The Blessed Fields of Elysium are vibrant, inspiring, peaceful, and utterly devoted to the idea of the common good. It is widely thought that conflict doesn’t exist in such a place, but that couldn’t be further from the truth – it just very rarely turns violent or ugly.

The most prominent feature of Elysium is the magnificent River Oceanus, a sparkling crystal blue river system that both starts and ends in the plane’s fourth layer, Thalasia. The river and its many tributaries form the beating heart of the plane, though plenty sites of wonder and mystery exist beyond its mighty banks.

Many small settlements populate the topmost layer, Amoria, where the weather is gentle and the land picturesque. The peace of Amoria, and across all of Elysium, is watched over and protected by powerful celestials known as guardinals. Each caste of guardianals resembles a hybrid between animal and humanoid, from the hulking bear-like ursenals to the ferocious lion-maned leonals. The guardinals are protectors of high moralistic good, and they travel across the multiverse on their quests to fight tyranny and injustice wherever it may lurk.

There is no formal structure to the guardinals, as none is needed, but they nonetheless recognize leaders. These are normally the most suited for a specific situation or mission, with a general consensus about whose voice shall lead them. The best known and most capable of the guardinal celestials are a group known as the Six Companions. These beings rival demon lords and devil princes in their power and influence, and they dedicate themselves to the highest ideals of Elysium. Prince Leonid leads them but his voice is but one of the Six Companions.

The lower layers of Elysium are less populated than Amoria. Eronia, the second layer, is a realm of rough mountain peaks, dazzling waterfalls, and harsh weather, where people can test their mettle against the elements of nature itself. Elysium's third layer is Belierin, a vast fog-enshrouded swamp where few people dwell. Those who live there tend to congregate around tall lighthouses that keep eternal vigil over the land, commanded by a fierce group known as the Lighthouse Watchers.

Thalasia is the lowest layer and serves as the source and destination of the River Oceanus itself. Hundreds of islands stand amidst the tranquil blue waters, many serving as the final resting place for hero-kings, demigods, and world captains. Beneath the ocean rests an azure sea of dazzling brilliance with its own secrets to keep.

Nowhere else in the multiverse are the basic tenets of “good” so upheld as in the Blessed Fields of Elysium. All the residents work towards harmony with themselves, their neighbors, and their place across the planes, and visitors with these core beliefs are welcomed with open arms and friendly smiles. Trust is given freely – few doors are locked in the cities and towns, but woe be to any thief who takes advantage of this carefree attitude. Elysium has a way of punishing those who deliberately cause suffering, and the guardian celestials maintain a watchful eye over their homes at all times.

However, dangerous things still manage to crawl, seep, or flow into Elysium. Some are mundane beasts stumbling into portals, confused and angry over their new surroundings, while others are deliberate incursions by malevolent forces. This is especially possible in the swamps of Belierin, where it is rumored a multiverse ending monstrosity is imprisoned, and numerous expeditions from the Abyss, Nine Hells, Acheron, and elsewhere have been mounted to determine the validity of these rumors.

Getting There

Most portals out of Elysium sit in shallow caves around the banks of the River Oceanus or one of its many tributaries. The river dominates the landscape of Elysium across all four of its layers, and it’s a vitally important feature for travel to and from the plane as well. Most visitors arrive via boat traffic along the River Oceanus from Beastlands or further upriver, and most of the important sites in Elysium are situated along the riverbanks.

Traveling Around

The River Oceanus connects all four of Elysium’s layers and provides the most reliable transportation within the plane. The mighty pure river originates and ends in Thalasia, Elysium's fourth layer, which creates two major riverways – one flowing out and one flowing in. Hundreds of tributaries branch from both of these major routes, crossing into and out of each layer.

Distance is difficult to judge on Elysium, however. The nature of the plane means that those with good intentions find their way quickly to their destination, crossing between layers in a matter of hours. Those that harbor ill intent, however, discover the reality-warping nature of the plane distorts distance itself, making places hours or days apart even while on the same layer.

