Realms Above

The **Realms Above** (often referred to as the **Outer/Upper Planes**) are the planes of abstract thought, ideals, and of faith. These are the realms were the cosmic ideas of good and evil are believed to have their origin points, and from there, spread across the Astral Sea to form what is effectively the afterlife of Evarencia, being they are where souls go after dying. Due to the nature of these realms existing outside of the material plane, they have been given the name 'realms above' throughout history in an attempt for mortals to describe their 'distance' from the material. The gods that were born from the essence of these realms and embody the ideals that make up these planes are referred to as the Gods of the Realms Above or the Realms Gods and comprise the most powerful deities in the Established Divine Order. Although the Gods of the Land may have domains in these planes

Only Clairvoyant mortals can physically enter the Realms Above with others requiring to use astral projection, or otherwise, traversing them with their soul. Portals are one of the most common methods of moving around the Realms Above as is traversing the Astral Sea and one of the five Astral 'Rivers' that flows to it from the Soul Well. There are considered to be 14 Realms Above total although sages and scholars constantly debate about the categorization of some of the planes.

The Realms Above are difficult for most mortals to comprehend, and their layout can be confusing and difficult to understand. For many, without the aid of magic or a powerful item like the Helm of Serenity, charting and navigating these planes can be a difficult task with negative outcomes ranging from disorientation to total mental annihilation.

## Description

The Realms Above are not physical places, but rather, embodiments and realms of a more psychic and spiritual nature. Despite this, many of them have a 'geography' based upon the ideals embodied by the plane. After the birth of the gods, as they claimed their realms, these planes and their purpose took shape with some serving primarily as homes for souls after death and final judgment. These creatures, ranging from the holiest of angels to the most fiendish of devils, comprise a large portion of the population of these Realms. The planes are often divided into various 'layers' or subdimensions within each plane that have differing features and 'geography' between them.

There are 14 Realms Above total, although the categorization of a few planes is challenged by scholars in some instances. There are three different types of Realms Above.

### The Realms Above

#### The Heavenly Realms

What makes a realm marked as heaven? It is important to note the distinction between *heavens* and *Heaven* as referring to the latter is describing the specific realm of Celestia while referring to the *heavens* is referring to any of the realms touched by the holy radiance of Divine Light that shines from the Empyrean in Celestia. Although the amount of light that touches each of these planes varies and takes on different forms, these planes are touched by holy radiance to some degree and experience a level of blessed virtue. From here, positive energy radiates toward the material, but that does not necessarily mean that these planes are necessarily hospitable or easy to traverse for mortals.

The Heavenly Realms are primarily inhabited by celestial and fey creatures.

##### Celestia

*The Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia*

The origin point of the Divine Light, which radiates from the highest layer; the Empyrean, the Throne of Heaven. Represented as a blessed mountain, Celestia takes the form of a traditional representation of heaven. All water found in this plane is holy water and the fruit that grows in the sacred groves heals any scars or ailments of the body or mind. The further one ascends the sacred peak, the more pure and virtuous the realm becomes. Creatures born of the Stygian Shadows may be instantly destroyed in such close proximity to the Divine Light if they ascend higher than the first layer, Lunia. Celestia has known eternal peace, thanks in part to resident goddess Kierbeth, as well as the Alabaster Clouds being domain of the Sovereign in Alabaster, leader of the Planes Militant. Kovar, residing as the source of the Empyrean, *is* the light source of Heaven and is a living manifestion of the Divine Light and Holy Chorus.

##### Olympus

*The Enlightened Acropolis of Olympus*

A representation of an idealized community where the industrious and enlightened have gathered in virtuous pursuit of creativity, study, or any other devoted practice. Like minded celestial beings, said to have been formed from the cracking of the marble mount that shares its realms namesake, gathered in the metaphysical mountains and foothills that formed beneath the Holy Mountain of Celestia. Quieter and less glamorous than heaven, Olympus is the perfect place for those who wish to spend their afterlife pursuing their crafts. Many divine libraries, theaters, and schools serve as the realms of the gods in Olympus including for gods such as Phoonzang and Laurn.

