Spirit Realm

It is here, in this murky reflection of the mortal world, that the souls of the dead find themselves. Over time these souls will slowly shed their mortal burdens and worries, their memories and hopes until there is little more than a husk of the creature they once were, it is at this point when they are at their simplest of being that they are drawn to one of the Greater Planes, to be reborn as one of its denizens. Sometimes however, in places in the mortal world where death is particular strong these lost souls can fall through the skin of the realms and find themselves trapped in the land of the living.

Sooner or later, all mortal souls find themselves pulled towards the eternal afterlife, from the greatest of wizard-kings to the smallest of goblins, fae and elf, orc and aasimar, all will one day find themselves in the shadowy mirror of Confluence. Should a mortal somehow obtain a way to ascend to becoming a being of a Greater Plane, they would escape the fate to one day enter this realm of fog and cloud and ash, escape the fate to piece by piece feel their memories and thoughts drain out of them until they're little more than an echo on the wind. Many have sought a way to escape the clutches of this dark realm, none have succeeded.

Though this land is certainly cold and desolate, it is not without its own share of inhabitants. If the Spirit Realm is the mirror of the material plane, then it too is the hollow reflection of the Otherland, where rigid, unwavering order dominates. The wheel continues to turn on and on and this is reflected in the native beings that dwell there, known as the starspawn, the gith or axiomites, these emotionless creatures warp and change themselves willingly so that they may corral and herd the countless lost souls that filter into the void.

Not all who dwell within this land however are native to it, nor are they dead. A number of representatives of different celestial hosts establish their own outposts here, ensuring that death never falls under the sway of those who would abuse it or uprooted by the forces of the Hells. From time to time mortals too will find themselves physically entering the Spirit Realm, those few that return do so changed, a part of the shadow forever lingering with them. It was through this method that a number of dark elves who had come to settle in the Spirit Realm became the first Shadar-kai and the first gloomstalkers, as they served their starspawn sires and masters to protect the realm of death, fighting alongside and against its heavenly guardians in equal measure.

#### The Gith

Native mortal beings within the Spirit Realm are known collectively as the Gith, where these beings first came from is a mystery hotly debated by mortal scholars. What is known however that whilst they primarily act as shepherds and tenders to the herds of spirits that roam the ashen planes of the Realm, ensuring wandering dangers don't seek to hunt them or else keeping them away from the sinkholes between the Realm and Confluence, they also have a rigid and strict social structure.

Despite their coldly ordered nature, there is a spirit of desire to be something other lurking within. Even the most depraved of demons or the most creative of fae could never match the giths talents for fleshcraft and alteration. Many of the dangers that might be found within the Realm are often the product of gith magics and creations and these can range from simple helper creatures to vast homunculi monstrosities. Many of these abominations have become simple minded and are only capable of following orders or listening to their primal instincts, they still however form a valuable rank in gith society as anything from beasts of burden to warbeasts.

##### The Dominions

The beating hearts of gith culture are unlike the realms of any other race, where in the cities of mortal beings one can find noise and chaos, a churning mess of people and their lives little is to be found of that within the Realm. These cities of stone that exist on the barren, ash like plains or tucked away beneath jagged mountains exist as both a bastion against the dark and a rare reminder that even here life will find a way to survive. Yet in spite of this they are not welcoming places.

Often described as waking mausoleums, the great pillared cities of the Dominions are cold, unwelcoming and quiet. An unnatural hush exists within these places, with their residents speaking in voices only barely louder than a whisper and heavily scorning those who break this unspoken taboo. Why exactly the gith and those who reside within these cities are so reluctant to raise their voices is not entirely known, but whatever the reason they seem to hold this tradition as sacred as water and rarely break from it.

Regardless for the reasons such strange customs exist, they are strictly enforced by the cities caste system, with soldiers and guards cracking down on any who would deviate from their expected place. Sitting at the top of this social pyramid are the Dominates themselves, beings who have forgone their own identity to take up a place of power and rule, adopting the clothing, style and even in most instances, the form of the previous Dominate. Under these come the Prelatorians, individuals who oversee the chain of command and ensure that everything moves as intended or commanded. Next come the Artienaria, craftsmen, mutators, masons, blacksmiths and others who dedicate themselves to the art of the craft. They hold a special place within gith society as they are both heavily respected yet also make a bulk of the population.

As a persons occupation becomes increasingly physically minded and carrying less responsibilities to those around them the importance of that position lessens increasingly. Following after the Artienaria are the Levitus, soldiers, battlemages, medics and beastmasters, the militant forces that make up the Dominions forces. Each member of the Levitus is solely dedicated to a single skill or art of war, making them both incredible dangerous and dangerously inflexible. Curiously the entire race of shadar-kai fall within this social strata in the Realm, no matter what their profession would be.

The final caste within gith society is the Laborium, the unemployed, serfs, merchants, spirit-tenders, menials and other low end labour focused tasks. These individuals exist as an almost silent workforce, having little political sway or favour and only enjoying the basics of rewards for their undoubtably hard work. No gith would ever truly admit it, but much of their society relies on the thankless dedication of these hardworking souls.

##### The Spire of Eternity

For most who find themselves within the confines of the Realm, this mighty and ancient tower is the very center of the Realm, surrounded by choking clouds of ash and smoke and churning with untamable magic, the Spire is the first and last sight they shall know. All souls of the fallen are first drawn here, entering into the Realm through the conduit it holds open, from there they are guided into the vast crowds where they shall spend the last of their existence slowly fading into a shade of what they once were.

After the years, decades or centuries it takes for a soul to finally lose the last of their mortal memories, experiences and emotions, as a shell of pure spiritual energy they are drawn back once more to the Spire. Should they succeed in their journey back then it from here that they shall not only cease to be as an individual but as a being altogether, they shall be siphoned forth into the Greater Planes, their energy merging with whichever realm they closest aligned to and from there sustain it or help to produce new Greater beings.

For those mortal visitors to the Realm, the Spire is a truly deadly place. Only the gith tenders know how to navigate the jagged planes and avoid becoming trapped within the mire of shadow and ash. Magic runs wild as the connection with each of the Planes prevents any sense of order or safety to be true and monstrous creatures prowl the dark, hoping to snatch up lone spirit and unwary wanderer alike. Few places are more dangerous and yet as vital as the plains surrounding the Spire.

##### The Nameless Hall

An ancient and unknowable fortress located deep within the wilds of the Spirit Realm. Where it truly lays is a true mystery, for even the very knowledge of it is a hushed whisper and barely more believable than a local legend. It is said to have been built millennia ago by a host of gith, devils and angels working together, as the fortress was completed the way out was shut behind them and all knowledge of such a place was destroyed. Yet despite that the legend still yet remains.

None truly know what the purpose of such a fortress could be, if it be guarding something or guarding against something, if its defenders and builders still live or if the long years have finally seen their end. Many adventurers have felt the sirens call of the perfect treasure hunt to seek such a place out, nearly all do not return. But for once in a half dozen generations a lone figure will be found wandering the fields of dust, muttering under their breath, their eyes glassy if not torn out by their own hands, scraps and pieces of their once majestic equipment torn and ragged on their battered frame. All they ever say is simply "Tread not into the Hall" forever, until they are given the mercy of true death.