7 Planes of Existence
7.0.0.1 The OnceWas
The OnceWas, known as the Material Plane or "the real world," serves as the vibrant hub of mortal existence and endless adventure. It pulses with life, harboring bustling cities and uncharted realms awaiting discovery. Irmo, goddess of fortune and revelry, and Orome, the valorous god of war, traverse its landscapes when not ensconced in Elysium.
7.0.0.2 Ethereal Plane
The Ethereal Plane exists as a twilight realm veiled in mist, an ethereal reflection of the OnceWas. Awash in desaturated hues of gray, the light appears muted, casting everything in a dreamlike ambiance that can soothe or unsettle. The air is charged with memories and emotions, palpable remnants of longing and unresolved desires that permeate this liminal space. Nanna-Sin, goddess of the moon and ethereal realms, drifts here between sojourns in Elysium and the OnceWas.
Within this misty embrace, psychic echoes and spectral remnants of souls linger, bound by their emotional turmoil and unresolved ties to their former lives. These echoes manifest as incorporeal undead—ghosts, wraiths, and specters—haunting the Material Plane. Ghosts may relive their last moments, caught in loops of pain or joy, while wraiths become vengeful entities seeking retribution for their untimely fates. Specters drift aimlessly, reminders of the emotions that bind them to the Ethereal Plane.
The landscape of the Ethereal Plane shifts, shaped by the collective emotions of its inhabitants. Ethereal currents flow like rivers of mist, carrying whispers of the past. These currents can guide or mislead travelers, leading them to places of significant emotional resonance, such as ruins of lost loves or scenes of tragedy. Areas of profound beauty—glades filled with spectral flowers that bloom in Nanna-Sin’s glow—offer respite from the haunting echoes.
Navigating the Ethereal Plane can be disorienting, as the boundaries between past and present blur. Lingering too long in the echoes of grief can lead to emotional entrapment, pulling travelers deeper into the plane's melancholic embrace. While some seek to communicate with restless spirits, others may awaken dormant sorrow, risking their own emotional stability.
In this realm, time is fluid, with clarity interspersed with haunting echoes. Travelers often confront unresolved issues from their own lives, as the Ethereal Plane reflects their emotional landscapes. It serves not only as a refuge for lost souls but as a haunting reminder of the past, where the whispers of emotions can guide or trap those who dare to explore its beauty.
7.0.0.3 Astral Sea
The Astral Sea stretches as a vast expanse of thought, memory, and psychic energy—a cosmic tapestry threading through the multiverse. Rare solid islands dot its starry void, serving as conduits for celestial remnants and forgotten gods. Curumo, the arcane god of knowledge, navigates these astral currents, meditating in Elysium or the OnceWas between his cosmic wanderings.
As a boundless, surreal realm, the Astral Sea connects the planes of the multiverse. It features an endless expanse of shimmering silver-gray light, filled with floating islands and the remains of ancient gods, where time and space lose meaning. Movement is primarily controlled by thought, allowing travelers to drift effortlessly through the vastness. Those wishing to navigate the Astral physically can do so using specialized ships or by harnessing psychic energy, propelling themselves through the currents of thought that flow between the islands.
The plane is eerily silent and lacks the pull of gravity. Time doesn’t flow normally here; those in the Astral do not age, feel hunger, or thirst. However, prolonged exposure can cause memories and identity to blur, leading to disorientation.
Scattered throughout the Astral Sea are solid islands, remnants of forgotten civilizations, and the floating corpses of dead gods. Color pools—shimmering portals—serve as gateways to other planes, while astral storms and fearsome creatures like the Astral Dreadnoughts pose constant dangers. Illithids riding their astral ships are among the powerful entities that call the Astral home.
Travelers enter the Astral by projecting their minds, leaving their bodies behind, tethered by a silver cord. This cord allows them to return safely but can be severed, leading to dire consequences. The Astral Plane touches all corners of the multiverse, serving as both a pathway and a refuge, but its fluid nature hides many perils. Whether through thought or physical travel, adventurers must remain vigilant, for the Astral Sea is a realm where reality itself can shift like the tides.
Physical travel in the Astral Plane is unique, as it operates under different rules than the material world. While most beings navigate this realm through astral projection, specialized entities like the Githyanki traverse the Astral Sea using specially designed ships.
In the Astral Plane, the need for air is suspended; travelers do not require breathing in the traditional sense. Instead, their essence is sustained by the plane's inherent psychic energy, allowing for longer explorations without the constraints of hunger or thirst. This liberation enhances their experience, enabling them to delve into the wonders and dangers of the Astral Sea without fear of physical limitations.
