Gemini! A Campaign Setting of Action, Adventure, and Armchair Astronomy

[Xallace]

Gemini!

In Shambhala's High Peaks
Atop her lofty throne
Pelea oversees her oceans below.
She scoops one divine hand
into a heavenly pool
and down the rain does flow.

- Passage 323 of The Book of Waters

"Whaddya mean you've never heard'a the Ark?
'sonly the greatest bit o' loot in the world, kid.
You find yourself that sweet, sweet sack o' pearls and it's smooooth sailin' from there on out.

"How d'ya find it? Well if I knew that, kid, I wouldn't be here now!"

-"Glass-Eye" Rodriguez, Notorious Pirate

Gemini! is a campaign setting where the world is barely explored, ships float through the sky, and treasure-hunters & archaeologists work side-by-side to uncover ancient mysteries. This is a setting where dangerous oceans dominate the world and humanity has only recently become able to traverse the globe. The race is on to explore, colonize, and discover what secrets the lay at the top of island precipices and at the bottom of crystal seas.

This setting uses the d2o Modern rules set, which is available for free directly from Wizards of the Coast.

This setting is not finished. Not even close. There's plenty of fine details to work out and cultures to explore. In truth, I have no intention of mapping out every detail of this world or answering every question it raises. It is a world for the discovering, and blank spots on the map are an explorer's Grail.

So What's Up With The Music?

Ah, yes. Each section's header is a link to some music on YouTube. Why? Mostly for my own benefit. But each track is chosen to help... get you "in the mood" for the section to which its connected. Music always helps me get creative, and I wanted to share that.

The music above, Homecoming by Thomas Bergerson, has the kind of sweeping, inspiring, adventurous, and victorious feeling that inspired the setting to begin with.

Table of Contents

• AstroGeology: The World(s) You Live In
  
  • The Passage of Time On Avalon
  • Names
  • Character Options
  • Weapons & Armor
  • Technology
• Lectures On Shambhala: The World In The Sky
  
  • Possibilities of Shambhala: The Daeva
  • Possibilities of Shambhala: Pelea
  • Possibilities of Shambhala: The Ancients & The Ark
• Tourist's Guide To The Atargati: Our Brothers & Sisters In The Sea
  
  • Names
  • Slang of the Sea: Talk Like An Atargati!
• A Primer On Ruins: Ancient Secrets & Current Events
  
  • Perplexing Mysteries & Famous Ruins
  • How To Find The Ark: Instructions From Old Salts
  • On Value Of Ancient Artifacts: A Buyers Guide
  • Grim Grave Guardians: A Survivor's Guide To Navigating Wet Hell
• A Synopsis Of Coral: The Future of Man & Machine
  
  • What's It Like To Be An Engineer?: The Care And Feeding Of Your Coral
  • Sorcerers & Sufferers: The Coral-Infected In Modern Society
• Airship Owners Manual: From Your Own Back Yard To The Mountains of Shambhala
  
  • Flyer Culture
  • Airship Mechanics
  • Quick-Guide to Ports
  • Quick-Guide to Airship Companies And Products
  • Caliburn & Other Tales of Fancy
• Exploration Made Quick & Easy: Where To Go, and What To Do There
  
  • The Republic of Giralda: The Empire of the Air
  • The High Holy Island of Synthranon: Birthplace of the Goddess Pelea
  • The Kingdom of Hokusai: Zen & The Art Of Feeding Heretics To Lions
  • The Confederacy of þiudiskaz: Unions of the Coral Industry
• Warning Signs: The Many Dangers Of Avalon
  
  • Pirates
  • Weather
  • Politics
  • An In-Depth Look At Ruin-Robbing
  • The UnderMarket
  • Stranger Things

Inspirations:

• MegaMan Legends
• Treasure Island/Planet
• Indiana Jones
• A little Disney here & there

[Xallace]

AstroGeology: The World(s) You Live In

Two planets of nearly identical size orbit each other. Each has an atmosphere and plenty of water. Our main world, Avalon, has a lot more water than Earth. More than 90% of the surface is covered by water of varying freshness. Most of it is salty, but there is still enough freshwater to support civilization in varying degrees. The binary world, Shambhala, is also habitable - although its landmass/water ratio is inverse that of Earth.

