The Planar System

At the dawn of time, all was energy. Magic and matter, logic
and emotion, the elements and the beings were all one. An immeasurable time
ago, the planes split into 13, each separating certain energies from the
others. The planes are as follows:

1. The Mortal Plane – The home of the mortal races, similar
in makeup to Earth. The plane is a great sea populated by continents, kingdoms
and races from elves to dwarves.

2. The Ethereal Plane – This plane is a mirror of the mortal
plane, and mimics its events and features in a twisted way. This plane is
uninhabited, but is affected by happenings in the mortal plane. It is through
this plane wizards travel when they use “Blink.”

3. The Fire Plane – A great ocean of lava with islands of
volcanic rock, the plane of fire is populated by great fire elementals and is
ruled from a great palace of brimstone.

4. The Water Plane – A great unending sea. The waters extend
from the sea floor to the great extent of reality in the sky, never ending. It
is ruled from a palace of coral and pearl.

5. The Air Plane – The empty sky of the air plane is
populated by griffons, drakes, and all manner of flying creatures. These beasts
reside on the great floating islands, which remain suspended by some sorcery in
place since the dawn of time. It is ruled from a palace of emerald.

6. The Earthen Plane – The least dramatic of the planes, the
earthen plane is an infinite expanse of mountains and dirt. It is filled with
great worms, beasts of the earth and land. It is ruled from a palace of black
iron.

7. The Abyssal Plane – The home of demons and devils. The
very presence of the Abyssal Plane is the source of much of the mortal plane’s
magic, sorceries and incantations.

8. The Celestial Plane – A mirror of the abyssal plane, this
is the home of gods and angels, ranging from powerful elder gods to lesser
beings of minimal power. It is from this plane that clerics and paladins draw
their power.

9. The Tartarus Plane – The home of damned souls, those who
sold their souls to devils and those who angered the gods too egregiously.
Tartarus is an infinite prison, patrolled by servants of the gods and guarded
by great beasts of indescribable power.

10. The Astral Plane – The plane where gods who have been
forgotten go to rest. This is the home of human emotion, thought and logic, as
well as the source of the powers of wizards who draw their power from
knowledge.

11. The Plane of Shadow – A plane situated directly
underneath the mortal plane, but is twisted in a dark imitation of the natural
world. This world is sprawling cities of demons, angels and elementals
combined, a place where all things outcast come to find their place.

12. The Plane of Dreams – This plane is the outermost region
of the planar system, and is where mortal dreams spring from. Bards draw their
magical energies from the dreams and desires of this plane, and many visit it
in their sleep without knowing. Because of this, having wild, clear dreams can
be signs of latent magical abilities.

13. The Transitive Plane – Known to its residents as "The Void", this plane lies in the spaces
between all the others, and is place of strange physics and realities. One may
walk for days here and travel only inches, or take a step and find themselves
on the far side of the world. The void is filled with planets, asteroids, strange nebulae and fantastical seas of stars.

At the edges of each of the planes is a space in which
worlds and energies collide. This makes travel possible between different
planes of reality, though it takes a very powerful being to do so
intentionally. The closer you get to the edge of a plane, the easier travel
becomes.

After the formation of the planes, the barriers between them
were strong. Travel was nigh-impossible, and the planes evolved largely in
ignorance of the others existence. As time wore on, however, the use of magic
by the residents of the planes eroded the barriers. Currently, the barrier
between the planes is like a threadbare tapestry, full of holes and thin spaces
for those who know how to find them.