Planes of Existence

Aside from the world of Farathia, which bares the lands of Leomoth and Duloris, other planes of existence exist as well, though as opposed to the finite reaches of the Prime Material Plane, they are infinite, each championing a single aspect of existence. Some bear the marks of pure elemental magic, while others are the domains of gods. Actually accessing these planes is easier said than done, and the field of Inter-Planar Travel has been studied since as long as the mortal races of Farathia can remember.,

# The Astral Void

On the edge of reality lies the Astral Void, a boundless sea of darkness, illuminated only by the occasional star. Otherworldly Aberrations and creatures from beyond claim The Astral Void as their place of origin. The Astral Void is not a singular "place", but rather it is the state of existence that is between all other planes. It stretches forever, from the center of creation outwards into nothingness. Every plane technically lies within the Astral Void.

A realm full of magic, Arcanists skilled enough to travel there discovered that their spells seemed to grow in strength both upon entering the Astral Void and upon leaving. It is generally considered that any Arcanist wishing to truly reach the height of their power must enter the Astral Void and perform a ritual of some kind, though the exact nature of this ritual is a well guarded secret.

Entering the Astral Void reveals a sight which very much resembles the night sky. Despite this, The Astral Void is definitively a different place from what mortals call "Outer Space". One could not theoretically fly directly from the Prime Material to any other Plane, if such a thing was possible.

# Outer Planes

The Realms of the Gods, the Outer Planes lie beyond the Elemental Planes, amidst the Astral Void. There are 17 outer planes in total, each representing an aspect of mortal morality and alignment. Though the total number of Outer Planes is nearly twenty, the nine most prominent represent the cornerstones of general alignment, with the lesser Outer Planes being in between the others. Most gods bare a domain of some kind within their aligned plane, and no plane bears a single ruling god.

## Lesser Planes

### Arcadia

The Plane between Lawful Good and Lawful Neutral

### Bytopia

The Plane between Lawful Good and Neutral Good

### Beastlands

The Plane between Neutral Good and Chaotic Good

### Ysgard

The Plane between Chaotic Good and Chaotic Neutral

### Pandemonium

The Plane between Chaotic Neutral and Chaotic Evil

### Carceri

The Plane between Chaotic Evil and Neutral Evil

### Gehenna

The Plane between Neutral Evil and Lawful Evil

### Acheron

The Plane between Lawful Evil and Lawful Neutral

# Elemental Planes

Said to be created by ancient Arcanists whose power rivaled the gods themselves, the Elemental Planes are infinite, and are strange alternate versions of the Prime Material Plane. Each location in Farathia bares a counterpart in the Elemental Planes. A simple lake, deep within a forest might be a lake of fire, surrounded by pillars of red-hot stone in the Elemental Plane of Fire, for example.

Alongside the four Primary Elemental Planes, that being Air, Water, Earth, and Fire, there exists Quasi-Planes, which form the border of the primary planes. They combine attributes from both, but are neither entirely alike nor entirely different from the planes in which they border. As the planes are theoretically infinite, you could not walk from one plane to another. Even so, the Quasi-Planes remain, accessible like any other. There are theories of even lesser planes which exist between the primary planes and the Quasi-Planes, but the existence of such planes has yet to be proven.

## Elemental Plane of Air

Once renowned for its infinite blue skies and strong winds, the Elemental Plane of air has been mysteriously locked away from any and all attempts at reaching it, for unknown reasons. It has been this way for at least two thousands years, though the precise year is unknown.

### Quasi-Plane of Ice

A vast, frigid wasteland, the Quasi-Plane of Ice borders the realms of Air and Water, with the chill winds freezing the infinite depths into an unending horizon of cold. Common sights are pillars of blue, crystal-like ice, and vast fields of snow.

## Elemental Plane of Water

The domain of water is an unending pool of deep blue, with crashing waves pulled ever larger and larger by the sheer magnitude of this inhospitable plane. Despite this, many creatures live within this plane, thriving among the vast stretches of water. There are even multiple settlements known to be located within this plane, and rumors have persisted about small stretches of dry land, including a place upon which a massive castle rests.

### Quasi-Plane of Ooze

Most consider this Quasi-Plane entirely uninhabitable at best, and outright disgusting at worst. A combination of water and earth gives way to a place filled with mud, goo, ooze, and more. It is said that the origin of many creatures which have made their homes in the Prime Material Plane such as Gelatinous Cubes, Black Pudding, and other such beasts can be traced to this plane.

## Elemental Plane of Earth

Unlike the other Primary Elemental Planes, the plane of Earth seems to be almost entirely solid, composed of stone, dirt, metal, and more. Countless unending tunnels form the livable portions of this plane, and over the millennia dozens of explorers, entrepreneurs, and settlers from the Prime Material Plane have made their way here in hopes of harvesting the Plane of Earths seemingly unlimited quantities of gemstones and precious metals, with varying degrees of success.

### Quasi-Plane of Magma

Burning hot to an unbearable degree, the realm of Magma is composed of cast rivers of boiling, melted stone and other features indicative of its nature as the cross between Earth and Fire. Vents of extreme heat can melt the flesh from bone, and stone trees with leaves of burning metal dot the landscape. The Quasi-Plane of Magma is generally considered uninhabitable by mortals without taking extreme precautions against heat.