There is no real moon, as each planet acts as each other’s moon - they are about the same distance from each other as the Moon is from Earth. Each planet appears in the other’s sky, about 4x the size of the Moon in our sky. Because, one might expect them to be tidally locked - but it isn't the case. Certainly, Avalon and Shambhala are headed that way, but for now Shambhala rotates slowly in the night sky.

Among other things, this twin planet means that tides are 81x as exaggerated as those on Earth; so a tidal difference of 6 feet would instead be a tidal difference of 486 feet! An archipelago becomes a connected island during low tide. Entire islands disappear during high tide.

However, the two planets orbit each other much more slowly than our moon orbits us. Likewise, tidal cycles are much slower. In some places, tides might last half-a-day each, while in others, high or low tide might last up to a few days.

The borders of a given land mass tend to be marked at high-tide, as this marks the generally livable bits. Maps of islands come in pairs, one for each tidal extreme. Fishing is a much greater exercise than on Earth. Sea travel is next to impossible. Ports exist only rarely, as there is hardly a reliable way to build them - and they are entirely ineffective half of the time.

Airships are the only real way to travel, anyway.

[Xallace]

Lectures on Shambhala: The World In The Sky

It dominates the night and can be easily seen peeking through the blue sky of day. Its green mountains and blue seas are visible to the naked eye, and astronomers all over Avalon point their telescopes to it to fill in their maps with meticulous detail. It has many names across many cultures. It is Shambhala, the world in the sky.

There are many myths and legends surrounding Shambhala, but only recently has humanity taken a scientific eye to their cosmic twin. With the naked eye, one can make many easy observations about it: Shambhala is mostly land surrounding liquid seas, in opposition to Avalon’s small islands surrounded by endless water. Many mountain ranges are visible encircling the planet.

With a telescope, one gets much finer detail: The planet is covered in life. Massive forests surround the seas, and creep up into nearby mountains, and the further one gets from the water, the more deserts set in. Shambhala even has seasons like Avalon, cycling through Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter in much the same way. Most miraculous is this: at the right time, in the right place, with a good telescope, one can see artificial structures.

Who lives on Shambhala? Well, nobody on Avalon knows, although some claim they do. Religions all over the world make Shambhala out to be the home of the gods, and evidence of civilization only serves to enforce this belief. Some believe that Shambhala is the current home of whatever civilization left all these ruins on Avalon (who are also the gods, depending on who you ask). Now that airships have become relatively commonplace, some hope that soon humanity will be able to fly all the way to their sister in the sky.

Shambhala and Avalon orbit each other at about ½ half the rate the our moon orbits Earth, meaning once every two Earth months. As you might guess, this means that an Avalonian month is about 56 days, and there are only six months in a year.

[Xallace]

Tourist’s Guide to the Atargati: Our Brothers & Sister In the Seas

Jokes Aside, More Fitting Music

Humans are not the only sentient species to call this planet home. The oceans are home to an expansive civilization of aquatic humanoids, commonly referred to (by surface-dwellers) as “merfolk” or “merpeople.” The merfolk themselves prefer the term “Atargati.”

Contact between humans and atargati has been prevalent for decades. Most atargati live far out to sea, but high tide often brings roving pods closer to the shore. Some small bands even swim up rivers, or make their homes in lakes left behind when low tide rolls around.

The largest collection of atargari make their homes in warm, tropical waters, where there is less need for blubber. Here, atargari resemble the merfolk of Earth legend - human-like upper torso, well-toned from swimming, and a fish-like lower body. In truth, being mammals, the lower body bears more resemblance to a dolphin. The upper bodies of tropical atargati are dark-skinned, while their lower bodies are a uniform grey. Hair tends to be black or brown, and styled in countless different ways. They wear little, although shell-jewelry and the occasional kelp-dress are favorites.

