Planar Structure of the Known Multiverse

Planar Structure of the Known Multiverse

Record of lecture by Miriel Xilo, 30 January 2171 AAoP, Visimontium.

Definition of "plane" and planar traits

Quoting the introduction of the popular tomes "Transitive Planes": The Planes of existence are different realities - each one effectively is its own universe, where reality follows separate laws. A plane is traditionally described by a number of traits. These are physical traits, defining the laws of nature such as gravity and time; elemental and energy traits which determine the dominance of particular elemental or energy force; magic traits which refer to the way magic works within the plane; and last but not least, the incline of the plane towards chaos or law, or towards a particular moral staindpoint. Good or evil, in other words, although these are slippery terms.

Recently I heard a Paladin refer to the basic idea of "good" as respecting the sanctity of life and freedom of choice. I would allow myself to cut a bit deeper and divide evil and good by how much one actually cares about the sanctity of life and freedom of choice of one's own self, as compared to the sanctity of life and freedom of choice of everyone else, and what they would do to preserve either. Let me not however digress.

Planes and space

The planes as self-contained infinities

Each plane is a self-contained infinity. This means that the space which it contains is infinite. Therefore the Multiverse, which literally translates to "the collection of universes", or planes, disregards space. It is easiest to think of space as a defining trait of a plane, only valid within a plane.

Further on in this lecture, I am going to describe the Multiverse using a schematical drawing. This drawing is derived on grouping of the Planes based on semblances, and partially onto the way they are interlinked. Some accept that the Planes are actually positioned relatively to one another. That would mean space exists outside the Planes, and that the Multiverse in itself has its own space. To evade such mind-boggling notions, it would be safe to think of the Multiverse as a summary of the Planes, not as an actual dimensional structure, although it resembles one.

To add up to the mind-boggling matherial, though, let me bring to your attention the statement "Infinities can be broken into smaller infinities". This refers to the case when planes are broken into smaller, related planes - or in other words, layers. Each layer of a plane is an effectively separate plane of existence, and can have its own planar traits. The layers of a plane however have an affinity to each other, and are connected to each other. This happens through planar gates, natural vortices, paths, shifting borders.

Demiplanes

In comparison to the planes which are internally infinite in space, there also is the notion of demiplanes. The demiplanes are limited in size and access. Some evolve naturally, or by will of a god, while some can be created by spell cast by a mortal. For example, some demiplanes are only accessible at a particular time of the year, or they can be the secret room of a mighty mage. One common example of a demiplane is an useful creation of everyday life - the magic bag.

Planar structure of the Multiverse

The Great Wheel

The Planes are divided generally to Material, Inner, Outer and Transitive after some basic characteristics. The namings "Outer" and "Inner" come to hint of a structure. This structure belongs to the popular concept of the Multiverse as "the Great Wheel", with the various planes depicted layered in concentrical circles following a descriptional systematics, and connected to one another in various ways.

Many scholars insist that the Multiverse cannot be fully percieved and known, and that the Great Wheel concept is just a theory. Still, this is the theory that depicts the known worlds and their inter-relations as we know them in the most easily conceivable and ordered manner.

Let us place the Planes along the Great Wheel. (Note by Miriel: Here I used a Glyph of Warding spell for depicting it). Going from the outer rim to the centre, there are the Outer Planes, Inner Planes, Prime Material Plane.

The Prime Material Plane

The Prime Material Plane, commonly refered to as "the Material Plane", is called "Prime", or basic, since us mortals tend to think of the world we live in as the norm and base of existance. "Prime" is also the common reference to the denizens of a Material Plane, although I have heard all sorts of variations, including "Primeval" or "Primordial". Now, joking aside, an example of Material Plane world is Avlis itself, indeed, be it rather small and isolated. Other popular examples are my home world Albeir-Toril, Krynn, some of the present may also remember a place called Mystara, or Rockhome, which to my hazy knowledge belongs to the world of Oerth.

