The Elemental Plane of Air

The Elemental Plane of Air is one of the four Inner Planes. The Elemental Plane of Air can be reached via the Ethereal Plane, an adjacent elemental plane, or by an elemental vortex. If traveling through the Deep Ethereal, a blue curtain of vaporous color indicates the boundary of the Plane of Air's Border Ethereal region. Once in the Border Ethereal, a traveler can observe the Plane of Air and be detected by its denizens. Using the spherical model, this plane is adjacent to the Elemental Plane of Water and Elemental Plane of Fire. Elemental vortices can occur wherever a high concentration or nearly pure form of an element was found, and can be temporary or permanent. A vortex to the Plane of Air can manifest in the eye of a hurricane or in the clean, crisp air atop a high mountain, for example. There is a vortex to the Elemental Plane of Water called the Waterspout not far from the djinn city/palace called the Citadel of Ice and Steel. Temporary gates can be created by the plane shift spell or the abilities of high level druids.

Geography

The Elemental Plane of Air is filled essentially completely with air, but has various impurities that tend to form pockets or bubbles in the otherwise pure atmosphere. Gaseous bubbles include clouds of every type: fog, steam, mist, smoke, poisonous clouds and acidic vapors; also the rare intrusion of elemental fire, which is flame without fuel. Liquid impurities are usually water or water-based and tend to form floating spheres when not buffeted or frozen by the winds. Solid matter can be found here, from dust, ash, salt, or sand, to chunks of earth approaching the size of a large asteroid. The larger chunks are often brought into the plane by intelligent beings and are very likely to be inhabited or formerly inhabited. If you had to describe the Elemental Plane of Air in a single word, it would be "blue." The very substance of the plane seems to radiate the magnificent sapphire hue of a clear summer day on The Prime Material Plane. Visibility is twice what the best conditions on The Prime could allow, unless of course something obscures vision. Weather is the primary natural hazard in this plane. The winds range from light to moderately strong throughout the plane, but can intensify into tornadoes, maelstroms, and hurricanes with powerful lightning. These extreme weather events are common, and when other elements get caught up in the storm, it can produce pounding rain, blinding snow, pelting hail, freezing sleet, and storms of choking smoke, biting sand, burning ash, scalding steam, or searing fire. The worst of these is the maelstrom, a toroid-shaped tornado that can last for decades. Being caught in one has been described as being in a violent dust storm, and death is only a matter of minutes away unless the victim is able to achieve great speed (escape velocity), perform an act of great strength or receive outside assistance. Spellcasting is impossible within a maelstrom.

Notable Locations

The Citadel of Ice and Steel - the center of all major djinni activity within the Elemental Plane of Air. This citadel is actually a gigantic chuck of elemental ice and earth, smoothed over time by the winds into a nearly perfect oval. The Great Caliph's palace is located in the center. It is from here Husam al-Balil ben Nafhat al-Yugayyim, Master of the Clouds and Son of The Breezes, Commander of the Four Winds, Ruler of All Djinn, Defender of the Heavens, Prince of Birds, Storm of the Righteous (and many other titles) holds court. The Entire Citadel is in a constant state of free fall, based on the caliph's will. Thus, the only kind of movement possible within the citadel is flight. Any creature incapable of flight or hovering is constantly buffeted by wind from djinn guards while they are in audience with the Great Caliph, ensuring they remain aloft long enough to remain respectful in his presence. The Platinum Throne - Bahamut's palace of pure platinum can sometimes be found here, when the Platinum Dragon feels the urge to stretch his massive wings.

Type

Planar Sphere/Grouping

Location under

Inner Planes