Elemental Plane of Fire Geographic Location in Toriel | World Anvil

Elemental Plane of Fire

“The very concept of fire, one of the most fundamental elements of existence, is born and reborn in a never-ending cycle on the Plane of Fire. It is a landscape of ashen black sand and grit, pitted and gutted by gouts of flame and the burning eye of the overhead sun, with an impossibly great sea of heaving conflagration, dotted by islands and continents of scorched rock burnt black. Ash and smoke fill the air, and though that raging semblance of a sun hangs in the sky, shadows and darkness permeate the landscape. It is a realm hostile to life, yet life thrives here, and dies, and is reborn again, just as a flame can die and reignite.”
— Astromarchus the Sage
  The Inner Planes are comprised of the universal building blocks of existence - earth, air, water, and fire. There is so much more to these planes of existence than just their dominant trait, and each holds a wealth of treasure, danger, and excitement just waiting to be discovered. And, for the unwary, death, which the Plane of Fire carries in abundance.   But it’s not all danger. For travelers who can find their way to this place great treasures and mysteries abound. The fabled City of Brass, home to the greedy efreet, offers shelter within its bazaars and marketplaces from the constant dangers of the land. However, foolish travelers are just as likely to end up with a knife in their back from some scheming merchant in the city’s streets as they are to burn to death in the scorching heat of the wilderness.   Elemental monsters live and die in the scorched wilderness of the Plane of Fire, the most common of which are the elementals themselves. These living columns of flame are simple animals of the plane with low intelligence, though some of the larger ones do exhibit greater semblances of thought that propels them further towards sentient beings.   At the top of the elemental chain is the spirit of fire, the elder elemental known as the Phoenix.  

Geography

As the name suggests, the Plane of Fire is hot – very hot. The air is suffused with fire, so creatures and objects that are not protected against the extreme temperatures are going to suffer. The suffering is enough to require travelers to take precautions without burning them to a crisp upon arrival, usually magically imbued fire immunity. The nature of the plane has created a realm where the landscape is dominated by several distinct geographic features:    

Obsidian Tower

Somewhere in the lonely blasted landscape stands a tall tower made of reflective black obsidian. Legends of this Obsidian Tower say that it has no doors or windows but that its insides hold the magical secrets of a sorcerer-king from some prime material world. Greedy treasure hunters and zealous explorers have searched for the site across the plane but few claim to have actually seen it. The mystery of its contents continues to drive fantastic stories. Does a phylactery of a powerful Lich sit inside? Perhaps the arcane formulae to unlocking the Plane of Fire’s deepest and most powerful energies? Or maybe gold and jewels to make the Grand Sultan blush? No one knows for sure.  

Volcano of the Destroyer

The impressively gigantic Volcano of the Destroyer is an imposing sight on the horizon for hundreds of miles in any direction. It sits in the center of a rugged mountain range where the lava flowing from its wide opening creates rivers and lakes in the surrounding valleys. Long ago this was the home of Imix, one of the most powerful of the Elemental Lords of Fire, and some scholars say it was where the great being was born (or created, depending on the philosophical viewpoint). The details of why Imix departed the site are unknown.   Titanic forces of a planar nature continually spew lava from the volcano’s top, making this a dangerous site for visitors. The heart of the Volcano of the Destroyer may be the hottest point on the Plane of Fire – the heat is capable of harming creatures who are normally immune to fire. It is rumored that only an Elemental Lord can withstand the dangerous temperatures, though special high-level Magic may be of use for characters wishing to get to the center.  

Getting There

Each elemental plane possess a large well linking it to Toriel. The Dragon's Breath is a unique underwater volcano located in the dragon's bay, which serves as the link between Toriel and the elemental plane of fire.   Portals to the Plane of Fire can exist spontaneously in the hottest areas of the Material Plane, with volcanoes being the primary source. Characters wishing to transport themselves to this elemental realm must either possess the appropriate magic (which is usually reserved for more powerful or advanced characters) or risk themselves finding one of these open portals. Occasionally a portal will spontaneous appear in the heart of a raging forest fire, though these instances are rare.   One of such portal exist within Holypertuis, a direct link between the plane of fire and the caapital of Tana's Empire allowing both faction to trade with ease. The portal is policed and guarded by both Tana's empire and the efreet.  

