The Blessed FIelds of Elysium
The Blessed Fields of Elysium, or Elysium, was the uppermost Outer Plane embodying the concept of pure good without being overly restricted by law nor dissipated by the randomness of chaos.
Most features of the four layers of Elysium were found on or near the banks of the river Oceanus which linked the plane with two other Upper planes: the Beastlands and Arborea. Oceanus was the counterpart to the river Styx which flowed through the Lower planes except that Oceanus had only natural hazards and contained potable water. Lands near the riverbanks were lush with pines and flowering trees that filled the air with natural perfume. Farther from the river smaller trees grew and started to thin until finally, after hundreds of miles/kilometers, the forest gave way to fertile veldt regions, vast grasslands, and eventually badlands and desert. There were no suns, moons, or stars in Elysium except those that the inhabiting Powers manifested, created by moving about in various vessels, or moving their entire realms across the skies. Depending on who or what was aloft, the shade of the sky could be deep indigo to a bright cerulean at any given moment. Yggdrasil, the World Ash, extended its branches to all layers of Elysium, except Belierin.
AMORIA The first layer, Amoria, also referred to as the "innermost" layer, was connected to the Astral Plane by colour pools and to Twin Paradises, Happy Hunting Grounds, and Concordant Opposition by unmarked portals located in dark caverns. Divination spells were required to determine the destination of these portals with certainty. Navigating the river Oceanus downstream also led to the Happy Hunting Grounds but any underground passages were not likely to be safe for boats. Amoria best fit the description given above and the river Oceanus had many side channels that split and merged back again, creating many "banks" for the establishment of realms. One of the most welcoming places of the Outer Planes, and the marshalling centre for the forces of the Guardinals. The layer had an extremely mild climate, with only modest differences between seasons. Its rolling meadows and woodlands hosted an enormous variety of wildlife and birds. All colours and sounds appeared deeper and more intense. Most of the layer's towns were located along the banks of the Oceanus, which was intensively used as a route of transportation and trade. Amoria was the last layer visited by the river before it continued on to the Beastlands. Yggdrassil, the World Ash, extended its branches to this layer, as well as all other layers of Elysium, except Belierin. The layer was inhabited by the leaders of the guardinals, who used the layer as a base from which to direct their forces against evil, including sending rescue missions to the Lower Planes to recover captives of evil beings. ERONIA The second layer of Elysium was very mountainous and many branches of the Oceanus became spectacular waterfalls and tumbling cascades before forming channels bordered by steep cliffs of gray rock. Like Amoria, Eronia supported abundant wildlife along the banks. A rugged and mountainous land of strong winds. The layer was marked by a rising landscape, with steep hills and mountains that rose beyond brightly lit clouds from deep valleys of white granite. At the bottom of the valleys, the River Oceanus flowed in a winding pattern, cutting canyons and gorges and flowing in rapids and extremely tall cascades. Eronia was the most dangerous section of the Oceanus's course, and could only be successfully negotiated by experienced navigators, who called themselves "river rats". Unlike Amoria, Eronia had a much larger variability in the seasons, with harsher winters and hotter summers than the typical temperate regions of Prime Material plane worlds. Windy snow and lightning storms were common. The wind was so strong throughout the layer that flying creatures had their manoeuvrability in the air considerably impaired. Precipice was a community of aarakocra and giant eagles built high up on the face of a steep sandstone cliff overlooking a lagoon formed by the Oceanus. BELIERIN Contrary to Eronia, Belierin was mostly flat with marshes and wetlands stretching inland for miles/kilometres before larger plants and trees were found. Oceanus split and formed many island nations inhabited by extraplanar beings. Sometimes known as the Forgotten Layer, the third and least known layer of Elysium. An endless land of swamps and marshes covered by an eerily luminous mist, it was also rumored to be the prison of an ancient legendary hydra and possibly other powerful entities. The River Oceanus flowed slowly through Belierin in a tangle of channels that braided around sandbars and mangrove forests. In some places, rocky ridges rose above the bog, making for stable terrain. A few communities and towns were located in those places, usually built around lighthouses that served as navigation beacons to aid travelers. Despite the generally desolate nature of the layer, the good influence of Elysium could still be felt in Belierin, in the form of the shiny nature of the fog itself and a luminous vapour that surrounded every light source. In ancient times, the Guardinals encountered a legendary hydra in one of their quests, thought to be the mythical unique