##### Bytopia

*The Ever Consonant Twin-Cities of Bytopia*

The twin cities of Bytopia is comprised of two layers that 'fold' over each other with the barrier between them being a shared sky that is in actuality a lake as the foothills of the Olympian Mountain begin to give way to wilder heavens, but before giving way to chaos, the twin-cities serve as a bastion of harmony where both order and nature coexist. It is a tranquil realm where the communities celestials chose to settle in are quiet paradises. Nature grows here, and it is a realm where fey and celestials gather together in cooperation instead of opposition, as seen when one grows closer to the Divine Light. Gwynlia resides in the lake while Havana traverses between both cities.

##### Vaargard

*The Heroic Haven of Vaargard*

Since the fall of the Jotnar, the primordial giant gods, the realm of Vaargard has been cast in a permanent winter. Since his exile from Celestia, Goerwyr has come to take up residence in Vaargard with it being far enough from the Divine Light to feel his father's influence. Vaargard is marked as the point where both 'wild heavens' (Arcaida and Elysium) meet and border with Bytopia's harmony, making it the perfect place for those heroic souls who wish to continue such endeavors after dying. It is in the Harrenhall they feast and the Eternal Dueling Grounds where they spar in preparation for when Goerwyr will call upon them. The celestial and fey knights ride atop the native Vaargardian Dragon. Beside Goerwyr, Attarikyr's forge is located in Vaargard. Vaargard is in an eternal state of dawn as the Divine Light begins to wane.

##### Elysium

*The Wild Hunt of Elysium*

The wildest of the heaven's Elysium is a realm that refuses to be tamed. It is sometimes referred to as the Beastlands as the yokai are the spirits of animals that roam these realms. Those who felt a kinship with animals in life may experience an afterlife as a strange being of mysterious origin known as a beastlord, serving Okku, while the fey wild hunt, led by Marlfax, eternally thunder across the divine wilderness in search of their next prey. Nature grows unchecked here in its purest form and most undisturbed state with only camps and lodges dotting the landscape. Each of its layers represents one of the variety of biomes found on Evarencia. As the divine light grows weaker, the realm is in a perpetual state of twilight.

##### Arcadia

*The Splendorous Feynight of Arcadia*

The Divine Light of heaven shines dimmest in Arcadia, a forested realm marked by a permanent state of midnight. The wilderness is tranquil and rainfall of holy water is common in this realm. Arcadia is often referred to as 'faerie heaven' as this is origin point of all things sylvan in creation. The first fey are said to have grown from seeds spread by the World Tree. Arcadia is also noted for being the origin point of the World Tree as well as the realm of Selle Esteen, the elven divine realm, as well as the primary gathering place of the Shasta pantheon. Here, wildlife is quite common and nature often grows unchecked here. It is here that the Gates of Heaven are located. Celeste and Lorrid reside here, being gods of a fey nature.

#### The Styigan Realms

Understanding what makes a plane one of the six heavens makes describing the four Stygian planes easier as they are the realms that are not touched by Divine divine Light. from the Stygian Shadow in Hell, cast from the Flames of Creation, the the umbral gloom grows long in these realms and little light is experienced, if at all. These realms are often put to use for the more unsavory purposes of the realms above, and, that negative energy radiates toward the material. These realms are extremely hostile to mortal kind as well as some of their denizens.

The Stygian Realms are primarily inhabited by infernal and cthonic creatures, although there are some deviations, such as the furies of Cocytus.

##### Khazav

*The Clockwork Necropolis of Khazav*

A place of order and law, the Clockwork Necropolis serves as a fugue plane and the first stop for many souls of mortals when after they are judged and are awaiting transport to the plane they have both chosen and/or judged fit for. A massive cemetery tended by shades, the resident cthonic spirits, radiates from the center of the realm where the Clocktower of Nirvana can be found, maintaining the balance of the planes as the center point of time with the only settlement being the Necropolis of Khazav, which the realm takes its name from. Here, a variety of cthonic beings and others outcast from their home realms gather to form a community where the primarily commodity are either hospitality for the souls awaiting their chariot's arrival and the most prized possession of the dead; memories manifest as items robbed from the graves in the cemetery.