Traveling Around

Much of the Plane of Fire is hardened, black earth covered with a fine layer of ash, so creatures capable of walking are not impeded much by the land itself. Wheeled slave caravans driven by cruel efreeti masters travel from outpost to outpost, selling their “goods” to buyers willing to pay their high prices. Mountain ranges are tall and rife with volcanoes of all sizes, and in the valleys between the peaks fierce salamanders – half-snake, half-humanoid intelligent denizens of the plane – have formed tribes. Across the Cinder Wastes, the efreet built and maintain a long stretch of black basalt pavements known as the Inferno Road. This links up the outlying outposts of the City of Brass to the magnificent city, allowing caravans filled with raw material, slaves, and other gear to travel with relative ease back to the seat of efreeti power on the Plane of Fire.   One of the most dominant features of the plane is the Sea of Fire, which is not filled with water but molten magma. The temperatures of the plane are so extreme that the lava that fills this sea is as liquid as water, roiling and boiling, creating huge waves that crash down upon the islands that form the solid ground. Specially designed ships have been developed by travelers that can withstand Plane of Fire   the extreme heat of this sea – distilled essence of wood from the mythical Everburning Forest is required to make these boats float, which is a rare ingredient indeed. The efreeti sail the Sea of Fire on brass ships that are immune to the heat.   The air is ash and dust filled, so breathing is a problem for any creature wishing to take to the skies. Clouds of ash pose serious problems to everyone and can be created in the blink of an eye. Great fire rocs are known to hide in these ash clouds, waiting for the right moment to strike at easy prey.  

Creatures & Denizens

Powerful & Mighty

Though much of the Plane of Fire is uninhabited or uncontrolled, a few powerful creatures hold sway over some parts of the realm. Crossing these monstrously powerful leaders, can have dire consequences for a band of adventurers. However, though most of these powerful beings are evil, a few have more pragmatic views of their land, and some have keen interests in the Material Plane. A group of adventurers may find themselves unwittingly working for one or more of these entities as patrons, either inadvertently or as means to a greater good.  

Elder Elemental

At the top of the elemental chain is the spirit of fire, the elder elemental known as the Phoenix.  

Grand Sultan of the Efreet

In his Charcoal Palace within the bustling City of Brass, the lord and master of all efreet, Marrake al-Sidan al-Hariq ben Lazen, sits.  

Denizens

The Plane of Fire is filled with life of all kinds. Most of it is dangerous, some just accidentally, so travelers are urged to exercise caution when dealing with any native creature of the Plane of Fire.  

Elementals

The living extension of the plane’s destructive power are the fire elementals. Numerous, wild, and generally ill-tempered, most fire elementals live out in the Cinder Wastes, consuming everything they come across. It’s a natural process that creates a rich environment for new life to thrive, which in turns grows and becomes consumed in a never-ending cycle of life, death, and rebirth.   Fire elementals come in all shapes and sizes, and many of the intelligent denizens of the Plane of Fire have learned to domesticate the creatures. The Plane of Fire is filled with variants of Material Plane creatures that have adapted to life in the fiery landscape. These creatures have immunity to fire but otherwise share the same statistics as their Material Plane brethren, and most are orange, crimson, or black in color. Fire whales swim through the Sea of Fire, and fire rocs soar through the skies. Fire flies buzz in great swarms across all the regions of the plane, and packs of fire hounds often serve efreeti masters as hunting dogs.   Azer. Azer are cousin of the dwarves, born from the element of fire rather than earth, they share numerous traits with the primordial Dwarf. Azers are flame-bearded creatures with metal skins and iron-hard outlooks. They are industrious powerhouses who build and maintain enormous forges in the mountains of the plane, and their incredible skill at forging powerful items has made them prime allies of the efreet. The azer are a cautious lot but their passion lies in their work not in the hand that wields it, so as long as they are rewarded most azer are happy to work for efreet merchants. Some are captured and held as slaves, a shameful mark on any azer and one they work tirelessly to break.   Efreet. Massive, powerful, arrogant, and vain, efreet are the native genies of the Plane of Fire. Most are sadistic monsters who delight in torture of all kinds, but rarely do they exhibit rampant destructive tendencies. They are calculating monsters who carefully weigh choices and decisions to ensure their own needs come out on top in any transaction, but they often fall prey to their powerful emotions. Love, joy, anger, and sadness rage through an efreeti’s heart like a tornado of fire. Their greatest city is one of the fantastic metropolises of the planes, the City of Brass, built on an enormous brass disk hammered by azer slaves long ago. It sits on the shores of the Sea of Fire, and the Grand Sultan of the Efreet in his Charcoal Palace oversees scores of nobles in his court.   Salamanders. Few creatures embody the destructive tendency of fire better than salamanders. These large, snake-like elemental beings are obsessed with power and delight in their own fiery abilities, inflicting pain on lesser creatures out of sheer delight. Most serve the efreet as slaves in their outposts as soldiers and commanders, and they’ve developed their own societal structure that holds scheming nobles in the same vein as their Genie masters. The salamanders hold a never-ending grudge against the azer, whom they blame solely for their enslavement.  