Lay of the Land

The River Oceanus is a dominant feature throughout Elysium. Its presence is a defining force in all four layers, and much of the civilized life on the plane is centered on or around its mighty banks. The flow of the river defies logic and explanation as it winds back and forth on and over itself through countless miles, spilling innocently from layer to layer and plane to plane. Enormous libraries have been devoted to the study of its flow and its dark twin, the River Styx in the Lower Planes.

Amoria

The top layer of Elysium, Amoria, is the most populated and most temperate. It is a lush landscape of vibrant colors, from the forests of sturdy trees holding multicolored leaves to the rolling hills of sweet, long grass. Amoria resembles a picturesque Material Plane world where the colors of nature are enhanced to a pleasing effect. The weather is never violent, shifting subtly between the seasons in mild patterns that defy easy determination or prediction. Gentle spring rains, warm summer days, crisp autumn breezes, and lazy winter snowflakes can all grace the landscape of Amoria in the span of a month.

The River Oceanus has hundreds of smaller tributaries through Amoria, though its main flow is wide, steady, and peaceful. Dozens of cities sit on the river banks, and a few – like Drabanu – actually float on the River Oceanus itself! Animals cavort and play in sun-dappled glades of breathtaking beauty while the residents lend a helpful hand in the name of the greater good. A sense of peaceful easiness falls over Amoria like a blanket, and many who travel there find it difficult to leave.

Eronia

The River Oceanus slides easily from Amoria into the second layer, Eronia, where the landscape is rougher and the weather harsher. The river cuts great gorges throughout Eronia, and some of the most spectacular waterfalls in all the multiverse can be found along the mighty river’s crashing course. The dangers of Eronia are mostly natural, from rockslides to cliff faces, but most take it as a challenge from the plane itself to rise up and do better for themselves and one another.

The weather on Eronia shifts with the seasons, just like Amoria, but it is prone to more violent bursts. Heavy rainstorms and white-out blizzards are not uncommon, though the cold and heat are rarely extreme enough to be dangerous for long periods of time.

Belierin

Thick moisture hangs in the air, creating the fog and mist that perpetually fill out the landscape, and a sense of uneasy wariness clings to the marsh trees and bayous between the River Oceanus’ expansive flow. The few settlements of Belierin are focused around enormous lighthouses built and maintained by an order of guardians known as the Lighthouse Watchers. These warriors, soldiers, rangers, and wizards take an oath to watch over Elysium – and much of the multiverse in general – out of a sense of implacable duty. Houses and buildings around the lighthouses are built on heavy stilts rising from the swamp.

Guardinal and watcher patrols are common in the swamp, and the lighthouses help guide travelers along the River Oceanus towards the headwaters at Thalasia. The thick gray fog hangs over Belierin constantly, obscuring vision and sound, and few travelers enjoy navigating its murky terrain. The weather is rarely a factor though, and the seasons don’t do much to change the cloying moisture that permeates the fog and clings to the skin.

Thalasia

The source and destination of the River Oceanus is Thalasia, Elysium’s fourth layer. Thalasia is a mighty ocean, deep blue and dappled with sunlight at all times, with hundreds of beautiful and bountiful islands dotting its surface. Many of these islands are the home to heroes and kings enjoying a final rest, some waiting for the day to be called back to the Material Plane, while others simply enjoy an eternity of restful solitude in a paradise of golden beaches, sweet fruits, and merciful skies.

Below the waters, Thalasia is just as beautiful. Several colonies of tritons and sea elves from the Plane of Water rest in great coral reefs, and the relatively low number of predators in the azure waters makes it easy for the fish to grow to enormous proportions. Luna jellies that rise up from the River Oceanus on all layers are said to originate in Thalasia, in the nest of Hhallashaa the great luna jellyfish of the sea.