individual that spawned all other hydras. Unable to defeat it, the guardinals used a teleport spell to move the hydra to Belierin, after which they closed all portals that led out of the layer and sealed it off from divination magic. This effectively turned the layer into an infinite cage, from which the only exit was the OCeanus itself, whose blessed waters the hydra could not touch. It is rumoured that other powerful entities shared the prison with the Hydra. The number and nature of other prisoners were not known, but rumours existed of a creature similar to the tarrasque, a legendary black dragon, a captured archdevil, a demon lord, an archomental, or even a wounded deity. Nillis-Thur resides here, a hidden aasimon fortress of old. Quesar's Birthplace, the location was where the mysterious celestial named quesars were originally formed. Lastly, the Rubicon was the last surviving guardinal outpost of the layer, located on an island in the middle of Oceanus near the point where the river flowed into Eronia. THALASIA The fourth and "outermost" layer of Elysium was a great endless ocean filled with numerous islands, sometimes called the Thalasian Sea, that was both the source and final destination of the River Oceanus. Small, green islands were scattered about, collectively known as Avalon. No big landmasses existed here. The layer's infinite ocean was peppered with islands with white sand beaches and warm lagoons. Some islands were populated and supported towns and communities of various sizes. The weather on Thalasia varied from cold and windy to warm and calm. The seas could be rough when the weather was windy, but the islands generally enjoyed a mild tropical climate. Yggdrassil, the World Ash, extended its branches to this layer, as well as all other layers of Elysium, except Belierin. Some notable locations within Thalasia are Portico, an island town near where the Oceanus flowed into Belierin and a common stopping point for travellers. Some islands in Thalasia were rumoured to be inhabited by great heroes from the Prime Material plane. They could only be reached by travellers who sought the aid of those heroes, and only after certain conditions were met, determined by the heroes individual legends.
The native celestial population of Elysium were the guardinals. In addition, there were myriad species of fish and wildlife, and other sentient beings who chose to live in Elysium were many of those species found in other Upper planes: hollyphants, planetars, solars, foo creatures, agathia, and baku. Moon dogs were numerous and widely used as servants and watchbeasts for the Greater and Lesser Powers of Elysium. The rare and magical phoenixes were native to this plane and spent most of their time here in the beautiful landscapes that Elysium offered, avoiding those that would hunt them for profit.
The spirits of those who perished in the service of good and those heroes the gods chose to spare from death were rewarded by being placed on the Isles of the Blessed in Thalasia. There, the living and the dead existed without responsibilities, had all their needs provided for, and could not be summoned or controlled.
The Guardinals were the animalistic celestials native to Elysium. When at home, they were among the most peaceful beings in all the planes, but outside their home plane, they hunted down evil to stop it. Like other celestials, the appearances of guardinals varied - both among varieties and individuals - but most looked attractive and fit humanoids with distinct animal traits. Some guardinals appeared more animal-like, while others appeared more human-like. Native to the House of Nature, in earlier cosmologies, guardinals were considered residents of Elysium. In either case, they lived simple lives, either alone or in small groups, often travelling through their beautiful, natural environment like nomads. They only ever took what was absolutely required from the land. While not under a strict hierarchy like the archons, the guardinals were led by a band of guardinal paragons known as Talisid and the Five Companions. There were many more guardinal paragons than these six; in fact, there was a paragon serving as a near deity for each of the many groupings of animals. TYPES
DESCRIPTION
Most features of the four layers of Elysium were found on or near the banks of the river Oceanus which linked the plane with two other Upper planes: the Beastlands and Arborea. Oceanus was the counterpart to the river Styx which flowed through the Lower planes except that Oceanus had only natural hazards and contained potable water. Lands near the riverbanks were lush with pines and flowering trees that filled the air with natural perfume. Farther from the river smaller trees grew and started to thin until finally, after hundreds of miles/kilometers, the forest gave way to fertile veldt regions, vast grasslands, and eventually badlands and desert. There were no suns, moons, or stars in Elysium except those that the inhabiting Powers manifested, created by moving about in various vessels, or moving their entire realms across the skies. Depending on who or what was aloft, the shade of the sky could be deep indigo to a bright cerulean at any given moment. Yggdrasil, the World Ash, extended its branches to all layers of Elysium, except Belierin.
