Border Elemental Planes

Wild and unruly, the border regions between the Elemental Planes create distinct realms that act as a hybrid between the neighboring regions. Where Air and Water meet, the Plane of Ice is created; the border of Fire and Earth creates the Plane of Magma; the meeting of Earth and Water results in the Plane of Ooze; and the combination of Air and Fire births the Plane of Ash. These realms are smaller in scale than the core four, yet remain expansive nonetheless – they are still each larger than most Material Plane worlds!

Some planar scholars say that the Border Elemental Planes are relatively new in the multiverse, which is why they don’t have dominant species of genies. Others say that the constantly shifting nature of the Elemental Planes keeps these border regions from settling, resulting in regular patterns of activity that is unsuited to the formation or continuation of intelligent species. Certainly there are native creatures in these planes, but they tend toward the animalistic in nature rather than intelligently civilized, though certain exceptions exist (mephits, for example, but they generally lack the discipline to craft lasting legacies).

It has been theorized that the core energy types – fire, acid, cold, and lightning – are birthed from the Border Elemental Planes and not from their core Elemental Plane counterparts. Like many things in planar lore, the truth is likely never to be known and the facts remain debatable in scholarly circles. For example, the cold energy type certainly makes sense to originate from the Plane of Ice, and it’s not too far of a leap to connect acid to the Plane of Ooze. But how is fire a byproduct of the Plane of Magma? And though lightning is common on the Plane of Ash, it is not what most consider a dominant trait of the plane. Debates continue.

The Border Elemental Planes still contain enough adventure potential to lure travelers and bands of heroes to its inhospitable lands, though. Whether searching for the lost Halls of Blazeheart in the Plane of Magma, running from the frozen terrors in the City of the Elder Things on the Plane of Ice, hunting for the secrets of the Slime Lord Tombs in the Plane of Ooze, or picking through debris across the Battlefields of Smoke on the Plane of Ash, excitement and treasures abound for those brave enough to seek them out.

Lay of the Land

Each of the Border Elemental Planes is a distinct realm, though there isn’t as much variation in the landscape as the prime Elemental Planes.

Plane of Ice

The Plane of Ice sits between the Planes of Water and Air, and it is one of the coldest places in the multiverse. The bulk of the Plane of Ice is comprised of a region known as the Frostfell – broad, wind-carved tundras and mountains hiding ice-locked lakes of unknown depth. The skies are gray with constantly churning storm clouds pushed in from the Plane of Air mixing with the heavy moisture from the Plane of Water, and it is always snowing somewhere across the Frostfell.

Plane of Ash

Between the Planes of Air and Fire is the Plane of Ash. Scorching winds blow constantly through the Great Conflagration, the main region, which is dominated by a firestorm of immense proportion. The smoke-choked air obscures vision to only a few dozen feet, and blackened earth motes drift chaotically through the swirling ash. Unlike the Plane of Air, gravity has an effect here, but the supercharged heat from the Plane of Fire keeps even large earth motes and objects afloat, though unstable. A red glow from the fiery realm filters through the ash-filled sky.

Plane of Magma

Towering peaks and volcanoes pierce the Plane of Magma on the borders of the Planes of Fire and Earth. Mighty underground channels of lava cut through the rock, creating a cycle of cooling and re-heating that keeps the area full of dangers. The area is also known as the Fountains of Creation, and in the deep caverns, great seas of magma hide dangers and threats beyond the real possibility of burning or drowning.

Plane of Ooze

The bubbling, rumbling Plane of Ooze rests between the Planes of Water and Earth. Dominated by the aptly named Swamp of Oblivion, this plane is difficult to travel on the ground because of the sludge-like pools that dominate the terrain. It’s not friendly to air travel either, though, as great insect swarms act as dark clouds that block out the meager light from the Plane of Water.

Getting There

The easiest access point for all of the Border Elemental Planes is to travel to the Elemental Planes, reach the region closest to the border, and keep traveling, though the distance is variable and highly subjective to the whims of the multiverse. If you are on the Plane of Earth and travel to the Mud Hills, if you keep going through that area, you’ll eventually reach the Swamp of Oblivion and be on the Plane of Ooze. Such travel is not without its inherent dangers, as the natural properties of the Elemental Plane give way eventually to the hostile nature of the Border Elemental Plane. Still, the trip can usually be accomplished by going in a certain direction.

