Arvandor (layer)

Arvandor, sometimes called Olympus,^[4] was the first layer of Arborea in the Great Wheel cosmology. It contained the realms of Arvandor, Olympus, and Brightwater.^[2]

Description[]

Arvandor was a place of endless forests and open spaces. It had a day-night cycle similar to the one on Toril, with a sun, a moon, and stars. Hunting challenges were practiced during the day, while feasts were held and stories were told around campfires during the warm nights. Enormous redwoods and oaks formed forests dotted by orchards, grape and wheat fields, and settlements.^[2]^[1]

Locations[]

The three realms within Arvandor were separated from each other by enormous expanses of wilderness and hills that dwarfed most mountains in the Prime Material plane.^[2]

The layer was perhaps best known for its homonymous realm of Arvandor, an arboreal expanse of glades, forests, and groves that harbored Corellon's tower, the Evergold, the town of Grandfather Oak,^[2] the House of Glowing Stars,^[5]^{[note 1]} and the palace of Mythralan,^[6]^{[note 2]} with Aerdrie Faenya's floating palace drifting above.^[7] This was the realm of the Seldarine,^[4] the original home of all elves in the multiverse^[8] and their final resting place.^[1]

The second realm was called Olympus. Its fields were more pastoral and tamed than Arvandor, inviting the accomplishment of epic deeds.^[2]

The third realm of Arvandor was Brightwater, a fully urban realm in which recklessness, luck, and impulsiveness ruled the day. It was the divine realm of Tymora, Lliira, and Sune.^[2]^[9]

In the valley between Olympus and Arvandor, near the realm of Brightwater, stood the Gilded Hall of the Sensates, a large palace of domes and towers where constant parties were held. Known to the elves as Perlamia, the Gilded Hall was also a place of healing.^[10]

Inhabitants[]

The main inhabitants of the settled areas of Arvandor were eladrin. The wilderness was also inhabited by centaurs and nymphs. The unsettled areas of Arvandor were inhabited by giants and cyclopes seeking to challenge adventurers.^[2]^[1]

Appendix[]

Notes[]

↑ The phrasing indicates that the House of Glowing Stars is located within the joint realm of the Seldarine, Arvandor. It is not explicitly stated that Arvandor here does not refer to the layer in general. But as the layer is usually called Olympus outside Forgotten Realms sources, it seems likely.
↑ Dragon magazine 251 states that Mythrien Sarath's realm of Mythralan is located in the layer of Arvandor, but does not say if it is within or outside the joint realm of the Seldarine, Arvandor.

References[]

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 Jeff Grubb, Bruce R. Cordell, David Noonan (September 2001). Manual of the Planes 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 144–146. ISBN 0-7869-1850-8.
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 ^2.5 ^2.6 ^2.7 Wolfgang Baur and Lester Smith (1994-07-01). “The Book of Chaos”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Chaos (TSR, Inc), pp. 41–50. ISBN 1560768746.
↑ Jeff Grubb (April 1987). “Plane Speaking: Tuning in to the Outer Planes”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #120 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 42–43.
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 173. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
↑ Chris Perry (December 1996). “The Seldarine Revisited”. In Pierce Watters ed. Dragon #236 (TSR, Inc.), p. 13.
↑ Chris Perry (September 1998). “Magic of the Seldarine”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon #251 (TSR, Inc.), p. 30.
↑ Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 95, 97. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
↑ Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (May 29, 2018). Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes. Edited by Kim Mohan, Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 36. ISBN 978-0786966240.
↑ Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 181. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
↑ Wolfgang Baur and Lester Smith (1994-07-01). “The Travelogue”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Chaos (TSR, Inc), p. 22. ISBN 1560768746.

Connections[]

The Olympian Glades of Arborea

Layers and their Realms

Arvandor		Aquallor	Mithardir
Arvandor (The Aerie • Gwyllachaightaeryll • Evergold • Erevan's changing palace • Hanali's crystal palace • House of Glowing Stars • Lolth's Grove • Pale Tree • Tethridar)	Brightwater Fermata Florallium Olympus Whistledge	Caletto Elavandor	Amun-thys