Outer Realms

Beyond Etape's material plane are the Outer Realms: the planes of the 10 elements and the 9 axioms. It is here that the gods of Etape reside and the souls of mortals transcend after death.

## Afterlife

When a mortal soul dies, it moves from the material plane to the limbo realm of Purgitorio. From there, it may be guided to a number of afterlives, depending on the faith the person had in life and the karma they accumulated.

### Ascension

Souls that are good, though not extraordinary, are brought to a higher plane such as Eden or Utopia.

### Damnation

Evil souls are dragged to a lower plane, such as Dystopia or Inferno, to be slaves, tortured, or worse by devils and demons

### Apotheosis

Particularly devout followers of a god or extra ordinary individuals of a particular axiom may be reborn on another plane as an outsider. For followers of the Elementals, this means becoming an elemental themselves. Good beings may become celestials. Worshipers of dark gods may be "rewarded" by becoming devils, deamons, or demons.

### Reincarnation

Though possible for any soul, it is mostly the followers of Xahax who reincarnate into new mortal bodies to live another life.

### Transcendence

Souls that give up their identity are said to have transcended. Normally that implies that they have merged with the All Soul but sometime implies that they have embraced the oblivion on No-Thing-Ness.

###

## Elemental Planes

### Earth:

aka:

Ruler: Terrus

Apotheosis: Earth Elementals, Wysps, Veela, Mephit, and Shaitan

One of the four greater elemental planes, the Earth plane is covered in rolling mountains, from foothills to craggy peaks. This realm is also home to a vast desert of sweeping sand dunes and a vast, flat prairie broken occasionally by grand canyons and towering mesas. However, the majority of the plane exists deep under ground, in a seemingly never ending series of caverns.

### Fire:

aka:

Ruler: Igneous

Apotheosis: Fire Elementals, Wysps, Veela, Mephit, and Efeeti

One of the four greater elemental planes. A burning, boiling world where little exists that is not on fire. Oceans of lava surround the few land masses and smoke chokes the air.

### Wind:

aka:

Ruler: Aurus

Apotheosis: Wind Elementals, Wysps, Veela, Mephit, and Djinni

One of the four greater elemental planes

### Water:

aka:

Ruler: Auquas

Apotheosis: Water Elementals, Wysps, Veela, Mephit, and Marid

One of the four greater elemental planes

### Metal:

aka:

Ruler: Vulcan

One of the four boundry planes, it exists where Fire meets Earth

### Wood:

aka:

Ruler: Arbor

One of the four boundry planes, it exists where Earth meets Water

### Ice:

aka:

Ruler: Frost

One of the four boundry planes, it exists where Water meets Air

### Electricity:

aka:

Ruler: Blitze

One of the four boundry planes, it exists where Air meets Fire

### Light:

aka:

Ruler: ???

Despite what some think, the plane of light is not necessarily a plane of good. It is eternally bound to its sister plane of darkness. A mysterious realm that is little documented, the Inevitables are said to have originated there.

### Darkness:

aka:

Ruler: ???

Despite what some think, the plane of dark is not a plane of evil. It is eternally bound to its sister plane of light. A mysterious realm that is little documented, the Inevitables are said to have originated there.

## Axiom Planes

### Lawful Good: Paradiso

aka: Ħ'aċland (Shakland)

Ruler: Sephirot

A realm of enforced moral conduct, it is inhabited almost entirely be Angels, though other celestial outsiders do exist in Paradiso. Mortal souls rarely ascend to Paradiso and Apotheosis to angelhood is very uncommon. Few mortals meet the strict standards that the Angels of Paradiso hold themselves to. Luckily for most lawful good souls, Vita always welcomes the virtuous to Eden.

### Neutral Good: Eden

aka: The Garden of Plenty

Ruler: Vita

Eden is a vast paradise of peace and harmony. While the majority of the realm is covered in lush sub-tropical forests, there are several biospheres within Eden, each a perfect version of itself. The snowy evergreen forests are never feel cold despite the white, fluffy, never slushy snow. The sun and sand on tropical beaches is warm but never burning. Even swamps don't stink. All animals can be found in the Garden of Plenty, though they do not eat each other. All living things in Eden only eat plants, though there are plants that bare fruit that taste like all meat. Many cities are built in Eden, each more glorious then the last. Citizens spend their days in leisure, practicing all manner of arts, crafts, games, and studies. Vita herself rules this realm with love and justice. All good or harmonious souls are welcome in her realm. It is said that she personally gives celestial bodies to her faithful deserving of Apotheosis.

### Chaotic Good: Utopia

aka: Wolcottia

Ruler: None

Not a realm itself, more like a collection of countless sub-planes all jostling about like bubbles. Each plane is created when a mortal soul ascends to Utopia. These souls, though good, are too rambunctious to find peace in Eden. In Utopia though, they each receive their own world, filled with the excitement, adventure, and challenge they desire.

