Arborea, or the Olympian Glades of Arborea in its entirety, embodies a plane aligned with chaotic goodness. Here, Chaos and Good harmonize in perfect equilibrium, creating a realm pulsating with intense emotions. It's the nexus of passion, where feelings surge to their utmost extremes. Myth and heroism intertwine, birthing epic tales—some comic, others tragic. It's a haven of liberty, attracting both the fervent revelers and the selfless guardians, from frenzied bacchae to altruistic eladrins. Arborea is a symphony of wine, song, and mind-altering substances.
Guardianship of its diverse terrains lies in the hands of nature's spirits—nymphs, dryads, oreads, asrai, satyrs, and the guardians of the land. These entities demand reverence and offerings from any who dare encroach upon their domains.
Two primary kinds of petitioners inhabit Arborea. Firstly, the spirits of deceased elves constitute one group, taking on forms of celestial beings or merging seamlessly with the fabric of the plane, their ultimate reward in death. The second group comprises the bacchae, perpetual revelers steeped in intoxication, ceaselessly hosting wild celebrations that lure in visitors to join their festivities.
The Ingmar Brook within Arvandor acts as a conduit to Alfheim in Ysgard, presumably traversing through Syranita's Whisteedge realm. Another path, the Gnarl found in Erevan Ilesere's domain, houses a root of Yggdrasil that offers access to Ysgard or other destinations.
Once every month, during the full moon, the River Oceanus flows toward the Gates of the Moon located in Ysgard.
In Arborea's initial layer lies the town of Thrassos, harboring a portal linking to the Outlands town of Sylvania.
Arborea has three layers:
Arvandor In previous editions, this layer was known as Olympus, but the most recent edition of Manual of the Planes refers to it only as Arvandor. This layer is a region of mountains, deep primeval forests, and the most fertile farmland in all the planes. Olympus is known in Sigil as the "breadbasket of the planes" for the many foods grown here, more and more flavorful than anywhere else. Both the Olympian and elvish pantheons maintain communal realms here. It's also the place where most eladrins dwell in hidden pocket realms lit by twilight. The Society of Sensation has a palace of eternal beauty and pleasure, the Gilded Hall, on this layer.
Arvandor has a day and night cycle matching that of the material plane.
Arvandor, the realm of the Seldarine, is located on this layer, and this realm is the source of one of the layer's most common names. Wenta also dwells in the realm of Arvandor, at least for the moment.
The realm of Brightwater is located on Arvandor. A variety of deities have homes here, including Lliira, Sharess, Sune, and Tymora, Ye'Cind, and Rudd (although Rudd also has a realm of her own in Ysgard).
There are several other realms located on this layer, including the aarakocra goddess Syranita's realm of Whistledge, the giant goddess Iallanis's realm of Florallium, Trithereon's realm of The Forking Road, and Chih-Nii's realm of Loom of the Celestial River.
Aquallor/Ossa Ossa is an infinite ocean dotted with islands, the domain of the sea gods. The eladrins of this layer are beautiful creatures called novieres; they have aquatic adaptations to help them swim. The sea is every bit as wild as one would expect in a plane of Chaos.
When not with the Seldarine, Deep Sashelas also has his own realm of Elavandor on Ossa.
Mithardir/Pelion Pelion is an infinite desert filled with sandstorms and snow. Once—long, long, ago—it is said that Pelion was as fertile as Arvandor and Ossa, but some terrible error was made, some plane-scouring war or harmful interpretation of Chaos left nothing but sand-covered ruins. Though many other gods and entire pantheons have abandoned Pelion, the goddess Nephythys, protector of the dead, remains. There are many forgotten things buried beneath the sands, remnants of an empire of titans and secrets of the time before Creation itself. It was in the ruins of Pelion that Orcus discovered the obscene power known as the Last Word. There are eladrins in Pelion too, wild, passionate beings called bralani dancing and fighting their way across the wastes.
Guardianship of its diverse terrains lies in the hands of nature's spirits—nymphs, dryads, oreads, asrai, satyrs, and the guardians of the land. These entities demand reverence and offerings from any who dare encroach upon their domains.
