Other Locations in the Outlands
From A Players Primer to the Outlands (2e)
The Outlands are more than just a collection of gatetowns, berk, even if those spots are the biggest draw for travellers. The Land's also home to a lot of powerful (and not-so-powerful) bodies. Some locations even act as gates to areas beyond, and they seem to be immune to the plane-sucking effects that plague many gatetowns. In any case, cutters really need to get the full chant on the Land - a body never knows if one day his travels might take him uncomfortably close to one of these locations. These summaries of other places are provided for handy use by travellers. The IN A NUTSHELL section tries to sum up the entire region in a few lines (a masterful task, that), while the TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY section gives details on points of interest, spilling the dark on what wary adventurers should — and, more importantly, shouldn't — do. Bariaur Tribes:
IN A NUTSHELL: Mobile encampments of bariaur are found throughout the Outlands, but most often in the arc from Ecstasy to Glorium. These groups of ten to one hundred bariaur often provide aid to the hurt, shelter to the helpless, and directions to the Clueless.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: The bariaur are nomads, and they often come into contact with others of their race, 'Berks who cheat or attack one tribe soon find that their descriptions have spread quickly to others. Travellers may be interested in this advice from a native of Rigus: "So don't leave any survivors and ya got no problem." The Court of Light:
IN A NUTSHELL: This is the home of Shekinester, the Three-Faced Queen of the Nagas. It's divided into three parts, each nested inside the last. Outermost is the Loom of the Weaver, a maze of tangled and thorny vegetation. Within the Loom is the Hall of Tests, Shekinester's palace, and within the palace is the Arching Flame, a spirit-cleansing fire that keeps the rest of the known planes running (or so they say).
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: The Court of Light is often sought out by cutters who want to test and purify their spirits. But a body really shouldn't enter the tangled Loom unless he's looking for revelations (or is tired of life as he knows it). The Dwarven Mountain:
IN A NUTSHELL: This is dwarf central in the Outlands, the home of three dwarven powers: Vergadain (wealth and luck), Dugmaren Brightmantle (invention and discovery), and Dumathoin (mines and exploration). The entire operation is below ground — the nearest surface community is Ironridge.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: Bring money and be a dwarf. There are many dwarven communities beneath the barren, snow-topped mountains of this realm, and they react to strangers about as well as dwarves anywhere else (in other words, evil humanoids beware). The best armour and weapons in the Outlands come from Dwarven Mountain. Gzemnid's Realm:
IN A NUTSHELL: These deep tunnels are the stomping ground of Gzemnid, the beholder god of deception. It's a jumble of winding passages that look like — and mingle with - those of llsensine's Realm. Gzemnid's lair is also laced with traps and illusions, as it befits the most subtle of the Eye Tyrants.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: Berks who tread through these tunnels do so at their own risk; the beholder god ain't too fond of other races. But some say the realm's got permanent gates to various Lower Planes. Sure enough, fiends are often found prowling the maze, apparently with Gzemnid's consent. Hermitages:
IN A NUTSHELL: There are a number of lone buildings and homesteads in the wilds of the Outlands, known collectively as hermitages. Some are occupied by planars seeking time alone, some by petitioners seeking meditation, and some by proxies on the run from their masters (these are more common closer to the spire). Folks in hermitages can be of any human race.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: Don't just march into a hermitage, or any unknown building for that matter. Outlander courtesy usually involves hailing the house from a safe distance first. Remember, berk, the place could hold a peasant family accidentally sucked into the Outlands, but it might also be some elder god on a fishing vacation. The Hidden Realm:
IN A NUTSHELL: Not found on any map, the Hidden Realm of the giant god Annam is said to be cloaked by magic, or maybe even sit in some parallel demiplane with a gate to the Outlands. Wherever it is, Annam sits in a crystal tower at the top of a huge mountain, watching over the clockwork of the multiverse.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: HOW does a body give tips for travelling in a land that ain't there? One group of sages claims the Hidden Realm doesn't even exist, while another bunch says it's really the master control room of the planes (which shows what sages know). The Hinterlands:
IN A NUTSHELL: Most of the attention in the Outlands falls on the circle of gate-towns by the rim. Primes (and even planars) can forget that the Land's an infinite plane. Between the circle of gate-towns and the rim, it stretches out forever, a wild, ever-changing, generally unexplored land. Some folks've heard talk of lost cities, new gates to unknown planes, even whole otherrealities if a body ventures far enough.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: Distances are tricky business in the Outlands, and especially in the Hinterlands. A cutter can journey past Tradegate for a year and day, and still never lose sight of the spire behind him. Then he can turn around and be back in Tradegate in just a few days. Whatever there might be in the Hinterlands - life, realms, domains, gates, or towns — it's still all pretty dark to folks closer to the spire. Ilsensine's Realm (the Caverns of Thought):
IN A NUTSHELL: An incredibly hostile realm tied to that of Gzemnid, the Caverns of Thought are the territory of Ilsensine, the mind flayer god of magic. It's a confusing knot of dark passages, lit only by sickly growing fungus. Even fiends of the Lower Planes steer clear of these tunnels.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: The only reason for a cutter to come here is knowledge. Ilsensine (who looks like a huge, glowing, green brain) is said to know the dark of many things. However, the god demands a heavy price for its knowledge, often part of the asker's mind. Plenty of berks who figured they'd give Ilsensine the laugh have ended up as brain-burned zombies. Indep Villages:
IN A NUTSHELL: Some small communities in the Outlands aren't gate-towns or realms of powerful deities. They exist more or less on their own, trying to be as enclosed and self-supporting as possible. Anywhere from one hundred to six hundred bodies call a village home, and the natives are folks who want to avoid the usual muddle of petitioners, proxies, and powers. Interestingly, these villages are often the birthplace of cutters who end up making names for themselves in the greater world.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: The nature of these towns varies with their location in the Outlands, but all value their privacy. Ask an Indep why and he's likely to bring up Goldheart, a ruined town near Torch. It was a thriving Indep village before an army from Ribcage (under Lord Paracs) conquered it, burned it, and marched the survivors into slavery. Now, most Indep villages treat visitors with suspicion. Generally, the villages are found between the fourth and seventh rings, though there are reports of some closer to the spire. Ironridge:
IN A NUTSHELL: Ironridge is a mostly human community, nestled in the forbidding mountains that separate Glorium and Xaos from the spire. It's a good jumping-off point for travellers heading for the Dwarven Mountain, Gzemnid's Realm, or the Caverns of Thought. The town often brings in dwarves looking for trade and fiends looking for slaves (or dinner).
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: Most cutters head to Ironridge instead of the Dwarven Mountain or any other site, since entrances to the other domains are only about a day's walk from the town. But it can be tricky to find: Ironridge's location varies between the fifth and eighth rings of the Outlands. Lost Patrols:
IN A NUTSHELL: The Blood War between the tanar'ri and the baatezu rages throughout the Lower Planes, and often the fiends use the Outlands for flanking manoeuvres. Just as often, though, parts of those attacking forces wander off, becoming lost patrols of about ten fiends of various types, under a single leader.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: Lost patrols come in two flavours: successful and unsuccessful. Some of these bashers have managed to feed and equip themselves by raiding, sometimes terrorizing or taking control of Indep Villages. But the patrols that barely keep themselves alive are more willing to bargain with a stronger opponent - that is, until they get a chance to turn stag. In either case, cutters should watch their backs. The Mausoleum of Chronepsis:
IN A NUTSHELL: Though it's now ruined, this place looks like it was once a city of great power. Only one resident still lives here: Chronepsis, the dragon god of fate, who dwells in a cave below the ruins. Chronepsis is surrounded by hourglasses, which measure the life of every dragon in all the planes of existence (at least, that's what dragon theology says).
