Libertad's Planar Revision Project

[Libertad]

The Plane of Shadow

The Plane of Shadow is the Transitive Plane with the most sinister reputation. The terrain is forlorn and foreboding, full of dangerous creatures and hazards, and is home to all matter of evil entities from Shar to the Unseelie Fey. But it would be a mistake to assume that the Plane of Shadow’s tainted with malic or intrinsically evil like the Lower Planes; the land is no more evil than a swamp full of undead creatures or a town run by a crooked government. There are more evil-aligned creatures than good ones on the Plane, but the vast majority of terrain is uninhabited and claimed by no one.

Faerie Expeditions​

Unlike the other Transitive Planes, the Plane of Shadow has precious few colonists and non-indigenous inhabitants. The Plane has an effect on long-term visitors, who gradually change in body and mind to become something different; most of the times, inhabitants gain darkness-related abilities and an aversion of sunlight. Many fey creatures tried to colonize the Plane, hoping that their mutable natures would stave off the worst transformative effects of the land. Some expeditions were successful, such as the Gloaming (see Underdark), and enhanced their own abilities with planar power. More unfortunate folk, like the Shadar-Kai, ended up bound to the Plane’s energies, unable to survive elsewhere long-term without the use of powerful magic.


Faerie towns are few and far between on the Plane, and they vary in appearance and temperament as the individual personalities of the fey. Shadow-shaping spells allow for a startling variety of dwellings and terrain; due to the lightless environment, faeries opted for forms of visual beauty independent of colors, from flowing calligraphy adorning structures to castles in the shape of beasts of legend and famous historical figures.


Travelers should be wary when entering an unknown faerie town. Even the neutral and good-aligned fey have abstract legal and social norms, and most rulers do not see ignorance of the laws as a legitimate excuse. Unseelie Fey are particularly vicious, and often make up laws and rulings on the spot in hopes that most people will be unable to call them out on it. Despite these risks, faerie towns are full of rare magical items and trade goods; a common story tells of a team of adventurers sampling some fey ale in the city of Noresbal. They were shocked to find the bartender using a scroll of haste as a dishwashing rag; when asked why he treated the precious artifact with such disrespect, he responded “we fey are timeless in every way. There’s no need for us to hurry.”

Shar’s Academy of the Dark Arts​

Shar is an evil goddess of darkness, the night, secrets, and loss. She’s one of Faerun’s oldest deities, and like any divine power worth her salt, she has big ambitions. Shar also holds the title of being the sole deity with a permanent headquarters of the Plane of Shadow, and that makes her the closest thing to a major power on the Plane.


Shar’s greatest project is the Shadow Weave. It’s intended to be an alternative power source for magic; by forsaking traditional forms of arcane and divine aid, a Shadow Weave Adept can operate in an anti-magic field, ignore common restrictions on magical limits, and avoid more common means of detection and divination magic. By devastating the traditional Weave in Faerun through the creation of “dead magic zones,” Shar hopes to become the sole magical power on that Material world. And when she conquers Faerun, she will expand to other Material worlds and cosmologies through portals in the Plane of Shadow.


But none of this will matter if people can access the Shadow Weave without giving her allegiance. Her most devoted and powerful cultists kidnapped children of all races across the Planes who show promising magical potential. Raised in the Plane of Shadow by the faithful, they will know of no other life than service to Shar. Her Academy of the Dark Arts is the first and greatest step of this plan.


The school is designed like a traditional boarding school, except much larger and with enough facilities and resources to sustain a large town. Teachers serve as instructors, parents, and law enforcement to keep students and underlings in line. Religious devotion is just as important a quality as academic instruction, and just as many classes are thinly-disguised propaganda courses as typical educational programs.


Adventurers are most likely to come across the Academy by seeking out missing and lost children. The faithful are well aware of this possibility, and the school’s security and defenses are as sophisticated as the best magical prisons (excepting perhaps Carceri). Students too young to fight are kept safely away from combat and teleported to a vault-like building; the best way to free these children is to obtain the keys from the Headmaster and the Head of Security, both powerful spellcasters in their own right.

