Beastlands

In the "Dungeons & Dragons" fantasy role-playing game, the Beastlands (more properly, the Wilderness of the Beastlands, formerly the Happy Hunting Grounds in early versions of the game) is a neutral (chaotic) good-aligned plane of existence. It is one of a number of alignment-based Outer Planes that form part of the standard "Dungeons & Dragons" ("D&D") cosmology, used in the "Greyhawk" and "Planescape" campaign settings, as well as some editions of the "Forgotten Realms" setting.

The Beastlands is a plane of nature and animals, and is also known as the "Happy Hunting Grounds". Peaceful alpine forests and groves of giant mushrooms can be found here. A varied climate exists across the plane, providing a suitable environment for many species of animals and plants. The number of traditional settlements is very small, with most inhabitants living beneath the trees out in the wilderness.

Inhabitants

The mortal souls that come to this plane after death take on animal traits soon after they arrive, developing pelts of fur and growing horns or pointed ears or other such features. Over the course of centuries they continue to slowly change, becoming celestial beasts.

tructure

As an Outer Plane, the Beastlands are spatially infinite, further consisting of three infinite layers (or sub-planes). The Beastlands first layer shares borders with the neighbouring planes of the Olympian Glades of Arborea and the Blessed Fields of Elysium; travel is possible between the Beastlands and these planes at certain locations.

Layers

The Beastlands consists of three layers:

Krigala

The "River Oceanus", flows through the first layer, Krigala. Many lakes dot the plains in between the lush forests. Day and night does not occur normally on Krigala, but a continual late afternoon sun fills the sky. Gentle rains occur once per day allowing some measure of time passing.

Realms

*"Skerrit's Glade", realm of the centaur deity Skerrit.

*"The Grove of the Unicorns" is the divine realm of Ehlonna, (the "Greyhawk" deity of forests and woodlands), and Mielikki (her "Forgotten Realms" counterpart). It exists at the base of several giant sequoias forming a natural cathedral between the branches.

*"Filchnest", realm of the kenku deity Quorlinn.

*"Goldenroost", home of Remnis, god of giant eagles.

*"The Forbidden Plateau", domain of the "Forgotten Realms" deities Thard Harr and Ubtao.

*"The Pridelands", home of Nobanion, the "Forgotten Realms" deity of lions, werelions, and wemics.

Brux

Day and night on Brux is still static like Krigala, but here it is eternally dusk. A silver moon can be seen in the opposite direction to the sunset. The temperature here is naturally lower than on Krigala.

Realms

*"Al Karak Elam-Jhankhal", realm of the avariel.

*"The Cat Lord's Prowl", domain of the Cat Lord, who shares his realm with Ferrix, the goddess of weretigers, though Ferrix usually prefers to wander.

*"Findar Endar", the domain of the "Forgotten Realms" dwarf god Haela Brightaxe.

*"The Library of All Knowledge", shared realm of the deities Deneir and Milil of the "Forgotten Realms".

*"Reastweal", home of the Indian deity Puchan.

*The wandering Seelie Court frequently appears on Brux, though never in the same place twice.

*"Ursis", realm of the werebear god Balador.

Karasuthra

The lowest layer of Karasuthra is in continual night, with a single moon providing some illumination to the layer. The most dangerous creatures exist here, hunting their quarry through the night.

Realms

*"Stormhold", home of the giant god Stronmaus.

*"The Misty Valley", home of the Japanese deity Kura-Okami.

*"Zhan, the Grand Forest beyond the World", shared realm of the "Dragonlance" deities (Chislev, Zivilyn, and Habbakuk).

Fauna

* Beast dragon
* Hollyphant
* Mortai

Creative origins

The Beastlands are based on the happy hunting ground in some Native American mythologies, and the plane was referred to by that name in the game's first edition.

References

*Grubb, Jeff. "Manual of the Planes" (TSR, 1987).
*Grubb, Jeff, David Noonan, and Bruce Cordell. "Manual of the Planes" (Wizards of the Coast, 2001). ISBN 0-7869-1850-0