Inhabitants
The guardians of Arborea, the eladrins, are celestial beings bearing an ethereal resemblance to elves and holding formidable power. Among them, the coure stands as the most prevalent. Lillends also frequent this plane. Arborea houses various celestial and anarchic versions of mundane animals—natural creatures infused with either inclinations toward goodness or chaos.Two primary kinds of petitioners inhabit Arborea. Firstly, the spirits of deceased elves constitute one group, taking on forms of celestial beings or merging seamlessly with the fabric of the plane, their ultimate reward in death. The second group comprises the bacchae, perpetual revelers steeped in intoxication, ceaselessly hosting wild celebrations that lure in visitors to join their festivities.
Structure
Arborea, existing as an outer plane, expands infinitely across three boundless layers or sub-planes. The initial layer of Arborea shares borders with the adjacent planes of the Heroic Domains of Ysgard, the Outlands, and the Wilderness of the Beastlands, permitting travel between them at specific points. Portals within Arborea manifest as crimson disks, typically encircled by stone walls or iron gates.The Ingmar Brook within Arvandor acts as a conduit to Alfheim in Ysgard, presumably traversing through Syranita's Whisteedge realm. Another path, the Gnarl found in Erevan Ilesere's domain, houses a root of Yggdrasil that offers access to Ysgard or other destinations.
Once every month, during the full moon, the River Oceanus flows toward the Gates of the Moon located in Ysgard.
In Arborea's initial layer lies the town of Thrassos, harboring a portal linking to the Outlands town of Sylvania.
Layers
The wandering realm of the Seelie Court often appears on the plane of Arborea, always in a different location.Arborea has three layers:
Arvandor In previous editions, this layer was known as Olympus, but the most recent edition of Manual of the Planes refers to it only as Arvandor. This layer is a region of mountains, deep primeval forests, and the most fertile farmland in all the planes. Olympus is known in Sigil as the "breadbasket of the planes" for the many foods grown here, more and more flavorful than anywhere else. Both the Olympian and elvish pantheons maintain communal realms here. It's also the place where most eladrins dwell in hidden pocket realms lit by twilight. The Society of Sensation has a palace of eternal beauty and pleasure, the Gilded Hall, on this layer.
Arvandor has a day and night cycle matching that of the material plane.
Arvandor, the realm of the Seldarine, is located on this layer, and this realm is the source of one of the layer's most common names. Wenta also dwells in the realm of Arvandor, at least for the moment.
The realm of Brightwater is located on Arvandor. A variety of deities have homes here, including Lliira, Sharess, Sune, and Tymora, Ye'Cind, and Rudd (although Rudd also has a realm of her own in Ysgard).
There are several other realms located on this layer, including the aarakocra goddess Syranita's realm of Whistledge, the giant goddess Iallanis's realm of Florallium, Trithereon's realm of The Forking Road, and Chih-Nii's realm of Loom of the Celestial River.
Aquallor/Ossa Ossa is an infinite ocean dotted with islands, the domain of the sea gods. The eladrins of this layer are beautiful creatures called novieres; they have aquatic adaptations to help them swim. The sea is every bit as wild as one would expect in a plane of Chaos.
When not with the Seldarine, Deep Sashelas also has his own realm of Elavandor on Ossa.
Mithardir/Pelion Pelion is an infinite desert filled with sandstorms and snow. Once—long, long, ago—it is said that Pelion was as fertile as Arvandor and Ossa, but some terrible error was made, some plane-scouring war or harmful interpretation of Chaos left nothing but sand-covered ruins. Though many other gods and entire pantheons have abandoned Pelion, the goddess Nephythys, protector of the dead, remains. There are many forgotten things buried beneath the sands, remnants of an empire of titans and secrets of the time before Creation itself. It was in the ruins of Pelion that Orcus discovered the obscene power known as the Last Word. There are eladrins in Pelion too, wild, passionate beings called bralani dancing and fighting their way across the wastes.