect Glyth from direct threats, and to subtly undermine any 
  potential threats to their planet.
  GARDEN
  Garden is the seventh planet from the Sun, being located 1,200 million miles from it. In truth, 
  Garden is not a planet at all but is instead a collection of asteroid bound together by a vast 
  plant-like organism known as Yggdrasil's Child.
  No one knows for sure how Yggdrasil's Child came to be. Some claim that it is a sapling carved 
  from the World Tree, while others claim it is an invasive species from another crystal sphere. 
  There are also those who claim that ancient druids from Toril once tried to make a tree of 
  endless bounty; instead they created a tree that wouldn't stop growing and so banished it to 
  the deepest region of Realmspace, where it became Yggdrasil's Child.
  Whatever the truth of the matter, Garden is an interesting place. Many visit Garden in the 
  hopes of studying Yggdrasil's Child or harvesting its herbs and fruits, which have a number of 
  uses. However, Garden is also a dangerous place, is home to a number of hostile blights, which 
  are said to be spawned by Yggdrasil's Child, either as an instinctual defence against visitors 
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  who might harm it, or as a means of spreading its seeds to other worlds.
  H'CATHA
  H'Catha is the furthest planet from the Sun, being located 1,600 million miles from it. It is a 
  flat, wheel-shaped planet. Its inhabited side faces directly towards the Sun. Much of the planet 
  is covered in water, with the occasional mountain jutting out of it. In the middle of the planet is
  the Spindle, a huge mountain that is 200 miles wide at its base and over 1,000 miles tall.
  The planet is inhabited almost exclusively by beholders and their slaves. The beholders are 
  separated into different clans, each led by a different hive mother. These clans battle each 
  other, the beholders being sent to fight and die at the behest of the hive mothers, who each 
  wish to become the dominant force on H'Catha.
  One of the ways in which the hive mothers try to gain dominance on H'Catha is by gaining 
  access to the Mind Stations dotted across the Spindle. These magical devices were created by 
  ancient beholders who inhabited H'Catha aeons ago. The beholders are said to have grown so 
  knowledgeable that even their own vast brains couldn't store all their knowledge, so they 
  dumped their excess knowledge into the Mind Stations. While the information within the Mind
  Stations is largely useless and outdated, the beholders of H'Catha still fight for control of the 
  Mind Stations, in the hopes of finding one kernel of knowledge that proves useful to them.
  The only thing the beholders hate more than rival clans are outsiders. Most beholders will try 
  to kill or enslave visiting spelljammers on sight. However, a small number of hive mothers 
  have seen the potential benefits in interacting with outsiders; have set up docks where they're 
  willing to trade goods and services with them.
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  OTHER LOCATIONS
   
   
  SELÛNE
  Selûne is Toril's moon. Many regard it as an uninhabitable wasteland; made up of rocky, 
  barren expanses. Despite that, there is one small city of note on the surface, the Leira Trading 
  Centre.
  The Leira Trading Centre is primarily populated by moon elves, humans and half-elves. They 
  are a strange and insular people. While they gladly welcome visitors and traders, they are 
  incredibly secretive about much of their city. Vast sections of their city (especially the 
  subterranean sections) are off limits to outsiders, with trespassers being swiftly executed.
  The inhabitants of the LTC are known liars. They lie about almost every aspect of their 
  civilisation. For example, they claim that their kingdom spans all of Selûne, concealed beneath 
  a cunning illusion that hides it from outsiders. They also claim that the inhabitants of Toril are 
  plotting war with them and that they've been amassing a whole manner of powerful weapons 
  for the day that Toril's invasion inevitably comes.
  It's unclear how much the average Selûnian believes these lies. Some speculate that these lies 
  are used by the ruler, Queen Phlandra, to keep the populace in check. Others wonder if them 
  telling constant lies about their home is simply their way of honouring their goddess, Leira, 
  whom they all claim to worship.
  Despite the eccentricities of the Selûnians, the LTC is a popular place to visit. It is a vast city 
  made up of interconnected buildings made up of white corridors, archways and pillars. The 
  Selûnians adore art, aesthetics, and hedonistic indulgence. The right artworks sold to the right
  person can make a lot of coin here, and there are many different types of pleasures and 
  wonders for a visitor to experience.