7.0.0.4 Elemental Plane of Air
The Elemental Plane of Air unfolds in boundless skies and floating citadels amidst perpetual currents. Here, air elementals, djinn, and majestic rocs soar amidst endless horizons. Navigating its airy expanse demands mastery, as unwary travelers risk becoming lost forever, while seasoned adventurers marvel at its breathtaking vistas. Gaoth, god of storms and thunder, reigns over this domain, alternating between Elysium and the OnceWas in his eternal watch.
7.0.0.5 Elemental Plane of Water
The Elemental Plane of Water ebbs and flows as an ever-shifting expanse of liquid seas, aglow with gentle luminescence. Its depths range from icy cold to scorching hot, teeming with elemental creatures and aquatic wonders. Ulmo, god of oceans and rivers, presides over this aqueous realm, venturing into the OnceWas or Elysium amid its timeless tides.
7.0.0.6 Elemental Plane of Fire
The Elemental Plane of Fire blazes with volcanic fervor—a realm of searing heat and molten landscapes under a fiery sky. Here, fire elementals, efreeti, and infernal spectacles challenge mortal endurance amid its volcanic fury. Teine, goddess of flames, rules from the City of Brass within this seething inferno, oscillating between the Elemental Plane and her abode in Elysium.
7.0.0.7 Elemental Plane of Earth
The Elemental Plane of Earth embraces unyielding solidity—a realm of cavernous depths and mineral wealth. From soft soil to precious metal-laden veins, its terrain is as treacherous as it is diverse. Dobhainn, god of toil and earth, oversees this primordial domain, traversing between the OnceWas and Elysium in his tireless guardianship.
7.0.0.8 Verdant Glades
The Verdant Glades unfold as a fey-touched echo of the Material Plane, imbued with potent magic and boundless beauty. Iridescent mists weave through enchanted forests, where crystalline groves pulse with arcane energy, casting vibrant hues across the landscape. The air is thick with the fragrance of blooming flowers and the sweet sound of harmonious melodies, creating a symphony of life that enchants all who enter. Yavanna, queen of life and nature, frequents this mystical realm
Time flows in a whimsical rhythm in the Verdant Glades, often bewildering visitors upon their return to the Material Plane. Moments can stretch into what feels like hours or compress into fleeting instants, leaving adventurers disoriented and unsure of how long they've truly been away. The landscape shifts subtly, with flora and fauna that seem to dance and change with the mood of the Glades, inviting exploration and discovery at every turn.
Within the Glades, magical creatures flit between the trees—playful sprites, wise dryads, and elusive fey beings—all drawn to the life-giving energies that pulse through the land. Crystalline streams wind through lush undergrowth, their waters sparkling like liquid gemstones, offering healing and rejuvenation to those fortunate enough to drink from them.
However, the beauty of the Verdant Glades can be deceptive; lurking within the enchanting vistas are ancient spirits and guardians who protect the realm fiercely from those with ill intentions. Travelers to the Verdant Glades find themselves in a world where every moment holds the potential for wonder and danger. As they traverse the vibrant landscape, they must remain attuned to the whispers of nature, for the Glades have a will of their own, weaving enchantments that can lead them to joy or peril.
7.0.0.9 The Underworld
The Underworld is a dark and oppressive domain ruled by Mairon, the god of death. It exists in a realm almost devoid of light, shrouded in an eternal gloom that seeps into every corner. The air is thick with a suffocating darkness, where shadows twist and writhe, creating an atmosphere of despair and hopelessness. Here, the departed souls—those not chosen for Elysium or trapped within the Abyss or Ethereal Plane—drift in a state of blankness, their identities stripped away like leaves in a bitter wind.
Within this bleak landscape, memories of their past lives have been erased, leaving only a faint echo of what they once were. The souls that inhabit the Underworld are little more than husks, their once-vibrant life force reduced to a mere flicker of existence. The essence that once animated them has been siphoned away to feed The Hunger. As a result, these souls are drained and hollow, wandering aimlessly through a landscape that mirrors their internal desolation.
The terrain of the Underworld reflects its dark nature: jagged cliffs rise from the murky ground, and barren wastelands stretch as far as the eye can see, punctuated only by the occasional crumbling monument or skeletal tree. The light here is dim and weak, flickering like a dying candle, casting long shadows that seem to reach out, grasping at the lost souls. It is a realm devoid of warmth, where even the faintest glimmer of hope is extinguished before it can take root.
