Elemental Planes
It is believed the crafting of the four elemental planes is Al’Madoon’s first attempt at creation, and their raw, chaotic nature was more than intended. Others stand by the viewpoint that Al’Madoon knew each plane must be chaotic to inspire the change needed to craft the mortal world. Regardless, the four elemental planes continue to be highly volatile.
After traveling a great distance alone in the void, Al’Madoon began crafting what would eventually become the Realms of Remembrance. First, the Architect would create the four elemental planes: Aquenias, the Plane of Water; Aurenia, the Plane of Air; Ignathar, the Plane of Fire; and Terramul, the Plane of Earth.
The Architect would use these four elemental planes as a foundation for his new world, such as how a painter uses prime colors to paint masterpieces. The four elemental planes would split into four quadrants surrounding the mortal plane Erenel, acting like pillars to bolster the world.
Alternative Name(s)
Pillars of Creation
Type
Dimensional plane
Characters in Location
Inhabiting Species
Aquenias, Plane of Water
Elemental Lord: Azuris the Crashing Tide
The Plane of Water is a wondrous world of endless sea life, great coral forests, and cavernous underwater caves. Life flourishes in Aquenias as great “sunken” cities lie beneath the waves. Intelligent dwellers of the plane live where sunlight filters down, creating brightly lit marine sanctuaries. At night, the soft light illuminates, and the awe-inspiring greenish hue is a sight to behold.
If you travel deeper into the depths of Aquenias, prepare to enter the realm of monstrous creatures. Light is absent in the Nightmare Reefs, where malevolence grows. Travelers who dive into the dark speak of strange calls in the deep—writhing kraken tentacles grasp at anything in reach.
The greatest bodies of water in Erenel are but a droplet in Aquenias. This vast watery paradise is both serene and terrifying at the same time. Who knows what lies deep in the shadowed darkness where light fades into nothingness.
The nature of Aquenias makes it difficult for anything to live above the waves. Great storms appear without warning, and the crushing waves erode islands and hard surfaces. Only to the north, where Aquenias meets Aurenia, will you find wintry landscapes and floating icebergs in the Sea of Ice. Where water meets fire, the planes are highly unstable. Thick steam blinds the senses while scalding water boils anything that attempts to cross.
Aurenia, Plane of Air
Elemental Lord: Zephyros, the Winds Whim
Great kings rise and fall in Aurneia. Wars are won and lost. When you can recall the glory of ancient kingdoms before they crumble into dust, you will have a wider perspective on what truly matters. Until then, enjoy the landscape and leave me in peace.
Effortlessly the most hospitable of the elemental planes, Aurenia's endless skies and multicolored clouds are dotted with islands of earth floating through the air. Traveling across Aurenia requires flight and navigating a complex maze of air streams that push and pull inhabitants to "sky islands." Flying against these invisible wind gusts is incredibly taxing. Veteran flyers will use the wind currents as a propellant, gliding with the gale to their destination.
Worry not if you fall or lose your ability to fly! You will simply fall for a time before coming to a stop, hovering in the endless sky. Being stranded or caught in a "pocket" is a frequent means of death in Aurenia, and it is unfortunately common to see floating decomposing creatures whose luck ran out.
by Dean Spencer
Ignathar, Plane of Fire
Elemental Lord: Volkan, the Everburning
The most inhospitable elemental plane, Ignathar, is a hostile landscape of crimson and fire. Ash and smog fill the air forming dark ashen clouds in the sky. These black masses move slowly overhead, choking anyone caught inside.
A blazing sun passes in a 24-hour cycle, similar to the material plane. At noon, the heat will melt unprotected metal, forcing inhabitants to find shelter. At midnight, Ignathar cools slightly as the sky shade turns to a red-hued twilight. This cooling and melting pattern is typical in the Plane of Fire and helps to shape its distinct geographical features.
My first venture into Ignathar proved to be a fight for survival. My journals immediately caught fire. To make matters worse, my squire's breastplate began to melt at what I presume to be midday. We learned quickly to travel at night when the plane cools and that water will evaporate almost instantaneously. If you venture to Ignathar, make extensive preparations.
