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RETURN TO EDEN

What follows is an attempt to bring into the world of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons the wonderful and exciting concepts put forth in Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn Trilogy, of which Reality Dysfunction and The Neutronium Alchemist have been published to date, both by Warner Books. The third volume, The Naked God, is due out in 1999.

The setting of this science fiction series is deep space in the far future, a galaxy of human colonies, alien races, and epic space battles. Exciting stuff, but how can one bring this into a medieval-Renaissance setting?

The concept first occurred to us upon reading about the Edenists in the series. Simply put, the Edenists are subgroup of humanity, not physically different (at least externally), but who have developed telepathic powers of a sort and also greatly advanced the use of genetic engineering. Intriguing in and of itself of course, we wondered how biologically produced, sentient ships and even cities could be adapted to a fantasy role-playing situation.

There is already much to support this in the game to date. The elves have long been known in the game to use biological processes, with the result that (as detailed in among other places the island of Evermeet in the Forgotten Realms setting), houses may actually be grown rather that built. This trend was furthered with the release of the Spelljammer setting, which had elven spacecraft that were grown and actually live; admittedly not as advanced as the voidhawks and seahawks (and especially habitats) we provide information on below, but still a step in our view in the right direction. Further along this trend the Dark Sun setting has a number of altered life forms designed along the lines of transportation, especially among the halfling races of that harsh world.

Given all of this previous thought in the game towards what Hamilton calls bitek, or biotechnology, we thought it not outside of the realm of possibility for enterprising DMs to include the ultimate, living and sentient ships and settlements.

This of course may raise a question in the minds of some who may be tempted to use these creations in their campaign, namely where did they come from? Why have they not been heard of before in Greyhawk or Waterdeep? Although Spelljammer might provide an answer (and I am sure a good Dungeon Master could adapt what we have offered below to travel wildspace), we instead postulate that Edenists arrive from parallel Prime Material Planes. In essence, Edenists are a transplanar race, not one that travels across multiple Outer Planes as in the wonderful Planescape setting, but across multiple planes on the Prime Material (and to a limited extent among the Inner Planes of existence). The Edenists possess a wonderful transplanar culture and civilization, and it is one that (a DM willing) is just now coming into contact with such settings as Oerth, Toril, or even Krynn.

In our campaign we found great inspiration in the setting of Planescape. While fulling utilizing its enormous potential, we expanded the concepts still further. If there is a crossplanar civilization existing through Sigil on the Outer Planes and thanks to the recent Monstrous Compendium apparently one on the Inner Planes, why cannot there not be one on the Prime Material? We found the idea ripe with potential, and made it a cornerstone of our efforts. Using inspiration from history and from fiction, we constructed worlds that were quite different from Toril or Athas (not better, just different). We had some that were parallel universe type settings; as in a Roman-ruled world or a Celtic-dominated world. We postulated that some simply must exist to provide the great basis of worshippers needed to maintain the various pantheons. We created over worlds that were dominated by one or more races, such as dwarven or goblinoid worlds. Finally, we used many concepts and ideas from science fiction and converted many alien worlds and races into different Prime Material Planes. The Edenists were among these, and this was our most developed concept in the campaign.

I hope that players and DMs alike will take a look at what is in this article, and if not adopting them for their campaign, perhaps finding something they can perhaps use. And of course, maybe they will be intrigued and read Hamilton's works!

Voidhawk

The voidhawk is the ubiquitous Edenist ship. Larger than the biggest ship-of-the-line first rater or the biggest clipper, the voidhawk is a sentient and intelligent organic ship used by the Edenists in a variety of roles, including trade, exploration, and combat.

A voidhawk appears as a graceful, lenticular, streamlined roughly teardrop shaped entity, a midnight blue in color. The interior of a voidhawk, its "hull," is actually its body. The body contains the various organs of the voidhawk, including its nutrient reserve bladders, its various hearts, and its nervous system.

Both the upper and lower body surfaces of the voidhawk each contain one wide circular groove halfway out from the middle. In the lower hull or body groove the lower body cargo toroid is fitted, which is basically a metal structure designed to carry cargo and supplies. The upper hull groove contains a different toroid, one in which the crew lives in, as well as the voidhawks' "standard" armament of two ballistae. Both of these toroids are metallic and constructed by the Edenists, are not organically produced or a real part of the voidhawk. As such they are given separate structural point values.

Voidhawks are not built, they are born. Although it is thought that Edenist humans created the first voidhawk, they are now born from other voidhawks. After a long and successful life (most voidhawks live at most 110 years), a voidhawk and its captain return to their original home. In a last mating flight the voidhawk (with other voidhawks) produces between 4 and 12 offspring, who stay in that area to grow and become bonded with new captains. This area of growth is always one near energy sources; on the prime material planes, near undersea hydrothermal or volcanic vents. On the inner planes, at the border between the Elemental Plane of Water and the Para-Elemental Plane of Steam (teaming with energy from the Positive Material Plane). There are rumored to be voidhawks generated on the very energetic and positively charged Para-Elemental Plane of Minerals, though outsiders have not confirmed this.

