The Elemental Planes (sometimes referred to as Elemental Realms) are unique even among vast numbers of existing planes. Some believe that these planes are the source of where primordial resources originated before their use in the material planes. These Realms are dominated by elemental energies with little traces of psionic magic or divine presence.

There are four Elemental Planes in total:

• Elemental Plane of Earth
• Elemental Plane of Fire
• Elemental Plane of Air
• Elemental Plane of Water

Despite the differences in their nature, the Elemental Planes share some similarities:

• No gods claim them as their home planes, though their presence can still be felt here
• Elemental spells of plane’s element cost half as many units to cast while on the plane
• Spells of opposite element (earth-air, fire-water) cost twice normal amount of units (PWR restriction applies)
• Elemental unit regeneration rate is doubled for creatures with matching first element

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. Wattieza was built within to act as a safe haven for creatures who cannot freely traverse the Earth Realm and 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 Crystallites 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.

As unbelievable as it sounds, Fire Realm might be the closest to “normal” world among all Elemental Planes. Now, this does not mean that it looks like Jearn or Cahyali, as the flora and fauna of the material planes cannot survive the heat. The plane still does have thriving ecosystems within it, though they have evolved to survive the within the extreme heat and without the need for water. The ecosystem of the elemental plane of fire is surprisingly colorful, as the flames that populate it burn from many sources. Flames are a part of most flora and fauna of the plane, leading them to glow and shimmer naturally. It is difficult to find a location on the plane that flames don't illuminate.

The large landmasses of the elemental plane of fire are separated by oceans and rivers of magma. Islands and archipelagos do exist, through they tend to drift throughout atop the lava- rarely ever staying in the same place for long. It is fairly common to find creatures living in these seas, which makes them even more dangerous to traverse. The immense heat of the plane keep many from off-plane confined to the cities and from exploring the expansive wilderness of the Fire Plane.

Past the obvious heat of the plane, many of the environments are hostile even to the natives. Much of the flora in the plane is carnivorous, and many of the creatures that exist are unpredictable or erratic in their actions. Despite this, the ecosystems still thrive. Those who have been lucky enough to traverse these environments and survive describe it as organized chaos. The relativly hotter locations on the plane tend to be more populated by more chaotic and lively ecosystems.

This is not to say that there aren't exceptions to creature's aggressiveness, as some of the larger creatures tend to be more docile. “Colder” locations on the plane also tend to be quieter with less aggressive creatures. Though this doesn't mean they're safe, just safer when compared to the more sought after locals. Oftentimes it is difficult to tell from first glance which areas are “colder”, considering most temperatures within the plane are inhospitable to those from offplane. Though if one knows where to look, the colder parts of the plane tend to be slightly dimmer compared to others.

Malani is a race of elementals originated from Fire Realm. Members of the race appear to be snake-like with humanoid features, akin to a Naga, made out of fire and magma. Depending on the lineage, the color of the fire/magma can be colors other then the traditional reds and oranges. The Malani Empire has conquered large swaths of the Elemental Plane of Fire, easily dominating any other kingdom that tries to form within the Plane. It has a feudal structure with an Emperor as its head. Most manual labor in the Empire is done by slaves that the Malani have captured on offworld raids. Usually those slaves are kept in impossible conditions and do not survive for very long. Malani do not see it as a problem, after all they can always go on the raid and capture more.

Malani excel in craftsmanship of weapons and armor. Not much is known about their culture, but few survivors told stories about grand arenas where captives are forced to fight each other and beasts of the Fire Realm for enjoyment of the Malani populace.

These are a massive cluster of magma lakes and one of the hottest places in the whole Fire Realm. Due to the extreme temperatures here, many apex predators of the Elemental Plane are constantly fighting over the territory. This also makes it an incredibly dangerous stretch of land to traverse, leaving many to give it a wide berth then traveling. It is said that these lakes are where Nanque lands to preen himself, and that the lakes are thus enhanced by his ambient energy.