As one goes further North, atargati become lighter in coloration, but larger in size. Layers of blubber are required for the cooler waters, lending the atargati a chubbier shape - but no less muscular. Mid-Northern atargati tend toward lighter skin and hair in general, with whiter lower bodies and blonde, brown, or red hair being common.

To the far north live massive, hulking merfolk. They are densely-packed mountains of muscle and blubber, reaching more than 15 feet in length and bearing the strength to capsize small vessels. They are a stark black and white in coloration over their whole body. While humans tend to lump these creatures into a general “merfolk” category, atargati claim that is akin to lumping together humans and gorillas... which, admittedly, is something many atargati do.

Atargati are as varied in society as humans and to condense their complex species down to a few paragraphs is to rely on stereotypes and bullpuckey. There is no “typical merfolk,” just as there is no “typical human.” As such, the descriptions of individual islands and nations will contain sections on the surrounding atargati society, including relations between the two.

[Xallace]

A Primer On Ruins: Ancient Secrets & Current Events

When the tides recede, ruins appear from beneath the waves. Entrances to great underground passageways, filled with Pelea-Knows-What. If they’re close enough to the shore you can see them underwater. Sometimes they poke out of the surface even at high tide. There are even more out in the deep, but no way to get there - except for the ones that stick out of the surface at even the deepest stretches of ocean.

Many of these ruins are filled with treasure - gold, art, gems, pearls especially. Others contain large reefs of electrical coral (as explained below), an important resource for the modern world. Many are almost impossible to get to unless it is low tide. Others are filled with strange guardians. There are many reasons to want to enter these ruins, and just as many to want to stay away.

With the rise of air travel, amateur treasure hunters, coral-harvesters, and University- and government-funded archaeological expeditions to some of the safe-access ruins have become increasingly common. By the same token, pirates have been reported in increasing numbers, attacking and looting ships fresh from expeditions.

Amidst all this, there is no shortage of legends and rumors among excavators. Stories of unimaginable treasures in hidden ruins pass from airport to airport. Tales of narrow escapes from horrific monsters impress landlubbers in pubs the world round. Some say that digging through ruins will doom our species from some ancient prophecy or another, while others loudly proclaim that harnessing ancient technology is the way of the future - if only we could find some.

The atargati, for their part, know about as much of the ruins as humans do. Despite their aquatic presence, atargati have no idea who built them or why.

Rumors, Legends, and Fish Tales

The following are things one might hear if asking about the ruins, from wide-spread rumors to paranoid conspiracy theories.

• The atargati know more than they’re letting on, some say. They’re either keeping the best stuff for themselves or are letting humans dive in, knowing full well that its more dangerous than humans realize.
• Among the most prominent legends is that somewhere in the world, a ruin contains a treasure so impressive that the lucky son-of-a-gun who finds it will be set for life. This treasure is referred to reverently as “The Ark.” It is rumored to be everything from near-endless treasure to coral so powerful it would let your airship get to Shambhala, to an ever-willing-to-please mechanical harem. While many of the tales are wild and most flyers remain skeptical, those same flyers, however unwilling they are to admit it, believe just a little that the tales might be true.
• The religion of at least one nation claims that the ruins are of a the gods who once lived on Avalon, but ascended to Shambhala in the sky above. They warn that trips into the ruins are tampering with things best left undisturbed, and that if we continue, it will spell our doom - whether from the return of the ancients, or from awakening some kind of super-weapon, or simply our own greed destroying an ecosystem we don’t fully understand.
• There is a pattern to the positioning of the ruins, and mapping them all will reveal knowledge of greater wisdom than humanity could discover on its own.
• Humans and atargati were once a single race who built the ruins together. When split into separate peoples, the two stopped caring for the symbols of their former glory.

[Xallace]

A Synopsis of Coral: The Future of Man & Machine

Within ruins, and out past the tidal points, there is coral. A lot of it is regular-old, beautiful coral, but some coral has interesting properties. This coral, when agitated, produces an ongoing electrical current in a fashion similar to an electric eel... but much more powerful. So powerful, in fact, that within the past few decades, humanity began to harvest this coral as an energy source. Now, large coral tanks are installed in city blocks to provide electricity to the masses, and on airships to provide energy for the motors and amenities. Thousands of workers around the world are employed to care for and feed the coral, and all airships have at least one individual knowledgeable in coral maintenance.

