The Negative Quasi-Elemental Planes

When elemental substance is tainted by the consuming pull of the Negative Energy Plane, it begins to erode, decay, or wither into void. These Negative Quasi-Elemental Planes are domains of entropy and ruin — of vacuum, ash, frost, and dust. Here, even the elements themselves strain to endure, and the touch of life fades into silence.

Quasi-Elemental Plane of Vacuum

Between the Negative Energy plane and the plane of elemental Air is the plane of quasi-elemental Vacuum. As in other Inner planes, standard physics do not apply to this plane; as the air gets thinner moving toward the Negative Energy plane the temperature and pressure remain the same even when the region of perfect vacuum is reached—there is just nothing there.

Spells that offer protection from the elements do not protect from the lack of all elements. Even beings from neighboring planes cannot survive for long as they begin to consume their own essence to stay alive. The ambient light radiating from the Plane of Air fades to absolute black at the border with the Negative Energy plane. Creatures of invisible force flit through the gloom, but for what purpose no one has ever discovered.

The quasi-elemental plane of Vacuum touches the planes of Negative Energy, Air, Smoke, Ash, Ice, and Salt, and can be reached directly through the Ethereal plane.

Quasi-Elemental Plane of Dust

Where the Negative Energy plane intersects with the plane of elemental Earth it creates the quasi-elemental plane of Dust, home of the dune stalkers, sandlings, and sandmen. From the border with the Plane of Earth, the earth and rock cracks and splits into smaller and smaller pieces, losing cohesion and variation until nothing is left except fine sand. At the same time the pressure experienced in the Earth plane is reduced to normal but there is still no breathable atmosphere.

Continuing on, the grains get finer and farther apart, the empty blackness between the dust motes grow until finally all motes disperse and only Negative Energy is left. In a matter of minutes, non-native items and creatures, including beings from neighboring Inner planes that are at least partially solid, break down and drift apart long past the point where life is sustainable.

The quasi-elemental plane of Dust touches the planes of Negative Energy, Earth, Ooze, Salt, Magma, and Ash, and can be reached directly through the Ethereal plane.

Quasi-Elemental Plane of Ash

Between the planes of Negative Energy and elemental Fire is the plane of quasi-elemental Ash. Moving from the Plane of Fire, the last embers die out leaving the cold remnants of combustion hanging in the gloomy atmosphere. The temperature drops quickly to a bone-chilling cold, all light from the Fire plane is rapidly blocked from view, and the ash steadily thickens toward the Negative Energy plane until it ends in a gray wall in the darkness at the border.

Vision is limited and breathing impossible without assistance of some sort. This plane leeches the warmth out of any creature with a body temperature above freezing, especially natives of Fire, Smoke, and Magma which usually die in a matter of minutes. Creatures of Ash shun warmth because their bodies can explode into lumps of ash if brought to room temperature.

The quasi-elemental plane of Ash touches the planes of Negative Energy, Fire, Magma, Dust, Smoke, and Vacuum, and can be reached directly through the Ethereal plane.

Quasi-Elemental Plane of Salt

Between the Negative Energy plane and the plane of elemental Water is the plane of quasi-elemental Salt. Entering this plane from the Plane of Water, the brine overwhelms the merely salty water and quickly solidifies into hard crystalline lumps of salt.

All water is soon absorbed or evaporated and the lumps join to form a solid block of salt which continues until it ends in a great cliff overlooking the Negative Energy plane. All unprotected beings containing water quickly dehydrate until their desiccated remains are encased in salt. Denizens of this plane fear water in any quantity because it starts to dissolve them or violently shatter them if immersed.

The quasi-elemental plane of Salt touches the planes of Negative Energy, Water, Ice, Vacuum, Ooze, and Dust, and can be reached directly through the Ethereal plane.