The Veil

Than’s Realm, also known as The Veil, is the intricate and layered afterlife of Valthor, where the souls of the dead are guided, judged, and placed according to their deeds and essence in life. Than, the Goddess of the Dead, serves as its custodian, ensuring that every soul’s journey is fair and balanced. Though deeply associated with death, Than does not control it; instead, she is a steward of the dead, overseeing the afterlife’s many facets.   The Veil encompasses the peaceful paradise of Hestina’s Realm (Solvalithar), the Middle Ground for unresolved souls, and the Lower Regions, which house the 19 Circles of Sin.  

Structure of the Veil

The Veil is divided into several key regions, each with its own purpose and symbolism. These regions collectively reflect the complexity of morality, offering souls opportunities for reflection, growth, and redemption.  

The Field of Arrival (The Threshold of Death)

The Field of Arrival is the first point of entry for all souls entering the Veil. It is a tranquil and neutral space, where souls begin to adjust to the transition from life to death.  

Landscape:

An endless meadow of pale grass and glowing flowers, under a twilight sky streaked with auroras of blue and gold. Souls appear here as translucent, ethereal forms, carrying the memories of their lives but leaving behind their physical burdens. The Water of Woe flows through every layer of the Veil, beginning here, connecting its various regions. This river is both a literal and symbolic trial, reflecting the weight of each soul’s life. It's a slow-moving, murky river with waters that reflect the soul’s past, rippling with images of memories, guilt, and despair. The surface of the water occasionally bursts with flashes of light, signifying a soul’s moments of clarity or redemption.  

Purpose:

The Field provides a moment of quiet reflection before souls are guided to the Water of Woe.  

Guides:

Shadow-Steeds, spectral horses ridden by silent wraith-like figures, escort souls across the field and toward their next destination.  

Mechanics of Crossing:

Walking Over the Water: Souls at peace with their lives can walk across the river, their steps leaving ripples on its surface. This signifies their readiness to move forward. Falling Prey to the Water: Souls burdened by guilt or regret are swallowed by the river’s currents, becoming Drowned Shades trapped in the depths. The Horseman of Memory: This spectral figure offers aid to struggling souls, ferrying them across the river on their steed. However, accepting aid costs fragments of the soul’s identity or memories. Dragons and the River: Dragons bonded to a soul in life may guide or anchor their rider, calming the waters and aiding in their crossing.    

Hestina’s Realm (Solvalithar) (The Circles of Virtue)

Hestina’s Realm, known as Solvalithar, is the radiant heart of the Veil and a paradise for virtuous souls. It is divided into seven circles, each reflecting a cardinal or cultural virtue. Souls mingle freely in Solvalithar but reside in the circle that aligns most closely with their greatest virtues.  

The Seven Circles of Virtue:

1) Kindness and Humility: A meadow of golden flowers, honouring compassion and modesty.   2) Loyalty to Kin and Blood: A glowing forest symbolising the sacred bond of family.   3) Fortitude and Courage: Majestic mountains reflecting bravery and resilience.   4) Generosity and the Dragon-Rider Bond: An orchard celebrating selflessness and the sacred bond between dragons and riders.   5) Wisdom and Knowledge: A vast library surrounded by serene gardens, honouring souls who sought to guide and teach.   6) Honour and Justice: A golden amphitheater where champions of fairness and balance reside.   7) Selflessness and the Eternal Light: The innermost circle, a golden sunrise where Hestina herself dwells, reserved for the rarest and most selfless souls.  

Reincarnation:

Only souls in Hestina’s Realm are eligible for reincarnation, and very few are chosen. This mysterious process is believed to serve a higher cosmic purpose. Brina’s reincarnation, tied to her destiny and bond with Ambros, is considered a rare exception.  

