Wizard School Alterations
| Air, Fire, Water |
> |
| Earth |
+ |
At least in Carceri I didn't have to dig to get around.
- Bediss Stinglook
My name is Tiv, and I am of the shad. My folk are not native to the plane of Earth, like the living stone that outsiders call "elementals" or the masters of rock you call "galeb duhr," but we have dwelled here long enough to have forgotten any other place. This endless stretch of stone is now home to the shad, and that gladdens us and gives us identity.
Some outsiders say that the plane of Fire is the most inhospitable of the Elemental Planes. While it might be the most dangerous, it is not nearly as difficult a place as the plane of Earth. Many travelers call this plane the Anvil, and there are a good many reasons for that.
First of all, outsiders cannot breathe here. There are occasional pockets of air, places where anyone with sense rests for a while and give thanks, but these often become the lairs of dangerous and hungry monsters. We shad have little need for air, but even we cannot survive within the solid earth. Travelers should be prepared for such obstacles. Another challenge here is the matter of mobility. Getting from place to place in the plane of Earth can require endless effort, a very strong back, and a pick that would do great Dumathoin proud. We dig and burrow — that is our life. The shad do not follow the set paths. Instead, we make our own. The plane of Earth is both our lord and our adversary. It provides for us, yet presents itself as our greatest challenge. All told, if one does not fear being buried alive — a fear shared by many outsiders, I am told — one may like our realm and our way of living.
Physical Conditons
While most of Earth consists of hard, unyielding rock, it is not without variation. Every manner of stone can be found here, from delectable gypsum to trustworthy granite to lustrous marble to soothing graphite. Beyond that, a fortunate explorer can find rich veins of metal — everything from silver and gold to iron and copper. It is small wonder that dwarves and similar folk talk about the plane of Earth as if it were one step removed from paradise. To others who have a fondness for things such as air and water, however, there are nicer places in the multiverse (and as I understand it, most places fit this description).
Getting Here
Making one's way to or from the Elemental Plane of Earth is not an easy thing. Portals to this place are rare and vortices that open into this realm are difficult both to discover and reach. Still, those determined enough can manage — with effort. I, myself, have traveled to a few other planes, though that was when I served as a slave of the dao, many years ago.
Only a few portals are known to link the Elemental Plane of Earth with the rest of the multiverse. Some are found in the strange and mysterious city called Sigil, but others appear throughout the Outer Planes.
Perhaps the most interesting portal to the Anvil can be found on the clockwork plane of Mechanus. Those familiar with that realm of perfect order insist that the portal is merely a side effect. According to their tale, an ancient and longrforgotten race built a vast machine, one larger than many prime-material worlds. To power this device, the elder beings opened a portal to the Elemental Plane of Earth and tapped into the agonizingly slow continental drift of our realm. The machine still stands on Mechanus, its clockwork ticking ever so slowly in harmony with the plane of Earth. What this device is supposed to do is a secret that I believe no one has yet discovered. However, the portal is always open, since the machine acts as an eternal key. Those who step through it should be aware, however, that their trip will be a one-way journey.
The dismal depths of Baator hold another well-documented portal to Earth. It lies in Phlegethos, the fourth layer, near the center of the city called Abriymoch, and it provides convenient passage between Baator and the evil fortress of Stonemire. The portal allows the pit fiend that rules the accursed city easy access to great and fearful Ogremoch, the Prince of Evil Earth Elementals. While it remains clear that these two conspire together for some diabolical purpose, the nature of their alliance is still a matter for nervous guesswork.
In order to use this portal, which transports travelers both ways, one must have a large diamond. While this can be a frighteningly valuable key (especially considering the fact that it turns to powder in its use), there is an even harder trick to using the portal. Both of the gatekeepers consider themselves its sole master. As such, each has surrounded his end with guards, traps, and wards. The odds of a traveler nearing the portal, let alone making use of it, are fairly slim.
Vortices that lead to the Elemental Plane of Earth are found only among large concentrations of natural stone. Typically, this means the heart of a mountain (but not a volcano) or far beneath the surface of a prime-material world. From time to time, an unlucky group of primes stumbles upon such a gateway while mining or exploring — almost always getting themselves killed in the process.
