The Inner Sphere

Inner Sphere

The so-called Inner Sphere comprises the elemental planes, surrounding the Material Plane like a series of immense, clustered shells. Opposite the Material Plane, and separated by the misty realm of the Ethereal, the Shadow Plane exists like a warped reflection of the physical realm. Comprising the remainder of the Inner Sphere, the Positive and Negative Energy Planes rest at the hearts of the Material and Shadow respectively, like the cores of a split apple.

Material Plane: The star-filled void of the Material Plane harbors life both mundane and bizarre that populates its innumerable galaxies and solar systems, with Golarion and its stellar neighbors among them.

Plane of Air: A vast realm of blue skies, clouds and storms, the first of the elemental planes sits adjacent to the Material Plane, inhabited by djinn and a population of immigrant white and silver dragons. Solid land is scarce, though great chunks of ice, conjured rock, and magically solidified clouds drift through the expanse. It has the airdominant planar trait with subjective directional gravity.

Plane of Water: Divided between light-filled regions of fresh water and progressively darker and saltier oceans, this is the second of the elemental planes. Within its virtually endless expanse, vast empires of marids and sahuagin clash, while krakens and brine drakes rule its darkest depths. It has the water-dominant planar trait.

Plane of Earth: Filled with endless rock and crossed by veins of precious metals and gemstones, this plane is a place of claustrophobic darkness and massive caverns, often lit by magic or phosphorescent fungus. Far from sterile, the plane is jointly ruled by the tyrannical merchant empire of the shaitan genies and the sprawling, fractured empire of the crystalline drakes. It has the earth-dominant planar trait.

Plane of Fire: The last plane of the Inner Sphere, the Plane of Fire borders the Plane of Earth and the Astral Plane. Though filled with vast oceans of liquid f lame, plains of compacted cinders, and rivers of magma, the plane holds perhaps the most varied array of life of any of its elemental siblings, including the vaunted efreet and their legendary City of Brass, a rival empire of fire mephits, and the enslaved azers of an ancient, fallen kingdom. It has the fire-dominant planar trait.

Ethereal Plane: This misty realm exists almost like a buffer between the Material and Shadow Planes, overlapping each. Ghosts, manifest dreams, night hags, alien xill, and things even stranger populate its endless expanse. It has the no gravity physical trait.

Shadow Plane: This place exists in flawed, mocking imitation of the Material. The warped spawn of the Negative Energy Plane, the Shadow Plane’s gloomy depths hold twisted reflections of locations and creatures from its bright twin, as well as gloom dragons, shadow-touched mortals known as fetchlings, and its own enigmatic natives, the d’ziriak.

Negative Energy Plane: Also known simply as the Void, this plane exists as the manifestation of universal entropy and destruction. A pitch-black expanse of hungry, devouring nothingness, its yawning infinity still holds warped, twisted life of its own and their paradoxical creations, as well as powerful undead quixotically granted unlife by the very wellspring of negation. It has the major negative dominant and subjective directional gravity traits.

Positive Energy Plane: The glowing heart of life and creation, the origin-spark of mortal souls and the Material Plane itself, this plane remains out of bounds for most planar travelers, and somehow forbidden to gods. Populated by shining, phoenix-like beings of light known as the jyoti, the plane’s interior resembles the molten heart of an active star, and as such little true information exists about it, pending exploration by heroes of truly epic stature. It has the major positive dominant and subjective directional gravity traits.

Astral Plane: The vast silver void of the Astral stretches away from the burning surface of the Inner Sphere, to a distance almost beyond mortal comprehension before reaching the planes of the Outer Sphere. The many branches of the River of Souls, composed of the migrating spirits of dead mortals, snake through the Astral, watched over and warred over by numerous outsiders, while f locks of astradaemons seek to plunder its spiritual currents. It has the timeless and subjective directional gravity traits.