Ignathar is dominated by a vast sea of molten lava. Fiery magma waves crash against island landmasses and rocky mountains, constantly reshaping the terrain. Inhabitants live underground in the many valleys and mountain ranges formed during its nightly cooling cycle. Where Ignathar meets Terramul, a chain of violent volcanoes and wondrous mountain ranges form the planar border. Deep within these rocky expanses, the legendary Surtur city, birthplace of Kalator, Father of the Forge awaits.
Terramul, Plane of Earth
Elemental Lord: Ulmekar, the Walking Mountain
Terramul is a stony expanse of mountain peaks and cavernous tunnels. Many of the great mountain ranges and cascading hills resemble those found on Erenel and show how Al’Madoon replicated the process during the creation of the mortal plane.
The largest chain of mountains in existence, both in height and breadth, forms the Plane of Earth. The highest peaks breach into an airless void of nothingness and are inhospitable, forcing life below the cloud cover. Where the region dips slightly, mountain ridges begin to erode as large hills or churning dirt and mud take their place. The ground can shift and crack at a moment's notice, opening into the immense dwellings below.
Traversing the Plane of Earth is similar to wandering an endless maze. A labyrinth of caverns, caves, and tunnels twist and turn as the sense of suffocation define the underground complexes in the Great Delve. Above, a boundless chain of mountain peaks and valleys stretch beyond the limit of sight and sound. To travel Terramul in search of riches and wonder, one must learn how to carve a path into endless solid mass.
Passages zigzag in limitless caves winding through the encumbered realm, leading to rich ore and gem veins ripe for harvest. Getting lost in the Plane of Earth is a consistent threat. Tunnels collapsing from tectonic movement or accidental cave-ins triggered by marauding beasts have cut short the lives of many Terramul travelers.
Elemental Lords and Giant Kin
It is believed the crafting of the four elemental planes is Al’Madoon’s first attempt at creation, and their raw, chaotic nature was more than intended. These chaotic reactions spawned the first known elementals, who began roaming their corresponding planes, vying for power. Over time, one primordial elemental of each plane would take control, subjecting weaker elementals to their rule.
After the four elemental lords rose to power, they turned their attention to their creator, watching as Al’Madoon created Erenel by carefully taking portions of their homelands. This abandonment led to a deep jealousy that consumed the four elemental lords, and for a brief moment, they conspired together to regain his favor.
The four elemental lords would create their own species, designed out of spite to be larger and more potent than those favored by Al’Madoon. Each elemental lord mimicked the Architect, crafting a humanoid race in their image. Giant-kin.
Although much taller than Elves, the first giants, ogres, ettins, cyclops and Alvaldi were considered failures. This misstep did not dissuade the elemental lords, who would each create a favored species over time.
- Frost Giants from Aquenias, Plane of Water
- Cloud Giants from Aurenia, Plane of Air
- Fire Giants from Ignathar, Plane of Fire
- Stone Giants from Terramul, Plane of Earth
The final creation, Storm Giants, came from one last moment of the partnership between the four elemental lords and proved to be the mightiest giant kin. Predictably, Al’Madoon did not notice. In a fury, the four elemental lords sent their giant kin to Erenel in an attempt to destroy Aymara the Foremother. War came to the boughs of the Foremother. However, the Primal Deities led by Ødger, the Storm Claw, would be victorious.
Azuris, the Crashing Tide
An imposing manifestation of natural power, Azuris the Crashing Tide is a newly crowned Elemental Lord. Defeating the previous Elemental Lord of Water, Kalydra, shortly after the beginning of the Era of the Inner Flame, Azuris is a highly intelligent elemental with a reputation for being friendly to its subjects and ruthless to its enemies.
Azuris prefers to rule Aquenias by constantly roaming the open waters, speaking with the many merfolk and other aquatic races in open dialogue. It enjoys a good story and is known to ruin a day of hunting for inhabitants of Aquenias by telling tall tales and expecting its “friends” to listen intently. It is common for races to attempt to avoid meeting the Elemental Lord’s gaze and avoid an uncomfortable conversation.