The most commonly encountered vortices to the plane of Earth are found deep underground, in areas prone to earthquakes. Are the vortices byproducts of the tremors, or vice versa? Even shad wise men cannot answer that question. The dark of the matter, however, is that these gateways tend to move around a lot, always in conjunction with an earthquake. The stronger the quake, the farther the vortex shifts. Again, no one knows whether the vortex moves because of the tremor or whether the presence of the vortex causes the tremor to break out.
It is said that the greatest of mountains have at their hearts a concentration of pure elemental Earth. In some cases, this takes the form of a vortex to the Anvil, which may be known to dwarves and other races that dwell beneath the surface of prime-material worlds. Unlike most other vortices, these are anchored in place. Once discovered, they can be used for years, decades, or even centuries to come. In some cases, they become the center of subterranean communities that recognize their importance and potential value.
Hazards
Let me point out that many of the problems I am about to describe can be solved easily if a traveler is willing and able to tunnel — or, at least, to follow the tunnel systems created by other creatures (dao, pech, or even the humble shad). For such a traveler, moving through the plane of Earth is not unlike journeying underground on a prime-material world.
Pressure
When one first appears in the Anvil, he will almost certainly find himself entombed within solid earth. One who manages to take in air (the difficulty of which is described below) finds that the plane resents intruders. It naturally tries to fill in the space they occupy, crushing the invading body. This inflicts 1d2 points of damage per turn to anyone trapped here.
Those who move through Earth by tunneling discover this same phenomenon filling in the passages they have worked so hard to make. A man-sized opening in the Anvil heals itself over the course of 1d6 days, with larger or smaller passages taking more or less time to seal shut. The shad (along with others who have learned the secrets of the plane) know ways by which tunnels, chambers, and other constructions can be made permanent. It would be of little value to present the details here, but for those inclined to learn, the plane of Earth provides opportunities to do so. Unfortunately, most of them lie within the slave-worked mines of the dao.
Breathing
With the exception of scattered pockets of air, mist, and the like, the plane of Earth has no air to breathe. One must hold his breath, use a magical means of respiration such as the spell airy earth, or leave the Anvil or die before very long.
The DM can resolve such matters by using the standard rules for holding one's breath as presented in the Dungeon Master Guide.
One other option exists as well. An outsider who moves through the plane of Earth with the help of a native guide can often manage to breathe normally. Why does this occur? Outsider thinkers have argued about that question for years. But for us, there is no mystery. It is the way of things.
Vision and Hearing
Unless one is gifted with x-ray vision or a similarly remarkable sense, he cannot see at all in the depths of the Elemental Plane of Earth. Those who employ sonar or another means of echolocation can see, though it takes time for them to adjust to the way sound travels through stone and earth. An outsider traveling with an elemental guide usually shares that creature's senses, allowing him to see through the endless miles of solid earth (or, at least, the minute portion of it nearest to him).
Sound travels very well through the plane of Earth. Indeed, the average person can detect even the passing of an ethereal or phased creature. Such events produce a hissing sound that can be heard at a distance of 60 feet. For out-siders with exceptionally keen hearing (including those with the skill to detect noises), this range is increased to 90 feet. One can be sure that we who have dwelt in these lightless realms for our entire lives have learned to hone our sense of hearing to incredible levels.
Gravity
There is a great teal of debate (among those who feel the need to debate such things) about whether or not the plane of Earth has gravity. Some say that any home is like the plane of Air, free from the encumbering chains of such a force. Others, however, insist that gravity does exist here, but that it comes from every direction at once, effectively canceling itself out.
The truth of the matter is that no one knows, and it does not make any difference. The end result is the same. It may be important to remember, however, that one cannot count on using conventional means to move around. Crossing a big open area, such as a pocket of elemental Air, requires some other method. This can be as simple (and inefficient) as flapping one's arms or as speedy and expedient as a fly spell. Of course, one can always crawl along the ground—this method always works, and that is the reason we shad rely upon it.
Fossils
Scattered throughout the plane of Earth are the bodies of creatures that died while in the clutches of the Anvil. In some cases, they were poor souls whose travel plans did not turn out the way they had intended. Others were imprisoned here by wicked tyrants who knew that the punishment would be a death sentence.