  TEARS OF SELÛNE
  The Tears of Selûne are a collection of asteroids that trail after Selûne. Many are so small and 
  barren that they are incapable of supporting life. Those that can be inhabited are often feuded 
  over by the various factions of Realmspace. A number of asteroids act as strongholds for neogi,
  mind flayers, beholders, and other such creatures that seek to spread their influence across 
  Realmspace.
  The most famous asteroid in the Tears of Selûne is Dragon's Rock. Atop the asteroid is a city 
  known as Wyrmport, which serves as the hub for activity in Realmspace; travellers and 
  merchants from across Realmspace and beyond going there to trade.
  Wyrmport is ruled over by a group of powerful Netherese mages who spend most of their time
  in a large tower at the centre of the city. They rarely take active involvement in the running of 
  the city, only leave their tower occasionally to dispose of those who are disrupting the peace of
  Wyrmport in a big way. The day-to-day running of the city is done by a number of self-
  appointed individuals and organisations, who seek to ensure that all business in Wyrmport 
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  runs smoothly and efficiently.
  KARPRI GRAVEYARD
  In orbit around Karpri is a spelljamming ship graveyard. The graveyard was originally an elven
  research station, made up of several ships bound together. However, the inhabitants of the 
  research station were killed by mind flayers; their tortured souls clinging to the mortal coil as 
  ghosts, which haunt the research station's ruins.
  Since then, a number of spelljamming adventurers have tried to loot the ruins. However, the 
  ghosts guard the ruins against potential intruders; killing any who defile their resting place. As
  such, a ship graveyard began to form around the research station, the remains of adventuring 
  parties that tried to delve into the research station and never came back.
  While some might think that this would discourage adventurers from so much as going near 
  the ship graveyard, many still try to test their luck against it; believe there must be something 
  of worth on the dozens of adventurers' ships that now litter the space surrounding the 
  research station. However, the graveyard is no longer haunted by just the ghosts of elves now; 
  wraiths, spectres, banshees and other restless spirits formed from their victims also haunt the 
  graveyard.
  The fact that so many spirits inhabit such a small region has caused some to speculate that 
  there might be some kind of device or artefact responsible for anchoring all those souls to the 
  Material Plane. Others have wondered if all those spirits in one place are capable of warping 
  reality in some way; cite stories of ships that were mysteriously pulled towards the ship 
  graveyard against the crew's will.
  HAVEN
  Glyth has two moons, one of which is Haven. Haven is an egg-shaped moon with a barren 
  surface that has no atmosphere. At the base of it, however, there is a large hole which leads to 
  its hollowed, atmosphered interior. The gravity of plane of Haven is such that on can walk 
  across the surface of both its exterior and its interior.
  Haven is home to many alhoons, a type of undead mind flayer. They prefer isolation and set 
  their quaggoth slaves on any perceived intruders. Despite that, there are rumours of 
  spelljamming adventurers who have made some kind of peaceful contact with the alhoons. 
  The alhoons can recognise fellow arcane spellcasters and grant them with a small degree of 
  respect. They are willing to trade knowledge, especially arcane secrets and information 
  relating to potential threats against them.
  The alhoons also have an alliance of sorts with the mind flayers of Glyth. Ships belonging to 
  the Glyth navy are regularly found docked at Haven, and both sides are willing to exchange 
  important information with each other. As such, Haven serves as mostly neutral ground where
  brave or desperate spelljammers can meet and discuss matters with representatives of Glyth.
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  MINGABWE
  Glyth has two moons, one of which is Mingabwe. It used to be a cold and icy moon but things 
  changed when its own moon, Polluter, suddenly began spilling out volcanic fumes.
  The story goes that, shortly before the Atropus Wars, a cleric of Tyr found a powerful, evil 
  artefact known as the Ruby of Balor on Polluter. Knowing that such a foul artefact couldn't be 
  allowed to exist, she invoked the power of Tyr to destroy it. She succeeded, however the evil of
  the artefact escaped and made its way to Polluter's core.
  There, it merged with the moon or perhaps awoke something. Polluter suddenly began 
  heating up, volcanoes forming and erupting across it; lava and obsidian covering its surface. 
  The volcanic activity also began spilling out thick smoke, which trailed behind the drifting 
  moon, spiralling down and making its way to Mingabwe.
  The smoke filled Mingabwe's upper atmosphere, causing the planet to heat up. Clouds of smog
  and acid rain became commonplace, destroying or hampering much of the plant life across 
  Mingabwe.