The heat however allows flora rarely found anywhere else on the plane to grow and thrive here. One of such resources are Fire Lotuses, elemental “plants” similar to regular lotus flowers. These flowers absorb the ambient energy of the fire plane so that, when harvested, their root can be eaten to restore the energy of fire mages or other elementals. The hotter the environment in which the Lotus grows, the longer they last and more energy they can store. Other magma lakes do give birth to Fire Lotuses, but in lesser quantities and much weaker than the ones that grow in the Great Magma Lakes.

Despite the Fire Realm being dominated by fire elements, there are still traces of other elements- such as metal ores. However the time these ores have spent on the plane lead them to be influenced by the fire elements. As a result, this Tark Ore is extremely temperature resistant and always remains hot. It does add difficulty to crafting finished products, but once a master learns how to work with the material, they will be able to create objects of formidable strength.

Malani are famous for their mastery over this craft and most of Red Mines are located within borders of Malani Empire. Thousands of slaves overwork themselves every day to provide resources for their Malani masters. Because of the rate of casualties within the mines, it is common to find skeletons of past workers within them. The Malani don't seem to care about this fact, refusing to divert manpower to clearing the bones or corpses until they begin to hinder the miner's ability to work.

The number of corpses within and nearby these mines has lead to a small ecosystem of scavengers to evolve and survive within the mines. As long as they don't pose a threat to the miner's production efficiency the Malani don't seem to care about their existence.

These mountains act as home and mating ground for a large variety of fire element birds. Many species can be found here, but three types that have claimed large swaths of the Cliffs for themselves are the Immortal Phoenixes, Golden Crows and Vermilion Birds. It is said that these species are descendants of the Fire Guardian Nenque, and as such their bodies carry pieces of his power.

Many greedy explorers attempt to raid their nests looking for these rare resources. There are many rumors as to what pieces of these birds do, but the most common are these:

• Tears of the Phoenix are said to can heal any wound, no matter the source. Some claim that it can even bring bodies back after being destroyed.
• Feathers of Golden Crow are said to be so hot, that they could fuel a furnace for an eternity and infuse any weapons forged there with pieces of Nenque's power.
• The claws of the Vermilion Bird are said to have anti-demonic properties, cleansing evil with purifying flames.

Many enter the Cliffs, but very few ever return alive. Many natives do not believe the risk of angering Nenque by hunting his children is worth the power that might come from hunting the birds that roost on the cliffs.

Nicknamed Purgatory by offworlders for the horrific conditions slaves are kept in, Chasoň is the capital city of the Malani Empire. Its high walls made of mafic rock are heavily guarded against attack. The city itself rarely has visitors, as most non-Malani people in Chasoň are slaves. The tall black spires that look over the surrounding Fire plane are dark and imposing, almost seeming to shimmer in the light with the fire that flows through the walls and stones used to build the city.

If one is able to survive long enough to get close to the city, its craftsmanship is like no other.

Aside from some asteroid-like rocks, no solid ground exists in the plane of air. While a rare few floating islands do exist, they were either brought into the plane by outsiders or though some other magical means. These islands form clusters which are usually occupied by offplane creatures as anyone native to the Air plane can live their entire life without needing to land. These islands are usually the ones to house towns and cities of offplane civilizations.

At the first glance Air Realm might appear very tranquil, but don’t let it deceive you: it is far from safe. Aside from floating islands and smaller asteroids, this plane is nothing but boundless sky with turbulent winds and thunderstorms. The winds constantly throw around many of the asteroids, breaking them into smaller chunks whenever they do collide. They pose a threat to the larger islands, as with enough collisions the islands themselves might fall apart and doom the cities on top of them. As such, many of the larger cities have protection wards to keep these collisions to a minimum.

The plane itself is relatively unstable compared to its counterparts, with rifts in space being able open and close at random. These rifts lead to random place in and out of the air realm, without rime or reason for what they might lead to. Some might get lucky and find great fortune, while others might lead one to their death. There are some fauna that use this instability to open their own portals when traversing or hunting in the Air realm.