### Lawful Neutral: The All Soul

aka: The Life Stream, The Well of Souls, The Source of All

Ruler: The All Soul

A singular soul comprised of countless souls. Entering the All Soul breaks down an individual soul, it ceases to be a unique and independent personality, it's memories and personality becoming incorporated into the All Soul itself. This massive super soul may be akin to a god in nature, but does not act as one. Xahax may be the closest thing it has to an active agent, as Xahax is known to guide some souls to Transcendence with the All Soul rather than Reincarnation. That said, the All Soul is not an eternal end. New souls are born out of the All Soul, some of which might contain fragments of memories and personalities of those that once transcended.

### True Neutral: Purgatorio

aka: Limbo, The Gateway Between Worlds, The Spirit World

Ruler: None

Important Denizens: Xahax, Ambilika

A gray realm that overlays the material universe. Souls, upon leaving their body, end up in Purgatorio. To those that die on Etape, the spirit world appears as a reflection of Etape itself. The dead are responsible for finding a way to leave Purgatorio if they wish to spend their afterlife elsewhere. Good outsiders and elementals roam limbo, aiding souls that followed their leaders to Ascension or Apotheosis. Celestials also seek out and protect good souls, guarding them from Devils and Demons. Evil outsiders hunt Purgatorio, damning any soul they come across, though it is easier to find sinful mortals. Occasionally outsiders clash over who lays claim to a particular soul. Xahax, or at least one incarnation of the Balance Diety, can be found on this realm, aiding Xahaxians on their path to reincarnation (and occasionally transcendence). Ambilikites follow the path their goddess took, finding their way to the moon where they wait for their goddess to pass by on her comet to take her faithful on a tour of the cosmos.

### Chaotic Neutral: No-Thing-Ness

aka: Oblivion

Ruler: Unknown (Note: The plane of No-Thing-Ness can't have a known element, including the identity of it's ruler)

No one is quite sure what exists in this realm. Any who have traveled here have never returned to tell what they saw. It is commonly held that this is a realm so purely chaotic that it simply does not exists. Anything that enters the No-Thing-Ness ceases to be. For most, the thought of not existing is frightening. But there are some, either too curious or too nihilistic, who happily seek oblivion. But however, it is a plane of wild

### Lawful Evil: Dystopia

aka: The City of Dis

Ruler: Malificuis

The entire plane is one large city, dingy and crowded. Malificuis rules with an iron fist, controlling every aspect of his subjects "lives", devil and mortal soul alike. Free will is a luxury few have. Everyone is a slave to Malificuis and his goals.

### Neutral Evil: Nod

aka: The Wasteland, Home of Exiles

Ruler: None

Important Denizens: Darenthal, Sahasa, Þþhekur Azha (Dzay-kur A-zha)

A barren desert where nothing ever grows. This blasted landscape is broken up by feted tar bogs, biting cold crags, and ash covered fields. Indigenous "life" comes primarily in the form of Deamons and elderitch abominations. It is not uncommon for other outsiders to find take refuge in this realm if they find themselves at conflict with others of their kind. Devils, Demons, and Elementals may all be found on this plane. Rarer are renegade celestials who find themselves cast out of their home realm. Most mortal souls that find their way to Nod are to evil souls too strong willed to be taken captive by Dyystopia and Inferno, yet not worthy enough to Apotheosis into Devils or Demons.

The singular point of civilization in Nod is a city called The Mark. It begin its existence when Darenthal, the dwarven war god, came to Nod to establish a battle ground for he and his followers to fight eternally. Because of the many neutral and even good souls that willingly followed Darental into Nod, The Mark became something of an oasis in the endless desert. Relative comfortable, it attracted many exiles, who built a shanty town around the great battlegrounds used by the Darenthanes. Gambling halls sprung up to bet on the battles, followed by drug dens, black markets, and houses of ill repute. This thriving underworld in The Mark is ignored by Darenthal and his people, so long as they are not distracted from their war games. A single individual rose up through this underworld, not only gaining rulership over the city, but also achieving her own divinity in the process: the Scoundrel Goddess Sahasa.

Þþhekur Azha is a famous hero who also became a god. He fought against corruption in the city, and even tried to make a proclamation. Unfortunately it was in a language that nobody except him knew about. (that is a joke.)

### Chaotic Evil: Inferno

aka:

Ruler: Mortem

A nightmarish plane where the souls of the dead are hunted endlessly for the pleasure of the cruel and sadistic demons that inhabit this plane. The souls of the dead that are found unworthy by Mortem are doomed to eternally wander the plane. The souls of the dead that are found worthy are housed in the Hall of Hades alongside the demons and are free to hunt the souls of the unworthy for all eternity. However cruel the demons and "worthy" souls may be, none are crueler than the dark god Mortem, who desires most to inflict pain and suffering on all being across Etape and every other Outer Realm.