The demiplane Sylica

[Anastasia]

Sylica

It is a realm of paradise.

It is where wounds are a passing memory.

It it where angels tread.

Sylica is a finite demiplane of many sections, mimicking various good aligned planes. The high mountains and fjords of Ysgard can be found next to the cities of Brightwater and Dweomerheart, while the planes of Elysium are a few miles away, with sylvan forests around the next bend in the road. Each realm is represented in it's way, all merging together to form a complete world of paradise.

More than anything else, Sylica is a place of glory and peace.

Sylica has the following traits:

Normal gravity.

Normal time.

Finite size: Sylica is a circular realm about 300 miles in diameter. It's edges are a sea of brilliant light, unable to be passed.

Minor divinely morphic: Specific powerful beings(Alicia and Syala) have minor control over Sylica.

Minor positive dominate: All creatures within Sylica enjoy fast healing 2. However, Sylica does not possess the resurrection trait that Ysgard does.

Mildly good aligned.

Enhanced magic: Spells and spell like abilities with the good or healing descriptor are cast at +1 caster level.

Impeded magic: Spells and spell like abilities from the necromancy school or with the evil descriptor are cast at -1 caster level.

Sylican links

As a demiplane, Sylica borders Ysgard. Sylica has only a single portal to it on Ysgard. At the edges of Sylica, plane shifting out is possible, but is otherwise stopped as normal for demiplanes.

Sylican inhabitants

Wild animals of all types, many of them celestial creatures.

Movement and combat

Movement varies from section to section of Sylica. Combat is a little longer than usual due to the Sylica being minor positive dominate.

Features of Sylica

Except for the planar traits noted above, Sylica behaves like the Material Plane. Most locations are not named yet.

The City: A city that cut apart by a fast moving river is like Brightwater on one side and Dweomerheart on the other. Buildings fitting those realms dot it, uninhabited.

The mountains: Great peaks and fjords are paired together like in Ysgard. These mountains are rugged and snowcapped, the waters icy cold below. Caves can be found here and there, plunging into the heart of the mountains.

The tallest mountain: The tallest mountain in all of Sylica is in the center. It's top is shrouded in spellfire. The mountain has seven layers, each one harder to climb than the last.

The plains: Several rolling and flat planes are about. Many are dotted with deep lakes.

[Ebiris]

Notable places in Sylica

Mercia
The only true city in Sylica, Mercia is an open city of wide roads and expansive plazas, most structures lying low to the ground with the exception of the occassional tower built either for defence or aesthetic. A wide and fast river cuts through the middle of the city, spanned by several arcing bridges - boat races are a common pastime for the inhabitants, and they're often joined by celestial dolphins who gambol playfully in the waters and are quick to come to the aid of any who fall overboard. The palace of Liberton lies near the East bank of the river, set apart from its surroundings by a large courtyard where parades and celebrations are often held. Most of Alicia's court reside here, and they are generally quite available to petitioners.

Opal Mountain
The tallest mountain in Sylica, this striking peak stabs into the sky almost like a needle, it's summit perpetually wreathed in opalescent magical fire that gives it it's name. Many archons have made their homes here since moving to Sylica, dividing the peak into layers that imitate the holy mountain of Celestia. Antenora the Opal Angel of Redemption holds dominion over the summit, safeguarding newly arrived souls before they fall down onto the surrounding landscape like shooting stars upon their rebirth.

Wychwood
The largest forest in Sylica, covering several thousand square miles, this trackless forest is mostly uninhabited except by celestial wildlife. A single elder treant has made his home deep in the forest, enjoying the chance for silent contemplation in this new realm after tiring of his more populated forest in Elysium. A band of enterprising fairies have set themselves to the task of exploring and mapping the forest, but careful observers note their maps change constantly - whether this is due to the whimsical nature of the explorers or of the forest's shifting nature is left unanswered.

