Crystal Sphere of Kirinal

The world of Erathia and the other worlds of its solar system sit within an enormous "crystal sphere" that floats in space. Scholars and sages debate what sits beyond the sphere. Some say that a fiery phlogiston exists beyond where other crystal spheres with other worlds float in the flames. Some say that the sphere floats in an Astral Sea of dead gods and that you can travel through it to other worlds. Others posit an airless void, similar to that between worlds, that freezes anything that goes into it.

The wisest know that all of these things have been true at one time or another.

The Metaphysical Sphere

Most importantly, the Divine Gate is set in the Crystal Sphere and it keeps out the Elder Gods of the Far Realm who wish to claim the World of Wizard's Peak for themselves.

Additionally the Divine Gate acts as a magnet that pulls gods, and mortals who are powerful enough to be gods, out of the Crystal Sphere. No one knows where they go or what has happened to them. They just know that the gods still answer the prayers of their mortal followers.

The Physical Sphere

The sphere itself is a transparent physcial barrier surrounding the solar system. It is impermeable, but does not appear to have its own mass or gravity. Only those with the correct devices or who know the correct rituals can pass through it. As vehicles or beings approach it they do not crash into it, they simply stop where they are and proceed no farther.

Habitats on the Sphere

From the inside, the sphere appears to be a clear container of an indeterminate substance. Those who pass through can sometimes see dots of environments, micro-habitats scattered about on the surface. Some of the habitats they reported are a coral reef, a grove of trees, a scattering of mountains. They are hard to visit, seeming to retreat from those who attempt to travel directly to them. The easiest way to visit them is by accident.

Recently travelers to the sphere have revealed thriving, possibly metaphysical, ecosystems on the outside surface of the sphere. One group reported a coral reef with the skeletal remains of the god Rampol on it. When the sun-god was awakened, a grove of trees had grown up around him.

Traveling to the Stars

They know that the stars that dot the sphere of the sky represent many things. Other worlds floating in space, elder gods who preach insanity to those who gaze on them for too long, portals to other planes in the multiverse. The mortals of Erathia travel to the sphere on their Skyships and some can even travel to other worlds through the magic of their spelljamming helms.

The helms bend reality around them, piercing the crystal sphere and allowing travel through the medium of space to other worlds at ultralight speeds. In recent times, the Kirinal Sphere has come to the attention of star-faring civilizations both predatory and benign. Fortunately the native elves have been preparing for this event for millenia. Their bases on the Barrow Shard and their Thayan Armada are well positioned to defend Kirinalspace.

Crystal Sphere Plot Hooks