Wilderness of the Beastlands

There is no plane in the multiverse that better embodies the savage and unpredictable aspects of nature than the Wilderness of the Beastlands. Endless tracts of forests stretch out across all three of its layers, where cycles of the day are frozen in their paths – brilliant day, eternal dusk (or dawn depending on your belief), and endless night.

Forests of all kinds grow rampant and enormous on all three layers. Beneath these endless forests stalk a dizzying array of beasts of all kinds. Predator and prey move in the eternal dance of life and death. All beasts understand this cycle instinctively – there is no evil in the wolf taking down a deer for the good of the pack. This bestial nature is common with most beasts, but on the Beastlands, the creatures are more intelligent and most possess the gift of speech.

Every type of creature obeys the edicts of a special Council of Beasts unique to that type of animal. Each council consists of thirteen exceptionally intelligent and powerful representatives of their species – the Council of Panthers rules over all panthers across the multiverse, while the Council of Rats commands the rats. These powerful groups have motives, schemes, and plans of their own, many of which involve their representatives on the material plane and beyond.

Above the beast councils are the powerful animal lords. These are unique creatures with many capabilities that rival demon lords and devil princes. Animal lords are dangerous, canny, and strategic in their actions, and their realms on the Beastlands harbor secrets and dangers to tempt any planar explorer.

Many tribes of centaurs call the plane their home, and a great number of lycanthropes of all types move amidst the three forested layers. The lycanthropes are accompanied by humanoids with lesser bestial abilities known as shifters. These shifters and lycanthropes form a loosely organized group called the Wylders that offer some of the only civilized places in the Beastlands.

The Beastlands offers a bountiful plane of natural wonder and beauty that cannot be rivaled across the multiverse. Primal magic stirs in the shadows of the endless forests, stirred up occasionally by chance or luck. The animal lords and beast councils protect their realms with fervent zeal as well, though few are considered evil by traditional standards. Trust is hard to come by, however, when creatures have to constantly be wary of the bigger or stronger predator at all times.

Lay of the Land

The layers of the Beastlands are specially designed to allow predators and prey to thrive. This means that there’s an abundance of vegetation, often in titanic proportions, to allow herbivorous beasts to graze and grow huge. By the same token, predators must also be larger and craftier. This circle of existence is repeated without end on all three of the Beastlands’ layers.

Krigala

The brilliant sun hangs in the sky over Krigala, the first layer. It never sets or wanes from its position, and this oversaturation of sunlight creates the most fantastically huge plants in the plane. The River Oceanus flows through Krigala as well, though no tributaries branch off as the waters make their way across the multiverse.

The weather is violent and random in Krigala, with rainforests standing next to tracts of deserts filled with cacti of enormous proportions. Mountains covered with evergreen trees rise up, creating fertile valleys where no non-beast has visited.

The beasts of Krigala are those that thrive in daylight, including hawks, bears, stags, lions, and more. A large herd of centaurs lay claim to a stretch of wilderness known as the Greenway, and the Wylder frontier town of Signpost sits as the plane’s most civilized point.

Brux

The sun and moon hang at opposite ends of the sky above Brux, creating a perpetual cloak of twilight across its shadowed forests. Debate rages over whether dawn or dusk is forever frozen, but regardless, the moon and sun never rise or set further in the layer frozen at the perfect “hunting hour.”

The forests of Brux are filled with exotic plants. Groves of moonflowers tilted towards the suspended moon are a common sight, but even these are larger than their normal Material Plane counterparts. Beneath all of this, move the stealthy creatures of the Beastlands – snakes, ravens, rats, and others occupy the twilight-shrouded expanses.

Brux also holds Blackstone Lodge, the centerpiece of the Glorious Lodge. This thoroughly selfish and depraved group is only interested in hunting the creatures of the Beastlands to extinction for their own vain glory or the glory of their many planar clients.

Karasuthra

Endless night sits like a blanket over the dark forests of Karasuthra, the Beastlands’ third layer. The sky overhead is lit by a heavy moon shedding pale radiance along with a multitude of stars. Unlike Material Plane night skies, however, the stars above Karasuthra move and shift of their own accord. No one is really sure what the stars are, though some theories say they are animal lords yet to be reformed into physical bodies.