Current technology dictates that any appliance meant to run on electricity must be physically wired to the battery and coral tanks. The tanks, likewise, must be able to comfortably hold large amounts of coral and connect to the battery system. All this means that, while the luxury of electricity is spreading far and wide through the infrastructure, there are no portable electronic devices.

Airships are the closest to "portable" that electronics get, and any equipment that must be moved can be rigged into an airship's electrical system and transported that way.

Coral Infection

Sometimes, the coral will take residence in a complex life form. Usually (some ~95% of the time) the body will weed out the invading coral like an infection, leaving the human unharmed and often none-the-wiser. For some, however, the polyps take root. It begins as epidermal growths that spread along the body like warts, growing bright and colorful, but often slimy to the touch. Soon, the coral extends subdermally, connecting via unknown methods to a host’s neural network, forming a kind of symbiosis. The process is obvious and clearly disfiguring, but actual discomfort for the host can be as minor as occasional itching at the infected points (but can range to crippling pain for a few unlucky souls). The coral reproduction is hardly rapid, often taking months to spread to significant portions of the body.

The coral, for its part, feeds on bacteria present in the human body, and to remain healthy the host must occasionally make sure to feed the coral small fish, often by simply placing it on the infected area and letting the polyps do the rest. The coral retains moisture by feeding on liquid in the host body, and because of this, the host must drink about two-to-three times as much as normal in order to remain hydrated, depending on the person.

But why keep the coral alive when it has infected a host? As mentioned, the coral is a symbiote, not a parasite. Once the coral has connected to the neural network of the host, the host becomes privy to the coral’s bioelectrogenesiac capabilities. The human becomes capable of producing generous amounts of electricity. In layman’s terms, the host can shoot lightning. Of course, the creative host can find more wide-ranging benefits to the ability to provide electrical current, but the part where one can play Zeus is what they are most known for.

This phenomenon is well known (and surprisingly common) among the atargati, but much rarer in humankind. Dolphins and whales are occasionally found to host the coral, with one particularly large family of whales seeming to have formed an impressive symbiotic relationship. These whales seek out the coral, and adults are often small reefs in their own right, teeming with fish, algae, and plankton.

[Xallace]

Airship Owners’ Manual: From Your Own Backyard to the Mountains of Shambhala

As mentioned several times, airships are the latest, greatest way to travel. Held aloft by a lighter-than-air balloon, large tanks of coral power propellers for mobility. Mostly used as merchant vessels for trade, they are seeing increasing personal use, but mostly among the wealthy and those willing to steal them. Many airships are seeing use for archaeological purposes.

Airship construction is largely monopolized by Merlo Bros. Shipwright Company, and the majority of airships are made at their primary factory on Giralda Island. Gifted amateur craft float the skies as well, although regulations on coral requires that most homemade airships either use other power sources (most, if not all, of which are far less efficient), or required a trip to the black market.

A corporation the size of Merlo Bros is a new concept in this part of the world, and the potential for both war and economic growth was not lost on the Republic of Giralda. After some debate and negotiations, the Merlo Bros have signed a contract with their government that disallows them from selling airships directly to other nations. This does not bar them from selling to private and public enterprises, however - most of them are sold directly to merchant princes and academic universities, no matter their homeland. At the same time, the Republic of Giralda buys airships by the dozen. Their new (sky-)navy is becoming a worrying force for other nations, and rapid colonization of uninhabited islands is only the tip of the iceberg.

Not that Giralda is the only island boasting airship technology. Spies in Merlo Bros factories and even a few independent engineers have decided to go the patriotic (or lucrative) route and develop air technology for their own nations.