The Shining Citadel​

The Plane of Shadow has a lot of links to alternate Material Planes in its deepest regions, more so than other Planes. Like the Ethereal Plane, it matches the terrain of many Prime Material worlds in its own way. Most planar scholars identify the Plane of Shadow as Transitive, although a popular theory insists that the Plane of Shadow’s actually an Alternate Material Plane. Their prime supporting evidence is the large amount of portals to other Material Planes in Shadow, and the existence of ancient and forlorn structures and cities known as Dark Mirages in mirroring Material areas. Who’s to say that the Plane of Shadow is nothing more than an alternate Oerth or Toril which befell some dark disaster?


The strongest, and most elusive, piece of evidence supporting this theory lies in the Shining Citadel. A remote bastion of light secluded by the most powerful illusions, few facts are known about this place. The actual Citadel is inhabited by humans, dwarves, elves, and other humanoids prominent on Material Plane worlds. The community’s controlled and maintained by a conclave of spellcasters who power the magical structures and items with light and portals to the Positive Energy Plane. The people of the Citadel pay homage to the Lord of Light, who they credit with the continued safety and survival of what remains of the world. They view the outside as a post-apocalyptic wasteland containing fell beasts hostile to all life. The Citadel’s mages are tasked with holding off the extraplanar traits of Shadow; spells with the light descriptor are enhanced and maximized within, while spells with the shadow descriptor are impeded.


It’s possible that the Citadel’s properties are responsible for the Plane of Shadow’s current state of affairs, and that shutting down the power source may cause the Plane to recover to its previous state. But such a task will be met with resistance from many sides: the people of the Citadel are unwilling to give up their homeland and security for a plan which might not work, while the beings accustomed to the Plane’s current environment will be threatened by this change.


Adventure Hooks for the Plane of Shadow:
• A rare object or vital piece of classified information is being held in the mansion of an Unseelie fey on the Plane of Shadow. The owner is paranoid and rarely accepts visitors, and the building’s defenses are based off of the unique land-shaping powers of shadow; actual guards and inhabitants aside from the owner are nowhere to be seen in this forlorn manor, giving the place an eerie aura of dread.
• An enemy on the run from the PCs takes up refuge in the genie city of Onyx, a region of Shadow known for its inhabitants’ duplicitous dealings and non-Euclidean architecture. Simply maneuvering through the city is a feat in and of itself, and every local seems to want something from the PCs and refuses to even part with basic information freely. Can the adventurers cut through the double-speak and maze-like environment and find their quarry, or is he permanently lost to the City of Onyx?
• In a cross between Harry Potter and Prison Break, the adventurers disguise themselves as magically-gifted teenagers in order to break into Shar’s Academy of the Dark Arts; if the entire party fits this profile, their job’s that much easier. They could be staging a rescue operation, or maybe they’re scouting out the complex for a coordinated tactical assault. Regardless of their reasons, blending into the Academy will be a feat in and of itself. Between outsmarting Shar’s best-picked teachers, sneaking into restricted areas, and posing as normal students, the adventurers will have to deal with all the hang-ups and drama of living in confined quarters and the monumental task of fooling everyone long enough to get their mission done.

 

[Libertad]

The Astral Plane

A cloudy sea between all other Planes, astral travel is the most common form of extraplanar travel. In addition to being utilized for all forms of teleportation magic, the Astral Plane’s “timeless” quality of inhabitants and materials is ripe for exploitation. Spellcasters fearful of death or seeking to preserve decaying artifacts build floating citadels to store their lives and treasures for all eternity (or until some hostile force claims them).

The Githyanki​

A mighty civilization that broke free of Illithid dominance, the Githyanki are some of the most inhabitants in the entire Multiverse. Adolescent members of their species join a unit of soldiers to raid an Illithid stronghold as a sign of undertaking adult responsibilities and a rite of passage. Almost every Githyanki knows how to wield a sword, and many of them are capable of casting an assortment of low-level arcane spells, utilize psionics, and possess fanatic devotion to their nation.