The voidhawk is more than simply an organic ship, as it is alive and sentient. Voidhawks are quite intelligent, more intelligent than most humans (in the 18 to 20 range). As the result of being an intelligent living being and the result of Edenist know-how, the voidhawk has many special abilities.

First, the voidhawk does not truly need a crew. Theoretically, a voidhawk could move and operate without a single person on board; it can decide its destination and proceed there without the slightest human input. However, voidhawks are born dependent upon another human being, the captain. Raised together in a mental link, the voidhawk and its captain (a little over half of whom are female) share a mental intimacy like no other, each always aware and in communication with the other. When one dies or becomes incapacitated, the other becomes despondent and greatly saddened.

Voidhawks do not operate through any real form of manual control, as on wooden or ironclad ships; they operate through telepathic commands from the captain and crew. Aside from the special bond between the captain and the voidhawk, all Edenists when within range can communicate telepathically with a voidhawk. To watch one is fascinating, as in tense situations the bridge is entirely silent, with no words spoken aloud.

Second, the voidhawk has a choice of two unique types of weapons. Voidhawks do not possess banks and rows of ballistae and mangonnels as wooden ships and ironclads do. Aside from the two ballisate maintained in the upper body toroid, voidhawks make primary use of two weapons. First, voidhawks have a natural ability to secrete polyp projectiles and launch through there fore "torpedo tubes." An adult voidhawk can launch up to one kinetic weapon torpedo per launch tube every other round. These projectiles inflict damage by the force of the impact, and do catapult damage (6 hull or defensive points or 2-24 points of damage versus small or medium creatures and 4-16 hit points of damage versus large creatures). The range of this weapon is 24".

In addition to these naturally produced weapons, voidhawks make use of what are termed combat wasps. These are Edenist-created items, manufactured by Edenist humans. Rare and expensive, they are not often encountered. Created by the use of psionics and magic, three principal types of combat wasps exist. Hard wasps have been rendered more accurate (considered +2 to hit) and able to do more kinetic damage (double the damage of a normal kinetic weapon torpedo). Fire wasps detonate with a 12 hit die lightning bolt underwater, set either to explode at a certain distance and area or upon hitting a solid object. Underwater this acts as a fireball in area of effect, and adds to structural damage done; 6 additional points are done. Range wasps can be fired at a great distance (up to 5 miles). They do regular damage, but will hit the first target encountered, even if friendly. This last type is almost never used at close range.

Third, the voidhawk can become ethereal. Voidhawks are truly creatures of the planes, as Edenists have spread through at least 14 Prime Material Worlds and the Elemental Plane of Water. Using their psionic ability of etheralness, a voidhawk is able to render itself, its crew, and its cargo ethereal for transport on one plane or between planes. Edenists refer to this ability as "swallowing." Voidhawks, as detailed below, also make use of two other travel-related psionic abilities.

Fourth, the voidhawk possess a limited list of psionic abilities. All Edenists and their constructs, as part of the definition of being Edenist, possess some psionic abilities. In the case of the voidhawk, all of these abilities are defensive or otherwise non-offensive in nature.

Voidhawks possess no attack modes and are thus unable to hurt through psionics anyone, whether psionic or not. However, two defense modes are found in voidhawks. Mind blank works for the voidhawk only, and serves to hide the voidhawk's mind from psionic attack. Intellect fortress protects not only the voidhawk from psionic attack, but also all on board, though at a great expenditure of psionic points.

More vital are the minor devotions and major sciences used by voidhawks. Voidhawks use body equilibrium to submerge and emerge in water, and to adjust for the buoyancy differences between freshwater and salt water. Body weaponry is used to improve the armor class of a voidhawk in combat. Cell adjustment is used to repair damage sustained in combat, important due to the fact Edenists do not possess clerics (cell adjustment cannot repair damage to the toroids). Clairaudience and clairvoyance enable the voidhawk to be aware of its environment, both outside and within the toroids. Empathy is useful to have general information on any non-Edenist passengers in the toroids. Mind over Body allows the voidhawks to journey for long periods of time between feedings (as voidhawks can only feed when docked at a habitat).

The major sciences of psionics are also of great use to voidhawks. Body control enables a voidhawk to survive in hostile environments, such as those that are too cold, too hot, or have poisonous gases. Dimension door is of use in combat situations. Dimension walk enables quick travel on a single plane of existence. Energy control enables the voidhawk to withstand to an extent energy attacks such as lightning bolts and various types of breath weapons. Etherealness, as mentioned above, is the main form of voidhawk locomotion, at least between planes. Telepathy allows the voidhawk to communicate with those who are Edenist, though not with those who are not. A voidhawk can understand several human languages when spoken, but cannot communicate with a nonEdenist being.

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