Elemental Planes

Currently there are six known Elemental Planes: the Plane of Fire, the Plane of Water, the Plane of Earth, the Plane of Air, the Plane of Electricity, and the Plane of Aether. The essence of the elemental planes serves as a source of energy and mana when it seeps across the planar void into the Plane of Abiding.. Such contact and transfer occurs best at Aetheric Weak Points, where the elemental planes are closer to the Plane of Abiding . The Zaulfung Stones and the Suur Pillar are among the best examples of such weak points.

When attempting to visualize the nature of the planes, one must understand that the laws that they operate under are fundamentally different from the Plane of Abiding in ways that mortals cannot comprehend. Although conceptually it is tempting to envision the Plane of Fire as a place with burning land, steaming oceans and molten cities, the reality is much different. Each elemental plane embodies the essence of its' element in the purest possible form; To continue the example of the Plane of Fire, "The air is fire; gravity is fire; north is fire; the force that holds your atoms together is fire." Survival on such a plane is impossible not due to the hostile environment but rather due to the inability of mortal bodies to function when exposed to the alien laws of the elemental planes.. Even the nature of these planes is beyond comprehension as, with the notable exception of the Plane of Electricity all of the elemental planes lack spatial dimensions, time and individuality; Elemental beings seem to spawn from a single point of one-ness with the ideal of their native plane

Cosmology of the Elemental Planes

Warrior mages have developed a "map" of planar correspondences, which consists of ermutations of magical patterns and summoning rituals rendered in graphic form, that allows them to access the elemental planes. This is commonly depicted as a star with the "base elements", water and earth, at the bottom points, the "energetic elements", air and fire, in the middle and the "sublime" element at the peak. For some operations, such as when referencing the Voidspell, the star is inverted into a pentacle. Of particular interest is the fact that the Plane of Electricity does not neatly fit into this scheme. The invocations required to access the Plane of Electricity exist entirely outside the symmetrical patterns that are used to access the other planes. This has lead to speculation that there are other elemental planes to be found in a second ring of elements.

Known Elemental Planes

Plane of Aether

Familiar's visions depict the Plane of Aether as a foggy, distorted land:
As if viewing the world through a frosty window, your mind is filled with blurred visions of a misty, foggy, distorted land.

From the Planar Observatory the Plane of Aether is presently unknown.

Plane of Air

Familiar's visions depict the Plane of Air as and Endless Sky:
Scenes of an endless sky filled with huge, floating structures pass quickly through your mind.

From the Planar Observatory the Plane of Air is seen as a nearly transparent octahedron:
You can barely see an octahedron outlined by rushing currents of air. The octahedron appears to be solid rather than wire-frame, but the transparent quality of its construction makes it impossible to view fine details. You feel an odd rushing sensation through your body as you look upon the object.

Plane of Fire

Familiar's visions depict the Plane of Fire as a lake of fire:
A smoke-filled sky over a vast lake of fire is all you can discern from the harsh images flooding your mind.

From the Planar Observatory the Plane of Fire is seen as a brilliant red pyramid:
You can easily make out a pyramid of flames, bright and vivid with its immolation. Though there is no obvious fuel or air to sustain the pyramid, its fire seems to burn perpetually. You feel an odd vigor in your limbs as you look upon the object.

Plane of Earth

Familiar's visions depict the Plane of Earth as a rock-filled runner:
Occasional specks of sparkling brilliance break the monotony of the dusty, rock-filled tunnel which you see in your mind's eye.

From the Planar Observatory the Plane of Earth is seen as a pitted brown cube:
You see a brown cube riddled with dark fissures and craters. While the cube revolves slowly on its vertical axis, its surfaces are barren and deathly still. You feel an odd sense of weight as you look upon the cube.

Plane of Water

Familiar's visions depict the Plane of Water as a bottomless sea:
Rippling images of deep blue fill your mind, as if you were looking at the world from a bottomless sea.

From the Planar Observatory the Plane of Water is seen as a shimmering blue icosahedron:
You see a deep blue icosahedron in the distance, each of its twenty triangular faces rippling with waves. Though the surface of the icosahedron seems to be constantly moving, the sharp edges and precise lines remain intact. You feel something odd shifting through you as you look upon the object.

Plane of Electricity

Familiar's visions depict the Plane of Electricty as a land filled with arcing lightning:
You see visions of multicolored lightning arcing across a land filled with structures composed of pure energy.

From the Planar Observatory the Plane of Electricity is seen as a lurid green dodecahedron:
You can easily make out a dodecahedron of green light, shifting and blazing almost as though it is alive. While every face of the dodecahedron throws up that irregular green light, beneath the nimbus you can barely make out perfectly rigid lines and corners. You feel an odd tingling sensation spread through your chest as you look upon the object.

Elementals - Denizens of the Elemental Planes

The inhabitants of the elemental planes, known collectively as Elementals, are general little more than extra planar beasts of animal intelligence. Cautious summoners and scholars keep the fact that exceptions are frequent. Unlike other forms of extra planar life no examples of "greater elemental life" - beings so cosmologically large that they are unable to enter the Plane of Abiding are known to exist. . It is, furthermore, believed that Elementals do not have an individual, independent existence on their home plane.. Elementals have been classified into two groups: natural elementals and reconfigured elementals., although such names are likely derived from a time when the lack of individuality was not well understood.

Natural Elementals

Natural elementals always originate in the elemental planes and have either been summoned to or otherwise arrived on the Plane of Abiding for a period of time before returning to their home plane.The appearance a natural elemental on the Plane of Abiding is almost identical to the natural form it assumes on the plane it is derived from. This can be understood to mean that is remains entirely composed of the essence of it's home plane in an unaltered form.

Reconfigured Elementals

A reconfigured elemental typically has its' origins in one of the elemental planes but that is generally restricted to existence on the Plane of Abiding and therefore is not afforded the ability to transfer planes. Some, however, are instead derived from a planar conduit that channels the essence of an element to the Plane of Abiding. Irrespective of origin, all Reconfigured elementals have been altered by the process that summoned or created them and no longer exist in a state that is native to one of elemental planes. Scaly Seordmaor are an example of a reconfigured electrical elemental while Familiars are examples of reconfigured aether elementals.

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