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: Chronepsis likes to be left alone, and a berk who goes tramping in to see him had better have good reason. There are tales of some worldbound cutter thieving a dragon's hourglass from his lair and then using it against that dragon, but this might just be puffery and lies. The Modron Procession:
IN A NUTSHELL: Every so often, Mechanus sends (some would say upchucks) a huge horde of Modrons into Automata. The horde is mostly monodrones and duodrones, with a sprinkling of the higher-level modrons. They all march around the ring of gate-towns in a clockwise path, but only a handful of them ever make it back to Automata - the Land is a tough place, berk.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: The low-level modrons have little or nothing to say, and bashing one brings the entire horde down on the attacker. A cutter who runs into the procession should just stick to that old prime saying, "Live and let live." Fact is, keeping a good distance wouldn't hurt, either. The Palace of Judgment:
IN A NUTSHELL: The Palace of Judgment is the main headquarters of a pantheon called the Celestial Bureaucracy, and it's a bustle of activity. The bodies here spend their time granting audiences, reviewing cases, and assigning dooms.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: The high-up in the palace is Yen-Wang-Yeh, but he's usually too busy sorting out fates to sit and talk with just any cutter who walks in the door. The big draw of this realm is its conduits to every other Outer Plane. 'Course, getting the nod to use these conduits is a different story. The Realm of the Norns:
IN A NUTSHELL: This gloomy grove is the home of the Norns of the Norse mythology. It's a small realm, easy to miss in the wilderness that sprawls spireward of Faunel. The area's so overgrown that a berk standing in its depths would swear he's in an underground vault. The Norns usually gather around the Well of Urd, at the centre of the realm.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: A cutter shouldn't knock on this door without a pretty good reason. But most folks who come here have a strong one: a root of Yggdrasil (much like the one found in Glorium) is said to be somewhere nearby. 'Course, the realm also draws those who're looking for the Well of Urd. The chant says that a body who looks into the well will see his fate. (A warning to the Clueless - poor sods who learn their fates usually curse the day they did.) The River Ma'at:
IN A NUTSHELL: A sluggish, wide flow that oozes from the region of Semuanya's Bog, the Ma'at twists and turns its way from Torch to Excelsior before evaporating in a shining salt flat. The whole river's dotted by small villages, many of which hold petitioners to Thoth.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: The Ma'at regularly overflows its low banks, and the fertile silt carves a lush path through the rolling hills of the Outlands. Most of the river flows along the seventh ring, but a boat traveller will find that it crosses a ring here and there. Watch out for wildlife, too - crocodiles and crocodile-like creatures are common. Semuanya's Bog:
IN A NUTSHELL: A dismal swamp on the far shores of Tir fo Thuinn, Semuanya's Bog is ruled (in theory, anyway) by the god of the same name. The swamp's a wild, untamed region, filled with lizard men and, some say, dinosaurs. TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: There's not much to brag about here, which makes it a plum spot for folks who want to hide out. Stories often float around about berks who find themselves unwelcome in Curst retiring to this bog to raise an army of lizard men. Unfortunately, the lizard men usually have better things to do — for instance, eating sods who try to raise armies. Sheela Peryroyl's Realm:
IN A NUTSHELL: A traveler to this small, quiet, agricultural community spireward of Ecstasy might think he stumbled into an Indep village. That is, until he noticed the residents (halflings all) and its supposed mistress (the halfling goddess of agriculture).
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: Some peery bashers think that the whole "goddess" idea is just a peel run by the halflings. If it is, it works, because the realm's survived plenty of incursions. Travellers are encouraged to be polite, eat all their vegetables, and be careful standing up (low ceilings). The Spire:
IN A NUTSHELL: The centerpost of the Outlands, the spire is an infinitely tall column topped by the city of Sigil. It's the heart of the Land and can be seen from anywhere on the plane (weather permitting).
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: Magic doesn't work near the slopes of the spire. What's more, there are better ways to reach Sigil, so apart from a barmy berk or two trying to climb the blasted thing, it's an empty region. Fact is, the few climbers who've started up the impossible slope have always failed, and their bodies never found. Thebestys and Thoth's Estate:
IN A NUTSHELL: These two spots are usually considered to be the same place. The estate's really just a few villages clumped around the River Ma'at, a part of the bigger city of Thebestys. Fact is, the burg is one of the largest nongate-towns in the Outlands, with a population of several thousand humans.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: The key spot in Thebestys is the Great Library, which is said to have the answer to any question a cutter could ask. 'Course, finding that answer could take a body a long time. Thoth himself stays within the walls of the city - his presence (and his backing from the rest of the Egyptian powers) has made would-be invaders think twice. Tir fo Thuinn:
IN A NUTSHELL: Once merely a piece of Tir na Og, this lake at the base of the spire is now a realm of its own. The part of the lake ruled by Manannan mac Lir, the Celtic sea god, is found ringward of the sixth ring.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: The sea god's territory is completely underwater, without any markings on the surface. This is bad news for berks crossing the lake for the first time. Manannan mac Lir and his people don't take kindly to folks passing overhead, and strong storms often come out of nowhere to drive off or sink vessels. Tir na Og:
IN A NUTSHELL: This is a sprawling realm spireward of Tradegate. Mostly rolling hills and farms, it's spotted with a number of small villages and single homesteads. The region's also home to the bulk of the Celtic pantheon.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: Getting to Tir na Og isn't a problem, but within the realm the Celtic powers all have separate domains. That's the problem. The rule of three to eighteen days of travel seems to apply to each domain in the realm, so a body looking for a particular power may have a bit of a trip on his hands. Travelers also need to look out for the Wild Hunt, a pack of mystical hounds with an armoured charioteer. Tvashtri's Realm:
IN A NUTSHELL: Some planars who've been here call it Tvashtri's Laboratory or Tvashtri's Workshop. The realm is a building set into the side of a hill. Inside the hill is an unending jumble of labs, libraries, workshops, and construction areas, and outside the whole place thunders with great energy crackling beneath its surface.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: Tvashtri's realm might not win any contests, but it sure could come close. It's said to be the second-best place for crafts outside the Dwarven Mountain, the second-best library outside of Thebestys, and the second-best source of magic outside of Tir na Og. 'Course, here it's all in one place. Most of the petitioners are human worshipers of Tvashtri, but a lot of gnomes have come along over the years, too. Walking Castles:
IN A NUTSHELL: Since more powerful magic fails closer to the spire, some wizards who can cast only lower-level spells like to set up shop there (and so do other sods who're just hiding out). For example, a mage who can only cast fourth-level spells would be a leatherhead to live beyond the fourth border ring — he'd be a ripe target for those who can tosshigher-level spells. 'Course, the border rings move around, and these folks want to be able to move with them. The answer, for many, has been to make their castles mobile, and they've found three ways to do it: technology (which is not affected by the rings), magic (which is more effective ringward), and godly boon (which can be effective close to the spire, depending on the powers involved). Huge castles on legs are sometimes seen striding through the Outlands, but most stay well away from busy areas. TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: When the Clueless spot a walking castle, they often head right for it, just to see how it works. (This is one reason that they're called Clueless.) Most of the folks in these castles stay there because they want to be left alone. Fact is, a lot of them can defend themselves pretty well. Be careful around their homes.
The Outlands are more than just a collection of gatetowns, berk, even if those spots are the biggest draw for travellers. The Land's also home to a lot of powerful (and not-so-powerful) bodies. Some locations even act as gates to areas beyond, and they seem to be immune to the plane-sucking effects that plague many gatetowns. In any case, cutters really need to get the full chant on the Land - a body never knows if one day his travels might take him uncomfortably close to one of these locations. These summaries of other places are provided for handy use by travellers. The IN A NUTSHELL section tries to sum up the entire region in a few lines (a masterful task, that), while the TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY section gives details on points of interest, spilling the dark on what wary adventurers should — and, more importantly, shouldn't — do. Bariaur Tribes:
IN A NUTSHELL: Mobile encampments of bariaur are found throughout the Outlands, but most often in the arc from Ecstasy to Glorium. These groups of ten to one hundred bariaur often provide aid to the hurt, shelter to the helpless, and directions to the Clueless.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: The bariaur are nomads, and they often come into contact with others of their race, 'Berks who cheat or attack one tribe soon find that their descriptions have spread quickly to others. Travellers may be interested in this advice from a native of Rigus: "So don't leave any survivors and ya got no problem." The Court of Light:
IN A NUTSHELL: This is the home of Shekinester, the Three-Faced Queen of the Nagas. It's divided into three parts, each nested inside the last. Outermost is the Loom of the Weaver, a maze of tangled and thorny vegetation. Within the Loom is the Hall of Tests, Shekinester's palace, and within the palace is the Arching Flame, a spirit-cleansing fire that keeps the rest of the known planes running (or so they say).