Portals exist at various points on each Border Elemental Plane, but these tend to be spontaneous events as much as purposely constructed permanent gateways. Savage blizzards in hostile arctic terrain on the Material Plane can create a sudden vortex to the Plane of Ice, and the appearance of the right conditions in a particularly nasty swamp can create a temporary gate to the Plane of Ooze for a short period. The wizards and sages of the Prismatic Order on the Plane of Air, specifically the Red Master Mage and his apprentices, have one of the most complete collections of known portals to the Border Elemental Planes known to exist.

Traveling Around

Traversing the Border Elemental Planes carries its own risks depending on the specific plane. The Plane of Ice is dangerous because of the numbing cold and powerful blizzards that spring up without warning, but beyond that, travel is relatively straightforward, on foot or flying. The Plane of Ooze holds hidden dangers in its endless swampy domain, and moving about is difficult because of the thick morass of sucking mud and slime – using a boat or finding another way to stay above the muck is the fastest way to move about from one location to another.

The Plane of Ash is hazardous to breathe and difficult to see. Still, aerial creatures can fly relatively unimpeded (avoiding the earth motes that dot the region and the searing hot winds). The Plane of Magma offers the most difficulties to traditional travel, as the entire plane consists of underground shifting molten rocks. Creatures that need to breathe air are going to be in for trouble, and those without the ability to swim through lava or shift through rock naturally need to find some magical means of getting around outside of portals or gates.

It’s worth noting that the Border Elemental Planes, like the Elemental Planes, do not have the traditional “compass” directions of north, east, south, and west. Among planar cartographers, direction is usually identified as inner – meaning towards the center of the Elemental Planes, which is the Material Plane – or outer – towards the absolute realm known as the Elemental Chaos.

Each of the Elemental Planes uses its neighboring Border Elemental Planes as a navigation point for travelers. For example, on the Plane of Fire, efreet use the terms “magmaward” and “ashward” to designate the two opposite ends of the plane, and on the Plane of Water cartographers in the City of Glass refer to the opposite ends as either “iceward” or “oozeward.”

Powerful & Mighty

Few creatures or groups have claimed dominion over large territories on the Border Elemental Planes. Rumors persist of an Elemental Lord of Ice named Cyronax who dwells somewhere in that frosty realm, but its plans and desires have not yet been revealed to the multiverse. If other elemental lords exist they have kept quiet to date, and the generally hostile nature of the Border Elemental Planes has kept others from making significant progress in controlling regions.

Fimbulvinter the White Doom

The oldest and most powerful white dragon known to exist in all the planes is a venerable great wyrm known as Fimbulvinter, the White Doom. Fimbulvinter’s extensive series of caves on the Plane of Ice is a sprawling masterpiece of icicle mazes miles across filled with traps, guardians, and no small amount of treasure, which the dragon protects fiercely. Several cavernous systems attach to the main lair, and these Fimbulvinter has installed his progeny – white dragons infused with the power of the elemental plane itself.

Fimbulvinter has lived longer than any white dragon has been recorded, and he has done so by being canny and careful. His long life has given him wisdom, but he is still prone to rage at the slightest frustration, a rage he takes out by hunting packs of yeti and frost giants that roam the Plane of Ice. Fimbulvinter is obsessed with collecting artifacts that relate to his most hated foes, the giants. Long ago, on some Material Plane, Fimbulvinter fought against the forces of Thrym alongside scores of white dragons, but the cataclysmic battles ended with the frost giants pushing the dragons out.

Fimbulvinter has never forgotten this, but rather than trust blindly to his rage, he has decided to study his hated opponents. To that end, the White Doom employs a network of planar treasure hunters and seekers, and he is careful not to reveal himself as the secret proprietor of these endeavors. What Fimbulvinter plans on doing with his collection of giant artifacts is unknown at this point.

Mephit Monarchs

As far as planar scholars understand, no elemental lords rule over the Border Elemental Planes. But that doesn’t mean that no creature claims dominion over them if you count the loosely organized Mephit Monarchs in that reckoning. Mephits are minor elemental creatures from the inner planes; they are more intelligent than regular elementals but possess little actual power, even when they travel to the material plane. They are petty, cruel, capricious creatures, and four of them have decided to carve up the Border Elemental Planes into their own private fiefdoms.

