What is Arcadia?

Known as the Peaceable

Kingdoms of Arcadia, it is
a plane of law and order all
for the greater good. Chaos
is strictly regulated, if not
immediately asked to leave
the plane, while evil is
immediately eliminated
from the plane by the
patrolling guards. Located
between Mechanus and
Mount Celestia, the
inhabitants believe that
absolute order and law
should help the greater
good, that evil has no place
on the plane. 

Little is known about the

layers of this plane, as
visitors are only allowed on
the top layer, Abellio. The
second layer, Buxenos, has
rarely been seen by
outsiders, and those who do
see it are politely asked to
leave immediately and the
inhabitants aren’t above
using force to ensure their
orders are followed. The
third layer, Menausus, is
entirely wrapped in
mystery with few even
know what it looks like or
who can be found on the
layer. Despite all of its
secrecy, rumors have
escaped from this plane
that the third layer has
drifted off to another plane,
most likely Mechanus and
that the inhabitants are
trying to cover up their
loss. 

History
Introduced in the Manual
of the Planes (1987),
Arcadia started out with
very little information and
the book simply states that
it’s layers are unknown and
mysterious. In 2nd edition,
the book Planes of Law
(1995) provides more
information about the
plane, including locations
found on the different
layers and revealing that
not all is good on the plane.
3rd edition expands only
slightly on this lore, adding
little more to the plane. 4th
edition removes the plane,
though an Astral Dominion
known as Hestavar shares
some of its traits, though
not many. 5e brings back
the plane, though fails to
mention how many layers
there are or touch on much
of what makes the plane
unique.

An Outsider’s
Perspective

Ordered and good, the

plane appears to be
immaculately laid out.
Forests of trees appear to
be more like orchards in
perfect rows. Sweeping
planes of grass never grow
too high but rather grow to
the same uniformed height
with flowers laid out in
perfect grids all colors Manual of the Planes, 2000 WotC
grouped together.
Wandering the plane,
outsiders must stick to the
gridwork of roads or be
treated with suspicion, with
patrols of guards and
petitioners making sure that
anyone straying from the
road, and breaking the law,
has a specific and good
reason to do so.

Outsiders are rarely trusted

and greeted with suspicion
until they can prove
themselves. This can take
months or years for an
outsider to become trusted,
and even then petitioners
might still reserve full trust
until a mortal dies and their
soul becomes a petitioner
on the plane. Even long
time petitioners, of high
authority, can have
suspicion cast upon them,
especially recently as the
entire plane of inhabitants
seem to be stressed about
something, though asking
about it simply makes you
a suspect. 

A Native’s
Perspective

Order for the greater good

is the greatest belief of
those who live here. This
plane is thought to be the
safest and most secure of
all the planes for laws must
be followed and those laws
are for the benefit of all.
Mortals from the Material
Plane are more likely to
settle on Arcadia than any
of the other planes, and the
petitioners make sure to
inspect every outsider
before allowing them to
stay here. Every petitioner
on this plane can
automatically detect
another creature’s
alignment unless that
creature has somehow
obscured it with a magic
item or spell. If an
inhabitant finds an evil
creature on this plane, they
attack immediately with
little care for their own life.
For the greater good, it is
better to fight and die
against evil than to stand
idly by. 

It’s not just petitioners and

mortals from the Material
Plane that call this plane
their home, but also
archons, aasimar, devas,
formians, dire-beasts,
hollyphants, and more. Any
entity that aligns
themselves with the focus
of the greater good finds a
secure home on this plane
and can be accepted, with a
little suspicion. Even the
large-sized beasts and
insects found throughout
Arcadia are peaceful and
focused on the greatest
good they can offer to the
plane. Bees, wasps, and
ants happily build their
nests in the best locations, Planes of Law, 1995 TSR Inc.
bees allow anyone access
to their honey without
stinging and wasps never
attack anyone unless they are evil and destroying the order of
the plane.

