Outlands: Difference between revisions

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Of all the Outer Planes, the Outlands (or "Plane of Concordant Opposition", as it is known in some [[Prime]] worlds) is the most "natural"; that is, the most like the Prime.  Apart from most of the troubles of the planes, with an [[Rilmani|exemplar race]] that keeps to the furthest regions, even the untamed areas tend to be far less extraordinary than on most of the Outer Planes, and the magic-annulling rings doing much to encourage this.  As a result, when one moves away from the gate-towns, one runs into many regions almost as Clueless as the Prime, some barely even aware of the larger multiverse but for the occasional caravan.  It's perhaps the most important plane, however, for its location provides it with easy access to the entirety of the Great Ring, and as such it's never entirely free of the influence of those that surround it.
Of all the Outer Planes, the Outlands (or "Plane of Concordant Opposition", as it is known in some [[Prime]] worlds) is the most "natural"; that is, the most like the Prime.  Apart from most of the troubles of the planes, with an [[Rilmani|exemplar]] that keeps to the furthest regions, even the untamed areas tend to be far less extraordinary than on most of the Outer Planes, and the magic-annulling rings doing much to encourage this.  As a result, when one moves away from the gate-towns, one runs into many regions almost as Clueless as the Prime, some barely even aware of the larger multiverse but for the occasional caravan.  It's perhaps the most important plane, however, for its location provides it with easy access to the entirety of the Great Ring, and as such it's never entirely free of the influence of those that surround it.


==Physical Conditions==
==Physical Conditions==
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Being a plane, of course, things aren't too Prime-like.  For one, despite the lack of a sun, the Outlands has day and night as normal.  Weather is strictly tied to the [[Outlands calendar|calendar]] far more than upon the Prime.  And of course, planar shifting is far more significant a phenomenon on the Outlands as elsewhere.  While this phenomenon can occur between any two Outer Planes, the central nature of the Outlands means it's far more likely to occur here than most other planes.  Any land that grows too far from the central moral nature of its plane, be it a paladin setting up a home in [[Avernus]] or a [[modron]] establishing a fort in [[Ysgard]], will eventually cause that land to be lost to its plane.  Most often occurring on the topmost layers of each plane, the Outlands and the Outer Planes are constantly shuffling small satchels of land back and forth.  The [[gate-town]]s are usually the largest example, as their people most often take on the nature of their associated plane without even trying.  In some cases, the residents encourage this, doing all they can to bring about a shift.  In others, they may actively work to prevent it.  In the end, though, it tends to happen to all gate-towns sooner or later.  With some, a new gate-town springs up out of nowhere around the portal to its plane when the old gate-town departs.  With others, a new town must be built by hand, though the portal itself always remains behind.
Being a plane, of course, things aren't too Prime-like.  For one, despite the lack of a sun, the Outlands has day and night as normal.  Weather is strictly tied to the [[Outlands calendar|calendar]] far more than upon the Prime.  And of course, planar shifting is far more significant a phenomenon on the Outlands as elsewhere.  While this phenomenon can occur between any two Outer Planes, the central nature of the Outlands means it's far more likely to occur here than most other planes.  Any land that grows too far from the central moral nature of its plane, be it a paladin setting up a home in [[Avernus]] or a [[modron]] establishing a fort in [[Ysgard]], will eventually cause that land to be lost to its plane.  Most often occurring on the topmost layers of each plane, the Outlands and the Outer Planes are constantly shuffling small satchels of land back and forth.  The [[gate-town]]s are usually the largest example, as their people most often take on the nature of their associated plane without even trying.  In some cases, the residents encourage this, doing all they can to bring about a shift.  In others, they may actively work to prevent it.  In the end, though, it tends to happen to all gate-towns sooner or later.  With some, a new gate-town springs up out of nowhere around the portal to its plane when the old gate-town departs.  With others, a new town must be built by hand, though the portal itself always remains behind.