Each of the Mephit Monarchs rules over a small dwelling on their respective plane, claiming ownership over a much larger area but only able to control a small portion. They each hold “court” attended to by numerous minor mephits, each one of which schemes for control over the throne. These squabbles and bickering keep the Mephit Monarchs from mobilizing and becoming a real force, at least so far. Still, there is a possibility for one to stand out and truly unite the minor elemental pests into a single power.

Krakk the Boisterous is the King of Magma, and he stole the throne from Krakk the Quiet, who killed the previous Krakk the Mischievous during a skirmish, who lured Krakk the Confused into a trap, and so on. Their home is the Palace of Molten Delights, which is a fancy title for an otherwise simple large cave crisscrossed with magma rivers.

Huranna Toecurler is the Queen of Ash and has ruled the longest out of any of the Mephit Monarchs. Her paranoia keeps her from establishing any true power to date, but she has the most potential to affect an alliance with the others – if she could get over her mistrust of everyone. Huranna Toecurler and her court dwell in Everember, a clump of ash tumbling through the Great Conflagration with numerous tunnels carved into its bulk.

Juro Joru is the King of Ice in the Frostfell, and he is perhaps the most cruel of all the Mephit Monarchs. His ice mephit subjects are all dreadfully afraid of their king, who has been known to torture mephits and intruders with the slightest of provocations. He holds court in the Dreadfrost Fortress on the Plane of Ice, buried deep beneath the tundra wasteland.

The laziest of all the Mephit Monarchs is Lazzara the Queen of Ooze. She is so enormous that she cannot even fit through the exit to her Hall of Slime and Sludge, and she must rely on the other ooze mephits to provide her sustenance. Unfortunately for Lazzara, most ooze mephits are just as lazy as she is, so she is constantly hungry and searching for her next meal.

Slime Lords

The power of the Plane of Ooze is not readily apparent, but beneath its murky surface lies a wealth of untapped potential – or so believe the cabal of Ooze manipulators known as the Slime Lords. An orc druid founded the group on a distant Material Plane, a sole survivor of a raid by a rival orc tribe. Forced to fend for himself in the swamp, this orc became enthralled with the natural power of his surroundings, and he devoted his life to studying the potential of the swamp around him.

The orc lived a lonely life and grew powerful in his solitude, but the lifespan of an orc is not long, so he sought to extend his vitality. This research led him to the Swamp of Oblivion, where some property of the plane could be tapped to extend one’s life. He communicated with other scholars of planar lore, and together, they traveled to the Plane of Ooze, where they built dwellings out of mud and slime hardened by magic. The orc and his fellows distilled potions and elixirs from the swampy plane around them and developed deep magical understandings of the natural properties of the Swamp of Oblivion. He and his fellows called themselves the Slime Lords.

Over the years, the Slime Lords began to develop sinister uses for their newly found power, and this attracted newer members from across the multiverse. The orc who founded the band cut himself off from physical contact with the rest of the Slime Lords, but others stepped up to take his place, including an ogre sorcerer, a mephit, and an exiled dao. Their single building grew into a large complex called the House of Slime, and they continued their work to perfect the secrets of slime and ooze.

In their research and application, the Slime Lords sought to steal secrets known only to Juilblex, the Demon Lord of Slimes, from its wretched layer in the Abyss. The effort did not go as planned, and in retaliation, Juilblex used its vast power to turn the House of Slime in the Swamp of Oblivion into a permanent tomb for the Slime Lords and their secrets. The mud-hardened tomb sank into the swamp, taking with it the secrets of the Slime Lords and their magic.

Creatures & Denizens

The Border Elemental Planes have no shortage of native creatures, such as the beetle-like dripping crawlers of the Plane of Ooze, the mysterious elder things in the Frostfell, the ever-hungry lava sharks in the Plane of Magma, and the cruel smoke-like belkers in the Plane of Ash.

Beasts

Numerous creatures found in the Material Plane can also be encountered in the Border Elemental Planes. Insects of all kinds crawl or buzz around the Plane of Ooze, though of note are the dangerous dripping crawlers that lie in wait in the mud before hurling acid at their victims and devouring the remains. The Plane of Ice contains ice spiders, aurochs, cave bears, crag cats, and other predatory creatures found in extreme arctic zones.