The plane is about harmony with good and order. The layers
themselves exemplify this goodness and order everywhere.
Forests are neat rows of trees, farmlands have perfectly
square plots of corn, wheat, and more, all kept neat, tidy, and
not inter-mingling with other plants or crops. Inhabitants are
expected to keep to order as well, cities should be arranged in
neat rows with buildings all conforming to each other.
Inhabitants are expected to get along with each other and to
be working towards the greater good, willing to give
themselves completely over to the cause. Those who refuse
to follow the laws and do good are not individuals that will
last long in this plane, either being killed for their evilness or,
if they are simply neutral, kicked out of the plane quite
forcibly into the Outlands and Arcadia’s gate-town of
Fortitude.

Atmosphere
Arcadia’s weather and seasons follow the strict order of this
plane. Every day is 24 hours with 12 hours of daylight and 12
hours of night with no sunrise or sunset. There are 27 days
per month and three months per season. There are four
seasons with weather that, while abrupt, is mild. Winter is a
sheet of snow that covers everything that should be covered,
spring brings blooming flowers and the omnipresent smell of
flowers, summer is warm, but not aggressively hot, while
autumn is cool with the unmistakable presence of sadness
and hope for a new year. The first two layers experience
opposite seasons, so when it is summer in Abellio, in
Buxenos it is in the grips of winter. No one is sure what the
third layer experiences during this time as so few are ever
allowed to travel to it.  
 Traits
Travel to the Plane
Traveling to this plane is easy, and because so many see it as
a safe place to settle down, the ways here are well
documented and traveled. Saffron colors pools on the Astral
Plane take travelers to the pastoral lands of Arcadia, just as
the gate-town of Fortitude, located on the Outlands, is happy
to allow outsiders in… so long as they aren’t evil or filled
with ill-intentions. You can also travel to this plane from its
neighbor planes of Mechanus and Mount Celestia through
portals that link the two. Portals to those planes take on the
form of white ivory or black steel with different curtains of
color denoting where they lead to; white curtains lead to
Mount Celestia, black to the Outlands, and silver to
Mechanus. 

Rumors also mention that if you are on Mechanus, and you

locate the third layer of Arcadia there, which is well guarded
by dwarves, modrons, and more, you can travel to the second
layer of Arcadia. These rumors are largely unsubstantiated
but planeswalkers from all over are interested in
investigating and learning the truth of it.

Planes of Law, 1995 TSR Inc.

 Planes of Law, 1995 TSR Inc.

Traversing the Plane

Traveling across the plane is quite simple, especially for those with a lawful bent. Roads lead from every important place to other important places, crisscrossing across the plane in a neat and ordered fashion. The top layer, Abellio
holds the Orb of Day and Night, which rotates at the top of the highest peak causing night and day to sweet across the plane. The Orb acts as the sun and moon for this plane and can be seen anywhere on the plane, acting as a
guide. Travelers use the Orb the same as the spire on the Outlands, navigating across the land and using it as a large landmark.

While walking across the plane is simple, it isn’t without its dangers. Groups of petitioner militia, called einheriar patrols, move in full force across the layers, ensuring that any visitors are following the laws. If travelers are found
off the road, they must have a very good reason for it, and lately, the patrols have been more strict than usual, interrogating farmers tending to their fields. You can’t be too sure that travelers or a farmer are not simply disguised
demons or chaotic creatures trying to pass themselves off as lawful and good. 

The top layer, Abellio, is laid out neatly and orderly. Rows of trees appear like well-maintained groves, in neat rows with no leaves that have fallen to the ground. The trees themselves are actually quite special with metallic bark
made of copper, gold, iron, or silver. The leaves are a brilliant color ranging from dark green to oranges and yellows like the tree leaves get during the Material Plane’s fall, though these leaves never fall. Some trees even have
special fruits that always spoil after a week that replicate the effects of magical potions, though these trees are highly guarded and protected. 

