Ash Wastes

The eternal flames of the Plane of Fire do not require fuel. Still, pockets of matter do drift into the plane through portals, or are brought in as payment or sacrifices to powerful elementals. Whole nations have been consumed by the flames – take a handful of ash floating on the thermal winds, and you hold kings and heroes of old.

All this ash drifts down into the colder reaches, where the Plane of Fire comes close to the Negative Energy Plane. In the depths, there are great deserts of ashes and embers, broken by the occasional pool of still-burning flame or the crumbling remains of scorched stone. The Ash Wastes are all but bereft of elementals, who prefer warmer climes, but the other denizens of the Fire Plane often sift through the ashes for relics.

While this desolate region is far cooler than the rest of the Plane of Fire, it is surprisingly the most lifeless part of the plane, and is truly barren. The region is a massive island (perhaps better described as a continent) which is completely surrounded by the Sea of Magma and totally covered with a thick blanket of grey ash. Absolutely nothing grows here, and, with very few exceptions, nothing lives here – though it has numerous non-living residents.

In many ways, this is the least hospitable part of the Plane of Fire. The landscape is bleak, consisting solely of endless dunes of grey ash. Except for the very occasional glimpse of a ruined azer stronghold, these ash dunes are all there is to see in any direction. Walking through the Ash Desert can be extremely tiring over long distances, as the ash shifts softly underfoot, and feet sink further into the dusty mire with each step. The air is also filled with ash, which is gathered into great swirling clouds by the constant winds which sweep across the region. These ashy clouds are incredibly dangerous, filling the lungs of those caught in them with silky soot, which quickly leads to death by suffocation for those who are ill-prepared. The lack of life also means that travelers to the region must bring their own food and water with them, increasing the difficulty of any extended trips. Compounding the issue, there are few, if any, shelters or outposts within the Ash Desert, and if something goes wrong during an expedition, stranded explorers will have no one to turn to for help or extra supplies.

It is a common belief amongst the residents of the Plane of Fire that the Ash Desert’s cold temperature (by the Plane of Fire’s standards, at least) and lack of life are the result of a lingering magic from an ancient cataclysm, but many scholars dismiss the notion, proclaiming that the region is naturally cooler than the rest of the plane, and that this coolness allows ash present in the air throughout the plane, to settle here, eventually leading to the buildup of great dunes. Natives of the plane generally dislike spending any time in the Ash Desert, both because it is uncomfortably cold for them, and because of the various rumors about how the region is cursed.

For all of these reasons, the Ash Desert is home primarily to those without the breath of life within them. The region is home to large quantities of undead, especially ghosts and specters, and any creature that dies in the region is very likely to rise as a ghost and join their number. The region is also home to another sort of lifeless inhabitant: golems and other wondrous constructs left behind by the ancient azer empire, whose capital once stood in the center of these ashen dunes. Some of these beings lie inactive in forgotten ruins, waiting for some trigger to wake them. Others are quite active, whether standing guard in the long-abandoned halls of their masters, or walking the dunes aimlessly, attempting to carry out tasks issued eons ago.

Despite the severe conditions and the many dangers, there are a few who find reason to brave the Ash Desert. Some of these are fugitives from the empire, doomed to certain death, who decide that their best chance at survival is to try hiding out in the deserted desert. Others are adventurers, seeking to make their fortune by plundering the remains of some undiscovered azer ruin. A handful have succeeded in this, but most who enter the Ash Desert never return. Still, the tales of the great treasures and secrets of the azer empire lying buried in the desert, just waiting to be picked up, entice many. And it is not merely rumor; the azer were a strong and wealthy people before their empire was destroyed, and their scorched and shattered halls remain in broken shambles, still lined with the treasure of kings and relics of an age long gone. A few intrepid travelers come to the Ash Desert, tempted not by the chance to collect gold, but by the opportunity to unravel some of the mysteries of the region. No one quite understands the reason for the region’s colder temperature or increased number of undead creatures, and a mage who could discover the secret of the Ash Desert may be able to find a way to use it for his own benefit. The region also has a few places of note, for those daring enough to reach them, which are also shrouded in mystery: the Pile of Skulls, the Bowl of Smoke, and the ruins of Harshkand’s Vault.

--Classic Play - The Book of the Planes copyright 2004, Mongoose Publishing Ltd.

--A Tourist’s Guide to: The Elemental Plane of Fire, Copyright 2013; Authors: Alex Riggs, Joshua Zaback, Rosa Gibbons