The Para-Realm of Ash, also called the Plane of Ash, lay at the intersection of the Realm of Fire and the Realm of Air within the Cosmic Wheel. It was a dry, choking expanse where burning heat had stripped flame of its substance and wind carried its remains. The plane was composed of drifting ash clouds, slag dunes, and fields of fine gray powder that shifted constantly under relentless currents. Gravity existed but was weak and inconsistent, allowing ash to hang in the air or collapse suddenly into dense falls. Visibility was poor, as the atmosphere was perpetually filled with soot and cinders that dimmed all light to a dull, smoldering haze.
The environment of the Plane of Ash was harsh and abrasive rather than overtly burning. Heat lingered in the ground and air, but active flames were rare, replaced by embers and slow-burning deposits beneath the surface. Winds scoured the landscape, driving ash storms that could bury structures and strip exposed matter down to bare stone or bone. Breathing was difficult due to fine particulate choking the air, and prolonged exposure wore down both materials and living beings. While remnants of charcoal, volcanic glass, and fire-touched minerals were common, the plane’s constant erosion and shifting winds made permanence nearly impossible.