Bytopia

In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Bytopia, also known as the Twin Paradises, (bi- + utopia) or, more fully, the Twin Paradises of Bytopia, is a lawful good/neutral 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 Planescape, Greyhawk, and some editions of the Forgotten Realms campaign settings.

Bytopia is a virtuous plane of cultivated beauty, and is home to many of the deities of the gnomish pantheon.

Publication history

The plane known as the Twin Paradises was mentioned for the first time by name in the article "Planes: The Concepts of Spatial, Temporal and Physical Relationships in D&D", in The Dragon #8, released July 1977. In the article Gary Gygax describes the plane as one of the "Typical higher planes".^[1] The plane was mentioned again in an appendix of the known planes of existence in the original (1st edition) AD&D Players Handbook, published in June 1978, where it was described as "The Twin Paradises of neutral good lawfuls".^[2]

Structure

Bytopia is a spatially infinite plane, consisting of two layers or sub-planes. It is unique in the sense that the two layers are laid facing one another, each looking down (or up; the terms are relative here) at the other. A traveller can look up from one layer and see the other above him looking back down (or, from the other side's perspective, up), provided that the sky is clear. To get from one layer to the other, travellers must either climb tall mountains, or fly. Gravity reverses when someone reaches the middle point between the two layers. Bytopia shares its borders with the neighbouring planes of the Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia and the Blessed Fields of Elysium; travel is possible between Bytopia and these planes at certain locations.

Layers

Epimetheus, the Greek Titan, wanders the plane of Bytopia.

Bytopia consists of two layers:

Dothion

Dothion is a serene pastoral layer of meadows and wild-flowers; it is home to the souls of farmers, craftsmen, honest merchants, and gnomish commoners. The Golden Hills, a separate plane in the 3rd-Edition Forgotten Realms cosmology, is located here, and is home to the gnome deity Garl Glittergold, as well as Baervan Wildwanderer, Baravar Cloakshadow, Flandal Steelskin, Gaerdal Ironhand, Nebelun the Meddler, and Segojan Earthcaller.^[3] Flandal shares his Mithral Forge with Ama-Tsu-Mara. The godly realms of Deephome, home of Callarduran Smoothhands, god of the svirfneblin, and Prosperity, realm of Inari, are also located on Dothion.^[4]

Shurrock

Shurrock is the mountainous untamed twin, home of hidden beasts and monsters. The gnomish underground mining city of Quarry that specialises in gemcutting is located here. Rangers often foray into this wilderness to slay creatures that have threatened the folk of Dothion.

A number of godly realms exist on this layer, including Heart of Justice, realm of Kiri-Jolith, and Windwrath, realm of Tefnut. Martyrdomain was the realm of Ilmater in previous editions of Dungeons & Dragons.^[4]

Fauna

• Adamantine dragon

Sources

• Grubb, Jeff; Cordell, Bruce R.; Noonan, David (2001). Manual of the Planes. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-1850-0. 

References

1. ↑ Gygax, Gary (July 1977). "Planes: The Concepts of Spatial, Temporal and Physical Relationships in D&D". The Dragon #8. TSR. I (8): 4. 
2. ↑ Gygax, Gary (1978). Players Handbook. TSR. ISBN 0-935696-01-6. 
3. ↑ Baker, Richard; James Wyatt (2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5. 
4. 1 2 McComb, Colin (1996). On Hallowed Ground. TSR Inc. p. 180. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.