The Outlands

Here is one sector traditionally depicted outside the surface of the Wheel, above it - the Outlands, containing gate cities to the Outer Planes, and the imaginary axis around which the Wheel is spun. The imaginary axis pierces Sigil, the City of Doors, which supposedly holds gateways to any spot within the Multiverse. The Outlands are cathegorized as an Outer Plane, however due to their unique status are often refered to separately. There is one distinct trait after which such a sepration is made: This is the flow of magic, the one tool to operate with matter, elements, energies and time throughout the Planes. By saying "magic" I mean its whole entirety - both the lot accessible to mortals, and the lot with which the gods operate. On the Outlands, going from the periferia to the centre - the Axis, physically manifested as the Rock Spire - magic weakens. Reaching the Spire, and Sigil atop of it, magic becomes non-existant.

The Transitive Planes

The Transitive Planes have no exact placement over the Wheel, they are grouped together by their purpose: getting from one place to another. Most libraries in Southern Avlis hold a series of tomes which go into details about the terms of travelling through the Transitive Planes. Basically, the Astral Plane is used to reach other Planes, while both the Ethereal Plane and Plane of Shadow are used for transportaiton within the Material Plane they are connected to. Neither of these are empty, they have their own denizens and civilizations.

There also are path-ways in-between the Planes, such as rivers, mountains, actual pathways, and even a tree, which I am going to refer to later on, should I have the time.

Accessing a plane from other planes

In relation to how one plane is accessible from the other planes, there is a set of terms of the kind that scholars use to scare off people. I am going to try and put them to simple words.

Separate Planes

First of all, there is the notion of "separate planes". These are, simply, two planes that are separate, they do not overlap, or directly connect to each other. As a rule, an Outer Plane may not have direct connection with the Material Plane. Any Outer Plane is therefore separate to any Material Plane. The only way to get from the one to the other is to go through a third plane - such as the Astral Plane.

Coterminous Planes

Secondly, there is the case of "coterminous planes". These are planes that link together at specific points, one can think of them as physically touching each other. Where they "touch", a connection exists, travellers can leave one reality and enter the other directly. The Astral Plane is a coterminous plane to most other Planes. It exists alongside them, and can be accessed from them. The Outlands are coterminous to all Outer Planes - they are interlinked through the gate cities of the Outlands.

Coexistant Planes

Thirdly, if a link between two planes can be created at any point of the space these planes contain, the two planes are "coexistent". They overlap each other completely. When moving within a coexistent plane, it is often possible to see into, or even interact with the plane it coexists with. The Ethereal Plane is coexistent with the Material Plane. Denizens of the Eteral Plane can see into the Material Plane, and with the right use of magic, inhabitants of the Material Plane can in turn see and interact with those on the Ethereal Plane. Most magi present at this lecture have made use of this fact, using spells such as Ethereal Visage.

Coexistant and Coterminous Planes

A plane can be both coexistent, and coterminous. For instance, the Plane of Shadow is coexistent since it overlaps the Material Plane and can be accessed from there with the right spell, or ability. But it also is coterminous, as it is possible to enter the Plane of Shadow at a certain point and travel from there to realms beyond the part of the Plane of Shadow which is coexistant with the Material Plane.

Access to layered planes

A peculiar notion about the layered planes, of any sort, is that the access to such one from elsewhere - that is, from a Plane other than through a Transitive Plane - usually happens on a specific layer. This is the first layer of a plane, which can be either the top, or the bottom, depending on the plane. For example, the Abyss and Celestia are both layered Outer planes. The first layer of the Abyss is the top one, the surface of a pit of horrors, so to speak. The first layer of Celestia, Lunia, is the base of the Mount Celestia over the slopes of which its layers accend.

Inner Planes

The Inner Planes are the planes of elemental substance and energy. The four main inner planes are Fire, Water, Air, and Earth, and the Positive energy and Negative energy planes. In addition, there are the paraelemental planes - result of the blending of the major Elemental Planes, and the Quazielemental Planes - result of the binding of the major Elemental and either of the Postive or Negative energy Planes. All Inner Planes are coterminous to the Ethereal Plane - that is, they have touchpoints to it.