The darkness of the layer creates a perfect environment for panthers, owls, cats, and other nocturnal creatures. Dark trees stand in thick groves, obscuring the moonlight and creating ample opportunity for stalking predators to hunt wary prey. Danger and death lurks everywhere on Karasuthra so few non-animals call it home.

The exception are the Unicorn Knights, warriors and defenders who follow the call of a great unicorn spirit that dwells in a luminous moonlit grove. These noble souls travel across the multiverse, righting wrongs and fighting evil in the name of their powerful spirit leader.

Getting There

Naturally occurring portals and gates to the Beastlands are common in the oldest forests of the Material Plane. Many of these are known to ancient forest guardians. Most of these portals lead to Krigala and are activated by the presence of specific animal types only.

The River Oceanus, which flows through many of the Upper Planes as the bright twin to the River Styx, cuts through Krigala as well. River travel is pretty regular through the Beastlands, and the Wylders keep several trading posts active along the Oceanus river banks to swap stories and goods with travelers. Many gates exist between the layers as well, usually within the remnants of fallen trees. The amount of light on the tree’s trunk can give an indication of which layer it leads – brightly lit gates (whether by sun or moon) lead to Krigala, partially lit ones send a traveler to Brux, and the darkest ones go straight to Karasuthra. Many animals move naturally between the three layers in search of prey or food, though they always manage to make their way back to their home layer.

Powerful & Mighty

Animal lords – mysterious and capricious beings on par with demon lords and devil princes – keep a watchful eye on their domains, while the various beast councils work towards the betterment of their animal type. Other organizations usually try to stay out of the way of these two potent forces.

Animal Lords

Great primal powers lurk in the Wilderness of the Beastlands. Unique, capricious, and unpredictable, these animal lords are masters of vast domains across the plane, with minions and servants placed in cunning and strategic locations. Their exact nature is not precisely known. Perhaps they are the spiritual manifestation of a specific animal type, savage perfection personified, though there are known to be multiple animal lords of a single type; there are multiple cat lords, for example, and at least two rat lords.

They are all canny shapeshifters, able to shift effortlessly from animal to humanoid to hybrid, switching genders as it pleases them or as it suits their needs. Certain individuals are drawn to these powerful entities, pledging their fealty in exchange for magical prowess; these warlocks are tools to be used by the animal lords as they see fit.

Aaru the Owl

The most feared of the owl animal lords, Aaru dwells in a massive hollow tree called the House of Owl beneath Karasuthra’s eternal night. Those who seek the wisdom of Aaru must navigate the maze within the tree, filled with dangerous traps and monsters of all kinds. The great owl lord dwells at the top, always in the form a huge, weathered owl with thick gray feathers and piercing yellow eyes. It is said Aaru speaks all languages and can decipher any script as well.

Batris the Elk

Batris is a powerful elk that bounds through the sunlit layer of Krigala without a care in the world. This animal lord is one of the few with no definitive claim to a domain, though a stampeding herd of elk accompanies the animal lord on many of its travels. Batris spends most of its time as an elk, wild and free, and the warlocks and other mortal servants that follow the animal lord’s ways tend to be nomadic and carefree.

Eerin the Rat

The twilight layer of Brux hides the shadowy movements of the minions of Eerin the rat lord, one of the oldest animal lords and the only known blind one. Thousands upon thousands of the creatures spread out in all directions, keeping an eye on the movements of other animal lords, the beast councils, and especially any strangers in the Beastlands. Secrets are whispered back to Eerin’s ears deep in an underground lair called the Maze of the Blind Rat. Eerin enjoys taking the form of a blind hermit, both within the maze and while traveling abroad.

Lyanh the Cat

Lyanh is the most well-known of the cat lords of the Beastlands, and perhaps the most curious of them all. The home of this famously capricious animal lord is a region of Karasuthra called Cat’s Breath – a stretch of thick forest blanketed entirely by dense fog. Strangers are blind in the mist, but Lyanh and other felines can see perfectly, allowing them to observe at their leisure. Lyanh’s mortal servants are ever-watchful across the planes.

Rhirius the Bear

Strength and the power that comes from possessing it are all that matter to Rhirius, the bear lord. Dwelling within Great Bear Mountain, Krigala’s tallest peak, Rhirius only recently ascended to the status of bear lord, following the disappearance of Rhekenar from the Beastlands. The loss does not bother Rhirius except the gnawing fear that Rhekenar might some day return, as the former bear lord was stronger and more cunning than Rhirius. Most do not believe the younger animal lord capable of the kind of coup that would remove Rhekenar from power, so theories point to an outside force that manipulated the situation within Great Bear Mountain.

