Abitheine

History

Multiple floating continents, or landbergs, some very large, some very

small, are held in orbit around a small yellow sun. Abitheine is a finite demiplane

outside of the normal cosmology of the multiverse, accessible only through

Dream, Shadow, and the Elemental planes. Even the Far Realm, which is beyond

space and time, is in a different beyond. Abitheine is truly cut off from nearly

everything, but it does have its own Ethereal Plane. The only reason there is any

access at all is because creatures still dream, shadows still exist, and the world is

still made from the fundamental building blocks of reality.

Abitheine is actually the long lost fabled Misty Isle, the world that Grummsh

and Kurtulmak hid away from Corellon Larethian eons ago after Corellon put out

Grummshs eye. The elves that live there are the Mist elves, the first true creations

of Corellon, made before Sehanine Moonbows tears and Corellons blood mixed to

form what are the elves of today.

What Grummsh and Kurtulmak actually did was to fling Abitheine as far away

from the known cosmos as possible, so that even they themselves would never be

able to find it. And for eons, Abitheine was unreachable, completely cut off from

everything, a world floating through the void with no entrance and no escape. But

the creatures there still dreamed, the light still cast shadows, and the world was still

made from the fundamental building blocks of reality. And because of this, little by

little, connections were made to the Region of Dreams, the Plane of Shadow, and

the Elemental Planes. But most importantly, even though Abitheine was cut off from
the gods, divine magic was still strong since it was the first place created by the

gods, and so was suffused with their essence.

The first to notice these new connections were the genies. The Djinn saw

what was essentially a paradise world and decided to settle, trying to live in

harmony with its inhabitants. The Efreet, however, saw a world ripe for the taking,

and began a conquest that reached out to the polar regions. The Djinn couldnt offer

much resistance, and Abitheine had never before had the level of fighting the Efreet

brought, and so the demiplane fell quickly. For many millennia the Efreet ruled, until

the Djinn rallied all the races (even the elves) and successfully pushed the Efreet

back to the Elemental Plane of Fire. A few decades later, the Efreet tried to retake

the demiplane in a bloody siege that lasted for years, but this time the denizens of

Abitheine were better prepared to deal with them, and the Efreet were banished

from the demiplane. It was then that the Jann moved into the desert regions in the

Equatorial Zone, and have become Abitheines defense from the Efreet.

Abitheine has since lived in relative peace for a few millennia, unknown to all

but a few in the Outer Planes and virtually unheard of on the Prime Material Plane,

and those who do know of its existence do not know its true history. There have

been some, however, who have sought out the plane as the perfect hiding spot

once they learned of it. The first were the drow (see the drow description). One of

the most notable individuals to come to the demiplane was the demilich Acererak,

who once aspired to godhood, but now lies trapped as a vestige (ToM). Acererak

knew that his plans might be thwarted somehow, and so left a part of himself on the

demiplane infused with a tiny portion of his spiritual force, knowing that he would

be able to recover at some point in the future. This was to become one of the Teeth

of Dalver-Nar.
Mechanics

Most things wont be any different, but quite a bit of magic simply will not

work on Abitheine. Summoning spells that call or summon outsiders dont function

at all unless those creatures come from the Shadow or Elemental planes. The same

is true of many divination spells. So a good many feats and/or prestige classes that

rely on those abilities are inaccessible. Also, there are no spells that rely on the

moon (although darkness spells are still the same) as there is no moon. Air spells,

however, are all cast at +1 caster level.

All classes work pretty much the same as in the standard core rules. Clerics

only receive one domain of their choice based on their alignment. A clerics main

roles are that of healers and undead hunters, not spiritual leaders. Favored Souls do

not exist. Shugenjas, while respected for their power over the elements, arent

seen as really any different that arcane casters with the same focus. Knowledge

checks regarding the Outer Planes or religion are at a +10 DC. There is limited

steampunk technology thanks to the gnomes (Dragonmech?)

Important: Travel between the islands is extremely important for the survival for the

people of Abitheine, so flying crafts abound. Gnomes employ hot air, elves use air

elementals, halflings use glider-type crafts, and humans use whatever is handy. A

number of flying carpets still exist from the time of the Efreet rule, and arcane

casters, of course, use their own magic.

Lastly, although there are no gods to worship doesnt mean the people dont

have a belief system. Being cut off from the outer planes means that most spirits
are stuck on Abitheine. Hence all of the races practice ancestor worship in one form

or another. Spirit Shamans are the most respected religious leaders, more so than

druids and much more so than clerics. The spirit realm has its own rules and

hierarchy, much like the realms of the fey. Incorporeal undead are exterminated as

swiftly as possible, either by the spirits themselves or by Spirit Shamans and clerics.

Corporeal undead are beyond the power of the spirit realm, and so are left to

mortals to deal with.

Current situation

Forces in the multiverse are moving much more rapidly than they have for a

very long time, and the demiplane of Abitheine will be playing an integral role,

whether or not the folk there like it. While most of the inhabitants of Abitheine never

pay attention to what the elves do, since the elves want nothing to do with anyone

else, they arent noticing that the elves have begun mobilizing not just their

armies, but the race as a whole, are preparing for something big.

(Exemplars of Evil) Kastya Zurith-Movya, a Githyanki lich, is about to discover

the location of Acereraks tooth. (Read more from the Tome of Magic and Exemplars

of Evil for this plotline.) Orcus and Nerull are opposed to Acereraks return.

Obox-ob will be the first being to discover what Abitheine truly is, and most

likely by accident. Being a relatively minor demon lord, far removed from his former

status as Prince of Demons, he will want to use Abitheine to regain his rightful title

and then wage war on the eladrins who humiliated him.

 Demogorgon will most likely notice that Obox-ob is up to something and will

eventually figure it out. He will want to use Abitheine to reconcile his twin

personalities and then become not just Prince of Demons, but king.

Malconthet, who continually plays each of Demogorgons heads against one

another, will discover the truth as well. Knowing that if Demogorgon is successful,

she could never make her play for the title Queen of Demons, she tells Grazzt of

the plot. Grazzt will of course attempt to go after Abitheine for himself, also for the

title of Prince of Demons, but also to unite the lower planes to wage war on the

upper, thereby pitting himself against Demogorgon, Obox-ob, and even Orcus, who

may not initially know what Abitheine truly is, but knows of its existence due to

trying to stop Acereraks return. Malconthet, while not powerful enough to take on

the other demon lords, can simply sit back and wait, and pick up the pieces when

its all over, manipulating and maneuvering herself into the right places at the right

times.

Asmodeus on the other hand might very well attempt to keep the demiplane

hidden or destroy it altogether. While recognizing the potential benefits such power

would bring, he knows that it would be far too likely for it to fall into the wrong

hands (namely, not his). Asmodeus wants essentially the same thing Grazzt wants:

A united lower realms to make war on the upper realms.

For the demiplane of Abitheine has the first divine spark of the gods. Even

shattered as it is, it holds the essence of pure creation and in the wrong hands can

be used as a weapon to combat the gods themselves.