Our next stop in The Planes series is the Beastlands - a plane of beasts, primal instincts, and strong hunger.
Introduction to the Planes
Reflections: Feywild, Shadowfell
Outer Planes: Astral Plane, Mechanus, Pandemonium, Sigil
Inner Planes: Elemental Chaos, Plane of Earth, Plane of Water

What is the Beastlands

Manual of the Planes, 1987 TSR Inc. — **Manual of the Planes**, 1987 TSR Inc.

The Beastlands, also known as the Happy Hunting Grounds or the Wilderness of the Beastlands, is the home of primal natures, sentient beasts, and vibrant ecosystems. This plane is located in the Outer Planes and is a Neutral Good Chaotic plane. This plane is occupied largely by beasts, and only the non-magical beasts, and there are very few settlements, as those who live here would rather live with nature than against it. Lush forests of all types cover this plane and its three layers, from giant sequoia forests to snow-laden alpine woodlands to deserts full of cacti and other fauna.

The Beastlands is broken down into three layers each highlighting a specific time of day, and it never changes on those layers. On the first layer, Krigala, it is always noon and the sun is always shining high overhead. The sun glares down in the savannahs and deserts, though in other locations the sun is barely able to penetrate the thick jungle foliage. On the second layer, Brux, it is in a constant perpetual twilight with the sun rising over the horizon, though the more pessimistic might describe it as in the middle of a sunset. This ruddy glow illuminates the land, and the creatures who hunt during these hours, like bats and foxes, can be found throughout this layer in a variety of environments. The third layer, Karasuthra, is in constant night with the moon hanging high in the sky and giving off the only source of light. This layer is filled with the nocturnal predators that hunt through the forests, and this is considered the most dangerous of all three layers.

History

The Beastlands was originally introduced as the Happy Hunting Grounds, though it did mention some call it the Beastlands, in 1st edition with the release of the Manual of the Planes (1987). In 2nd edition, this name is adjusted to the Beastlands, with the mention that some choose to call it the Happy Hunting Grounds, in the Planescape - Campaign Setting Box Set (1994). This plane sees very few changes throughout the editions of Dungeons & Dragons, though the plane’s effect on magic and the type of inhabitants located in the plane are rarely agreed upon between the editions.

An Outsider’s Perspective

Most visitors to the Beastlands are often those seeking the magnificent beauty and views of this plane or they are game hunters looking for the greatest hunt of their life. The Beastlands can be seen as a paradise for those attuned to nature and it awakens something primal in those who visit the plane.

Manual of the Planes, 2001 WotC — **Manual of the Planes**, 2001 WotC

This plane creates a hunger to eat, a yearning to hunt and to become more bestial in nature. This hunger is not a painful hunger, but rather a singular focus to fulfill the needs of hunting and to take part in eating a meal you hunted for. Though, visitors should be very careful because the beasts you hunt in the Beastlands may appear to be like the typical beasts in the Material Plane, but these beasts are cunning and intelligent. They can speak and form plans among other members of their packs, and they often end up becoming the hunter instead of the hunted.

Visitors who bring animal companions, mounts, or other beasts should expect to never see them again. As soon as a beast arrives on the Beastlands, they immediately take off, their leashes and other trappings magically falling off of them. Their primal urges overcome any training they had had and they begin their hunts throughout the plane. The most well-trained or magically bonded beasts will find their companions when they leave the Beastlands, but not before.

A Native’s Perspective

Planes of Conflict, 1995 TSR Inc. — **Planes of Conflict,** 1995 TSR Inc.

The inhabitants of the Beastlands are spread far throughout the plane based on their own personal preferences. Of the few settlements, most are made from roughly hewn logs and look more like temporary fortifications instead of permanent settlements. Those who reside in the Beastlands are mostly the sentient beasts themselves, along with hunters, wardens, the Verdant Guild, and the Faction of One, who are also known as the Signers.

