Post/Author/DateTime	Post
pmurray@bigpond.com 01-05-08, 04:53 AM	Well, we all know what manifest zones of Syrania look like - they kind of look like Sharn. While DMming Age of Worms in Eberron, I had a thought about manifest zones of Mabar and Irian. Mabar is, essentially, the negative material plane. So a manifest zone of Mabar would tend to "suck" like a vacuum. My take on this is that the boundary around the zone would tend to shrink. The effect would be much like a bathtub vortex viewed from the point of view of the surface of the water. The boundary of the vortex would be a sphere rather than a circle on the surface of the water. The vortex, while roughly anchored in a spot, would also move around unpredictably. Sound familiar? In my version of Eberron, a Spheres of Annihilation is simply a manifest zone of Mabar (or at least a certain type thereof). What about Irian, then, the positive material plane? Well, it would give off positive energy, it would be incredibly bright, it would not only give off light, but also life-giving power. So I reckon it fits nicely if we decide that the sun is simply an enormous manifest zone of Irian. That's why it's inimical to certain types of undead, that's why its light makes plants grow - it's not just light, it's also positive energy. If not for the existing campaign material, I would also suggest that manifest zones of Dal Quor (the realm of dreams) are conscious minds - anything with a Wis score, and that manifest zones of Doluurh (the realm of the dead) is physical life - anything with a Con score. Fire burns because it somehow opens a tiny, tiny portal to Fernia and so on. Whatever. It's a bit late to be speculating about Eberron metaphysics, i suppose. Eberron is D&D 3, and version 4 will be out soon.
OctaviusIII 01-06-08, 06:08 PM	I'm not so sure - manifest zones are overlaid on the material plane; they aren't points. A manifest zone of Irian, in my mind, would be a place where things grow better, where light shines brighter. Mabar would be the opposite: growth would be limited, things would be darker, and so on. The Gloaming in the Eldeen Reaches is an example.