Violent storms are also normal events on the Elemental Plane of Air. Some of them only last for brief moments while others will continue for more than a millennia. Unlucky creatures caught in the storm and unable to escape will most likely die within a couple minutes as the force of wind will tear its body apart and fierce lightning strikes incinerate little bits that are left. Very few storms spawn out of thin air though, if one knows the signs of a storm coming, they are easy enough to avoid if you have the maneuverability.

An enormous tornado that predates most inhabitants of Air Realm. It was formed in the distant Primordial Era and does not show any signs of dispersing in the foreseeable future. There are many rumors and stories surrounding the storm, some say Fractus created it, others claim it is where Fractus was born, and some even say that grand treasures reside within its eye. However none of the rumors have ever been proven true, as those who enter have never been seen again.

A collection of floating islands brought in the Air Realm by the powerful Behari clan of air mages from a distant plane. These islands, bound together by magical changes and bridges, are kept in the air and protected by strong dimensional magic. The large city of Beaufort was built on the island and ruled by the Behari clan. But it is mostly occupied by air mages, interdimensional traders and some adventurers. As long as one doesn’t cause chaos and pays taxes, the Behari clan doesn’t interfere with affairs of other people.

There are a few smaller islands containing villages that orbit the cluster, stopping once or twice a year to trade with the city of Beaufort. Halitus was one such town, though it was burned to the ground and has since been abandoned after a mage used it as a testing ground for his weapons of war.

Around a similar time that the Maelstrom was created, a floating island was brought into the Air Realm. The island's surface, containing a normal forest, was left intact in the transaction. Since that time, the trees have been exposed to the rich elemental energy of the plane and have since mutated into Thunderblitz Trees. These trees attract and store power of lightning and proved to be a useful resource for creation of magical weapons and artifacts. Thunderblitz trees still grow and reproduce as normal, though the larger the forest the more energy the trees attract and store.

Despite the tree's usefulness, one cannot simply go and start chopping down Thunderblitz Trees. First, they have their own lightening aura which makes them difficult to stay around for too long. Secondly, they also have to be carefully chopped lest the wood explode, as putting too much pressure on the wood too quickly causes the energy inside to become unstable. And lastly, since the trees work as reservoirs of lightening energy, they have since attracted the attention of many powerful creatures. These creatures tend to quarrel and fight for the territory with the most Thunderblitz trees as they're a good source of energy. In the heart of the forest there are ruins of an ancient tower that the creatures largely ignore, no one has been able to figure out its origin.

The Water Realm is a boundless ocean populated by countless water creatures. The water is boundless in every direction, neither having a surface or a sea floor. No one knows where the light that illuminates the infinite ocean of the plane comes from, so most just denote where the light comes from as “above” with “below” being much darker. The farther one swims up the warmer the water gets which should imply some sort of heat source, though one has never been found. In a similar vein if one swims down, the light dims until you are left cold and shivering in the pitch black abyss.

But it isn’t only water that exists in the Water Realm. There are entire islands made of coral that float and drifting along currents in the ocean. These mobile cities drift on long loops throughout the planes and tend to consist of mostly native inhabitants. Other city locations include large towers of coral stretch up from the abyss and reach up into the sunlight zone of the sea. These towers are stationary versions of the drifting coral islands, and are the ones that usually hold guests from other worlds. Many of these towers reside nearby strong currents, which are uses when traveling between the cities.

Similar to the Air Realm, despite the serene nature, the Water Realm is not a completely safe place. Leviathan-sized creatures lurk in the depths, sudden eruptions of steam can boil living beings alive, and unseen currents can drag the ill prepared into unexplored locations filled with dangers.

A giant current of water near which most of the discovered coral reefs are located which allows for trade and transportation between cities. Despite its usefulness, without the proper equipment and vessels the Flow is very dangerous. For no known reason, every 2 months the direction of the Flow reverses. Exchanges and trade between cities are built around this strict schedule.

