Lore of Inner Planes

The Elements That Make Up the Worlds

The Inner Planes are the foundation of all creation, the primal forces that shape and sustain existence. They are realms of raw, untamed energy, embodying the fundamental elements that form the universe. These planes are the crucibles where matter, energy, and magic collide, giving rise to the worlds and all that inhabit them.

The Core Elements

The Inner Planes consist of the four elemental planes—Earth, Fire, Water, and Air—each representing a pure manifestation of its respective element. They are vast and infinite, with landscapes that reflect their inherent nature in grand and extreme forms:

• The Plane of Earth: A solid, unyielding realm of stone, minerals, and subterranean caverns. This plane is a vast, oppressive labyrinth where gravity weighs heavily, and gems and precious metals are embedded in its walls. It is the foundation upon which all worlds are built.


• The Plane of Fire: A blazing inferno of molten rock, endless flames, and scorching heat. Rivers of lava carve paths through fiery plains, and volcanoes erupt ceaselessly. Despite its harshness, the Plane of Fire is also a place of creation and passion, where energy burns brightest.


• The Plane of Water: An endless expanse of liquid, from calm, azure seas to turbulent, crashing waves. It is a realm of both serenity and chaos, home to coral reefs, underwater chasms, and mighty currents that can carry even the strongest swimmer to unknown depths.


• The Plane of Air: A boundless sky, filled with powerful winds, drifting clouds, and floating islands. Gravity is a suggestion rather than a rule, and creatures glide or soar effortlessly in this realm of freedom and lightness.

The Intersecting Forces

Where the elemental planes converge, hybrid realms known as Para-Elemental Planes are formed:

• Ice (Water + Air): A frozen wasteland of glaciers and biting winds.
• Magma (Fire + Earth): A volatile land of molten rock and fiery eruptions.
• Smoke (Fire + Air): A hazy expanse of choking ash and billowing smoke.
• Mud (Water + Earth): A swampy mire of shifting, unstable ground.

These regions are chaotic and unpredictable, combining the raw power of two elements into unstable and often dangerous environments.

Primal Energies

Beyond the elemental planes lie the Positive and Negative Energy Planes, which provide the spark of life and the void of death, respectively. These energies fuel and balance the elemental forces:

• Positive Energy Plane: A blinding realm of infinite light and vitality, where creation and life are born. Prolonged exposure can overwhelm, consuming mortals in an explosion of life energy.


• Negative Energy Plane: A cold, desolate void that drains life and vitality. It is the source of death, entropy, and undeath, where existence is unwound into nothingness.

The Forge of Creation

The Inner Planes are the engine of the cosmos, providing the building blocks for all worlds. The materials and energies drawn from these planes flow into the Material Plane, where they are shaped into mountains, rivers, storms, and life itself. Elemental creatures and spirits, embodiments of their respective planes, sometimes cross into the Material Plane, bringing with them both wonder and danger.

The balance between the elements is essential to the stability of the multiverse. Too much of one element can wreak havoc: floods from an overabundance of water, wildfires from unchecked fire, suffocating airlessness from too much earth, or storms of unrelenting wind.

Elemental Inhabitants

The Inner Planes are teeming with life, though much of it is alien to mortals. Elementals, beings composed entirely of their native elements, roam these planes freely. Powerful Elemental Lords—akin to gods—rule vast domains, vying for dominance and seeking to extend their influence to other planes.

Mortals who seek power from the Inner Planes must tread carefully. While the elemental forces can grant immense strength and knowledge, they are indifferent to the needs or survival of those who call upon them.

A Realm of Potential

To study the Inner Planes is to delve into the very essence of creation. From their boundless energies, mortals draw power to fuel magic, forge weapons, and sustain life. Adventurers who brave these realms encounter challenges and wonders beyond imagination, from endless storms of flame to the crushing weight of unyielding earth.

The Inner Planes are not merely the building blocks of the universe—they are its beating heart, an eternal wellspring of energy and potential that ensures the cosmos continues to thrive.