The Elemental Plane of Water

The Elemental Plane of Water is one of the four Inner Planes. The Elemental Plane of Water can be reached via the Ethereal Plane, an adjacent elemental plane, or by an elemental vortex. The Pale River vortex on the Elemental Plane of Earth has its source here, and there is a vortex to the Plane of Air called the Bubble Net. If traveling through the Deep Ethereal, a green curtain of vaporous color indicates the boundary of the Plane of Water's Border Ethereal region. Once in the Border Ethereal, a traveler can observe the Plane of Water and be detected by its denizens. Elemental vortices can occur wherever a high concentration or nearly pure form of an element is found, and can be temporary or permanent. Vortices to the Plane of Water can often be found in the deepest parts of the seas and oceans, in clear underground lakes, or as surface whirlpools in any large body of water. Temporary gates can be created by the plane shift spell or the abilities of high level druids.

Geography

Contrary to many theories of scholars who haven't visited the plane themselves, the Elemental Plane of Water does indeed have a surface. Here can be found chunks of earth from the Elemental Plane of Earth that have found themselves floating at the surface of the Bottomless Deep, forming islands that shift and "sail" along its surface. These islands vary in both material and inhabitants. What passes as a sky at this level is an eerie sight, reminiscent of gazing into a deep pool of clear water as the sun shines down upon it: a rippling, light-dappled expanse of aquamarine.

Below this, however, lies the true expanse. A bottomless, boundless ocean with varying levels of salinity, temperature, and light. While for the most part, it holds true that light dims the deeper one travels into these depths, there are, scattered about the plane, incursions from other planes of existence that appear as "bubbles" in the water. Passing into these bubbles could transport the traveler to any of the other Elemental Planes, depending on which one in particular the bubble linked to. But the bubbles aren't the only form of life. Supporting the teeming life of this plane are the corals and plants that made their way here and found purchase. Huge drifting three-dimensional reefs and loose spheres of freshwater grasses, kelp, and seaweed are home to a myriad of species and are fertile fishing spots. Travelers must keep in mind, however, that large predators also know of these fishing grounds, or else they might discover just how bite-sized they actually are. Just like a Prime ocean, the Elemental Plane of Water seems to have no limit on how large some creatures can be, as giant squid, aboleth, and kraken are known to prowl the plane. Small creatures can be deadly too, with poisonous spines or barbed tails. The smallest of them all is perhaps the deadliest: algae that forms the infamous "red tide". Exposure of the eyes or lungs to the red tide causes a blinding sickness as virulent as any disease.

If the Plane of Water has any weather, it is the currents, whirlpools, tidal bores, and flows of ice, steam, or silt that can inconvenience a traveler or be a deadly surprise. Usually invisible, currents can be strong enough to pull visitors off in some direction for long distances before they were able to exit the current. Tidal bores are the most dangerous currents, hitting like a thrown boulder and carrying the unlucky creature away for miles. Whirlpools are caused by countervailing currents that suck everything in a tightening spiral, some of which lead to vortices to other planes. Ice and silt flows are fairly easy to spot before encountering, but steam flows are nearly undetectable and can cause nasty burns or boil the flesh from your bones.

Notable Locations City of Glass - is a planar metropolis inhabited by all manner of aquatic life. It features an air bubble that enables travelers to come here and spend time (and money). It serves as the major trade hub of the elemental planes, and creatures from all over the planes come here to trade in elemental wares.

Notable Inhabitants

Kalbari al-Durrat al-Amwaj ibn Jari - Padishah of the Marids, Pearl of the Sea, Mother of Foam, Mistress of the Rivers, Savior of Fish, Patron of Waterspouts, and many more titles, has a palace in the City of Glass called the Citadel of Ten Thousand Pearls.

Type

Planar Sphere/Grouping

Location under

Inner Planes