A powerful family of water mages, the Ederis Family, controls most of The Great Flow. The family were the founders of much of the technology used currently to make transportation safer. They built enter/exit points near coral islands and developed ships for safe travel. Because of this, they have a monopoly over all the trade and travel that goes through it, and are the sole people who decide the prices.

A current similar to The Great Flow, that goes vertical instead of horizontal. Where the Flow is fast, but manageable, the Whirlpool currents are extremely violent. It also reverses its flow, though it is less predictable then the Flow's schedule, reversing every 4-5 months. Nobody controls the Whirlpool, though powerful mages and other creatures within the Sunlight zone patrol and monitor the Whirlpool while it is reverse. They do this in case that, on the rare occasion, an abyssal creature from below doesn't get sucked into the Sunlight zone and potentially become invasive.

Many of these places exist, and can be identified by large chunks of ice drifting in the ocean. This ice, often called “Primordial ice” is something produced by Azura as she traverses the Realm. Sometimes these chunks of ice conglomerate together to form large sheets of ice that create their own ecosystems, large enough conglomerations can even begin expanding on their own. Many of the larger sections have burrows and tunnels created by the creatures that call them their home. On rare occasions one can even find ancient ruins and preserved corals within large “continent” sized ice from when they collided and grew over the coral towers that populate the Realm. Because the larger chunks of ice can slowly expand on their own, many of the coral cities tend to have designated mages to help steer away any ice that could pose a danger to them.

The large sections of this are are not something that can just be harvested freely for use in weapons or enchantments, as it melts at an imperceptible rate. The true, eversolid ice is located at the heart of the older sections of Primordial Ice. This central ice absorbs the energy imbued within the rest of its glacier, rendering the center colder then the rest. Once this ice has absorbed enough energy, it forms into the Primordial Ice that never melts and is highly sought after by mages and weaponsmiths.

Many unusual creatures live in the alien environments of Elemental Planes. Some of them, like elementals, do occasionally venture out either on their own accord or when summoned by powerful magic. Most others are creatures with animal levels of intelligence. Many of these beings can be considered subspecies of normal Jaernian animals that were brought here by careless mages. Others were caught up in some magical cataclysm and then acclimated to harsh conditions of Elemental Realms through years of hardships and natural selection.

Sentient creatures that are native to Elemental Planes all share similar Primordial languages. The Primordial language is magical in nature and can only be fully spoken by beings with capacity to store and release elemental energy. While speaking it without the release of elemental energy is possible, it leads those who do so to have a certain accent accompanying their words. Mages tend to have only a slight accent depending on how much time they've spent studying elemental spells or on the elemental planes.

The language has four dialects, one for each element. The release of the elemental energies is what separates the dialects from one another, leading those from differing dialects to have an “accent” to one another. While a person’s first element defines what dialect of Primordial they speak, there are cases of people being able to speak multiple. This varies from learning multiple elemental types to growing up or living among a separate element then one's “first”. These dialects however, do not affect one's ability to read and write- as Primordial has only one script shared among all dialects.

Written Primordial is very close to various ciphers of elemental magicians, as they were based on the principles of Primordial. Mages under effect of Lexesoterica (Elemental Core, Tongues and Scripts, rank 1) can understand about 50% of text written in Primordial. This works both ways, as being that knows Primordial can comprehend half of text written in an elemental cipher without using the Lexesoterica spell.

Balance of power within the Elemental Plane varies from realm to realm, but one thing remains the same: every Plane has a Guardian. The Guardians are beings of pure elemental energy, outclassing every other elemental being with their strength. They do not interfere with mortal affairs or even internal fights on the plane. Their two purposes are to protect the Plane from external threats and guide those brave and powerful enough to embrace primordial energies.

The age of the Guardians is unknown, as they predate all other beings. The most popular theory is they were the first elementals, born from the primordial energy as it separated into the four common elements shortly after the creation of the known multiverse. For that reason they predate the Gods as mortals call them, though the Guardians refer to them only as “Young Ones”.