Humanoids

The cosmopolitan City of Brass sees thousands of travelers from across the multiverse and houses many more in its grand charcoal avenues and basalt buildings. According to ancient law, any creature can petition to become a citizen of the City of Brass if they are willing to undergo scrutiny by the efreeti lords, and there are many who have chosen to settle here – or are forced to live on the streets, eking out a life of poverty in the shadow of grand palaces and lofty towers.   Firenewt. Firenewts are a race of militant-minded lizard-like creatures with bright orange skin and foul tempers. Most worship the Phoenix.   Genasi. Fire genasi are the offspring of efreet and mortal humanoids, and most are viewed as unwanted bastards by their genie parents. Sizable communities of fire genasi exist in the City of Brass, and if they were ever to truly unite they could become a reckonable force that the Grand Sultan would have to at least recognize. As it is, however, fire genasi often inherit the reckless emotions of their genie parentage, traits that keep them squabbling and fighting amongst themselves and everyone else rather than uniting. Some families of fire genasi travel the Cinder Wastes as merchants in fire-proof caravans, living lives of freedom on the open road, and many choose to take to the life of an adventurer out in the wild of the multiverse.  

Features

Traveling on the Plane of Fire is a harrowing experience in and of itself. The realm is full of dangers that can cook unprepared visitors with barely a moment’s notice.  

Surviving

Nonmagical and unprotected paper of any sort catches fire immediately on the Plane of Fire. During the noon hour, the hottest of the day, nonmagical and unprotected metal including armor and weapons melt in 1d4 rounds, and those unfortunate enough to be caught holding such items suffer 10 (3d6) points of fire damage. During this time, nonmagical and unprotected liquids evaporate in 1d4 rounds. Magical varieties of paper, metal, and liquid are immune to these effects. Characters and creatures on the Plane of Fire suffer 22 (4d10) fire damage each round during the noon hour as well.  

Ash Cloud

Great billowing black clouds of ash dot the ember-lit sky and they can suddenly bear down on a location without a moment’s notice, threatening everyone in a large area. Those caught inside an ash cloud must survive choking in near-blackout conditions that lasts 3d10 minutes. Magically produced wind can move an ash cloud out of (or into) an area.  

Lava Geyser

This can either by an eruption from the cracked ground or a sudden uprising in the ocean of fire, but in either situation it can be deadly. Those caught in the blast suffer extreme fire damage (20d6) and are hurled away 1d6 x 10 feet from the blast. A lava geyser can last up to an hour, reaching heights of one hundred feet into the air. Rumors persist of some lava geysers reaching hundreds of feet across and thousands of feet into the air, though thankfully these are rare occurrences.  

Inferno Wave

The great flaming sea hosts its own share of natural phenomena, and one of the most dangerous is an inferno wave. These rolling waves of lava can rise hundreds of feet in the air, cresting and falling with tremendous force and power onto unsuspecting vessels. Creatures and ships caught in the inferno wave suffer 35 (10d6) fire damage, and the wave itself can encompass an area 1d10 x 100 feet wide.  

Rain of Fire

Ash clouds are not the only threat from the sky. Sometimes the sky rains fiery debris onto the ground, the result of a particularly large lava geyser or other natural occurrence. This rain of fire hurls flaming boulders and rocks which can crush the strongest of opponents for one round. Creatures in the affected area must make DC 14 Dexterity saving throws, suffering 35 (10d6) fire damage on a failure, or half as much on a success.  

History

Creation Myth

In the beginning, the realm was shrouded in elemental chaos. Here, the very forces and spirits of nature waged an unrelenting battle within a primordial chaos. This tumultuous conflict is now remembered as the Elemental War, where each elder elemental strove for dominance over the plane. Their clashes, fueled by the fury of weave, fire, air, water, and earth, gave birth to the material plane, emerging from the crucible of elemental chaos.   Yet, amid their ferocious combat, the elder elementals inadvertently consumed the essence of the Weave elemental, leading to a profound imbalance within this nascent world. It was within this unstable and volatile realm that the ancient gods arrived—a group of nine deities, each representing a distinct alignment.   The ancient gods sought to establish order and society, but the elder elementals fiercely contested their presence. However, due to the preexisting imbalance triggered by the consumption of the Weave elder elemental, the ancient gods ultimately prevailed. They banished the elder elementals to pocket planes known as the Elemental Planes.   Nevertheless, the elemental power of these ancient beings was too potent to be wholly suppressed. In time, they harnessed the surrounding chaos, giving rise to the five Elemental Planes. Meanwhile, dragons and giants, forged the prime material plane from the materials left of the battle of the elements, shaping the world into the familiar form it holds today.   The connection between the inner planes and the Ethereal Plane is a remnant of the once-unbridled elemental chaos, its formidable power gradually harnessed and subdued over the course of countless ages.

Type
Plane of Existence

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