The Quasielemental Plane of Ash
“Ash's what's left over when the fire's done, right? Well, there's a might more to it than that, my friends. There’s a whole plane of it, and I’m here to tell you all about it. You can call me ol’ Derris M’Gollog, and I've been through most of the Inner Planes in my day, looking for a fortune any way I could find it. Never did get enough jink to get ahead, but I tumbled to enough of the true dark to share it with you, if you're interested. ”
-Derris M’Gollog,
The Quasielemental Plane of Ash's located at the junction of Fire and Negative Energy. It’s a region of right curious contrasts—a place of incredible cold born in the crucible of Elemental Fire. (Them fancy poets got nothing on me.)
At its heart, the quasiplane of Ash’s an immense block of gray-white flakes pressed together like a big ol mess of dry powder. It’s thick, but not so’s that the average berk can’t dig his way through it. Here and there it thins out, becoming a haze of floating parti- cles like the clouds that rain down around rumbling volcanoes. No matter what form it takes, though, elemental Ash draws the heat right out of everything within it.
Traveling in the direction of elemental Fire, the chilling cold of the place gradu- ally gives way to all-consuming flames. At the junction of these two planes, a body runs right into the Sea of Frozen Flames—a place that produces no heat but still burns away flesh as quickly as hot coals. Still, if he can survive the harsh environs, a basher'll find this expanse of crystalline fi fire as beautiful as anything and well worth a visit.
In the other direction, at the border between Ash and Negative Energy itself, a body enters a place known to some as the Empty Winter. This here’s a region of extreme cold marked by occasional diffuse clouds of drifting flakes. Not only does the Empty Winter drain a body’s heat, it also bleeds away vitality as surely, though not as swiftly, as a vampire’s kiss.
As a body moves toward the paraplanes of Smoke and Magma, he finds the regions known as the Embers and the Cinder Wells. The former's a swirling cloud of hot, stinging ashes that have not yet given up their heat. Frigid patches of volcanic ash and rivers of glowing magma mark the latter. Both’re places where arctic cold endlessly battles blistering heat. Harsh? Hells, yes.
The quasiplane of Ash borders similar regions of Dust and Vacuum. The boundary with Dust’s tenuous, difficult to precisely define because of the similarities between the two quasielements. It’s a hostile place, combining both the frigid cold of Ash and the gradual disintegration of Dust. This junction’s so terrible and mysterious that it’s called only the Wasting Place.
On the other border, the ash gradually gives way to the utter emptiness of Vacuum. Before it does, though, a planewalker comes upon a region of gritty residue much like splintered glass. This unhealthy place’s known as the Sparkling Vast. The fragments here sparkle and gleam brilliantly when exposed to light. Beautiful as it is, though, this airless place absorbs the heat from living things and has a detrimental effect on folk’s bodies. The longer a sod remains here, the harder it becomes to move. In the end, even those immune to the cold end up as motionless as a statue in The Lady’s Ward.
The Powerful and Mighty
No true powers live in the quasiplane of Ash (at least, not anymore). But a few bashers’ve become important enough to be mentioned here, including one demigod who left the plane behind for unknown reasons.
HADJENN
Hadjenn (P1/8 genasi/F9/N) tells me he’s the only known ash-genasi in existence. He has no idea who or what is elemental sire was, but he’s sworn to find out. Ol’ Hadjenn now travels the quasiplane in search of his unknown ancestor. Along the way, he's gathered a fair collection of magical weapons and items that make him a most formidale opponent.
Hadjenn’s only real friend’s a white dragon named Shackrilag. This monster survives in the quasiplane thanks to a magical necklace given to her by Hadjenn.
VECNA
The most powerful being ever to have lived in the Quasielemental Plane of Ash’s almost certainly the one- eyed, one-handed Lich God Vecna. Originally a native of the prime world Oerth, this ancient creature spent the whole of his existence searching for greater and greater power. At the same time, however, he became more and more evil. Eventually, he acquired sufficient power and enough followers to become a demipower himself.
Vecna migrated to the quasiplane of Ash many years ago (exactly how many, no one knows). Once here, he drove a bunch of Doomguard bashers out of their fortress and set himself up in the great, skull-shaped citadel known as Cavitius. He populated his new realm with followers and imprisoned enemies, though who could tell the two apart?
Within Cavitius, Vecna continued to research dark magic with the ultimate goal of overthrowing the other powers of Oerth. In time, he planned to become the patron power of all evil undead. A tall order, true, but a body’d be wrong to underestimate Vecna’s determination.
