Gateway to the Plane of Metal

[Havard]

Okay, so the D20 Blackmoor Sourcebook introduced the idea that Metal and Wood are Elemental Planes, just like Fire, Earth, Air and Water.

They also had things like Metal Elementals and Steel Mephits from the Elemental Plane of Metal.

Now how could this plane be more than just a source of a couple of monsters and perhaps a place to travel for extremely powerful characters?

I'd like to bring the Plane of Metal into a more regular campaign. Maybe something like an elemental node or a gate from that plane into the Prime Plane?

Or perhaps more an artifact. A forge perhaps that taps directly to the Plane of Metal?

However, the Elemental Rulers of Metal are unhappy about this forge existing. Possibly this forge was created during the Age of Giants?

Perhaps Metal Elementals and other creatures are still searching for the Forge?

-Havard

[RobJN]

But... isn't metal just... highly refined Earth...? :|

[Havard]

But... isn't metal just... highly refined Earth...? :|

It might be yeah. I was never really sure if I liked this idea of Metal and Wood being their own Elemental Planes. I guess it is based on the Chinese Five Elements Philosopy, but the Chinese don't include Air, so its a bit of a mix of that idea and traditional Western/D&D cosmology.

It might boil down to mainly an excuse to create some new elemental monsters and of course to make the Elven Elementalist Class a bit more interesting.

For those who don't really like it, I think there are a few easy ways around this idea, which basically amounts to Blackmoor and Elven Scholars being wrong. The Plane of Metal might just be a region of the Plane of Earth, or both the Planes of Metal and Wood could be Outer Planes mistakenly believed to be Elemental Planes. The Ordo Elementarum have had to do a lot of pioneering work with regards to planar exploration.

Mithgilivyr Goss (brother of Raddan) was the one who set up this model in which he also talks about the Ethereal Plane, the Astral Plane, the Plane of Shadow and the Plane of Time (see Blackmoor Player's Guide p175).

Now, since we have this concept of the Plane of Metal, I think it would make sense to make use of it in some way or other, whether it is an Elemental Plane or something else.

Here's one idea:

The Trueforge
The Trueforge is a powerful artefact that allows the user to produce incredible weapons and other items of metal. The Trueforge is in its essenence a gate to the Elemental Plane of Metal. Artifact isn’t the forge itself, but a large slab of iron that is placed within the forge. The Trueforge does not appear to create metal, but rather purifies and strengthens objects of metal that are forged in it. The Trueforge was created by the Fire Giant King Jevarian Firehammer more than a millennia ago when he ruled the lands later known as Blackmoor. However, the Trueforge was stolen by Robert of Genova and the dwarf-smith Thorwien Dur’Hail (City of the Gods, ZGG, p 12) who brought the forge to an unknown location in Thonia. Agents of the Plane of Metal have been looking for it for centuries in hope to bring it back. Metal Elementals and Steel Mephits are actively searching for the Forge, but have so far not been able to come up with anything.


Thoughts?

-Havard

[Yaztromo]

But... isn't metal just... highly refined Earth...? :|

I guess it is based on the Chinese Five Elements Philosopy, but the Chinese don't include Air, so its a bit of a mix of that idea and traditional Western/D&D cosmology.

I'm pretty sure this is the case

Very nice write up about the Forge, by the way! 8)

[Rafael]

Let me be THAT ONE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwstSzSEbGk

[Havard]

Very nice write up about the Forge, by the way! 8)

Thanks! This is actually a kind of preview to one of my upcoming Thonia projects.

Note to self: Perhaps include some reference to the God Kadis. He is not used much, due to his description linking him to the Duchy of Ten.

-Havard

[Yaztromo]

This is actually a kind of preview to one of my upcoming Thonia projects.

Looking forward to that!!!

[Havard]

This is actually a kind of preview to one of my upcoming Thonia projects.

Looking forward to that!!!

