Astrala, the Astral Sea and Ethereal Planes

Astrala, the Astral Sea

Astrala, or the Astral Sea, is a plane that exists between planes. Often called the Sea of Stars, the Astral Sea exists as a "path" between planes. Those sojourners who wish to move between planes, must board grand plane-traversing vessels called "Spelljammers" which are powered by a mixture of intellectual will and magical crystals, called Momentite. These crystals give greater control to those with the intellect to harness their strength and are often used by Spelljammers to gain momentum. The Astral Sea is not common knowledge, and lay citizens may not know about this path between worlds, or may have only heard hearsay of its existence. However, many curious sorts have discovered its usefulness, and danger.

Many great terrors exist in the space between worlds, namely that of pockets of marauding Cirruans who managed to escape their purging from Hearth, the Main Realm, Githzerai and Githyanki, strange astral terrors, and other strange and otherworldly monstrosities. Here, thought is power, and the strongest most intellectual minds are able to create and shape matter at will here. Harnessing such powers comes with its own dangers though, as powerful minds attract powerful enemies intent on stealing or harnessing said intellect.

The Ethereal Plane

The Ethereal Plane is another realm between realms, though this plane exists less tangibly than the Astral Sea. While it is possible to find waypoints to purposefully pass into the Astral Sea, and to find pathways to other waypoints between realms, the Ethereal Plane is usually entered by accident, when ethereal tears find their way into Hearth, the Main Realm or other planes. Those who have entered the Ethereal Plane, and survived long enough to escape it, have described it as a realm of spirits. Most scholars disagree with this assertion, as those who have escaped are very much alive and well, but have conceded that what they may have experienced is a sort of transfiguration to a higher state of being, existing on every plane simultaneously and yet not influencing any of them. The Ethereal Plane, then, has been determined to be a sort of "gap" between worlds that people, creatures, and objects can slip into.

This "gap" is filled with strange beings, otherworldly beings that are reminiscent of their physical counterparts yet distinctly different. These creatures do not seem cruel or monstrous, though one ethereal voyager described one that chased him for a great deal of time and seemed intent on doing him harm, screeching in a strange otherworldly tongue as it chased him back to the tear that the traveler entered through. Mages and scholars wish to study this plane further, but have only managed to develop a few spells permitting passage to this plane and for only a brief time before they are expelled back to their original plane of entry. Those who have managed to enter the Ethereal Plane have described the landscape as cloudy and distinctly different from the plane that they entered from. It is, somehow, a plane that both replicates every plane and exists separate from them.

Alternative Name(s)

The Planes Between, Astral Sea, the Ethereal Expanse.

Type

Dimensional plane