The Paraelemental Plane of Smoke

-Grand Vizier Kali al-Baren.,

The most mysterious of the Paraelemental Planes, that of Smoke, is formed by the fusion of our own plane of Air and the hated Hell of Fire. It embodies all of the qualities of super- heated air and wind-blown fire. An endless realm of hot, choking vapors, all of which are foul smelling and occasionally quite toxic, this paraplane serves as an important buffer against the ever-present threat of the evil efreet (may the Maker curse their bones!). In many ways, the paraplane of Smoke is quite like the Elemental Plane of Air, with no limiting gravity and with solid ground a rare and valu- able thing-and usually nothing more than a floating cinder of gigantic proportions.

When a brave soul moves away from the heart of this paraplane in the direction of Elemental Fire, the temperature grows greater and greater. In time, when the sojourner enters a region known simply as Scald, the paraplane is as hot as the horrid plane of Fire itself, but without the licking flames. An explorer here suffers 1d10 points of damage per round, with no chance of a saving throw.

Nearer our own beautiful plane of Air (blessed be the djinn, for our home is greatest among all elements), the temperature drops off just as markedly. Before a traveler actually comes into the clean and pure plane of Air, he must pass through a region of thick, offensive gloom known as the Eternal Haze. While the heat presents no threat here, a wise djinni is aware that these vapors are utterly poisonous and more than a little caustic (though somewhat diffused from the rest of the paraplane). Here, one must make a saving throw vs. poison each round, with success indicating 1d10 points of damage and failure meaning that the poor unfortunate suffocates from the unhealthy vapors.

Heading in the direction of the quasiplane of Ash, one enters an area of swirling flakes known as the Embers. These flakes glow hotly, just like the particles carried into the night sky from a blazing campfire. Although it is possible to survive here with- out being consumed by the heat, flesh sears and blisters if grazed by one of the falling pinpoints of fire.

Angling toward Quasielemental Vacuum, an area of thin, tainted air known as the Gray Way presents a similar face to that of the Eternal Haze. However, the air here is not actually toxic. Neither, though, is it safe to breathe. The vapors of the Gray Way prey upon the minds of those who draw them in. Gradually, they consume a being’s intelligence, bring about hallucinations, and finally usher in absolutely violent mad- ness. Gray mind is a terrible condition, as the victim no longer recognizes the differ- ence between living and nonliving, good and evil, kindness and brutality. Only a restoration or similar spell can relieve the ailment.

Closer to the quasiplane of Radiance, a vast expanse of darkness in which flakes of light and energy drift about like fireflies stretches out as far as the eye can see. This place, where darkness and light mingle so closely, is called the Sea of Stars.

An even more impressive region, the Aurora, lies in the direction of Quasielemental Lightning. Here, the world darkens as it does in the Sea of Stars. Before long, however, waves of brilliant colors break across the sky. This sight is one of the most beautiful in all the multiverse and something no traveler to this realm should miss.

The Powerful and Mighty

Few denizens of the Paraelemental Plane of Smoke can be classed as individuals of real power. To be sure, no actual powers dwell here, though at least one proxy keeps his eye trained upon the plane.

EHKAHK

The creature known as Ehkahk, the Smoldering Duke, is a smoke mephit of considerable intelligence and charisma. Although not markedly more powerful than his peers, his keen mind has enabled him to persuade a great many others—including paraelementals and even a few efreet and djinn—to take up his banner.

Ehkahk’s ultimate goals, if any, are unknown. He seems to be interested in expanding his influence in the paraplane, but he doesn’t appear to be in any real hurry to do so. Fur- ther, he shows no apparent interest in events that do not take place in Smoke.

JAY BURNING-HAND

This fire genasi is a proxy of the fire god Hastsezini. He sports the head of a hawk and skin as black as coal. His eyes burn with a white-hot glow, and it is said that his gaze can cause any object to burst into flames.

Hastsezini seems to have sent Burning-Hand to this realm to observe the inhabitants of Smoke. It is not known whether the deity has far-reaching plans that involve the paraplane of Smoke. My own ears have heard, however, that Burning-Hand actually operates on his own.