Those two kinds are the most common. But a third type of fossil, more hazardous and rare than the rest, is that of a prisoner who yet lives. Over the untold centuries since the creation of the multiverse, many powerful creatures from other planes have been entombed in the Elemental Plane of Earth. As a rule, they were put here because they were too potent to destroy or contain in any other way. Travelers who stumble upon such fossils are in grave danger, for these relics are just sleeping and often awake if freed or disturbed. The DM can use the following table to determine the nature of a fossil, then add further details as desired.
| 1d10 Roll |
Type of Fossil |
| 1 - 2 |
Prime-material Creature |
| 3 - 5 |
Planewalker/Adventurer |
| 6 - 8 |
Outer-planar Creature |
| 9 - 10 |
Inner-planar Creature |
Earthquakes
When most folk think of earth or rock, they picture a dependable, faithful material that they can stand on with assuredness or build things from with a guarantee of durability. If that held true throughout the entire plane of Earth, the place would not change much. But as I have already said, that is not the way of things. The so-called Anvil constantly tries to close up tunnels and crush elemental pockets out of existence. Such movements are not swift, but they are inexorable.
Every so often, however, the slow crawl of the plane of Earth becomes a sudden jump. When that happens, a great tremor ripples through the endless stone. Such quakes are not common, but they can be quite severe. To determine the area affected by a tremor, the DM can use the table that determines the size of an elemental pocket.
To detennine the intensity of a quake and its effects on those caught in it, the DM can use the following table. An earthquake lasts for 1d10 rounds and inflicts the stated amount of damage each round upon creatures in its clutches.
| 1d10 Roll |
Intensity |
Save Adj. |
Damage |
| 1 - 3 |
Tremor |
+ 4 |
2d6 |
| 4 - 6 |
Minor |
+ 2 |
4d6 |
| 7 - 8 |
Moderate |
0 |
6d6 |
| 9 |
Major |
- 2 |
8d6 |
| 10 |
Catastrophic |
- 4 |
10d6 |
In order to escape serious injury from any number of sources (including falling rocks, fractures in the fabric of the plane, and so on), each being caught in a quake must make a successful Dexterity saving throw for every round the quake persists. The adjustment indicated on the table above is applied to this roll. If the being fails the save, he suffers the damage shown on the table. If he makes the save, he suffers only half that damage. Furthermore, a being traveling with an elemental guide is thrown free of the guide if he fails his saving throw. This may leave him stranded in the heart of rock, unless his guide opts to rescue him.
Gas Pockets
Another danger — one greatly feared by the shad — comes in the form of pockets of gas. Though similar in some ways to elemental pockets, gas pockets are natural features of the plane created by any number of causes. Three major types exist: explosive, noxious, and toxic.
In order to determine the size of a gas pocket, the DM can roll on the table for elemental pockets. The result should be halved, though, for gas pockets are generally smaller than elemental pockets.
Explosive Gas
Pockets of explosive gas generally have the same effect as either noxious or toxic pockets (but not both). In addition, however, they combust if an open flame is brought into their area. Such a blast requires everyone in the pocket to make a successful Dexterity saving throw or suffer 8d8 points of damage or half on a scucess. The explosion also has a 30% chance of triggering an earthquake twice the size of the gas pocket in the immediate area. More than a few outsiders have gone to pieces when they discovered one of these natural traps. Shad, however, rarely carry flame. Fire consumes valuable air and provides only uncomfortable, even dangerous heat. I, for one, see no value in it.
Noxious gas
A pocket of noxious gas has the same effect as a stinking cloud spell. It can bring even a shad to his knees before he knows what has hit him. While it may not kill an outsider, it will make him feel like something that just clawed its way out of the dao slave pits. Over the years, we shad have developed a resistance to all forms of poison due to exposure to such horrid surprises.
Toxic Gas
These pockets of gas do more than cause sickness. They can kill. A traveler who enters a place filled with toxic gas is affected as if a wizard had cast a cloudkill spell upon him.
Moving about
As if reaching the Elemental Plane of Earth were not hard enough, upon arrival an outsider must then find a way to move around. An individual of sufficient strength can travel through the infinite expanse of earth without suffering any damage due to the pressure (which remains a concern for most, as discussed earlier). As I have stated, this is the way of the shad. We make our own paths.