  The trading posts and stopping points littering Mingabwe were quickly abandoned. The only 
  remaining settlement of note is located at the north pole, where the smog and acid rain are 
  less commonplace. The settlement is called Mercy; is merely a collection of trading posts and 
  taverns, which cater to pirates, lowlifes and assorted criminals.
  Curiously, there are some on Mingabwe who show an interest in exploring Polluter. They claim
  that the Ruby of Balor was only one of two evil magic items hid on the moon long ago by the 
  paladin Justin Demonslayer. They claim that the other one is still sitting somewhere on the 
  volcanic moon, just waiting to be found.
  MOONS OF GARDEN
  Garden has a number of moons. The precise number of moons has changed over the centuries,
  as new ones formed and old ones were destroyed. The names apply to them also seem to 
  change every century or so; no one agreeing exactly on what to call them. At present, the 
  twelve moons are: Azuth's Breath, Farworld, Fjord, Glorianus, Grandchild, Jadetown, Knurl, 
  Locci, Retinae, Salseer's Keep, Templar, and Yerthad.
  Azuth's Breath is a small, blue sun that orbits Garden. It is most visible from Garden at night, 
  its eerie blue light providing illumination for Garden's nocturnal creatures. Old rumours claim 
  that the sun was once an elven outpost that dabbled in forbidden arcane magic; is now 
  permanently consumed by spellfire.
  Farworld is a strangely shaped world. Once home to trading posts and mining colonies, the 
  inhabitants once dug too deep and awoke an ancient horror. The planet collapsed in on itself, 
  the land falling into a sea of black tar. The only land that remains now are colossal chunks of 
  brightly coloured coral that grow out of the black sea. The only known inhabitants of this 
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  world are evil flumphs. Many of these flumphs possess some degree of psionic spellcasting 
  (are able to innately cast spells such as magic missile, telekinesis, disintegrate, and dominate 
  monster). They seem determined to conquer Realmspace; will attack ships that land on 
  Farworld and try to commandeer them so that they may spread their touch to other worlds.
  Fjord is a spherical moon riddled with a maze of tunnels. The exterior of the moon is airless, 
  but the interior has an atmosphere that is maintained by the strange, bioluminescent mould 
  that grows on the walls. It used to be home to many dwarven mining colonies, though they 
  abandoned it after mining everything of value from the moon. In more recent years, minotaurs
  have moved into the planet's labyrinthine tunnels. What they are doing there is unknown, but 
  they are likely related in some way to the goristro that is said to lurk at the moon's core.
  Glorianus is a small crescent-shaped moon is covered completely in soft grass. The only 
  inhabitant is Griffon Broadleaf, a centuries-old human archdruid who originally gave the moon
  its name. He is an archetypal mad hermit; is prone to spouting mangled aphorisms at any who 
  try to talk to him.
  Grandchild is an oval-shaped moon. It has a completely smooth surface, unmarred by craters. 
  Its off-white surface is highly reflective. Its name comes from the old belief that the moon was 
  a seed spawned by Yggdrasil's Child. Most folk these days accept that it is artificial in 
  construction; most likely the retreat of an ancient archmage. Despite repeated efforts, none 
  have managed to gain access to the presumed sanctum within.
  Jadetown is one of Garden's few inhabited moons. It is made of white jade; is carved into the 
  shape of a large dragon. Magical wards prevent the jade from being mined. This moon is said 
  to have been created by an evil mage long ago, as a base from which to study Garden. The 
  moon gets its name from a small spaceport set up in the dragon's open maw. The port acts as a
  minor trading post and a place of respite for those planning to head down to the planet.
  Knurl is a spherical moon made up of swirling semi-liquid, multicoloured marble. Different 
  parts of the marble harden and soften at different times, seemingly at random. Unfortunate 
  visitors have had the marble soften under their feet, causing them to sink into the marble. 
  Objects absorbed into the marble are said to be slowly transformed into more semi-liquid 
  marble. Any marble removed from the moon slowly hardens. Good money can be made from 
  creating and selling sculptures made from the semi-liquid marble.
  Locci is the smallest of the moons. It is barren and has no atmosphere. A century ago, a bored 
  mage transmuted it into a twenty-sided polyhedron and placed magical wards on it, causing 
  any ship that approached it to be struck by a random magical effect. The moon has a wild orbit
  that causes it to loop round several other moons as it orbits Garden.
