Planetary Bodies

The continent of Akiviras is located on the planet of Sapra, known as Alpha Kaphus to interstellar travellers. It orbits a K-type star known as Ceranderus, in the star system known as the Kaphus System. Sapra has two moons - Ias and Dor - but the curious orbital mechanics of the Kaphus System ensure that only one is ever in the sky at any one time. This has a discordant effect on the tides of Sapra, periodically reversing them completely once a year. There is a two-day period every year in which no moon is in the sky, known as Frostnahc. Sapra is the closest planet in the solar system to the sun, but by no means the only one to support life.
Before a list of the planets in the Kaphus System can be given, it is important to note the existence of the Kaphus System's most prominent feature. Known as Concordant Opposition, it is a set of ten titanic rings that wrap around the various planets in the solar system. Every planet in the system is located inside a small mini-ring that breaks up the otherwise unchanging surface of the larger rings. The first ring is wrapped around the sun itself, and rings two through ten get progressively bigger as they grow outwards from the sun. Ring two is where Sapra and its moons are located. The rings are massive enough to walk along, and provide a stable point for walking from planet to planet provided the aspiring journeyman is able to brave the harsh vacuum of space. A form of spacio-temporal distortion in place around Concordant Opposition drastically shortens the distance one must walk in order to reach the other planets in the system, though this journey can still take days or even weeks. The distance between the outermost wheel and the innermost one is a mere 1,000 miles 'local' space. What is more remarkable, various entrances have been discovered at certain points on the exterior of the construction. Whether an intentionally-placed door or a damaged section of the rings, these places allow access to the interior of the rings. Very few concrete information is known about the interior of the construction, but it is believed to hold all manner of dangers and secrets. Concordant Opposition is clearly of artificial design, being constructed of metal and possessing several undecipherable markings along its exterior at various points. However, it is a complete mystery as to who constructed it and how, not to mention why. Its creation certainly predates all other life in the Kaphus System, as even the earliest recorded star charts show its position. Several points along the rings have been damaged, and large gaps in the connecting points and even the rings themselves occur at several points along the construction. Two such gaps in the connecting points to Sapra's mini-ring are the cause of the planet's unusual two-moon orbit, as the rest of the construction slowly sways in orbit throughout the year. It is unknown why this deviation occurs, or why the station sways for slightly longer in one direction than the other (resulting in Ias being visible for more time than Dor).
Over the course of Sapra's history Concordant Opposition has become something of a hotspot for planar travel. It has no native populations (or indeed any biosphere to speak of), but is populated with a number of extraplanar beings involved in trading, meetings, and travel. Different sections of the rings are overrun with demons, daemons, angels, devils, and spirit legions of all stripes. The natural opposition of many of these forces is held in check by the existence of a strange dampening field exclusive to Concordant Opposition. This field affects all spells that heal or harm, severely weakening them almost to the point of uselessness. The field also dampens inertia to the point that weapons are barely able to leave a mark on exposed flesh, making combat on Concordant Opposition extremely difficult and tedious. This dampening field grows more powerful the closer the person gets to the sun at the centre of the system. On the outermost ring 9th-order magic does not function, and increasingly potent magic becomes nonfunctioning as the centre is neared. Nobody has yet returned from the centremost ring, so it is unknown what effect the dampening field has on magic at that point in the construction.
Another important feature of the Kaphus System is the Styx asteroid field. The Styx is a loose cloud of asteroids that coalesce around the planets of the outer three rings in particular. This cloud grows considerably more dense further from the sun, and the last two rings in particular have sustained heavy damage primarily due to collisions with these rocks. The cloud is populated by a daemon breed known as Charonadaemons, who sail large astral vessels through the debris cloud and provide the safest method of travel between the planets of the outer rings.

First Ring

The innermost ring in orbit around the sun remains completely unexplored due to the massive amounts of heat and radiation it is subjected to from its position. Given that the positive energy emitted by the sun is able to alter Sapra even millions of kilometers away, it is assumed that the first ring would be almost inhospitable to all forms of life. Planar sages have even speculated that due to the vast amount of positive radiation suffusing existence to a suffocating degree, it is likely that chemical reactions would be altered on a mollecular level.

Second Ring

The second ring is roughly 200 million relative kilometers away from the sun, though in local distance that translates to just over 100 miles. The dampening field is at its strongest recorded point here, and no spell or spell-like abilities will function. The second ring is home to Sapra, as well as the Ias and Dor moons.

