[ Elysium ] [ Amoria | Eronia | Belierin | Thalasia ]
Elysium
The Flourishing Layers of Elysium, The Land of Perfect Good, the Restful Plane
Drink the sweet nectar and be at one with yourself
Elysium’s a good place to go to get away from the hustle and bustle of Sigil. The relaxed and soothing atmosphere is reflected in the calm and peaceful attitude of the petitioners here. You’re not expected to work for your kip, and the whole place simply embraces visitors providing them with food and drink a plenty. Elysians are a forgiving bunch, more likely to turn the other cheek and let you slap ’em in the face a second time before raising their hands against you. Be warned though, cutter—there’s a fine line between forgiveness and divine retribution, and it’s one that careless evil sods realise too late.
The Tripart Unity
Although a pleasant plane, Elysium is not a lavish place—unlike Arborea—being concerned less with expression of emotion but rather with being in touch with one’s mind, body and soul. Some say this is why the Transcendent Order choose to spend so much of their time here—it’s possible that viewing that tripart individual as unity removes the need for unnecessary thoughts and takes a berk forwards to true enlightenment.
In any case, while ‘evil’ involves maximising the gains for the self at the expense for others, ‘good’ cares less for the self than for the results of actions. Perhaps this lack of thought and trust of the good intuition inherent in the soul is why Ciphers flock to the plane. Either that, or it’s the beautiful weather, as calm as Pandemonium is tempestuous.
The Dark
Certainly there’s no sense of paranoia when you’re staying with the residents but following a visit you’ll end up with a healthy dose of it. Elysium’s an easy plane to get to, and a hard plane to get away from. Not because you’re imprisoned like in Carceri though, oh no. When somewhere is a perfectly lovely as this, it’s a challenge to force yourself to leave.
A blood might think the plane of ultimate goodness’d be a stuffy, boring place. Well, that blood should think again: Elysium’s got its share of excitement and darks. They say everyone has their dirty linen, and it seems the multiverse likes to keeps its washing here…
Amoria — Layer the First
Amoria is the topmost layer of Elysium and is surely one of the most hospitable places in all of the Outer Planes. It closely resembles the Prime with burgs settled along the banks of the River Oceanus, except every way you look the plane dazzles with its peace and beauty. The River is one of the main routes of transportation through the layer, and ships ply Oceanus in both directions trading goods of all kinds.
Amoria is the most populated layer of Elysium, with many residents utilising boats to travel around the layer. Its seasons are mild, with gentle winters and comfortable summers. Its rolling meadows and woodlands host an enormous variety of wildlife and birds. Even the wild animals are friendly here and will approach gentle travellers for a head scratch or petting. Colours and sounds appear deeper and more intense, yet somehow also restful on the eyes and the mind.
Eronia — Layer the Second
Eronia is the plane of fierce passion about the importance of peace, of security and defending the underdog. It is a rugged mountainous layer of hills and jagged peaks, topped by brightly lit clouds and surrounded by valleys of white granite. The spectacular vistas that visitors will experience from the high mountain passes has led to Eronia being dubbed the Bliss of Wonder. On this layer, the weather is much more severe than Amoria, with violent windstorms, blizzards of snow, and lightning being common. The seasons are more extreme with bitter winters and hot summers. The Oceanus cuts through the mountains in a winding pattern, carving breathtaking canyons and gorges, bubbling into whitewater rapids and cascades. It is fed by waterfalls which scatter the light into rainbows. Navigation heret is perilous, and can only be done safely by experienced boatfolk, who call themselves ‘river rats’.
Belierin — Layer the Third
Belierin is a layer composed mostly of fens, bogs and marshes, with tangles of mangroves in many places. Only a few settlements exist here on rocky spurs above the level of the swamps, many with a cathedral-like lighthouse, which directs travellers through the mists to safety.
The few travellers who come here use punts and rafts to navigate the overgrown waterways. Creatures dwelling in the marshes include beavers, muskrats, raccoons, turtles, opossums, frogs, crayfish, alligators, caiman, nutria (coypu), and herons.
Belierin is said to be a sealed layer, and the chant goes that the guardinals are either trying to keep people out, or something in. It is the plane of maintaining peace by secrecy, and of sacrifice for the greater good. The guardinals call this plane the Bliss of Hope.
Thalasia — Layer the Fourth
Thalasia is the origin layer of the River Oceanus that flows throughout the other layers of the plane. The layer is dotted with island archipelagos, known collectively as the Isles of the Holy Dead, the Isles of the Blessed, the Islands beyond the World, and the Heroic Isles. But while many petitioners dwell in these beautiful places, most of the action on Thalasia occurs under the waves. Here, beautiful burgs of coral and mother-of-pearl can be found, bathed in crystal clear waters of the perfect temperature. This plane truly deserves its moniker, the Bliss of Tranquility. Thalasia is a layer that embodies the peace that arises when all needs are provided for; the peace of providence.
More details to follow!
Source: Jon Winter-Holt