Creatures & Denizens

The most common creatures in the Paraelemental Plane of Smoke are, obviously, the natives. However, an unusually large number of aerial creatures have made their way here and have adapted to life among the toxic clouds of haze.

Paraelementals

Smoke mephits are probably the most numerous creatures in the paraplane, though the paraelementals come close to matching their number. The mephits generally obey a being called Ehkahk, who claims to be an Elemental Prince even though he could not possibly hold his own against a real archomental such as Yan-C-Bin or Chan (or, of course, our own great and wondrous Caliph Husam al-Balil ben Nafhat al-Yugayyim, Master of the Clouds and Son of the Breezes, who is greater than any Elemental Prince).

Smoke paraelementals, on the other hand, ignore the self-proclaimed lord of the mephits. Instead, they form their own kingdoms and follow their own nobility—the Smoke Dukes. In many cases, paraelemental rulers and mephit leaders claim the same or overlapping regions. This does not cause too much trouble, however, for these races seem to coexist with peace and respect. Both carry great enmity for the evil efreet and even for our own djinn forces that come to the paraplane. We can find no allies among them.

ANIMALS

A number of birds and other natural flying creatures live in Smoke. Somehow, either through magic or evolution, the beasts have adapted to the toxic fumes of the paraplane. These ani- mals tend to be very large (or even giant) examples of their species.

A djinni might also encounter a great many animentals and fundamentals of smoke. For the most part, these creatures are content to be left to themselves as they drift through the roiling blackness.

MONSTERS

The most dangerous monsters native to Smoke are the belk- ers, vapor rats, and sootbeasts (which some claim to be merely animals).

Belkers hate mephits, paraelementals, and just about everything else in existence. They are dangerous predators and a wise traveler keeps well away from them.

The more powerful and important denizens of the para- plane often keep vapor rats as pets. This is particularly true of the smoke mephits, who prize the creatures the way that some other races treasure cats.

As for sootbeasts, the best advice—in my humble opin- ion—is simply to stay out of their way. Everything else in the paraplane does.

OTHER RACES

Renegade groups of efreet and djinn have chosen to estab- lish small kingdoms in the paraplane of Smoke. Although they no longer serve the masters of their respective races (cursed be the djinni who fails to honor the Great Caliph)), they still make war on each other. Both sides spend a great deal of time trying to convince the other inhabitants of Smoke to ally with them, but their efforts tend to be ineffective at best. While we cannot count on these traitors and outcasts for help, neither need we worry about the renegade efreet—at least not until the Sultan’s forces are driven from the paraplane of Smoke forever.

Rumors abound that a race of drow lurks amid the endless clouds of smoke. It is said that these creatures are winged, like the *- avariel, and that their hearts are as black as the tanar’ri or baatezu of the Lower Planes.

Hazards & Phenomena

Survival in the Paraelemental Plane of Smoke is not as dif- ficult as in some of the other planes. At the same time, how- ever, the realm itself is far less nurturing.

BREATHING

The paraplane of Smoke is an eternal example of what would happen to our lovely home in Air should the insidi- ous evil of the efreet and their air-consuming, polluting fire win our eternal war. Although the air is uncomfortably hot and thick, the real hazard lies in the fact that it is also highly toxic. An unprotected visitor would die immediately should he inhale the terrible fumes. It remains dangerous to bring mortal allies or creatures to Smoke if they lack the proper breathing protection—a simple breathe smoke spell will do.

VISION

The thick, curling vapors of Smoke are not only toxic but also difficult to see through. A soldier cannot see more than 30 feet before him, even under the best of conditions. This assumes, of course, that he has some manner of light. Natives see at least twice that distance, if not three times in the case of the paraelementals and mephits. Most of Smoke is as dark as the Abyss, making combat difficult and under- scoring the importance of surprise in battle.

Infravision doesn’t function well at all here, for the background heat washes out all lesser sources. Only the hottest objects are visible to those depending on infravision. This may be useful in spotting the efreet, who shine brightly in heat-sight.

EXPLOSIVE POCKETS

The air of the paraplane may not be breathable, but it can support flames. Thus, the efreet can illuminate their way through Smoke with torch and lantern. Since no natural light exists here, this is often a necessity for our own brave warriors—but it is also a danger.