Living in the Beastlands is about immersing yourself in primal instincts, in glorying in the hunt - whether you are the hunter or the hunted, and taking on bestial traits. The sentient beasts all have the ability to talk, and some can even cast spells though they will only do so in extreme danger. The sentient beasts are the petitioners, the souls of those who died and in their afterlife were carried to the Beastlands based off of how they lived. This privilege is reserved for the great hunters, the druids and rangers, and any who gloried in bestial quality of nature. The talking beasts are all these souls from the lowly grasshoppers who hop from one tree to another in the top layer of Krigala, to the mighty jaguars who hunt through the night shrouded forests of the bottom layer, Karasuthra.

Many of the inhabitants don’t take kindly to outsiders poaching through their forests, not because they dislike hunting but because those poachers are only doing so to gain a trophy, and most are often disrespectful to the hunt and its practices. The wardens, and the Verdant Guild, protect this plane from those visitors, often hunting the poachers and scaring them off from the forests. Their goal is to not kill them, but to strike the fear of the hunt into them and to scare them off.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere of the Beastlands is greatly dependent on where you are on the plane, and which layer. The top layer, Krigala, is always in the noon sun with verdant forests, hot savannahs, and blisteringly cold alpine slopes. The beasts that inhabit these areas are always noonday hunters, hunting in the bright light and rejoicing in the perfect beauty. The second layer, Brux, is in the ever-constant twilight of a rising, or setting, sun with its opposite, the moon rising up on the other side of this layer. The beasts that inhabit this layer hunt during the hours of early morning or late evening - wolves, tigers, bears, and others can be found throughout its trees. The bottom layer, Karasuthra, is the pitch black of night with only the moon giving off any light. These are the dark hunters who stalk through the night and is the fiercest of the layers of the Beastlands for only the mightiest hunters stalk through the darkened forests.

Because the sun never changes position in any of these planes, it can be difficult to tell time, though time still passes like normal on every layer of this plane. Most track the progress of a day by the rain showers that move through the plane like clockwork. Once a day rain sweeps across the plane, though it is a light rain that is refreshing and encourages the vibrant growth of life.

Traits

Travel to the Plane

Visitors to the Beastlands often arrive on the first layer by riding the River Oceanus as it winds its way through the four layers of Elysium before arriving on the first layer of the Beastlands and then finishing its journey on the top layer of Arborea. The broad river banks of the River Oceanus attract a lot of life, and for first-time visitors who are clueless to the planes, they can be caught unaware as the River Oceanus suddenly is filled with rapids and waterfalls once they arrive in the Beastlands. The course of the River Oceanus is straight across the Beastlands, dividing it nearly in half.

Other visitors find themselves on this plane by climbing the great World Ash Tree, Yggdrasil. Its branches touch the Beastlands and Elysium, allowing a traveler to traverse from Ysgard, where it originates, to these planes by simply walking along its branches and finding a portal to the Beastlands.

Getting off of the Beastlands is just as easy as it has companion portals to Elysium and Arborea in the form of portals that open and close throughout the forests of the first layer. A portal to Arborea can often be found inside of a hollow oak tree, while a portal to Elysium can be found in the hollow tree of a sequoia.

Traversing the Plane

Traveling across the plane is relatively straightforward and just requires you to walk to your destination, though some are more foolhardy and will try to travel across the River Oceanus on a barge or ship - this typically ends in the craft being crashed against the rocks and any cargo lost to the swirling torrents and currents. Most, who travel by boat, are forced to disembark and drag their craft and cargo along the banks at multiple locations across the Beastlands in order to avoid destroying their vessel.

Walking between the layers of the Beastlands can happen erratically and when you least expect it. Ducking beneath a branch, you might find the afternoon sun replaced with the utter darkness of night, moving from Krigala to Karasuthra. On the other hand, you might be being chased between two trees when all of a sudden the night quickly turns to the early morning sun shining through the thick foliage, moving from Karasuthra to Brux. These portals are common and it is quite easy to accidentally stumble upon them and make your way back to the top layer.

Animal Traits

The longer you stay in the Beastlands, the more likely that you will begin to start taking on the characteristics of beasts. A mighty warrior might begin growing tufts of fur like that of a bear, or a perceptive wizard might grow the crooked beak of a hawk. These characteristics can be slow to take hold, those who value law are the slowest for these characteristics to start appearing, but they always do. For those closest to the wilderness, they take only a few hours while those who come from more civilized backgrounds might take a few days. These animal characteristics are only temporary and will disappear after a few days outside of the Beastlands.

