Ætheria

The Convergence, also known as the Between.

### Inhabitants

Star Swimmers, Ancients, Creators, Conductors, Star Treaders, Depth Demons, Deceased

A seven layered realm, Aetheria encompasses the infinite god realms and afterlife, as well as a finite dreamscape for both pleasant dreams (the Sanctuary) and nightmares (the Dark Depths). In the middle of the "good" and "bad" lies the Convergence, where portals to the Network can be accessed as well as the Farlands. While at first glance it may have a vertical layout, with bad at the very bottom, good at the very top, and a neutral plane separating them, Aetheria is shaped more like a donut with the cosmic sky of the Void mirroring the cosmic sky of the Apex. In other words, a god in the Void looking up will essentially be looking down at the Apex and vice versa.

# Sublevels

The main seven layers are broken down into three categories:

* Greater Aetheria, which includes the two extremes of the Apex and the Abyss.
* Middle Aetheria, which encompasses the lands of the dead; the Beyond and the Void.
* Lesser Aetheria, which covers the three middle layers of the Sanctuary, the Convergence, and the Dark Depths.

## The Apex

Description

Notable Locations

## The Beyond

Description
No true description exists given this realm is blocked from the living, but those who have passed on or reincarnated describe a paradise of warm breezes and a sky full of cosmic wonders while the sun still shines. Fabulous and stunning architecture of every kind can be found here, with inhabitants relaxing with friends and family for all eternity or until they decide to try for reincarnation.

Notable Locations

## The Sanctuary

Description
Warm, breezy, and illuminated by purple and blue light, the Sanctuary is nothing short of paradise with the many environments of the waking world arranged in a circular formation around the center. The sky, deep indigo and blue, is filled with stars and nebulas, as is the water surrounding the islands. On the distant horizon, the sky resembles morning twilight with the sun always just below the horizon. Along the coasts, the water is a vibrant, glowing turquoise and turns to deep blue the further from the islands you go. The centerpiece is a massive floating island with a mighty oak in the canopy basin. Within this basin lies a peaceful garden and lake, beneath which lies the Convergence. On a tiny island in the lake's center, a beam of wavering and twisting ice blue light leads up to the Beyond.

Notable Locations

* Tree of Light

## The Convergence

Description
Shaped like a crater with towering cliffs misty cliffs surrounding a clear shallow lake with a main island in the center, the Convergence is considered the middleground of Aetheria. The sky resembles the surface of water as seen from below, light rays twisting and turning on the land below. Positioned above the island are the Tree of Light's roots, twisting downward like a great staircase to the island as water indefinitely cascades off the roots and evaporates before reaching the branches of the island trees. Where the roots touch the island in the very center, a pond allows the peak of the Reach from the Dark Depths to break through a beneath the murky waters lurks the Dark Depths. The island itself is like mini planet, with dense pines in the center gradually becoming spacious palms towards the island shores. The slopes of the surrounding cliffs show a similar pattern.

Notable Locations

* Convergence Shore

## The Dark Depths

Description
Dark, chilly, and perpetually filled with the sickening smell of decay and piercing sounds of screams, the Dark Depths appears to be an immense cavern illuminated by red and purple auroras that wreath among the stalactites. Difference environments arranged like a wagon wheel around the edges of the cave are a direct copy of those found in the Sanctuary, but are noticeably more decayed and haunting with thick vines and bioluminescent, semi-sentient fungus. A sea of thick blood in the center surrounds a large volcanic mountain known as the Reach, and the top of this mountain breaks through a hole in the top of the ceiling, leading to the Convergence, while deep within is the portal to the Void.

Notable Locations

* The Reach

## The Void

Description
While no true description exists, as the land is off limits to the living, accounts from the dead in the Dark Depths describe a humid, dark, and chilling land of dilapidated and overgrown structures. Rather than clear shimmering water, dark and stagnant pools of putrid sludge dot the lands. It's no small wonder then why many dead try for redemption or spend their time in the Dark Depths.

Notable Locations

## The Abyss

Description

Notable Locations

# Access Points

## Death

This is the main way many find themselves in Aetheria.

## Dreams

The second most common route to Aetheria, dreamers can find themselves in any of the middle three levels. Due to the high abundance of dreamers, the Dark Depths and the Sanctuary have become synonymous with bad and good dreams, respectively. While most find themselves in Aetheria by chance, lucid dreams can enter Aetheria willingly and have mild manipulative abilities. As it only their soul, not their mortal body, they do not have to worry about death from any Aetherian aspect. However, they can still be killed by those still living.

## Portals

Portals to this mystic realm are hard to find in the mortal world, but not impossible. Like all portals, they link Aetheria to the mortal world via the Network and are found underground. However, unlike planetary portals, those to Aetheria are found deeper underground. When stepping through one such portal, both the spirit and body of an individual is transported to Aetheria. As a result, mortality now comes into play unlike entering the realm through dreams. While old age is no longer a factor, a Depth Demon encounter or a fall from floating islands can end your life. But at least you're already close to the afterlife?