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: The Court of Light is often sought out by cutters who want to test and purify their spirits. But a body really shouldn't enter the tangled Loom unless he's looking for revelations (or is tired of life as he knows it). The Dwarven Mountain:
IN A NUTSHELL: This is dwarf central in the Outlands, the home of three dwarven powers: Vergadain (wealth and luck), Dugmaren Brightmantle (invention and discovery), and Dumathoin (mines and exploration). The entire operation is below ground — the nearest surface community is Ironridge.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: Bring money and be a dwarf. There are many dwarven communities beneath the barren, snow-topped mountains of this realm, and they react to strangers about as well as dwarves anywhere else (in other words, evil humanoids beware). The best armour and weapons in the Outlands come from Dwarven Mountain. Gzemnid's Realm:
IN A NUTSHELL: These deep tunnels are the stomping ground of Gzemnid, the beholder god of deception. It's a jumble of winding passages that look like — and mingle with - those of llsensine's Realm. Gzemnid's lair is also laced with traps and illusions, as it befits the most subtle of the Eye Tyrants.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: Berks who tread through these tunnels do so at their own risk; the beholder god ain't too fond of other races. But some say the realm's got permanent gates to various Lower Planes. Sure enough, fiends are often found prowling the maze, apparently with Gzemnid's consent. Hermitages:
IN A NUTSHELL: There are a number of lone buildings and homesteads in the wilds of the Outlands, known collectively as hermitages. Some are occupied by planars seeking time alone, some by petitioners seeking meditation, and some by proxies on the run from their masters (these are more common closer to the spire). Folks in hermitages can be of any human race.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: Don't just march into a hermitage, or any unknown building for that matter. Outlander courtesy usually involves hailing the house from a safe distance first. Remember, berk, the place could hold a peasant family accidentally sucked into the Outlands, but it might also be some elder god on a fishing vacation. The Hidden Realm:
IN A NUTSHELL: Not found on any map, the Hidden Realm of the giant god Annam is said to be cloaked by magic, or maybe even sit in some parallel demiplane with a gate to the Outlands. Wherever it is, Annam sits in a crystal tower at the top of a huge mountain, watching over the clockwork of the multiverse.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: HOW does a body give tips for travelling in a land that ain't there? One group of sages claims the Hidden Realm doesn't even exist, while another bunch says it's really the master control room of the planes (which shows what sages know). The Hinterlands:
IN A NUTSHELL: Most of the attention in the Outlands falls on the circle of gate-towns by the rim. Primes (and even planars) can forget that the Land's an infinite plane. Between the circle of gate-towns and the rim, it stretches out forever, a wild, ever-changing, generally unexplored land. Some folks've heard talk of lost cities, new gates to unknown planes, even whole otherrealities if a body ventures far enough.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: Distances are tricky business in the Outlands, and especially in the Hinterlands. A cutter can journey past Tradegate for a year and day, and still never lose sight of the spire behind him. Then he can turn around and be back in Tradegate in just a few days. Whatever there might be in the Hinterlands - life, realms, domains, gates, or towns — it's still all pretty dark to folks closer to the spire. Ilsensine's Realm (the Caverns of Thought):
IN A NUTSHELL: An incredibly hostile realm tied to that of Gzemnid, the Caverns of Thought are the territory of Ilsensine, the mind flayer god of magic. It's a confusing knot of dark passages, lit only by sickly growing fungus. Even fiends of the Lower Planes steer clear of these tunnels.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: The only reason for a cutter to come here is knowledge. Ilsensine (who looks like a huge, glowing, green brain) is said to know the dark of many things. However, the god demands a heavy price for its knowledge, often part of the asker's mind. Plenty of berks who figured they'd give Ilsensine the laugh have ended up as brain-burned zombies. Indep Villages:
IN A NUTSHELL: Some small communities in the Outlands aren't gate-towns or realms of powerful deities. They exist more or less on their own, trying to be as enclosed and self-supporting as possible. Anywhere from one hundred to six hundred bodies call a village home, and the natives are folks who want to avoid the usual muddle of petitioners, proxies, and powers. Interestingly, these villages are often the birthplace of cutters who end up making names for themselves in the greater world.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: The nature of these towns varies with their location in the Outlands, but all value their privacy. Ask an Indep why and he's likely to bring up Goldheart, a ruined town near Torch. It was a thriving Indep village before an army from Ribcage (under Lord Paracs) conquered it, burned it, and marched the survivors into slavery. Now, most Indep villages treat visitors with suspicion. Generally, the villages are found between the fourth and seventh rings, though there are reports of some closer to the spire. Ironridge:
IN A NUTSHELL: Ironridge is a mostly human community, nestled in the forbidding mountains that separate Glorium and Xaos from the spire. It's a good jumping-off point for travellers heading for the Dwarven Mountain, Gzemnid's Realm, or the Caverns of Thought. The town often brings in dwarves looking for trade and fiends looking for slaves (or dinner).
