- There is a fifth element known as Aether.
- Aether particles arrange themselves in one of four natural patterns that constitute the other four elements.
- The four elements combine with each other to form everything that exists in the material world.
- Living things are comprised of especially complex arrangements of these elements.
- Magic draws upon the Aether that is contained by everything.
- Certain elemental arrangements, like those of plants, are easier for wizards to draw Aether from to fuel their magic.
- When too much Aether is drawn from the target, the pattern the target is comprised of destabilizes and it is defiled.
- When a wizard is defiling he is drawing too much Aether from plants/animals and, to a limited extent, the surrounding terrain.
- Since the inner planes have a sympathetic relationship with the material plane, defiling damages the inner planes by changing their patterns.
- The paraelements are formed from the damage defiling causes on these natural elemental patterns.
- Aether naturally bleeds off of matter and is replenished by the inner planes.
- This Aether Bleed is what forms the ethereal plane.
- Ether is spent Aether that no longer has the cohesiveness necessary to maintain patterns.
- Ether on the ethereal plane can be formed into patterns by those who exert their will over the particles and by strong emotions. Ghosts are formed in this manner.
My previous comment was about the name more than the concept.
As for it being the fifth element - That was only for simplification of the idea. D&D has lots of elements and each could represent a different pattern of this protoelement. However, I would not say the energy planes were composed of it.
I am developing this idea to also define why the elements, in effect neutral forces, are at war with each other on Athas and to support the whole Elemental Pact idea.
I have the 4 elements, and the 4 paraelements. Don't need more than that, especially since that offers 8 completely different kinds of clerics in my campaigns.
My previous comment was about the name more than the concept.
The whole bundle of elements are put in for roleplaying reasons
The whole bundle of elements are put in for roleplaying reasons
I just think personally that for Dark Sun, a lot of those elements would make things needlessly confusing. Since clerics are tied to elements (and not deities), that would mean you have a plethora of different clerics, a whole slew of extra domains, and such, which while cool, it can become somewhat confusing, in my opinion. A lot of people here don't even like the 4 paraelements (me, I like them). Drawing from the black and gray would be more in the realm of arcane spellcasters, I think. And the mind would be more psionics than clerical.
Very nice, tidy explanation. Even if you didn't make it the official explanation of how things, work it would be a great in game philosophy to use with some of your NPC's or something. I like it a lot.
Thank you R-T Sage! I can see it presented in a similar fashion as to how several inner planes models were shown in one of the books. Without one being right but being possible
I drew up a quick diagram to show my working model of the inner planes:
As of now I see the four elemental planes as being coexistent layers. Each plane dominated by its particular element. At the center of these finite layers is an area where all four layers bend into each other and become one layer. This area could be referred to as Chaos or as a maelstrom or something. I labeled it the Aether Storm in the diagram. This is a violent zone where the Aether particles form into the other four elements. This storm is fueled by the interaction of the two energy planes. As the Aether resolves itself into the stable elements they move out, away from the storm and into the appropriate plane.
I believe that in order for the Wasting to be of such importance to the elementals that the size of the elemental planes must be limited. An infinite plane will remain infinite no matter how much of it becomes paraelemental.
I am also playing with the idea that the para elements don't exist. Instead, I see the plane of Earth becoming the plane of Wasted Earth. Where the once mineral rich and solid plane becomes mineral poor, crumbly, and unsupportable of life. An example of which would be silt. Wasted Earth would be the Plane of Silt.
I would place the Living Vortexes in the area of the Aether Storm, gathering the elemental energies for use by the SK's templars.
Thanks for all the comments!
lot of people here don't even like the 4 paraelements (me, I like them).
I like the idea of the paraelements, but not their composition. Instead of Sun being a mix of Fire/Air or Silt a mix of Earth/Water, I would rather the antithesis of Earth being Silt, that of water being rain, Air vs Sun, and Fire vs Magma. I guess instead of paraelements I would like anti-elements. The obverse being the bountiful, vibrant natural element and the reverse being its wasted, harmful counterpart.
