Valshara
– The Wilder Half
Valshara is a sea of verdant hills, plains, and forests. Dwelling within and animating this stunning landscape are animals and nature-bent magical creatures of every species. It is a reflection of the aspects of the world Edgar knew and loved on the Material Plane: nature, in all its savage beauty and unspoiled primacy. The land very strongly resembles the Material Plane, save a few differences. For one thing, almost all of the land is spent in a perpetual spring or summertime, and the climate in these places is always comfortable. By contrast, a few patches know a constant winter or fall, or cycle through the seasons parallel to the Material Plane. Though of course there is no actual sun, nor an actual moon, both appear to rise and set as Edgar remembers, just as the stars appear and the moon changes its phases.
Traits
- Normal Gravity
- Normal Time
- Finite Size (smoothly transitions into Bartholomew's half; other edges appear as plains or forests and seamlessly move one to another plain/forest on the plane)
- Divinely Morphic, with some Sentience
- No Elemental or Energy Traits
- Mildly Good-Aligned and Mildly Chaos-Aligned
- All Druidic and Ranger magic is extended; all spells or powers pertaining to plants or animals are heightened by two levels, unless they deliberately destroy plants or animals (Blight, Antiplant Shell, Antilife Shell, etc.); all spells or powers pertaining to death or decay are impeded (Spellcraft check DC 20+spell level).
Many inhabitants live in cabins, in large, house-like trees, with a canopy of stars as their ceiling, or within the Great Tree (see below). While these occupants have a sense of community with those nearby, there are a relative few who wish to live in a more traditional neighborhood. These live in one of Valshara’s few towns, which interrupt the green with homes of more sophisticated carpentry and cobblestone roads. Edgar isn’t fond of them, but understands that some prefer such an environment, and is fine with their existence because they generally don’t interfere with the rest of Valshara.
Inhabitants are typically required to find their own food, whether they hunt, garden, or simply collect fruit. Thanks to the plane’s abundance, this is truly not so difficult. Further, hunting is the only time one will ever engage in violent conflict with the animals; all food sources, including prey, are plentiful on Valshara, so the creatures feel no real inclination to seek out any real food stores. Strict farming and herding of domesticated animals takes place only in or near the towns. On that note, domesticated animals are very rare creatures on Valshara, as Edgar prefers those animals whose natural inclinations have not been altered by humanity’s needs.
The populace of Valshara is what one would expect: all animals and other nature-oriented creatures can be found. Some guardinals may even be drawn to leave Celestia for this land.
Points of
Interest
Terra
– Balance of Valshara
The entire plane has a level of sentience, referred to as Terra, though she typically acts in a more subtle manner. She’s basically a safety net to insure the balance of nature is maintained. Looking at our own natural world, it usually seems able to take care of itself, so this usually isn’t necessary. However, if something foreign comes along or there’s some other emergency, while she will not halt the event in question, she will do wonders for clean-up. Plants can produce seeds that grow into replacements with remarkable speed on both counts. Pregnant animals, meanwhile, may give birth to greater litters than usual, and find they grow up within only a few days.
Terra’s also in charge of reincarnation on Valshara. If any sentient inhabitant or visitor of the plane is killed, it will be given new life. This process of revival will not actually transpire until a month has passed. Then, in the general area of the person’s death, they will suddenly appear. Usually, this is a tad disorienting, as, unless the original creature was a magical beast, the new form is always that of an animal. Those who have drunk from the Pool of Savage Reflections (see below) will recognize it as their animal form, and will be able to return to normal if they wish. Others will have to remain in that shape (though they will have the ability to speak), until they complete the ritual.
She further creates and controls the gateways around Valshara. These can take the form of hollow stumps, a reasonably large crevice in an oak, a cave, or the triangular area between two trees leaning on each other. Nearby Druidic runes make it pretty clear which are natural occurrences and which are gateways. The place they lead is usually a constant, but Terra can redirect a gate or deny access. Generally, she does this only when needed.
One final duty
of hers is soothing unnatural savagery.
As he has some control over it, a Berserker’s rage is unaffected,
but any uncontrollable anger or savagery can be calmed by her presence. This may be a reflection of Edgar’s
guilt over releasing such feral rage in the forms of the
Pool
of Savage Reflections
Any still, freshwater body of water (ponds, lakes, and such are fair game, but not rivers, streams or waterfalls) can serve for this ritual. It’s actually based on an old Druidic practice Edgar always found interesting: after taking certain herbs, one goes to such a pool, gazes at his or her reflection, and then meditates on one’s self. One then sees the animal that best represents them reflected in the waters. On the Material Plane, this ritual provides a deeper insight into one’s character, and a greater respect for nature. On Valshara, however, this practice gives additional virtues.