Elemental Planes

Each Elemental Plane is made up almost entirely of its base element. In fact, sometimes, bits and bubbles of one element make their way onto the plane of another element; but once they enter another plane, these elemental bits are subject to the conditions of that plane. So, water seeping onto the Plane of Fire becomes steam and fire pockets on the Plane of Water simply create hot water. The Elemental Planes do physically blend with each other directly. As one travels through one plane toward another, the elemental material of the first plane begins to subtly change to the element of the second. The Paraelemental and Quasielemental Planes also leak into each other as well as the four base Elemental Planes.

Paraelemental Planes

The Paraelemental Planes are the result of the major Elemental Planes blending together. Between the Plane of Fire and Plane of Air is the plane of Smoke, between the Plane of Air and the Plane of Water is the Plane of Ice, between the Plane of Water and the Plane of Earth is the Plane of Ooze, and between the Plane of Earth and the Plane of Fire is the Plane of Magma.

Quazielemental Planes

Where the major Elemental Planes - Earth, Air, Fire, and Water - meet the positive and negative Energy Planes are the quasielemental planes. Bordering the Positive Energy Plane are Mineral, Lightning, Radiance, and Plane of Steam which is often called Plane of Mist. Bordering the Negative Energy Plane are Dust, Vacuum, Ash, and Salt.

Inhabitants of the Inner Planes

Elementals and mephits are the primary form of life in the Inner Planes. Depending on the plane, other forms of life may exist. The four main elemental planes are ruled over by a limited number of deities, and elementals with god-like powers within the plane in question - the archomentals. On some elemental planes, mephits claim to have dominance over the plane, but few take it seriously.

The Outer Planes

The Outer Planes are seventeen in number. They are traditionally refered to as:

Heroic Domain of Ysgard
Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo
Windswept Depths of Pandemonium
Infinite Layers of the Abyss
Tarterian Depths of Carceri
Gray Waste of Hades
Bleak Eternity of Gehenna
Nine Hells of Baator
Infernal Battlefield of Acheron
Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus
Peaceable Kingdoms of Arcadia
Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia
Twin Paradises of Bytopia
Blessed Fields of Elysium
Wilderness of the Beastlands
Olympian Glades of Arborea
Concordant Domain of the Outlands

Gods and Outsiders

The Outer Planes are the homes of many deities thus often called the godly planes, spiritual planes, or divine planes. Almost all of them are layered. Indeed the deities themselves live here, choosing their home after how much their nature is matching the description of a particular outer plane, or an outer plane's particular layer. Aside from the gods, the Outer Planes indeed have native denizens, which we Prime people call "Outisders". To name a few - Celestials, Demons, Devils, Slaadi. Some of the Outer Planes themselves are believed to be semi-sentient.

Petitioners

It is also important to know that the Outer Planes are the final resting place of spirits from the Material Plane. Of course, "rest" is a relative term. It might be very well an eternal damnation. Spirits are drawn to the Outer Plane which mostly matches their spiritual image. Such a soul, once it finds itself onto the Outer Plane of destination, is called a "Petitioner". A petitioner cannot leave the Outer Plane it is tied to. The only exception are the Petitioners of the Abyss, the so-called "manes" - if they can crawl out, they are free to leave. In time a Petitioner may be granted rebirth on the Prime, if the soul still has lessons to learn - or, they may become one with the essence of the plane in question.

The deity responsible for the rebirth of mortal souls from Avlis is, as we all know, Dagath. From personal biiter experience I can tell his domain to be, oddly enough, on the Outlands, on a reasonable distance from the Axis, at a spot where magic still works normally. This meticulous deity keeps record of every soul's path in an enormous library which I believe to be a demiplane on its own. If one has been ripped off the mortal coil ending up on the Outlands at Dagath's mercy, and wishes to have his record reviewed, they have to find it on their own and present it to the librarian. The librarian is an otherwise talkative person who willingly explains to newcomers where they are. However, when it comes to finding one's record, the librarian refers to the common saying one can read on the wall of the Visimontium temple of Dagath: "Dagath helps he who helps himself." Fair enough.