Satassis the Snake

Moving silently through the twilit region called the Jungle of Slithers is Satassis, the snake lord, along with a swarm of seen and unseen vipers and snakes of all kinds. Satassis is an exceptionally charming animal lord, capable of convincing almost anyone of almost anything with its hypnotic voice, eyes, and powerful charming magic. Through spies and pawns across the multiverse, Satassis is also one of the busiest animal lords of the Beastlands, with countless plots spinning at any given time.

Vadon the Hawk

Proud, agile, and defiant, Vadon the hawk lord is a symbol of nature’s righteousness and pride. The Sunscream Spire stands alone on Krigala, allowing Vadon and their bird minions to survey the plane for miles upon miles in every direction. Ever alert and always ready to strike, Vadon often lets its pride get in the way of good judgment, which may someday be the animal lord’s downfall.

Zutris the Panther

The Midnight Plateau on Karasuthra is the forested realm of Zutris and a pack of cunning panthers. Unlike many of the other animal lords, Zutris takes an active role in the Council of Panthers, leading them in their decisions and running meetings when they occur. The panther lord’s control over the Midnight Plateau is complete, though some malcontents whisper behind Zutris’ back and plot quietly to overthrow the complacent lord. When they move, they may be surprised to find Zutris is not as oblivious as they believe.

Glorious Conclave

Not everyone who gazes upon the splendor of the Beastlands sees beauty and wonder. Such are the members of the Glorious Conclave. These rangers, warriors, wizards, warlocks, and more are dedicated to hunting down the powerful and unique creatures of the Beastlands for personal glory and profit. There are a great number of decadent nobles across the multiverse who pay great sums of gold and magic for a rare trophy to show off.

The Glorious Conclave is happy to oblige these requests, but at its core, the Conclave is dedicated to exterminating as many creatures of the Beastlands as possible. They have established Blackstone Lodge, a permanent base, on Brux and use powerful sorcery to deter the elements of the plane from affecting it.

Tribes of the Greenway

Centaurs are a proud species that run in tribes along a great stretch of wilderness known as the Greenway. They are one of the few non-animal natives of the Beastlands, and they share a special kinship with the forests and wilds of their planar home. Nonetheless, they are part of the ecosystem, and they hunt and, in turn, are hunted by many of the creatures of the Beastlands.

More than two dozen nomadic and free tribes run through the Greenway, moving beneath the eternal sunshine of Krigala. Each tribe is named after a momentous event in its past, such as the White Storm Tribe, named after a torrential thunderstorm that split a previous tribe in two with jagged lightning and flash floods.

Wylders

The most numerous of the non-animal natives of the Beastlands are the disparate bands of lycanthropes and their kin known as Wylders. They live in harmony with the primal wilderness of the plane, hunting and being hunted in the trackless wilderness of all three layers according to the ways of the beasts. Lycanthropes of all kinds can be found in the Beastlands, though many prefer the permanent moonscapes of Karasuthra or the twilit region of Brux to the everlasting noon of Krigala.

Many of the Wylders are not true lycanthropes but distant relations, an offshoot known as shifters. These humanoids appear as feral humans, though they can manifest animalistic features under stress. Shifters outnumber the lycanthropes within the Wylders by ten to one, and a small number of other species can be found among their ranks as well.

Wylders operate a handful of permanent settlements in the Beastlands. Signpost is the largest and best known, located on the banks of the River Oceanus on Krigala, but they have a few others scattered throughout Brux and Karasuthra as well. The Wylders are violently opposed to the Glorious Conclave, and the two have clashed on numerous occasions. The lack of any organization within the Wylders has kept focused counterattacks against the poachers to a minimum.

Sites & Treasures

The Beastlands holds a trove of wondrous sites within its boundaries, from the lairs of the most prominent animal lords to naturally occurring places of strange beauty and unknown power.