In some places, the nature of Smoke causes the accu- mulation of gases that are not only toxic but also highly explosive. To determine the size of a cloud of these vapors, the DM can use the table for elemental pockets (on page 14) and halve the result. When an open flame enters such a region, it triggers an explosion that generally consumes the gases and everything within them. Everyone caught in such a blast must make a saving throw vs. breath weapon or suffer 2d20 points of damage. A successful saving throw cuts this damage in half.

Knowing the whereabouts of these pockets can give us a decisive advantage over our heat-loving efreeti enemies.

HOT SPOTS

Here and there, a traveler comes upon an area of smoke that has only just manifested. Their extreme heat (residue of the plane of Fire) marks these regions. The DM can determine the size of one of these hot spots by rolling on the table for elemental pockets and cutting the result in half. Anyone who enters one of these infernal clouds is instantly subjected to the searing heat of Elemental Fire (as detailed in the chap- ter describing that plane).

Mysterious Sites & Treasures

Only a very few important structures are known to exist in the paraplane of Smoke. This is not to say that rumors do not abound of more, but I can neither confirm nor deny such things and thus leave them from my report.

THE CHOKING PALACE

This is the seat of Ehkahk’s power. The diminutive tyrant rules from a floating castle constructed of gray-black iron. Each room, chamber, and hall holds a large brazier that fills the already naturally smoky palace with semimagical fumes. The smoke from these burners renders the smoke inside the palace‘utterly transparent to those who sin- cerely serve Ehkahk, and completely opaque to all others. Further, those within the enchanted smoke, no matter where they stand in the palace, are always within view of the Duke himself.

The Choking Palace’s central keep holds a vast library of all manner of lore. Ehkahk values knowledge greatly, and he always seeks more books—or more information for his scribes to record.

The Smoldering Duke rarely leaves his castle, choosing to spend most of his time writing his own voluminous jour- nal-like works. Only the unwise disturb Ehkahk while he writes (or while he claims to write—a few of his servants have noticed that Great Ehkahk, of late, has taken to falling asleep during his studies).

Those who bring the Duke gifts and flattery quickly gain his favor. He particularly values eversmoking bottles and braziers of sleep smoke. It comes as little surprise to most that Ehkahk has perhaps the greatest collection of pipeweed and smoking implements in the multiverse. He and all of his minions continually partake of some sort of inhalant, incense, or smoked substance.

CINDERWOOD

Horribly misnamed {it resembles no forest and offers no wood), this place is more akin to an archipelago of islands on a terrestrial world. Here, however, the islands are cinders ranging in size from that of a man’s fingernail to that of a small mountain. They float through the vapors and number in the thousands.

Many of the inhabitants of Smoke—including belkers (creatures as untrustworthy as any that ever drew breath, if indeed they do), paraelementals, and mephits—live in and among the cinders. A being standing on one of the islands cannot see most of the others floating around it, but he can often hear the sounds of creatures moving, talking, and working on a nearby cinder. Occasionally, the islands collide as they drift, which often pulverizes the small to medium- sized specimens.

Making a lair within a cinder is tricky business. Dig- ging into one is nothing like digging into earth or stone. Instead, it is flaky, brittle, and fairly soft. Only a skilled hand (or claw) can shape this substance into a cave, a tunnel, or a foundation for a more conventional dwelling.

The efreet once invaded the Cinderwood, attempting to take it all for themselves. The inhabitants drove them off, using the hated efreet’s lack of vision against them. I suggest that we djinn learn from this and steer clear of this location— unless we seek to parlay with those who dwell here already.

THE HIDDEN CITY

Long have rumors and caravan tales told of a magnificent city lost within the paraplane’s eternal clouds of smoke. I am pleased to tell you, my lords and masters, that the stories are true. I myself have beheld its soot-covered walls and lofty towers.

A group of mortals—mostly human—constructed this floating city after the manner of many found in our own plane of Air. Seeking privacy in the extreme, they built the magical town in the paraplane of Smoke, where it would remain hidden forever in the choking fumes. (Enchantments keep out the dangerous vapors, but the paraplane still taints everything in the city with soot and smoke damage.)

