Earth Plane

From Manuel of the Planes (3e):

It is a place of hidden riches.

It is a wall against all foes.

It is a grave for the greedy.

The Elemental Plane of Earth is a solid place made of rock, soil, and stone. The unwary and unprepared traveler may find himself entombed within this vast solidity of material and have his life crushed into nothingness, his powdered remains a warning to any foolish enough to follow.

Despite its solid, unyielding nature, the Elemental Plane of Earth is varied in its consistency, ranging from relatively soft soil to veins of heavier and more valuable metal. Striations of granite, volcanic rock, and marble interweave with brittle crystal and soft, crumbling chalks and sandstones. Thin veins of gemstones, rough and huge, can be found within the plane, and these unpolished jewels often lead the greedy to this plane in the hopes of picking them up with minimal effort. Such prospectors often meet their match in the natives of the Elemental Plane of Earth, who feel extremely attached (sometimes literally) to parts of their home.

The Elemental Plane of Earth is a place hostile to life from the Material Plane, but unlike the Elemental Plane of Fire, it is not actively hostile. Rather, it is uncaring, unconcerned about the motes of life that move through it and around it. It is solid stone, as patient as the earth itself. And it has all the time in the universe.

For the traveler, the greatest danger on the Elemental Plane of Earth is being accidentally caught and suffocated within solid earth. Travelers who manifest in the caverns and other "clear areas" of the plane are safe from that danger (unless a cave-in occurs), but a traveler who suddenly manifests randomly on the plane runs the risk of suffocation and speedy burial.

Even creatures that do not need to breathe may still find themselves trapped in the rock and soil, unable to extricate themselves. In such cases they must wait for rescue by an outside source, and they may fall prey to starvation and dehydration.

Those who wind up buried in an area of relatively loose soil on the Elemental Plane of Earth can start digging a chamber for themselves (taking about 10 minutes to clear a 5-foot cube). From there they have to choose a direction and start digging, hoping to find an open cavern.

A spellcaster trapped in solid earth can use only spells that do not require a somatic component, and the only foci and material components that may be used are those at hand. Verbal components are unaffected.

For those trapped on a long-term basis, starvation and dehydration become threats. The elemental life forms are part of the plane  itself and thus inedible. The outsider natives of the Elemental Plane of Earth that require normal sustenance often have their own permanent communities to draw upon. Except in such areas, the ever-grinding motion of the plane's soils prevents anything from taking root long enough to blossom—even if it had enough light to do so.

Travelers trapped in the rocky state of the plane are effectively blind until they can reach a space large enough to cast a spell or light a torch. Even then, the Elemental Plane of Earth is by its nature as dark as the deepest
cave—there is no sky or sun here at all. Darkvision functions normally in the twisting passages of the Elemental Plane of Earth, but those without it must provide their own light source.

There are luminous gems and crystals found naturally within the plane that may provide light (usually as bright as a candle, large deposits are the equivalent of a torch). Such discoveries are usually signs of recent or present occupation of the area by other inhabitants.