The DM can use the following table to determine the type of rock comprising a given region of the Anvil. For the sake of simplicity, the table uses general descriptions in lieu of specific types of stone or minerals.
| 1d10 Roll |
Type of Earth |
Minimum Strength |
| 1 - 3 |
Packed Soil |
15 |
| 4 - 6 |
Very sof Rock |
17 |
| 7 - 8 |
Soft Rock |
19 |
| 9 |
Hard Rock |
21 |
| 10 |
Very Hard Rock |
23 |
This table also indicates the minimum Strength score required to move through such a region. A being with exactly the indicated score can move through the rock at a rate of one foot every 10 minutes. For every point of Strength a being has above the minimum, he can move one additional foot in 10 minutes. Thus, a creature with an 18 Strength score can tunnel through packed soil at a rate of 4 feet per 10 minutes or through very soft rock at a rate of 2 feet per 10 minutes.
Tools obviously make tunneling much easier. One who employs the proper digging implements, such as picks, shovels, chisels, and hammers, decreases his needed Strength score by 8. (It's a whole lot easier for a basher to get where he's going if he can make use of magical spells. A stone shape or passwall can be of great help.)
The very best way to move through the Anvil is with the aid of an elemental guide. Creatures such as the mysterious xorn are able to travel freely through even the densest stone and can extend this ability to anyone who touches them. Xorn, however, can be only be trusted so far — and not at all if their hunger for metals or gems gets the best of them. A word to the wise: An outsider should not ask a xom to guide him anywhere near a vein of mineral, or he will never get where he is going.
Inhabitants
Many powerful and dangerous creatures share my home. An outsider who crosses them had better know what he faces, or he may find himself a permanent part of the unyielding stone around him.
Elementals
Most of the beings that dwell in the plane of Earth are, obviously, what outsiders call elementals. We shad call them the heartfolk. Usually, they are our allies, and we revere them as lords of the plane, for that is what they are. (The term "heartfolk" includes not only common elementals — those big, walking hunks of stone and earth that spelicasters love to unleash on their enemies — but also mephits, fundamentals, archomentals, peck, earth weirds, and the like.)
Almost all heartfolk are of neutral alignment, and therefore peaceful and easy to live with — at least, from a shad's point of view. However, the influence of the great and mighty Sunnis and the terrible but equally mighty Ogremoch, the Princes of Elemental Good and Evil, constantly tempt them to act in ways contrary to their nature. Much to our chagrin, the heartfolk who serve these fanatical lords do not look or sound any different from those who stay on the neutral path.
When elemental creatures choose not to move, they generally blend in with the plane. After all, an earth elemental dots not stand out when resting against a wall of stone and dirt. Thus, any such creature is effectively invisible so long as it remains motionless. In addition, these beings are immune to the effects of spells like earthquake or stone shape while in their own plane.
Most creatures native to the plane of Earth (as well as those of Magma, Ooze, Mineral, and Dust) have the ability to move effortlessly through the solid stone of the Anvil. This effect is similar to a passwall spell. In addition, they can extend this skill to any other creature that they are touching. In this way, a native guide can enable visitors to move swiftly indeed. We shad are not so blessed. We dig.
Most primes, I am told, generally perceive creatures of Elemental Earth to be slow and ponderous. This notion often grows into a belief that such beings think as slowly as they move. As usual, outsiders are ignorant of the truth. The reality is that the Anvil's natives live at a slower pace than the rest of the multiverse. We think in terms of years and centuries — not hours, days, and weeks. One can rest assured that anything we do will be well thought out and carefully considered.
Animals
Few animals live in the Elemental Plane of Earth. We shad have encountered only giant ants, many species of worms, moles, mice, and other burrowing creatures. Many originate from other planes.
Monsters
I have heard that wise adventurers around the multiverse agree that some of the most dangerous creatures one may encounter call the Elemental Plane of Earth home. These include such beings as xorn, xaren, and galeb duhr. Though not always monsters in the sense that shad would use the word, such beings can be terrifying in combat if one is so foolish as to anger them.
Perhaps the most dangerous creatures of the Anvil, at least in terms of sheer destructiveness, are the honks. These insectlike things swarm over the plane, destroying everything in their path. They are the enemies of all else that dwells in Earth, especially the kryst, a race of lawful good elementals.
Other monstrous creatures are found throughout the plane as well. Schools of khargra swim through the earth itself, often hunted by pech and chaggrin rue, as well as by my own people. Of course, when they do not hunt khargra, pech tribes often wage wars among themselves. These clashes may involve sandlings, earth weirds, and others.
Dao
The race known as the dao makes its home in the Elemental Plane of Earth. The dao live in huge cities that flaunt their great wealth and power. Curiously, the majority of the people who live in these places are not dao. Rather, they are slaves gathered from every corner of the multiverse.