While some presume it is technically possible to defeat a Guardian, such a feat has never been achieved. Their age has given them untold experiences that, along with their full control over their environments and element, deter most foolhardy adventurers. Scholars are also uncertain as to what would become of a plane should its Guardian fall, the consequences alone are enough to deter anyone else from trying. Despite their ability, and luckily for the rest of the multiverse, the Guardians are not interested in expanding their domains.

At first glance, the Earth Guardian is easily mistaken for just another piece of the plane. Further examination, however, reveals her to be a giant earthen worm. Archean often lays unmoving for centuries at a time, denizens of the plane jokingly call them her “naps”. When she eventually does move, the remaining imprints of her slumber turn into new caverns for those who live within the plane. These caverns tend to be safer for settlements, as the ambient magic from the Guardian's slumber keeps the ever shifting rock from collapsing for a few eons after Archean moves.

If one is able to get her attention, they then have to attempt to actively keep it while speaking with her. She might seem slow and melancholic, but this is often deceiving- she knows everything that happens around her. The phrase “earth never forgets” is thought to have originated from her and the elemental plane. Archean's favors are scarce in their existence, as she needs to be awake to even obtain one. Those that are lucky enough to obtain one can find it lasting through many generations. Out of all the other guardians, Archean dislikes Fractus for their excessive and boundless energy.

The Guardian of the Fire Realm usually takes the form of a giant flaming bird that perches at the top of the world. Whenever Nenque chooses to descend from his perch, the land around where he alights boils and melts around him, creating large lakes of lava. The lava oceans that cover large swaths of the plane are in part due to Nenque, who melts any landmass who he sees as a threat to the height at which he perches.

Nenque is extremely arrogant and impulsive with volatile emotions, often changing forms on a whim. He is very hard to reason with, as he refuses to concede on his opinions and tends to act before he thinks. This attitude can sometimes be used to one’s advantage as Nenque will always try to outdo the other Guardians and Gods when granting favors. Still, it is recommended to tread with caution whenever interacting with the Guardian- lest you anger him, as nothing remains of those who do.

Despite being made out of swirling clouds and wind, the Guardian of the Air Realm's form resembles that of a ginormous flying fox. Akin to the mortal brethren he takes after, Fractus never lands upon the top of the floating islands the crowd parts of the elemental plane, preferring to hang from beneath them. His form is never solid, allowing for islands to pass through him as he flies. Islands that find themselves within Fractus are buffeted by raging storms that seem to transcend time itself, seeming to last longer then the mere moments that they're actually within the gale.

Fractus has an easy going personality as long he is interested in what you are talking about. Those topics, like unpredictable winds, change constantly- which leads him to loose interest and rush the conversation just to get it over with. When talking with Fractus, its best to finish your business as quick as possible. His favors tend to be underdeveloped and lacking if you, or the favor asked, is uninteresting. This underdevelopment can lead to these favors bringing immeasurable strength or crippling you from unexpected downsides.

The Guardian of the Water Realm's form flows like the waters she inhabits, usually taking the form of a sleek moray eel. She rarely stays in the same location, constantly moving and flowing with the currents. The temperature of Azura is as ever shifting as her form, though it tends to stay colder then the ambient ocean temperature. This leads to chunks of “primordial ice” forming along her body as she swims, if the chunks ever become too large they will flake off of her body and drift afloat within the elemental plane. These chunks do melt, eventually, though the rate at which they do so is too slow for short-lived mortals to notice it.

Azura's personality is hard to describe in a few words, since it flows between different states easily. In some cases she is said to be gentle and easygoing as flowing water, in others she is cold and indifferent as ice, and on the rare occasion furious and unforgiving as a storm. These changes in personality carry over into her form, though her emotions rarely stay extreme for long. Her favors tend to be smaller and less extravagant, though they rival Archean's in their longevity.