Wazanta

Geography

The size of Wazanta, also known as the Plane of Earth, is currently unknown as it has not been fully explored by Faerunians. However, based on maps made by early explorers, it is thought to be at least as expansive as Faerun. As a result of its close proximity to the local sun, Dayodama Sol, the plane has an extensive hot, arid climate. Wazanta has no oceans and very few ephemeral lakes which are sustained by rare occurrences of localized heavy rainfall. At these lakes, biodiversity blooms in the presence of increased moisture in the system.
Although Wazanta is sometimes depicted as a vast desert, it does harbor several distinct, although usually arid, ecosystems. These include low-elevation tectonic mountains, sandy high deserts, extremely low elevation salt flats, cactus lands, and massive canyons. In some locations around ephemeral lakes and ponds, small oases of tropical foliage may form. The Sea of Sand encapsulates a large area of the plane and serves as a barrier to further exploration due to its extremely hostile environment.
Wazanta is thought to have several magnetic poles and appears to support a large body of magnetic metals. This further hinders exploration of the plane.

History

Only one sentient race inhabits Wazanta, known as sten, or 'earth genies' to the Faerunian. Sten appear humanoid, but have thick, hardened skin that is typically brown to black in color and are generally stockier and wider-jawed than humans on Faerun. They are also hairless, especially resistant to heat and desiccation, and have a maximum lifespan approximately double that of humans. It is thought that sten learned to manipulate earth from the earthen elementals that roam the plane.
Sten appear to be generally rare across Wazanta, and often travel only in small family groups as they follow seasonal rains across the plane. The sten do not have a form of collective government, or any minor governments, and are sometimes seen as primitive to outsiders; however, they oftentimes seem to revere the idea of beauty, even beyond material wealth, and many use their downtime to develop creative talents such as painting and story-telling. Traditionally, sten may trade with art or with gemstones, which are often collected for their visual appeal. It is thought that the sten's obsession with creative expression stems from the rule of Wazari, who is bound to the plane. Wazari resides in an enormous sandstone palace on the southern edge of the Sea of Sand, and is known to occasionally host stennish pilgrims. Although Wazari is a banned god, the sten do not seem to fear her.
World history remains largely unknown for Wazanta, as the sten's obsession with creativity and entertainment oftentimes leads them to meld historical fact with fictitious elements. Oftentimes, significant figures in history are beloved not for their true actions, but for the stories they may inspire. Different family groups may acknowledge similar events and people, but often have wildly different stories to tell.

Connection to Faerun

Stennish contact with Faerun is currently very rare. It is thought that the sten used to visit Faerun fairly regularly, especially during the reign of King Magnin Gemshifter. However, once the greed of the average Faerunian visitor became apparent, stemmed from desire to possess the rich metals and gemstone found on the plane, the sten seemed to have receded back to their own plane. Historically, sten have produced viable children with humans on the material plane, called earth genasi, which retain some of the elemental power of their stennish lineage. However, earth genasi have become extremely rare in Faerun.
Ephemeral portals to Wazanta have been found very occasionally across Fearun. These portals typically appear well below ground, usually in deep caverns at least half a mile below the surface, and tend to persist for between 2-15 years before becoming inert. It is thought that once a portal to Wazanta has appeared at a certain location, it rarely, if ever, reopens after closing the first time. Famously, a portal to Wazanta was said to have opened underneath what is now Baldur's Gate which was used exclusively by Balduran when he was a child.
According to the Grand Faerunian Museum, dwarves have often been the ones to locate Wazantan portals, likely due to their association with subterranean exploration. No portal to Wazanta has been opened from Faerun. In 130 PU, the ancient dwarvish city of Caer Castellin was discovered to contain what is thought to be a portal mechanism allowing stable transport to the plane through focused use of gemstones, including the gemstone Black Opal, which is rare on Faerun but abundant on Wazanta. According to Prince Calidyyr, a relic of ancient dwarven times, the portal was never successfully opened in his lifetime due to a shortage of black opal.

Alternative Name(s)

The Plane of Earth

Type

Planet