User:ProphetPX/Xal'Anim (3.5e Campaign Setting)/Cosmology

Cosmology and the Planes

Premise

Xal'Anim is the name of the main (HOLLOW!) planet of strange, new life, which has NO star or sun. It is surrounded (and life is fed) by a giant rotating cross-dimensional rift-ring of tremendous power and energy, which (among many other things) somewhat functions as a driver-fan of the elements under it's control. There are no moons above the planet, but there is an "Under-moon" which hovers at the center of the planet, far below the surface, which operates as a sort of "inner black sun" for those who dwell inside there.

Elements

The atmosphere of the SURFACE WORLD of the primary planet is TWICE as dense/thick, which means such things as draconic breath weapons are also TWICE as powerful... but the healing of wounds in all living things also happens TWICE as fast. The following elemental forces operate TWICE as strongly on the SURFACE WORLD: Acid, Air, Fire, Gas, Plasma, Thunder, Crystal, Clay, Obsidian, Spark/Lightning, and other non-elemental effects (such as Light, Cold, Sonic, Psionic, Force, Gravitational). Whereas on the same surface world, other elemental forces only operate half as normal (depending on which element is involved), such as: Ash, Earth, Magma, Mud, Steam, Water, Frost, Silt, Pumice, Fumes, and other non-elemental effects (such as Darkness, Heat, Silence, Vision, Vacuum, Encumbrance), etc...

Gravity

Thus: issues of "weight" in this air-dominant realm are not really too importantly considered anywhere on the primary planet. Gravity on the main planet of Xal'Anim, comes in at about 1/3 that of our standard of Earth (which is half that of Earth's 1 moon). Such forces above become actually REVERSED when considering the INNER(UNDER) WORLD!

Travel

Interplanetary travel is accomplished by what most locals refer to as the "chainmail web of night" which follows a similar pattern to that which unfolds below the surface of the planet, in that while there are subterranean translation tunnels (read: teleportation but not quite the same) which lead to various other surface locations, and are found near caves and various depressions within the planet, there are likewise nodes of elemental power which are constantly floating above the surface world, waiting to be reached as portals to other worlds in the bizarre cosmos of Xal'Anim.