A Guide to the Merlo Bros. Shipwright Company SATURN SPECIAL

Congratulations on your purchase of a Merlo Bros. Shipwright Company Saturn Special model - only the most economical design for an airship, used by merchants, academics, and the great nation of Giralda alike. Such a design is easily fitted and re-fitted for all of your needs, whether used for sight-seeing, trade, education, entertaining, or colonizing for our great nation. With Her Always, Mother Giralda!

You will find your Saturn Special a comfortable fit, with many accommodations for long-distance travel. You will have your main bridge and coral room, of course. The galley kitchen is right next to a small break room, allowing the crew to eat together comfortably. And yes, the galley kitchen does come with a sink - hot & cold running water is standard on all Saturn Special models, allowing for refreshing showers in the fully-equipped bathroom.

And the Saturn Special doesn’t skimp when it comes to comfort! A master bedroom fits two with room to spare, and even comes with a large writing desk built directly into the wall! Nearby are the crew quarters, which can fit two almost as well as the master bedroom, or can fit up to six bunk-beds with room for personal trunks. Both rooms come with a large closet.

Finally, the cargo hold is especially large for a ship of this size, and there is no doubt that you will find plenty of use for it. The cargo doors open to a loading platform at the rear of the ship, from which you can haul goods, release your personal craft, or dive into the waters of your favorite sea on your tropical vacation!

Operating the Craft

Operating an airship is complex business. Size, frequency of use, reason for use, and projected distance of travel all factor into what is required to keep a ship afloat and operational. But there are a few basics for every ship, and they are as follows:

• The Balloon: The primary reason the ship is in the air, a large balloon is suspended over the hull by way of numerous ropes and connection points at the bottom of the balloon's tarp. Many airships are attached directly to their balloons, allowing a maintenance hatch directly inside. The balloon is filled with a lighter-than-air gas, extracted directly from seawater. Balloons can be filled and refilled at any airport.
• Coral: A large tank of coral is installed into every airship to provide electricity for the cabin and the propellers. Wires are dipped into the water to conduct electricity from the agitated miniature reef, which is transferred into batteries for later use.
• Airship Crew: Airships require a minimum crew of four to operate safely. Larger airships require many more, and airships in specialized service may require other duties, as their nature demands. Each of the following also requires a license to be considered federally valid in most nations. The Airship Operation & Trade Agreement has designated that standard testing should be allowed for licensing at all Aerospace Guild halls, located in most airport cities.
  
  • Pilot: An airship requires at least one individual present at the helm. Pilots are situated on the bridge, where they can communicate with other operations by way of a brass pipe system. Here, the pilot is supplied with a large wheel for steering the rudders, foot-pedals for controlling energy supplied to the propellers (one for each side of the ship), an altimeter, a compass, and a pressure gauge for the balloon. The pilot often doubles as a navigator, but some crews split these duties.
  • Coral Engineer: At least one individual must be present to monitor and care for the coral, the main source of power for the entire ship. The engineer (also referred to as the “gardener”) must be skilled in aquatic biology and electrical engineering, feed the coral and change its water regularly, and keep it sufficiently agitated to produce electricity. On larger airships, there will often be a Chief Coral Engineer who oversees a smaller crew.
  • Balloon Engineer: One individual must be present for balloon maintenance, monitoring pressure and gas flow so the ship may stay afloat. This engineer often doubles as a mechanical engineer for the rest of the ship, repairing structural issues when they arise and keep the body of the ship in top shape. On larger airships, there will often be a Chief Balloon Engineer who oversees a smaller crew.
  • Steward: The steward is responsible for cleaning, cooking, plumbing, and general upkeep of the ship. The steward is often responsible for cargo manifests and documentation. On larger airships, there will often be a Chief Steward who oversees a smaller crew.
• Documentation: Many airships cannot sell goods, trade, or dock without proper documentation. Aside from the licenses above, an airship must be certified with the Aerospace Guild. Certifications can be obtained at any port from Guild professionals, which requires a detailed inspection. Most airships are certified before their first flight, but in unusual cases, guild professionals may inspect an airship upon entrance to a city. Airship documentation includes the nature of the vessel - academic, trade, private, or military - make & model, year of construction, and any professional alterations or revisions.
• Yearly Check-Ups: Airships are required to undergo a yearly inspection and receive a signed certificate of airworthiness. Such an inspection can be performed upon request at an Aerospace Guild hall.