  Retinae is a spherical moon that gets its name from the large crater in the middle of it, that 
  gives it the appearance of an eye. The interior of the crater is home to many exotic plants and 
  mushrooms that only grow on the crater, and are useful as spell components and in crafting 
  potions. A small tribe of grimlocks farm these plants and mushrooms; trade them with 
  outsiders.
  Salseer's Keep is a flat, disc-shaped moon, that is featureless save for a large castle that stands 
  in its centre. The castle is home to a storm giant named Salseer. He found the uninhabited 
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  moon long ago and claimed it for himself; renaming it in honour of himself. A ring of 
  sustenance ensures that he needs no food and drink. For entertainment, he uses a scrying pool 
  to spy on exciting developments across Realmspace. His constant scrying makes him a useful 
  source of information about matters across Realmspace. However, he only accepts visitors 
  who can provide him with some form of entertainment.
  Templar is another flat, disc-shaped moon. It was once home to many mages and artificers 
  who were tended to by animated suits of armour known as templars. However, the templars 
  eventually grew self-aware and broke free from the mages' control, killing them or forcing 
  them to flee. The templars have since begun to dabble in wizardry and artificing. They are 
  steadily building facilities that will allow them to produce more of their own kind.
  Yerthad is the largest of the moons and also one of the most dangerous. Surrounding it are 
  yellow clouds of highly corrosive acid. They constantly barrage the surface of the planet with a
  storm of acid rain. The surface of the planet is said to be completely coated in an ocean of acid.
  A number of exotic creatures are said to live in this ocean, however only the most acid-
  resistant ship can hope to even approach the planet's surface.
  TURNBETL
  Turnbetl is a gaseous moon that orbits H'Catha. The gases that make up the moon are 
  incredibly volatile and react explosively on contact with oxygen. As such, only ships with no 
  need for oxygen (such as those crewed by undead) can safely enter it.
  Because of this, the moon is a haven for undead pirates. One of the most infamous undead 
  pirate ships to visit Turnbetl is the Black Dracolich. It is said that this ship is captained by a 
  dragonborn death knight. Supposedly, in life, she was a greedy pirate who vowed to not rest 
  until she'd earned a million gold pieces. As such, she continues to travel across Realmspace, 
  raiding ships, and adding treasure to her hoard until her mission is completed.
  At the centre of Turnbetl is the Skull of the Void, a gargantuan skull-shaped space station. It 
  was once ruled by mind flayers, who performed experiments on enslaved beholders. However,
  one of the beholders underwent metamorphosis into a death tyrant; broke free of its captivity, 
  killed its captors, and took control of the Skull. It then moved the Skull to the centre of 
  Turnbetl, where it has been slowly amassing an army of undead for some unknown purpose.
  TOWER OF EIGHT
  Orbiting the Sun in the furthest reaches of Realmspace is a small asteroid that is barren, save 
  for a large tower atop it. The tower is said to have once orbited H'Catha and been home to 
  powerful archmage named Sarelk. When Sarelk left Realmspace several decades ago, the 
  Legion of Eight took over the tower and moved its orbit far from H'Catha.
  The Legion of Eight is made up of eight incredibly powerful mages. The mages are each from 
  different planets and have dreams of conquest; seek to take over their respective planets. They
  believe that, by pooling their resources together, they will be able to achieve what they could 
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  not alone. However, while they wield powerful magic and possess a vast web of allies and 
  agents across Realmspace, their plans of conquest have a long way to go before they come to 
  fruition.
  Their members include a dragon sorcerer from Coliar, an illithilich from Glyth, and a beholder 
  mage from H'Catha. In theory, they are all working together to further each of their goals; 
  however, in truth, they often work at cross purposes. Each member of the Legion of Eight is 
  willing to do whatever is necessary to conquer their planet, even if it means covertly 
  undermining or double-crossing their allies.
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  FACTIONS OF REALMSPACE
   
   
  CULT OF ATROPUS
  A little over a century ago, the monster known as Atropus ravaged Realmspace. There are 
  many tales of his origins, though little in the way of consensus. Some claim he is the remains of
  an ancient primordial who once tried to syphon all divine magic in Realmspace, while others 
  argue that he was the stillborn twin of Ao the Overgod.
  Whatever the truth of its origins, all that was known about him was that he took the form of a 
  small moon of black rock with a horrifying visage carved into its surface. After appearing, 
  Atropus travelled Realmspace, devouring souls from any world it passed, as he steadily made 
  his way towards Toril.