Those who find themselves in the Underworld are met with a profound silence, interrupted only by the soft whispers of lost souls, an echo of what was, a faint remnant of life now silenced. These souls drift through the shadows, searching for meaning or connection, but finding only the haunting absence of their former selves.
Without memories or a sense of purpose, they are drawn into the cycle of despair, each soul feeding the Hunger that gnaws at the edges of the Underworld. Some souls may attempt to cling to fragments of their past, but the effort is in vain; the darkness is relentless, consuming any trace of individuality until they become indistinguishable from one another.
The potential for redemption in the Underworld is almost nonexistent, as the loss of their identities leaves them vulnerable to The Hunger’s insatiable appetite. The only way to escape this fate would be to confront the very essence of their existence, but with no memories to guide them, many are lost in the abyss of their own oblivion.
Powerful magics can retrieve souls from this realm, but all memories of their time in the Underworld are lost.
7.0.0.10 The Abyss
The Abyss festers as a plane of demonic entropy, a churning sea of chaos that seeps into the OnceWas. Its fragile barriers rupture, unleashing demonic horrors that sow discord and despair. Grund-Wyrgen, mother of monsters, orchestrates havoc from this abyssal realm, haunting both the Material Plane and Elysium with her infernal progeny.
The Abyss, while a nightmarish landscape of shifting reality, follows a paradoxical law of limits. Though vast, there are only 999 demons—each created at the dawn of chaos. No new demons can be born, nor can any truly die. When slain, their essence returns to the Abyss to reconstitute, often losing memories, power, or form in the process. Some emerge as shadows of their former selves or as Abysmal Larva.
The 999 demons, named in forgotten tongues, range from mighty Demon Lords to cunning lesser entities, locked in a web of rivalries and alliances. Defeat is a setback in the eternal game of dominance, where power can shift in an instant.
Men do not become Demons.
Evil men are often promised that, upon their death, they will ascend to become demons, granted power beyond imagining, and eternal rule over the realms of the living. It is a tempting lie whispered by dark forces, preying upon their ambition, their hatred, their lust for control.
In truth, these men are never transformed into the monstrous beings they dream of becoming. Instead, their souls are devoured by the very forces they sought to command. Their bodies, twisted by corruption, are left to rot and decay. The few who are spared this fate, those whose cruelty knows no bounds, are instead bound to a far worse torment: trapped in the endless cycle of suffering, forced to serve the demons they once worshipped, their essence chained and twisted, forever lost to their own humanity.
The demons do not honor their promises. They never truly wanted the men to become one of them. The truth is simple: evil consumes itself. Even in death, those who sow hatred and destruction will find only emptiness. No demon ascension awaits them—only the endless oblivion of forgotten souls, their names erased from history, their power never realized.
Places in the Abyss:
The Abyssal Court: The heart of demonic politics, located in a labyrinthine palace of black stone. Here, the most powerful demons gather to forge alliances and betray each other. Ruled by a council of Demon Lords, the court is a place of ever-shifting power, where backstabbing and coups are common.
The Pits of Rebirth: A forsaken valley filled with bubbling tar pits and twisted, living metal. Defeated demons are dragged here to be painfully reformed, often losing pieces of their identity. Weaker demons emerge disfigured, while stronger ones may retain memories but at the cost of power.
The Wastes of Nihil: A desolate expanse of crumbling ruins and endless sands where demons stripped of power go to languish. Lesser demons, consumed by despair, wander here, plotting their return. Adventurers seeking forbidden knowledge or forgotten beings often brave these dangerous wastes in search of power.
The Boundless Maw: A swirling vortex of destruction at the edge of the Abyss, this place serves as a prison for the most dangerous or rebellious demons. Cast into the Maw, demons are not slain but imprisoned, cut off from the rest of the Abyss for eons, trapped in an eternal limbo between life and death.
Demonic Politics:
With a finite number of demons, the Abyss is a battleground of constant power struggles. The strongest demons rule through terror and cunning, while weaker ones band together in fragile alliances. This scarcity of demons creates an economy of souls and artifacts, where each demon knows their standing can change at any moment.
In the Abyss, survival requires more than brute strength; it demands cunning, patience, and the ability to outwit or betray rivals. Artifacts of ancient chaos, infernal pacts, and mortal souls are prized commodities, and demons fight fiercely for control over these sources of power, knowing that their very existence hangs in the balance.
7.0.0.11 Elysium
Elysium shimmers as a celestial haven, a realm of unparalleled beauty and peace, hidden from mortal sight. It welcomes only the purest souls and deities, presided over by Antru, god of the sun and skies, offering solace to both mortals and gods in its tranquil expanse.