[Xallace]

Exploration Made Quick & Easy: Where To Go & What To Do There

Only a small portion of Avalon is known, but with airships taking flight, exploration and discovery is as simple as pointing yourself in a direction and putting the pedal to the metal. Maps expand every day as new islands are discovered, new people met, and new ruins uncovered.

But it is worth noting that the places already known are worth a visit, as well. From bustling metropoli to quaint, wooded villages, Avalon has it all. Let’s take a moment to visit some of the more prominent locations in the world.

The Republic of Giralda: Home to the fastest-growing airship corporation in the world and widely hailed as the pioneer of modern trade, Giralda is the place to be if you’re looking to hit it big. A temperate island that maintains strong relations with the atargati, Giralda’s population and economy are both growing by the day. The capitol city boasts the world’s first modern “sky-spear” buildings, entertainment and business the likes of which the rest of the world can only dream... or so the advertisers will have you believe. Giralda’s rapid expansion into colonies on other islands is already worrying other nations as to the Republic’s intentions, and their growing navy even more so.

The High Holy Island of Synthranon: While Peleism has begun taking the world by storm, its birthplace is in the theocracy of Synthranon. A mountain-edged desert island that relies on a massive river for life, Synthranon has found that new followers are flocking to the Holy Land by the thousands since the rise of airship technology. Income from pilgrims has broadened the small island’s economy, and their exports of various textiles have begun to fatten the wallets of the growing merchant class... who are, of course, expected to donate a generous amount to the church.

The Kingdom of Hokusai: Ruled for ages by a single family, Hokusai is a land that encourages philosophy, visual arts, and brutal life-or-death sport as the highest tenets of civility. Although wary of the foreigners at their borders, the royal family has allowed restricted merchant access to their own airports. Many parts of many cities are off-limits to foreigners, but they may trade and even enjoy some of the fine arts (or the arenas) of Hokusai as they please.

The Confederacy of þiudiskaz: Among the largest islands known, even at high tide þiudiskaz would take weeks to cross from one shore to the other. It is a northern land of ice and snow, high mountains and rolling steppes. þiudiskaz is actually several states, each with its own government and ways of life, that have banded together in a tenuous peace. The island as a whole boasts an incredibly advanced education system, which is free for all, but poverty is rampant and economies are strained. The best hope for most citizens is to become a scholar at one of the prestigious universities in þiudiskaz, and escape by airship to riches and fame.

[Domriso]

This is absolutely fascinating. I'm still digesting it all, but I am greatly impressed.

[Szilard]

Quite the interesting setting, I have to agree. The electric coral is a very intriguing idea and something I might, ahem, borrow for an adventure.

I wonder how the twin planets affect each other magnetically? Assuming the planets are similar in composition, will their magnetic fields mingle and affect compasses? I also wonder how much the gravity from Shambhala affects things other than the tide. Would people weigh more or less depending on the time of day?

Now my brain is boggling from thinking about rotational and revolutionary periods.

[Xallace]

I wonder how the twin planets affect each other magnetically? Assuming the planets are similar in composition, will their magnetic fields mingle and affect compasses? I also wonder how much the gravity from Shambhala affects things other than the tide. Would people weigh more or less depending on the time of day?

Things I hadn't considered, to be honest. Unfortunately I feel I tossed the MST3K mantra out the window when I started trying to use some sort of science to justify parts of the setting. Will have to figure those out.

[Szilard]

I'll help you with some of the mass. So say a person is 70 kg. Then the force from just our earth on a person is approximately 700 N. Another earth at twice the distance of the moon creates... approximately 0.2 N of force.That makes for a difference of .02 kg depending on the time of day, a total of .04 between Shambhala being beneath you and above you. So it's entirely negligible on a person or many creatures. Tides however, are still greatly increased, especially considering what the mere moon does.