Several well-adapted species of giant bats and blood hawks wing through the Plane of Ash. Fewer commonly encountered beasts live in the harsh and extreme regions of the Plane of Magma, though some heat-resistant giant badgers and crayfish have been found.

Elementals

The raw power contained in the border elemental planes creates unique elemental creatures along with the standard varieties. The Frostfell holds numerous water and air elementals along with ice elementals; fire, earth, and magma elementals are found in the Plane of Magma; earth, water, and ooze elementals populate the Plane of Ooze; and the choking environment of the Plane of Ash hides air, fire, and ash elementals. These elementals are found in greater abundance than the other Inner Planes and are usually hostile, perhaps owing to the raw and untamed nature of the border elemental planes.

Some unique creatures can also be found in these hostile regions. Belkers are cruel monsters of the Plane of Ash, though they often enjoy talking with their victims before ripping them to shreds with their smoke claws. Lava sharks swim through the currents of thick molten rock in the Plane of Magma, devouring everything in their path with enormous appetites. Mud serpents crawl through the Plane of Ooze but are thankfully rare, as their polymorphic spit can create problems for any traveler. Frostmites drift in enormous clouds throughout the Plane of Ice and can become quite a hazard due to the black chills disease they spread.

Mephits

Mephits are small beings comprised of pure elemental energy, similar to genies – a comparison genies are quick to dismiss. These smaller beings have claimed all of the border elemental planes as their home, though, in truth, they have little authority or power to enforce these bold claims. The Mephit Monarchs work to expand the reach of their little empires and constantly feud with each other, creating an environment where no one gets ahead because they’re all pulling each other down. Mephits are often summoned to the Material Plane by conjurers, which give the elemental creatures a chance to spread mischief and mayhem outside their own little territories.

Hazards & Phenomena

Like the rest of the Inner Planes, the Border Elemental Planes have hazards that can wreak havoc on travelers and natives at a moment’s notice. From choke clouds on the Plane of Ash to deep freezes on the Plane of Ice, to magma falls on the Plane of Magma, to insect swarms on the Plane of Ooze, each one of these realms holds dangerous ways to threaten life and limb.

Plane of Ash: Chokeclouds

While the entire Plane of Ash is dangerous to creatures that breathe air, the phenomena known as choke clouds can be particularly threatening. This is primarily due to the fact that a choke cloud is nearly invisible on the plane

– it appears as little more than another cloud of ash and embers in the endless red-lit sky.

Plane of Ash: Red Lightning Strike

The Plane of Ash is riddled with streaks of red lightning that dance between the thick ember-filled clouds that fill the Great Conflagration. Some strange property of the plane draws the red lightning to non-natives, so encountering a burst of it while traveling involves a short window of dangerous activity.

Plane of Ice: Blizzard

A wind constantly blows on the Plane of Ice, and it is perpetually snowing at least a little throughout the bleak days and bitter nights on the Frostfell. When a blizzard picks up, however, it blankets a very wide region in highspeed winds and heavy snow.

Plane of Ice: Deep Freeze

Snow and ice are constant threats, but one of the real terrors of the Plane of Ice is the sudden drops in temperature. Called deep freezes, these polar plunges occur without warning and can freeze even the most careful of travelers in a matter of minutes

Plane of Magma: Magmafall

The most dangerous hazard on the Plane of Magma is the magma itself, and some travelers think that by avoiding the rivers of lava that cross the realm they are safe. Unfortunately, magma has a way of shifting the landscape, and sometimes that can happen above an unlucky group of travelers.

Plane of Ooze: Insect Swarms

Moving about the Plane of Ooze is a dangerous prospect, and not just because of the monsters that inhabit the realm or the slow pace that overland travel must take. Enormous swarms of insects feed off the muck and slime of the plane, and they enjoy nothing more than a fresh meal of flesh and blood.

Sites & Treasures

With all the hazards and monsters on the Border Elemental Planes, why would anyone go there? To seek out treasure and wonders from the various mysterious sites, of course! There are numerous reasons to travel to one of the Border Elemental Planes, and below is a sample list of some of the most legendary that may pique the interest of any adventure-seeking band.