Not long ago, Vecna and all of his followers vanished. They left behind the dismal territory of Cavitius, although chant's that this place’s still full of evil spirits. Considering the dark experiments Vecna’s known to have conducted here, this seems like a right safe bet.
Creatures & Denizens
Very few critters can survive the heat draining effects of the quasiplane of Ash. Those creatures that’re able to exist and even thrive in this hostile realm’re presented below.
QUASIELEMENTALS
Of the handful of races known to exist in this plane, only ash mephits and quasielementals’re found in any large numbers.
While the mephits live in scattered communities, their quasielemental brothers have built a substantial empire. Based around a large fortification known as the Citadel of Former Flame, they direct their forces against intruders. The ultimate goal of the quasielementals seems to be the destruction of the Elemental Plane of Fire. After all, in the wake of Fire, you'll find only Ash. Seems a might ambitious, but more power to them, I say (never had much use for a whole plane of fire, myself).
ANIMALS AND MONSTERS
There’s a few animentals found in this plane, generally ashen duplicates of polar creatures. There’s also a curious little critter called a descriat with fur like a beaver and a bill like a duck—and what’s more, it’s hot as a furnace (they make for good eating, though). A traveler might also come upon a school of ulish swimming through the ash—they’re not as tasty, but at least they're harmless. Sootsnakes’re the only other sort of mostly harmless critter ] can think of. Canny bloods’! watch where they walk, as the snakes often lair in elemental pockets of various types.
The most dangerous creatures found in the quasiplane of Ash’re the aforementioned quasielementals. Most other creatures, even hardy monsters, simply can’t survive here. ‘Course, there're always exceptions to this, and they always turn out to be dangerous, like the rasts.
Rasts’re a bunch of bloodthirsty monsters if there ever were any. Always on the hunt, these vicious creatures work together in deadly packs, tearing apart whatever they can catch with their paralyzing stare. Here's a tip, though: Rasts’re real afraid of loud noises. A body can use that to his advantage to scare them off or distract them for a few valu- able seconds while he gives them the laugh.
Also, an unusual race of xorn wanders the quasiplane of Ash. These creatures’re much the same as their cousins in the Elemental Plane of Earth, but for some reason, they’re not subject to the heat draining effects of Ash. Ash xorns’re somewhat brighter than their kin but usually less powerful (-1 on each HD). Rumors persist that some of these crea- tures’ve actually developed the ability to work magic, but no one knows if this’s true chant or just screed.
Many undead creatures lurk around the quasiplane of Ash as well. These horrors seem to find the negative energy that saturates this place comforting, and they don’t suffer in the least from the heat-draining flakes swirling around. Well, you probably don’t need me to warn you off getting too near these rotting monstrosities.
OTHER RACES
Though plenty of reports speak of scattered ruins indicating the one-time presence of lost races, there’re no major civilizations now apart from that of the quasielementals.
Records recovered from an abandoned citadel on the world of Oerth hint that a community of dwarves may’ve tried to establish a colony here long ago. Whether or not they suc- ceeded remains a mystery, since no one’s yet found any trace of these folks in the plane.
They ain't alive, but the closest thing to another soci- ety in the quasiplane of Ash's a large, nomadic army of ghouls and ghasts known as the Flesh Renders. These crea- tures number in the hundreds and may’ve once been com- manded by the Lich King Vecna (see below}. Because these undead often go for very long periods of time without eating, they’re particularly savage when food presents itself.
Hazards & Phenomena
Course, there's many a danger waiting to confront planewalkers as they explore the Inner Planes. In this particular quasiplane, the greatest problem’s the way the plane siphons heat from living things.
TEMPERATURE
The neighboring plane of Fire has long since consumed the heat of this place. As if trying to regain the warmth that’s been lost, the plane of Ash absorbs heat from everything within it, living or inanimate.
If a body ain't magically protected from the cold, he suffers 2d6 points of damage per turn. All living things, even those that’re normally immune to cold, are affected. Creatures from the Elemental Plane of Fire, the paraplanes of Smoke and Magma, or otherwise accustomed to extreme heat suffer 1 HD of damage each round from this effect. Normal heat sources, even magical ones, won't do much to counter this effect.
BREATHING AND VISION
For the most part, the Quasielemental Plane of Ash’s a solid mass of gray-white flakes. Even in places where the ash loosens up and the place becomes a thick, powdery cloud, it ain't fit for anything but choking on and there’s no light at all to see by. Breathing and seeing just aren't possible here without magical help.