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: Most cutters head to Ironridge instead of the Dwarven Mountain or any other site, since entrances to the other domains are only about a day's walk from the town. But it can be tricky to find: Ironridge's location varies between the fifth and eighth rings of the Outlands. Lost Patrols:
IN A NUTSHELL: The Blood War between the tanar'ri and the baatezu rages throughout the Lower Planes, and often the fiends use the Outlands for flanking manoeuvres. Just as often, though, parts of those attacking forces wander off, becoming lost patrols of about ten fiends of various types, under a single leader.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: Lost patrols come in two flavours: successful and unsuccessful. Some of these bashers have managed to feed and equip themselves by raiding, sometimes terrorizing or taking control of Indep Villages. But the patrols that barely keep themselves alive are more willing to bargain with a stronger opponent - that is, until they get a chance to turn stag. In either case, cutters should watch their backs. The Mausoleum of Chronepsis:
IN A NUTSHELL: Though it's now ruined, this place looks like it was once a city of great power. Only one resident still lives here: Chronepsis, the dragon god of fate, who dwells in a cave below the ruins. Chronepsis is surrounded by hourglasses, which measure the life of every dragon in all the planes of existence (at least, that's what dragon theology says).
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: Chronepsis likes to be left alone, and a berk who goes tramping in to see him had better have good reason. There are tales of some worldbound cutter thieving a dragon's hourglass from his lair and then using it against that dragon, but this might just be puffery and lies. The Modron Procession:
IN A NUTSHELL: Every so often, Mechanus sends (some would say upchucks) a huge horde of Modrons into Automata. The horde is mostly monodrones and duodrones, with a sprinkling of the higher-level modrons. They all march around the ring of gate-towns in a clockwise path, but only a handful of them ever make it back to Automata - the Land is a tough place, berk.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: The low-level modrons have little or nothing to say, and bashing one brings the entire horde down on the attacker. A cutter who runs into the procession should just stick to that old prime saying, "Live and let live." Fact is, keeping a good distance wouldn't hurt, either. The Palace of Judgment:
IN A NUTSHELL: The Palace of Judgment is the main headquarters of a pantheon called the Celestial Bureaucracy, and it's a bustle of activity. The bodies here spend their time granting audiences, reviewing cases, and assigning dooms.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: The high-up in the palace is Yen-Wang-Yeh, but he's usually too busy sorting out fates to sit and talk with just any cutter who walks in the door. The big draw of this realm is its conduits to every other Outer Plane. 'Course, getting the nod to use these conduits is a different story. The Realm of the Norns:
IN A NUTSHELL: This gloomy grove is the home of the Norns of the Norse mythology. It's a small realm, easy to miss in the wilderness that sprawls spireward of Faunel. The area's so overgrown that a berk standing in its depths would swear he's in an underground vault. The Norns usually gather around the Well of Urd, at the centre of the realm.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: A cutter shouldn't knock on this door without a pretty good reason. But most folks who come here have a strong one: a root of Yggdrasil (much like the one found in Glorium) is said to be somewhere nearby. 'Course, the realm also draws those who're looking for the Well of Urd. The chant says that a body who looks into the well will see his fate. (A warning to the Clueless - poor sods who learn their fates usually curse the day they did.) The River Ma'at:
IN A NUTSHELL: A sluggish, wide flow that oozes from the region of Semuanya's Bog, the Ma'at twists and turns its way from Torch to Excelsior before evaporating in a shining salt flat. The whole river's dotted by small villages, many of which hold petitioners to Thoth.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: The Ma'at regularly overflows its low banks, and the fertile silt carves a lush path through the rolling hills of the Outlands. Most of the river flows along the seventh ring, but a boat traveller will find that it crosses a ring here and there. Watch out for wildlife, too - crocodiles and crocodile-like creatures are common. Semuanya's Bog:
IN A NUTSHELL: A dismal swamp on the far shores of Tir fo Thuinn, Semuanya's Bog is ruled (in theory, anyway) by the god of the same name. The swamp's a wild, untamed region, filled with lizard men and, some say, dinosaurs. TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: There's not much to brag about here, which makes it a plum spot for folks who want to hide out. Stories often float around about berks who find themselves unwelcome in Curst retiring to this bog to raise an army of lizard men. Unfortunately, the lizard men usually have better things to do — for instance, eating sods who try to raise armies. Sheela Peryroyl's Realm:
IN A NUTSHELL: A traveler to this small, quiet, agricultural community spireward of Ecstasy might think he stumbled into an Indep village. That is, until he noticed the residents (halflings all) and its supposed mistress (the halfling goddess of agriculture).