The rest of Abellio is also as well laid out as the forests with city blocks carefully planned, rivers crossing the cities in straight lines and roads leading to all the important places in the plane, though that doesn’t mean all the places.
The Storm Kings, four powerful beings who control cloud, lightning, rain, and wind; have fortresses at the four ‘cardinal’ directions on this plane and no road leads to their lairs. 

The petitioners of Arcadia are on journeys of enlightenment, much like the petitioners of Mount Celestia, except they are not looking to the self for enlightenment, but looking to the greater good. Those that reach the next step in
their journey are allowed access to the second layer, Buxenos. Outsiders can try and enter that layer, as the conduits are well documents, but also well guarded and protected by those attempting to keep the plane pure. Large stone
arches and giant plinths act as the conduits that bring travelers from the first layer down to the second and fortifications have been built on top of all the known ones. 
 Planes of Law, 1995 TSR Inc.

The Orb of Day and Night

Spinning on top of the highest peak in Abellio, it’s light shines down into the second layer, acting as the sun and moon. Half of this orb is a brilliant white that provides bright daylight to the plane while the other half gives the dull
glow of a moon and provides the illumination of stars in the sky above. There is no transition between night and day, the orb is constantly in motion, providing a perfect 12 hour day followed by a perfect 12 hour night. Travelers
can see this transition happen in real-time, especially if they are standing on top of a cliff or mountain as the orb rotates and night can be seen sweeping across the land. Because there is no transition, it can be disorienting for
visitors as they are immediately plunged into bright light from darkness, or vice versa, with little warning. This has the effect that half the layer is always in bright light and the other half in darkness with the night sky. 

Twinkling high above the plane are stars, though most people have no idea what those stars are meant to be. Some think that they are the domains of powers that have settled on the plane while others think they are different layers.
Some sages have tried studying the stars and then using magic to teleport themselves up there but no one has heard any stories of them returning.  

Locations
Known as the Land of Perfect Good, the plane follows the orders and laws of the multiverse. There are three layers, in accordance with the Rule of Three, with each lying beneath the other. The layers are inhabited by the
petitioners who have begun their journey to good and law. As the petitioners continue their journey, they appear older and older with the first layer made up of petitioners as early adults, for humans it would appear that they are in
their 20s. The second layer’s petitioners are adults, and if they were human they would appear in their 30s. The third layer’s petitioners are the oldest, at least as far as anyone knows, and appear as if they are 40 to 50 in human
terms.

Abellio
Largely flat with mountains and hills arranged in an orderly fashion, this layer is largely taken over by fields of grass and farming, forests, lakes, and more. Food is plentiful and even the beasts are focused on the good of all.
Petitioners of this layer seek peace and freedom through service and belief, which is why so many of them make up the guard patrols of this layer. 

Mandible

Buildings set upon a hill in perfect order, travelers are

welcomed to the surface level of the city, which has made the
city a popular destination for trading goods. The strangest
part of this city though is that it is created and ruled over by
the formians, ant-centaurs, who work diligently in their hives
for the greater good of their society. Like all formian cities,
the surface layer features buildings, like a typical city, while
below the surface is the true city. The different wards for the
workers can be found in these underground tunnels as well as
the Queen Mother’s chambers and the Place of Eggs hidden
securely in the center where it is almost impossible to find
them. 

There is only one ruler, the Queen Mother K’l’tk’thra (called

Clarity by outsiders), though she has three immature queens
who are in charge of running the day to day affairs of the
city. Each takes over a third of the tasks and every year they
trade-off so that they have experience in every aspect of the
city. Once they have learned to properly run a city, the Queen
Mother will send them off with formian workers and
myrmarches so that they can start their own city. 

Mount Clangeddin
A mountain in the shape of a perfect cone rises from the
ground, towering over thirty thousand feet, piercing the
clouds high above. The dwarven god of battle, Clangeddin
Silverbeard, oversees this realm, ensuring the order of the
dwarves within. The interior is carefully and exactly cut from
the stone within, forming great halls, forges, and the homes
for dwarves. Large training yards can be found in the
mountain along with forges that produce weapons of master
quality.