  During this time, whether out of madness, desperation, or self-interest, many started to join 
  cults devoted to Atropus. These cults began sacrificing souls to Atropus, making him stronger; 
  also began undermining efforts made to combat Atropus. The conflict between these cults and 
  those that opposed them eventually became known as the Atropus Wars.
  As these conflicts reached their climax, Atropus grew closer to Toril. In the end, one final line 
  of defence was set up between Atropus and Toril. Thousands of ships fought as one against 
  Atropus, keeping him busy while the most powerful archmages from across Realmspace 
  united their power in a ritual that released a destructive wave of spellfire at Atropus.
  This wave of spellfire tore through him, destroying his physical form. However, while the 
  Atropus Wars appeared to be over, the conflict had taken its toll on Realmspace. Uncountably 
  many had been killed, and Realmspace had gone from being a cosmopolitan centre of 
  spacefaring activity to a desolate, backwater crystal sphere. It's also believed by some that the 
  intense strain on the Weave caused by the spellfire wave was at least partially responsible for 
  the Spellplague that affected Toril shortly thereafter.
  Furthermore, while many believe Atropus to be dead and gone, the cults devoted to him 
  remain. Over the past century, these cults have merged together into one vast organisation 
  that spans across Realmspace. Some of these cultists are concerned only with sacrificing souls 
  to Atropus, while others are concerned with worming their way into positions of authority so 
  that they will be better able to serve Atropus when he inevitably returns.
  As generations pass and memories of Atropus fade, there is also an increasing number of folk 
  who join the cult as an outlet for their own twisted desires, or  as a means of forming the 
  connections necessary to gain wealth and influence. They may pay lip-service to the idea of 
  Atropus but, in their hearts, they serve only themselves.
  One gains renown in the Cult of Atropus by loyally and capably following the orders of one's 
  superiors, be it helping them perform a bloody sacrifice, or by helping them gain wealth and 
  power. The Cult of Atropus's ranks (and renown needed to reach them) are as follows: 
  Ensouled (1), Soultaker (3), Soulseizer (10), Soulmonger (25), and Grand Reaper (50).
  14
  
  IRON LOTUS SOCIETY
  Spacefarers used to have an upper hand over most nations and planets they visited. They 
  knew that, even if thing went bad, they can flee into space and not have to worry about the 
  authorities pursuing them. This changed with the emergence of the Iron Lotus Society, an 
  organisation of bounty hunters devoted to hunting criminals across Realmspace.
  Supposedly, they formed in Kara-Tur in response to mind flayer slavers, but have since 
  expanded their order of operations. For a fee, they are willing to hunt down criminals for any 
  planet or nation and bring them back dead or alive. They do not play favourites; do not 
  concern themselves with morality, only with legality and getting paid.
  Members of the Iron Lotus Society are given an iron lotus badge, signifying that they are 
  vouched for as an accomplished and trustworthy bounty hunter. They are also given access to 
  the list of spacefaring criminals who have bounties placed on their heads. In return, they are 
  expected to give a cut of any reward they receive to the Iron Lotus Society.
  Members of the Iron Lotus Society are also expected to further their faction's cause. After all, 
  while many nations appreciate the Iron Lotus Society apprehending criminals for them, they 
  are less pleased when alleged criminals are abducted from their nations and taken halfway 
  across Realmspace to stand trial. Members of the Iron Lotus Society are therefore expected to 
  make a good impression wherever they go.
  Member of the Iron Lotus Society can rise in rank by claiming bounties and by winning the 
  favour of influential figures. The Iron Lotus Society's ranks (and renown needed to reach 
  them) are as follows: Gray Lotus (1), Chained Lotus (3), Bladed Lotus (10), Armoured Lotus 
  (25), and Dragon of the Stars (50).
  MOONSTARS
  The Moonstars are a secretive organisation that seeks to protect Realmspace from outside 
  threats. Due to the fact that they are a semi-secret organisation, no one knows how long 
  they've existed for, though they claim to have existed for centuries; predating the organisation 
  on Toril that shares their name.
  Their goal is to keep Realmspace safe. They know that there are many factions beyond 
  Realmspace that span the known cosmos. These factions are constantly looking to expand 
  their power and influence, would think nothing of bringing yet another crystal sphere under 
  their thumb. As such, the Moonstars do all they can to undermine outside factions from 
  gaining a foothold in Realmspace.
