Elemental Plane The Elemental Plane is the prison plane constructed by the titan s in the Twisting Nether , where they imprisoned the elemental s millions of years ago , after they defeated the Old Gods . The plane consists of four major regions , each representing one of the major elements - The Skywall ( air ) , Deepholm ( earth ) , The Abyssal Maw ( water ) and The Firelands ( fire ) . Location . The Elemental Plane is described as " a prison plane in the Twisting Nether " . However , Highlord Demitrian describes it as " at the core of this world " . Khadgar appears to agree with Highlord Demitrian as he thinks that " atop of the Elemental Plane sat the mortal , material worlds " . However , being a plane at the core of something and being a plane below something are not quite the same thing . History . Creation . During the battle where the titan s defeated the Old Gods and brought order to the world , the Elemental Lords fell and their forces dispersed . One of the first acts of the titans was to banish the Elemental Lords and their servants to a prison within the Twisting Nether . These agents of chaos could not be allowed to roam freely , or they would disrupt the new order the titans sought to create . Thus , the titans fashioned a separate abyssal plane to hold their old foes ; it was called the Elemental Plane . Over the course of a short period , they cast all the elementals they could find into this hastily crafted " jail . " There , they would contend with one another for all eternity . The greatest of their battles was the Elemental Sundering . With the elementals ' departure , nature calmed , and the world settled into a peaceful harmony . Aftermath . During the several millennia the elementals grew attached to their adopted home . Then , the summoners of Quel ' thalas and the human magocracy learned to command the elementals , inadvertently opening momentary pinholes between Azeroth and the Elemental Plane . Elementals are sometimes called back to Azeroth for short periods of time , but most are eager to return to their world when the spell that summoned them ends . Ragnaros the Firelord once commanded the Fire domain in the plane , but 300 years ago Dark Iron dwarves in the Redridge Mountains summoned him to battle their enemies . The catastrophic summoning blasted the land and immolated the Dark Irons , and Ragnaros sunk into the depths of Blackrock Spire to prepare his return . Currently , Ragnaros resides in the Elemental Plane . In World of Warcraft . Now the elementals have learned to open portals to start Elemental Invasions . At the beginning of an elemental invasion , portals will open to the elemental planes and invaders will begin to pass through . Thus , during an invasion you will find two to three times as many elementals in the area , usually slightly higher in level than the standard ones found there . In Cataclysm . After Deathwing breaks through the ceiling of Deepholm , the entire elemental plane is brought up ( or down , in the case of Skywall ) , and can be reached through various means by the mortal races of Azeroth . The Firelands and Skywall have raids , Abyssal Maw has a dungeon , and Deepholm contains a dungeon . After initial intro quests , the associated zones will mostly be accessible by portals in Orgrimmar and Stormwind City . Geography . The Elemental Plane is a three - tiered realm . This plane created by the titans is spherical and comparatively small — about the size of a single world . It would look like any other world to an outsider — at least , when looked upon from above or on the ground : one large continent surrounded by water , with a yellow sun burning above . A casual visitor , arriving on the surface , might even believe he is on an ordinary — if somewhat violent — planet . A glowing yellow orb , casting forth light and heat , hovers near the top point of the globe , acting as the " sun " for the entire plane . The sphere of the plane itself is curved in a curious way that tends to baffle creatures of Azeroth ' s reality . As befits the plane ' s prison function , escaping through ordinary movement is impossible . A creature attempting to move out of the sphere simply curves inexorably around , moving toward the other side . Thus , if one were to sail across the ocean in a boat , he would eventually arrive on the exact opposite side of the plane ' s sole continent . The land itself is slightly larger than Kalimdor , while the seas are about the same width in all directions . Regions . Each kind of elemental has claimed a portion of the world as they do not tolerate each other , in total there are four distinct realms : Note : There are also rumors that a forge similar to the Black Forge in Blackrock Mountain exists in the heart of the Elemental Plane , where dark iron is much more common . A journey to this site would not be for the faint of heart . Traits . Communicating with elementals is difficult , and they have provided little information about the nature of their realm . But it is known , that lava flows , earthquakes , windstorms , and tsunami are common , making the Elemental Plane a very dangerous place to visit . Normal levels of gravity pull physical objects toward the bottom of the sphere , where the realm of fire lies . The four elements that make up the plane are constantly in opposition and tend to shift and tear at each other , sometimes violently . Volcanoes rip through the solid mantle , assaulting both the land and sea realms wherever they can . The air swirls in unpredictable storms , producing whirlwinds and hurricanes that rake the surface . The elemental beings can alter the plane with a thought . The landscape shifts on its own from time to time . Spells and spell - like abilities with the air , earth , fire and / or water descriptor are empowered and enlarged in all regions of the Elemental Plane . Access . Azeroth ' s denizens have few dealings with the Elemental Plane , though they can access it with magic . It can also be accesed with " transit nodes " , which are specific locations in Azeroth that connect with the Elemental Plane ; these transit nodes exist only in specific elemental - based locations , such as within a volcano , underneath deep oceans or lakes , and the like . Inhabitants . Creatures . Life exists , filling the skies and lands with creatures similar to those on Azeroth , as well as those as yet unknown to sages . Each of the realms is filled with life of various types , although the Abyssal Maw is mostly populated by elementals . The native creatures are just as dangerous , as the world plays home to angry elemental creatures of all types . A few natural animals can also be found , including some creatures never seen on Azeroth . These creatures have adapted to survive in the environment , and the Elemental Lord s take special care to protect them . The basic elemental types can be found in the plane , and there are examples of elemental conglomerate s as well . But beside them , the following creatures are known to exist :