Tu’narath, the nation with a capital city of the same name, is a multi-planar empire stretching across the Great Wheel and beyond. They prefer the Prime Material Planes for colonization, due to the variety of terrain and relative lack of divine interference. Interactions with other nations usually end with violence or suppression of the natives; it’s been rare that the Githyanki had to retreat from a superior military force. A precursor to invasion is the sight fleets of airborne ships materializing above the horizon. Known as Astral Skiffs, these vehicles are lightweight and designed for quick skirmishes instead of prolonged siege warfare.


Despite their warlike reputation, the sheer power and scope of the Githyanki empire means that a lot of nations make deals with them to avoid all-out war. As such, their capital city sees a large influx of visitors and tradesmen. The Githyanki of Tu’narath are more tolerant of visitors as a result, but there are some important things for adventurers to keep in mind: one, it’s a military dictatorship. Anybody with authority or is high-ranking has the martial and magical power to back up their title (no dainty nobles here). Second, they’re extremely anti-religious, and Clerics are forbidden from converting others to their religion or casting spells upon others upon pain of death.


So why would somebody venture into Githyanki territory? Well for starters, a lot of powerful figures are wary of Tu’narath’s increasing might and prominence. Troop movements, military secrets, and invasion plans are in high demand among planar governments. The Illithid and Genies in particular have a vested interest in hiring adventurers for this work. Secondly, the Githyanki are some of the most talented crafters of magic arms and armor. The truly sublime pieces combine arcane spells and psionic power for effects unseen anywhere else on the Great Wheel. Predictably, the secrets of these items’ creation are trade secrets and known only to the artisans of imperial state arsenals. What you can’t make, steal!

Dead Gods​

The Astral Plane is full of giant petrified bodies, the largest as big as continents. A large amount of them are vaguely humanoid in shape, but the forms of animals, aberrations, and stranger things have been spotted and documented as well. Most people assume that these bodies are dead deities, but nobody’s really sure about this. Other popular theories posit that the petrified creatures are the sculptures of a long-forgotten civilization or the fossils of extinct creatures.


What is known for certain is that all the bodies give off lingering traces of divine magic, and that strange quakes emanate from deep below the surface. Many colonists, adventurers, and natives alike mine and excavate them in search of magic power, treasure, or living space. Most of these attempts end in failure, as the omnipresent magic energies seem to have a mind of their own and replicate dangerous spells and monsters to safeguard the terrain.

The Tomb of Coridus​

The Illithid-Gith War was a long and brutal fight for freedom, spanning across the Great Wheel. Many Githyanki endured the onslaught on the Astral Plane. The Mind Flayers became ever more desperate in their struggle for dominance, resorting to powers and entities even they did not understand.


One being in particular is prominent in Githyanki legends: the Tomb of Coridus. Coridus was said to be a cruel and bloodthirsty god from beyond space and time. His power was so great, his deeds so terrible, that pantheons from across the Multiverse banded together to seal him inside the shell of a legendary beast. After travelling to strange realms beyond the known confines of the Multiverse, the Illithids found what they believed to be Coridus’ Tomb. They summoned it to the Astral Plane in the middle of a battlefield. The last thing the Githyanki and Illithid soldiers saw was a titanic black shell, decorated with spines and black as night, floating across the Astral Sea. There were no survivors.


Today, the shell aimlessly floats through the Plane. The object is home to strange and alien forms of life, sometimes spontaneously created from deep within the shell. Those who lair upon it for too long become obsessed and seek to free whatever fell being resides within the layers. The trapped souls of Githyanki and Illithid cry out for freedom, promising great boons and rewards to any adventurers brave enough to overcome the perils inside this living Tomb.

