Balmuria fluff and flavor

Started by Anastasia, May 10, 2014, 02:23:58 PM

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Anastasia

For various bits of flavor about Balmuria and the multiverse around it.

Read These First

This is for vital things that explain how Balmuria works. These are meant to be primers and introductions.

Death, Afterlife and Resurrection
Planar Structure in Balmuria

Behind the Screen

This is for articles written out of character, to discuss game mechanics and other things that can't be addressed otherwise.

Artifacts
Avatars
Hit Points
Tiers

Elder Magi Tepen's Classroom

Elder Magi Tepen is an archmage of a decidedly scholarly persuasion. His recorded lectures are required listening for new recruits to Aurora, they explain aspects of the planes and issues related to Aurora's crusade.

Death and Resurrection
Planar Trading
Spiritual Physiology

Miscellaneous

For oddities that don't fit anywhere else, but are worth posting. See each article for more information.

Kascha's discussion with the Guardian of 21
Messages to Prince Lixer
Sage Vul'lath's notebook
The first vampire
The truth about The Father

Tannin's Investigations

Tannin is an investigator attached to Aurora, a transdimensional fortress dedicated to fighting Baator and liberating the world of Lifasa. His short reports shed light on various aspects of the setting.

Apples of Idun
Nosing around Avernus
Order of the Whirling Fist
The Glasae Queen
The Hecatoncheires
The Melding of the Three
The Radiant Green Dragon

The Library

The library is a collection of book summaries from many sources across the planes. These are bite-sized bits of information about the setting, as well as legends, myths and other tidbits. Be aware that not every book is accurate - take them for what they are and use your own judgment to the validity of them.

A Chronicle of Rokasai, the Golden Land
A list of 77+7 Arch Angels
An Overview of Fey Society
Anatomy of Oblivion
Advanced Languages
Dreamless Syndrome
Empress Sulia's Rise
Eternal Joy
Eternal Winter
Gwinnan's Travel Logs, Volume 1: Astral Plane
Gwinnan's Travel Logs, Volume 3: Fire
Gwinnan's Travel Logs, Volume 4: Magma
Gwinnan's Travel Logs, Volume 5: Earth
Gwinnan's Travel Logs, Volume 6: Water
Gwinnan's Travel Logs, Volume 7: Steam
Gwinnan's Travel Logs, Volume 8: Deep Ethereal
Lost Lore of the Abyss: Athux
Lost Lore of the Abyss: Cantessu
Lost Lore of the Abyss: Creeping Doom
Lost Lore of the Abyss: Felessa
Lost Lore of the Abyss: Kina-ja
Lost Lore of the Abyss: Orcus
Lost Lore of the Abyss: Rustax
Lost Lore of the Abyss: Sualax
Lost Lore of the Abyss: The Hanged Raven
Lost Lore of the Abyss: The Pale Mother
Lost Lore of the Abyss: The Radiant Sisters
Lost Lore of the Abyss: The Sixfold Steel
Lunar Frolic
Memoirs of a Dretch Paladin
Nephilim: Children of the Fallen
Revelations from the Truth
The Great Prism
The Hidden Blade of Elysium
The Shocking Truth of Fey Decadence!
Tributes
Wild Women of Jannath
<Afina> Imagine a tiny pixie boot stamping on a devil's face.
<Afina> Forever.

<Yuthirin> Afina, giant parasitic rainbow space whale.
<IronDragoon> I mean, why not?

Anastasia

Tannin is an investigator attached to Aurora, a transdimensional fortress dedicated to fighting Baator and liberating the world of Lifasa. His reports shed light on various aspects of the setting.

The Order of the Whirling Fist

What it is: The Order of the Whirling Fist was a monastic order dedicated to Tempus. It was based on Lifasa before Hell's invasion.

Status: Disbanded, most members presumed dead.