Felic Gate
At present the only portal to and from Sylica, this sixty foot wide gateway is set into the sheer cliff-face of an upthrust mountain, surrounded by a gently curved valley that slopes downwards, framing a view of Mercia in the near distance and the surrounding plains and rivers, with the Opal Mountain clearly visible on the horizon. Befitting sylica's welcoming nature, the valley is well travelled with a clearly laid out path guiding those coming or going from the plane from Mercia to the Gate itself. However, it is also well defended against attack, with the Spawn of Jormungandr making his lair here and the area frequently patrolled by the Felis Knights, a group primarily made up of Bralani eladrin who ride celestial tigers - individuals can generally pass unopposed unless they appear clearly hostile, but larger groups can expect to be approached by the guardians to determine their intentions.


Notable individuals in Sylica

Alicia Reynes - Queen
Alicia is unmistakably the ruler of this realm, having the final say on all that transpires there and maintaining an active presence within to see to the needs of those who dwell under her rule, and outwith where she advances the causes that have made her such a respected ruler.

Syala - Queen-Consort
While sharing in control over Sylica, Syala generally defers to Alicia and takes a less visible role in their rule. When not travelling with Alicia, she focuses her attention on organising Sylica's defences, her long experience as guardian of the Tree of Idun giving her an appreciation for creatively vicious defence.

Antenora - Warden of the Opal Mountain
Antenora is Alicia's most stalwart ally, and serves as a strong symbol of the potential in all beings. Aside from her guardianship of the Opal Mountain, she acts as Alicia's personal bodyguard, possessing abilities that make her uniquely suited to detecting and thwarting those who would do harm to her Queen.

Latha - Marshall of the Diamond Armoury
Latha serves as Sylica's armsmaster, ensuring that all who wish to serve are properly equipped for the battles ahead. Magical artisans from Dweomerheart and smiths from across the Heavens report to her, directing their efforts to craft the weapons and armour needed by Sylica's armies.

Marielle - Mistress of Liberton
As Alicia's familiar, Marie is uniquely placed to know the heart of Sylica's ruler, and she uses this insight to efficiently run the royal palace, organising appointments and feasts and parties as befits her whims. She is generally assisted by a small host of fairies and lantern archons who carry out her commands with a mixture of playfulness and dilligence, even when Marie herself is absent on particular tasks that take her away from the palace.

Naeys - Keeper of the Amethyst Library
Serving both as an emissary of Mystra and advisor to the Queen, Naeys is recognised as the premiere archmage and lorekeeper in Sylica. He rarely acts directly, preferring to see to his own magical experiments in his free time, but his wisdom is respected by all when given.

Strength of Light - General of the Amber Army
While Sylica's army marches and fights at Alicia's command, and she is ever one to lead from the front, Strength of Light maintains the training and disposition of her forces. He frequently arranges mass mock battles across Sylica's plains, constantly developing new tactics and strategies while forming the disparate new arrivals to the realm into a unified fighting force.

[Ebiris]

Penance

Deep within Sylica rises an unassuming rocky mountain jutting up from the surrounding plains, a wide rift-valley gouged into its Eastern flank that gives it an almost chair-like appearance. While on looks alone it doesn't seem dissimilar to any other within the realm, indeed shadowed by many of its taller brothers, this is Penance, a daring experiment on the part of Sylica's Queen.

Penance is where captured fiends and other vile beings too dangerous to be let loose are confined, but also given a chance to reflect on their deeds and consider another path. The mountain is divided up into sections corresponding to the journey of redemption. At the lowest level in sealed vaulted chambers deep below the surface lies the Damned Treasury, where those considered irredeemable are imprisoned within gemstones and secured away from Creation. At present it lies empty, none of the prisoners having chosen it in favour of the alternatives.