Dao are evil creatures and mean-tempered in the extreme. They delight in the accumulation of wealth and care nothing for the harm and suffering this causes others. Proof of this can be seen in the opulence of their dwellings. Shad hate dao, for they capture and enslave us to put to work in their mines, cities, and homes. They even use us to help capture other slaves. Most shad slaves die in captivity, for we cannot take such a life for long. The dao do not care.
A great many dao citadels lie within the plane of Earth, each located at the heart of a vast mazework. The typical dao mazework is home to 4d10 dao and 8d10 slaves, most of whom are elementals or elemental-kin of some sort (but often include humans, dwarves, draw, gargoyles, goblins, gorgons, jann, minotaurs, umber hulks, and many, many more). At the head of these folk is a dao ataman or hetman, who is aided by a seneschal of great wisdom. Dao warriors often ride greater basilisks into battle and utilize xorn, stone giant, and sandmen mercenaries.
Each mazework is associated with one or more elemental pockets, and the nature of that resource greatly affects the flavor of the place's architecture and life. A classic example of this is the Fiery Cascade. This stronghold is located between two pockets of elemental Fire, which have been tapped to create a vast, three-dimensional network of flaming moats. The technique proves most effective at keeping unwanted visitors out.
The dao live in a realm known as the Great Dismal Delve, which I shall describe later.
Dwarven Races
One should expect to find dwarves, gnomes, and the like in the Elemental Plane of Earth. There are those who say that dwarves originated here, but most agree that this is untrue. Even if the theory is false, these subterranean races are quite at home in the endless depths of the Anvil. They may even have coined that term for the plane.
If any dwarflike race clings to the plane of Earth more than the dwarves themselves, it is the svirfneblin, also called deep gnomes. These wise beings hold a tight alliance with the heartfolk and defend themselves (and even others) against the dao. My people enjoy the company of the svirfneblin, but I do not believe that they truly give us the respect that we give them. Still, they come to our aid if the need arises, for we have many mutual enemies.
Although the deep gnomes are thought by outsiders to keep their homes mainly on the Prime Material Plane, their secret is that their real cities are here — fabulous, gigantic complexes that rival even those of the dao (who resent them for it).
Other Races
Cyclopes and giants of all types live in secretive tribes or alone in the hidden caverns of the Elemental Plane of Earth. Similarly reclusive bands of fomorians have also been found in the depths of the Anvil. Like their kin, these creatures are fairly content if left alone.
Dragons, basilisks, cockatrices, and medusae (and their maedar mates) can all be found scattered throughout the plane. In addition, at least one large community of neogi lurks here. These horrible creatures are the bane of those around them. Countless tribes of pech and the like have tried to destroy the neogi, only to be eaten in the process. The fact that the colony has a fair-sized army of umber hulk slaves defending it is more than enough to convince most outsiders to avoid this part of the Elemental Plane of Earth.
Lastly, a few powerful creatures from other planes have made their home in the Anvil. Stone giants, for example, are found in surprisingly large numbers. The ruvoka are also well represented in the depths of the plane, as are the tribes of my people.
Powers
The gods have not shied from making their homes in the depths of the Elemental Plane of Earth. In addition to Geb, the earth god of the Egyptian pantheon, the plane offers a home to Sunnis, Grumbar, and Ogremoch. These lords of variously aligned elemental beings struggle constantly for supremacy, although most of the battles are waged between the followers of the evil Ogremoch and his good counter-part Sunnis. Grumbar tends to sit back and watch with some amusement as the two rivals weaken each other in battles that do not involve him.
Geb
Unlike most of the members of the Egyptian pantheon, Geb has chosen to live outside the realm of Heliopolis on Arcadia. Instead, he makes his home in a vast series of caverns hidden away at the heart of the plane of Earth. Geb's labyrinthine realm is known as the Caverns Under the Stars. Rumor has it that a portal to Elysium (where his wife and sister Nut resides) lies at the center of Geb's caverns. (For more information about the Caverns, refer to "The Sites," later in this article.)
Geb is a good-natured fellow who takes an unusually keen interest in the affairs of his worshipers and petitioners. He does not object to outsiders paying a visit to his home, and provided visitors behave themselves, his petitioners prove good hosts.