##### Cocytus

*The Stygian Engine of Cocytus*

The River of Conflict, which this realm receives its name, flows from its source here, is the only planar river that provides passage to the Tartarian Gate. Cocytus is a cold and dark realm with the only sources of light being Hall of Grudges, and the Flames of Unmaking. Near these lights, many factories for the cosmos exist, using the fires of vengeance and the flames of unmaking as a furnace for these forges. As one strays further from the light, the realm grows increasingly colder. As the nature of conflict is divided in two, so is Cocytus, with the River of Conflict splitting the two layers; the Furnace and the Frozen Tears. The air in Cocytus is acrid and difficult to be in, even for other ascended beings that are not furies or atronachs. Cthonic beings toil away in the forges and factories of the furnace as a penance for sins in life while the celestial furies patrol the realm for their master, Azrael.

##### Gehenna

*The Bleak Purgatory of Gehenna*

A realm of gloom, shadow, suffering, and atonement, Gehenna is the only realm to border against hell, with the River of Conflict flowing through to the Tartarian Gates; the only access point to the Infernal Hells in the planes. Gehenna is a colorless place and gravity functions at a strange angle. The realm manifests as great mountains the the 7 layers give way to from the peaks, down the valleys, and to the Tundra of the Damned far below. With an extremely hostile landscape, not many come to this realm willingly. What little light there is here from the strange cube-shaped moon of blacklight disappears as one descends Gehenna. The most notable settlement is the massive city of Omegos, secured by the Wall of the Faithless. Gehenna is also noted for being the realm where the gods imprisoned Cersei.

##### Hell

*The Tartarian Circles of the Infernal Hells*

It is from the Creation's Furnace that the Flames of Creation cast the very Stygian Shadow that serves as the origin point of the Idea of Evil and darkness spread across all the realms. Hell is a realm the gods reserve for only the most wicked of souls, only damning an unrepentant soul to imprisonment as a devil so that they may no longer corrupt other souls. So hostile and brutal are the Infernal Hells that it is this realm that serves as the extreme comparison point for terrible places. There are 9 layers, or circles, of hell that grow more evil, wicked, and chaotic as one descends. Although hell is commonly depicted as a place of infernal flames, there is variety in the geography; it is terribly hostile. The only light here is cast from the infernal flames that spread from the corrupted Flames of Creation. At the very bottom, in Creation's Furnace, is the Gigantes Asylum, where the lone surviving giant god, Surtur, suffers in eternal agony, tending to the very source of fire and heat.

#### The Psychic Realms

Being difficult to study and full of mystery, these realms are difficult to categorize as they exist outside of the cosmic duality of Divine Light and the Stygian Shadow. Sages have noted the element these realms share in common is some element of a psychic nature. These planes are realms of pure, psychic energy and do not have much to 'physically' speak of and are instead experienced. Although the nature of these planes is oft debated, even the most stubborn of academics will put aside their differences to accept there are 3 psychic realms.

The Psychic Realms are inhabited by a misfit menagerie of creatures with psionic origins, such as the dreamweavers, demons, and entities of cosmic origin.

##### The Soul Well

*"The Soul Well is a strange realm, seemingly found where all the planar ‘rivers’ meet and is something of a swirling ethereal realm suspended around a starry sky. The platforms you find yourselves walking on are made of rainbows and light and thump with each step you take, reverberating with the echoes of discordant, disassociated voices. Crystals form a structure in the distance where flashes of light are accompanied with a ringing. A sparkling dust is suspended in the ‘air’ around you as you wade through what you can only assume are the echoes of souls coming and going through the soul well, each experiencing it independently yet simultaneously as you are. Each speck glimmers all manner of color and the dust seems to drift toward this forge in the distance. Rainbow bridges form and disappear as need be as souls enter to be judged and others exit, having just been forged, ready to enter the realm that you can somehow see below. Various worlds shift and change around below you in the starry void as souls are sent off to their destinations from deep within the iridescent structure. There is not much else to the soul well beyond the graveyard of dead stars. Each flash from the forge, accompanied by a hammer’s ring, gives out the roar of 1,000 angry dragons as the colorful flames of creation burn within the furnace suspended below the forge."*

-*WovenRealm* S4E17 "The Queen"

All souls are created by Aor here and sent to their destination from here. Souls also come here to be judged before being sent to the Clocktower of Nirvana to be sent to their final destination.