The Plane of Water is a vast place. Azuris avoids the cold north, where ice islands form, providing considerable settlements for the large population of Frost Giants. Azuris and the Frost Giant King Awnir are, at best, acquaintances. It is well known King Awnir prefers the previous Elemental Lord, Kalydra; for she was the creator of the Frost Giant race. Kalydra is slowly regaining influence in the darkened depths of Aquenias. Hidden away in the Nightmare Reefs, where Kraken’s slumbers, Kalydra rebuilds her war effort, biding her time until she can reclaim her lost kingdom.
Ulmekar, the Walking Mountain
The immense primordial being of earth and stone, Ulmekar has patiently ruled over Terramul since the beginning. Ulmekar, the Walking Mountain, rests in Deepstone Valley, surrounded by his trusted elemental advisors Krong, Moch, and Duma. Ulmekar contemplates all here, carefully considering any action and consequence before acting.
While this can confuse most, none would dare agitate the Walking Mountain. Dwellers of Terramul remember the punishment Ulmekar inflicted on a now-forgotten advisor after it uncharacteristically questioned Ulmekar's decision to war against the Primal Deities. The advisor's shattered body still dots the landscape in Deepstone Valley around Ulmekar's mountain throne.
When Ulmekar chooses to move across Terramul, he does so at a high cost to the inhabitants below ground. Each footfall quakes the ground, causing cave-ins, destroying tunnels, and crushing settlements. It has been two centuries since Ulmekar moved from his throne.
The Walking Mountain instead relies on Krong, Moch, and Duma, the Stone Keepers, to deliver instructions to those who pledge their loyalty. They do so under the watchful eyes of a gargoyle legion. These stone creatures patrol the skies, providing daily correspondence as no stone goes unturned, and the Walking Mountain cares not if you know he is watching.
Volkan, the Everburning
Deep within Agony, a volcano centered in a sea of molten lava, Volkan the Everburning rules. Little is known about Volkan. This is mainly attributed to those that meet the Everburning rarely returning. It is believed Volkan is sadistic and wields an immense power that has thwarted any would-be challengers since the creation of Ignathar.
Volkan does command lesser fire and ash elementals through fear, crushing those who fail its agenda. It also reigns over two cities in Agony that provide protection and tithe to the Elemental Lord. The Flaming Heights, a city of fire salamanders, serves as Volkan’s army when needed.
The Charred Apex, a city of forgotten dwarves, work tirelessly crafting weapons and armor for the Flaming Heights war effort. Every few decades, a rebellion rises, only to be brutally destroyed by Volkan until the devastation fades into memory, and another attempt rises again. High-ranking commanders in Flaming Heights believe Volkan himself stokes the fires of rebellion. Recent reports show that Volkan is at war with Zarka, another powerful fire elemental attempting to wrest control of Ignathar away. A kingdom of fire giants has sided with Zarka against their former creator and has helped to balance the scales in the war for the Plane of Fire.
Zephyros, the Winds Whim
The Elemental Lord of Air has been Zephyros, the Winds Whim, since the beginning of creation. While Zephyros is the smallest of the four Elemental Lords, it is the most cunning. A wise and malicious elemental lord, Zephyros maintains its seat of power thanks partly to not relying on other air elementals but the powerful djinn.
The Djinn dukes and duchesses rule across Aurenia, reporting back to Zephyros at its seat of power; The Labyrinth of Wind, an everchanging palace of hurricane corridors. Here, Zephyros observes and monitors with its trusted servant, Klasul, a Storm Giant Oracle. Except for the company of Klasul, Zephyros lives in isolation.
Zephyros looks upon all other planes with disdain. It wishes nothing more than to bring about the “Inevitable End” and see Erenel destroyed in a whirlwind of chaos. However, this disdain does not prevent the Winds Whim from helping Erenel inhabitants if it stands to gain from the transaction and proudly empowers spellcasters in its name.
I love how you have paired the race of giants as creations of Elemental Lords. This is an awesome tangent.