The Elemental Plane of Earth is a solid place made of rock, soil, and stone. The unwary and unprepared traveler may find himself entombed within this vast solidity of material and have his life crushed into nothingness, his powdered remains a warning to any foolish enough to follow.
Despite its solid, unyielding nature, the Elemental Plane of Earth is varied in its consistency, ranging from relatively soft soil to veins of heavier and more valuable metal. Striations of granite, volcanic rock, and marble interweave with brittle crystal and soft, crumbling chalks and sandstones. Thin veins of gemstones, rough and huge, can be found within the plane, and these unpolished jewels often lead the greedy to this plane in the hopes of picking them up with minimal effort. Such prospectors often meet their match in the natives of the Elemental Plane of Earth, who feel extremely attached (sometimes literally) to parts of their home.
The Elemental Plane of Earth is a place hostile to life from the Material Plane, but unlike the Elemental Plane of Fire, it is not actively hostile. Rather, it is uncaring, unconcerned about the motes of life that move through it and around it. It is solid stone, as patient as the earth itself. And it has all the time in the universe.
Traits
- Heavy Gravity: The penalties of the heavy gravity trait apply to all creatures, native and visitor, on the plane.
- Normal Time.
- Infinite Size.
- Alterable Morphic.
- Earth-Dominant.
- Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities that use, manipulate, or create earth or stone (including those of the Earth domain) are both empowered and extended (as if the Empower Spell and Extend Spell had been used on them, but the spells don't require higher level slots). A Xorn Movement spell would thus have its duration doubled. spells and spell-like abilities that are already empowered or extended are unaffected by this benefit.
- Impeded Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities that use or create air (including the summoning of air elementals or creatures with the air subtype) are impeded. This includes spells of the Air domain. These spells and spell-like abilities can still be used, but a successful Spellcraft check (DC 15 + level of the spell) must be made to do so.
Inhabitants
- Much of life on the Elemental Plane of Earth is unknown to travelers from the Material Plane, due at least in part to the nature of this Inner Plane. Most visitors spend time only in the caverns and runnels that snake through the solid world of the plane, so creatures that live deep in the heart of the plane are unknown.
- Elementals are sentient parts of the plane itself. They move effortlessly through the mix of rock and soil that makes up the Elemental Plane of Earth. Some creatures are analogous to those of the Material Plane, while others reflect the raw power of their elemental form.
- The Elemental Plane of Earth is also home to creatures with a natural affinity toward earth and stone, denizens who are comfortable in tunnels of their own carving. Dwarves and some dragons live here, as do larger creatures such as stone giants and the occasional gargoyle (though they rarely get to stretch their wings and fly very far on this plane). Such creatures need open spaces to survive, so they often ally themselves with more powerful native races.
- The native tongue of the Elemental Plane of Earth is Terran, a deep rumbling tongue that vibrates through the listener like a tremor. Those natives who deal with visitors may speak additional languages, though most feel no need to do so
Features
- For the traveler, the greatest danger on the Elemental Plane of Earth is being accidentally caught and suffocated within solid earth. Travelers who manifest in the caverns and other “clear areas” of the plane are safe from that danger (unless a cave-in occurs), but a traveler who suddenly manifests randomly on the plane runs the risk of suffocation and speedy burial.
- For those trapped on a long-term basis, starvation and dehydration become threats. The elemental life forms are part of the plane itself and thus inedible. The outsider natives of the Elemental Plane of Earth that require normal sustenance often have their own permanent communities to draw upon. Except in such areas, the evergrinding motion of the plane's soils prevents anything from taking root long enough to blossom—even if it had enough light to do so.
- The Elemental Plane of Earth is by its nature as dark as the deepest cave—there is no sky or sun here at all. Darkvision functions normally in the twisting passages of the Elemental Plane of Earth, but those without it must provide their own light source.
- There are luminous gems and crystals found naturally within the plane that may provide light (usually as bright as a candle, large deposits are the equivalent of a torch). Such discoveries are usually signs of recent or present occupation of the area by other inhabitants.