I like the idea of the paraelements, but not their composition. Instead of Sun being a mix of Fire/Air or Silt a mix of Earth/Water, I would rather the antithesis of Earth being Silt, that of water being rain, Air vs Sun, and Fire vs Magma. I guess instead of paraelements I would like anti-elements. The obverse being the bountiful, vibrant natural element and the reverse being its wasted, harmful counterpart.
You got me thinking about "anti-elements". Each of the four classical elements has its opposite. But with the paraelements being the enemies, clerics of opposing elements would have a reason to work together. I don't have a problem with, say, fire and water clerics working together, as long as fire and water are not supposed to be diametrically opposed to each other.
But what if each paraelement is the opposite of a classical element? Now you have two clear sides /and/ you don't have opposed elements working together. So I like the idea. What I don't like as much (for my game) is the idea of the opposite of water being rain. I feel like the opposite of water should be something related to fire. In general, I feel like the opposite paraelement of each classic element should have a component of the traditionally opposing classical element in it.
Confusing? Possibly. To hopefully clear things up, here's a listing of each classical element and its opposing paraelement (IMC, anyway):
Fire - Rain (Water rarely moves to douse fires; Rain will douse your cooking or heating fire)
Earth - Sun (Air never really destroys Earth. The Sun is what bakes the ground and makes it hard to grow plants)
Water - Magma (Magma flows like Water yet is hot like Fire)
Air - Silt (Silt is loose and almost floats, like Air, but unlike Air it kills you if you breath it)
So that's my idea. If/when I run a campaign (shortly after the 4th ed. psionics book comes out, most likely), I think I'll go with that set-up.
What I don't like as much (for my game) is the idea of the opposite of water being rain. I feel like the opposite of water should be something related to fire.
I understand exactly what you are saying. My approach is slightly different because of my Aether concept. My idea for anti-elements is more of a corrupt form of the original element instead of an actual diametric. I would say that when you defile, you actually damage Earth and it becomes a ruined form of itself. I see Silt as a kind of ruined Earth. The actual Plane of Earth is becoming the Plane of Silt. The environment of the plane is altering and it is destroying the elementals habitat and increasing the anti-elements power. This is the reason the elementals are granting power to the peoples of Athas. To either save the elemental planes or to help alter them. I think on normal worlds the diametrically opposed elements of Earth vs Air and Fire vs Water is applicable but in the case of Athas those struggles would be minimal due to the natural elements fighting for their survival against the rise of the anti-elements. I would still use the idea of earth vs air but only in a limited sense for roleplaying options.
You got me thinking about "anti-elements". Each of the four classical elements has its opposite. But with the paraelements being the enemies, clerics of opposing elements would have a reason to work together. I don't have a problem with, say, fire and water clerics working together, as long as fire and water are not supposed to be diametrically opposed to each other.
But what if each paraelement is the opposite of a classical element? Now you have two clear sides /and/ you don't have opposed elements working together. So I like the idea. What I don't like as much (for my game) is the idea of the opposite of water being rain. I feel like the opposite of water should be something related to fire. In general, I feel like the opposite paraelement of each classic element should have a component of the traditionally opposing classical element in it.
Confusing? Possibly. To hopefully clear things up, here's a listing of each classical element and its opposing paraelement (IMC, anyway):
Fire - Rain (Water rarely moves to douse fires; Rain will douse your cooking or heating fire)
Earth - Sun (Air never really destroys Earth. The Sun is what bakes the ground and makes it hard to grow plants)
Water - Magma (Magma flows like Water yet is hot like Fire)
Air - Silt (Silt is loose and almost floats, like Air, but unlike Air it kills you if you breath it)
So that's my idea. If/when I run a campaign (shortly after the 4th ed. psionics book comes out, most likely), I think I'll go with that set-up.
Not bad