So the story is that the Order of the Whirling Fist was an order of warriors who revered Tempus, the God of War.  I did some digging and it looks like most of them managed to get real up close and personal with Tempus as a result of over-exposure to devil claws. At least the lucky ones, hope some of those souls didn't get stuck on Lifasa after what Abigor did! It's a bad business, let me tell you.

But that's not all. Heard some people flapping about how one of them got away. Heard he goes by Master of the Fists of War now, traveling the planes to fight. Don't know who he was before, but he doesn't hide his affiliation. Calls himself the last of the Order of the Whirling Fist. Watch out - heard he came out on top of a fight with a berserk cornugon, and you don't wanna fight a berserk cornugon!
<Afina> Imagine a tiny pixie boot stamping on a devil's face.
<Afina> Forever.

<Yuthirin> Afina, giant parasitic rainbow space whale.
<IronDragoon> I mean, why not?

Anastasia

Elder Magi Tepen's Classroom: Death and Resurrection.

Elder Magi Tepen is an archmage of a decidedly scholarly persuasion. His recorded lectures are required listening for new recruits to Aurora.

Good afternoon, everyone. If you'd just settle in those chairs over there? Thank you. I see most of you have already taken some of the the refreshments in the back. They're free, so help yourselves.

Hm? All the food is perfectly safe for humans and similar creatures, yes. You'll notice there's no outsiders or elementals here, this lecture is geared for mortals. Everyone done? Good.

You're going to die. You're a soldier against creatures from mortalkind's nightmares. You'll be shredded, ripped, burnt, sundered and broken. Even if you manage to survive that, people you know will die. Most likely they'll die in front of you, then the murderer will come for you. Do I have your attention now? Excellent.

The truth is that we live with death every day. Simply put, we are fragile mortals playing at the games of the Gods. We can't afford to pretend we'll live forever and ignore our mortality. But at the same time, we are fantastically blessed. Unlike the majority of mortals who live on faith and hope for the afterlife, we can confirm that it exists. I have walked in the Heavens and suffered at the hands of the Hells. In our position, we do not have the luxury of uncertainty about the afterlife. If we are to compete against the scions of the afterlife, we must understand the process.

Now before I go any further, let me explain that many creatures have different processes to the afterlife. Dragons, fey, elementals and outsiders all have different processes. They aren't important to this, so just remember that this applies to mortal creatures. There's an optional lecture that goes into details about that, if you're interested.

Every mortal creature has a soul. The soul is the essence of you. It is everything that makes you what you are and what you can be. It is eternal, immortal and ageless. When you die, your soul detaches from your body. The body is merely a vessel for the soul, so think of it like a firefly trapped in a glass jar. Once the jar breaks, the firefly leaves and heads home.

Hm? No, the soul doesn't actually look like a firefly. If you ever see a soul - and they're naturally invisible in any case - it appears as a little bit of radiance. It's just a metaphor. But please don't interrupt, there will be time for questions after the lecture. Thank you.

When the soul leaves the body, it vanishes and relocates to the Well of Souls. The Well of Souls is a place between life and death, an isolated demiplane. Here souls travel for a week's time, down misty stairs protected by servants of Helm. During this time, souls take on appearances matching that of their mortal life. At the end of a week, the soul finds the bottom and is drawn to a portal to its afterlife. Once it goes through, the soul is taken by whatever deity or ethos has a claim on it and molded by them. A soul drawn to Arborea will be changed into a courre eladrin, for instance.

Now why is this important to know? It is because we can call the dead back. Resurrection is within Aurora's power. However, it is not certain. While it is more likely than not we can call a soul traveling down the Well back, one that has reached its afterlife is far harder to recall. For most souls, the afterlife is where you are meant to be. It is a place of completion and of happiness. To be able to leave that is to turn your back on everything you believe in and chose to be in life.

