The Beastlands
(https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Beastlands_(plane))
The Wilderness of the Beastlands, also known as the Happy Hunting Grounds, was the Outer plane representing alignments between neutral and chaotic good in the Great Wheel cosmology model. Some characteristics of this plane were attributed to the World Tree cosmology planes of Arvandor and the House of Nature, which became popular during that time. Arvandor survived the Spellplague while the House of Nature split into at least two parts, one of which became the Deep Wilds and the other merged with the Green Fields as described by the World Axis cosmology model.
In addition to the myriad species from the animal kingdom, there were the usual Upper Plane sentient creatures, such as hollyphants, planetars, solars, devas, foo creatures, agathia, and baku. Another form of life unique to the Beastlands was the mortai, also known as the "faces in the clouds". They appeared as cumulus clouds with large humanoid faces and could communicate with anyone if they so wished. The mortai were considered very wise and could converse on most any subject. They also had complete control over the air and weather. Their origin was unknown, but it was thought they might be collections of good and somewhat chaotic spirits.
Geography
The name Happy Hunting Grounds was given to this plane by those who first scried it, assuming the abundant and varied game and wildlife would be a sportsman's paradise. But the native inhabitants of this plane were all capable of speech and comparable to humans in range of intelligence. Some of the most intelligent creatures could even wield magic. All natural creatures and their giant versions from the Prime Material Plane, including mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and invertebrates, excluding enchanted creatures and monsters, were represented here, and they called their home the Beastlands.
The Beastlands had three layers, all heavily forested with regular and giant trees, as well as a variety of plants, moss, and fungi. Each layer had its own time of day, which never varied. The weather was regionally diverse and provided a range of conditions for the habitats of all creatures. The weather in one region did not affect adjacent regions, so an arid desert could exist next to a snowy winter region, for example. Any attempt to control the winds, weather, or atmosphere was countered by those airborne creatures who lived in the area.
Yggdrasil, the World Ash, extended its branches to all layers of the Beastlands. The reason was unclear, since there were no realms of the Norse pantheon anywhere in the plane. Some speculated that the wilderness and life-giving properties of the plane were sufficient to root the tree there.
Krigala:
Krigala was the upper layer, connected to the Astral Plane by colour pools and to Elysium, Arborea, and the Outlands by portals disguised as large holes in hollow trees. The river Oceanus flowed in a relatively straight course from Amoria in Elysium through Krigala on its way to Arborea. The sky was perpetually lit by a noonday sun directly overhead, regardless of distance travelled.
Brux:
The second layer of the Beastlands was constantly shrouded in dusk or dawn, due to two suns on opposite ends of the horizon, hovering there and casting a reddish hue over the sky. The landscape of Brux was similar to that found in Krigala. Brux was the location of the Library of All Knowledge.
Karasuthra:
The bottommost layer was the land of starlight. Above any clouds or fog that might exist in a region was a clear night sky full of wandering stars. The stars moved randomly such that all attempts to map them into constellations were unsuccessful.
Magical Conditions:
Most magic works the way a cutter intends it to on the Beastlands, with the following exceptions.
ALTERATION. Due to the presence of the mortai, a type of living cloud creature (see PS MCII), all spells that manipulate the wind, air, or weather fail automatically in the Beastlands. Some such spells include Feather Fall, Fly, Gust of Wind, and Wind Wall. Note that though fly affects the subject of the spellcasting and not the environment around him, the nature of the plane is such that only creatures normally able to fly can get off the ground.
CONJURATION/SUMMONING. Most Conjuration or Summoning spells work normally on the Beastlands, but all monster summoning spells draw only residents of the plane (of appropriate Hit Dice, of course). In other words, a spell-slinger's going to be mighty disappointed if he's hoping to summon Arborean elves or Elysium guardinals to whack on his foes for him. He'll also be surprised when that lion he's summoned doesn't immediately spring to his aid; the beast's been brought by his magical call, but it's under no compulsion to serve his whims.
DIVINATION. Divination spells that call upon otherplanar knowledge or beings, such as contact other plane, do not function in the Beastlands. This is Nature's domain, and "unnatural" resources don't belong here.
ENCHANTMENT/CHARM. Despite their appearances, the "normal animals" of the Beastlands really aren't normal. No basher is capable of controlling the Beastlands' creatures with spells that control or charm normal animals.
NECROMANACY. All harmful and damage-causing necromantic spells, such as chill touch and energy drain, are cast on the Beastlands as if the caster is one experience level lower than her actual level. (Unlike typical "diminished" effects, however, the caster is not limited to spells of 4th level and lower.) Death is a part of life, but in a place as vital and vibrant as the Beastlands, it doesn't come easily by unnatural means.
ELEMENTAL. As noted above, the mortai's presence causes all spells of Elemental Air to fail without a key. Other elements appear to be influenced by the plane's strong primal nature. Elemental Fire spells are enhanced in Krigala, perhaps due to the constant burning presence of Selera; they're diminished in Karasuthra as Noctos draws their heat away (but as with Necromancy, the caster is not limited to spells of 4th level and lower). Elemental Water spells are enhanced on the Beastlands in the presence of large bodies of water (Oceanus, Bear Lake, the Forgotten Lake). Similarly, Elemental Earth spells are enhanced near mountains or large rocky outcroppings such as the Forbidden Plateau.
Spell Keys:
All spell keys for the Beastlands take the form of natural items. In general, the larger the item, the higher level of spell the key empowers. Note that examples of keys are provided for schools that have no general changes; the school may be unaffected, but the mortai still inhibits any specific spells involving air or wind. A list of common key forms for each spell school follows:
ABJURATION: Stones and pebbles (needed for elemental aura)
ALTERATION: Blown leaves
CONJURATION/SUMMONING: Food stuff for the type of creature being summoned (oats or hay for horses, a haunch of fresh meat for great cats, a large quantity of the element for the desired pseudoelemental
DIVINATION: Silver ore
ENCHANTMENT/CHARM: Rock crystals, quartz, geodes
ILLUSION/PHANTASM: Feathers (needed for whispering wind)
INVOCATION/EVOCATION: Branches from trees struck by lightning (needed for wall of fog, stinking cloud, and cloudkill)
NECROMANCY: Bone from the general type of creature the caster wishes to affect
ELEMENTAL: Naturally created air effects for Elemental Air (smoke from a fire), a bonfire for Elemental Fire, and so on.
Power Keys:
Most powers of the Beastlands are so strongly nature-oriented that few of them present power keys. Unless there's some dire threat to the domain of their Prime worshipers, the power's realm, or the Beastlands as a whole, most of the gods here favour the view that nature is self-correcting.
Stronmaus, the giantish storm god, and the powers of Krynn and Tori are the most likely to issue power keys. The giant god's keys usually take the form of a metallic rendering of a lightning bolt or a hollow glass pendant, inside which swirls a tiny storm cloud. The Krynnish gods issue power keys in the shape of natural items (see spell keys above for examples). The powers of Toril issue power keys in the form of books, tomes, scrolls, or sheets of musical notes.
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