Classification of the Outer Planes

Good and Evil

Petty as such a separation might be, the Outer Planes are often divided by "good" and "evil" ones after their ethical incline, for they do have one. The good - also known as Upper - planes are Arcadia, Mount Celestia, Bytopia, Elysium, the Beastlands, Arborea and Ysgard. The evil - also known as Lower - planes are Acheron, Baator, Gehenna, the Gray Waste, Carceri, the Abyss and Pandemonium. Mechanus and Limbo are the planes of purest law and chaos, respectively, regardlessly to any notions such as good or evil.

Chaos and Law

As many others, I consider more important the alternative way to dissect the Outer Planes: by the planes' orientation towards law and chaos. The Planes of Chaos are the Abyss, Pandemonium, Limbo, Ysgard, and Arborea. On the other end, the Planes of Law are Baator, Acheron, Mechanus, Arcadia, and Mount Celestia. Between the Planes of law and chaos there are the Planes of conflict, where neither extreme law or extreme chaos prevail, they are the Planes of neutrality, although in relaity they are often shook by conflict drawing them chaos or law unsuccessfully. These are the Beastlands, Elysium, Bytopia, Gehenna, Gray Waste, and Carceri. The Outlands lay beyond all such classifications. The Gate cities may bear incline towards the nature of the Plane they hold a gate to. However, otherwise the Outlands are no different than the Prime Material realms in the sense that they have no incline towards any ethical standpoint.

Appendixes

The Blood War

I am not going to sink into details onto each Outer Plane. First of all, each Outer Plane deserves a separate series of lectures. Secondly, I do not possess much more than common knowledge on most of them, and close to none on others. Here is popular item of discussion, involving most Outer Planes, and thus allowing me to say a few words on some of their denizens. This is the Blood War. In simplest terms, this is the eternal war between the two major denizen of the lower planes. The Baatezu, or devils from the Nine Hells of Baator - and the Tanar'ri, the demons from the Abyss, are the two main factions in the war. The Baatezu are the representatives of vicious law and cruel order in the conflict while the Tanar'ri are the forces of chaos in its purest form. Both of the forces have an inborn hatred of one another.

The Blood War is all consuming and most think that it's a never-changing deadlock; but each side has come very close to defeating the other on many occasions. Every bit of the Planes, at one time or another, has had blood spilled on it from this conflict. In my youth I dwelled on Hala, a rather remote corner of Ysgard at the time, cast away out of favour of the gods of Ysgard. This piece of land had been heavily damaged by a demonic overlord who hoped to raise an army unnoticed and throw it in the Blood War. He almost succeeded.

Why the forces of good would not try to stop the fighting demons and devils or swing the balance? Some say that first of all, it is the very nature of good to stop evil, not smite it. Doing such an atrocious act as killing billions of Lemures, the lowliest devils, is still killing in any light. Likewise, others remind that there is still a division line in the forces of good - law and chaos. The Archons of Celestia aim to destroy the Tanar'ri of the Abyss, while the Aasimon want to deal with the Baatezu. Here is a cunning thought: if you help eradicate either side, then either the Tanar'ri, or the Baatezu would turn their attention toward something else which they would benefit from controlling. It could be the Modrons, the living mechanisms that support Mechanus, or the Slaadi of Limbo. Both of the demons and devils have been warring since the beginning of time and have perfected their races for war against any foe. It is easier just to make sure they keep fighting each other.

The Blood War is all consuming. It has bent everything in its path. The Blood War creates a great need for supplies, weapons, troops and leaders. The Yugoloths, natives of the Gray Waste and Gehenna, devote a great deal of time and energy in helping both sides - but only so they can earn a fair profit.

People said that the tale of war is written by the victors so seeing as the Blood War is endless, one is hardly ever going to get an accurate retelling of the war. The only neutral source would be the Arcaenoloths, the deal-makers and advocates of the Yugoloth race. Contacting them indeed is at one's own responsibility.