Blackstone Lodge

The Glorious Conclave has made it their mission to harvest the most valuable parts of the beasts found in the Beastlands and sell them to wealthy patrons and collectors across the multiverse. They are universally reviled by the natives of the plane, but that hasn’t stopped the conclave from establishing several outposts from which they perform their poaching and hunting. Blackstone Lodge is the largest and most prominent of these, standing three stories tall on a cleared ledge overlooking a brilliant azure lake on Krigala. The impressively built wooden building is stained black and contains rooms for nearly 100 hunters of the conclave, with additional space for guests. Portals leading across the multiverse are maintained by conclave wizards.

Magical wards surround Blackstone Lodge that prevent the natives of the Beastlands from attacking it directly, allowing the conclave members inside to enjoy luxurious privacy amidst their ill-gotten trophies and treasures. The leader of the Blackstone Lodge is the cruel and merciless efreeti, Lodge Captain Hazaa al’Zuraa, who personally hunts down the biggest creatures across the Beastlands he can find. Smaller bands of conclave hunters head out on specific targeted hunts, taking on commissions from wealthy patrons.

Cat’s Breath

The realm of Lyanh, the most curious cat lord in the Beastlands, is a fog-enshrouded region of Karasuthra forest known as Cat’s Breath. There, the many felines under Lyanh’s control patrol for intruders while the cat lord itself listens to messages delivered by spies and agents from across the multiverse. Non-felines that enter Cat’s Breath are blinded by the thick fog, forced to stumble around in the dark forest.

Lyanh’s personal sanctuary sits at the heart of Cat’s Breath. There, in the sprawling arms of a mighty tree, the cat lord lounges, sleeps, and moves multiple plots forward. Like all animal lords, Lyanh can take the form of any gender and transform into a cat, human, or hybrid between the two. Its personal preference is a large female kitten, similar to a whisperpad, and it’s in this form that most of its agents speak or work with. Lyanh has a vested interest in multiple plane-spanning plots, most just for fun, but a few secret ones that the animal lord hopes will deliver magical artifacts into their paws.

Great Bear Mountain

Towering above the forest of Krigala is a solitary peak known as Great Bear Mountain. Its sides are dotted with multiple cave entrances that lead into a sprawling network of natural tunnels and levels within the mountain, where the strongest of the bear lords dwell.

Activities within Great Bear Mountain are slow and ponderous, but when moved by righteous anger, the bears within can act surprisingly fast. Rhirius is more aggressive than most bear lords of the past, and it is widely believed the new animal lord is sowing the seeds of war to mobilize the forces of Great Bear Mountain against an unknown foe.

House of Owl

The oldest tree in Karasuthra’s night-blanked landscape is a great, gnarled oak tree, sprawling and ancient. Its limbs are twisted and covered with luminous moss that resembles strands of spider webbing, but no spiders can be seen around it. In fact, no creature native to the Beastlands comes to this tree unless they are looking for its master, for this is the House of Owl, home to the most feared animal lord of the plane.

Aaru, the owl lord, sleeps for days at a time in the tree’s hidden heart. Visitors who wish to partake in Aaru’s wisdom must navigate the House of Owl’s defenses – magical locks that can only be unlocked by riddle answers, natural tree-like guardians that deter aggressive intruders, and powerful, befuddling sorcery that can confuse the strongest of minds. If a visitor can get through it all and the twisting tunnels of the tree itself, Aaru waits in the center.

Though it is believed Aaru can transform into a hybrid or human, no one has seen the owl lord in any form but that of a titanic horned owl, with graying feathers and enormous yellow eyes. Aaru’s knowledge of words, scripts, and languages is unparalleled in the multiverse, and many scholars have sought the owl lord’s aid in deciphering ancient tomes or books.

Jungle of Slithers

Snakes are a common encounter on Brux, the twilight realm of the Beastlands, but nowhere are they more numerous than in the aptly named Jungle of Slithers. This hot, humid stretch of forest is densely covered with thick vegetation, hiding so many snakes that an exact count would be impossible. It is the realm of Satassis, a charming and engaging snake lord, who is always interested in learning about the outside realms.

Few enter the Jungle of Slithers on purpose, but those that do are encouraged to bring fire with them. It is widely known that Satassis and the serpents of the Jungle of Slithers abhor fire of all kind, and the perpetually wet and rainy region keeps such natural occurrences to a minimum. Of course, those that bring fire into the snake lord’s realm had better have a good reason, for Satassis’ cruelty is on full display for those that dare tread upon its ground with such fiery tools.