The other, far more noticeable unnatural feature of the Outlands is the infinitely tall [[Spire]] located at its center.  Stretching up endlessly into the sky, with [[Sigil]] located at its peak, it can be seen from every point in the Outlands.  How exactly an infinitely tall pillar can have a top, let alone something visible on it, is a mystery to even the most high-up bloods, but it's a fact anyone can determine just by taking a look.  At the base of the Spire are located the communities of [[rilmani]], the Outlands' planar race and those who work to keep the balance throughout the Planes.
The other, far more noticeable unnatural feature of the Outlands is the infinitely tall [[Spire]] located at its center.  Stretching up endlessly into the sky, with [[Sigil]] located at its peak, it can be seen from every point in the Outlands.  How exactly an infinitely tall pillar can have a top, let alone something visible on it, is a mystery to even the most high-up bloods, but it's a fact anyone can determine just by taking a look.  At the base of the Spire are located the communities of [[rilmani]], the Outlands' planar kind, those who work to keep the balance throughout the Planes.


Due to the infinite nature of the Outlands, travel time can be a bit odd.  Travel between any two nearby points always takes 3-18 days; from one gate-town to an adjacent town, for example.  This time isn't constant for two locations, and occasionally there will be a place that serves as an intermediary "between" two locations regardless of path; traveling from a gate-town to [[Thoth's Estate]], for example, requires a stop at the [[River Ma'at]] first.  Crossing the rings, as mentioned below, has a similar travel requirement, with 3 to 18 days required for each ring being crossed.  This is separate from travel between locations, however; traveling from [[Glorium]] to [[Tir Na Og]] will always take 3-18 days regardless of which ring Tir Na Og happens to be in at the time.
Due to the infinite nature of the Outlands, travel time can be a bit odd.  Travel between any two nearby points always takes 3-18 days; from one gate-town to an adjacent town, for example.  This time isn't constant for two locations, and occasionally there will be a place that serves as an intermediary "between" two locations regardless of path; traveling from a gate-town to [[Thoth's Estate]], for example, requires a stop at the [[River Ma'at]] first.  Crossing the rings, as mentioned below, has a similar travel requirement, with 3 to 18 days required for each ring being crossed.  This is separate from travel between locations, however; traveling from [[Glorium]] to [[Tir Na Og]] will always take 3-18 days regardless of which ring Tir Na Og happens to be in at the time.

Latest revision as of 14:01, 20 May 2017


Outlands
Rune of Outlands
Alignment True Neutral
Number of layers 1
Associated Faction None
Inhabitants of Outlands

Of all the Outer Planes, the Outlands (or "Plane of Concordant Opposition", as it is known in some Prime worlds) is the most "natural"; that is, the most like the Prime. Apart from most of the troubles of the planes, with an exemplar that keeps to the furthest regions, even the untamed areas tend to be far less extraordinary than on most of the Outer Planes, and the magic-annulling rings doing much to encourage this. As a result, when one moves away from the gate-towns, one runs into many regions almost as Clueless as the Prime, some barely even aware of the larger multiverse but for the occasional caravan. It's perhaps the most important plane, however, for its location provides it with easy access to the entirety of the Great Ring, and as such it's never entirely free of the influence of those that surround it.

Physical Conditions

Like the Beastlands, samples of all terrains can be found here, and though they're distributed seemingly without rhyme or reason as on that plane, the transitions between terrains are much smoother here. The variety of animal life is greater than that of any plane save the Beastlands, and the Outlands, as the plane of neutrality, is free of much of the moralistic posturing that marks people of the Ring.

