Heart’s Faith
Location: Mount Celestia / Lunia / Threshold
Heart’s Faith is a burg place nestled against the steep cliffside, one of the most populous of the port towns on the gentle shores of Lunia’s Silver Sea. However, unlike most large burgs, it’s also a haven of love and trust, a place that embraces all who pass through its streets.
Just offshore in the deeper waters of the sea is the main reason that Heart’s Faith is an important and well-visited burg on Lunia. This is where a cutter will find the permanent Outlander Gate, which whisks planewalkers to and from Excelsior, the gate town to Mount Celestia. It is located in the waters of the Silver Sea, and travellers using the gate to arrive always appear in the air above the surf, before gravity rapidly takes hold. Like all Celestian gates to the Outlands, it is made from red granite flecked with blue.
On the bustling wharfs of the burg itself, ships berth ready to carry a traveller across the Silver Sea to other Upper Planes or the short trip out to the Outlander Gate.
Heart’s Faith welcomes planewalkers, adventurers and pilgrims with open arms. The burg used to be located on the Outlands, where was itself a former gate town to Mount Celestia. Then a pride of lamassu moved in to make the burg their home, which was enough to tip the town over the edge and into Mount Celestia. The descendants of those very lamassu are now the rulers of the burg. Its history means the town also has a bit of an outsider mentality when compared with the rest of Lunia, and the place seems to have fewer archon residents than most towns on the Evermountain.
Heart’s Faith is split into three tiers by altitude, each home to a particular kind of cutter. The lowest tier is called the Merchants’ Tier. It is a bustling cityscape, where streets paved with silver cobbles wind through a vibrant market of stalls and shops, each catering to not only those who have the jink to pay but also to the humble in need who usually find the good-natured merchants will help them with a discount or a handout. In this tier, the majestic domes of the Temple of Mitra loom, and this structure also acts as the central court for the burg. Around it are gathered several artisanal guilds, and inns offering respite to weary travellers, their hearths warm with a true celestial welcome. Music fills the air, carried by unseen winds that bear the harmonies of distant trumpets.
And oh, the shops! A myriad of storefronts line the streets in a plaza called the Dome of the Skies. Here, pilgrims can find clothing and gear fit for their journey to the higher slopes of the Mount. The air is fragrant with scents of exotic spices and the anticipation of discovery. Religious artefacts abound, holy symbols of every benevolent faith you care to name, and magical potions. Unlike the merchants in most burgs, these folks have nothing but kind and helpful words for each other, despite being competitors.
At high tide the Dome of the Skies transforms as the waters of Lunia’s ocean surge forth, flooding the cobblestone square. It’s a sight to behold, but the locals make the most of it because at high tide, the plaza doubles as a harbour for travellers and the glittering ships of souls alike.
Amidst all the commerce, a beacon of compassion shines bright. The Heart of the Mended Trust is a sanctuary for those without a place to call home. It’s an orphanage, a refuge, a bastion of care.
The Travellers’ Gate leads to the Citizen’s Rest Tier, a place where peace and prosperity are the order of the day. Houses and apartments stand meticulously maintained to gleaming perfection. Whether grand or humble, all abodes share the same elegance. In this tier, the residents embrace a spirit of unity. From grand estates to cosy dwellings, all embody comfort and joy, a testament to the collective will to provide for all. Rumour has it that even the humblest denizens find themselves wrapped in a blanket of contentment, their needs met by the generosity of their neighbours.
Also in the Citizen’s Rest tier stands the majestic Library of Heart’s Faith, one of the greatest libraries available to mortal pilgrims on Mount Celestia, and certainly the best available this side of the Prime Vallation.
The Archons’ Gate leads to the Lion’s Pride Tier. This is where the Winged Lions, the lamassu guardians of the burg, make their kips. It’s also home to the Old Philosopher’s Inn, a tavern famed for the quality of its debates, and where many of the high-ups in the Planes-Militant cut their teeth.
The architecture of the tier is a picture of symmetry and grandeur, but what truly makes this burg shine is its ruler, the greater lammasu Lebes. This lofty being takes immense delight in ensuring that Heart’s Faith remains a haven of carefree spirit. The harem of Lebes offers him their wise counsel, and an aasimar named Cauldronborn serves as mayor in the council’s absence. The Winged Lions stand watchfully over the Petitioners’ Gate, a (non-magical) gateway which leads out of the city into Lunia proper. Thanks to their vigilance and the good natures of the locals, crime is nigh unheard of in the burg.Â
Canonical References:
- The Great Modron March (2e) p22-35 (adventure set in Heart’s Faith, plus maps of the burg and details of many of the buildings and NPCs described here)
- Guide to the Astral Plane (2e) p82 (mentioned)
- Planes of Law: Mount Celestia (2e) p12-13 (full burg description) and 26-28 (adventure)
- Planescape Campaign Setting: Dungeon Master’s Guide (2e) p62 (mention)
- Player’s Primer to the Outlands (2e) p15 (mentioned)