Third Ring

The third ring is home to two planets; Setera and Droevis.

• Setera: Setera is a world of turquoise stone blanketed by a layer of white dust. This dust rains down on the planet from the asteroid belt orbiting the planet, where the asteroids frequently collide with one another and disintegrate into the white powder. The constant impacts make much of the surface perilous to live on, but observers from Concordant Opposition have noted at least one superstructure that suggests intelligent civilised life is present to some degree. Travellers who venture too close to Setera vanish with alarming frequency, creating a great deal of mystery about what might be lurking on the planet's surface. One traveller reported seeing a fleet of large astral ships which attempted to reach the planet's surface, but were destroyed by some kind of spell from the surface. This report is not correllated by any other evidence and is considered untrustworthy.
• Droevis: In contrast to Setera, Droevis is quite well explored but still incredibly dangerous. The planet is a wasteland of black obsidian, mostly smooth plains but with jagged spike formations that rise hundreds of feet into the air in places. The air on Droevis is permeated with the souls of the dead, and a thick fog blankets the landscape day and night. This fog limits visibility to 10ft even with magical visual aids, and shapes in the fog frequently form into screaming faces or twisted bodies. Only spilled blood causes the fog to recede slightly, providing a reward to those who indulge the planet’s twisted lust for death. There is no day or night on this terrible place. An otherworldly silence hangs over the land at most times, broken only by the sounds of battle, which carry for many miles further than they should. The realm has only two true inhabitants, neither of whom are local; demons and daemons. The two evil races war constantly with one another for control of the planet, claiming various spike formations as fortresses and fielding huge waves of troops to wipe each other out. The cause of this war is unknown, but cosmic travellers theorise that there is something at the centre of the planet that both sides desire more than anything else. Whatever the cause of this war, it has quickly been overtaken by the strong, animalistic hatred the two races feel for one another.

Forth Ring:

The forth ring is home to the planet Lunia, otherwise known as the Seven Heavens. The name 'Lunia' actually only applies to the outer surface of the planet, otherwise known as the 'First Heaven'. All subsequent Heavens are located in increasingly deeper portions of the hollow planet, although the strange nature of the planet means that they all appear to be open sky. These levels are not interconnected; the only way to travel between the Heavens is via portals located on each layer that lead to each subsequent deeper layer. All the Heavens are populated by the angels of lawful good, as well as many lawful good deities and powers.

• Lunia: Lunia is an ocean planet dotted with a few small mountain islands. The portals to the Second Heaven are always found on the absolute peak of these mountains, meaning would-be visitors have a serious trek ahead of them. These islands are populated by citadels and redoubts of polished white stone.
• Mercuria: The Second Heaven, Mercuria is called the Golden Heaven due to the way its golden sky shines with a mesmerising rippling effect. It is the mustering ground and armoury for the armies of the Seven Heavens, and it is from here that the angels supposedly depart on the crusade into Hell to recover the damned souls. Bahamut, king of good dragons, is said to make his home here along with Clangeddin Silverbeard, favoured patron of the snow dwarves.
• Venya: The third heaven is known as the Heaven of Pearls. It is softly lit by a sky that resembles polished pearl, illuminating the lush verdant landscapes below. Venya is known as the Greenfields to halflings, and it is here that they believe they travel to upon death, to frolick with their goddess forevermore.
• Solania: The forth heaven is blessed with a sky that shines like burnished silver. This is a mountainous heaven whose valleys are shrouded in luminescant fogs and mists. Its mountain peaks, which provide access to the next layer, are usually occupied by monastery-like buildings for those who seek a higher level of enlightenment than can be achieved on Sapra. These edifices are usually the final destination for astral pilgrims seeking the answers to questions. The forth heaven is also the home of the Soul Force, where Moradin Dwarffather resides.
• Mertion: Mertion is also known as the Platinum Heaven, and its sky is very similar to Solania's. Its great plains are home to a number of huge citadels and spherical black domes. Mertion is the staging ground for those paladins brave enough to join the angel's crusade in the hopes of freeing the souls of their kin.
• Jovar: Jovar is the Glittering Heaven, otherwise known as the Heaven of Gems. The entire layer is a single massive vault lined with all manner of great rubies and garnets. At the centre of this vault is a seemingly unending ziggurat, and within its walls are rumoured to dwell the ruling council of the Jovarian archons. The sole entrance to the seventh heaven is said to lie within this ziggurat.
• Chronias: Chronias is the absolute core of the planet, and not a physical place at all. Rather, it is a place charged with such goodness and law that it is referred to in texts as the Illuminated Heaven. It is said that good and lawful beings brought here are 'raised' to join the nature of the planet, while all that is chaotic or evil withers and dies. None can say for sure as only legends speak of anyone having entered Chronias physically, and even in the legends nobody ever returns.

