Dromethal, the Plane of Earth
Dromethal, the Elemental Plane of Earth, is a realm of eternal stone, subterranean vastness, and ancient memory. It is a land of monolithic caverns, glittering gem-veins, and tectonic power—where the bones of the world are laid bare and time is measured in centuries carved into granite. Stillness and strength define this plane, yet beneath its seemingly unmoving surface lies a deep and unrelenting pressure, ever shifting, ever reshaping in slow, imperceptible ways.
Unlike the open expanses of Vaelyss or the churning chaos of the Abyss, Dromethal is a plane of endurance, permanence, and silent witness. Its horizons are not skies but stone—layers upon layers of sediment, ore, and crystal that form catacombs large enough to house cities. Mountains tower upside-down in the deep dark, held aloft by geodesic arches and crystalline pillars that glow faintly with ancient mana. Rivers of magma carve paths through obsidian chasms, their light casting flickering shadows on walls etched with runes older than the gods.
Presiding over Dromethal is Dromek, the genasi idol of stone, memory, and endurance. Dromek is often depicted as a giant of obsidian and granite, with a beard of lichen and a crown of stalactites, his skin fissured like dry earth and his voice a rumble felt more than heard. He is not a god of action but of remembrance, of slow inevitability, of truths too old to be forgotten. His palace, the Archive of Stone, is said to be carved into the heart of the plane itself—a city-sized vault where memory is petrified and history is etched into the bedrock for eternity.
The inhabitants of Dromethal are beings of substance and patience. Earth elementals take the form of walking boulders and crystalline serpents. Dao, the genie-kin of stone and greed, rule mineral-rich domains with iron laws and gleaming treasure hoards. Stone dragons, as old and immobile as the mountains, sleep beneath the surface for millennia, dreaming of the world as it once was. Earth genasi, reclusive and steadfast, act as guardians of ancient knowledge, carving prayers and laws into stone walls where they will last forever.
Dromethal is not hostile, but it is indifferent. It does not bend easily to will or magic. Travel here requires strength, patience, and an understanding that the stone does not care for speed. The plane rewards those who endure: miners seeking uncorrupted gems, monks who meditate on the eternal, and architects who wish to build monuments that will outlast nations.
Connection to Ammondell: A well-guarded portal to Dromethal lies in Thilhe Allanar, a remote stone basin nestled deep in the mountain-vales of Uuthraal. This portal is protected by the enigmatic Parade of Pallid Flowers, a secretive order of mystics and architects who revere Dromek and inscribe the stories of the world into living stone. The portal only opens when the subterranean chorus of Dromek’s heartstone—known as the Echo Pulse—resonates through the earth, signaling that the time is right for passage.
Dromethal is not merely a place of rock and ore—it is the memory of the world made manifest, the slow, rumbling voice beneath all things that reminds us that what is built to last must be carved with care.
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