Shorkoza’s Fleet​

It’s very rare for the Githyanki to rebel against the Lich-Queen and survive, but it does occur. The Pirate-King Shorkoza is the most legendary and hated outlaw within the Tu’narath Empire. He assaults the Empire’s fringes, attacking military vessels and extraplanar merchant caravans alike for their riches. With 2,000 astral skiffs and 100,000 able-bodied raiders, Shorkoza’s a prominent political power in the Astral Plane all his own. Githyanki criminals and slaves fleeing the Empire are incorporated or press-ganged into his fleet; they only need to denounce their oath to the Lich-Queen and swear a new oath to Shorkoza. The promise of wealth and glory also attracts many adventurers into service, particularly of the bloodthirsty and evil variety.


Shorkoza’s Fleet is large enough to function as a metropolis, although about 1/3rd of his ships are off and away plundering distant lands and planes. There’s a thriving black market on the ship, and unscrupulous merchants and employers alike regularly visit the Fleet to buy rare treasures or pay for protection or services. Despite being a haven for pirates, Shorkoza keeps the peace with an iron-fisted rule. Floggings are common for acts of disobedience, and rude visitors are often stranded in inhospitable planes or thrown into the mouth of Grumpy, the Fleet’s pet astral dreadnought.


Adventures on the Astral Plane:
• A monastic order of Clerics claims that they have the power to resurrect dead gods. They’re located on one of the bodies of the Astral Sea, and every significant planar faction has their eyes on them. Many want to stop them, fearing the return of a dangerous deity. The anti-theist Athar seek to eliminate them, believing that anything which can empower the Gods to be bad for the Multiverse. And the Archdevil Asmodeus wants to learn their secrets for themselves, hoping that he can resurrect and enslave the reborn Gods for his own purposes!
• Vraakith offers a great reward to whoever can bring her the head of Shorkoza. Those who succeed at this task will be allowed into the Imperial Palace of Tu’narath to meet the Lich-Queen herself and receive great magical power. In addition to the material benefits, PCs can use this as an opportunity for spy work, to infiltrate the palace and rob its vault, or even assassinate Vraakith. Regardless of their motivation, the adventurers will need to not only kill Shorkoza, but find a way to slip past or fight off thousands of battle-hardened Githyanki pirates and their warships.

 

[Libertad]

Ethereal Plane

The immaterial counterpart to the Prime, the Ethereal Plane is home to ghosts, spirits, and terrain with resonance to the Material. The presence of spirits and incorporeal entities cause many cultures to assume that the Ethereal’s the afterlife, but nothing could be further from the truth: it’s its own world, complete with living societies and a vibrant ecology.

Shades of Memory​

A significant portion of the Ethereal Plane is “copied” from the Material Plane: when a living creature perishes with strong ties to the Material Plane, its soul is fixed to an area in the Ethereal and Material. We know these beings as ghosts. Objects, buildings, and terrain with significant historical, religious, and emotional symbolism leave imprints in the Ethereal as well, shaped by the hopes, dreams, and memories of people. It is not uncommon for planar travelers to find a fabled lost city from Material civilizations standing tall and proud in the Ethereal.


Some of the most notable bastions of civilizations in the Ethereal Plane were created through the sudden and violent destruction of a Material Plane city. Whether through war or a natural disaster, the souls and memories of the inhabitants are reborn as ghosts and resonance in the Ethereal Plane. These “Spirit Cities” are unwilling to face reality, and insist that their civilization still thrives, and many of these ghosts often take umbrage when Material inhabitants settle or excavate “their land.” Such places often become known as haunted and desolate locales where few living souls feel welcome.

The Ethergaunt Invasion​

Long ago, a race of magical beings known as the Ken-Zai lived upon the Material Plane. For reasons known only to them, a mass exodus of their people fled into the Ethereal Plane, building massive pyramids and menhirs to house their bodies in stasis. After countless centuries, the Ethergaunts are finally awakening, and they want to reclaim the Material Plane.


