The elemental plane of earth is nothing but an expansive mass of stone and underground caverns in every direction. There is no “ground level” on this plane, forcing its inhabitants to either navigate through the everchanging maze of caverns or dig their own. Despite the perceived uninhabitability of such a place, a rare few caverns still support lush ecosystems. Other caverns are filled with water or magma, and the size of some of the caverns on this plane can make it easy to forget that one is perpetually underground.
Numerous “earthy” materials can be found within this plane, from regular stone to precious ores. There are other materials that can't be found anywhere other then this plane, though they are rare to find. Despite being underground, light sources of the Earth plane can take many forms. The most common of these are large crystal veins that illuminate their surroundings, though it is possible to find a variety of fauna and flora that also glow. These sources of light are treated with reverence by the natives of the plane, as they are the only source of light within the tunnels. Torches are rare and seldom used on this plane as their consumption of oxygen can prove dangerous in smaller caverns.
Unlike the other planes, the force of gravity is almost twice its magnitude on Jaern, making life there even harder for interplanar travelers and leaving the plane quite unstable. Entire sectors can collapse overnight due to earthquakes, high gravity and the constant movement of surroundings. The ambient energy from Archean's “naps” is enough to keep a number of caverns resistant to these forces. Powerful spells can be used as an imitation of her magic to make some caves permanent, but with an infinite number of these habitable pockets, only a small number are stationary and mapped. Because of this, navigation and traveling are the most difficult and dangerous parts of living on the Elemental Plane of Earth.
Diggers, or “Chagano”, is a species of short, dwarf-like elementals usually made of stone or various metals. Most of them are nomads that live in tribes of 50-60 individuals. They follow Rock Devourers, giant stone worms, as they make their way through depths of Earth Realm. Every couple of months, a Rock Devourer enters a period of hibernation that lasts for an average of 2-3 weeks. During that time, if a Chagano tribe happened to be near a settlement of other beings, they may trade for ores and gems in exchange for magical and other luxury items. Generally they are passive and avoid unnecessary conflicts, but they will defend themselves as well as their Rock Devourer if antagonized.
This Grotto is one of the largest and oldest known stable caverns, with the city of Wattieza built within. The cavern is thought to have been Archean's first resting ground, which is why it has been stable for so long. Outside of the city a lush jungle fills the rest of the cavern. Large glowing crystals grow alongside the megaflora, creating a unique sight for those within Wattieza. This forest is the source of much of the food that sustains the city, and some have theorized that the large abundance of megaflora is another side effect of Archean's magic.
The City of Wattieza was built within The Everlasting Grotto to act as a safe haven for creatures who cannot freely traverse the Earth Realm. In time it has also grown to serve as a center of trade with other planes. Earthquakes can rarely be felt here and mages keep the force of gravity relatively normal as most residents are from offplane.
These nests are less a specific area, and more often described by the large clustering of Rock Devourers. Every 20-25 years, many Rock Devourers from all over the elemental plane congregate in one location to nest and raise young. These locations tend to be the tunnels left behind by Archean whenever she moves. Because the Chagano follow the Devourers in their nomadic movements, the nesting congregation is also a chance for them to interact with other tribes. Since their tribes very rarely interact, since Rock Devourers are solitary in nature, they take this time together to share stories and trade materials. The Rock Devourer don't mind their presence as long as the tribes stay out of their way.
Another one of the Earth Plane's few large, stable caverns. The cave is notable for its large abundance of Earth Crystals and precious gems. Little is known about why this cavern supports such an abundance of these gems, but their existence attracts many mages and adventurers to try their hand at obtaining a few chunks and shards. This cavern has a unique ecosystem within it, with multiple subspecies of common Earth Plane creatures that have evolved to survive among the crystals. The cavern is also home to a rare subrace of earth elementals called the Talcites that treat the crystals here like sacred stones. Because of this they guard the crystals here with their lives, and trading for even the smallest chunk can prove difficult.
The Al'memurra is a distant relative of the Rock Devourers that make this plane their home. They share a similar form to the long worm-shaped Rock Devourers, though instead of consuming earth these worms consume memories. They will dig through the earth of the Elemental Plane, dissolving anything consumed that isn’t crystals- which it then inlays within its interior. These crystals are connected with the flesh of the Al’memurra, their surfaces slowly becoming polished over time. Once the Al’memurra has accumulated enough crystals, they will position themselves at the opening of a cave- acting like a diverging path to an already existing tunnel. Any creature that wanders inside will slowly have its memories siphoned until it eventually dies within the maw of the creature.
These large worms share a similar, albeit smaller, appearance with Archean. They burrow throughout the elemental plane, eating everything that falls into its mouth. Once inside, the materials are compacted into chunks of crystal and stored in an organ deep within its body to be digested for nutrients. The Devourers work on a multi-week cycle, consuming rocks for weeks on end before falling into a hibernation for the following 2-3 weeks. While it consumes and compacts the materials, it does not eat, waiting until it falls into its hibernation to finally digest the crystals it has made.
Nomadic tribes of Chagano follow these creatures around, using their tunnels to traverse the elemental plane. Whenever a Devourer goes into hibernation, the tribes send a few Chagano to harvest a few of these crystals from the Devourer. They never take all of them, and since the worms usually produce more then they need, the worms never notice the absence of a few crystals each hibernation. The worms tend to be quite passive, and don't seem to mind the protection it gains from allowing the Chagano tribes to tag along in its burrowing.