→ This article deals with the cosmology of Exandria. For the world of Aramán, see Cosmology of Aramán.

Material Plane

→ Main article: Material Plane.

The Material Plane is the plane in which multiple worlds, such as Exandria, exist, and in which the bulk of Critical Role's story takes place.

Echo Planes

The Echo Planes are layered on top of the Material Plane just out of phase like a strange reflection. These echoes have similar geography and landmarks as the Material Plane but are changed or twisted.

The Feywild

→ Main article: Feywild.

The Feywild overlaps the Material Plane, and there are many portals from Exandria to the Feywild.^[1]

The Shadowfell

→ Main article: Shadowfell.

The Shadowfell is a plane of negative energy, and elements of it are used to funnel the transition of souls from life to death or back.^[2]

Inner Planes

The further one gets in an elemental plane away from the Prime Material, the less habitable it becomes as it approaches the Elemental Chaos that surrounds all the Inner Planes.^[3]

Elemental Planes

The elemental planes are a group of planes based on the common elements.

• The Elemental Plane of Fire
• The Elemental Plane of Water
• The Elemental Plane of Air
• The Elemental Plane of Earth
• The Frostfell^[4]

Energy Planes

• The Positive Energy Plane^[5]
• The Negative Energy Plane^[6]

Transitive Planes

Transitive Planes are planes that connect other planes together, or are used as a means of travel between points on a single plane.^[7]

The Ethereal Plane

→ Main article: Ethereal Plane.

It is a plane that overlaps the Material Plane. It’s filled with snow-like dust that floats in space and is colorless, having only black, white, and grey tones.^[8]

The Astral Plane

→ Main article: Astral Plane.

It is one of the boundary planes that lie between many of the other realms. It is an amorphous realm where the will and the imagination have influence over the surrounding space, where one can will oneself to float and move.^[9] Zehir, the Cloaked Serpent and his nemesis Erathis, the Lawbearer both reside in the Astral Plane.^[10]

Outer Planes

The Outer Planes are where the divine exist.^[11] Those with an element of good in their nature are sometimes called the Upper Planes, while those with some evil in their nature are called the Lower Planes.^[12]

Lower Planes

The Abyss

The Abyss is an infinite plane of chaos and evil dreamed into existence by Tharizdun, the Chained Oblivion. Without strict hierarchy, the Abyss is chaotic and unorganized.

Acheron

Acheron is a lawful plane divided between evil and neutrality. It is the home of deities like Gruumsh, the Ruiner and Bane, the Strife Emperor, each with their own domain and plans of conquest.^[13]

Carceri

Carceri is a desolate plane where prisons are often built in Torog, the Crawling King's image.^[14]

Gehenna

Gehenna is a plane of evil inhabited and visited, among others, by powerful hags.^[15]

The Nine Hells

The Nine Hells of Baator is the home plane of the devils. It is a plane of evil and, unlike the Abyss, is highly organized with a strict caste system.

• Avernus
• Dis

Pandemonium

Pandemonium is a plane of madness.

Upper Planes

Arborea

→ Main article: Arborea.

Arborea is a plane of unearthly beauty and deep woods, very connected with deities elves worship including Corellon, the Arch Heart^[16] and Sehanine, the Moonweaver;^[17] Melora, the Wildmother, visits Arvandor, one of its layers, quite often.^[16] This plane embodies the chaotic good alignment.^[18]

Elysium

→ Main article: Fields of Elysium.

Elysium is a idyllic plane of good where deities Pelor, the Dawnfather and Sarenrae, the Everlight live.^[19]

Mount Celestia

→ Main article: Mount Celestia.

The Seven Heavens of Mount Celestia embody the alignment of lawful good.^[18]

Ysgard

The plane where Kord, The Stormlord dwells.^[17] A plane of chaotic good and chaotic neutral.^[18]

Other

Endless Athenaeum

→ Main article: Endless Athenaeum.

The Endless Athenaeum is a secret realm in an undisclosed plane. It is an embodiment of the goddess Ioun, the Knowing Mistress.

Limbo

→ Main article: Limbo.

Limbo is a chaotic neutral plane^[18] to which the githzerai moved after escaping enslavement under the mind flayers,^[20] founding there the city of Shra'kt'lor, from which ambassadors led by anarchs are sent to other planes, to use their powers to create transport locations connected to Limbo on other planes of existence.^[21]

Far Realm

→ Main article: Far Realm.

The Far Realm is a plane of madness situated very far from the other planes.

Demiplanes

Demiplanes are extradimensional spaces with their own unique rules. Demiplanes can exist naturally and they can be created through spells or through the desire of a powerful force like a deity.

• The Folding Halls of Halas
• The Netherdeep

The Cosmos

The Divine Gate is an esoteric, non-Euclidean structure that is a barrier between the Prime Material Plane and everything else,^[22] preventing the gods of Exandria, both good and evil, from physically crossing into the Prime Material Plane. The Gate was made by the Prime Deities after the Calamity to better protect mortals from the influence of the Betrayer Gods in the event known as the Divergence.

Planerider Ryn's notes (found by the Mighty Nein while in the Elemental Plane of Fire) indicated she had noticed a slow shift in the structure between the planes, and a possible sudden shift in the cosmic tapestry down the road, potentially remaking the cosmos.^[23]

Trivia

• The divine realms of the gods, which act as their seats of power inside existing planes or apart from them, are directly tied to them, so if one of them dies permanently without anyone taking their place, the realm itself fades, releasing the mortal souls it contains in the process.^[24]

References

1. ↑ See "Hope" (1x56) at 3:47:28.
2. ↑ See "Thar Amphala" (1x101) at 2:01:13.
3. ↑ See "The Stowaway" (2x45) at 2:26:34.
4. ↑ See Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, p. 10.
5. ↑ See "Dark Portents" (3x29) at 2:51:58.
6. ↑ See "Dark Portents" (3x29) at 2:51:58.
7. ↑ See "The Stowaway" (2x45) at 2:26:34.
8. ↑ See "A Favor in Kind" (2x16) at 3:11:47.
9. ↑ See "The Ruined Sliver" (2x104) at 0:46:16.
10. ↑ See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 22 and 29.
11. ↑ See "The Stowaway" (2x45) at 2:27:19.
12. ↑ See D&D: Player's Handbook (2014), 5^th ed., p. 301.
13. ↑ See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, pp. 26–27.
14. ↑ See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 28.
15. ↑ See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 274.
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1} See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 23.
17. ↑ ^{17.0 17.1} See Explorer's Guide to Wildemount, p. 25.
18. ↑ ^{18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3} See D&D: Dungeon Master's Guide (2014), 5^th ed., p. 58.
19. ↑ See "The Fate-Touched" (1x103) from 2:38:31 through 2:39:34.
20. ↑ See "The Search For Bob" (Sx45) at 2:01:55.
21. ↑ See "The Search For Bob" (Sx45) from 3:43:26 through 3:44:17.
22. ↑ See "Explorer's Guide to Wildemount Q&A and Fireside Chat with Matthew Mercer" (Sx53) at 1:03:33.
23. ↑ See "Between a Ball and a Hot Place" (2x129) at 3:02:34.
24. ↑ See "A New Age Begins" (3x121) at 1:00:30.

Art:

1. ↑ Fan art of the planes of existence, by Cristina Anaya (source). Used with permission.