Further up but still below the surface are the Halls of Contemplation. It is here that all of Sylica's 'guests' are currently resident, none having shown much remorse or consideration to go further as yet. In this place the fiends are confined to spacious yet solitary cells, afforded humble comforts, some recreation to suit their interests, and small yet frequently refreshed private libraries containing treatises on philosophy and morality, and books matching their own interests - such indulged interests are always kept well away from the depraved, more towards practical and inoffensive matters such as games or art rather than say torture or practical magic. The prisoners are frequently visited by jailers, and sometimes the likes of Alicia and Antenora, to engage with them and debate various matters. This area is heavily warded to prevent the use of the prisoner's often quite potent magical abilities, and is structurally reinforced against their inhuman strength to dissuade escape attempts.

The next area, still theoretical for now, is an expanded common area from the halls, where prisoners who have shown their civility and willingness to consider the lessons are granted freedom to mingle with each other and the guards, and pursue activities that might have been restricted before, such as craftwork, group games, or carefully supervised sparring.

The last step in rehabilitation would be a village settled in the rift valley midway up the mountain. Here the fiends who had behaved themselves and not taken advantage of the increased freedoms after leaving solitary would be given a chance to foster their own community. A Sympathy spell made permanent by Alicia would make it difficult for evil creatures to leave the area, but within they would be responsible for their own behaviour and activities, while residents from Sylica at large could visit to interact with the hopefully reforming fiends and help them adjust to life unlike what they knew in the lower planes, until the day might come when a hypothetical fiend sheds his or her evil ways, and no longer finds the village quite so appealing, the Sympathy spell no longer applying to them and allowing them to freely take their place in Sylica as a whole.

Of course, just as one can rise up through these stages, any misbehaviour on the part of a prisoner could result in their privileges being revoked and being placed back under tighter controls. But this is the plan Alicia is going with.

[Ebiris]

Trophies

There's no real set place where these are all kept, some will be displayed, others hidden away, others used for magical and crafting study. But this post consolidates them all so they're not forgotten.

Dark Ward: Spiked Full Plate Armor+5. Each piece of the armor also grants an additional bonus. The helmet grants a +5 resistance bonus to saving throws and a +5 deflection bonus to armor class. The gauntlets grant a +6 bonus to strength. The greaves function as boots of haste, but functions for 20 rounds per day. The breastplate is enchanted, ensuring that the wearer cannot be dismounted. Should they be forced off, chains erupt from the armor, either keeping the wearer from being knocked off or dragging the mount with them. In either case, neither the wearer or the mount is harmed by this.

Mytheleros: This barbed whip is a large whip+5 that deals 2d6 damage. Unlike normal whips, this deals lethal damage and can make AoOs in any range it threatens. In addition, any creature damaged by Mytheleros is afflicted as by a pit fiend's poisonous bite. (DC 27 fort negates, 1d6/2d6 con damage). This poison applies each time the victim is struck, though they can be only afflicted by the poison once, further applications once poisoned have no effect until the poison runs it's course or is cured.

Horn of the Tarrasque

[Ebiris]

Blackball Trap

At the edge of Sylica where interplanar travel is not so difficult lies a sealed cave of 40x40x30 dimensions more or less. Within this cave is a pile of ethereal gold messily stained with blood after Alicia and Syala had a brutal knife-fight on top of it. It also contains a diamond-shaped cage of linthrum and ethereal silver, currently open and enchanted to automatically close and lock as soon as anything enters it. The floor is strewn with numerous small rounded pebbles, and a Greater Glyph of Warding is set above the gold pile, set to discharge a Dimensional Anchor spell should anything of the construct or undead type (whichever the Blackball is, I've never asked but presumably I know IC by virtue of study) comes within twenty feet. A Hound Archon has a daily job of teleporting in and tapping a pebble with a hammer - if the pebble crumbles on account of hollowness, Alicia is notified so she can ensure she remains within Sylica for the next week in anticipation of the Blackball's arrival.

Greater Alarm is a 2nd level spell just like Alarm except with a 4 hour/level duration and can be triggered by a creater on a coterminous plane. Alicia will use Limited Wish to cast a variant of it that provides a mental ping so long as she is on the same plane (rather than just within 1 mile) when it is breached. This will be placed over the bloodied gold upon receiving a report of hollow pebbles.