Magic, the Weather, and Flying

Up to 3rd edition, there were the entities known as the Mortai, a type of living cloud creature that could be found in every layer of the plane. They controlled the weather and were said to have the faces of humans and voices that sounded like they were coming from a multitude of people. Because of their tight control over the weather, spells used to control the weather would fail instantly. In 2nd edition, they even had the power to make Fly spells and similar magic fail as well, leading to many wizards plummeting to their death when their feather fall spell did not work.

Due to these cloud creatures, the only creatures that are able to fly in the early editions where ones with wings like birds, aarakocra, and similar. In 3rd edition, this restriction is gone and there is no mention of any limits on flight.

Fire

On the bottom layer, Karasuthra, light is incredibly sparse and is only from the moon that gives off a faint illumination to the forests, veldts, swamps, and other locales. Trying to light a torch while on this layer is impossible. The tinder won't catch, the flint and stone won't produce sparks and any fire that is created immediately dies out. The only way to produce light is to bring a torch or source of fire from another plane or layer, and even then it appears feeble and only gives off half its normal light. Another way around this is to create a magical light source, but this also creates a feeble light that is half as bright as it should be. It is said that it is the moon, known as Noctos, who drains all light from this realm. Only it’s sister, the sun known as Selera, could give off light on this layer, but only by reflecting it off of Noctos.

Locations

Krigala, Selera’s Empire

The top layer of the Beastlands is the bright, light-drenched land of Krigala. Here, it is always noon with the sun, known as Selera, hanging high overhead, drenching the land in plentiful light. The beasts that hunt during the day can be found on this layer, from the zebras and lions to fish and eagles. All manner of beasts can be found throughout the expanse of locales that exist across Krigala. Veldts, forests, jungles, swamps, alpine slopes and even deserts chock full of cacti can be found in small pockets across the land, the noon light of the sun decreasing and increasing in heat depending on the environment.

While the sun never moves across the sky, time still passes like usual and many rely on the rains to help them determine when a day passes. From moment to moment the weather can take sudden changes from drenching downpours to crystal clear skies, but every day without question a light rain rolls through the plane signifying a new day for the inhabitants.

The Forbidden Plateau

Atop this high plateau is a grave secret that few have been able to uncover. Thanks to the Mortai and their power to stop any flying spells, it is incredibly dangerous and difficult to climb this plateau and look upon what exists here. Those with the natural ability to fly have an easy time of arriving to the top, while others must climb the multi-hundred-foot tall plateau using climbing gear, finding small tunnels or convincing the giant eagles to fly you up.

Once you arrive on this plateau, assuming you didn’t plummet to an untimely death like many others, you are on the lip of a bowl-shaped plateau with its sides gently sweeping down to form a single lake at the very center with a lush jungle surrounding it. The creatures who inhabit the plateau are great lizards of immense size, the dinosaurs, who can only be found on this plateau. Many take it to mean, because only beasts that are alive in the Material Plane have representation in the Beastlands, that the dinosaurs are alive on one of the multitudes of worlds in the Material Plane.

Signpost

On the very edge of Krigala is the frontier settlement known as Signpost, it has a rough-hewn wooden palisade, rough inhabitants, and is on the very edge of the layer of Krigala, near to Brux. This creates a ruddy glow of light from Brux, mixed with the intense noonday sunlight of Krigala. Many come to the Beastlands just for views such as this, being able to witness the noonday sun on one side, and the twilight glow on the other side.

Signpost is the faction outpost for the Sign of One and thus is focused on the self and personal freedoms. Because the Sign of One faction members, known as Signers, are seeking to better themselves, there are few distractions in this rough settlement. Inns, taverns and precious little else can be found here, and many who arrive are only passing through for the views, because of their trade routes or if they got lost in the wilds of the Beastlands.

To journey from Krigala to Brux, you can follow the mountain goat trails that make their way down the steep cliffs that separate the layers.

