Arcadia
| Outer Plane | |
|---|---|
| Layers: | Abellio Buxenus |
| Primary Faction: | Harmonium |
| Sect: | None |
- It is the land of perfection.
- It is where laws are made for the common good.
- It is the plane where harmony is born.
Arcadia thrives with orchards of perfectly lined trees, ruler-straight streams, orderly fields, and cities laid out in geometrically pleasing shapes. The mountains are unblemished by erosion. Everything on Arcadia works toward the common good and a flawless form of existence. Here, nothing intrudes on harmony. It is said that everything on Arcadia is as perfect as it can be, neither as strictly regimented as Mechanus nor as devoted to the perfection of the individual as Celestia. But this is not entirely accurate. In fact, the inhabitants of Arcadia are often so convinced of their own righteousness that they are hard-pressed to recognize their own flaws. This likely contributed millennia ago to the loss of the bottommost layer of Arcadia, Menausus, which spiritually transmigrated to Mechanus, becoming one with the gearworks realm of ultimate law. St. Cuthbert of the Cudgel, deity of goodly retribution, has his realm on Arcadia.
Traits
- Normal Gravity.
- Normal Time.
- Infinite Size: Each layer of Arcadia stretches through an infinite, well-ordered landscape.
- Divinely Morphic: Lesser deities can transform Arcadia with a wave of the hand, but the plane has the alterable morphic trait for other creatures.
- No Elemental or Energy Traits.
- Mildly Law-Aligned: Chaotic characters on Arcadia suffer a –2 penalty on Charisma-based checks.
- Normal Magic.
Connections
Portals to other planes are few on Arcadia, but they are permanent, clearly identified fixtures. Arched trellises of flowering ivy, holly, or some other lush, verdant growth mark each gateway to another plane. Portals also connect farflung locales on Arcadia, as well as running between its two layers. Portals between the layers are usually set between huge, rune-carved plinths standing 40 to 50 feet tall.
Inhabitants
Many mortals from the Material Plane live on Arcadia, settling among such other creatures as archons, aasimar, devas, and the ever-present einheriar militias (see Arcadia Petitioners, below). Arcadia is also home to peaceful animals: golden foxes, coppery hares, and silver-wooled sheep, as well as all manner of organized insects such as wasps, bees, and ants. Giant-sized versions of these animals and insects also can be found throughout Arcadia. Formians have a few hive-cities on Arcadia, but their expansionist ethic is muted (at least outwardly). Arcadia's harmony would be spoiled should warrior formians begin to march.
Petitioners
The petitioners of Arcadia are called einheriar. The einheriar appear much as they did in their previous lives, though they are markedly more healthy and robust. They are all fanatically devoted to making sure the common good is maintained. Using their abilities to discern the alignment of all they meet, einheriar make it their business to police the plane. If they catch any nonlawful or nongood creature, they have three possible courses of action. Chaotic good or neutral good visitors are tolerated so long as they follow the laws of Arcadia. Those who are truly neutral are asked to finish their business and leave. Those who are tainted with evil in any aspect are immediately and remorselessly attacked. The einheriar have the following special petitioner qualities:
- Additional Immunities: Sonic, acid.
- Resistances: Cold 20, electricity 20.
- Other Special Qualities: Detect chaos, detect good.
- Detect Chaos/Good (Ex): Einheriar can detect chaos or detect good at will (as the spells cast by a 5th-level cleric).
Features
There is nothing native to Arcadia's two layers that does not contribute toward perfection and peace. The fields and forests are swollen with grain and fruit, all growing without tending or fear of infestation. Even the “wild” flowers grow naturally to create the most harmonious blend. The trees of Arcadia are wondrous specimens. These great plants grow in both neat forests and straight-rowed orchards. Their bark has a copper, gold, silver, or iron sheen. Their leaves range from deep green to fiery red, but the leaves never fall. Fruit is always in season. On rare, wondrous occasions a plucked fruit suddenly manifests magical properties, mimicking the effects of a randomly determined potion (see Chapter 8 of the DUNGEON MASTER’s Guide). The fruit is nonmagical until picked. Vision is normal on Arcadia. Night and day are determined by the Orb of Day and Night atop Arcadia's tallest peak. Half the orb radiates light, and the other half is dark. It rotates evenly and without fail, lighting part of the infinite plane while another part falls into natural darkness. There is no dusk or dawn, just day or night.