Elemental Chaos

The Elemental Chaos

The Elemental Chaos was an Inner Plane in the Great Wheel cosmology, located at the far reaches of the elemental planes, where the elements dissolved into a single mix of colliding energies. In the World Axis cosmology, it was the fundamental plane within which were contained all of the former elemental planes and energy planes, as well as the planes of Limbo and the Abyss. A tempestuous sea of ever-changing terrain and clashing elements, with stability only enforced in isolated locations, the Elemental Chaos is ruled over, at least in name if not fact, by the primordials and is the equal and opposite of its divine counterpart, the Astral Plane. As the primordials are the opposites of the gods, as demons are to devils. In spite of its chaotic and dangerous landscape, most parts of the Chaos are relatively easy to travel through, or at least as much as most other planes.

History

The Elemental Chaos has existed as long as the Astral Sea, but prior to the SpellPlague it was unknown to nearly all inhabitants of Toril. During the sundering of Abeir from Toril, the primordials, with a few exceptions, who inhabited the Chaos lost their influence over Toril and the surrounding space and were driven from the local multiverse into a separate and parallel existence, where Abeir also dwelt. Only with the Spellplague and the subsequent swapping of material between Abeir and Toril has the Elemental Chaos again become a part of the local cosmology, reabsorbing the local elemental planes as well as the Abyss and Limbo.

Elemental Realms

According to the World Axis cosmology, though most of the Elemental Chaos is an ever-changing landscape defined by chaos and unpredictability, there are planes within the Chaos that have a more defined set of stability. These sub-planes, called realms, are formed through the will and power of mighty elemental beings, often primordials but including other denizens of the Chaos as well. Within these realms, a sort of order is maintained, often reflecting the nature of its creator and ruler. This is not always entirely true - the Abyss, for instance, is as chaotic and dangerous, if not thoroughly more so, than the rest of the Chaos. Like dominions, realms maintain laws and natures separate from the rest of the Chaos, though they dwell within it, and often have strong connections with other planes outside of the Chaos.

The Abyss

The home of demons, the Abyss is a deep, multilayered plane that lays at the "bottom" of the Chaos

Cresting Spires

Dominated by the primordial Istishia, the Cresting Spires are a plane dominated by water

Fimbulwinter

Forged by the titan Thrym, this plane is covered in ice

Hidden Realm

The most powerful of the titans, Annam, rules this mysterious realm

Muspelheim

Ruled over by the titan Surtr, Muspelheim is dominated by a volcanic landscape

Root Hold

Dominated by Grumbar, the primordial lord of the earth element, Root Hold is a series of vast subterranean halls with strong connections to the Dismal Caverns and Dwarfhome

Sky Home

A realm ruled over by the primordial Akadi and dominated by rolling clouds and dark storms. Sky Home has links to the plane of Arvandor

Steading

This realm resembles a landscape of rolling hills and is dominated by the titan Grolantor

Thraotor

A plane of storms, this plane is ruled over by the titan Memnor

The Undying Pyre

The Undying Pyre is a fiery plane of thick smoke and mighty flames, ruled over by the strongest of the primordial lords, Kossuth

Type

Dimensional plane