The Far Realm

What lays beyond the known Multiverse? All Planes mentioned insofar share common traits - time, space, elements, energy. There is one known state of existance alien to these characteristcs - the Far Realm. It is outside the known Multiverse, outside time itself. Before the beginning of time and after its end, the Far Realm can be found. Occasionally, though luckily very rarely, doorways or rifts can open between the Far Realm and ordinary reality, allowing horrors to pour out. The natives of the Far Realm are incomprehensible and maddening to eyes accustomed to the three dimensions and linear causality of the realms we know. Their motives are unguessable, at once simpler and more complex than mere hunger. The Far Realm is toxic to ordinary reality. Perhaps, to some extent, the reverse is true as well.

The Illithidae, Githyanki and Gitzherai

There is one species which is rumoured to have originated from the Far Realm - although this rumour is not well grounded. These are the Illithidae. Called mind flayers and worse things, while in fact being creatures of genius intellect and matchless psionic powers, they dominated the Astral Plane and the entire Prime material realm ages ago. They captured a group of humanoids from a Prime Material world, Oerth I believe, and turned them into slaves, breeding them and performing hideous experiments on them until they believed they had a perfect race of servitors. It is one of the Multiverse's great ironies that their own slaves were their downfall. You will now hear how it happened, as I remember it from the story of a Githyanki ambassador on Ysgard.

Led by a woman called Gith, the slaves rose up and slew the Illithidae who had trusted them on every world, destroying the empire. Indeed, this took many decades. I was told that the key to victory was organisation, and the fact that the illithids refused to use matherial weapons. It is thought that Gith would have ended the illithid threat forever, but on the eve of her victory one of her greatest generals, Zerthimon, claimed she had become a tyrant and led his followers against her in a civil war that even now has yet to end. Gith's followers, the Githyanki, inhabit now the Astral Plane and siege the remaining Illithid citadels. Zerth's followers, the Githzerai, dwell onto Limbo and have mastered shaping matter and energy because on Limbo, the plane - domain of pure chaos, matter rarely is static for long.

The Inter-Planar Pathways of Wonder

Earlier on, I hinted of many other pathways in-between the Planes, other than gates and the Transitive Planes. Seeing as I have the time, I would love to tell what I know of the marvels of the Multiverse, where logic stops and turns away.

There are pecularities such as some Outer Planes sharing a mountain, or a river flowing through many of them. Some of the great rivers are interlinking the Upper Planes, some flowing through the Lower Planes, changing their nature according to the nature of the plane or layer they flow through - for instance, a river may be frozen at some point, and made of lava at another. The mostly famous riverway in-between the Planes is Styx. The dark, polluted waters of the River Styx touch every Lower Plane. Most who attempt to navigate its course will quickly become hopelessly lost. The worst thing about the Styx is its amnesiac properties. Even touching the water in most planes is enough to make you forget your entire life.

Let me however refer to the more unusual ones, both of which are often attributed to Ysgard. Namely, a tree. Yggdrasil, the World Ash, is a tree of nigh-infinite size in the Astral Plane whose roots and branches join various Outer Planes to the Prime Material. Yggdrasil touches the Beastlands, its stem pierces all the three layers of Ysgard - being visible from there, at that - and the branches reach Limbo, and Elysium, as well as many other locations.

Then, we have the Infinite Staircase. It is a gravity-defying structure of limitless expanse originating in the lowest layer of Ysgard and extending to every significant source of creativity in the Multiverse and beyond - as Ysgard not only is a plane of eternal battle of fallen heroes, but the place to nurture inspiration and creativity. Thousands of different kinds and styles of landings make up the Stair, which has its own wardens. They can lead you where you wish to go, or lure you away, as they see fit. Rumour goes that those who travel the Infinite Staircase have a chance to find the place of their heart's desire, but only one. If they find it and leave, they will never find it again - at least, not using the Infinite Staircase. A traveller from Ysgard told me a week ago, that they had used the Staircase to arrive here on Avlis. Apparently, if you seek it, you shall find it.