planeiks

Planeiks are a fictional class of planar beings used in speculative fiction and tabletop role-playing games to explore ideas about geometry, perception, and dimensional boundaries. The term combines "plane" with a suffix suggesting a group or species and has appeared in various works since the late 20th century.

Physically, planeiks are described as energy- or light-based entities that occupy a single two-dimensional plane. They lack conventional organs or mass as understood in three-dimensional biology. To observers from higher dimensions, they may appear as shimmering silhouettes aligned with lines and edges. They move by sliding across surfaces and along boundaries.

Planeiks inhabit isolated two-dimensional planes embedded within a broader multiverse of intersecting dimensions. They anchor to edges, corners, or boundaries, drawing sustenance from reflections, shadows, or ambient light on their plane. They are typically depicted as having slow, deliberate motion and a preference for predictable geometric patterns.

Many depictions describe planeiks forming loose communities called slabs, united by shared orientation and mutual protection along boundaries. Communication occurs through line-based signals, color shifts along edges, or changes in a plane's tessellation. The culture often emphasizes measurement, symmetry, and balance.

In culture and media, the concept serves as a thought experiment about perception, dimensionality, and the limits of three-dimensional intuition. Planeiks appear in puzzles, optical illusions, and narrative sequences where characters must interpret hidden boundaries or navigate planar portals.

Related topics include Flatland, four-dimensional beings, and the role of geometry in fiction.