Grinder

Greyspace Astronomical Object

The Grinder
A "hammerhead" ship in the Grinder, depicted in Greyspace p.29 , art by David O. Miller, 1992.
Planetary information
Size:	Various (asteroid field)
System information
Day:	Varies
Year:	24 months
Satellites:	None
Fauna
Inhabitants:	Horgs

The Grinder is a dense asteroid field that orbits the Oerth between the path of the Sun and the gas giant Edill, about 200 million miles from Oerth. Oerth's planetary system is known as Greyspace.

Physical features

The millions of chunks of rock that make up the Grinder form the shape of an enormous hollow sphere that completely shields the inner planets from every direction, though the stars and planets beyond are still very visible from within. The average Grinder object is less than 100 yards across. There are about 100,000 asteroids more than a mile across, and no more than 200 that are between 10 and 200 miles in diameter. The asteroids of the Grinder do not get bigger than this.

Most of the rocks in the Grinder slam into one another constantly; the 200 largest ones happen to have orbits that prevent them from hitting each other.

Named asteroids

None of the settlements of the Grinder are self-sufficient; all depend on the Oerth and other inhabited worlds for food.

• Ceres, also called "the Pup," is the largest asteroid in the Grinder. It is shaped roughly like a kidney, with a ten-mile wide circular lake in the "saddle." The settlement of Ceres Freeport is built along the shores of this lake, encompassing about 50 buildings and 250 people. Most are human, with about a quarter of them various kinds of demihumans, including about two dozen of the hippopotamus-like giff, who run a hall for hiring mercenaries, and two of the enigmatic, androgynous reigar. Ceres is barren and nothing grows there. The ruler of Ceres is known as the Harbormaster. The Harbormaster is selected in a general election by every permanent resident over the age of majority every three years. His job is to ensure that business runs smoothly, but he is generally very hands-off. The current Harbormaster of Ceres is Carryl Landis.

• Khadazah, also called "Motherlode," is another large asteroid colonized by dwarven miners whose citadel orbits around the asteroid proper. Khadazah is a major source of zinc, copper, and lead, and there are rumors about gold and mithril. Motherlode is ruled by the chief executive of its mining operation, Master Miner Bron Stoneheart.

• Lassh'tz Zst'q, a Lizardfolk term meaning "We are here," is more commonly known simply as Swamp by the people of Oerth. It is an unusually warm asteroid with a thick, humid atmosphere, covered in shallow, stagnant lakes and ponds. Its inhabitants are all lizardfolk.

• Skullbringer is an illithid colony. The mind flayers of Skullbringer have shown no overt hostile intent, seeming content to trade with other asteroid settlements.

• Reaper, also called "the Graveyard" and "Charnelhouse," is inhabited entirely by the undead. The human inhabitants of Reaper died some time ago when the asteroid hit another rock, but for some reason they still exist in a terrible half-alive state. The reason for this is unclear.

• The Rock of Bral is in the Grinder, if it is placed in Greyspace (which is optional). The Rock of Bral was a pirate haven only 100 years ago, but it is now a thriving trade city.

Inhabitants

Virtually every race in the known spheres has some presence in the Grinder. Some trade with or work for other races, while others have settlements of their own.

Horgs

Horgs are a mysterious species which seem to be perfectly adapted to the Grinder. They are seven-foot-tall humanoids with a twelve-foot span of membranous wings. Each wing is tipped with a sharp, scimitar-like claw. A horg has seven eyes arranged in a ring around its head, and a circular mouth on the top. They are a dusty black color, their hides revealing no overt gender. Except for the dry rustling of their wings, they are completely silent. They can survive and fly in a vacuum, flapping their wings even where the lack of air makes this unnecessary. Their teeth and talons are deadly poison, and they have the ability to phase in and out of the Ethereal Plane. When they die, their bodies vanish into an unknown plane of existence.

History

Some sages believe the Grinder was once a planet destroyed in some cosmic catastrophe, or a planet that formed improperly. The sage Marzaria of Chendyl in Furyondy has calculated, however, that such a hypothetical planet would have had to be 500,000 miles in diameter, far larger by an order of magnitude than even the sun. She has concluded that therefore it is more likely that the Grinder was created in its present state. Following her work, other sages have speculated that the gods made the Grinder in order to help defend the Oerth against invasion from outside.

References

Bibliography

• Findley, Nigel. Greyspace. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1992.
• Grubb, Jeff. Spelljammer: AD&D Adventures in Space Boxed Set. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1989.

Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

Topic	Type	Description	Product	Page/Card/Image
Grinder, The (Asteroid Belt) (Greyspace)	Geographical feature	Asteroid Belt,	CGR1 The Complete Spacefarer's Handbook	9, 88, 91
Grinder, The (Asteroid Belt) (Greyspace)	Geographical feature	Asteroid Belt,	Spelljammer Boxed Set: Concordance of Arcane Space	78, 80, 91
Grinder, The (Asteroid Belt) (Greyspace)	Geographical feature	Asteroid Belt,	Spelljammer Boxed Set: Lorebook of the Void	90, 91
Grinder, The (Asteroid Belt) (Greyspace)	Geographical feature	Asteroid Belt,	Spelljammer Boxed Set: Planetary Display Map (Poster)	Poster
Grinder, The (Asteroid Belt) (Greyspace)	Geographical feature	Asteroid Belt,	SJR6 Greyspace	7, 10, 17, 23, 26, 27-32, 33, 39, 43, 48, 54, 60, 66, 80, 82, 88, 90, 91, 92, 93
Grinder, The (Asteroid Belt) (Greyspace)	Geographical feature	Asteroid Belt,	War Captain's Companion Boxed Set: Book 1	20, 21, 27, 40