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: Some peery bashers think that the whole "goddess" idea is just a peel run by the halflings. If it is, it works, because the realm's survived plenty of incursions. Travellers are encouraged to be polite, eat all their vegetables, and be careful standing up (low ceilings). The Spire:
IN A NUTSHELL: The centerpost of the Outlands, the spire is an infinitely tall column topped by the city of Sigil. It's the heart of the Land and can be seen from anywhere on the plane (weather permitting).
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: Magic doesn't work near the slopes of the spire. What's more, there are better ways to reach Sigil, so apart from a barmy berk or two trying to climb the blasted thing, it's an empty region. Fact is, the few climbers who've started up the impossible slope have always failed, and their bodies never found. Thebestys and Thoth's Estate:
IN A NUTSHELL: These two spots are usually considered to be the same place. The estate's really just a few villages clumped around the River Ma'at, a part of the bigger city of Thebestys. Fact is, the burg is one of the largest nongate-towns in the Outlands, with a population of several thousand humans.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: The key spot in Thebestys is the Great Library, which is said to have the answer to any question a cutter could ask. 'Course, finding that answer could take a body a long time. Thoth himself stays within the walls of the city - his presence (and his backing from the rest of the Egyptian powers) has made would-be invaders think twice. Tir fo Thuinn:
IN A NUTSHELL: Once merely a piece of Tir na Og, this lake at the base of the spire is now a realm of its own. The part of the lake ruled by Manannan mac Lir, the Celtic sea god, is found ringward of the sixth ring.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: The sea god's territory is completely underwater, without any markings on the surface. This is bad news for berks crossing the lake for the first time. Manannan mac Lir and his people don't take kindly to folks passing overhead, and strong storms often come out of nowhere to drive off or sink vessels. Tir na Og:
IN A NUTSHELL: This is a sprawling realm spireward of Tradegate. Mostly rolling hills and farms, it's spotted with a number of small villages and single homesteads. The region's also home to the bulk of the Celtic pantheon.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: Getting to Tir na Og isn't a problem, but within the realm the Celtic powers all have separate domains. That's the problem. The rule of three to eighteen days of travel seems to apply to each domain in the realm, so a body looking for a particular power may have a bit of a trip on his hands. Travelers also need to look out for the Wild Hunt, a pack of mystical hounds with an armoured charioteer. Tvashtri's Realm:
IN A NUTSHELL: Some planars who've been here call it Tvashtri's Laboratory or Tvashtri's Workshop. The realm is a building set into the side of a hill. Inside the hill is an unending jumble of labs, libraries, workshops, and construction areas, and outside the whole place thunders with great energy crackling beneath its surface.
TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: Tvashtri's realm might not win any contests, but it sure could come close. It's said to be the second-best place for crafts outside the Dwarven Mountain, the second-best library outside of Thebestys, and the second-best source of magic outside of Tir na Og. 'Course, here it's all in one place. Most of the petitioners are human worshipers of Tvashtri, but a lot of gnomes have come along over the years, too. Walking Castles:
IN A NUTSHELL: Since more powerful magic fails closer to the spire, some wizards who can cast only lower-level spells like to set up shop there (and so do other sods who're just hiding out). For example, a mage who can only cast fourth-level spells would be a leatherhead to live beyond the fourth border ring — he'd be a ripe target for those who can tosshigher-level spells. 'Course, the border rings move around, and these folks want to be able to move with them. The answer, for many, has been to make their castles mobile, and they've found three ways to do it: technology (which is not affected by the rings), magic (which is more effective ringward), and godly boon (which can be effective close to the spire, depending on the powers involved). Huge castles on legs are sometimes seen striding through the Outlands, but most stay well away from busy areas. TRAVELLER'S ADVISORY: When the Clueless spot a walking castle, they often head right for it, just to see how it works. (This is one reason that they're called Clueless.) Most of the folks in these castles stay there because they want to be left alone. Fact is, a lot of them can defend themselves pretty well. Be careful around their homes.
Alternative Name(s)
Plane of Concordant Opposition
Type
Dimensional plane
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Ruling/Owning Rank
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