The Ethergaunt have no love for the Material world’s current inhabitants, viewing them as little more than beasts. However, they’re very aware that their numbers are very low, and a conventional invasion will not work. To this end, Ethergaunts rely upon ancient magics to create natural disasters, mind-controlling influential political and religious figures, and black ops-style assassinations and guerilla tactics to foment strife and chaos among the nations. They do this all to progress towards an ideal state which they refer to as The Great Work. In order to achieve this goal, the culling of “irrational emotions” and dedication to the survival of the Ken-Zai are paramount. Most Material Plane creatures stand in contrast to this, and thus must be eradicated to maximize the Ken-Zai’s chances of survival and attaining “rational purity.”


Thanks to powerful magic, intelligence, and technological knowledge, the Ethergaunts are rapidly spreading across key areas of the Ethereal Plane, building fortresses and laboratories to further the Great Work. Their cities, known as enclaves, are small and bland; there are no expressions of art, entertainment, or leisurely activity to get in the way of labor and research. Several “splinter cells” of independent enclaves are positioned near important Material Plane dungeons and locations of magical power. This has the double-edged deal of accumulating locations of strategic importance for their invasion, but also increases their chances of running into conflict with traveling bands of adventurers.

The Deep Ethereal​

There are areas of the Ethereal Plane which go “beyond” the Material world, where the planar coexistence fades until the terrain is replaced with a stretch of thick grayish-white fog forms a wall stretching as far as the eye can see. The realms beyond are known as the Deep Ethereal. Much like the Astral, the Deep Ethereal is a space of free-floating objects drifting along the planar currents and winds. Despite being an empty and forlorn terrain, the region is famous for a highly sought-after material: protomatter.


Protomatter is a tangible form of ethereal mist which can a solid, liquid, or gas. Protomatter is highly malleable, and can take on all shapes, sizes, colors, and densities. With a significant expenditure of magical power or exposure to certain planar elements, protomatter can be used to create objects, living matter, and even whole new demiplanes! The hard limits of protomatter are that it cannot replicate or create divinity, and it needs exposure to appropriate traits to mimic certain planes. If you wanted to create a holy citadel, opening up a portal to an upper plane might be necessary. Additionally, the size of the replicated object and the magical power it gives off is proportional to the volume of protomatter on hand. Creating a minor potion of healing should is trivial, while creating an artifact while be an intensive labor of time and effort.


Adventurers going into the Deep Ethereal in search of easy wealth and power will be disappointed: nobody can easily predict how protomatter comes into being, or when and where the next site will arise. The largest protomatter clusters within easy distance of planar portals have already been claimed by powerful entities with legions of minions to defend them. The two easiest ways to get a big score are 1: taking it by force of arms from another faction; 2: years of painstaking travel on the Ethereal Plane; or 3: Getting hired by a patron to act as security for a cluster and keep it safe from bandits, monsters, and Ether Cyclones. It’s like the US Gold Rush: a lot of desperate fortune-hunters with high risks and a slim chance of reward.


Adventures within the Ethereal Plane:
• The ghosts of a war long past are materializing near a village, thinking that the battle continues. They view the villagers as enemy soldiers and relentlessly torment the inhabitants with non-stop hauntings. The party has to travel to the Ethereal Plane, brave the otherworldly battlefield, and convince or defeat the general in order to get the ghosts to “retreat” and lay them to rest.
• Ethergaunt spies are making raids into a holy temple: they suddenly materialize in the church, grab people, and transition back to the Ethereal to place them in prisons. The kidnapped people are important religious figures and leaders; without them, the populace is cut off from a vital supply of divine magic, defense, and healing. If the adventurers don’t take action, the Ethergaunts will overrun the town and kill everyone!
• A mad archwizard recently overtook a protomatter cluster by force, and he’s using his legions of undead forces to funnel all it all into building a massive portal to the Negative Energy Plane. The adventurers must sabotage the project before the necromancer can use it to inflict untold devastation on the Ethereal and Material realms!


And now the Planar Revision Project is finally complete! Originally starting out as a way to “spice up” the Celestial Realms, the Project turned into a Multiverse-wide endeavor to make the Great Wheel a fun and exciting place for adventurers of all levels! I hope that my writing provides years’ worth of ideas and inspiration for Dungeons & Dragons players of all Editions!


So long, farewell, until we meet again!