And it’s got to be magic—natural open flames won’t ignite. They can’t survive without air any more than a living thing can. Magical light’s still hampered by the thick clouds of ash, limiting visibility to about 10 yards at best. Infravision don’t work here, either. Even if away from the solid parts of the quasiplane, residual heat’s gobbled up almost instantly.
OTHER DANGERS
As if the heat-draining weren’t enough, Ash holds a couple of unique problems for a planewalker.
MAGE POWDER
Certain regions of the quasiplane of Ash’re sensitive to the use of magic. When a spellcaster (either a wizard or a priest) starts tossing around spells in such places, the ash absorbs the magical energy just as it does body heat. Fortunately, this doesn’t affect magical items or spells that were in effect prior to entering the mage powder.
Not only does the mage powder prevent any newly cast spell from taking effect, it can also absorb energies directly from the caster, making it impossible for him to use other spells for a time. Whenever a speil’s cast in a region of mage powder the caster must make a saving throw vs. spell. If this roll’s successful, there’s no ill effect (other than the predes- tined failure of the spell, that is).
If the roll fails, however, the caster’s unable to work magic for at least an hour. This effect lasts 1 hour per point by which the saving throw was missed. Thus, if a 14 is needed and the wizard’s die roll came up a 10, the difference of 4 points would indicate a loss of magical ability for 4 full hours. Watch out, spellslingers!
To determine the size of such a place, use the table pre- sented for elemental pockets.
NEGATIVE POCKETS
Very rarely, a traveler in the quasiplane of Ash encounters a pocket of negative energy. These’re as deadly as they are rare, for anyone who enters such a place loses one experience level or Hit Die each round. About the only thing that can protect a body from such a fate’s a spell like negative plane protection.
SLUDGE
Once in a great while, some leatherhead’ll bring a large quantity of water into this otherwise bone-dry realm. When that happens, the water mixes with the ash to form a mass of real vicious, er...viscous slime. For the most part, this goop just sits there and looks revolting. When a warm-blooded creature wanders into the stuff, however, a deadly trap’s sprung.
The liquefied ash still absorbs heat from the area around it, but instead of just sucking the life out of a body, it instantly hardens into stone. A sod becomes entombed just as if he'd been dipped into quick-drying plaster.
The best way to escape such a prison’s with the help of friends, if a body's got some. A few picks or other tools free a trapped sod from the dried sludge fairly easily. Trying to break out yourself is much harder, however, requiring a bend bars/lift gates roll. Fail, and you can kiss your plane-hoppin’ rear goodbye, berk.
To determine the size of a sludge deposit, use the table provided for elemental pockets. The dimensions indicated on that table should be cut by 50%.
Mysterious Sites & Treasures
Only a few places of any real importance stand in the quasiplane of Ash. It fits the nature of this realm that two of these places’re in ruins.
CAVITIUS
This vast place might even be more evil and ominous now than it was when Vecna and his minions lurked within its shadowy walls, if rumors’re to be believed. The whole place looks like a giant skull, and it’s as old as, well, it’s older than Vecna—and that’s old. Some tell tales that it’s older than the Doomguard that originally lived here, built by some long- lost race of bloods who worshiped death in a way that even the Dustmen could never understand. There’s even said to be places within Cavitius that Vecna was afraid to go, but that sounds like nothing but screed, if I ever heard any.
Only a fool would enter this place, given its history. For one thing, there’re bound to be ghosts, spectres, and other incorporeal creatures lurking within. Chant is, though, that some very powerful spirit has come to power in this place. Far more powerful than other ghosts, it supposedly has somehow managed to tap directly into the power of the Negative Energy Plane. Whether this creature has ties to Vecna, or even knows what has become of that dread lich, is unknown.
Maybe it’s got ties to Acererak, another old lich from Oerth who’s said to be looking for a major connection with the Negative Energy Plane. You ask me, it sounds like that Oerth world’s full of liches. You won't catch me there!
THE CITADEL OF FORMER FLAME
This structure has been carved from the very ash of the plane and then magically fused together. The citadel constantly alters its form very slowly, raising a tower here, moving a wall there, obeying some whim or perhaps unseen, unfelt forces in the plane itself. One thing’s for sure—the place never looks the same way twice. It’s the capital of the ash quasielemental empire and the home of Gazra, the Shifting Emperor. While Gazra’s not yet powerful enough to claim archomental status, his might is growing. In time, who knows how powerful he'll become? Not a basher like me, that’s for sure.