Invisible to most, Elysium exists beyond the constraints of time, glowing with a soft, golden light. Lush, emerald hills stretch to the horizon, rivers of crystal water hum with forgotten wisdom, and the air is alive with a divine melody. Only those free from worldly desires can perceive its shimmering gates and pass into its sanctified embrace.
Here, souls shed their mortal forms, glowing with radiant energy. Some wander the sunlit fields while others become beams of light or stars. These blessed souls are free of sorrow, finding eternal peace and joy in Elysium’s perfection.
Even the gods seek respite in this sacred realm, laying aside their power to enjoy Elysium’s stillness. Temples of light offer them solitude and reflection, where they commune with one another or simply bask in the tranquility Antru provides.
Yet, beneath Elysium's beauty lies a darker secret. The realm can sustain only 999 souls—an ancient pact with a hidden entity known as The Hunger. For every new soul that enters, one must be consumed to feed the Hunger. The emptied husk is left to dwell in the Underworld. The Hunger lurks beneath the surface, its insatiable appetite threatening to unravel the realm if too many souls are admitted.
The gods, aware of this fragile balance, carefully manage the cycle, ensuring that no one soul notices their fate. While some gods, like Antru, bear the burden of this truth, others accept it as the price for preserving Elysium’s perfection.
7.0.0.12 The Void Beyond
The Void Beyond looms as a realm of unfathomable madness where the very fabric of reality unravels, and sanity falters. In this dark expanse, time and space twist and fold in upon themselves, creating a kaleidoscope of shifting geometries that defy mortal comprehension. Here, the laws of physics become mere suggestions, and the air itself crackles with a chaotic energy that warps perception and distorts thought.
Entities born of this cosmic nightmare lurk within the shadows, their forms anathema to the natural order. They are beings of pure chaos, each one a grotesque manifestation of terror and power, their very existence a challenge to the sanity of those who gaze upon them. Their whispers echo in the minds of the weak-willed, sowing seeds of despair and confusion, driving even the strongest of heroes to the brink of collapse.
These creatures thrive on fear and madness, their influence gnawing at the edges of reality like a ravenous beast.
The Void's aberrant presence seeps through the weakened barriers created by Halfhag’s Soultrap, a potent artifact that holds sway over the fabric of existence itself. This cage, designed to imprison the essence of the departed, has inadvertently become a conduit for the dark energies of the Void. As the barriers falter, horrors that once lay dormant begin to seep into the world, manifesting as nightmarish abominations that haunt the dreams of mortals. They twist the minds of the unprepared, reshaping their thoughts into madness, turning allies into foes and friends into nightmares.
Imprisoned within this unholy expanse is Ixalor, the necromancer whose very essence is intertwined with the eldritch energies of the Void. He thrives in the chaos, drawing power from the madness that surrounds him, feeding on the despair of those who dare to venture too close. Ixalor is a master of manipulation, weaving dark designs with the threads of reality itself, seeking to harness the Void's power to unleash unspeakable horrors upon the world of OnceWas. His ambitions are vast and sinister, promising to plunge the realm into eternal night, where shadows reign and hope withers away.
Within the Void Beyond, Ixalor communes with the very essence of despair, crafting rituals that blur the line between life and death, sanity and madness. He dreams of a world transformed, where the boundaries between the living and the dead dissolve, allowing him to command an army of lost souls, twisted by the Void’s influence. His ambitions know no limits, and he plots to tear asunder the fabric of reality itself, drawing forth eldritch horrors to fulfill his dark visions.
The inhabitants of OnceWas remain blissfully unaware of the encroaching darkness, but the tendrils of the Void reach out, seeking to ensnare and consume. As the barriers weaken, whispers of the Void's malevolence begin to spread, creeping into the hearts of the unwary. Those who dare to delve too deeply into the arcane or venture into forbidden knowledge risk awakening the horrors that lie just beyond the veil.
In the Void Beyond, sanity is a fleeting concept, a fragile thread that can snap with a single encounter. The realm exists as a testament to the fears that lie within every soul, a dark reflection of the unknown that waits just beyond the edges of comprehension. Here, even the mightiest of gods tremble at the thought of the unfathomable entities lurking in the shadows, and the very essence of existence hangs by a thread.
As Ixalor's dark designs unfold, the boundaries between realms grow perilously thin. The Void Beyond threatens to spill forth into the world, unleashing a tide of madness and chaos that could consume all that is known. Time is running out, and the fate of OnceWas teeters on the precipice of despair, as the echoes of the Void begin to resonate within the hearts of its inhabitants, whispering promises of power and doom in equal measure.