Elemental Planes

Overview
'"The Elemental Planes were the palette from which the primordial forces of creation drew while forming the Material existence. Every atom of primal earth can be traced back to the chaotic elemental realms from whence it was taken. Though they have been sealed behind cosmic doors since the dawn of time, elemental energies still occasionally find their way into the Prime Material, both by accident and by magical design." -Toben the Otherworldly, COSMOLOGON A' The Elemental Planes are fundamental dimensions where existence itself is devoted to one particular "elemental" substance or energy. Traveling to the Elemental Planes is extremely dangerous, but harnessing small amounts of elemental energy to power spells or magic items is fairly common amongst wizards and other spellcasters.

It is important to note in the study of the planes that one dimension "bordering" another does not necessarily refer to two planes physically touching one another. Modern planar depictions such as Toben's Wheel are designed to give an earthly and material understanding of the plane's alignments, but these realities should not be thought of as countries bordering one another on a map; rather, they all exist simultaneously in realmspace, bordering one another on a cosmic scale unfathomable by the human imagination.

The Elemental Planes, as they are understood in modern cosmology, are divided into two categories: Major and Minor Planes, also called Quasi-Elemental Planes. The Major planes are the four fundamental elements of our material world, being Air, Water, Fire and Earth. These planes are cosmologically larger, and are easier to access and harness than the Minor planes, which include Steam, Salt, Mineral, Dust, Radiance, Ash, Lighting, and Vacuum. Each of these Quasi-Elemental Planes are the mixture of forces from both the Major Elementals and the Positive/Negative Energy Planes.

Additionally, the more powerful elemental beings will only form naturally in the Major planes, whilst the Minor generate only mephits, unless larger elementals are summoned from them using magic.

The Elemental Planes, Major or Minor, are extremely dangerous and not meant to be inhabited, though brief exploration is possible with the proper magical protection. Apart from the plane of Air, none of the known Elemental's have breathable oxygen, and most have a very skewed concept of gravity.

Air (A)
The Plane of Air is a cloudy, never-ending blue void of light and wind. Gravity is subjective, relying on non-native individuals to choose a downward direction to fall. Temperatures range from freezing cold to sweltering hot, and though the plane is comprised largely of pure air, it is home to all kinds of fog, gases, poisonous clouds, acidic vapors, and even storms, though these impurities tend to cluster as bubbles or pockets within the atmosphere. Apart from these, the Plane of Air is the only Elemental Plane with breathable air, but the danger of getting lost is still ever-present. For without an unmoving "landmark" in the Plane of Air, one cannot be sure whether the endless winds have moved them miles or worlds away from where they began.

Earth (E)
The Plane of Earth is a never ending world of mountainous mass. Supernaturally large cave networks wind chaotically through the otherwise solid universe of stone, dirt and rock, being ever subjected to change as the plane shifts and quakes with earth-shattering rumbles. Some caverns within the Plane of Earth have ceilings as high as earth's skies, and though it is speculated that the plane is infinitely deep and wide, some planar explorers claim to have unwittingly reached the roof of the plane, and beheld a great plateau of endless mountains unfathomably larger than any natural structure of the Prime Material world.

Fire (F)
The Plane of Fire is pure magma and flame; an ever-churning, ever erupting sea of destruction and fiery fury. Here, fire burns infinitely in it's primal form, with no need for oxygen or fuel. Non-native matter or creatures that enter the Plane of Fire will be burned to ashes in seconds, or perish of asphyxiation from the smoke and poisonous gases. Most of the plane is covered in a sea of liquid flame, and the skies rain torrents of weightless fire on the surface of the realm. The only solid masses in the Plane of Fire are mountains of red-hot embers. Needless to say, the Plane of Fire is one of the most dangerous planes in existence, and should never be visited or explored without the proper magical protection.

Water (W)
The Plane of Water is a boundless ocean with no ceiling and no bottom, stretching on infinitely in all directions. There are pockets of both saltwater and freshwater, and a complete lack of water pressure, as gravity here is subjective, similar to the Plane of Air. Though there is no sun, the endless depths seem to glow with a faint blue-green light, and the concept of weather manifests itself in currents, whirlpools, and flows of ice or steam. Most areas of the Plane of Water seem to be moderately warm; however, massive underwater glaciers suggest areas of frigid temperatures, and it is suggested that portions of the plane may likewise be broiling hot, encouraging careful travel and magical protection.

Lightning (A+)
The Plane of Lightning combines positive energy with elemental air to create an infinite void of blazing chaos. The plane is a cacophony of deafening blasts as every kind of electrical discharge imaginable explodes and thunders in a never-ceasing storm of energy. The Plane of Lightning is almost as dangerous to travel to as the Plane of Fire, as there is no escape from the incinerating energies and the thick smell of ozone that permeates the entire realm.