Brux, the Land of Eternal Twilight

The second layer of the Beastlands is in a constant state of a sunrise, or if you are more pessimistic, you might call it a sunset. The sun, Selera, hangs just above the horizon casting a reddish glow across the entire plane with its opposite, Noctos the moon, can be seen in the twilight sky. Brux is just as varied as Krigala when it comes to the different ecosystems that can be found throughout, and in fact, the plants and flowers that grow here are all facing the rising sun as they grow.

The beasts of this land are the twilight hunters, those who hunt during the sunrise or sunset. Bird calls, monkey howls and other noises are constantly echoing through the forest as these beasts announce the arrival of morning. Foxes, mice, bears, and more fill this layer.

Al Karak Elam-Jhankhal

High above the forest floor of Brux is a settlement of winged elves who are often mistaken for angels or celestials. They make their homes in the intertwined branches of the forest canopy, watching over the growth of the forest. They share their expansive town with birds of prey and giant eagles, with the sounds of young birds crying for food.

This town, at its lowest point, is a mile above the forest floor and is over a mile vertical and a mile and a half horizontal. Despite the size of this town, there are very few of the Al Karak Elam, either because they are so well at hiding themselves or because they have few offsprings. Many are mighty warriors and hunters, while others are gifted artisans and philosophers.

Because of their beauty, they can often be mistaken for angels and thus are often killed on sight by fiends, which is why many never leave the Beastlands. It is said that their wings can create incredibly potent potions of flight.

Karasuthra, Noctos’ Domain

The third and final layer of the Beastlands is the eternal night of Karasuthra. Here, the night time prowlers hunt through the forests, their roars and growls can be heard echoing across the plane. This is a land of hunting and nothing stops these beasts from their hunt except when they become the hunted. Jaguars, coyotes, owls, and many others creep through the environments here, searching for prey and the thrill of the hunt.

Because all beasts here are more intelligent than their Material Plane cousins, and they have the ability to talk to each other, the packs of hunters down on Karasuthra are incredibly dangerous for an ill-prepared hunter. Being hunted by wild animals is one thing, but being hunted by intelligent animals that can plan ambushes with others of their kind is completely different. It’s no secret why many hunters go on expeditions to the forest with only a small handful ever making it out, and even fewer going for a second hunt.

Labyrinth of Fiery Doom

A massive, ancient red dragon is said to reside here with its demon lover. Their lair is made inside of a complex cave system filled with boiling water, foul odors, lakes of mud, acrid steam vents and more. Many point to this as evidence that they are corrupting the Beastlands with their presence, but in actuality, it isn’t as simple as that.

There is no red dragon and there is no demon. Though they are still lovers. The creature that takes on the form of a fearsome dragon is a celestial, and the demon is actually a succubus. They fell in love many years ago and realized that others of their kind would destroy them if the truth ever got out, they abandoned their roles and missions and escaped to the bottom layer of the Beastlands where they can hide out and be with each other.

Factions & People

There are very few deities who call the Beastlands their home, though that doesn’t mean there is no one with power that hunt through these lands.

Beast Lords

The Beast Lords are powerful creatures that are almost like gods in the Beastlands. Because gods are given their power through worship, these Beast Lords have been given power by animals of their own kind. They hunt across the plane, protecting their forests from poachers and others who wish to corrupt the Beastlands, and they provide direction and power in the chaotic wilderness.

The Petitioners

Petitioners are the souls of those who have died and in the afterlife are brought to a plane of existence that reverberates with them. When a petitioner is brought to the Beastlands, they take on the form of a beast that represented them in life. Mighty warriors become great bears, sneaky hunters become wolves and the wise druids become owls, passing on the wisdom of age. The petitioners have vague memories of their life before the Beastlands, mostly emotions around certain people, objects or creatures.

When a petitioner dies on the Beastlands, their soul infuses the plane and they become one with the plane. If they die outside of the Beastlands, their soul is forever lost and destroyed. Petitioners rarely leave their planes and when they do, it is because they were ordered to do so by a higher power.

The Sign of One

Planescape Campaign Setting Box Set, 1994 TSR Inc. — **Planescape Campaign Setting Box Set,** 1994 TSR Inc.

