the torus used to illustrate the Elemental Planes. A depiction of
it is printed in the DEITIES & DEMIGODS Cyclopedia, and
that is reproduced here below (Figure A) for easy reference.
Note that, in the torus, the Para-Elemental Planes (Ice, Dust,
Vapor, Heat) occupy too much area. Discerning Students will
also remark that three of these intervening planes are denoted by
some material manifestation, while the remaining one is desig-
nated by a condition. Thus, the logical question: Which one in
the series does not belong? Do not blame the Learned Authors of
the work in which the depiction occurs ? I am the one respon-
sible for it, and I offer my apologies.
Getting back to the point of this article: Another reference
illustration (Figure B, at right below), also from the DEITIES &
DEMIGODS? book, shows the Inner Planes (Material, Elemen-
tal, Positive, etc.). Isn?t it interesting to note how the Positive
Material Plane sits upon the material multiverse as if it were a
plate? Observe also how the Negative one serves as a saucer for
the same body?
If these odd relationships have troubled you, Gentle Readers,
half as much as they have disturbed me, you have been sorely put
upon. I, for one, could stand it no longer. After several hours of
rooting around in the mess which I laughingly term my files, I
discovered my notes on the Inner Planes. Atop the heap was an
illustration of a tetrahedral structure for the Elemental Planes
(Figure C, at the top left of the facing page) proposed by my
Worthy Confederate, Steve Marsh.
It is easy to see that this form has the obvious advantage of
allowing the four Elemental Planes to touch and interact with
each other. The vertices where the elements meet provide us six
(count ?em) Para-Elemental Planes, viz. Lightning, Magma,
Dust, Ice, Vapor, and Ooze ? all material substances, not condi-
tions, by the by! The four faces are the Positive Material, Nega-
tive Material, and Shadow Planes, plus the infinity of the Prime
Material Plane (which occupies the fourth face and is also
assumed to fill the interior of the tetrahedron). Also existing in
the same space as all of that is the Ethereal Plane, which passes
around, over, under, and through the whole shebang. Got it?
Excellent! It is a neat little package. Somehow, though, I am not
too comfortable with the shape. It doesn?t exactly fit in with the
rest of the planar depiction, and the elements and para-elements
don?t seem to be quite right. After sitting and fiddling with the
thing for some time, I decided to take Steve?s thinking and apply
it to a cube. Take a look at this representation (Figure D, at the
top right of the facing page), where the four major faces repre-
sent the elements of Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. (Let us leave the
other sides for later.)
The direct intermingling of Air and Earth, or of Fire and
Water, is impossible in this system. This isn?t a bad idea, if I may
be so bold as to so state, since they are opposed elements. Direct
intermingling of the opposed elements should not take place,
and with the addition of the Positive and Negative planes into
this system of viewing things (about which more below), it isn?t
necessary to have these opposites do so in order to gain a desired
material. The vertices between the pairs of Elemental Planes are
the Para-Elemental Planes of: Smoke between Fire and Air, Ice
between Air and Water, Ooze between Water and Earth, and
Magma between Earth and Fire. These four Para-Elemental
Planes are augmented by the intermingling of the Positive and
Negative Material Planes with them, and in addition with the
four Elemental Planes. By the addition of the two new factors,
the Positive and Negative Material Planes, we gain eight new
?Quasi-Elemental? Planes.
Consider the Positive Material Plane and Negative Material
Plane as occupying the two unaccounted-for faces of the cube,
each abutting all four of the Elemental Planes. These planes
extend into the Prime Material Plane (the interior of the cube),
just as do all of the other sorts of Elemental Planes. The border
between the Positive and Negative Planes exists in the Prime
Material. It is the Plane of Shadow, which waxes and wanes
from place to place but always permeates the whole.
At the intersections where the Positive Material Plane directly
connects to the four Elemental Planes are found the following
four Quasi-Elemental Planes:
The Lightning plane (at the junction with Air), ranging
from static electricity near the Plane of Water to sheet
lightning near the Plane of Fire.
The Steam plane (at the junction with Water), ranging
from vapor near the Plane of Air, through mists, to super-
heated steam near the Plane of Earth.
The Radiance plane (at the junction with Fire), going
from dull hues near the Plane of Earth, through rainbow
colors, to a radiance of force near the Plane of Air.
The Mineral plane (at the junction with Earth), ranging
from metals and gems near the Plane of Fire, through stone,
to calcium near the Plane of Water.
Where the Negative Material plane touches the four Elemental
Planes are found the other four Quasi-Elemental Planes:
The Vacuum plane, at the junction with Air.
The Salts plane, at the junction with Water.
The Ash plane, at the junction with Fire.
The Dust plane, at the junction with Earth.
The six sides of the cube are shown ?flattened out? in a full-
color, two-dimensional representation of this system accompany-
ing this text (on the second page following). Remember that the
vertices and border areas representing the Para-Elemental and
Quasi-Elemental Planes are shown as small areas here, but actu-
ally they ? just like the Elemental Planes themselves ? are
multi-formed and fluid and might manifest themselves, in small
part or large, virtually anywhere. Similarly, the various elemen-
tal areas are themselves virtually as infinite as the Prime Material
Plane, which is itself composed of their substances, plus the
ether, plus more (time, for example). Thus, while the diagram
shows surfaces and areas bounded by lines, the Discerning
Reader must always bear in mind that depictions such as these
are merely tools for display of concepts, not exhaustive atlases of
boundless spaces!
In order to sum up the ?cubic? theory of the Inner Planes, and
to assign each plane a designating color, the following list of
planes and their colors is presented. For the sake of clarity, not
all the planes given in the following list are shown on the two-
dimensional rendering. This list is useful as a source of informa-
tion, and can also be employed to randomly choose one particu-
lar Inner Plane when such a determination is needed.
THE INNER PLANES