The River of Eternal Light

This river flows through Hestina’s Realm (Solvalithar), the radiant paradise where virtuous souls are welcomed after death. It connects the Circles of Virtue, guiding souls who have lived righteous, selfless, and virtuous lives to their eternal reward.   Symbolism: The River of Eternal Light represents ultimate peace, serenity, and the reward of a virtuous life. It is a river of renewal, where souls find tranquility, and their deeds are reflected in pure light. It embodies the sanctity of divine virtue, the promise of eternal happiness, and the soul’s ascension into the afterlife. This river signifies the culmination of a soul’s journey through Than’s Realm—an entry into eternal bliss and harmony.   Physical Description: The river’s waters glow with an ethereal golden radiance, flowing smoothly through the lush and serene lands of Solvalithar. The light reflects the purity and clarity of the souls who travel it. The water is calm and inviting, its surface shimmering like molten gold, exuding a warmth that comforts the weary soul. Flowers of all colors bloom along its banks, their petals glowing with soft, radiant light. Soft music, like celestial chimes, can be heard as it flows, representing the harmonious nature of Solvalithar.   Special Qualities: The River of Eternal Light is filled with rejuvenating energy. Souls who cross it are healed of any sorrow or regret they may have carried from their mortal life, entering their final resting place free from burdens. The river’s course is gentle and peaceful, but it holds immense spiritual significance as it leads to the highest planes of eternal peace, where the soul is granted unity with Hestina’s divine radiance.    

The Middle Ground (Reflection and Rest)

The Middle Ground is a liminal space for neutral or unresolved souls. It offers rest and reflection, allowing souls to either ascend to Solvalithar or fade peacefully into the Veil.  

Landscape:

Twilight grasslands and glowing trees under a serene, star-filled sky. The River of Forgotten Time (The Flow of Lost Memories) meanders through the Middle Ground, between the Circles of Sin and the Circles of Virtue. This river represents the passage of time and the loss of memories, particularly for those souls who did not live life to its fullest or whose lives were forgotten. It is a river that carries away the souls who are lost or have failed to find meaning in their lives. It also signifies a soul’s fading importance or unfulfilled potential. The water flows smoothly and quietly, with a pale, almost translucent hue. The river reflects distant, fragmented images—memories that seem to flicker and vanish just before they can be fully recognized. The current is gentle, but the souls who pass through it feel the weight of forgotten years and lost opportunities.  

Purpose:

Souls in the Middle Ground reflect on their lives, neither rewarded nor punished. They may ascend to Hestina’s Realm if they grow in understanding.    

The Lower Regions (The 19 Circles of Sin)

The Lower Regions house souls tainted by sin, with 19 circles reflecting specific moral failings. These circles grow progressively more severe, with sins against family as the worst, followed by sins against dragons.  

Hierarchy of Sins:

Outer Circles (1–7): Lesser sins, such as apathy, pride, and neglect. Middle Circles (8–14): Greater sins, such as greed, deception, and exploitation. Inner Circles (15–19): Gravest sins, including betrayal of kin, harming dragons, and Stygian corruption.  

Outer Circles (1–7): Lesser Sins

These circles house souls who have committed less severe sins, often out of ignorance or selfishness, but not malicious intent.   1. Apathy and Neglect Sin: Indifference to the suffering of others, neglect of duty, and apathy toward the world. Punishment: Souls are trapped in an endless gray landscape, devoid of light and warmth, unable to move or act. They are frozen in time, unable to feel or engage with others. Reflection: This circle teaches the importance of compassion and personal responsibility.   2. Pride Sin: Excessive self-importance and arrogance, believing oneself superior to others. Punishment: Souls are suspended in the air, unable to touch the ground or reach anyone. They can see others around them but are kept at an unreachable distance. The deeper they fall into pride, the higher they are suspended. Reflection: This circle reflects the danger of vanity and the need for humility. 3. Gluttony Sin: Overindulgence in physical pleasures, especially food, drink, and material comforts. Punishment: Souls are forever hungry, surrounded by an endless feast they can never reach. Every time they attempt to eat or drink, the food turns to dust or poison. Reflection: This circle serves to remind souls of the dangers of excess and the value of moderation.   4. Envy Sin: Jealousy and resentment of others’ achievements, possessions, or happiness. Punishment: Souls are forced to watch others receive what they desired, but never able to participate or gain any joy from it themselves. They are consumed with jealousy and desire, unable to attain peace. Reflection: This circle teaches the soul to let go of covetousness and to embrace contentment.   5. Sloth Sin: Laziness, the avoidance of work or responsibility, and failure to use one’s talents and abilities. Punishment: Souls are trapped in an endless cycle of inactivity, unable to complete any task or move forward. Their surroundings are barren, and they are incapable of making progress. Reflection: This circle emphasizes the consequences of wasted potential and the importance of diligence and effort.   6. Deception Sin: Lying, deceit, and manipulation of truth for personal gain. Punishment: Souls are bound in a web of illusions, where they cannot discern truth from lies. Every time they reach for clarity or truth, it slips away, leaving them in an eternal fog. Reflection: This circle reflects the harm caused by dishonesty and the importance of integrity. 7. Greed Sin: The insatiable desire for wealth, power, or status at the expense of others. Punishment: Souls are buried under mountains of treasure that they can never claim, as the wealth continuously shifts and changes, just out of reach. They are consumed by the desire to accumulate more but are never satisfied. Reflection: This circle highlights the emptiness of materialism and the corrosive effects of selfish greed.  