## The Eternal Conflict

When discussing ideals and morality in Evarencia, folk often find themselves debating between the concepts of the Idea of Good and the Idea of Evil. It is believed that the Astral Dragons were born of two halves of the Astral Star. Azor Bael, the dragon of light, stars, space, and time became a symbol of good while Agora the dragon of darkness, annihilation, entropy, and the void became the symbol of evil. Although it is important to note the variation in the ideals and beliefs of various mortal cultures, when discussing the Eternal Conflict, folks discuss the cosmic idea of good vs evil, which, in the realms of abstract thought, belief, and ideal, takes on a very real and deadly conflict as these ideas clash against each other in these realms above.

Despite some variation, there are a generally agreed upon set of virtues and characteristics that describe good that are easily identified by anyone regardless of cultural affiliations. On the opposite side of the metaphorical coin is an agreed upon set of sins and characteristics that describe evil. Although mortals believe themselves as partaking in this cosmic struggle between good and evil, this conflict is primarily carried out by the gods and other higher beings, but there have been many times throughout Evarencia's history that this conflict has spilled over into the material world. The gods and powers from the Realms Above do exert their influence upon the realm, but it is the belief and faith of the mortals that maintains them, as without that faith, the souls that comprise any deific entity will scatter to the cycle with the gods remains and echoes remaining in the Astral Sea.

In other fantasy settings, the good and evil of the Eternal Conflict may be described as 'alignments' or 'ideals' and may be compared on an axis along with order/law and chaos, but a common narrative theme in Chromatic Chimera's media has been challenging these simple and reductive views of good and evil in a realm where they manifest as very real forces (a major part of *WovenRealm's* plot revolves around these nuances). For most player characters, their 'side' in the Eternal Conflict is often governed by the god(s) or faith(s) they follow. There are even those who choose to remain neutral in the Conflict or to remove themselves wholly from it, such as those who willingly scribe their names into the Wall of the Faithless or those who follow the philosophies of the sciences inspired by the old Alchemical Tradition, such as the Cult of the Immortal Engine.

## Cosmography

### Cosmic Layout

The Realms Above are said to have risen from the very abstract essence of the Astral Sea. There are multiple passageways that have formed between the metaphysical borders of these realms. There exist doorways in the Astral Sea that can lead travelers to these places. The Astral Rivers, the flow of souls, emotion, and thought and their energy through the planes, serve as a way to traverse the planes. Other passageways have formed such as the germination and growth of the World Tree or the forming of the Infinite Staircase. There are metaphysical features to traverse such as mountains that can take one between realms.

The 'position' of one of these planes is determined by mysterious factors, but sages and academics have noticed an ordering based off of proximity to Divine Light or the Stygian Shadow. The purpose of some planes also determines where they may lie in relation to each other, sometimes with borders having little rhyme or reason and appears solely is based upon metaphysical geography. The Empyrean atop the Holy Mountain of Celestia serves as the origin point of Divine Light, where virtue and goodness is said to shine down. The Pit of Iscarioth, the lowest point in Hell, is comprised of the shadows cast from the very Flames of Creation; this point of darkness and evil is known as the Stygian Shadow and reaches from across Hell to wherever Divine Light has been refused. The Holy Chorus that birthed the first celestial beings is a result of Divine Light. The first fiendish creatures are said to have crawled from the umbral pits of the Stygian Shadow.

From Celestia, Divine light shines brightest next on Olympus and Bytopia followed by Elysium and Vaargard. Arcadia, in eternal fey-night, experiences the least of Divine Light of all the divine realms. From Hell, the Stygian Shadow looms into Gehenna, following the River of Conflict into Cocytus and up into Khazav where the Clocktower of Nirvana tempers both good and evil against the greatest ruler of the cosmos; time.

The psychic realms exist outside the scope of the Divine Light and Stygian Shadow. The Dreamtime is born of the dreams of all thinking things. The Soul Well is the source point of all souls in the planes. The Abyss is the least understood, with some claiming it has always existed while others believe it to be a corruption of the Dreamtime cast out by Faze.