Gazra uses undead guardians around the citadel in addition to his own quasielemental kin. Ghouls, wraiths, and spectres’ve been spied around this terrible ever-changing place. Me, I don’t care for spooks, and I won't go near the citadel again.
Visitors to the Citadel of Former Flame find that it’s not only devoid of heat, but also of light. No manner of illumination, either magical or mundane, functions within this structure. It’s said that the quasielementals can see nor- mally within the Citadel, but no one knows how they do it. Other rumors insist that anyone who does manage to see the inside of this place would be instantly driven barmy.
THE CRUMBLING CITADEL
The Doomguard maintain a stronghold in the quasiplane of Ash, just as they do on all the negative quasiplanes. Why would anyone want to live near the Negative Energy Plane, a body might ask—and a good question it is, really. The Inner Planes, in general, aren’t really all that pleasant to spend any time in, and these dark planes're probably among the worst of the lot. Well, if folks liked living only in the nice places, they'd all live in Elysium, right? Or some prime world in temperate lands with cool breezes in the summer and mild winters. But it don’t work like that.
The Doomguard think that these planes—Ash, Dust, Salt, and Vacuum—represent what they base their whoie belief system on, namely, decay and decomposition. If anyone ever wanted to prove that all things decay as a part of the natural order, they'd only need to visit these planes for proof. It’s no wonder that so many of the bashers’re will- ing to withstand the tribulations of these planes—each one, in its own way, shows the Sinkers that they're right.
Now, you've heard about the big war in Sigil, right? So I don’t need to tell you the whole story, just the bit about the Doomguard. Seems their héadquarters, the Armory, was totally destroyed during the fighting. Lots of Sinkers abandoned the place before the big crash. Even more took a roundabout route and came here later, after the Lady of Pain outlawed all the factions. The Sinkers were already hurting with their losses during the fighting, and the Lady’s decree really hit them where it burt. Faction members’re in an uproar, unsure of their future, and the messages between the four quasielemental fortresses are flying fast and furious. Most of the Doomguard here are of the faction subgroup that believes everything’s falling apart too fast, and they take steps to slow the rate of decay so that the multiverse doesn’t fail apart ahead of time. Dev- land {P1/ő half-elf/F14/Doomguard/LN), the reclusive Doomlord of Ash and nominal master of the citadel, agrees with this point of view.
Anyway, originally the Doomguard in Ash lived in Citadel Cavitius, but the arch-lich Vecna drove ’em out. As a body might imagine, this didn’t make the Sinkers too happy. Nevertheless, what can a bunch of sods do against a power like Veena? First, they just sulked; eventually, they built the Crumbling Citadel.
Now here’s a piece of work. And I mean, constant work. The place’s constantly breaking apart and falling down—a body’d think it was built in the plane of Dust. Nobody knows exactly why the place continually crumbles, unless of course the original architects and builders meant for it to be that way {which is a possibility). ‘Course, while the Doomguard like things to fall apart, if they didn’t do something about it they wouldn't have a place to call kip right quick. So, they constantly rebuild sections and fortify others. They actually seem to enjoy to it, really.
The Crumbling Citadel’s a vast structure that holds about four hundred souls. The Doomguard maintain a fair relation- ship with the paraelementals and even the undead here, and a body'll find them along with the obvious Cager types who’ve come through a portal to join their faction brothers amid the crumbling ruins. Only the rasts and the ash xorn aren't wel- come—they just don’t mix well with others.
There’s a small group of Doomguard based solely within the Crumbling Citadel called the Sifters. These bash- ers search tirelessly through the ash for tiny bits of useful or valuable materials. See, these bashers believe that the ash of the plane is what remains of things already destroyed by fire. They think that the plane of Fire is slowly burning away all of existence, consuming it as it does. The plane of Ash, then, is what's left over. The Sifters look for anything not entirely consumed and destroyed.
Surprisingly, the Sifters actually find things of value. Occasionally a bit of valuable metal or gemstone turns up among the ash. Furthermore, they've become adept at dis- tinguishing the different sorts of ash and cinder formed by the burning of different materials. Not only is this useful for collecting the needed requirements for various spell keys, but it can be right handy for creating other things too—mag- ical potions unlike any found anywhere else, for example. Chant has it that some of the more enthusiastic Sifters, when they find organic ash, have the creature resurrected so that they can see what it once was.