So if you wish to come back and resume the fight, you have to be as receptive to resurrection magic as possible. Life, death and the afterlife is the normal cycle of things in Creation. Resurrection magic violates that basic order. As much as we consider it a great miracle, it is against the grain of Creation's pattern. A resurrection can extend a hand out to call you back. You still have to have the strength of will to take that hand and pull yourself back.

Ask yourself this: Can you do that? Do you have reasons enough to defy death and return to life?

*Ahem*

Pardon. That's a basic explanation of the cycle of souls and related concepts. It doesn't go into a lot of detail, so I'm sure many of you have questions. If you'd raise your hands if you're int- yes, yes. One at a time. You there, with the long brown hair.

It's because they have no material forms. The soul is beyond anything material. Our eyes are equipped to see the mundane world of solid matter. If you do use magic to see a soul, the radiance you see is little more than a byproduct of the soul rather than what it is. There's no good answer for that, as the soul simply isn't a material existence, but a spiritual one instead. Incidentally, more powerful outsiders and certain other creatures can see souls without the aid of magic. Some of them can see far more than radiance from them. It shouldn't be surprising, as a soul is everything you are. Now then, you in the chain tunic.

I have. Certain phenomenon cause the soul to become visible to mundane sight, usually by freeing tormented souls from undeath or imprisonment. It's possible to modify a true seeing spell to see souls, as well as to design spells to allow the same. It's interesting to see, but there's no great advancement from having seen them. As precious and mysterious as souls are, they're also common. Every intelligent and living creature has one, as well as some non-living ones. Now then, you over there.

No, I haven't personally died, so I can't directly answer that. The memories of the resurrected tend to be blurry about what lies beyond in any case. There's actually several excellent works that comment on this, including Adan Rosespire's Spirituality Studies. I wholeheartedly recommend it to any serious student of the afterlife, there's a few copies in Aurora's library that are available. To succinctly summarize the conclusions there, it's a defense mechanism. Someone who comes back and remembers the afterlife would almost certainly have trouble adapting to mortal life. Normal mortals who chance on the afterlife while living and then return are routinely altered by it, as are some heroes. Many find the mortal world to be of little interest after that. I'd also recommend studying the effects of Elysium and Hades on long term visitors.

Yes, the elf with red hair next. I'm sorry, say that again - ah, right. If I may inquire to how much fey blood you have? In that case, that's approximately 1/4th. Generally, I'd assume you'd be considered as a mortal creature when you die. However, that sort of blood can be unpredictable. I'd suggest investing in a well worded augury to determine that. Come see me after the lecture. The gentlemen in a blue doublet next, what's your question?

Ah, I see you're up on your religious studies. Yes, the Well of Souls is actually new. It emerged about two decades ago. If you're familiar with Helm or Kelemvor's cl-ahem, please don't interrupt like that. But in any case, I see that you are. I-AHEM! Please sit down. There's no heresy here. What you've learned about the afterlife is true. However, that focuses on what happens in the realm of Lathander. The Well of Souls is merely the path souls travel on. All of that will happen when you pass and finish your trip through the Well.

The conflict between Helm and Kelemvor is beyond this lecture to go into. It's also a recent event, with the Well of Souls having been created about twenty years ago. To be quite frank, it's a sore point between the faiths and many others connected to them. I would recommend stepping softly when discussing it, especially in mixed religious company. Now then, next question. The young woman over there.

That's an astute question. The answer is that the Hells don't let souls that go to it leave easily. A mortal soul being tormented by pain devils or at the hands of a nalfeshnee would doubtless like nothing more than to escape. Unfortunately, the fiends that have them won't let them go so easily. The caster isn't fighting the soul's desire to stay as much as the will of the fiends not to let them go. In the end, it results in the same difficulty of resurrection at that stage. Again, resurrection is best accomplished within a week's time, while the spirit travels the Well of Souls.