  In the past, this worked a little too well. The relative peace of Realmspace meant that the Rock 
  of Bral (largely considered the crossroads of the cosmos) temporarily made Realmspace its 
  home, bringing merchants and travellers from the furthest corners of the cosmos to visit it.
  Things changed during the Atropus Wars. The Rock of Bral fled Realmspace, seeking a home 
  elsewhere. Many other factions and organisations likewise fled, seeing Realmspace as a 
  15
  
  dangerous and savage place. While a number of merchants still regularly visit Realmspace, the
  larger spacefaring community left Realmspace behind and didn't look back.
  Since then, the Moonstars have worked to solidify Realmspace's reputation as a place that isn't
  worth visiting. While they allow merchants and travellers to visit, they deliberately spread 
  rumours of danger relating to Realmspace, such as the stories of the dangerously volatile 
  runes inscribed on the surface of Realmspace's crystal sphere.
  One can easily get ahead within the Moonstars by helping to fight against outsiders trying to 
  amass power within Realmspace (especially mind flayers and neogi). The Moonstars' ranks 
  (and renown needed to reach them) are as follows: Starling (1), Two Star (3), Three Star (10), 
  Four Star (25), and Star Lord (50).
  STARBOUND CRUSADERS
  The Starbound Crusaders are a group of spacefaring adventurers. They believe in opposing 
  cruelty and corruption in as stylish a way as possible. An ordinary heroic adventurer might 
  think their job is done after freeing prisoners from some neogi slavers; however a Starbound 
  Crusader knows their job isn't done unless they also kill the neogi, blow up their ship, and 
  surfboard away from the explosion on a piece of the ship's debris.
  Their focus on stylishness stems from the theory that the cosmos is shaped by belief. This 
  doesn't just refer to the fact that people's beliefs affect how they act, but also the idea that 
  reality is somehow mutable; twists in subtle ways to match what people believe.
  By performing heroic deeds in as an impressive way as possible, they ensure that their deeds 
  will be remembered. People will speak about their exploits and some who hear of them will be
  inspired to become heroes as well. Not just that, but as the stories spread further, people will 
  begin to believe that heroes can overcome villains no matter the odds; allowing the Starbound 
  Crusaders to call upon that collective belief whenever they perform death-defying stunts.
  It's unclear how much belief actually affects reality, whether there really is a pool of belief that
  heroes can tap into when facing impossible odds. Regardless of whether or not it's true, 
  though, the Starbound Crusaders have certainly managed to inspire many new heroes since 
  their founding. Many of its members are folk who witnessed a Starbound Crusader in action 
  and were inspired to become adventurers as a result.
  While lower-ranking members of the Starbound Crusaders are often seen as mere braggarts, 
  the higher-ranking members are revered across Realmspace. The Starbound Crusaders' ranks 
  (and renown needed to reach them) are as follows: Duke (1), Captain (3), Bishop (10), Archon 
  (25), and Sovereign (50).
  STARGAZERS
  The Stargazers, also known as the Academy of Stargazers, are an organisation devoted to the 
  acquisition of knowledge. Supposedly, they started many centuries ago as a group of Zakharan 
  16
  
  astrologers, who believed that all knowledge was locked away in the stars. However, to decode
  the secrets of the stars, they needed a vast amount of information in order to reverse engineer 
  the stars' cypher.
  As such, they sent out agents to gather seemingly random pieces of information. For example, 
  they sent agents to study a specific rock formation, or to learn about a war that had taken 
  place centuries ago, or to study the properties of a specific metal. The information they gained 
  was plugged into their vast astrological equation, allowing them to game a glimpse of the 
  information held within the stars. However, the Stargazers still have a long way to go before 
  they unlock all of the secrets that astrology has to offer.
  Over the centuries, the Stargazers have expanded their base of operations, even taking to the 
  stars themselves. Across Realmspace, they found previously untapped source of information, 
  began studying every facet of the celestial bodies that they could find. The information they 
  found made them powerful, as many sought the information they gathered, and the Stargazers
  gladly sold their information to whoever had enough coin to buy it.
  While the higher-ranking Stargazers spend their time working on astrological theories and 
  equations, lower-ranking members are expected to devote themselves to travelling 
  Realmspace and gathering knowledge. The Stargazers' ranks (and renown needed to reach 
  them) are as follows: Star (1), Comet (3), Nebula (10), Constellation (25), and High 
  Lorekeeper (50).
  17
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/DMsGuild/Non-Publisher Titles/Realmspace Revisited.pdf