The Planes are alternate worlds stacked on top of one another, like a multi-level mansion.

II. The Levels

The Planes are “stacked” one on top of the other. However, each Plane contains climate, landmarks, fauna, flora, and demon breeds unique to itself. To common knowledge, the Planes are quite possibly innumerable. And there is no set order to the arrangement of the Planes. Some Planes may move, though the shift would not generally be noticed by the average traveler.  Very rarely, Planes undergo major climate shifts.

          The Plane with native humans is referred to as the Terra Plane. The Terra Plane seems to be the middle-most plane, a divider between the Higher Planes and the Lower Planes. Any Plane with neither extremely hot nor extremely cold climates is a neutral Plane. Any Plane with only an extremely hot or an extremely cold climate is a Higher level Plane. Any Plane with both extremely hot and extremely cold climates is a Lower level Plane.

III. Gates

Between Planes are elevators that can take you from one level to another level. Those “elevators” are called Gates. There are two main types of Gates: Stationary Gates and non-Stationary Gates.

Stationary Gates are Gates that are tied to the land where they reside. This type cannot be moved, and almost any energy-working creature can open it. Most Planes have at least one Stationary Gate to link them to another Plane. Some have numerous Stationary Gates, so they are in-touch with many Planes. A Stationary Gate will *ALWAYS* lead to the same place, as they are linked from a specific location to a specific location. If a traveler is using a Stationary Gate, he/she is Jumping.

Non-Stationary Gates are Gates created by a person from his/her location to the location of his/her choice. Making a Non-Stationary Gate costs the traveler more energy than opening a Stationary Gate. Also, holding a Non-Stationary Gate open burns energy more quickly than holding open a Stationary Gate. This is why demons occasionally get stuck on foreign Planes. They burn too much energy creating a Gate and holding it open to immediately leave again. Sometimes, the loss of energy causes permanent damage to the energy-worker, leaving them unable to hold and utilize energy ever again. If a traveler is using a Non-Stationary Gate, he/she is Leaping.

If a traveler remains inside a Gate for more than the requisite three seconds, the Gate will close in upon itself. The demon becomes Lost in the Void, essentially free-floating in nothingness. For a long-lived creature that doesn’t require sustenance like food and drink, this is not a major problem (just a major annoyance). Eventually, someone will probably open a Gate exactly where the Lost demon is floating and he/she will have the opportunity to exit. (Unfortunately, the demon has no choice in the destination. Nor will he/she have gained/lost energy during time spent in the Void.) For Lost humans/short-lived demons, sucks to be you. Usually, there is not any way to zero in on a Lost creature. And humans typically die of starvation or dehydration before being located. There are few exceptions.

IV. Traveling via Gates

The trip between one place and the next, no matter what level of Plane the traveler needs to reach, takes three seconds. (As in “One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi.”) In those three seconds, the traveler can see both forward to the destination and backward toward the origin. A decision must be made whether to continue forward or return to the starting Plane. The Void (the place between Planes, after one enters the Gate and before one exits it) is the only section where the activity on the destination is visible. If no conscious decision to go back to the origin is made, the traveler will simply follow the Gate to the exit and face the consequences.

V. Astral and Etheric Projection

          Astral and etheric projection are two ways to travel the Planes without the physical body. Despite pre-Enlightenment accountings, the astral Plane does not exist. Accounts of people traveling to the astral Plane are actually accounts of people traveling to other Planes that they did not recognize as their own. Instead, astral projection implies traveling in a barely tangible form. Oftentimes this form is composed of a substance similar to light. The major drawback to this form is that it cannot touch or be touched.

          Projecting an astral form takes concentration and energy. Some astral forms are completely invisible, though many non-human demons can detect the presence of them by the energy exuded from the form. This is the easiest form to create and hold; however, it is also the easiest form for other demons to banish. Luckily, having this form banished is generally not harmful to the projector. The most complex astral form appears completely solid to anyone viewing it. However, it still cannot touch or be touched. This version of the form is the hardest astral form to banish. Both the demon banishing and the demon projecting will feel a little drained after the encounter. Astral forms may fall anywhere between these two extremes.

          Etheric projection takes concentration, energy, and skill. All etheric forms are completely solid. As such, etheric forms can touch and be touched. The biggest advantage to this form is that many demons cannot tell the difference between an etheric projection and the actual physical body. Of course, an etheric form has a number of drawbacks. First, it cannot be held for long periods of time as it drains energy very quickly. Generally four or five hours is the absolute maximum. Secondly, an injury to the etheric form can manifest on the physical body. A fatal injury to the etheric form can kill the demon projecting it as so much of one’s personal injury is tied to it.