## Elemental Plane of Fire

Vast fields of flames and heat surround the Elemental Plane of fire at all times. Though many would think it to be the most dangerous of the Elemental Planes, and indeed there are many perils, with the proper preparations one might just be able to find some of the settlements of the natural denizens of this plane, such as the Hard-Working Azer. Legends tell of a great city lying somewhere within the Plane of Fire, ripe with riches and friendly faces.

### Quasi-Plane of Smoke

Combining the elements of Fire and Air, the Quasi-Plane of smoke is a dangerous locale for even the most intrepid adventurer. As its name betrays, a thick cloud of Grey Smoke covers the entirety of this infinite plane. There seems to be no solid mass in this plane, save for the rare flying creature. This plane possesses unique gravitational properties, in that those inside seem to float, not fall, and can more or less mentally decide on a direction to travel in, upon which they begin moving. The exact reason for this is unknown.

# Inner Planes

Located at the center of the Astral Sea, the Inner Planes include both the Prime Material Plane as well as the planes which are closest to it, all of which were located within what is known as the Ethereal Plane.

## Prime Material Plane

The Prime Material Plane comprises the world of Farathia, its solar system, and the countless other systems and galaxies of the cosmos. It is the literal center of existence, and both the Elemental Planes and the other Inner Planes are modified versions of the Prime Material.

## Feywild

A wild and chaotic plane, the Feywild is covered in plant-life in varying degrees and represents nature at its core. While parts of it are peaceful and beautiful, other parts bare the more dangerous aspects of nature, like natural disasters and intense weather. Fey creatures originate from this plane, though as the Feywild is within the Inner Planes, such creatures have no trouble existing within the Prime Material, as they are ecologically similar, if nothing else.

The Feywild has no concrete ruler and indeed, ruling an infinite space is impossible. Even so, "Faerie Kings" do govern various provinces and sectors of the Feywild, though again, due to its unending and boundless nature, most of these kings do not even know of others, let alone have interacted with them.

## Shadowfell

Also called the Plane of Shadow, the Shadowfell is a dark, shadowy mirror of the Prime Material. Cloudless dry storms constantly plague this plane, and it is in perpetual shadow. No stars light the night sky, and the only visible sight above is a large moon, perpetually full. Whispers in the dark can be heard at all times, and portions of the Shadowfell are filled with hordes of undead nightmares, seeking any foolish living soul who dares to enter this accursed land.

The Shadowfell is the realm of The Night Keeper, and he is the only god who does not make his home within on of the Outer Planes. Upon dying, your soul is guided to the Shadowfell before being sent to whichever Outer Plane The Night Keeper judges you to be deserving

## Ethereal Plane

A clouded, blurred realm which, like the other Inner Planes, mirrors the Prime Material. The Ethereal Plane is unique in that it directly links the other Inner Planes, both with each other and with the Elemental Planes. It appears as a wispy grey and white mass of light and vapor, and unlike the Feywild and Shadowfell, it is almost a one to one replica of the Prime Material, changing as it does.

Out of all the planes, the Ethereal Plane is the easiest to enter, and relatively simple spells allow for such a thing. Indeed, there are even some naturally occurring creatures which are able to do this on command. It is possible to enter the Ethereal Plane, move to another location, and exit within an equivalent location in the Prime Material.

Travelers entering the Ethereal Plane must take care to both keep track of the distance they've moved, as well as to not get lost. Certain parts of the Ethereal Plane, while parallel with the prime material, are seemingly shrunk, allowing for situations such as moving a mile in the Ethereal, only to exit a hundred miles away in the Prime Material. The inverse is also possible, and these shrunk and enlarged pathways in the Ethereal Plane are called Ley Lines. Arcanists throughout history have worked to not only map, but exploit Ley Lines for fast travel. Indeed, this is technically how spells such as Dimension Door and Teleport work. Most spells which cause you to disappear and then reappear at another point in the prime material take you through the Ethereal Plane, whether the caster is aware of this or not. It is theorized that those especially attuned to the Ethereal Plane can even sense if or when someone has used such a spell.

# Other Planes

Other pockets of contained reality exist within the Astral Void. Demiplanes and other pocket dimensions fit in this category, as do other theoretical planes.

## The Gilded Halls of Etreidies

A plane of unknown location within current cosmology, a supposed plane created by Praeteris, and the current location of the Vel'Karis. According to Daedalus, it can be accessed by wielding the helm at Ironstar Tower.

## Demiplanes

Small pockets of wild-space serve as the anchoring points for Demiplanes. Shaped to the owners whim, a Demiplane is something that only an extremely skilled Arcanist is able to conjure. The especially talented can not only create a single demiplane, but also link multiple demiplanes together.

Unlike other, Infinite Planes, Demiplanes are entirely finite, and even have physical entrances. The only problem with entering a Demiplane this way is that these entrances reside in the Astral Sea, seemingly at random. Though the Demiplane itself is finite, the number of possible locations that the entrance could be located at is most certainly infinite, and as such the possibility of selecting the correct entrance point for a specific Demiplane is staggeringly low.

## Energy Planes

Typically just considered a theory, and an unlikely one at that, the existence of two 'Energy Planes', one of Positive Energy and one of Negative Energy, have been hypothesized for centuries. Strange, otherworldly creatures not born from the Astral Void or any other known plane give credence to the existence of these planes, but nothing has yet to surface in terms of definitive proof.