As for the returned souls you mentioned, those are likely Hellbred or a similar type of creature. Occasionally, an evil soul repents between death and the fiends getting it. They're reanimated in something of a tug of war between good and evil. The situation is far more complex than that, I'd recommend further studies if you're interested in the issue. It's well beyond the scope of this lecture. If you can get your hands on a copy of Redemption Liturgies by Cerulean Joy, that tome discusses them in some detail. But next question please, the gentleman in the back.

The facts on that aren't terribly well known and are complicated by a great deal of inaccurate myth. Most creatures that feed on the soul don't truly consume it. They might sip at a soul's energy and bind it to themselves, but they can't destroy something that is infinite and eternal. It is possible to destroy a soul, but such is the realm of nightmares and deities. It's not knowledge worth pursuing except to a dedicated scholar, so I wouldn't worry about it.

Is that all? Now then, just a few words to wrap up. Death is inevitable. As much as the mortal worlds we come on focus on the mortal coil, the truth is that the afterlife is endless compared to the momentary blink of mortality. We can't change that, but we can accept it and work to strengthen ourselves. With the proper will, we can temporarily resist death and return when called. Until Lifasa is free and Hell's invasion is smashed, we can't afford to rest in paradise.

We're fortunate to be gifted with such bountiful knowledge. Many sages from the Prime Material would hoard this knowledge like a dragon hoards treasure. Be thankful to whomever you pay homage to - and if you don't worship anyone, I would suggest looking into that. It's your afterlife and you're one of the lucky few to be able to take a direct hand in choosing your eternity.

Thank you. Help yourself to any remaining refreshments.
<Afina> Imagine a tiny pixie boot stamping on a devil's face.
<Afina> Forever.

<Yuthirin> Afina, giant parasitic rainbow space whale.
<IronDragoon> I mean, why not?

Anastasia

Nose around Avernus and spy on Tiamat.

What is is: A mission to spy on Avernus and Tiamat's influence on the Blood War.

Status: Oh, she's plenty involved in the Blood War.

You ever crunched the numbers on the Blood War? Don't, but I'll give you a summary - it's huge. So there I was, spying on Blood War skirmishes and I notice something. There's a whole lot of Tiamat's abishai pitching in. Now that's just queer if you ask me. Sure, Tiamat chips into the Blood War, but the numbers seem high. So I sneak into this pit fiend's war tent and borrow some papers. Turns out that there's been a whole lot of rotations out the last few years and Tiamat's been filling the holes lately, big time. So I do some more digging and pushing, and you know what I find? Well, it wasn't a shallow grave, but some books I shouldn't have been reading. Those blooming things had traps traps traps on them! Had to get creative, but I got past them. Turns out that Bel and his henchy Abigor's been keeping Lifasa garrisoned with Blood War forces and has been drawing more lately. The big part?

Tiamat's gone outta her way to up her contribution and free up more soldiers. It also mentions an increase of true dragons mustered to her realm. Tiamat's pulling resources to keep Lifasa on the ropes. So I'm pissed and about to come back when it hits me. If she's doin' that, then there's going to be more. So I start digging again, give a few devils a bad time, all that. Eventually I get another set of documents. It's about the routine contributions each Lord of the Nine makes in the Blood War. Now the thing is that over the past few months, Belial and Beezlebub have been delaying and stalling reinforcements, as well as recalling other units back. There's also a small uptick of contributions from Dispater and Mephistopheles - it all roughly balances out.

So what all does this mean? So I do some research into diabolical politics. One of the themes of disagreement among those dread figures is the Fallen versus the 'true' devils. Simply put, the devils don't like the Fallen. Bel's a true devil, worked his way up from ignominy, biggest diabolical success story there is. So it's obvious as the night is long to me - the devils are making politics of it. Bel's getting stretched thin by Abigor's venture into Lifasa, so my read is that the Fallen try to put Bel in a bad place. Now I figure Mephisto will counter whatever Beezlebub does, since the two hate each other more than demons hate devils. Mix in typical sentiments and you know what we have? An opportunity.