Being a plane, of course, things aren't too Prime-like. For one, despite the lack of a sun, the Outlands has day and night as normal. Weather is strictly tied to the calendar far more than upon the Prime. And of course, planar shifting is far more significant a phenomenon on the Outlands as elsewhere. While this phenomenon can occur between any two Outer Planes, the central nature of the Outlands means it's far more likely to occur here than most other planes. Any land that grows too far from the central moral nature of its plane, be it a paladin setting up a home in Avernus or a modron establishing a fort in Ysgard, will eventually cause that land to be lost to its plane. Most often occurring on the topmost layers of each plane, the Outlands and the Outer Planes are constantly shuffling small satchels of land back and forth. The gate-towns are usually the largest example, as their people most often take on the nature of their associated plane without even trying. In some cases, the residents encourage this, doing all they can to bring about a shift. In others, they may actively work to prevent it. In the end, though, it tends to happen to all gate-towns sooner or later. With some, a new gate-town springs up out of nowhere around the portal to its plane when the old gate-town departs. With others, a new town must be built by hand, though the portal itself always remains behind.

The other, far more noticeable unnatural feature of the Outlands is the infinitely tall Spire located at its center. Stretching up endlessly into the sky, with Sigil located at its peak, it can be seen from every point in the Outlands. How exactly an infinitely tall pillar can have a top, let alone something visible on it, is a mystery to even the most high-up bloods, but it's a fact anyone can determine just by taking a look. At the base of the Spire are located the communities of rilmani, the Outlands' planar kind, those who work to keep the balance throughout the Planes.

Due to the infinite nature of the Outlands, travel time can be a bit odd. Travel between any two nearby points always takes 3-18 days; from one gate-town to an adjacent town, for example. This time isn't constant for two locations, and occasionally there will be a place that serves as an intermediary "between" two locations regardless of path; traveling from a gate-town to Thoth's Estate, for example, requires a stop at the River Ma'at first. Crossing the rings, as mentioned below, has a similar travel requirement, with 3 to 18 days required for each ring being crossed. This is separate from travel between locations, however; traveling from Glorium to Tir Na Og will always take 3-18 days regardless of which ring Tir Na Og happens to be in at the time.

Magical Conditions

Ring Magic Annulled Other Effects
9th None None
8th 9th-level spells None
7th 8th-level spells None
6th 7th-level spells None
5th 6th-level spells Life draining abilities don't function; illusions fail without proper spell key
4th 5th-level spells Poison has no effect
3rd 4th-level spells Demigod powers annulled; no conduits may reach this ring
2nd 3rd-level spells Lesser powers annulled; no astral connections allowed
1st 2nd-level spells Intermediate powers annulled
Spire All magic All godly abilities annulled

The Outlands are free of the school-by-school restrictions of spells that exist in the other Outer Planes. As an exchange, however, they are afflicted with a more broad-spanning set of restrictions. The Outlands are divided up into a set of rings, emanating out from the Spire. In each ring but the outermost, some level of magic is annulled, from 9th-level in the 8th ring, to all magic right at the base of the Spire. Even godly powers are negated by this force. No one knows its origins, but it affects everyone just the same, and unlike the restrictions in other planes, this affects arcane and divine magic equally.

The gate-towns are each located in the outermost ring, right at the edge of the Outlands where it abuts the Hinterlands. Other sites, such as godly realms, are most often found in the 6th through 8th rings; too far from the center, and the realms might end up slipping out of the Outlands, while too close to the Spire and the gods that rule each realm might not be able to grant their worshipers all the spells they otherwise could. The borders between rings shift, however, and a basher can never be sure what ring a given location is in without consulting a mimir. A location will never move more than one ring at a time, but beyond that, there seems to be no rhyme or reason behind the shifting boundaries.

Spell Keys

The specifics of spell keys in the Outlands are almost entirely unknown. However, it is known that no spell key will work to avoid the effects of the rings on annulling magic; these keys are solely to allow for Ethereal or Inner Planar access from the Outlands.

Locations

The Outlands is not known to have any layers, though the rings are referred to by some as such. If they are the layers of the Outlands, they are of little use in identifying the location of a site, shifting as they do.

Powers

Reference

  • On Hallowed Ground, pp.172-182
  • A Player's Primer to the Outlands, pgs.4-7, 28-32
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