The Material Plane of A'arde
The Material Plane of A'arde, often referred to as "The Material Plane" or simply "A'arde", is the central Dimensional Plane of the A'arden Cosmology, around which all other Planes are connected. It is the Plane upon which Mortals (and by extension, Mortal Souls) predominantly exist, and is influenced by energies from all connecting Planes. These Planes can be accessed in places where the veils between worlds grow thin, or when doors are specifically constructed for the purpose.
The Material Plane is considered a place where the laws of time, space, order, and substance are relatively static, only changing when directly influenced by a more powerful force, such as magic. However, even magic is bound by rules, and as such, has its limitations within the Material.
In the Cosmic Tree, the Material Plane is considered the anchor or seed upon which all other Cosmological Planes are tethered. The loss or destruction of the Material Plane would ultimately destroy the rest of the Cosmology.
Expository Note
While the term "the Material Plane" is generally used to refer specifically to the planet of A'arde itself, it can also refer to the universe within which A'arde exists as a whole, encompassing potentially billions of stars and their orbiting bodies. In this instance, it is often called "the Extended Material Plane" or "Greater Plane".
It is believed, however, that A'arde is a Material Solosphere Cosmology, meaning that A'arde is the only inhabited planet within the Plane, the stars being viewed in the sky are actually located at the edge of existence, and that passing beyond them will merely place you at the opposite edge of the Solosphere. The area of the Solosphere directly influenced by the A'arden Sun is known as the Solaris, and contains five additional celestial bodies identified as planets by the A'arden Gods.
Geography
The planet of A'arde is the third of six planets from the A'arden Sun, Haul's Chariot, and is the only inhabited planet of the six. It is an ocean world, sustaining life due to its ability to maintain liquid surface water, with approximately 70% of the surface crust of the world being covered by water. Much of the land on A'arde is humid to some degree, featuring various types of magical and non-magical vegetation. The poles are frigid desert landscapes covered in ice sheets that have been estimated to contain more water than groundwater, lakes, rivers, and atmospheric water combined. The crust of A'arde consists of slowly moving tectonic plates that help to form the landscape, however the presence of magic, magical anomalies, and cosmic cataclysms also shapes the features of the world. A'arde has a dynamic atmosphere that sustains conditions at surface level and offers a degree of protection against most naturally occurring hazards from the Extended Material Plane.
Key oceans of A'arde include the Vishal Ocean, the Azure Ocean, and the Ocean of Storms, within which the Cryptic Span is located. The largest continental landmass is known as the Eirinnean-Duraloth Span, often nicknamed the "Continental Mainland", and features the largest mountain range on the planet, the Spine of Ythrynaar.
Additionally, a subterranean realm, part magical and part material, known as the Chthonic Below stretches beneath most of the known landmasses. The realm is not entirely physical, with parts of it existing as pocket dimensions that seamlessly blend into the Material Plane. Some have argued that the Chthonic Below should count as a separate Plane within the Cosmic Tree, however, its solid presence within parts of the Material Plane itself have led to that argument being dismissed.
The Continental Make-Up of A’arde
A’arde is made up of five continents: Eirinn, Duraloth, Cnuic Ghlainne, Karadal and the Silver Wastes. Eirinn, Duraloth and Karadal were named after pre-existing Moeda’arden continents, the names of which were passed down from the True A’arden Gods. The Silver Wastes earned its name from its relatively barren nature and unusual silvery rock colouration, while Cnuic Ghlainne was gifted to the Fey and named after its pristine waters before being bestowed upon the Elven Gods. The majority of the world's sapient populations inhabit these continents in various ethnic mixes.
The Chthonic Below stretches beneath the crust of the world, claimed predominantly by the Lost Elves, the Deep Gnomes, and the Deep Dwarves. It is also the place to which many of the horrors and abominations of the world retreat.
The floating city state of Ustaf’vriel can sometimes be witnessed as it orbits within A’arde’s atmosphere.
Eirinn
The largest continent of A’arde is Eirinn, which is bordered to the west and south by water (the Sea of Mercy to the west, and the Azure Ocean to the south), the east by the continent of Duraloth and to the north by the Wyld Floes, a stretch of water covered in ice that reaches all the way to the pole. The Wyld Floes are not considered a continent of their own, as they are constantly changing shape and have no true landmass, save for a single island called Farthest Reach, where a single settlement and a ruin are located. The border between Eirinn and Duraloth is marked by a stretch of mountains called the Spine of Ythrynaar to the north, and the River Khorach, Waters of Shattered Teeth (Khorach being the A’arden word for “fang”, also known as the River of Black Glass or the Dragonmouth River), to the south.
Duraloth
Duraloth is surrounded by water on three sides, and is connected to the continent of Karadal by an ancient, and mysterious, bridge made of metal, marble and gold that takes five days to cross. This bridge is simply known as the Crossing, spans 180 miles in length and is 80ft wide. Duraloth meets the Azure Ocean to the south, the Diamond Seas to the north and the Glittering Tides to the east.
Karadal
Karadal is surrounded on all sides by water, and the main part of the continent is separated into Inner and Outer Karadal by a ring of water within the continent. Outer Karadal is hospitable and well explored, but Inner Karadal is less so. Additionally, there is the large island region of Uzrekhan, which lies to the south of the main continent. Karadal meets the Azure Ocean on all sides, but the Eastern Peninsula reaches out to the Glittering Tides.