I figure, we make the situation worse, politics go downhill. Maybe with the right moves we can spur some civil disagreements between devil-kind, end up making things worse for them? Everyone's out of position right now. You want my opinion, I say we find some way to put more pressure on them. Be it at our own hands or some other troublemakers, but stirring the pot could only help us. The more you weaken them, the more you weaken Tiamat who has to marshal resources to fill into the Blood War and the more you destabilize things there. Exactly how's above my say-so. Figure all you smart mages can get together and figure something out on it.
<Afina> Imagine a tiny pixie boot stamping on a devil's face.
<Afina> Forever.

<Yuthirin> Afina, giant parasitic rainbow space whale.
<IronDragoon> I mean, why not?

Anastasia

The Hidden Blade of Elysium

This book speaks of the First Sunrise, a holy blade carried by a nameless paladin of antiquity. It is said this paladin accomplished a great act of good. The precise act of good varies from source to source and legend to legend. Some claim he laid a demon lord low, others claim the Oinoloth fell to his blade, and yet others claim an Archduke of Hell was cut in twain by First Sunrise. Yet other sources claim he instead saved a soul from certain damnation or liberated a great swath of stolen souls from one of the Lower Planes. No matter what the truth of it is, all agree that First Sunrise is a mighty weapon. It is the Sun Sword of Sun Swords, perhaps the first one ever created. It is said to have marvelous powers - and in addition it has a twin, the Shield of the Sun.

In any case, it is said that First Sunrise was hidden away in a holy shrine within Elysium, waiting for a worthy bearer to claim it. It has never been seen on the stage of history again, so perhaps it still waits for a worthy warrior to claim it.
<Afina> Imagine a tiny pixie boot stamping on a devil's face.
<Afina> Forever.

<Yuthirin> Afina, giant parasitic rainbow space whale.
<IronDragoon> I mean, why not?

Anastasia

Nephilim, Children of the Fallen

Nephilim are the offspring of powerful fallen angels and mortals. Creatures of the dark that know a tiny fragment of the light, they are beautiful as angels and as accursed as the worst fiend. They are blessed with beauty yet have blood that burns like the fires of the Hells, while their gaze charms victims into listening the seductive evils they speak. Nephilim are often great tempters, luring countless souls to eternal misery. It is said they understand temptation naturally and have an inborn desire to see creatures of the light sullied with evil's taint.

In spite of that, there is hope for the Nephilim from their parental legacy. Just as their Fallen parent fell from grace and yet can still atone, the same promise resides within the souls of the Nephilim. They are not as tightly bound to evil as fiends and are capable of rising above their nature. Some have managed exactly that, ultimately being reborn as half-celestials or full celestials. Those Nephilim that find salvation are said to be the most zealous redeemers of the Heavens, for they know the misery of evil and that the promise of redemption is always there, even in the darkest depths.
<Afina> Imagine a tiny pixie boot stamping on a devil's face.
<Afina> Forever.

<Yuthirin> Afina, giant parasitic rainbow space whale.
<IronDragoon> I mean, why not?

Anastasia

The shocking truth of fey decadence!

This tome is written in the style of an expose and has no author noted. The origins of it are unclear, though divinations suggest that it may hail from a Prime Material world. It is well written but otherwise mundane. There are two schools of thought regarding the origins of this book. One school suggests that this book is propaganda to stir up anti-fey sentiments, possibly from fiends or other troublemakers. The other is that it is a strident rally against a particularly cruel court of Unseelie fey.

According to this book, fey are little more than pleasure seekers. They have great feasts and grand revels, all while doing absolutely no work whatsoever. They live off nature's bounty while watching 'lesser' races, such as humanoids, struggle. The book continually paints the fey as living in lavish luxury devoid of any shame or restraint, all while other races endlessly struggle to survive. By the middle chapters it segues into more sordid details, such as the fey kidnapping infants for sacrifice, the corruption of comely maidens into toys and theft of the harvests of lesser creatures to fuel more luxury while leaving the lesser races to starve. The last chapters advocate violent reprisals against the fey, going so far as to assert that the systematic genocide of them is the only way to safeguard the future of other races.
<Afina> Imagine a tiny pixie boot stamping on a devil's face.
<Afina> Forever.