Battlefields of Smoke

On the Plane of Ash, djinni and efreeti forces clash regularly in a broad region that has become known as the Battlefields of Smoke. The Diamond Citadel of the djinn sits at one end, while the efreet Choking Palace is on the other, and between them is a dense field of floating rocks, debris, and swirling ash storms. The two opposing elemental forces battle for control of this region because, at its center, there is a huge floating dormant volcano known as the Mountain of Smoke. Long ago, when it was pulled up into the Great Conflagration, the lava drained out, leaving countless tunnels, tubes, and chambers inside, along with a rare mineral known as jaspum.

Jaspum grows in the hottest of lava tubes and is generally only found on the Plane of Magma, but through some combination of factors, the mountain in the Battlefields of Smoke contains rich veins of the smoky rose quartz-like mineral. Both the djinn and efreet covet jaspum for the creation of magical jewelry, and thus the battle for its control has raged for many years. Neither side gains dominance for long, but over the years each side has managed to mine away small portions of the mountain. Rumors in the City of Brass and the Citadel of Ice and Steel say that some primal guardian stalks the hollow lava tunnels as well, making mining expeditions extra dangerous.

Bog of the Dead

Creatures die all the time in the Plane of Ooze, and their bodies are consumed by the swampy terrain and returned to the landscape as food for the various plants that grow and thrive. In the Bog of the Dead, however, this natural cycle is interrupted by the sheer volume of dead creatures dumped into it. The source of the dead bodies, humanoids generally but also monsters of a wide variety, is a portal that flares to life above the bog, from which pour the fallen soldiers and foes of a powerful necromancer somewhere on the Material Plane.

Many of the bodies are former zombies and skeletons, and some spark of necromantic energy mixes with the natural power of the Swamp of Oblivion to create a particularly dangerous region. Undead monsters grasp and pull down travelers, and sometimes the portal opens and dumps more dead creatures, or parts of them in some cases, creating a grisly rain of decaying flesh. Treasure has been known to be found among the fallen in the Bog of the Dead, and the lure of discarded items is too much for some scavengers on the plane.

Choking Palace

The border of the Battlefields of Smoke in the Plane of Ash closest to the Plane of Fire is monitored and patrolled by the efreeti forces from the Choking Palace. Currently, the efreeti bey Zaahid Bilaal el-Diabris commands the troops from the palace, which sits on an unstable floating island made of burnt ash. Zaahid’s forces include ash elementals, an elite squad of efreet warriors called the Five Flaming Falchions, gargoyle mercenaries, and the best fighting slaves pulled from the markets of the City of Brass. They fight for control over the Mountain of Smoke and the rich veins of jaspum contained in its depths, warring with the djinn and their allies in the Diamond Citadel on the other side of the great battlefield.

The Choking Palace is an imposing Gothic structure built to inspire fear rather than hope. The forges run by azer slaves beneath the onyx towers belch black smoke into the air, mixing with the already toxic fumes of the Plane of Ash to create massive clouds that settle around the palace. Bey Zaahid is an ambitious efreeti noble from the City of Brass who sees the conquest of the Mountain of Smoke as his ticket to greater glories, perhaps even a place in the Grand Sultan’s court, so he drives his forces into more and more conflicts in an effort to overwhelm the djinn. He knows he’s fighting an uphill battle – the djinn have more allies in the region that are able to fly, but Bey Zaahid tries to make up for that difference in sheer numbers.

City of the Elder Things

Frozen in a wind-swept valley in an area of low mountains on the Plane of Ice sits a sheltered site of madness and monsters. This City of the Elder Things possesses cubic architecture unlike any seen elsewhere, either on the Plane of Ice or beyond, and the slumbering inhabitants are alien creatures utterly beyond the understanding of most beings. These elder things sleep in deep hibernation in the vaults and catacombs beneath the curious stone buildings and arches that make up the frozen city, but their guardians remain active and alert to intruders.

The most chilling accounts come from adventurers and travelers who came upon the city by mistake while searching for something else, and they tell of great bubbling slimes with unnatural intelligence that move about the city’s halls and chambers. Some elder things have been encountered above ground as well, either having been disturbed out of their hibernation or plotting some nefarious scheme, and they command traps and puzzles that utilize powerful elemental forces completely unheard of across the Inner Planes.