Maze of the Blind Rat

Rats live on every layer of the Beastlands, from Krigala’s eternal sunshine to Karasuthra’s endless moonlight. The shadowy layer of Brux, between the two, is the favored home of the rats, and beneath the forested ground hides the lair of the oldest animal lord. Eerin, the rat lord, has never been deposed and it is said the animal lord was the first of its kind to be uplifted to intelligence and awareness.

As the oldest animal lord, Eerin has also accumulated perhaps the greatest treasure hoard of any others on the plane. Explorers and treasure hunters have gone into the Maze of the Blind Rat in search of Eerin’s fabulous treasure, but none have found more than a pittance. Perhaps the blind rat lord has seeded these rumors itself in order to lure strangers into its realm. But for what purpose no one knows, and Eerin doesn’t let slip much from what it thinks.

Midnight Plateau

Rising above the forested layer of Karasuthra is the impressive Midnight Plateau, so named because of its black volcanic stone ground. Gnarled leafless trees grow between the cracks of the plateau’s landscape beneath the eternal full moon overhead. It stretches for many miles and stands a hundred feet over the regular floor of Karasuthra, as if the entire plateau was pushed up by some incredible force long ago.

This is the home of the panthers of the Beastlands. Countless panthers of all types lounge, sleep, and play on the Midnight Plateau, leaving only to hunt in the wilderness surrounding the area. The Council of Panthers meets here, and they are advised directly by Zutris, the panther animal lord, a close relationship rarely shared by other animal lords of the plane. The council and Zutris rely on the stealthy skills of the nightprowlers to keep them free from outside forces, but few would dare intrude upon the Midnight Plateau uninvited. The panthers are not known for their welcoming behavior.

Sacred Stones of Salazha

The Wylders that live alongside the natural creatures of the Beastlands have long viewed many aspects of the plane as sacred. Whether it’s a pool, river, patch of trees, or other feature, different Wylders hold different aspects of the plane as holy or supernatural. All agree that the Sacred Stones of Salazha are truly unique.

These large monolithic stones are found scattered across the three layers of the Beastlands. They are each tall, roughly 20 feet high, and about 10 feet thick. They appear cut from a single slab of gray stone inlaid with intricate patterns of red, black, and gold minerals. No mason, dwarf, or other expert can explain their presence or origin but they are each identical in size, with strong variations in the mineral striations. Each stone hums with sorcerous power related to transmutation magic, but to date no one has unlocked what they do or what they are for. Or at least not intentionally.

The sacred stones are named for Salazha, a shifter druid who is credited with finding the first one on Krigala. Salazha not only found them, she catalogued more than a dozen across the Beastlands. While her records were passed to other Wylders, Salazha herself vanished mysteriously into one of the sacred stones many years ago. No one knows where she went, as all attempts at divination have resulted in nothing conclusive.

Signpost

The River Oceanus winds through Krigala before passing into other Outer Planes. Its banks draw numerous creatures from all over the layer, and river traffic is frequent enough to create small communities along its length for travelers to stop, rest, and resupply. Signpost is the largest of these communities, big enough to be considered a frontier town. No government runs Signpost, though a few Wylders keep a close eye on outsider activities to make sure nothing is being done that could threaten the natural order of the Beastlands.

Signpost has numerous taverns along its muddy streets. The most famous is the Boar Boot, run by a werewolf ranger named Howling Rheed. He serves strong wildly fermented ales using rare hops and barley from across the Beastlands, which draw all manner of travelers along the River Oceanus to his doors. Unfortunately for some travelers, though, the Boar Boot is closed irregularly when Rheed and his packmates decide to close up and go on a hunt through Krigala.

Sunscream Spire

Standing like a spike trying to pierce the ever-present sun above Krigala, Sunscream Spire is the home of the hawk lord Vadon. Proud and noble, Vadon keeps the peace in and around the towering spire with the aid of the noble flocks that live in the trees and rocky towers that surround Sunscream. These flocks have their own agendas and motivations that only occasionally align with Vadon, keeping the hawk lord on his claws at all times.

The spire itself is tall and thin, only a few hundred feet wide, but riddled with holes and perches. Inside is a series of hollow chambers where hawks of all kind fly about in their business. Vadon keeps the top of the Sunscream Spire for its own private chambers, closest to the sun which the hawks revere as a living deity.