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The element of earth was one of the four fundamental building blocks of matter: solid, stable, and unyielding in character.[1][2] It encompassed all kinds of stone and rock, but also soil, metal ores and sand.[3][4]

Cosmology[]

Earth manifested its position in the cosmos as the Elemental Plane of Earth, one of the Inner Planes.[5][3] The element was also represented there in living form as earth elementals.[3]

The ruler over the portfolio of earth in Faerûn and Zakhara was the elemental lord Grumbar,[2][6] while it was held by Geb in the Mulhorandi pantheon[7] and Plutoq in the Maztican pantheon.[8] Among demihuman deities, Segojan Earthcaller of the gnomes,[9] Urogalan of the halflings,[10] and Dumathoin of the dwarves held dominion over earth,[11][12] but Garl Glittergold,[12] Callarduran Smoothhands,[13] Laduguer,[12] and all other dwarven deities were concerned with the element, too.[14] The evil archomental Ogrémoch also sought to rule the element of earth, but was secretly thwarted by the much more powerful Grumbar.[15][3]

Magic[]

School of elemental earth[]

Many magical spells utilized the element of earth.[16] Elemental earth was recognized as a "school of effect" (rather than one of the eight traditional schools of magic).[17][18] Wizards specializing in this school were called earth elementalists.[18] Earth was opposed to the element of air, both as a school of magic[18] and as a worldview.[2][19]

Magic-users in Zakhara had a similar but not identical notion of earth magic in the form of the province of sand.[4]

Likewise, the wu jen of Kara-Tur divided spells into five elemental groups, including earth.[20][21] In some traditions, earth was considered the same group as metal,[20] whereas, in other traditions, the two elemental groups were distinct.[21]

Divine earth magic[]

A number of deities granted divine spells that relied on the element, either in the form of the elemental earth sphere,[22] or the earth domain.[23][24]

Celestial bodies[]

Spacefarers also used the four elements to distinguish different types of celestial bodies present in the crystal spheres.[25] Earth bodies often were the most common celestial objects, and commonly featured the largest population.[26]

Major earth bodies in Realmspace were:[26][27]

Appendix[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. David "Zeb" Cook (1994). Planescape Campaign Setting, A DM Guide to the Planes. Edited by David Wise. (TSR, Inc), p. 29. ISBN 978-1560768340.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 66–67. ISBN 978-0786903849.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Monte Cook and William W. Connors (December 7, 1998). The Inner Planes. Edited by Michele Carter and Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 30–39. ISBN 0-7869-0736-3.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Jeff Grubb and Andria Hayday (April 1992). Arabian Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 111. ISBN 978-1560763581.
  5. Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 256–257. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
  6. Jeff Grubb (August 1992). Land of Fate (Adventurer's Guide to Zakhara). (TSR, Inc), p. 57. ISBN 978-1560763291.
  7. Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 99–100. ISBN 978-0786906574.
  8. Douglas Niles (August 1991). “Gods & Battles”. Maztica Campaign Set (TSR, Inc.), p. 27. ISBN 1-5607-6084-2.
  9. Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 188. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.
  10. Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 215. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.
  11. Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 70. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 Eric L. Boyd, Erik Mona (May 2002). Faiths and Pantheons. Edited by Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 96. ISBN 0-7869-2759-3.
  13. Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 174–176. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.
  14. Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 47–111. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.
  15. Villains: Cult of the Black Earth. Wizards of the Coast. (2015-04). Archived from the original on 2016-03-25. Retrieved on 2015-04-26.
  16. Cook, Findley, Herring, Kubasik, Sargent, Swan (1991). Tome of Magic 2nd edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 151. ISBN 1-56076-107-5.
  17. Richard Baker (1996). Player's Option: Spells & Magic. (TSR, Inc), pp. 16–19. ISBN 0-7869-0394-5.
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 Cook, Findley, Herring, Kubasik, Sargent, Swan (1991). Tome of Magic 2nd edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 9. ISBN 1-56076-107-5.
  19. Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 23–25. ISBN 978-0786903849.
  20. 20.0 20.1 Gary Gygax, David Cook, and François Marcela-Froideval (1985). Oriental Adventures. (TSR, Inc), p. 26. ISBN 0-8803-8099-3.
  21. 21.0 21.1 James Wyatt (October 2001). Oriental Adventures (3rd edition). (Wizards of the Coast), p. 30. ISBN 0-7869-2015-7.
  22. David "Zeb" Cook (August 1989). Player's Handbook (2nd edition). (TSR, Inc.), p. 34. ISBN 0-88038-716-5.
  23. Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 62. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
  24. Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams (July 2003). Player's Handbook v.3.5. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 186. ISBN 0-7869-2886-7.
  25. Jeff Grubb (1989). AD&D Adventures in Space (Concordance of Arcane Space). (TSR, Inc.). pp. 74-76. ISBN 0-88038-762-9.
  26. 26.0 26.1 Jeff Grubb (1989). AD&D Adventures in Space (Lorebook of the Void). (TSR, Inc.). pp. 87-95. ISBN 0-88038-762-9.
  27. Dale "slade" Henson (April 1991). Realmspace. Edited by Gary L. Thomas, Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc). ISBN 1-56076-052-4.

External links[]

Connections[]

The Building Blocks of the Multiverse
Elements

AirEarthFireWater • (Wood)
Energies

Negative energyPositive energy
Schools of Magic
AbjurationConjurationDivinationEnchantmentEvocationIllusionNecromancyTransmutationUniversal
Schools of effect
AirEarthFireWaterDimensionIncantationShadow
Schools of thaumaturgy
ArtificeSongWild magic
Zakharan provinces of magic
FlameSandSeaWindUniversal
Netherese Fields of Mythal
InventiveMentalismVariation
Others
ChronomancyHishnaPlumaPaths of power
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