World Tree: Difference between revisions
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==Planes== | ==Planes== | ||
Unlike the Great Wheel cosmology, there is no attempt to balance the alignment of the World Tree model, nor are they defined by a set of moral philosophies; the planes are not necessarily situated next to their closely aligning neighbors, nor are they situated across from their diametric opposites if they have one. Planes are organised more according to the deities which inhabit them and what links they have made with each other and these links are forged and broken as the plot advances. | Unlike the Great Wheel cosmology, there is no attempt to balance the alignment of the World Tree model, nor are they defined by a set of moral philosophies; the planes are not necessarily situated next to their closely aligning neighbors, nor are they situated across from their diametric opposites if they have one. "Planes" exist more as clusters of deific realms than as self-sustaining dimensions and are organised more according to the deities which inhabit them and what links they have made with each other and these links are forged and broken as the plot advances. | ||
This has the advantage of making the cosmology quite fluid, where planes can move and shift as deities rise and fall, rather than being locked into an aligning location. Indeed, different depictions of the World Tree model have different numbers of planes on each side of the tree, and in different positions. The downside is that it is practically impossible to apply any kind of consistent logic to it: In the World Tree Cosmology, gods tend to inhabit the realms of their sponsors or allies regardless of their own alignment and can create areas that would otherwise overlap in a Great Wheel, but are kept separate in the World Tree. | This has the advantage of making the cosmology quite fluid, where planes can move and shift as deities rise and fall, rather than being locked into an aligning location. Indeed, different depictions of the World Tree model have different numbers of planes on each side of the tree, and in different positions. The downside is that it is practically impossible to apply any kind of consistent logic to it: In the World Tree Cosmology, gods tend to inhabit the realms of their sponsors or allies regardless of their own alignment and can create areas that would otherwise overlap in a Great Wheel, but are kept separate in the World Tree. | ||
===Celestial Planes=== | ===Celestial Planes=== | ||
*'''[[Arvandor]]:''' The home of the [[Seldarine]], a scenic forest ported directly out of [[Arborea]] and expanded into a plane in its own right. | |||
*'''Brightwater:''' A more civilised and refined version of Arvandor. Home to the deities of love and pleasure. | |||
*'''Dwarfhome:''' Home of the Dwarven Pantheon ''(duh)'' | |||
*'''Dweomerheart:''' The mountain home of [[Mystra]]. Her servants [[Azuth]], [[Savras]] and [[Velsharoon]] make their own realms in the caverns beneath it. | |||
*'''Gates of the Moon:''' The realm of [[Selune]]. | |||
*'''Golden Hills:''' Home of the [[Gnome]] Pantheon; consists of seven rolling hills. | |||
*'''Green Fields:''' Home of the [[Halfling]] Pantheon. | |||
*'''House of Knowledge:''' Not actually a "house" but a campus of buildings in a forest. The home of the gods of inspiration and learning. | |||
*'''House of the Triad:''' The mountain of [[Celestia]] directly ported into the Forgotten Realms setting unchanged, complete with the same angels and archons. The only difference is the addition of three lesser mountains circling it, providing the homes of [[Torm]], [[Tyr]] and [[Ilmater]] (the "Triad") though other gods such as [[Helm]] make their home here too. | |||
===Fiendish Planes=== | ===Fiendish Planes=== | ||
Revision as of 07:08, 22 August 2018
The World Tree is a cosmology option in Dungeons & Dragons, mostly associated with the Forgotten Realms campaign setting. It is fundamentally a reworking of the Great Wheel cosmology.
Planes
Unlike the Great Wheel cosmology, there is no attempt to balance the alignment of the World Tree model, nor are they defined by a set of moral philosophies; the planes are not necessarily situated next to their closely aligning neighbors, nor are they situated across from their diametric opposites if they have one. "Planes" exist more as clusters of deific realms than as self-sustaining dimensions and are organised more according to the deities which inhabit them and what links they have made with each other and these links are forged and broken as the plot advances.
This has the advantage of making the cosmology quite fluid, where planes can move and shift as deities rise and fall, rather than being locked into an aligning location. Indeed, different depictions of the World Tree model have different numbers of planes on each side of the tree, and in different positions. The downside is that it is practically impossible to apply any kind of consistent logic to it: In the World Tree Cosmology, gods tend to inhabit the realms of their sponsors or allies regardless of their own alignment and can create areas that would otherwise overlap in a Great Wheel, but are kept separate in the World Tree.
Celestial Planes
- Arvandor: The home of the Seldarine, a scenic forest ported directly out of Arborea and expanded into a plane in its own right.
- Brightwater: A more civilised and refined version of Arvandor. Home to the deities of love and pleasure.
- Dwarfhome: Home of the Dwarven Pantheon (duh)
- Dweomerheart: The mountain home of Mystra. Her servants Azuth, Savras and Velsharoon make their own realms in the caverns beneath it.
- Gates of the Moon: The realm of Selune.
- Golden Hills: Home of the Gnome Pantheon; consists of seven rolling hills.
- Green Fields: Home of the Halfling Pantheon.
- House of Knowledge: Not actually a "house" but a campus of buildings in a forest. The home of the gods of inspiration and learning.
- House of the Triad: The mountain of Celestia directly ported into the Forgotten Realms setting unchanged, complete with the same angels and archons. The only difference is the addition of three lesser mountains circling it, providing the homes of Torm, Tyr and Ilmater (the "Triad") though other gods such as Helm make their home here too.
Fiendish Planes
Neutral Planes
Inner Planes
Fundamentally the same as the Planescape versions, the realms of Fire, Water, Air and Earth, as well as Positive and Negative energy are all represented unchanged.
Trivia
In real-world mythology, the World Tree is known as Yggdrasil, and was integral to the multiverse of the Norse.