Without the aid of any drugs, those who try for the ritual will soon go into a trance and meditate on their self, reflecting on prominent character and personality traits, both positive and negative. After an amount of time has passed, they will come out of it and usually be quite surprised, even if prepared for it, to notice a subtle change in their reflection: it shows an animal, rather than their normal shape. A few moments’ investigation will show them that the rest of their body has followed suit. Drinking from the pool restores one’s natural shape, and grants one the power to freely shift between the two. This trait remains the entirety of one’s stay on Valshara. Unless they establish a more permanent link with Terra, however, they lose the ability when they leave the plane, and must perform the ritual again upon their return. It should be noted that, if one’s character has changed significantly, the same form may not be reflected.
Another interesting quality is that this ritual is the one time a body of water on Valshara will not show a person’s true form; they normally reflect things as though being glimpsed with True Seeing.
Darian and
Aria – Incarnates of Fauna and Flora
These could be considered the guardians of Valshara, Darian having nigh-limitless control over all animal-related matters and Aria having similar influence on all things botanical. As such, they hold a lot of similar powers. To name a few abilities, the two can, respectively, command, summon, and communicate with all the Valshara’s animals/plants, transform others into animals/plants, and cast all Cleric spells under the domain of Animal/Plant. The two also bear some resemblance to Edgar and Mary in both appearance and personality, suggesting the two entities are vague imprints of the couple. Fortunately, while similarities do exist, they aren’t quite pronounced enough to make things awkward.
Darian technically has no body of his own, instead having to borrow one from Valshara’s animals. He then either wears it as-is, transforms it into the Edgar-like form, into a hybrid form, or into a very large version of the animal. Though he reserves the last one for emergencies, Darian seems equally comfortable and spends about as much time in each of these. The original flesh is that of a wolf, and, sharing Edgar’s affinity for lupine creatures, the entity usually occupies such a vessel. When he needs to travel around Valshara quickly, he can leave his current body and ‘jump’ into the form of another animal on the plane. The animal he leaves behind then acquires a tiny bit of his essence and either becomes awakened, or, if Darian spent a considerable amount of time with it, a legendary animal; in either case, since that body has developed sentience, Darian will not use it again. His human form is basically similar to Edgar, but his appearance and personality differ slightly depending on the animal he is occupying. He gains no gross physical qualities (snout, fur, claws, etc.), but he will subtly resemble the creature (more lithe physique with grayish hair if a wolf, stockier with bristly hair if a boar, etc.). In terms of personality, Darian generally shows less restraint and tends to act more on instinct, though the current animal body has some influence.
Aria is a fair amount like Mary, save for her longer, leafy green hair and greener skin tone, slightly more distant attitude, and significantly greater patience. Like Darian, she technically has no form to call her own and must ‘possess’ Valshara’s plant life, having a preference for trees. Though it has very little effect on her appearance (roses might grow in her hair if she borrows a rosebush), her personality will remain unchanged. Also like Darian, she can switch to a different plant anywhere on the plane, leaving behind an awakened version of her earlier vessel, or a Treant if enough time has elapsed. Aria has access to quite a bit more Druidic magic than Darian does, and will usually depend on that in a fight.
Serilliant
– The Wandering
The forest can appear anywhere on Valshara and it moves unseen, simply vanishing and reappearing elsewhere when nobody happens to be looking at it. Only from without, however; those inside are unaware and may find themselves in a very different part of the plane upon exiting. That’s only afterwards, though, because they’ll have to deal with the forest itself, first. It is sentient and has acquired a version of Edgar’s sense of humor. Thus, it finds endless amusement in using walls of trees to form a natural labyrinth, then shifting them around moments after. Giving all the trees in the forest gnarled, “spooky” appearances at night and causing them to creak can frighten away visitors. It also has control of all animals inside, which means a surprisingly skilled squirrel may swipe a trinket and lead its visitors on a merry chase, or release wild beasts on more adventurous strangers. The trees, of course, can also move around, attacking, kidnapping, and performing other mischief on interlopers. Though there is usually a small pond inside, performing the ‘Pool of Savage Reflections’ ritual is generally ill-advised; the forest adores waiting for an individual to transform, then taking away the body of water and making it difficult to leave. Episodes like this have compelled some to call it, ‘the biggest dick of a forest ever.’ It has another unusual quirk: while usually just playful, it will become enraged if its name is misspoken or misspelled, tormenting everyone inside until they leave.