The dwarf petitioners are expected to spend half their day

practicing their fighting skills, in honor of Clangeddin, and
spend the other half working on their devices for the good of
all in Clangeddin. These dwarves are said to be the greatest
warriors of the plane and no one would dare to attack the
mountain and expect to win. Mortals from all over journey to
the mountain for if they can plead their case to Clangeddin,
or one of his advisors, then a legion of dwarves can be hired
to help them. Most of these causes must have something to
do with the dwarves, though for special and good
circumstances, the dwarves will happily take part as they
don’t fear dying off their plane. 

Buxenus
While Buxenus appears much like Abellio, it is well guarded
and protected from outsiders entering it. Those that somehow
make it to this layer must hide from the einheriar patrols or
be kicked out of the plane forcibly, unless they are evil, in
which case they are attacked immediately. Despite all the
precautions that the inhabitants of this plane have gone
through, rumors come out of this layer that it is being turned
into a large training camp, that the forces of good are hoping
to return the third layer, Menausus, to its rightful place in
Arcadia.

Heliopolis

This domain is ruled over by Ra, Isis, Osiris, and Horus who
have created a triangular realm. The triangle is split into three
equal pieces with each piece ruled over by a different power
with Horus wandering the realm and too chaotic to create a
realm. These four powers work together when needed but
represent different aspects that are sometimes at odds with
each other, like Ra oversees the destruction of the undead
while Osiris is the protector of the dead, including the non-
destructive undead. 

Each of the three realms that make up the domain has cities
under the rule of the respective power and the laws for each
realm are different. Undead are immediately destroyed upon
arriving in Ra’s realm of burning days and cool nights. Isis
land is considered moderate and the source of all beasts in
Heliopolis, while Osiris’ land occupies the surface as well as
below for the souls of the dead are interred in his realm.
Horus travels from city to city in this domain, an avenging
spirit that strikes down those that need to be brought down.  

Training Camps

Hidden from the multiverse are the training camps used by

the Harmonium to further their case of law and harmony. Planes of Law, 1995 TSR Inc.
They ‘borrow’ outsiders from all across the multiverse of
chaotic or neutral alignment and bring them to these camps
to teach them about law and order. They are hoping to bring
more people into law and
good, unfortunately the
success rate is incredibly
low and, while the
Harmonium do it for the
‘greater good’, many see it
as an evil act committed
with the best intentions. 

Menausus
Once the third layer of
Arcadia, it now resides on
Mechanus as the training
camps by the Harmonium
forced the bottom layer to
become aligned with evil.
Massive layer changes
rarely happen in the
multiverse, and this is the
first one that anyone can
remember happening.
Smaller pieces of a plane,
the size of a city or smaller,
are constantly shifting
around as the inhabitants
re-align their alignments,
causing that plot of land to
no longer fit in the plane.
The fact that the
Harmonium caused an
entire layer to shift from
one plane to the next has a
lot of people worried,
though this closely guarded
secret hasn’t yet been
proven to the rest of the
multiverse.

Those that do know about

the Harmonium and the
role they’ve played with
Menausus are worried that
they are going to cause
more of Arcadia to slip into
Mechanus. Already some
think that Buxenus is
beginning to shift, though
this has only made the
Harmonium cling tighter to
their training camps,
hoping to convert more to
law and good, even though
what they are doing is evil. 

Factions &
People
Beasts
The beasts of this plane are
much like their cousins on
the Material Plane, with
several differences. They
are much larger than a
normal beast, though they
lack the ability to speak
like those found on the
Beastlands. The Arcadian
beasts are also quite strange
as many of them have
metallic-like fur; foxes
have fur of gold, hares with
copper, and sheep with
silver-wool. The beasts are
not vicious and are more
likely to simply leave
petitioners and outsiders
alone unless they detect
someone is evil, in which
case they drive them out of
the plane with force.

The beasts all have the

natural ability to see Planes of Law, 1995 TSR Inc.
through illusions, which
makes them ideal guard
animals for places outside
of this plane and thus they
are highly sought after for
their unique abilities. 