Fifth Ring

The fifth ring has sustained extensive damage not proportional to its position in the Styx asteroid field, leaving many to suspect that another cause is the reason. Presumably this is the same cause that sundered the planet now known as the Twin Paradises. Its original name is not known, as the planet was discovered broken cleanly in half with both sides floating unusually close to one another. At the closest point the gap is no more than 20 miles wide, and an abberant gravitational effect allows those standing at the tips of mountains on one half to jump and 'fall' onto the other half, though something must be done to account for the fall. A gravitational field projected by Concordant Opposition keeps the two halves from smashing into one another or drifting apart, leaving them floating parallel to one another. Logic would dictate that only rock, magma and the exposed core of the planet would be visible on the smooth surfaces of these planets, but they appear to have undergone advanced terraforming and resemble idyllic biomes. Life exists only on the rough surface where each half split, meaning the occupants of each half look upside down to the other half. Shurrock and Dothion are the popular roaming ground of the gnomish god Garl Glittergold, though he frequently wanders between each half and has no fixed abode within the planets in general. The Twin Paradises are the cosmic home of neutral goodness.

• Shurrock: Shurrock is the name given to the more treacherous of the two halves. Though grasslands and mountains are certainly abundant, the weather on Shurrock runs to the dramatic. There are booming thunder squalls and hard rains, and the winters are long and cold while the summers hot and blistering. It is the more industrious of the two halves, and those found within are always at work.
• Dothion: The more relaxed of the two, Dothion is a pastoral paradise filled with huge forests of great oaks and large meadows where wildflowers bloom. Seasons are mild and the animals, though more intelligent than your average person, do not possess any speech.

Sixth Ring

The sixth ring is home to the planet Arvandor and its moon Mithardir, home of the elvish gods.

• Arvandor: Arvandor is the small planet that is home to many of the elven gods, including the high elven god/goddess and the wood elf pantheon. It is a world of steep mountains cut by deep passes and monstrous broadleaf trees. The fields are full of grapes, untended orchards, and wild wheat fields. The elves dwell in small homes dotting the planes, along with many of their gods.
• Mithardir: Mithardir (white dust in the elvish tongue) is a dusty place of blowing white sand and snow. Stories of what resides underneath the dust circle among the elvish culture, and many legends and myths circulate about what could be hidden there.

Seventh Ring

The seventh ring is the last relatively 'safe' ring in the sequence, though every ring is treacherous in its own way. Past the seventh ring the Styx becomes incredibly densely packed, and frequent asteroid impacts on the surface of Concordant Opposition pose a constant danger. Furthermore, the rings past the seventh are overrun with demons, daemons and devils, all locked in endless conflict with one another. As such the natives of Nirvana, the only planet on the seventh ring, keep a close watch on the outward-bound paths away from the centre. Though they have little power to 'guard' such places due to the dampening field, they do maintain patrols and cordons as much as possible to warn away unknowing wanderers who travel too far.

• Nirvana: The planet of Nirvana is unlike any other in the solar system in that it is completely flat. It is a flat disk with a perfectly flat funnel underneath. Nirvana is the realm of absolute law, with everything except chaos present in equal measure. Nirvana is perfectly circular, but with little ‘teeth’ at the edges that resemble spokes of a giant cog. Nirvana is inhabited by the Modrons and ruled by Primus, the One and the Prime. Primus dwells in a huge city at the absolute centre of Nirvana.

Eighth Ring

The sole planet of the eighth ring is avoided by all save the most foolhardy of creatures. The eighth ring itself has sustained considerable damage and is connected to the seventh ring in only a single place, as opposed to the traditional two.