Karash
– The
Most of Valshara is covered with animals and other relatively peaceful nature-based creatures. However, Karash is a continent, usually accessible only through a clearly marked gateway, that teems with less natural or benign wildlife: Chaos Rocs, Cloud Rays, dinosaurs, and dire and legendary animals to name a few. Further exemplifying the more brutal nature, the climate is much harsher, the majority of the landmass being very hot and arid. Generally, those that perish on the continent, when revived by Terra, reappear somewhere else on Valshara. A challenge for the adventurous might be to survive for a day on the unforgiving continent.
The Great
Tree
As the name implies, it is an enormous tree, situated at the demi-plane’s center and often mistaken for a mountain from a distance. The one landmark visible from anywhere on Valshara has a purpose appropriate for its size: protecting the Pylon. And at this task, it excels. The Great Tree’s thick bark surrounds the Pylon, exposing or shielding its inner portions as the tree deems necessary. The bark changes often, but generally holds natural stairways, platforms, and the like for anyone who would like to make the arduous climb to the top. Vines and leafy platforms can shorten the trip and, considering the distance, will almost always have to. The Great Tree can create openings inside anywhere on its surface, but the main entrance, a large aperture near the tree’s base, is the most commonly open and used. The tree has a winsome personality, however, and will occasionally close the entrance, forcing would-be entrants to climb.
The distance
from the tree’s exterior to the Pylon is surprisingly vast, however. Most of the interior resembles the
Most of the demi-plane’s nature tries to mimic that of the Material Plane as closely as possible. The top of the Great Tree, however, shows an exception to this: elevation. At that enormous height, the air isn’t at all thin, the temperature, while cooler, is still very comfortable, and the odds of a nosebleed are basically zero. This vantage point yields a view of the entire plane, in all its splendor; the sunrise and sunset views are even more spectacular. Also beautiful are the plumes of the many birds that nest in these high branches. Within these leafy boughs lie a few other points of interest, namely the fruits and the pods.
Fruit of the Great Tree
Born of a tree fed direct energy from a Pylon, one would rightly presume that there would be something special about this fruit. The exact color, shape, and flavor of each piece are determined by the tree itself, but all taste simply divine. They are all seedless, however; the Great Tree is the only source. Eating a piece refreshes an individual (HP recovery, poison and disease purged, damaged ability scores restored, etc.) and gives a brief feeling of euphoria, but, unlike the fruit of the lotus-eaters, it is not addictive. Further, if the tree wishes, it may generate fruit with other effects, usually temporary. If removed from the plane, the fruit maintains its incredible flavor, but may lose its other exceptional qualities.
Possible: Eating this fruit may do even more, improving physical and perhaps mental attributes, at least for a short while. Those who grow up eating of the fruit will likely receive some benefits.
The Great Tree’s Pods
Though it does so infrequently, the tree is able to produce very large and useful orbs from the ends of certain vines. Color, texture, and exact size vary, as do the contents. The vines from which they grow can swing very easily, turning these pods into effective bludgeoning weapons, projectiles, or bowling balls if Valshara is under attack. Otherwise, the Great Tree generally just drops them. Regardless, when the pods come to a stop, they crack, and then burst open. The possibilities for contents are practically limitless. A pod may release a legendary tiger, or a large pack of wolves, for instance. Or perhaps there will emerge a very large Treant or the magical essence to sprout a new forest in seconds. While they are far too heavy for a normal person to lift, if one successfully takes a pod off the plane, it will rapidly waste away into nothing.
The Great Seed
Within the Great Tree, rests a seed. It is quite large for a seed, a little larger than a baseball, and appears as a brown orb, engraved with runes, glyphs, and other markings meaningful to elven and druidic lore. It is possible these markings spell out a message, but what that message is remains to be seen. Only one exists inside the Great Tree at a time; once it is taken, the tree begins creating another, a process that takes a very long time. It is not meant to be planted on Valshara and will refuse to grow there, reappearing within the Great Tree if planted on its plane. On any other plane and in virtually any environment (even desert, for instance), if it is planted, it will grow surprisingly quickly into a tree that, while very big, cannot hope to match its parent. In a gradually growing area around the child tree, natural processes will be strengthened: the land will become more fertile, plants will grow stronger, mothers of all species will give birth to and rear healthier young and all magic cast by Rangers or Druids in the area will become more potent.