Eco.. The Planes - JulTob/DnD GitHub Wiki
flowchart TB
M[Material Plane]
S[Shadowfell]
F[Feywild]
E{Ethereal}
A{Astral}
W(Watter)
FR(Fire)
EA(Earth)
WI(Wind)
CHA{CHAOS}
CEL(Celestial)
ELY(Elysium)
ARB(Arboreal)
LMB(Limbo)
ABS(Abyss)
HAD(Hades)
HEL(Hell)
MEC(Mechanus)
DEEP(The Deep Beyonds)
M-.->F
M-.->S
M-..->|Inner Planes|E
M-......->|Outer Planes, the spirit realms|A
E--->|Elemental Planes| W
E--->|Elemental Planes| FR
E--->|Elemental Planes| EA
E--->|Elemental Planes| WI
WI<-->CHA
FR<-->CHA
W<-->CHA
EA<-->CHA
A-->|LG|CEL
A-->|NG|ELY
A-->|CG|ARB
A--->|LN|MEC
A--->|CN|LMB
A---->|CE|ABS
A---->|NE|HAD
A---->|LE|HEL
M-............->DEEP
♁ The Material Plane
The Material Plane is the stage upon which the drama of life unfolds, a realm of both beauty and peril where mortals thrive and struggle. It is a world of balance, where the forces of nature, civilization, and magic intertwine to create a tapestry of existence. Here, the elements dance in harmony, and the laws of physics hold sway, but even in this seemingly stable realm, there are places where the boundaries between worlds grow thin, and the influence of other planes seeps in like a whisper from beyond.
℧ The Dreamlands
The Dreamlands are a vast, surreal realm where the boundaries of reality blur and the subconscious mind manifests in vivid, ever-shifting landscapes. This plane encompasses both the enchanting beauty of the Feywild and the haunting gloom of the Shadowfell, serving as the source from which these realms draw their power. In the Dreamlands, dreams and nightmares walk as living entities, time and space are fluid, and the laws of the Material Plane are mere suggestions. It is a place where the wildest imaginations and deepest fears collide, creating a world of infinite possibility and peril, where those who venture too far may lose themselves to the depths of their own minds.
☘ Feywild
The Land of Enchantment
The Feywild is a reflection of the Material Plane, but one where magic saturates every corner, and reality itself shimmers with a dreamlike quality. Here, the laws of nature bend to the whims of capricious spirits, and the landscape is alive with vibrant colors, intoxicating scents, and the laughter of unseen beings. Time is a fickle thing in the Feywild, flowing unpredictably, and emotions are heightened to extremes. While the Feywild dazzles with its beauty, it is a realm where enchantment and peril walk hand in hand, where a wrong step or a careless word can trap a mortal in a never-ending dream—or nightmare.
⚝ Shadowfell
The Nightmare Lands
The Shadowfell is a dim and desolate reflection of the Material Plane, where light and life are muted and shadow reigns supreme. It is a place of despair and decay, where hope withers and only the strongest spirits endure. The landscape is a twisted echo of the real world, with familiar locations rendered in shades of gray and black, and where every breath feels heavy with the weight of sorrow. Here, the dead walk and the living find their vitality sapped, their souls drawn inexorably toward the darkness. The Shadowfell is a place of endings, where all things come to fade, and where the line between life and death blurs until it is almost indistinguishable.
☯ Ethereal
The Veil Between Worlds
The Ethereal Plane is a liminal space, a mystical veil that separates the physical world from the deeper truths of existence. It is a realm where the boundaries of reality dissolve, and where the spiritual and magical essence of the universe is laid bare. The Ethereal Plane is not just a ghostly mirror of the Material Plane; it is the core from which the fundamental forces of magic and emotion spring forth. Here, the elements exist not as mere physical substances, but as pure, alchemical concepts, each embodying the spiritual essence and emotional resonance of the universe.
🜄 Water
The Endless Sea
The Plane of Water is not simply an endless ocean, but the very embodiment of fluidity, emotion, and the ever-changing tides of the heart. It is the source of all that flows and transforms—love, sorrow, tranquility, and the ceaseless current of life. In this realm, water is a metaphor for the soul’s journey, an eternal dance between stillness and storm, where the depths conceal the most profound secrets and the surface reflects the ever-changing moods of the world.
🜂 Fire
The Never Ending Inferno
The Plane of Fire is the heart of the universe’s fury and passion, a realm where flame is not merely a destructive force, but the very essence of transformation, desire, and willpower. Here, fire burns with the intensity of creation and destruction, representing the primal forces of ambition, anger, and love. It is a place where souls are tempered in the heat of trials, and where the flames of passion fuel the magic of the heart. The Plane of Fire is the crucible of change, where raw energy is shaped by the spirit’s intent.