Those who die after serving the interests of Geb in life take up residence in the Caverns. The most worthy of them take the form of the stars that twinkle above it while others are seen in the flashing gems that line the walls. The majority of the spirits, however, make up the dark-skinned, black-haired citizens who dwell in the Caverns. They are a friendly crowd, generally willing to help an outsider as long as he is not rude, offensive, or disrespectful.
The greatest problem facing Geb is the fact that Shu, another of the Egyptian powers, has been commanded to keep the earth god away from his bride. Although the two have never openly battled, there is a constant struggle between them. An outsider who can bring Geb news of Nut, his beloved sister-wife, is likely to be treated as an honored guest in the home of this most cordial power.
Grumbar
Grumbar is by far the largest and most powerful earth elemental one will ever meet. He is known to my people (and to some other races) as the Living Mountain and Earth Father. A greater power, Grumbar is the master of all neutrally aligned earth elementals.
Few outsiders have had the honor of standing in the presence of Grumbar. Heartfolk and others lucky enough to have met with the god report that they were guided into a large pocket of air (or other suitable elemental material) for the encounter. One side of the pocket was a vast wall of stone, in the center of which was what they presumed to be the gigantic face of Grumbar. When their meeting concluded, the face melted away into the rock and the heartfolk were free to go about their business. It is possible, of course, that the face was not that of Grumbar but one of his proxies, and that no one has ever seen the true power.
As Sunnis and Ogremoch wage their endless battle for supremacy and ultimate domination of the plane of Earth, Grumbar just sits by and watches. From time to time, he lends aid to one side or the other, but only when the balance of power is about to tilt too far in either direction. The hand of Grumbar may be suspected at these junctures, but it is never visible.
Ogremoch
Ogremoch is an archomental, one of the Princes of Elemental Evil. He appears as a rocky humanoid standing 10 feet tall — his eyes gleam like chipped obsidian, and his body sparkles with flecks of mica.
His home, an immense fortress known as Stonemire, stands upon a giant plateau inside an immense cavern near the border with the paraplane of Magma. The temperature here is so great that few living things can tolerate it. Fountains of molten stone, clouds of searing hot smoke, and geysers of scalding steam are scattered about as decorations. The plateau upon which Stonemire rests is said to contain the bodies of countless sods who ran afoul of the god. Whether they were slain and then buried or imprisoned by means of a powerful entomb spell is difficult to say.
Ogremoch has earned the nicknames Stone Tyrant and Master of Black Earth. When he is not planning a fresh scheme of evil, he often wanders the Anvil looking for new subjects to intimidate, new slaves to command, or new opponents to challenge. Fear of his sudden appearance pervades all of Earth, though few can actually claim to have seen the Stone Tyrant.
It is said that Ogremoch constantly watches for the rise of a truly mighty villain. Should he ever find a creature of sufficient wickedness and energy, he will supposedly carve that being into a juggernaut of evil the likes of which the Anvil has never seen. This is the plan, wise men say, by which Ogremoch ultimately hopes to destroy his hated rival, Sunnis.
Sunnis
Sunnis. the Princess of Good Earth Creatures, takes the form of a tall, muscular woman with features chiseled out of stone. Mercy and understanding shine in the deep blue of her scintillating sapphire eyes. Also known as the True Stone or Lode Mother, Sunnis does not really concern herself with amassing followers. This does not mean that she lives an isolated existence, however, for a number of earth elementals, galeb duhr, xorn, and other creatures serve her at all times.
The Princess makes her home in the Sandfall, a fortress built within a cavern underneath a perpetually falling column of sand. The sand eventually drains down into what appears to be a bottomless pit not far away from Sunnis' stronghold. (Some heartfolk say that she plans to lay a trap one day for her greatest enemy, Ogremoch, and hurl him into that eternal abyss.) Many folk have likened the Sandfall's area to the bottom half of a great hourglass. Some say the earthy cascade flows eternally from the quasiplane of Dust — a gift from a suitor from Dust to the one he loves. Is this true? Who can say? While countless beings covet the hand of this powerful matriarch, her own feelings in such matters remain hidden.
Rumor has it that the heart of Sandfall is built around a gleaming crystal some 50 feet across. Those who have seen it — or claim to have seen it, at any rate — say that it gives off a blinding light. It has been variously stated that this treasure is either the heart of a star, the finest gem ever gleaned from the quasiplane of Mineral, or the source of all earthly magical power.
