Cosmology of the Realms - CD Edition

[Fire Wraith]

For the most part, the cosmology of the Forgotten Realms exists as described in the various 3rd edition sourcebooks.

Toril, the Prime Material Plane, is the center of the multiverse.



Congruent with it are the transitive planes - Shadow, Ethereal, which echo and mirror it.

Surrounding it are the Inner Planes - the four elemental planes, as well as the positive and negative material planes, along with the para and quasi elemental planes where these touch.

Surrounding the Inner Planes is the vastness of the Astral Plane, within and beyond which all of the outer planes lie. There are several representations of the outer planes, but to say that any of them are right, or wrong, is to attempt to give three dimensional form to that which cannot truly be envisioned as such, no more than we can draw a three dimensional structure properly on a piece of paper, or worse, reduce it to a single line.









Furthermore, there are other locations, other connections, and other planes beyond these. Sometimes, the same plane may have different names. Other times, different groups of scholars may refer to separate planes as being part of the same, or of one plane as being subdivided into two or more others. Neither of these is inherently wrong, either.

Some of these other places include Sigil, the City of Doors, or many other planes of existence, as we maintain many more interplanar connections than are directly alluded to in the FR sourcebooks. It should be noted though, that where source material differs on anything other than connections between the planes (such as what happens to the souls of the dead), that 3rd edition is the default source.




Of worthy mention as well are two other realms, which both defy convention and explanation - the realm of Faerie, and the strange place known as the Far Realm. Both of these at times take on the characteristics of an Outer Plane, and at other times, that of a transitive plane.

Lastly, Toril remains the only valid Prime Material plane, and the center of the universe as we see it. Any characters or other things that anyone wishes to "bring over" from any alternate world (Prime Material that is) will require approval from the Admins. (This doesn't have to be a formal application, a la ECL subrace, but please run it by at least one of us, as some things may be more disruptive than others.)