<Yuthirin> Afina, giant parasitic rainbow space whale.
<IronDragoon> I mean, why not?

Anastasia

#7
Revelations from the Truth

This book is recorded religious ecstasy, said to be insight from a nameless pilgrim who claims to have glimpsed into Chronias. Reading it is profoundly difficult, as the author uses an obscure dialect of Celestial and he uses no punctuation, breaks or pacing whatsoever. The entire book is one fantastically long run on sentence, an endless exposition that darts about. The veracity of the book is uncertain. Like anything in regards to Chronias, magic and divinations fail to discern anything at all. Unfortunately, this is known to apply to anything said about Chronias, true or false, so it does not imply that anything in the book is accurate.

The main subject of the book is the Column of Light, though it never delves into details about it. It instead ruminates on it in the most indirect way possible, veering to a new subject and approach whenever he comes close to discussing it. It also speaks of the Seven Signs who stand before it in waiting, each with a blade of fire. He often calls these terrible to look at, referring to them obliquely save for three passages. In the last third of the book, the author switches to a different form of Celestial. Readers are aware of reading something, but it seems impossible to retain the information, if it is even understood in the first place.

Magic fails to pierce this final mystery - the book does not radiate magic. With the way Chronias foils divinations and magic, it is difficult to say if this is because it is speaking of something too profound to be understood or is merely protected by the same force that shields Chronias.
<Afina> Imagine a tiny pixie boot stamping on a devil's face.
<Afina> Forever.

<Yuthirin> Afina, giant parasitic rainbow space whale.
<IronDragoon> I mean, why not?

Anastasia

Anatomy of Oblivion

Anatomy of Oblivion is a long study of the Shadow Plane's natives. It maintains a clinical and detached tone while going into a great amount of detail. There are several multi-page diagrams of shadows, entropic creatures and similar beasts. Autopsies (as much as such creatures can be autopsied) and further analysis is also included.

Such creatures are noted to all tie back to Shar, the Lady of Loss, and her endless song of oblivion. As befitting that, it is noted that the more powerful the entropic of oblivion touched creature, the less of them exists. A powerful creature tied to oblivion is little more than a pure black shadow with a form superimposed over it. They have no bodily functions, organs or even blood. Despite this, the resist destruction as much as any other powerful creature. When such a creature drains life, such as a shadow's strength drain, they actually lose internal mass temporarily. This flies in the face of the fact that draining strength empowers a shadow.

The author does not present any final conclusions. He presents the facts and end the books when his material is complete.
<Afina> Imagine a tiny pixie boot stamping on a devil's face.
<Afina> Forever.

<Yuthirin> Afina, giant parasitic rainbow space whale.
<IronDragoon> I mean, why not?

Anastasia

Wild women of Jannath

The style of this book suggests a tawdry novel, the sort of thing printed on cheap broadsheets and sold for a handful of copper to bored housewives. Nonetheless, the penmanship and calligraphy are excellent. At the least, someone cared about this story enough to preserve it in such a way, be it the unnamed traveler who suffered through it or merely someone who enjoyed the story.

This book describes the wild women of Jannath. They are follows of Chauntea who revere her as a primal force of nature rather than the Great Mother incarnation that is favored in the mainstream faith. The central tenet of this sect is that women are closer to the earth than men and thus to be idolized. They rule secluded colonies in the deep wilds, organized in a matriarchy. Men, while not slaves, are generally treated as a mix of brutes, builders and child-rearers.