🜃 Earth
The Eternal Mountain
The Plane of Earth is the cornerstone of the universe’s strength and endurance, where the solidity of the earth represents the unyielding resolve and steadfastness of the soul. This realm is not just stone and soil, but the very embodiment of stability, patience, and the deep, grounding forces that give life form and structure. It is a place where mountains are the bones of the world, and where the spirit finds its foundation in the unshakeable truths of existence. Here, the earth is not just a substance, but the essence of persistence and the will to endure.
🜁 Wind
The Infinite Sky
The Plane of Air is the source of inspiration and freedom, where the wind is not just a current of air, but the embodiment of thought, creativity, and the boundless possibilities of the mind. In this realm, air represents the spirit’s flight, the pursuit of knowledge, and the ever-changing winds of fortune. It is a place where ideas take flight on the breeze, where the whisper of the wind carries the secrets of the cosmos, and where the soul is uplifted by the freedom to dream. The Plane of Air is the breath of life, the spark of innovation, and the essence of all that is ethereal and light.
♆ CHAOS 🜹
The Maelstrom of Creation
The Plane of Chaos is the primordial soup from which all things emerge and into which all things return: a realm where the very fabric of reality is in constant flux.
Here, chaos is not mere disorder, but the fertile ground of creation, where the potential for all things exists in a swirling maelstrom of energy and possibility. It is a place where the boundaries between elements blur, where fire dances with water, earth melds with air, and the raw magic of the universe churns in an endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. The Plane of Chaos is the source of all that is unpredictable and wild, a testament to the universe’s infinite creativity and the ever-present potential for change.
𐦝 Astral
The Astral Plane is the boundless realm of thought, belief, and will—a metaphysical expanse where the inner worlds of countless beings converge and take shape. Unlike the Ethereal Planes, which are attuned to the external forces of the universe, the Astral Plane is a manifestation of the internal, shaped by the collective consciousness, morality, and purpose of all who dream, believe, and strive.
In the Astral Plane, reality is fluid, bending to the will and belief of those who dwell there. It is a place where the abstract becomes concrete, where thoughts and emotions coalesce into tangible forms, and where the boundaries between the self and the cosmos dissolve. Here, the landscapes are forged by the collective dreams, fears, and desires of countless minds, where each belief system, moral code, and guiding purpose gives rise to entire realms, each an echo of the transcendent ideals and inner conflicts that define existence.
⚻ Upper Planes
Realms of Idealism and Virtue
The Upper Planes are shaped by the ideals of purity, virtue, and altruism. These realms are the manifestations of collective aspirations toward goodness, justice, and enlightenment, where the forces of light and righteousness are given form by the unwavering belief in the power of the good. The inhabitants of these planes (gods, angels, and other celestial beings) are the personifications of these ideals, their existence fueled by the collective desire for a universe governed by fairness and love.
⧝ Celestial
The Heights of Aspiration
The Celestial Plane is born from the belief in the ultimate goodness of the universe: a realm where the purest aspirations of justice, kindness, and compassion converge. Here, the light of countless souls striving for a better world shines brightly, forming a landscape of ethereal beauty and divine purpose. The Celestial Plane is the embodiment of humanity’s highest ideals, a realm where every act of kindness, every moment of selflessness, strengthens the light that banishes the darkness.
𖤍 Elysium
The Dream of Peace
Elysium is the manifestation of the collective yearning for peace, a realm where the turmoil of the mortal world is stilled by the gentle, harmonious waves of contentment and serenity. It is a paradise born from the collective desire for a world free of conflict, a place where souls can rest in eternal tranquility. Here, the spirits of those who sought peace in life find their reward, dwelling in fields of eternal sunshine, their every need met by the very essence of the realm itself.
𑁍 Arboreal
The Spirit of the Wild
Arborea is the astral reflection of the wild, untamed spirit of life: a realm where the collective consciousness venerates the beauty, freedom, and raw power of nature. Here, the primal forces of growth, decay, and rebirth are celebrated in an endless cycle, with towering trees, rushing rivers, and boundless skies forming a landscape of untamed beauty. Arborea is where the deep connection between life and the natural world is honored, a realm where the spirits of those who cherished the wild find eternal freedom.
⚀ Medium Planes
Realms of Balance and Mechanism
The Medium Planes arise from the belief in order, structure, and the balance of forces: realms where the cosmos is seen as a vast mechanism, each cog and wheel turning in perfect harmony. These planes reflect the collective consciousness’s desire for a universe where every action has its place, where chaos is tamed, and where the laws of reality are immutable and absolute.
