The Many Planes
THE MANY WORLDS OF THE CELESTIAL SEA
The Many Worlds of the Celestial Sea
The Material Plane is only one of many worlds amongst the Celestial Sea, all of which are interconnected by magical strands together, into floating islands on the emptiness. Between the worlds is what is called Limbo, a place of nowhere, nothing and no one, a place where time stands still.
Imagine islands of life, floating upon a black, endless sea. Limbo permeates everything, and those with sufficient skill in magic can travel to this betweenland, if for a time. Most who access this plane assumes an astral form, and leave their physical form behind.
Those who do travel say it is a black ocean, under a black turbid sky, with faint, disconnected wisps of sunlight, not even acting as light should, but almost akin to fabric floating in the wind.
One of the old gods inhabit this plane, though he is reclusive, and seldom seen. He may suddenly appear on a traveller's boat, often in some disguise, before quickly vanishing just like how he appeared.
The Near Realms
The Material Plane
The Material Plane is the homeland of most of the major races of the world, and the most lively place where the wills of the Pantheons clash, and create a vibrant and alive world which is ever changing. Eras come and go, and many thousands of generations have left their mark on this world. It is often a harsh, unforgiving place, yet can also be lush and bountiful.
The material plane seems to be never ending, with oceans stretching east, west, and south as far as anyone knows, with countless mysterious islands and even continents hidden far away. The north is cold, and great cracks form in the icy ground. The more north one goes, the more chaotic and cold it gets.
The Twilight Vale
·references· The Twilight Vale is a reflection of the Material Plane, the original home of the Eladrin Elves. It is a quiet, tranquil world ever bathed in twilight, where all is quiet and peaceful, and covered in expanses of forest. Great cities and fortresses in the Material Plane seem like thousand year ruins in the Twilight, and vice versa. There is no rhyme or reason to this rule, and sometimes ruins may mysteriously appear and disappear in this mirror realm.
Whilst it is called the twilight, only the central stretch of lands are in the twilight state. To the north, far beyond the horizon where anyone can see, are three cold moons, and to the south, again far over the seas, are seven scorching suns, still in the sky. People say that the north lies an entrance into the far realm of Faewyrne, and the south to Isia.
The Deep Dark
A grey, barren world bathed in only a faint moonlight from a hidden moon, where lost souls wander in eternal torment. No plant life could hope to survive, and the kingdoms of this world are ruled by shades and demons. In the deep valleys the black shadow of Golmak reigns, which consumes all that would even tough it. The dark is ever present, and light is sacred. Where light does not reach, unwitting wanders would be slowly consumed by the darkness, pulled into the shadows from which they never return.
In the deepest valley of the Deep Dark is a black river, that flows countless miles, into the City of Mors.
The Far Realms
TREE OF FAELARA - Valaan, the Great Father
ISIA - Marí the Sister
PARADEISOS - Estia, Mother of Earth
ELEPHTHERIA - Kleios, the Just
PAK DUR - Ingvar, the King's Hammer
VIVLIOTHEKA - Moira, Hand of Fate
The Planes of the Greater Pantheon
Each God of the Greater Pantheon has his or her own world, a wondrous place crafted to each's every desire. No mortal could hope to access these planes from their own magic alone, and even then it takes great strength to make it even a quarter of the way past Limbo. In history, though, few fables tell of journey to these outer lands, and of how unless the Gods shape them for the mortal, the worlds are incomprehensible.
ASARAKH - Asyr Shai
IRAKON - Xiron Shai
FAEWYRNE - Cerí the Brother
SHENZHOU - Jin Xian, the Learned Disciple
XIZHAN - Jin Zhou, Altanbaatar the Vengeful
PAK DUR - Krieg, the Mountain King
CHIRENIA - Chara, the Crimson Priest
L͔̖̀I̲̭̬̦̞̼̾ͧ͆ͧ̽̅M͚̺̣͕ͬB̳͖̠͎͎͙͚O͙̩͓̩͈ͭ̆͆͒̋́̊ - The Many Faced God
The Heavenly Council
The Heavenly Council is the realm of the lesser gods, as the material plane is the realm of mortals. The Heavenly Council, curated by Kleios and Xiron, is intended to be the guiding presence to keep the lesser gods within check. Practically, however, a status quo is kept, and many in their normal lives feel little or no influence from any diety. The lands around the Citadel are home to celestial beings, some of which are merely legends to the mortal people of the material plane. Here it is always day, nature is kind and all is peaceful.
The Heavenly Council includes also the Heavenly Court, where souls are judged before being sent to either Tai or Mors.
The Eternal Mountain
The Eternal Mountain is where exalted souls go. Here is heaven, in the classical sense, a paradise world for those who were good, and those who were just. In the centre of the world is the mountain itself, Tai, its height unfathomable to any mortal being. It is said that at the peak of this mountain is a solitary gate, the gate to Paradeisos, the outer realm of Estía.
The Nine Tiered City
The Nine Tiered City, The City of Yellow Springs, also known as the City of Mors, is where the souls of those who were bad, and those who were corrupt are sent. Here, these wretched suffer eternal torment, depending on which tier they are condemned to. The ruler of this realm is known as Aligheri, once a man so wretched and cruel, even the torment of Mors could not touch him.
Through this realm runs a black river, with water full of corruption and decay, that links this city through the Sea to other lands.
The Unformed Lands
The Unformed Lands are a series of lesser realms, many of which attached to Asarakh, Asyr's domain, many others floating around the sea. In these realms, chaos is everywhere, and the world defies all known laws of operation. Within these reside elementals, beings formed of only the base constituent elements that make up the world. Earth, air, fire, water, and so on. They represent unfinished planes, or planes yet still evolving, and no mortal has ever stepped foot within one of these.
These places are hostile to beings of flesh and blood.
The Borderlands
The Borderlands are a part of Limbo, the ethereal place that most closely touches any solid world. Most ethereal or astral magic will transport the user into this world, where time flows, and various otherworldly beings live. Travellers may use these borderlands to travel vast distances, or travel between dimensions in a comparatively short time. However, pirates sail these skies, and floating unknown civilisations lie within, some hostile, some not. Furthermore, the primordial wind that contains and surrounds the various planes pose great danger to those too weak or underprepared to bare them.
Islands of Flux
The Islands of Flux lie amongst the limbo of the Celestial Sea. They are the remnants of failed dimensions, created aeons ago. In these places order is nonexistent, and the only way to control such a place is with one's mind. Here is where stone melts into liquid diamond, burning fires freeze, and things spontaneously vanish and appear.
It is said that the most powerful and disciplined individuals can maintain islands of paradise, of their own creation, for as long as their mind is trained. Still, surviving in such a place is only possible for those closer to the gods than any mortal.