LAYERS
AMORIA The first layer, Amoria, also referred to as the "innermost" layer, was connected to the Astral Plane by colour pools and to Twin Paradises, Happy Hunting Grounds, and Concordant Opposition by unmarked portals located in dark caverns. Divination spells were required to determine the destination of these portals with certainty. Navigating the river Oceanus downstream also led to the Happy Hunting Grounds but any underground passages were not likely to be safe for boats. Amoria best fit the description given above and the river Oceanus had many side channels that split and merged back again, creating many "banks" for the establishment of realms. One of the most welcoming places of the Outer Planes, and the marshalling centre for the forces of the Guardinals. The layer had an extremely mild climate, with only modest differences between seasons. Its rolling meadows and woodlands hosted an enormous variety of wildlife and birds. All colours and sounds appeared deeper and more intense. Most of the layer's towns were located along the banks of the Oceanus, which was intensively used as a route of transportation and trade. Amoria was the last layer visited by the river before it continued on to the Beastlands. Yggdrassil, the World Ash, extended its branches to this layer, as well as all other layers of Elysium, except Belierin. The layer was inhabited by the leaders of the guardinals, who used the layer as a base from which to direct their forces against evil, including sending rescue missions to the Lower Planes to recover captives of evil beings. ERONIA The second layer of Elysium was very mountainous and many branches of the Oceanus became spectacular waterfalls and tumbling cascades before forming channels bordered by steep cliffs of gray rock. Like Amoria, Eronia supported abundant wildlife along the banks. A rugged and mountainous land of strong winds. The layer was marked by a rising landscape, with steep hills and mountains that rose beyond brightly lit clouds from deep valleys of white granite. At the bottom of the valleys, the River Oceanus flowed in a winding pattern, cutting canyons and gorges and flowing in rapids and extremely tall cascades. Eronia was the most dangerous section of the Oceanus's course, and could only be successfully negotiated by experienced navigators, who called themselves "river rats". Unlike Amoria, Eronia had a much larger variability in the seasons, with harsher winters and hotter summers than the typical temperate regions of Prime Material plane worlds. Windy snow and lightning storms were common. The wind was so strong throughout the layer that flying creatures had their manoeuvrability in the air considerably impaired. Precipice was a community of aarakocra and giant eagles built high up on the face of a steep sandstone cliff overlooking a lagoon formed by the Oceanus. BELIERIN Contrary to Eronia, Belierin was mostly flat with marshes and wetlands stretching inland for miles/kilometres before larger plants and trees were found. Oceanus split and formed many island nations inhabited by extraplanar beings. Sometimes known as the Forgotten Layer, the third and least known layer of Elysium. An endless land of swamps and marshes covered by an eerily luminous mist, it was also rumored to be the prison of an ancient legendary hydra and possibly other powerful entities. The River Oceanus flowed slowly through Belierin in a tangle of channels that braided around sandbars and mangrove forests. In some places, rocky ridges rose above the bog, making for stable terrain. A few communities and towns were located in those places, usually built around lighthouses that served as navigation beacons to aid travelers. Despite the generally desolate nature of the layer, the good influence of Elysium could still be felt in Belierin, in the form of the shiny nature of the fog itself and a luminous vapour that surrounded every light source. In ancient times, the Guardinals encountered a legendary hydra in one of their quests, thought to be the mythical unique individual that spawned all other hydras. Unable to defeat it, the guardinals used a teleport spell to move the hydra to Belierin, after which they closed all portals that led out of the layer and sealed it off from divination magic. This effectively turned the layer into an infinite cage, from which the only exit was the OCeanus itself, whose blessed waters the hydra could not touch. It is rumoured that other powerful entities shared the prison with the Hydra. The number and nature of other prisoners were not known, but rumours existed of a creature similar to the tarrasque, a legendary black dragon, a captured archdevil, a demon lord, an archomental, or even a wounded deity. Nillis-Thur resides here, a hidden aasimon fortress of old. Quesar's Birthplace, the location was where the mysterious celestial named quesars were originally formed. Lastly, the Rubicon was the last surviving guardinal outpost of the layer, located on an island in the middle of Oceanus near the point where the river flowed into Eronia. THALASIA The fourth and "outermost" layer of Elysium was a great endless ocean filled with numerous islands, sometimes called the Thalasian Sea, that was both the source and final destination of the River Oceanus. Small, green islands were scattered about, collectively known as Avalon. No big landmasses existed here. The layer's infinite ocean was peppered with islands with white sand beaches and warm lagoons. Some islands were populated and supported towns and communities of various sizes. The weather on Thalasia varied from cold and windy to warm and calm. The seas could be rough when the weather was windy, but the islands generally enjoyed a mild tropical climate. Yggdrassil, the World Ash, extended its branches to this layer, as well as all other layers of Elysium, except Belierin. Some notable locations within Thalasia are Portico, an island town near where the Oceanus flowed into Belierin and a common stopping point for travellers. Some islands in Thalasia were rumoured to be inhabited by great heroes from the Prime Material plane. They could only be reached by travellers who sought the aid of those heroes, and only after certain conditions were met, determined by the heroes individual legends.