✧ Limbo
The Abyss of Potential
Limbo is a realm of pure potentiality, a swirling mass of chaos from which all things can arise and to which all things can return. It is the astral embodiment of the belief that from chaos comes order, that the universe itself is born from the churning void. Limbo is a place where the collective belief in the power of possibility takes shape, where nothing is fixed, and where the only constant is change.
⚙ Mechanus
The Clockwork of Order
Mechanus is the astral reflection of the universe as a grand, intricate machine, where every action and event is part of a larger, perfectly balanced system. It is a realm born from the belief in the ultimate order of the cosmos, where the collective consciousness of those who value structure, logic, and predictability gives rise to a landscape of gears, levers, and perfectly timed mechanisms. In Mechanus, every soul is a cog in the great clockwork of existence, each playing its part in the unending cycle of time.
⚺ Lower Planes
Realms of Despair and Malevolence
The Lower Planes are forged from the darker aspects of the collective consciousness. Realms where fear, hatred, and despair take on terrifying forms. These planes reflect the belief in a universe governed by cruelty, suffering, and destruction, where the forces of evil and corruption are given free rein. The Lower Planes are the embodiment of the nightmares that lurk in the depths of the soul, places where the collective fears and vices of all beings are made manifest.
☣ Abyss
The Depths of Destruction
The Abyss is the astral manifestation of pure malevolence, a realm born from the belief in the ultimate power of chaos and evil. It is a place where the darkest desires and most destructive impulses of the collective consciousness run rampant, creating a landscape of endless carnage, corruption, and despair. The Abyss is a realm where everything is torn apart by the relentless forces of hatred and madness, a place where even the strongest wills are broken by the weight of its evil.
☠ Hades
The Wasteland of Despair
Hades is the embodiment of hopelessness, a realm where the belief in a universe devoid of joy, meaning, and light has taken root. It is a desolate wasteland where the souls of the damned wander in endless misery, their every hope crushed by the overwhelming weight of despair. Hades is a place where the darkness within the collective consciousness is laid bare, a realm where the very air is thick with sorrow, and where even the strongest spirits find themselves succumbing to the void.
🜏 Hell
The Furnace of Damnation
Hell is the astral reflection of a universe ruled by tyranny, suffering, and cruelty. A realm forged by the belief in the absolute power of evil and the inevitability of punishment. It is a place where the fires of torment burn eternally, where the damned are subjected to endless torture by the infernal forces that rule the plane. Hell is a realm where the darkest aspects of the collective consciousness are made real, a place where the belief in sin and retribution gives rise to an inferno of unending agony.
⛧ The Deep Beyond
The Abyss of Cosmic Horror
The Deep Beyond can be envisioned as the ultimate realm of cosmic horror, a place that exists beyond the known planes, where the very fabric of reality breaks down and the laws of the universe are twisted by the incomprehensible forces of ancient, eldritch beings. Here’s how we can describe it:
The Deep Beyond is not merely a place; it is a terrifying expanse where the fabric of reality frays, and the nightmares of the cosmos seep into existence. This is the domain of the Great Old Ones, entities of unimaginable power and malevolence, whose very presence warps the minds of those who dare to glimpse them. In the Deep Beyond, the known planes of existence become fragile bubbles of order adrift in an endless sea of madness, where the ancient and the unknowable reign supreme.
This realm is home to the dark, alien gods like Cthulhu, Hastur, and Nyarlathotep, whose incomprehensible motives and powers dwarf even the greatest deities of the Upper and Lower Planes. It is a place where time and space are meaningless, where the skies bleed and the stars are wrong, and where the very ground can rise up in forms that defy all logic and reason. The Deep Beyond is the antithesis of creation; it is the abyss from which nightmares are born, where reality is a fleeting illusion and madness is the only constant.
Carcosa
The forsaken city, lies within the Deep Beyond, a place where the thin veneer of civilization peels away to reveal the chaos beneath. Here, the Yellow Sign holds sway, and the inhabitants are mere puppets of a far greater malevolence. The streets twist in impossible angles, and the city itself seems to whisper with the voices of the lost, guiding travelers deeper into its labyrinthine horrors.
The Realm of Cthulhu
It is a sunken, cyclopean metropolis of non-Euclidean geometry, where the Great Old One sleeps in his watery tomb, waiting for the stars to align. This is a place of crushing pressure and darkness, where the boundaries between the physical and the psychic dissolve, and where the dreams of Cthulhu leak into the minds of those unfortunate enough to be connected to his ancient slumber.
In the Deep Beyond, the stars themselves are malign entities, and the very air hums with the chaotic energies of an uncaring universe. This is the place where all fears are realized, where the insignificance of mortals is laid bare, and where the only truth is madness. It is a realm not meant to be understood, a place that exists beyond the fringes of reality, where the nightmares of the cosmos take form and devour the minds of all who dare to enter.