When she is not in her home, Sunnis travels the Anvil in starch of exotic treasures, worthy heroes, and other items of great value. It is said that anyone who brings her a truly unique treasure will find a special place in her heart and win a mysterious boon. The exact nature of this reward is a subject of much speculation, but considering the power Sunnis commands, it could be quite magnificent
Proxies
As one might imagine, any realm that includes powers also hosts their proxies as well. This place has its own number of those most powerful of mortals.
Queen Hapshepust
Hapshepsut (Proxy/Female Half-Elf/Fighter 12) is Geb's loyal servant and agent in the world of mortals. She is as fierce a defender of her lord as a body is ever likely to encounter. Hapshepsut is said to have been the first mortal to ever find her way to the Elemental Plane of Earth. As a reward for her efforts, Geb transformed the lovely half-elf into the powerful creature she is today. Anyone who fancies himself worthy enough to challenge this slender, almost frail-looking woman quickly learns that he has made a terrible mistake. In combat, the queen wields a magical flail that unleashes an earthquake spell each time it strikes, and her dusky skin is as hard as granite.
Kaylef
Whispered tales tell of a powerful creature named Kaylef that wanders the Anvil in an endless odyssey of destruction and carnage. Most relate that Kaylef was a dwarf warrior/priest from a world of earth and fire. His loyalty and ferocity won him the attention of Ogremoch. The Stone Tyrant tested Kaylef, believing that the dwarf might be the instrument of evil he had long sought. To his disgrace, Kaylef was found wanting. The testing procedure left the dwarf with powers so great that it is impossible not to classify him as a proxy. The truth of it, however, is that he has been cast aside and long since forgotten by Ogremoch. Kaylef blames no one but himself for his failure, seeking solace in unending violence and destruction.
The Sites
A number of magnificent structures are hidden away in the plane of Earth. Although the best known of them are associated with the powers of the plane, they are certainly not the only points of interest of which a traveler should make note.
The Aviary
Anyone who has ever dreamed of flying through the air like a bird will love this place. The Aviary is a large pocket of air 15 miles in diameter and populated by a colony of avariel. The winged elves have built a wonderful city here so open and airy that it is easy for a visitor to forget that he is in nothing more than a giant cave.
A visitor to the Aviary can purchase or rent a pair of wings, allowing him to fly about like a bird. It takes some getting used to, but a skilled flyer can maneuver as gracefully and elegantly as any naturally feathered creature. The pressures of the plane and the pull of gravity in all directions make the Aviary, in effect, without any gravity at all.
The shad do not care for these winged creatures and their strange ways. I am told, however, that the Aviary offers an interesting diversion for outsiders weary of the "oppressive stone," as some call it. Mine is not to understand, but simply to report.
The Caverns under the Stars
Geb's labyrinthine realm is known as the Caverns Under the Stars. A portal to Elysium (where his wife and sister Nut resides) stands at the center of the Caverns, but Geb has never let it's location be discovered. It may be that Shu discovered and destroyed the portal long ago.
The realm is a vast pyramidal chamber, 30 miles on a side. The shape of the chamber is not apparent, however, for the upper half of the place is shrouded by the night sky. (This expanse of twinkling stars and midnight blue is a gift to Geb from his estranged wife.) A sprawling city of magnificent stone buildings and temples, similar to those found in Heliopolis, covers the bottom of the cavern. Geb's palace stands at the exact center of the realm, surrounded by a circular river of pure, sweet water.
A visitor to this place finds everything that he might want in the open-air market, although those who are not skillful bargainers may pay more than they should. However, Geb does not tolerate outright swindlers in his realm. Hospitality and friendship are the order of the day.
The Greats Dismal Delve
All dao live within the area of the plane of Earth called the Great Dismal Delve. This region is filled with mazework citadels ruled by minor nobles, with the Great Khan — the leader of the entire realm and race — living in a mazework all his own. The dao population is unknown, but it is certainly large. Much larger, however, is the vast number of earth elementals and elemental-kin who serve them, and the nonnative slaves who toil ceaselessly to increase the size of their domains.
At the heart of the Delve is a vast center of commerce and trade — a veritable city that surrounds the palace of the Great Khan of All Dao, Kabril All al-Sara al-Zalazil, the Fountain of Wealth, the Perfect Compass, Atamen of the Mountain's Roots, the Stone Sultan (and so on, and so on, and so on). This place is called the Sevenfold Mazework.
