New Thonia
by WingofCootHome Plane: New Thonia*
Address: Adjacent to Astral Plane; an Outer Plane
Size: Standard (Gold Box) / System (WOTI) - 0.85 light years in diameter. The outer limit of the outer asteroid belt extends to 16,000 AU (about 0.25 light years) from the central sun.
Dominant Sphere: Matter
Physical and Magical Laws: As the Prime Plane, except that aging is slower here (lifespans of all living creatures are increased by 50%, even after the effects of the local passage of time).
Passage of Time: Half the speed of the Prime Plane
Spells/Powers Needed to Survive: None (on the habitable planet's surface)
Effect on Mortal Magic: Spells that deal damage through Energy, such as fire or lightning (e.g. fire ball, lightning bolt) are weakened - saving throws against such spells have a +4 bonus on this plane.
Effect on Immortal Magic/Special Powers: None
Natives: The primary intelligent life form here are the humans of the Thonian Empire Reborn*. A relatively small number of elves (also descendants of those transported from Mystara at the time of the Great Rain of Fire) also live here, as a separate nation under the empire*. Otherwise, the habitable planet is occupied by animals and "fantastic wildlife" (e.g. griffons, hippogriffs, owlbears, etc.) similar to Mystara's, but limited to those found in forest, grassland, hill, mountain, or aquatic environments.
The only intelligent true natives of this plane - predating its being claimed by Uther the Deathless as a Home Plane - are sandfolk and rock men living on the desert planet.
Appearance: This plane is a solar system with three planets and two asteroid belts (the outer one replacing a Kuiper belt and Oort cloud). The central sun is redder than Earth's or Mystara's.
One planet is a Mercury-like world incredibly rich in metals, one is a vast Mars-like desert of striking beauty (colorful sandstone eroded into sharp-cut canyons, delicate arches, and stranger forms; shining, bright sand dunes), and one is a habitable world.
The habitable planet is larger than Earth or Mystara, and has far more land surface (but the same gravity level). While the oceans are smaller, most of the land is lushly forested or covered in grassland - there are no true deserts, and the mountains, while often very steep, are generally wooded rather than rocky.
*Since the Great Rain of Fire was centered in the Kingdom of Blackmoor, no one from that kingdom itself was rescued - the survivors were from the farthest Thonian lands and distant Blackmoorian outposts. So when CI-3 took the name of Uther the Deathless, he reorganized the survivors in the form of the old Holy Thonian Empire (see Mystaros' timeline). While the first settlement - becoming the capital city - was named New Blackmoor, and Uther the Deathless took the title of King of New Blackmoor as well as Emperor, the nation itself became the Thonian Empire Reborn.