The story itself is a lust sodden affair, the lurid retelling of a traveler's tale. He claims to have stumbled into a desert colony of Jannath's followers, where he was promptly passed around as a pleasure slave. Naturally, the story focused on the absurd and downright silly amount of coupling with a side order of social insights into the colony. It covers the humiliations and the pleasure, the subtle emasculation contrasted with the constant love-making. It ends with the traveler's escape and a warning for male travelers to avoid shimmering green fields, for it is a sign of their colonies.
<Afina> Imagine a tiny pixie boot stamping on a devil's face.
<Afina> Forever.

<Yuthirin> Afina, giant parasitic rainbow space whale.
<IronDragoon> I mean, why not?

Anastasia

#10
A list of 77+7 archangels

The title is a misnomer, as it is not an actual list. Instead this ancient book speaks of the following story.

When Creation was young, law and chaos waged war on one another. Strife consumed Limbo, as the Inevitables invaded the realm of perfect chaos. Though disorganized, the majority of slaad (and stranger creatures yet) fought back and war was joined. In time the scheming of the yugoloths drew the demons and devils into the war. They began a new front altogether, manipulated into a cataclysmic conflict that persists to this day, the Blood War. This spilled into the conflict between Mechanus and Limbo and soon enough the inflamed passions of law and chaos looked to spread to the Heavens. It seemed only a matter of time until the serenity of those blessed realms was shattered.

In Elysium, seven angels of great wisdom gathered. They understood that this war must not be. The angels, in an act of profound sacrifice, shed the perfect devotion to pure good to embrace both law and chaos. This act created 77 new archangels, who spread to all the Heavenly realms. Some came to serve the deities and planar lords, others worked alone. These angels mingled with archon and eladrin, becoming family to both. Through this shared family the war between law and chaos in the Heavens was averted, for not even those two forces could make good do war against its own family. They did what no others were able to do: Bring peace to order and disorder. From this time, angels serve all the realms of the Heavens and are free to follow law, chaos or neither.

The last pages end the story and describe 12 categories of arch angels. 11 of the categories are groups of seven archangels, each of the 77 created. The 12th group are the original seven, who are said to reside in deep meditation within Elysium. What purpose this serves is unknown and said to only be known to the greatest powers of good. Finally, the book assigns some of the groups the following designations, though it does note these are not entirely confirmed or official. The text notes that information about these entities is exceedingly rare, as well as often fragmentary or based on hearsay. The 77+7 arch angels seem more than content to be forgotten to all but the wisest.

The Seven Wise Ones: The original seven who prevented a war between order and disorder in the Heavens.

The Angels of the Material: Angels tasked to matters dealing with the material world - the Prime Material, mostly.

The Seven of the Soul: Angels tasked with dealing with the souls of all Creation.

The Keepers of Chronos: Angels tasked with overseeing the flow of time. The author includes a short note, confessing knowledge of the Temporal Compact, and stating that he is not aware of how they interact with this, or even if they still do. The creation of these angels may predate the compact.

The Defenders of the Seal: Angels tasked with - here is a word in Celestial, difficult to translate even for magic. It approximately means 'barrier', but not quite. If anything, the word resembles the Words of Creation, but is not one.

The Wardens of the Heart: Seven angels tasked with dealing with love in all forms.
<Afina> Imagine a tiny pixie boot stamping on a devil's face.
<Afina> Forever.

<Yuthirin> Afina, giant parasitic rainbow space whale.
<IronDragoon> I mean, why not?

Anastasia

#11
Gwinnan's Travel Logs, Volume 1: Astral Plane.

Gwinnan is a traveling elf, taking in the sights of the planes by his magic and his wits. This book touches on the basics of the Astral Plane, information that can be found commonly in various ancient tomes. However, there is one tidbit in particular that is of unusual interest.