Few words are majestic enough to describe the central court of the dao. In addition to being a truly immense fortress in its own right, it is said that this place connects to each and every mazework within the Great Dismal Delve. The linking tunnels allow the dao to move freely about the khanate with their slaves, who often cannot pass through the stone. In addition, pockets of every conceivable elemental, paraelemental, or quasielemental material can be found somewhere in the Delve, with connecting tunnels to the great market and fabulous forges of the Sevenfold Mazework. With all of these resources at his command, the Great Khan of the dao is one of the most powerful beings in the plane.
The Great Khan lives within the Hidden Fulcrum of the Dao, a secretive palace where the ruler of these evil people plots his twisted schemes and lusts after treasures he has not yet acquired or stolen. Rumors speak of a magical rune that secretly marks all objects in the Sevenfold Mazework, particularly gemstones, as property of the Great Khan. The dao punish thieves who try to steal from their ruler with death.
The so-called Free Market (good luck finding anything free here) offers virtually all goods that can be purchased anywhere in the multiverse, but it mostly teems with slave traders and their living wares. For the right price, one can lay hands on any manner of creature, magical or otherwise, as well as a means of commanding it to do his bidding. The dao are slavers, plain and simple. They make no bones about it and do not seem to understand why some find that to be offensive or evil. They simply cannot fathom the concept of sympathy or mercy and use others to further their own ends if they can. I have heard that some outsiders who call themselves the Fated cling to a similar belief system, but I doubt that they are so cruel.
Near the Sevenfold Mazework lies a fiery mountain of molten metal called the Iron Crucible. This place serves as a link to the Elemental Plane of Fire. The efreeti and dao both use this to trade with each other, the efreeti usually looking for slaves and the dao looking for precious metals, gems, or magic.
Planewalkers in Earth
Those traveling to the Elemental Plane of Earth usually plan for a long stay. Rarely do the vortices or portals that bring one here or take him away lie near his final destination. Instead, he must follow a long, winding, and often indirect path of tunnels, or, in some cases, dig his own passages to reach what he seeks.
The dao, villainous slave-traders that they are, cannot be trusted. They often snatch those who come to them, even humble messengers, and throw them into slave-pits. Wise people avoid dealing with the dao altogether. If one must meet them, it should be in battle. At least, that is how the shad feel. (The dao have enslaved many of us through feigned kindness as well as strength of arms.)
Although the quasiplane of Mineral holds much of the multiverse's treasures, the plane of Earth hides great wealth in its heart as well. Much of it is secret, still awaiting discovery. Dogged explorers — many of whom now guard their spoils or have hidden them in such a way as to keep them from others — have found some of this fortune. Treasure-seekers are not unknown in the Anvil, and they sometimes walk away with great wealth.
Some outsiders use the endless imperviousness of Earth to hide things they never want found, not because of their value, but because of their danger. Horrible beasts, cursed artifacts, and banes of all sorts rest within tombs of stone. The powerful dwellers of other planes often hire adventurers to bring a dreaded thing here and bury it. Of course, other powerful individuals often hire other adventurers to come here and dig it up again.
Surprisingly, a few great cities lie within huge caverns in the Elemental Plane of Earth. Rianttyr Na-Mecas and Totholia, very different sorts of places, boast populations in the thousands, mostly of outsiders. The former city is full of humans, generally, though it contains a number of mixed races, while the latter city is home primarily to dwarves and gnomes. Those not native to this plane find it comforting to congregate with others of their kind. The plane of Earth is many things, and lonely can be chief among them.
Spell Keys and other Necessities
Although I know little of such things, I have been told that it is possible for a wizard to use spell keys to overcome the restrictions that the Anvil imposes upom his magic, especially that involving the schools of Elemental Air and Fire. In most cases, spell keys for the plane of Earth are physical objects added to material components normally needed for the spell. Almost without exception, these are types of ore, minerals, or elements related to the effect of the spell. For example, a spell key to improve the effect of a fireball might take the form of a fire opal.
If I might make another suggestion for visitors bound for a long-term stay in the plane: Bring tools, light sources, food, water, and anything that might allow one to reinforce stone construction, such as wooden or iron beams or supports. This last suggestion allows an outsider to dig out a place to live and dwell within it without fear of it collapsing right away. In short, I suppose, the same supplies needed for an underground expedition on a prime-material world are needed here, perhaps to an even greater degree.
I hope that my words provide some assistance.
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