INHABITANTS
The native celestial population of Elysium were the guardinals. In addition, there were myriad species of fish and wildlife, and other sentient beings who chose to live in Elysium were many of those species found in other Upper planes: hollyphants, planetars, solars, foo creatures, agathia, and baku. Moon dogs were numerous and widely used as servants and watchbeasts for the Greater and Lesser Powers of Elysium. The rare and magical phoenixes were native to this plane and spent most of their time here in the beautiful landscapes that Elysium offered, avoiding those that would hunt them for profit.
AFTERLIFE
The spirits of those who perished in the service of good and those heroes the gods chose to spare from death were rewarded by being placed on the Isles of the Blessed in Thalasia. There, the living and the dead existed without responsibilities, had all their needs provided for, and could not be summoned or controlled.
GUARDINALS
The Guardinals were the animalistic celestials native to Elysium. When at home, they were among the most peaceful beings in all the planes, but outside their home plane, they hunted down evil to stop it. Like other celestials, the appearances of guardinals varied - both among varieties and individuals - but most looked attractive and fit humanoids with distinct animal traits. Some guardinals appeared more animal-like, while others appeared more human-like. Native to the House of Nature, in earlier cosmologies, guardinals were considered residents of Elysium. In either case, they lived simple lives, either alone or in small groups, often travelling through their beautiful, natural environment like nomads. They only ever took what was absolutely required from the land. While not under a strict hierarchy like the archons, the guardinals were led by a band of guardinal paragons known as Talisid and the Five Companions. There were many more guardinal paragons than these six; in fact, there was a paragon serving as a near deity for each of the many groupings of animals. TYPES
- Mustevals - mouse-like guardinals. The least powerful variety of guardinal, acting as spies and messengers for the more powerful celestials. They were the only guardinal variety who did not have a representative paragon in the Five Companions.
- Cervidals - goat-like guardinals. Manath the Horned Duke, was the leader of the cervidals. They were peaceful by nature, but when they did get involved in a fight, they finished it. In a straight fight, cervidals were more than a match for rank-and-file demons and devils.
- Lupinals - wolf-like guardinals. They formed temporary packs as they roamed their celestial home, but were just as often solitary. Normally peaceful but ferocious in a fight. Constantly vigilant against evil incursions, and they were typically suspicious of strangers as well. Their ruler was Karash the Stalker, a close friend of Talisid, otherwise known as "Talisid's Shadow."
- Equinals - horse-like guardinals. Their ruler was Vhara, the Duchess of the Fields. They enthusiastically fought evil, typically by pounding it to pulp with their fists.
- Arvorals - bird-like guardinals. The ruler of the avorals was Sathia, the Sky Duchess. They were the most likely to leave their plane through wanderlust.
- Ursinals - bear-like guardinals. Philosophers and scholars of the guardinals, acting as advisers to the leonals. Their ruler was Bharrai the Great Bear, also known as Mother Bear.
- Leonals - lion-like guardinals. Led by Talisid the Celestial Lion, also the leader of all the guardinals.
Type
Dimensional plane
