All this talk about gods and afterlife has the planes on my mind, so I might as well put some of it down to text, it's always nice to share after all.
The entire cosmology of everything exists within a vast darkness, this place, sometimes called The Plane of Shadow, due to the rare occurrence of when this dimension connects to Deminar via shadows, is actually a vast plane beyond all planes. It has always been there, long before Deminar or the domains of gods existed. The few people on Deminar who actually know about the planes, consider this vast plane a dimension of dark emptiness, there are others that claim this plane does indeed contain something that exists. The creatures known as Shadows are believed to come from there and many of the other creatures that do not seem to belong in nature are rumored to be sent by vast intelligent beings that dwell in the Plane of Shadow. Whether this is true or not, it is indeed a fact that all the planes, including the one in which Deminar exists floats amongst this inky blackness.
Many planes exist around Deminar, and all of them are suspended in the Astral Plane. Much like the island floats among the sky in Deminar, the planes float among the Astral Sea. It is a vast silvery mist in which nothing is tied down. Everything floats free, and it is easy to get lost as there are no permanent features. The openness allows for no constrains for growth and things that dwell within the Astral Plane can get quite big indeed.
Floating in the Astral Plane are the various Domains of the gods. Each major god has his own Domain and many lesser gods dwell alongside them. The Domains wax and wane in size as they collect more souls or are the subject of attacks from rivals. They are not permanently located in any one place and the only way to find them is to want to find them, such is the way of the Planes.
And, in the center of a place that has no center sits the Plane of Deminar, but it does not exist alone. Both encasing it, and existing along side it are several more planes. But such things are to be discussed at another time.
I never really could wrap my head around where the idea for other planes came from. I mean, I kinda understand them (kinda), but I think my early exposure to astronomy keeps me from approaching this seriously. (Astronomy does not work that way, but I'm willing to let that slide since this isn't about astronomy.) I mean, what happens if you make a rocket or otherwise get enough thrust to achieve escape velocity? Do you crash through the skybox and end up in the Astral Sea or something? Don't worry about me, I'm fine, I just like being confused and upset over pointless little details.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, cosmology is interesting and I'm looking forward to where else this goes. I'm a big fan of parallel worlds. You know, like Sliders.
Well, we royally broke most astronomy early in the creation of Deminar. The moon, sun and stars were all holes into the different elemental planes, where material was brought through to build the planet. You are sort of in a contained globe, floating in the plane.
ReplyDeleteEventually, if you hit escape velocity, you'd break orbit and run into the wall of this globe. Shenanigans would ensue.
Yes, this is the kind of stuff we think about.
@Sean: Hey! Spoiler alert about the next Planes Musing! Giving away our Elemental plane bubble wrapping, oh well, guess I should put down the next musing then!
ReplyDeleteAlso, Sean, make sure you're naming stuff!
@xwd: The Planes don't exist that way physically, atleast, most don't (the Elemental Planes wrapping the Prime being an exception) The Astral Plane does not exist "further out" in space, it exists in another space. It's more of a quantum physics thing, the Astronomy. You can't travel to the Astral Plane or Ethereal Plane from the Prime Material Plane by going far enough, you just have to get yourself to exist in another space, usually via spells and portals.
ReplyDeleteGood to know. Given the needed propulsion, would it be possible to, say, write my name on the sky? Could I make an awesome shot and launch something into another plane through the sun, or a moon? Do jerk beings on other planes throw their trash into Deminar? etc.
ReplyDeleteI'm never going to try any of these (I still wanna check out that desert island), I'm just being silly.
Also I think I understand the quantum mechanics thing, like I said, it's kinda like Sliders.