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Are there symbols representing the Feywild, the Shadowfell and elemental planes (of Air, Fire, Earth and Water)? The player’s handbook of the 5th edition contains symbols for outer planes, are there symbols that represent the above planes of existence?

The symbol of the Feywild is of top interest. Perhaps there are any text descriptions?

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Looks like this picture is unofficial. The symbols for Outer planes are completely different from what can be found in the 2e "Planescape Campaign Setting" (1994) and 5e PHB. \$\endgroup\$
    – ben-ben
    Jul 15, 2020 at 9:12
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    \$\begingroup\$ For what reason is this tagged Planescape? In what scope are you looking for these symbols? Which approach to the cosmology are you actually working with? \$\endgroup\$ Jul 16, 2020 at 18:59
  • \$\begingroup\$ It is tagged "Planescape" due to the existence of elemental planes in the Planescape and due to plenty of illustrations. I need it for possible visual representation in the campaign. The Great Wheel. \$\endgroup\$
    – ben-ben
    Jul 16, 2020 at 19:36
  • \$\begingroup\$ I'm voting to close for "needs details or clarity". I think we need confirmation of the particular setting you are concerned with. \$\endgroup\$ Nov 3, 2020 at 21:35
  • \$\begingroup\$ I think it's too early to close the question, until the manual of the planes for the 5th edition came out. The question was, among other things, hoping to draw the attention of game designers to this aspect (or get suggestions for such symbols if there aren't any), when they think about illustrations for this book. Colored portals ok but the symbols could be used by portal creators or portal investigators of particular culture. \$\endgroup\$
    – ben-ben
    Nov 5, 2020 at 4:03

1 Answer 1

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It seems there are no universal symbols.

The Manual of the Planes from 3.5 edition includes info on Astral Color Pools on page 48:

There can be permanent portals between various planes and the Astral Plane. Outsiders that otherwise lack planetraveling abilities use these portals to get to the Astral Plane.

A number of openings known as color pools connect the Astral Plane to other planes. Color pools are irregular disks of a particular color floating in the vastness of the Astral Plane. The color of the pool tells the astral traveler what plane is on the other end of the color pool.

Astral Color Pools Picture

There is a parallel for the Ethereal Plane, too (as per page 56:

Shimmering curtains connect the Ethereal Plane to various Inner and Outer Planes. Just like portals, ethereal curtains create conduits through the Astral Plane. While they can be detected from the Material Plane (with a true seeing spell, for example), ethereal curtains can be entered only from the Ethereal Plane.

Ethereal curtains function like the color pools of the Astral Plane, but they always turn travelers solid when they reach the destination plane

Ethereal Curtain Image

This suggests there is a color theme related to various planes (or, at least, their connecting curtains/pools if not the planes themselves) but as for a specific logo identity or brand for each plane, there is no such indication. All the illustrations are used to try and map out the conceptual relationship of their positions and connections and I could not find where any specific graphic mark is mentioned.

Going further back, to the Planeswalker's Handbook from 2nd edition, we see that the planes are represented thematically.

Elemental Planes

There is an illustration on Page 7 of the Planeswalker's Handbook that shows a few sketches representing the various planes but there is no text accompanying text confirming or describing the illustration represents anything other than one person/character's choice of representation:

Planes Illustration

On page 105 of the TSR supplement Planes of Chaos, we find the elements (not the planes) represented thusly:

Norse elements illustration

There are a ton of glyphs here but it's critical to note that this illustration pertains not to the elemental planes but to the elements themselves. The illustration is used in conjunction with the description of how the gods, planes, and elements are intertwined so it's conceivable that some of the glyphs would be used to refer to both the element and its corresponding plane.

Here it's worth pointing out that the Planes of Chaos approaches the lore from the Norse mythology so the symbols it features would not be used by, say, the denizens of a given plane or, say, elves who use a different script.

It then seems to me that, aside from a potential color code given by their connections, representing the planes is left to the imagination of whoever is referencing them and is no doubt informed by that individual's culture. Based on the examples above, though, it would seem that certain general imagery (eg flames representing the plane of fire) is likely common.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Thanks for the expanded answer and mentioning the color of the portals. Signs can be used by wizards when they create (or find) portals, like druids, who mark in a special way the places of transitions to Feywild. As a suggestion, the GM can make a portal activation rune or a warning sign by combining shape (symbol) and color. \$\endgroup\$
    – ben-ben
    Nov 5, 2020 at 3:56

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