### The Divine Light

The Divine Light is the holy light the shines from the Empyrean atop the sacred mountain of Celestia, and it is from here that the Divine Light serves as the origin point for the Idea of Good, light, virtue, order, and the force of life. Any realm this light touches is considered a heavenly realm. The god Kovar is thought to be the living embodiment of the Divine Light, and it is believed the purest and most virtuous of souls are able to join with the very Divine Light itself. The sound that emanates from the Divine Light is called the Holy Chorus, which is believed to be the force that has given life to the celestial and fey ascended creatures. The origin of the Divine Light itself is debated by scholars and theologians with some claiming it to be born of one of the stars that joined under Azor Bael's banner while others say it is actually born from the heart of Azor Bael when Agora ripped it out during Creation's Battle.

The counterpart to the Divine Light is the Hope in Darkness, despite what some faiths may believe. Where Kovar is born of the Divine Light itself, Verthae is born of Hope in Darkness' essence.

### The Stygian Shadow

The Stygian Shadow is the unholy gloom that creeps out from being cast by the eternally powerful Flames of Creation, its own counterpart, spreading throughout creation from the deepest pit in Hell. The Stygian Shadow serves as the origin point for the Idea of Evil, darkness, chaos, and the force of death throughout the planes. There is no god thought to be the living embodiment of the Stygian Shadow, but instead, it can be a corruptive force with its forbidden knowledge and secrets tempting mortals and gods alike. The sound that emanates from the Stygian Shadow are the Occult Whispers from which cthonic creatures and fiends first crept out of. There is greater debate about the origin point of the Stygian Shadow with some faiths proclaiming it is the darkness found in the absence of the Divine Light. Other scholars suggest that in Creation's Battle, Agora suffered a similar injury to Azor Bael with her heart becoming the Stygian Shadow.

As stated, the Flames of Creation are the counterpart to the Stygian Shadow and are the driving force of the wheels of creation. It is thought that magic is given to the mortal realm through the Flames of Creation.

## Inhabitants

Besides the gods of the Realms Above, the beings that inhabit the upper planes are often called 'ascended.' Most of the supernatural entities that inhabit these realms, including the gods, are categorized generally based on their origin and lineage. These beings tend toward certain types of realms, but this is not always the case. It is not common for beings to be of more than one type, but it does occur.  Gods of the Land also have domains in these planes, but they do not hold the power or influence of their counterparts. The creature types of the Realms Above include:

### Celestial

Beings of a divine origin and with a lineage to the Holy Chorus that reverberates from the Divine Light. Celestial beings are holy and divine in nature and often are associated with radiance, virtue, and order. Angels are the typical representative of the celestials.

### Cosmic

Beings that exist outside an ordinary understanding of the supernatrual and are usually affiliated with space, time, or the void. The astral dragons are a good example of cosmic beings.

### Cthonic

Beings born of the Stygian Shadows that managed to escape intermingling with the Infernal Flames. Not innately infernal, fiendish, or necessarily evil, cthonic beings are oft affiliated with less virtuous, *darker* domains that are not always viewed favorably, but may be seen as a necessity to nature's laws. Their goodness or evilness may be subjective. The specters of Gehenna and the shades of Khazav are good examples of cthonic beings.

### Elemental

Although typically found in the elemental planes, the bleeding of elemental magic is caused by the very nature of creation itself. These elementals are often naturally occurring denizens in a realm, born outside of any sort of cosmic ideal.

### Fey

Beings born of any of the faerie planes such as Arcadia or the Feywild with a lineage to the fey themselves. Fey creatures are usually affiliated with the forces of nature, magic, and the seasons. With fey representatives easy to spot, some other fey ascended beings include the Wild Hunt and Yokai of Elysium.

### God-Forged

Divine or supernatural beings of an artificial nature that have been constructed by a deific power. The colossi of Gehenna and the Inevitables are examples witnessed in *WovenRealm.*

### Infernal

Beings born of the Stygian Shadow with a fiendish nature. This is likely due to being touched by the Infernal Flames of Hell when they spawned from those umbral pools originally. Fiends tend to hail from Hell or Gehenna, but due to the presence of the demons, they also inhabit the Abyss. They are typically affiliated with darkness, destruction, discord, and corruption. Besides demons, devils are the other typical example of infernal creatures.