Vacuum (A-)
Negative energy and elemental air combine to create the Plane of Vacuum; a simple, all consuming nothingness, completely devoid of matter, energy or even air. Any matter sent to the Plane of Vacuum will become the center of intense gravity, and over the course of minutes, hours or days (depending on the material), the matter will fold in on itself and be reduced to nothingness. Even light cannot escape this all-consuming plane of elemental void.

Mineral (E+)
Positive energy of creation surges through elemental earth to create an entire realm of glass, crystal, gemstones and precious metals, all richly laced within solid black marble. The Plane of Mineral is similar in design to the Plane of Earth, being an infinite mass with scattered caverns and tunnels, all glowing with rich ores and rubies. However, gravity here is subjective directional as with the Plane of Air. This, combined with the unceasingly sharp and jagged terrain of the Mineral Plane creates a truly dangerous and unforgiving environment that could threaten to tear you to shreds. Additionally, the ambient transformative energies of the Mineral Plane can be quite dangerous to mortal creatures, threatening to transform non-native matter into stone or crystal if they are exposed for very long. While the plane of mineral is an exceedingly abundant prospect for miners and mages seeking gemstone spell components, it should be noted that any crystal that forms under the intense pressure and zero gravity conditions of the Plane of Mineral will almost certainly shatter when brought into a plane with gravity and normal atmospheric pressure, such as the Prime Material. For some, however, this is well worth the risk.

Dust (E-)
In the Plane of Dust, elemental earth matter is eroded and crumbled into fine sand by negative energy, creating a weightless, churning void of dust and crumbled powders. These dust-storms collecting in vast streams to be pulled about the plane in great black vortexes, which drift slowly through nothingness. The intense negative energy present in this plane will break down all solid matter in time, discouraging the construction of any lasting structures, or the visitation of any explorers from the Prime Material world.

Radiance (F+)
The Plane of Radiance is where the Plane of Fire meets the Positive Energy Plane. It is a realm of pure radiant flame and intense light with very little natural ground at all, forming as giant plates of floating matter in a sea of white-hot brilliance. Ordinary protection from fire is nearly useless in the Plane of Radiance, which will incinerate non-native matter in seconds. Additionally, the plane is bright enough to instantly blind most creatures that gaze upon it.

Ash (F-)
The Plane of Ash is a flat wasteland of grey dust, combining the Plane of Fire with the Negative Energy Plane to create a bleak, cold world of anti-fire. The ashen cinders of the plane drain the warmth and vitality out of everything, including magical effects. This makes it extremely dangerous for most creatures to linger there for very long, as within a few hours their natural body heat will be completely sucked away by the draining effects of the Plane of Ash.

Steam (W+)
Sharing characteristics with both the Plane of Air and the Plane of Water, the Plane of Steam is a thick, never-ending haze of tiny free-floating water droplets, surprisingly cool and glowing soft colors. It is where the Plane of Water meets the Positive Energy Plane, and while there is little danger of burning, the Plane of Steam is still very warm and extremely muggy. Air-breathing creatures that find themselves here can be at risk from drowning, as water droplets slowly begin to condense within their lungs as a result of internal body temperatures being cooler than the outside air.

Salt (W-)
The Plane of Salt represents total desiccation and dehydration, as the Plane of Water and the Negative Energy Plane intersect to create a world of anti-water. The plane itself is similar to the Plane of Mineral, with sharp, jagged crystalline structures of pure salt making up the entirety of the plane's land matter, like a sea of towering spikes pointing to a cloudless blue sky. As with most Negative Material Planes, the Plane of Salt is extremely dangerous to outside creatures, as the natural energy of the plane threatens to dry up all fluids within a matter of hours.

Elementals
The supernatural creatures known as elementals, or sometimes mephits, are the result of stray energies from the Positive Energy plane leaking into any of the Elemental Planes, causing life to form. On the Prime Material Plane, in places where high concentrations of one element are present, the barrier between the Elemental and Prime Material becomes thin, allowing the Elementals to slip through, often on accident. Elementals can also be summoned by skilled spellcasters, though not necessarily controlled. They are typically high-strung and destructive when they reach the Prime Material, unable to comprehend their new surroundings, and upset by being pulled from their home realm.

Fire, Earth, Air and Water elementals come from their respective Major planes, whereas mephits spawn from the Minor planes.

Trivia
''*"The plane of ice, whilst sharing the same fundamental properties as the other Minor Elemental planes, is inexplicably charged with arcane energy; the plane is nearly three-quarters the size of a Major Elemental." -Toben the Otherworldly, COSMOLOGON A''