Lay of the Land
It takes a right cunning cutter to survive iri any of the negative quasiplanes. Each one’s as dangerous as a baatezu in church and twice as sneaky. A body can get himself killed any number of ways before he stumbles upon a means of survival, unless he’s got a knowledgeable guide like me.
The quasiplane of Ash is an accumulation of burnt matter pressed into a solid mass. In most areas, the quasi- plane has the consistency of hard-packed soil, though some regions are much less dense. This place is born of the union between Fire and the life-draining power of Negative Energy.
Those who travel to the quasiplane of Ash find it an amazingly inhospitable place. Its very nature is such that it siphons the heat from all living (and unliving) things.
Cycle of Time
Time exists here but it isn't marked by solar activity.
Surviving
Even if a body’s not a Doomguard, there're still a few rea- sons to pay this plane a visit, if only for a short while. Plenty of high-ups (particularly in the Inner Planes) pay top jink to hear the latest chant regarding Gazra and his doings. Simi- larly, a number of upper-planar beings like to keep a quiet eye on Cavitius, considering the history of the place and its most infamous master. These cutters pay real well.
I can’t really lann a planewalker to a good place to call kip here, although the Doomguard in the Crumbling Citadel aren't as hostile to visitors as a body might think. Steer clear of the Citadel of Former Flame—the folk that live there don’t take kindly to intruders.
SPELL KEYS AND OTFHER NECESSITIES
Spell keys in Ash take the form of cinders collected from the burning of various things. For example, a body might be able to cast a fireball spell here (even though magic of this type doesn’t work here normally) if he added the ash of a sunflower to the normal components. Long-term fire spells like wall of fire still don’t work, though. There’s no air to sustain ‘em, and even a spell key can’t solve that problem.
Getting There
Not too many folks’ll actually go out of their way to reach the quasiplane of Ash (or any of the quasi- planes, for that matter). A body’s more likely to find himself transported here accidentally or through the actions of a vengeful enemy.
With the obvious exception of the City of Doors, only a few gates provide access to this realm. For example, there’s a strange little gate in the plane of Limbo that links that realm with the quasiplane of Ash. It’s fairly easy to use, being large enough for three or four folks to pass through at once. The key’s simply the smothering of a flame against the side of the portal’s stone frame.
The trick to using this gate, however, is reaching it.Known as the Wandering Way, it never seems to stay in the same place for more than a day or two. Beyond that, there’s no apparent pattern to its movements. One day, it might be in the city of Shra’kt’lor, and the next it might be clear on the other side of the plane. There’s probably a way to anchor the gate so that it won’t wander about like that; problem is, no one seems to have any idea how to do it.
Hidden away in a secluded corner of the Prime Material Plane’s a little world named Athas that circles a bloated red star. The priests of this world worship the elements them- selves, hoping to one day become embodiments of Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. Most of them’re barmier than a Bleaker but right tough nonetheless.
Some time ago, a lesser sect of Athasian priests dedicated to the Quasielemental Plane of Ash emerged. Although their faith earned them few followers and they've now vanished without trace, these holy men left behind one relic: the Obsidian Gate of Tor Gaylen. Supposedly this thing’s named for the head of their order, but no one can say for sure.
In order to activate this portal, it must be heated until the stone it’s cut from glows red-hot. When the temperature’s high enough, a dim grayness becomes apparent at the center of the gate and a body can walk through into the quasiplane of Ash. Just be careful not to touch the side of the gate on your way through, friend.
Although not common, vortices to the quasiplane of Ash do exist. For the most part, these’re found in only two places: in the heart of a dormant or extinct volcano, or where a raging fire has razed every- thing. This might be the result of a natural conflagration like a forest fire, or the direct outcome of some supernatural force like the flaming breath of a red dragon.
Traveling Around
Getting from place to place in the quasiplane of Ash ain’t quite as difficult as traveling in the plane of Earth, but it’s real close. As such, the guidelines for travel in Earth can be used here. Because ash isn’t as thick as stone, however, trav- elers’re always able to move as if they were surrounded by nothing denser than packed soil. The ash’s also twice as likely to collapse in around a cutter’s head since it isn’t as tightly packed as earth.
There’s gravity in this plane, so a body’s got to do his own walking around as well. If a blood finds an open area where the ash forms clouds instead of solid matter, he can’t fall from place to place like he might in the more open planes.
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