Middle Circles (8–14): Greater Sins

These circles house more severe transgressions, including the betrayal of trust and the abuse of power. Souls in these circles committed actions that directly harmed others.   8. Anger Sin: Rage, violence, and unrestrained wrath, often leading to physical harm or destruction. Punishment: Souls are trapped in an inferno of their own making, where they are constantly surrounded by flames and chaos, yet are unable to escape or find peace. Their rage perpetually feeds the fire. Reflection: This circle reflects the destructive nature of uncontrolled anger and the need for inner peace.   9. Lust Sin: Objectifying others and using love or sex for personal gain or gratification without regard for others’ feelings or dignity. Punishment: Souls are forever pursued by unattainable desires, driven to chase after fleeting moments of pleasure that vanish as soon as they are grasped. They are consumed by their passions. Reflection: This circle teaches the value of true love and the dangers of treating others as objects.   10. Betrayal of Kin Sin: The betrayal of family, including harm to loved ones for personal gain. Punishment: Souls are relentlessly hunted by shadows of their loved ones, condemned to relive their betrayal over and over again in an endless loop of guilt. Reflection: This circle emphasizes the importance of loyalty and trust within families and the devastation caused by betrayal. 11. Murder Sin: Taking the life of another, especially for selfish reasons. Punishment: Souls are forced to kill endlessly in a repeating cycle, with no respite. Their hands are stained with the blood of countless victims, and they can never escape the horror of their actions. Reflection: This circle serves as a reminder of the sanctity of life and the irreversible consequences of taking it. 12. Corruption of Innocence Sin: Exploiting, abusing, or manipulating the innocent for personal or societal gain. Punishment: Souls are made to experience the vulnerability of the innocent they corrupted, forced to relive their victims’ pain and suffering. Reflection: This circle teaches the soul about the preciousness of innocence and the deep scars left by corrupting others.   13. Deicide Sin: The betrayal or harm of divine beings or the gods, whether through heresy, sacrilege, or direct action against them. Punishment: Souls are cursed with eternal isolation, surrounded by infinite darkness, cut off from divine influence and power. They cannot call upon the gods or feel their presence, leaving them without hope. Reflection: This circle represents the punishment for those who challenge the divine order and forsake the gods.   14. War Crimes Sin: Committing heinous acts in war, including the murder of non-combatants, plundering, and cruelty toward prisoners of war. Punishment: Souls are perpetually caught in a brutal battlefield, where they relive the pain and suffering of their victims as they are surrounded by the atrocities they committed. Reflection: This circle underscores the horror and consequences of unjust warfare.  

