The Fraal of Earth-218

Magic is a pervasive source of energy that permeates the universe.  It could be compared to the Force in that it is created by all living things.  It surrounds us, it penetrates us, it binds the galaxy together.  With training, anyone can learn to manipulate this form of energy to achieve a variety of effects.  An unexpected side effect of harnessing this energy is the havoc it wreaks on advanced technology.  Electrical lights flicker, vehicles break down unexpectedly, and communication equipment fails.  Centuries ago, exposure to magic would cause flames to burn in unusual colors, milk to sour, and horses to sweat in the morning.  Over time, the way magic has been utilized has evolved to avoid these deleterious consequences.

Some worlds have more ambient magic than others, making the fantastic more possible than it is in other worlds.  Some worlds have far less; making the casting of spells difficult at best and in some cases, dangerous to the caster.

Several years ago, I introduced aliens to my campaign when one of the party members was abducted by the Fraal while on the world of Hyboria.  The Fraal are basically the Roswell aliens from the d20 Modern Campaign Setting.  They are a highly advanced species that use futuristic technology to travel through the cosmos.  But, how is it possible that their technology doesn't fail when exposed to magic?

Well, it does.  However, the Fraal originate from a universe where magic is scarce.  They developed their technology over the centuries until they were able to take to the stars.  The Fraal used their technology to usher in Golden Ages on numerous worlds throughout the universe.  They helped species like the Dralasites, Vrusk, Yazirians explore the cosmos.  Then, they met the N'sss.  The N'sss learned from the Fraal and began using their technology to conquer neighboring worlds.  The Fraal tried to intercede but the N'sss unleashed a bioweapon against them that destroyed their ability to procreate.  The Fraal began scouring the universe for a cure.

This is where the “Spelljammer” setting comes into play.  Each solar system is contained within a crystal sphere that insulates it from the rest of the universe.  The phlogiston, an explosive gas, fills the space between the spheres.  In some cases, some crystal spheres are “nested” inside one another.  The shell of a crystal sphere is essentially indestructible.  It is capable of containing and confining most of the mystic energies of the worlds contained within.

Following this paradigm, an unimaginably huge crystal sphere surrounds all of the magically-rich settings of Dungeons & Dragons.  The Fraal's homeworld exists outside of what is called the “Greatsphere”.  After millennium of exploring the universe, the Fraal discovered the Greatsphere's outer shell.  As their ships drew close, sensors began to fail and the engines sputtered and died.  It took several decades of research but the Fraal finally invented what they called a Dimensional Drive Engine.  The D-Engine allowed a Fraal Scoutship to teleport through the shell of the sphere.  The scoutship appeared inside the phlogiston and drew it into the ship's engines, causing it to explode.  More research led to the Fraal creating a new method of propulsion to prevent such a catastrophe from occurring again.

As the Fraal began to explore the interior of the Greatsphere, they found numerous smaller spheres contained within.  The interiors of the smaller spheres contained even more magic and the systems aboard Fraal ships began failing en masse.  Probes and shielding similar to EMP-hardening were developed to allow the safe exploration of these smaller spheres and the spheres that contained less magic were slated for exploration first.
 

Eventually, the Fraal reached Earth-218.  They simply observed for awhile and took specimens as needed for their research.  They learned that the Goa’uld had also reached Earth and were using the primitive humans as slaves, hosts, and breeding stock.  These Goa’uld assumed the identities of earthly deities or served as the inspiration for those gods so the Fraal did the same, becoming known to humans as the Asgard.
 

The Fraal have been remaining mostly to themselves, intervening every so often to keep hostile aliens in check, conducting their experiments (which some scientists believe has led to the rise of metahumans), and forging an alliance with the earth through Stargate Command at Cheyenne Mountain.  I have two adventures planned regarding the Fraal – one involves a mechanical failure that results in a crash landing in the Utah desert and the other is planned for the mid-1920’s when Martians attempt to invade the Earth.