Full disclosure,
I am working to continue my series of PDF booklets detailing each of the ten provinces of Thonia. This started with the Eastern Marshes, but then the project lapsed for various reasons. I also intend to release an update version of the Eastern Marshes since that one was only Eight pages. I have most of the books in some stage of development already, but it is interesting to see how an idea for one region book keeps affecting the others. This is pretty cool because for some of the provinces I had very few ideas at first, but it is like a snowbal that has started to roll!

Back to the plane of Metal, I mentioned to another poster, Sheridan, that I feel like the new Elemental Planes had much more potential than what ZGG had time to do with them in the existing books, it is interesting to explore more possibilities for them than what we have here.

-Havard

[RobJN]

Don't know if you've read Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series (if you haven't, you should!). In it, most of the characters are attuned to one or more elemental spirits tied to either water, earth, wind, fire, wood, or metal (a fury) that allows them to do all sorts of nifty things. With a powerful enough fury -- which seems to be linked to familial bloodlines and such -- wind furycraft allows one to fly, for instance. Roads built with earthen furycraft allow faster travel (especially if those traveling also have an earth fury). Arrows loosed by those who practice wood furycraft fly further and hit harder, as they can flex their bows beyond normal limits. Watercrafters can heal all but the most grievous of wounds, or reshape their features into the perfect disguise.

And if you know metal furycraft, you can do things like enhance arms and armor (aligning the matrices). Two metalcrafters going toe to toe is truly a sight to behold, especially when one "goes nova" and turns his skin to steel. (A hugely painful process, but then, metalcrafters can also use their craft to dampen pain, if I remember right)

[Havard]

Don't know if you've read Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series (if you haven't, you should!). In it, most of the characters are attuned to one or more elemental spirits tied to either water, earth, wind, fire, wood, or metal (a fury) that allows them to do all sorts of nifty things. With a powerful enough fury -- which seems to be linked to familial bloodlines and such -- wind furycraft allows one to fly, for instance. Roads built with earthen furycraft allow faster travel (especially if those traveling also have an earth fury). Arrows loosed by those who practice wood furycraft fly further and hit harder, as they can flex their bows beyond normal limits. Watercrafters can heal all but the most grievous of wounds, or reshape their features into the perfect disguise.

And if you know metal furycraft, you can do things like enhance arms and armor (aligning the matrices). Two metalcrafters going toe to toe is truly a sight to behold, especially when one "goes nova" and turns his skin to steel. (A hugely painful process, but then, metalcrafters can also use their craft to dampen pain, if I remember right)

These are ssome incredibly cool ideas! I have been thinking about how I may need to reconsider how Elementals work. I've seen them mainly as outsiders to the Prime Plane, but I really like the idea of seeing them more like spirits. They might originate on the Elemental Planes, but Elementals are often found on the Prime Plane in regions where one element is more dominant. Fire Elementals are often found near volcanoes, Water Elementals in lakes, rivers etc.
Metal elementals are probably often found in mines or other areas where metallic ores are widespread.

Your ideas reminded me of Gaz3 The Principalities of Glantri where the Wizards have bound a Fire elemental into the heating system of a building. While this is a little silly, I do like the idea that Elementals can be bound to objects or structures. The Trueforge I mentioned above is obviously a very powerful example of something like this. However, I also like that Druids and Blackmoor Elementalists (usually Elves) can befriend elementals and have them willingly occupy a structure. I could see a Water Elemental occupying a lake and making sure that the fish there are always plentiful for local fishermen. An Air Elemetal might live near a port and make sure ships always enter the port safely as storms seem to calm when the ships approach the city.

Metal Elementals might be asked to make their home in an armory, always making sure the weapons and armor stored there are well maintained. Perhaps one resides in a Castle Gatehouse, always making sure the mechanics for opening and closing the gates run smoothly. Maybe an elemental found in the Emperor's treasure chamber makes sure that all the coins and jewelry are polished and stacked properly.

The problem with befriending or binding elementals is of course that it can provoke enemies of those elementals.

-Havard

-Havard