Limbo-Plane of Chaos
The Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo was an Outer plane in the Great Wheel cosmology model that embodied the chaotic neutral alignment.
The plane of Warrior's Rest in the World Tree cosmology was similar to Limbo in many ways but not quite as morphic. The batrachi formed a realm in Limbo called the Supreme Throne which became its own plane in the World Tree cosmology model. Limbo was lost during the Spellplague and may have fallen into the Elemental Chaos.
“Breathe the fire; Walk the air; Drink the earth; Warm your hands at the water.” — A petitioner's greeting to Limbo.
Geography
This plane was supreme chaos, a twisting, quicksilver place filled with bits and pieces of rocks, trees, the four elements, entire landscapes, strong winds, and random pockets of liquid, solid, or gas. Sentient beings could dampen down the chaos to livable levels and produce a safe environment as long as they maintained concentration. The size of a safe zone was directly related to the intelligence of the individual controller. Demigods and more powerful beings did not have this burden and indeed could create realms that survived even if they left Limbo. Gravity operated only between solid objects that touched each other and had about the same strength as on most Prime Material Planes. Thrown objects would fly straight until they hit a solid object. Objects with no momentum would hang in space until contacted by something solid.
-Shifting Chaos Matter.
As described by the Great Wheel cosmology, Limbo had five layers that were nearly indistinguishable from each other. The first four layers were named for the chief race or deity that were most often found there. The fifth layer was referred to as the layer of Lost Gods.
A branch of Yggdrasil, the World Ash, connected the first layer of Ysgard to Limbo. It was a trajectory regularly chosen by the Great Modron March.
A rare type of substance was exported out of Limbo called shift space. It was sold in small packets and consumed through dipping and licking wetted fingers. Each dip tasted differently. This exotic spice could be purchased as far from Limbo as Sigil, the City of Doors.
Ecosystem
"There, we mold the matter of Limbo with our minds. We forge cities with our thoughts. In its chaos we dwell, with only our knowing to preserve us. We are the githzerai.” — Dak'konLayers of Limbo: Gith & Slaad The Slaad were likely natives of Limbo and the Githzerai were immigrants (or refugees, if you ask the githyanki) and the first layer was named for them. This layer was strategically important because of its connections to Gladsheim, the Concordant Opposition, Pandemonium, and the Astral plane. Susanowo Named after a deity from the country of Japan on Earth, he ruled a spherical bubble half-filled with seawater and aquatic life and churned by storms of his making.
Ecosystem Cycles
"Gith and Slaad" was described by some scholars as the first layer of Limbo. Named after its most numerous inhabitants, the githzerai and the Slaadi, the layer was scarcely distinguishable from the rest of the plane.
-Chaos of Limbo encompassing the first layer, Gith & Slaad.
Like all of Limbo, Gith and Slaad was a churning storm of ever-changing matter and energy, dotted with fragments of temporarily stable landscape. The raw chaos could be manipulated and stabilized by a creature's force of will.
Most of the portals in and out of Limbo were located in this layer, usually leading to Ysgard, Pandemonium, and the Outlands. They could assume any form but were usually surrounded by slowly rotating areas of stable matter. However, these portals were highly unreliable, often leading to random locations.
The barriers separating Gith and Slaad from the other layers of Limbo were considerably weaker than in other planes so it was possible to find divine realms typically associated with other layers of the plane there, as well as permanent settlements throughout the plane. Those barriers were also constantly shifting their position, sometimes allowing portions of a neighboring layer to bleed through, increasing or decreasing the layer's size. Many scholars simply disregarded the reason for the barriers' existence, considering the entire plane as one single layer.
Localized Phenomena
When souls arrived in the plane of Limbo, they were not allowed to manifest in some form but rather were absorbed into the matter of the plane. Occasionally a collection of spirits would become powerful enough to form what was called a chaos elemental, not to be confused with a being from the elemental planes.
-Chaos Elemental
Climate
Limo embodied a continuously exploding storm. The realms were comprised of chaotic matter that shifted uncontrollably and seemingly at random eternally. This caused the realm to shift into strange objects, shapes, animals, or elements. Each of the five layers boasted various themes of chaos, but none maintained one set climate as the matter of the Limbo ceased to remain in any one state of being.
Fauna & Flora
Much like the climate of the plane itself, the flora and fauna are plentiful, but inconstant. Life flows freely in Limbo and what may be presented as a cheerful bunny upon a green glade can just as instantly be mutated into a rock upon a volcanic caldera. This presents the plane with a plethora of creatures sometimes not native within the realm, but never for very long. The volatile nature of Limbo makes hunting and foraging incredibly difficult. Often hunters must claim victory over their prey prior to their mutations. If a creature is destroyed, the life essence disperses and the body can be maintained by a strong enough mind to be used for sustenance. Alternatively, the corpse or destroyed objects will cease to decay and rather be reclaimed by the chaos. This often caused Gith hunters to seek out sections of the realm such as Fennimar, a mostly stable forest in Limbo maintained by the elven god Fenmarel Mestarine.
History
According to a thrall captured by mind flayers of Oryndoll beneath Andalbruin, Limbo was the plane to which the batrachi retreated in −31,500 DR. There, they founded a realm called the Supreme Throne. Cyric, as a result of his insanity, forcefully moved the fortress into his own divine realm, which became a fiendish plane according to the World Tree cosmology, or a realm in Cocytus according to the Great Wheel cosmology.
-Venturing Ruins of Limbo
Tourism
- The realms of the powers that resided in Limbo floated through the various layers at will and so are listed here in no particular order.
- The Slaad lords Ssendam and Ygorl maintained realms most often found in the first layer but away from areas not under their control. Ssendam's citadel is a golden castle, while Ygorl's realm is a chain of carved spheres that whirl about.
- The Githzerai formed hamlets, villages, and three large cities out of the chaos. The first one was known as Shra'kt'lor, which was the center of their military might, while the second was known as the Zerth'Ad'Lun or the Floating City and was a religious center of their race. Both of them were ruled over by Zaerith Menyar-Ag-Gith (the Great Githzerai).
- Fennimar was the realm of Fenmarel Mestarine before moving to Arvandor. Shevarash, the Black Archer, also often stayed there.
- Targus, the Netherese god of war, lived here, before moving to Pandemonium under his new name of Garagos.
- Tempus Foehammer, Lord of Battles once lived in Limbo. Knight's Rest was the name of his realm which later became its own plane named Warrior's Rest in the World Tree cosmology model.
- Leira, the Lady of the Mists, once made her home called the Courts of Illusion here.
- Tapann, the patron deity of Korreds once made his home here.
- Mystryl, the Mother of All Magic, lived on this plane in her domain called Dweomertor until her death in −339 DR.
- Astilabor, the Hoardmistress of the Draconic pantheon, was reputed to have a lair hidden somewhere in Limbo that contained more wealth than that found on all the planets of Realmspace.
- Kereska, the draconic "Light of Magic", resided in Limbo.
- Agni, the chaotic Vedic fire deity, had a mutable realm named Swarga here together with his fellow Lords of Creation Indra and Vayu.
- The githzerai settlements of the Floating City and Shra'kt'lor, home to Zaerith Menyar-Ag-Gith, the Great Githzerai, were occasionally located in the first layer as they moved through the plane.
- The realm of the Slaad lord Ygorl was occasionally found in the first layer as it randomly traveled throughout the plane.
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