Yet, some planar scholars seek to catalog and unearth the true secrets of the City of the Elder Things. Where did it come from? What are the true motivations of its builders? Why do the elder things hibernate, and what are they waiting for? The answers to these questions may lie somewhere in this frozen city of death and madness on the Plane of Ice.

Diamond Citadel

At the opposite end of the sprawling Battlefields of Smoke on the Plane of Ash from the efreeti Choking Palace stands a gleaming spike of architectural marvel known as the Diamond Citadel. In a plane filled with soot and ash, the gleaming walls of this djinni citadel are always clean and sparkling, a beacon of light and hope standing in stark contrast to the darkness belched out by the Choking Palace. The djinn pulled a cloud stone island from the Plane of Air into the Great Conflagration, and through magic and regular upkeep, the island and diamond walls are kept meticulously clean.

The djinni forces at the Diamond Citadel are commanded by Shahinji Tahaani Randa al-Muraji, a female djinni working her way through the military of the Great Caliph. She has sworn in the presence of the Great Caliph to control the Mountain of Smoke, and to that end, she has been given control over the hippogriff-mounted unit known as the First Scimitar Air Cavalry, along with aarokocra soldiers from Aaqa. Shahinji Tahaani has her entire campaign planned out, and to date, her forces have been performing exactly as she planned. Her plan does require a lot more time, however, something that is getting the Great Caliph and his advisors very nervous about the prospects of actually controlling the Mountain of Smoke. Only time will tell if they can prevail against the efreeti forces gathered at the other end of the great battlefield.

Throne of Blazeheart

Long ago, the azer of the Plane of Fire sought to settle new lands away from the raiding parties of the efreet. Several large clans of azer left their mountainous homes in the Fountains of Creation and traveled deeper into the Plane of Magma. They crossed rivers of lava and caverns of wonder before finally settling into a massive chamber that once fed a titanic volcano. The azer carved homes and forges from the walls and founded Blazeheart, a kingdom to call their own.

The exact details of what happened to Blazeheart are unclear, but something tragic happened, and the city of the azer was consumed by powerful forces that could melt all of their mighty works. All except the throne of the azer king of Blazeheart, which now sits somewhere in the Plane of Magma in a buried chamber. The rumors say the throne is possessed with the souls of all the azer dwellers of Blazeheart, and they are imbued with knowledge of the planes beyond the understanding of most scholars and wizards. Some azer have gone out in search of the throne to learn of what befell of Blazeheart and its structures, but so far, none have returned from the journey deep into the Plane of Magma.

Lair of Fimbulvinter

One of the oldest and most powerful dragons in the multiverse is a truly ancient white dragon called Fimbulvinter, the Winter Doom. He claims a sprawling series of frozen caves below the wind-swept tundra of the Plane of Ice as his lair, which he has continually expanded and built out over the centuries. Many of the passages are large enough for the great dragon to fly through, and he has secret side tunnels that lead to hidden portals that allow him to access much of the multiverse. Ice golems and ice elementals patrol much of the lair as well, keeping intruders out, but it is rumored that Fimbulvinter becomes aware of any unwanted entry to his lair at any time.

Some parts of the massive megalair are given over to Fimbulvinter’s offspring, ancient and powerful dragons in their own right, and they squabble with one another over their father’s unbelievably large treasure horde. Fimbulvinter’s obsession with gathering artifacts related to his most hated foes, giants, means he spends little time watching his children. Still, he also knows that if anything truly valuable were stolen, he has the might to take it back with little effort. Several tribes of yetis worship Fimbulvinter as a dragon god, something that amuses the Winter Doom, and he allows them to live in sections of his lair and provide another level of security.

Lost Mire

The Plane of Ooze is a vast, unwholesome swamp filled with insects and monsters that want nothing more than to eat travelers and spit out their bones. It is also a realm where things can go missing for a long time, and nowhere is that truer than the Lost Mire. Deep shadows hang over this foreboding region, leading some to believe it holds a strong connection to the Shadowfell, and dark voices can be heard on the winds that howl through the stands of gnarled trees.

Some ancient force holds sway over the Lost Mire, and any object that is thrown into its depths becomes trapped for a period of 1,000 years. What force keeps it away from the multiverse is unknown, but it is strong enough to keep even deities from retrieving them. After the century has passed, the object is regurgitated back into the Plane of Ooze, usually violently and in a random direction. Shadow creatures patrol the region and seem to do the bidding of whatever force keeps things lost in the Lost Mire, but that hasn’t stopped adventurers and treasure seekers from seeing what bubbles up every now and then.