Formians
Arcadia is the home of the
formians, though they have
recently been found on
Mechanus where they are
attempting to colonize
every gear. While in
Arcadia, they have no drive
for conquering territories
but focus on growing their
communities and working
for the greater good of the
hive. As ant-centaurs, they
can be quite large, standing
7 to 8 feet tall and they
come in a variety of shapes
and sizes. Workers are the
smallest of the formians
and have three-fingered
hands that allow them to do
some fine motor control
with them. Above the
workers are the warriors
and taskmasters who
handle carry out the orders
of the queen and ensure the
protection of the hive is
maintained. Myrmarches
are above them and act as
the royal guards of the
queen, protecting her with
their life. At the top of the
hive is the queen who is in
charge of the hive and
produces over a hundred
eggs a day. 

The Harmonium

Often nicknamed The

Hardheads, the Harmonium
is a faction in the
multiverse with the belief
that once the entire
multiverse is in harmony,
only then can there be a
new golden age. Their
motto is, “The Harmonium
is always right,” and they
refuse to adjust from there.
They often act as the guard
force of Sigil and Arcadia,
where they have made their
headquarters, and seek to
bring law and harmony
everywhere. Of course,
their actions on Arcadia are
leading many to believe
that the Harmonium are too
blinded by their own
philosophy of it’s their way
or no way, seeing as how
they lost a layer because
they made it evil. The
Harmonium refuse to see
things that way though, for
them, it was a conspiracy
against them by the chaotic
folk who want nothing Planes of Law, 1995 TSR Inc.
more than to destroy all the
hard and good work
they’ve done to make the
multiverse a better place.

Storm Kings

There are four kings who hold sway over the weather on
Arcadia, each of the kings controls one of the aspects of
weather; clouds, lightning, rain, and wind. These four work
together to create storms that rage across Arcadia on specific
time tables and based on ancient laws that they agreed to
during the creation of the multiverse. While these individuals
are especially powerful, often thought to be demi-gods, they
can be defeated and there have been so many storm kings
that no one can keep track of it all, in fact, two of the kings
are actually queens, but because they have always been
called kings, they’ve kept the moniker. 

Each king has a fortress of stone surrounded by the element

they control, massive clouds cover the Cloud King’s domain,
while walls of lightning protect the Lightning King. Each has
a small group of individuals that they train to replace them if
they are ever defeated or die of old age. This ensures that
storms, wind, rain, and clouds will always follow the order of
the plane, for if one of these elements was ever removed, it
would spell disaster for the plane.  

Encounters
Greater Good - A village is worried about the new arrivals
and thinks they might be spies sent by the forces of chaos!
Unfortunately for the party, they are thought to be those
spies. The town has decided that, for the greater good, the
party must be run off the plane for fear of disrupting the
place.

Harmonium’s Camps - Chaos must be replaced with order,

and you find yourself being kidnapped by the Harmonium.
Whether they succeed or not, you learn that they are hoping
to re-align you into a lawful and orderly creature, all for the
benefit of the greater good. 

Mixed Reception - The party has been stolen from by an

anarchist that has escaped Sigil and made their way onto
Arcadia. The Harmonium refuses to believe that the
individual in question is a thief, as that individual has been
an upstanding citizen for years. If the party wants their items
back, they’re gonna have to figure out how to do it without
drawing attention to themselves.  

Trouble in Mandile - An immature queen formian has

defected from the Queen Mother and has taken half of the
formians of the city. The Harmonium wants to know what
happened and if there is someone spreading dissent and
chaos in the city. 

Resources & Further Reading

Manual of the Planes (1st edition)
For more information on Arcadia in
1st edition.
Planes of Conflict (2nd edition)

For more information on creatures, locations, and

inhabitants of Arcadia.
Manual of the Planes
(3rd edition)
For some additional information on
Arcadia.

Planescape Campaign Setting, 1992 TSR Inc.

Planes of Law, 1995 TSR Inc.