• Tarterus: Tarterus is a massive planet, the largest in the entire Kaphus System with a radius of over 70,000km. Its surface is covered in massive orbs made of a shadowy dark substance, which provide the only places of hospitality in the otherwise uninhabitable terrain of Tarterus. There is no day or night due to the position of Concordant Opposition, which blocks much of the sunlight that would otherwise reach the planet. The weather alternates between howling gale-force winds and driving acidic rain that make any kind of long-term habitation of Tarterus unthinkable. Only within the orbs is there any measure of safety and civilisation, though even this is far from good. The orbs are populated by Demodands, a powerful race of winged creatures that mix the worst of both demons and daemons. They build large fortresses and citadels within the bubbles of safety, using them to wage war on one another in an endless cycle. But they are far from the most dangerous of Tarterus' inhabitants. In fact many speculate that its inhospitable nature was intentionally curated to keep anyone from disturbing the imprisoned titans who lie, chained and slumbering, in the darkest crevices and deepest nooks of the planet. These evil titans have been imprisoned since history in the Kaphus System began, and it is unknown what greater power first imprisoned them. Were they ever to be released, it would certainly spell doom for all life in the system, and possible all life in the universe itself.

Ninth Ring

The ninth ring is severely damaged and outright missing several sections. There are two planets in the ninth ring, neither of which have a moon; Oinos and Hades.

• Oinos: Oinos is a sickly land, and what plants do exist are stunted and withered. Both foliage and rocky terrain are muted greys, stretching without relief to the horizon. Oinos is the land of disease, and many deadly pathogens run rampant on its blighted surface. The ruler of Oinos (at least in theory) is Anthraxus, better known for his title, the Oinodaemon. He and his daemons reside, among other places, in his massive 20-mile palace known as the Khin-Oin. It is constantly wracked with power struggles from other great daemons who seek to displace Anthraxus. Only the threat of outside invasion is sufficient to force the great daemons to cooperate, but when they do, Khin-Oin has proven an unsiegable bastion of evil.
• Hades: Hades is a small planet choked with black and grey vegetation under a dark, ash-filled sky. It is a barren, desolate place and the home of a great many neutral evil entities. It is here that Abbathor, evil god of the dwarves, makes his home in the region known as the Glitterhell, lined as it is with gold that glistens even in the grey light of Hades. Many creatures conspire to steal Abbathor’s gold (or so he thinks), and consequently the god keeps several false locations while leaving the rest unknown. Silent Yurtus, the orc god of disease and death, lives here also, though how he came to be there is unknown as he has no mouth with which to tell.

Tenth Ring

The final ring is so damaged and broken apart that for a while scholars considered there to be only nine rings in existence. It was a long time before planehopping wizards noticed that the debris from the tenth rind did not match the asteroid field around it, and thus the tenth ring was discovered. Right at the heart of the asteroid field, the tenth ring is barely traversible and incredibly dangerous. It is the easiest way to access the interior of Concordant Opposition however, and the dampening field is at its weakest at this ring. The latter may be due to the distance from the centre or the extensive damage the ring has suffered, it is impossible to tell. Only one planet resides this far from the sun, and it is a distinctly miserable place. Pandemonium is a word given to the barren, utterly hostile world of Pandesmos and its three moons, Cocytus, Phlegethon, and Agathion. Eternally buffeted by cosmic winds and assaulted by meteor collisions, the surface of these worlds is utterly uninhabitable. As such, life can only exist within the tunnels and passages that sprawl like a spiders web under the rock. These tunnels are eternally menaced by strong winds carried from an unknown source at the planet’s core, deafening anyone without earplugs and making conversation beyond 10ft hopeless

• Pandesmos: Pandesmos, the planet itself, has the largest caverns, and the greatest abundance of exiled life. It is here that Hruggek, god of the bugbears, resides in his great fortress.
• Cocytus: Cocytus, otherwise known as the moon of lamentation, has a shriller wind that threatens to drive listeners insane. Its tunnels appear to be carved, with chisel marks and scratches nearing the centre. Nobody can say what made the marks, not even the gods.
• Phlegethon: Otherwise called the dark moon, Phlegethon is locked on the opposite side of the planet to the sun, meaning no light penetrates here. The very walls themselves are of a deep ebony black, and all illumination is halved here. It is wet too, with all manner of sedimentary formations springing from the rock.
• Agathion: The smallest moon is without tunnels, but has a number of bubbles on the surface. Some of these are filled with swirling winds, others contain portals to other worlds, and still others contain creatures (or the remains thereof) locked away by the gods.