"Of the Githyanki tribes I met with, none were stranger than the Speakers of Void. Ascetics to the core, they spend great deals of time - as much as time matters on the Astral - in meditation. These strange figures claim to be able to sleep on the Astral, and moreover these sleeps lead to dreams of great potency. I expressed my disbelief at the shameless oneiromancy before me, in reply the Speakers were all too willing to induce such a state in me. I found it worked with a disturbing efficiency, rendering me into unawareness. I cannot speak entirely to the truth or falseness of the Speakers based on this, but I do recall one thing with flawless clarity. A great red dragon soared through the Silver Sea, coming to alight on a volcano floating in the void. Around this vast volcano a city of splendor was built, wherein all the elements converged."
<Afina> Imagine a tiny pixie boot stamping on a devil's face.
<Afina> Forever.

<Yuthirin> Afina, giant parasitic rainbow space whale.
<IronDragoon> I mean, why not?

Anastasia

Gwinnan's Travel Logs, Volume 3: Fire.

Gwinnan is a traveling elf, taking in the sights of the planes by his magic and his wits. This book touches on the basics of the Plane of Fire, information that can be found commonly in various ancient tomes. However, there is one tidbit in particular that is of unusual interest.

"There are many different tribes and kingdoms within Fire, but none were stranger than the Defilers of Water. They are a group of devoted efreeti who take burning rock and craft it into great boats. These huge boats are then painstakingly crafted to the finest detail, said to take centuries of work. When done, the boat is taken to a portal that leads to the Astral, and then through there to a portal into Water. The boat, being of pure Fire, promptly explodes into a hundred-thousand pieces. I scoffed at this flagrant waste, yet each of the Defilers claimed they were striking great blows against Water. They insist that they are sponsored by the Sultan of the Efreet, and indeed possess considerable material wealth. Moreover, they use the reality altering power of wish to unhallow each boat before sending it into water, claiming that the Sultan personally grants this wish."
<Afina> Imagine a tiny pixie boot stamping on a devil's face.
<Afina> Forever.

<Yuthirin> Afina, giant parasitic rainbow space whale.
<IronDragoon> I mean, why not?

Anastasia

Gwinnan's Travel Logs, Volume 4: Magma.

Gwinnan is a traveling elf, taking in the sights of the planes by his magic and his wits. This book touches on the basics of the Para-Elemental Plane of Magma, information that can be found commonly in various ancient tomes. However, there is one tidbit in particular that is of unusual interest.

"My sojourn into Magma can be best described by my meeting with the Lavafriends. These earth and fire elementals smash into each other willingly, until they can smash no more and collapse. They repeat this day after day for weeks, until I at last decry the foolishness of this affair. I am told to be silent and watch one more day. This day they again smash into each other, but this time the earth melts and the fire cools. What were two are now one, a new magma para-elemental born. I found the entire display nauseating, moreso when the newly born para-elemental thanked its now deceased parents. Madness!"
<Afina> Imagine a tiny pixie boot stamping on a devil's face.
<Afina> Forever.

<Yuthirin> Afina, giant parasitic rainbow space whale.
<IronDragoon> I mean, why not?

Anastasia

Gwinnan's Travel Logs, Volume 5: Earth.

Gwinnan is a traveling elf, taking in the sights of the planes by his magic and his wits. This book touches on the basics of Earth, information that can be found commonly in various ancient tomes. However, there is one tidbit in particular that is of unusual interest.

"Of all the elementals and settlements deep in Earth, the ones that most confounded me were the Fleshknowers. These elementals are dedicated to understanding the way of what they call softs, beings of flesh and blood. As such, they abduct travelers and force them into teaching the elementals about the softs. It should be noted that the kidnapped creatures rarely mind in the end, as the elementals pay them what they would call a pittance: several pounds of precious metals and multiple large gemstones.

What knowledge the elementals gain is put to direct use. They open academies of twisted and misunderstood facts, to train elementals in how to deal with softs who attempt to bind them."
<Afina> Imagine a tiny pixie boot stamping on a devil's face.
<Afina> Forever.

<Yuthirin> Afina, giant parasitic rainbow space whale.
<IronDragoon> I mean, why not?