Obsidian Observatory

The Plane of Magma is a very inhospitable place, but for the wizard Tressafyne it also might hold the key to understanding the multiverse. She and a small band of apprentices learned of ancient lines of magic that run through the Plane of Magma, and they believe these lines connect up to every portion of the multiverse in some way. In order to study the strange phenomena, which many in the planar scholarly community do not believe really exist, Tressafyne commissioned a building where she could conduct her research. The azer that built it considered her mad, but they did as they were paid, and the Obsidian Observatory was constructed to Tressafyne’s exact specifications.

The Obsidian Observatory is a large dome made of shiny black obsidian, magically treated to withstand the power of the lava around it, with several towers protruding along its top. Tressafyne chose a cavern in the Plane of Magma that seemed to be the focus of the magical lines she believed would unlock the multiverse’s secrets, though over time the cavern has collapsed and reformed due the flowing molten rock of the plane. The observatory remains anchored in place, however, which seals her and her apprentices off for years at a time. Has Tressafyne found something? Or has she truly gone mad?

River of Rage

Magma is often viewed allegorically linked to anger, but on the Plane of Magma that link has manifested as a tangible location. The River of Rage is a magma flow river that cuts its way through the rocks of the plane with a passionate fury, and it hungrily devours any and all that get it in its way. It is theorized that some elemental intelligence commands the River of Rage, and that it can redirect its flow at any time in any direction in pursuit of new victims to consume. The bubbling river of lava is more volatile than most on the plane, with great bubbles of crimson erupting from its fast-flowing surface, and it splashes and moves more like water, allowing it to move swiftly through slower moving pools of magma.

And it’s not just the lava that travelers must worry about. Sentient victims of the River of Rage turn into ghostly apparitions that follow its course and goad other creatures into falling into its path. These ragewraiths are spirits of elemental fury, consumed with adding more numbers to the ever-hungry River of Rage. They are the embodiment of furious evil, though they have been known to appear in other planes when a particularly angry individual perished while holding on to their internal rage.

Slime Lord Tombs

The Slime Lords were a group of wicked spellcasters that used powerful transmutation magic in new and devious ways. They built a complex on the Plane of Ooze called the House of Slime to conduct experiments and magical research, pulling power from the very plane around them, and they were very successful at their efforts. Each of the individual Slime Lords had a wing of the House of Slime that was theirs, though infighting and treachery were common. The leader of the Slime Lords was an orc wizard from the Material Plane whose sheer will and determination kept the rest of his fellows in line.

Until they interfered with Juiblex, Demon Lord of Slime, in his lair on the Abyss. What secrets were stolen have never been known, but when Juiblex learned of the thieving efforts he brought down a terrible wrath upon the Slime Lords. The Swamp of Oblivion rose up at the command of the demon lord and encased the House of Slime, trapping them inside, and then it sank beneath the muck of the plane. Did any Slime Lords escape? What happened to their research and magical powers? Some wizards have sought out the sunken House of Slime, now referred to as the Slime Lord Tombs, but to date, none have found it and lived to tell the tale.

The region of the Plane of Ooze that sits above the Slime Lord Tombs is known to have bizarre magical properties and strange construct-like guardians. Acidic rain, slime from the swamp that moves up into the sky, geysers of muck, and more keep the unwary from finding the sunken home of the Slime Lords.

Tundra Pits

On the Plane of Ice, the frozen tundra that stretches across the realm is broken up periodically by ice-covered mountains. But in one spot, the landscape dips down and creates a broad bowl-shaped depression that stretches for more than a hundred miles. The howling wind is lessened inside the depression, the interior of which is dotted with countless holes. This region is known as the Tundra Pits, and the ice sheet on the floor sits over a curious porous stone that creates pits with a depth from 10 feet up to 100 feet or more.

Travelers and explorers of the Frostfell have taken refuge in the Tundra Pits from the unrelenting cold and wind of the plane, only to find themselves trapped in a surprisingly deep pit. Some of the pits lead to a series of caves, while others sit in frigid zones that can freeze a creature in a matter of moments.