The Hidden City is ruled by a family that has produced twin heirs in each of its last eight generations. These twins always rule together and, apparently, without internecine conflict. Their blackened palace floats magically above the center of the city.

The town opens its gates to those who seek sanctuary from oppression or merely a place to rest. Travelers can find food and shelter here for a reasonable price, assuming that they can find the city at all. Even water is available, which is a great accomplishment in the paraplane of Smoke. As strange as it sounds, the Hidden City is built atop a natural spring. In my understanding, such a thing should not exist in a place like Smoke, unless perhaps it is actually a portal to (or a pocket from) the plane of Water. Great and wondrous are the Maker’s mysteries!

According to the inhabitants of the Hidden City, Ehkahk’s forces scour the paraplane looking for them. Apparently, the Smoldering Duke wants control of the town, or perhaps he just resents the idea that an entire city can be hidden from him. The enchantments surrounding the city allow the rulers to decide who finds them and who does not. Thus, Ehkahk stands little chance of gaining entry—unless he dispatches spies and infiltrators to sneak in and reveal the city’s location to him. Contrary to some rumors, the Hidden City does not move.

REINSONG’S ASHEN FORTRESS

Reinsong, a powerful cloud giant, has created a huge fortress out of solid ash and smoke (perhaps he is also part fire giant?). Within this vast, strange structure, the giant keeps a veritable army of tentacled creatures called grell. These beasts are mostly unknown in the Inner Planes, but in truth, they are quite well adapted to Smoke. They float of their own accord and seem to be unhindered by the fumes, both in respiration and in vision.

Reinsong maintains a policy of aggression with virtu- ally any being that he comes upon. He has ordered his grell servants to attack and kill any who dare to approach the fortress, and sometimes the ill-tempered giant wanders the paraplane of Smoke with no apparent purpose other than to attack and destroy whatever he finds.

Stories say that, long ago, Reinsong was a giant of good (or at least fair) temper who dwelled in the quasiplane of Steam. He lived in a smali community of his own kind, and fell in love with a giantess named Glasyl. Glasyl, however, was the mate of another, and when her husband (whose name I do not know) discovered that Reinsong desired his wife, he unleashed a powerful and potent curse. This curse not only cast Reinsong into the paraplane of Smoke for all eternity, but it placed an evil spirit within the giant’s own flesh.

And so Reinsong struggled not only with his harsh new environment, but also with his own body for control of his actions. While he eventually regained absolute mastery of his flesh, he can never let his guard down or the spirit within him will use the giant’s own body against him. Thus, Rein- song is a bitter and nearly insane prisoner, forced to live with this horrible curse for the rest of his days.

The Ashen Fortress is rumored to contain the treasures of everyone Reinsong has slain, as well as the tributes given him by natives in vain attempts to persuade the giant to call off his unprovoked attacks. Magic and wealth beyond reck- oning supposedly lie within the magical walls of the fortress, waiting for a thief bold enough to challenge the grell and the nefarious traps.

THE VALLEY OF BLINDING MIST

The most important of all sites discussed in my report, my honored and glorious superiors, is that of the Valley of Blinding Mist. This region of Smoke serves as the staging ground for our foes, the efreet, when they arrive from their camps outside the City of Brass.

Efreeti commanders, arrogant and foolish, do not con- sider themselves vulnerable in this area of the paraplane, where the smoke becomes so thick as to be impassible except through the valley. Our foes think that their power here is supreme, and that this path to their home plane cannot be threatened.

Ah, honored masters, they are quite wrong. In my vision, I have seen a secret pass through the solid smoke that leads to the midpoint in the valley. The efreet know not of this pass, and leave it unguarded. A quiet and skillful army could sneak into their midst and catch them unawares. Our victory would be swift!

(While the pass does indeed exist, the efreet know all about it. When the djinn followed the advice contained in this portion of the report, their foes ambushed them and the air genies were decimated. Readers may consider it poetic justice to hear that the djinni who compiled this report was leading the charge.—the Editor)