[Centric]

This is extremely fascinating. I spent a minute or two mumbling "lightning whale" to myself and giggled a little every time.

[Doorhandle]

This is extremely fascinating. I spent a minute or two mumbling "lightning whale" to myself and giggled a little every time.

Agreed. Speaking of lightning and whales, are the coral/humanoid symbiotes going to be a new class, a template, both, or neither?

[Xallace]

Agreed. Speaking of lightning and whales, are the coral/humanoid symbiotes going to be a new class, a template, both, or neither?

Wellll I hadn't decided on a system for this world yet, so that's up in the air. If you wanted to use 3.5/3.P, you might get by pretty well with a template. On the other hand, the warlock would actually be a pretty good base... maybe with a high Fort rather than Will, and your Eldritch Blast does electricity damage. From there you would need new invocations, because coral really... shouldn't... let you summon centipedes or charm people.

Hm.

Electrification Transmutations from Promethean: The Created are a good start for what sorts of things they would be able to do. Cole McGrath from InFamous would also be a good resource.

I also like the idea of letting them have something similar to the Overchannel feat that lets them burn health for more power. Something that would potentially let you power an airship for a few rounds/minutes in an emergency.

[Doorhandle]

Intresting.

Also, Just had a closer look at the airship thing. Between the electric coral and the overabundance of water, it's safe to say the gas used is hydrogen, right?

[Xallace]

Yes indeed. Making airships really unsafely combustible in a lot of cases.

[Xallace]

A small update, but a significant one: I've decided that the appropriate system for this setting is most likely d20 Modern. With that, I'm planning on updating the table of contents with explanations of appropriate classes, feats, and new advanced classes. This also means I can start drafting up aircraft rules.

For those of you who haven't taken a look at d20 Modern, but enjoy 3.x/PF, I highly recommend this system. The OP now has a link to the free and legal SRD granted directly by Wizards of the Coast themselves, which includes d20 Modern core, d20 Future, and Urban Arcana.

[Xallace]

The Passage of Time On Avalon

As with so many things, the advent of air travel changed the way Avalonians needed to record time. The separate calendars recognized by Avalon’s nations had to be translated for both trade and diplomacy. Five years ago, a council of representatives from Giralda, Hokusai, Synthranon, and þiudiskaz agreed upon an “International Calendar.”

The international solar calendar is 365 days long, split into six seasons. Unlike Earth, these seasons are not split into months, nor are they further divided into weeks.

{table=head]Season |Rough Earth Equivalent |Length
Spring |Mar-Apr |61
Summer |May-Jun |61
Midsummer |Jul-Aug |61
Autumn |Sep-Oct |61
Harvest |Nov-Dec |61
Winter |Jan-Feb |60[/table]

The formal international recording of the solar year began on the beginning of the year following the creation of the system; Therefore, it is year four of the new era (4NE) on all trade documents. Dates are written from largest component to smallest (Year, Season, Day of Season), so a document from the first of this year would be dated as 4 N.E. Spring, 1st. Alternatively, 4/Spr/1, 4-Spr-1st, or the like.

While this calendar is the standard for international trade, licensing, and the like, nations are not easily giving up their own calendars for internal affairs. Giralda considers the current year to be 644R, while in þiudiskaz the year is 1636.

While these other nations follow their own yearly dates, they generally use a solar calendar for measuring time. Synthranon, on the other hand, hosts a Shambhalan calendar that will not be easily given up by either citizens or the theocracy. Each period of this calendar begins while the twin planet is full in the sky, and because this calendar strictly follows the cycle of Shambhala’s phases, it drifts between seasons in a larger cycle known as the “Cosmic Year,” which is about 33 solar years long.

{table=head]Period |Length |Holy Days
Defarios| 59 |New year’s celebrations for 4 days at beginning of period
Tritarios|59 |Soldier’s Day (14th of Tritarios)
Tetios|59 |-
Pelilios| 59 |Pelea Holy Nights begin at “new” phase, last for 7 nights
Paramaios| 59 |-
Savanios| 59 |End of year ceremonies during last 3 days[/table]