Cnuic Ghlainne
Cnuic Ghlainne (pronounced k-NOYK g-LAN-yeh), also known as the Hill of Glass or Glass Hills, is a relatively small island continent often depicted as the westernmost continent on physical maps. It is said to be the most beautiful place in all of A'arde, and is rumoured to have once belonged to the Goddess Queen of the Fey, Titania. The "birthplace" of the Elven species in A'arde, as well as the Seat of Sylvan Magic (the site of the largest Convergence known to Mortalkind) and the location of one of the two largest Weave Wells in the world, the folk that live in Cnuic Ghlainne are reclusive, and very few travellers are allowed to enter the borders of this continent, which is protected by a ring of dangerous waters and ancient magical barriers.
The Silver Wastes
The Silver Wastes make up the southernmost continent of the world, the last civilised space before reaching the frozen wastes of the Southern Ice. It is largely uninhabited, save for a few scattered research settlements along the coast. It does, however, feature one of the largest, relatively intact ruins of an ancient floating city, and is said to be the place where many inactive Warforged can still be found. The Azure Ocean borders the entirety of the Silver Wastes.
The Chthonic Below
The Chthonic Below of A’arde is a vast network of magical subterranean caverns and tunnels that stretch beneath most of the land masses within the world, while also providing portals and access to other dark Planes. One of the prisons for the Elven traitors who followed Thywyll, even with her exile, the Chthonic Below is also home to the Deep Dwarves and the Deep Gnomes, as well as a variety of otherworldly creatures and monstrosities. It comprises of three layers: the Overlap, where surface-dwellers and Underdark denizens frequently meet, the Haunt, where the majority of the denizens reside, and the Depths, a part of the Underdark so terrible that even the most evil of denizens dare not tread there.
Ustaf-Vriel; The Last Floating City
The Last Floating City of Ustaf-Vriel, also known as the City of Iron-Heart, is largely unknown, and few who have attempted to travel there have ever returned. Those who do return are largely devoid of their senses and sensibilities, and often die within a few years of the end of their journey. It travels around A’arde with no discernible pattern or reason to its movements, and can be in view one moment, but gone the next.
Ecosystem Cycles
A'arde's Material Plane orbits Haul's Chariot on a 365 day cycle and displays four distinct seasons across much of the world; Spring (Seedtide), Summer (Ardenttide), Autumn (Harvesttide), and Winter (Rimetide). These seasons occur on an offset basis across the northern and southern hemispheres; i.e. when it is winter in the northern hemisphere, it is summer in the southern Once per year, for five days, the Material Plane is placed under the influence of the Darkening of Albrun, where the brightest star in both hemispheres, Albrun, goes dark. This period of time is known as Eadar-Amail, and occurs during the winter season in the northern hemisphere, and the summer season in the southern.
Sapient Calendars
The year within the Material Plane of A'arde is divided into thirteen periods. Twelve of these periods are referred to as “months”, and the final period is Eadar-Amail, the Transitioning Period. The months have the same Common names in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, however, the calendars are aligned differently to coincide with actual weather patterns for that time of year. In the Northern hemisphere, the year begins with Winterwane, while in the Southern it begins with Firewane. As a result, the 12th of Rainmoot in the Northern Hemisphere is actually the 12th of Newharvest in the Southern. Only the Transitioning Period is the same for both Hemispheres. Each month has 30 days, and the Transitioning Period makes up five days total.
Localized Phenomena
Eadar-Amail
See also: The Darkening of Albrun
History
The Time Before Renewal
Before the known history of A'arde, there was the Time Before Renewal. During this time, the Gods were Mortals, thus they are the only ones to have any true knowledge of the origins of the Material Plane of A'arde. The Time Before Renewal culminated in the Titan War and the creation of the Great Prison.
The First Age; Age of Renewal
The Age of Renewal saw the reformation of a habitable planet for A'arde, and the revival of some of the species that previously existed there. It was also the time within which the Gods' Beacons were constructed, which ultimately summoned wandering Mortals and Gods to A'arde.
The Second Age; Age of Dragons
With the dragons and Dragon Gods leading the way in terms of colonisation, the Age of Dragons saw many new civilisations grow beneath their care, and the care of the Gods. However, the Age fell to ruin with The Reign of Ash, which saw the formation of the Spine of Ythrynaar mountain range. The war literally changed the landscape of A'arde, leading to the Dragon Gods ordering the withdrawal of dragons from public view, so as not to lure others of their ilk to A'arde. The Beacons were subsequently destroyed.
The Third Age; Age of Arcana
The Age of Arcana was the longest single period on A'arde's current history, characterised by the construction of Floating Cities and the advancement of Magitech. Initially, the land itself struggled to support the life upon it, though later millennia saw vast improvements in environmental care. The end of the Age came with the Fey Retreat, whereby the Sylvan Pantheon withdrew all but a skeleton crew of the Fey to Tìr na Sìthe after a catastrophic event, followed by the Ruin of the Floating Cities. The falling Floating Cities once more changed the landscape of A'arde, destroying one continent entirely and sinking it beneath the waves of what is now known as the Vishal Ocean. The end of the Age also began the formation of The Cryptic Span.
The Fourth Age; Age of Chaos
During the Age of Chaos, magic was raw and difficult to control, and for the first time in history since Renewal, the Material Plane was swarmed with monsters and Fiends. It was an Age characterised by Arcane Storms, Haul's Chariot blocked out by choking clouds, and dry seasons interspersed with acid rain.
The Fifth Age; Age of Darkness
The Age of Darkness saw the return of more stable magic and a settling of the weather patterns on the Material Plane to something more akin to the Age of Arcana. The layout of the world's landmasses had fundamentally changed into the patterns recognised today, though the landscape surrounding Cnuic Ghlainne and the Spine of Ythrynaar remained.
The Sixth Age; Age of Redemption
The current Age. The geographic layout of the Material Plane remains relatively similar to the Age of Darkness, though new ecosystems have developed through magical accidents (such as the necrotic ecosystem of the Isle of Swords).
Maps
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A'arde circa 1488
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