Everyone is unique, and everyone should explore their uniqueness. The tenants of the Sign of One, also known as the Signers, is to express the individual and for self-discovery. The Beastlands resonant with the Sign of One more than any other plane, and this is the only plane they have an outpost on, though they do have a faction headquarters in Sigil. Signers believe that they, the individual, is the center of the multiverse and that everything else is simply imagined.

The Verdant Guild

The Verdant Guild, who are also known as The Wylders, are the wardens of the Beastlands and they patrol all three layers of this plane. They protect nature and all wildlife from destruction and depredation. While they are mostly found in the Beastlands, they can be found across the planes and have recently taken an interest in the Blood War as they fear it can eventually find its way to the forests they protect.

The Vile Hunt

While the Verdant Guild stands for the protection of nature from poachers and destruction, there is a group that opposes them. The Vile Hunt has decided that animals that can speak are abominations, and it is their goal to kill all petitioners in the Beastlands.

Mortai

These strange cloud creatures only exist up to 3rd edition, and their power is different across the editions. In 1st edition, they are a mysterious force made of good and chaotic souls. In 2nd edition, they hold power over the weather and keep magic in check when it tried to control the weather. In 3rd edition, they are barely mentioned in passing and there are no limits on what type of magic can be cast on this plane.

What little information provided is that they are the humanoid faces in the cloud who watch over every layer of the Beastlands. They can talk, though you must fly up to meet them. When they talk, it sounds as if there is a cacophony of voices inside of them and their power resides in controlling the weather.

Stronmaus

The giants’ god of the sky, joy, and weather flies on storm clouds across the plane. His realm is known as Stormhold and is an opulent palace sitting on top of a thick cloud filled with battlements, spires, towers, and breath-taking architecture. While Stronmaus can travel across the plane anywhere he wants, he prefers the third layer for he loves how the moon glistens across his realm.

Encounters

Standing Stones - Stumbling through Krigala, you find a group of standing stones. Creeping out of the forest are a pack of wolves and dogs, their growls hanging low in their throats. A man steps out from behind them, ordering you to step between the stones and return to Sigil. He has no interest in killing them, though he dislikes outsiders in the Beastlands as he fears they mean it harm. The Standing Stones have the ability to transport creatures to Sigil, it is a one way portal.
Skerrit - The god of centaurs, his realm is that of a giant grassland on Krigala where centaurs run and hunt. Unfortunately for you, they have decided you would make a far more interesting hunt than their usual prey.
Grove of the Unicorn - On the bottom layer, Karasuthra, you have stumbled across a moon drenched grove where a group of unicorn seem to be discussing something among them. If they see the group, they will immediately disperse.
Being Hunted - Karasuthra is a dangerous layer, and the sounds of wolf howls and the guttural growls of worse are getting closer and closer. Unless you find a portal off of this layer, you may become prey.
Navigating the River Oceanus - Taking a barge down the River Oceanus is a great way of traveling across Elysium, unfortunately you didn’t notice that you left Elysium and are now hurtling down a white river of rapids, your barge being slammed against the rocks. If you aren’t able to navigate it safely down the river to the shore, you are going to get very wet and very bruised.
The Cat Lord’s Prowl - While traveling through Brux, you notice that the sounds of nature are still and quiet. The familiar bird calls and monkey howls can’t be heard and the hair rises on the back of your neck, you are being hunted. A pride of cheetahs, leopards, tigers and other felines slowly pad from the idillic forest, they speak to you. You must pay your respects to the Cat Lord, and they plan to drag you before her.
Ursis - The smell of a warm, smokey fire greet your nose and you stumble across the campfire of a large group of people, all sitting around a mighty campfire with an ursine humanoid sitting as if presiding over the banquet. This is the realm of the great werebear lord, Balador. Many travel from all over the planes for his wisdom, his cheerful fire, and his help.

Resources & Further Reading

Manual of the Planes (1st edition)
For information on the Happy Hunting Grounds.
Planescape Campaign Box Set (2nd edition)
For information on factions and their relationship to the Beastlands.
Planes of Conflict (2nd edition)
For more information on locations, magic, the layers, and inhabitants of the Beastlands.
Manual of the Planes (3rd edition)
For more information on modern changes to the Beastlands.

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Jan 6 The Planes: Beastlands