Inner Circles (15–19): Gravest Sins

The final and most severe circles, where only the most heinous of souls dwell. These sins are irredeemable in the mortal sense and are punished by eternal suffering.   15. Dragonicide Sin: The slaying or betrayal of dragons, sacred creatures who embody the balance of nature. Punishment: Souls are relentlessly hunted by spectral dragons, constantly reliving their actions in painful cycles. The souls are forced to confront the brutal destruction they caused. Reflection: This circle highlights the reverence for dragons and the severe consequences of betraying or harming them.   16. Kin-Slayers Sin: The murder of family members or close kin for personal gain or jealousy. Punishment: Souls are trapped in a mirror maze, endlessly pursued by their slain loved ones. They are forced to confront their own reflection as it distorts into monstrous forms. Reflection: This circle represents the severance of familial bonds and the torment of kin-slaying.   17. Sorcery and Dark Magic Sin: Using forbidden magic to harm others, disrupt the natural order, or gain power at any cost. Punishment: Souls are bound to an endless ritual of magic, where they are forever twisted by dark forces, unable to break free from the consequences of their sorcery. Reflection: This circle serves as a warning against the abuse of magic and the cost of tampering with forbidden forces.   18. Oblivion (Ultimate Betrayal of Family and Balance) Sin: The most extreme form of betrayal, where a soul forsakes its family, its race, and the balance of all things for personal gain or malicious intent. Punishment: Souls dissolve into shadow, their identity and essence ripped away, lost to the Void. There is no redemption, only endless oblivion. Reflection: This circle represents the complete disintegration of the soul, a punishment for those whose actions have ruptured the fundamental balance of the cosmos.   19. The Abyss of the Damned Sin: The absolute refusal to repent or acknowledge the destruction caused, rendering the soul beyond salvation. Punishment: Souls are drawn into an endless, consuming darkness, where they are stretched across eternity without hope of release. This is the final abyss, from which no soul can return. Reflection: The Abyss of the Damned represents the complete severance from all hope, the final end for those whose sins have led them to the absolute abandonment of their own essence. This circle reflects the ultimate danger of self-destruction through refusal to acknowledge wrongdoings.  

Landmarks:

The River of Shattered Hopes Location: The river runs through the outermost circles of the Lower Regions, where less severe sins are punished. Symbolism: The River of Shattered Hopes embodies broken dreams, unfulfilled potential, and the fleeting nature of aspirations. It is for those souls who abandoned their ambitions, failed to achieve their desires, or left important dreams unpursued. The souls here must face their own inaction and inability to rise above their fears or circumstances. Physical Description: The river is a pale blue, with sparkling but empty ripples. The water shimmers like it holds great potential but always fades into dullness as it passes. Occasionally, the river is filled with the sounds of distant laughter or sobs, representing the fleeting nature of human hope and the paths not taken.   The Blood of Betrayal (The River of Broken Bonds) Location: Flowing through the Lower Regions, specifically in the inner circles of the Veil, near the gravest sins. Symbolism: The Blood of Betrayal represents the deepest transgressions of loyalty and trust, particularly sins against kin, family, or sacred bonds. Souls who committed acts of betrayal, especially familial betrayal or treachery against the gods, must traverse this river. It is the punishment for souls that have broken sacred bonds. Physical Description: A river of crimson blood that pulses like a heartbeat, ever-shifting and alive. The water is thick and oppressive, full of ancient wounds and whispers of betrayal. The air around the river is heavy with the stench of iron and loss, and the sound of it is a low, mournful hum, reminiscent of grief and regret.  

Redemption:

Souls in the Lower Regions may redeem themselves by confronting their sins and demonstrating genuine remorse. Redeemed souls ascend to the Middle Ground.    

Judgment of Souls

Souls are judged holistically based on three factors: True Intention, Action, and Guilt/Remorse.   True Intention: The Heartlight of a soul reveals the purity or malice behind their actions.   Action: The River of Memory reflects the consequences of their deeds, with ripples of light and shadow.   Guilt and Remorse: The Veilmarks on a soul represent their guilt. Souls who sought atonement in life are judged more favourably. Judgment is carried out by Than’s Judges, ancient spirits attuned to the truths of mortal life.  

Than’s Role and Themes

 

Role of Than:

Than oversees the Veil, ensuring balance and fairness. She does not judge souls directly but provides the structure and guidance for their journey.  

Themes:

Reflection and Growth: Souls are given opportunities to grow, even in death. Redemption and Forgiveness: The Veil emphasises that no soul is beyond hope. Sacred Bonds: Family and dragons are the cornerstones of morality, with betrayal of these bonds considered the gravest sins.