Cosmology roundup

[Anastasia]

The following is used as reference for this post: http://www.soulriders.net/forum/index.php/topic,101115.msg1017082.html#msg1017082 You may want to review here, though it's hardly required. Changes from that topic are made to accommodate your differing point of view and with a greater focus on the Outer Planes. Not every single point of the outer planes is discussed here, but this is a good warmup primer.

---The Planes---

What lies beyond the material is a mystery men have questioned since the dawn of time.  Religions preach of shining Heavens and miserable Hells, where angels sing and fiends cavort. What is the truth of these matters?

Overall the planes use the standard wheel design. The Prime is in the middle, surrounded by the Elemental and Energy Planes, with the Outer Planes being around even those. Note there is no Sigil in this cosmology.

The Prime Material
The Material Realm, Mortal Coil, Earth.

The Prime Material is the material world as you knew it. It is known that multiple, perhaps infinite Prime Materials exist in conjunction with each other. These alternate worlds all connect to the same planes and worship the same Gods.  It is a material world made for mortals. It has normal traits, normal gravity and is everything you expect from the Prime.

The Prime is mundane first and foremost, where reality holds sway and the spiritual is held within bodies of dirt and flesh. Epic level outsiders, planar powers and Gods cannot enter the Prime without fundamentally changing its nature. Less powerful outsiders can leave spiritual scars or blessings, changing reality around where they were.  This is the natural reaction to a pure spiritual being impressing into a temporal, passing material world. The mundane world cannot stand as it is in light of the eternal spirit.

Native outsiders such as tiefling, aasimar, genasi and others can exist on the Prime without difficulty. Elementals are likewise not affected by this save for the strongest exemplars.

The Ethereal Plane
The Mist, The Endless Haze.

The ethereal plane functions as per the normal cosmology. However, there is a Deep Ethereal Plane attached to the Ethereal, as the shallows are attached to the great deep sea. Little is known of this misty realm of memories and ghostly fragments. Planars often speculate it is an entirely different realm than that of the Ethereal, less connected to the Prime Material. Of all the various planes, it is one of the most unknown.

The Shadow Plane

This functions as in the normal cosmology. However, recent reports show that Shar's power there has swelled even further. All but the bravest are avoiding it.

The Elemental Planes
The Elemental Realities

This is where the four primary elements exist. The basic cosmology of Fire-Wind-Water-Earth is intact. Elemental Princes of Good and Evil do war in the element, as well as unaffiliated powers and other threats. In addition, each elemental plane as a divinity who rules over it as the supreme neutral force and incarnation of that element. Fire is Kossuth, Earth is Grumbar, Air is Akadi, Water is Istishia. Water and Fire oppose each other, as do Air and Earth. In addition all the Quasi-Elemental Planes and Para-Elemental Planes exist. The Para-Elemental Planes are where the different elemental planes come into contact with each other. The Quasi-Elemental Planes are where the Elemental Planes come in contact with the Positive and Negative Energy Planes. These are listed below.

Para-Elemental Planes: Smoke (Air and Fire), Ice (Air and Water), Ooze (Earth and Water), and Magma (Earth and Fire).
Quasi-Elemental Planes: Lightning (Air and Positive), Mineral (Earth and Positive), Radiance (Fire and Positive), Steam (Air and Positive), Vacuum (Air and Negative), Dust (Earth and Negative), Ash (Fire and Negative) and Salt (Water and Negative).

The Energy Planes
Life, Oblivion

The Positive and Negative Energy Planes work as in the normal cosmology. Interesting places to read about, trickier to visit without dying or exploding.

The Astral Plane
The Silver Sea, The Timeless Void

The Astral Plane functions as it does in the standard cosmology. It is the ultimate transitive plane, where time is frozen and travel is but the will of the mind. Here you can meet anything in Creation and find a portal to almost anywhere.

The Outer Planes
The Realms Beyond, The Heavens Above, The Depths Below.

The Outer Planes are where mortal souls pass to when they die. Here are the realms of the Gods, the endless Planes of paradise and misery, and the eternal lords of the Outer Planes. The full wheel of Outer Planes is used. Divine realms are part of the plane they reside on. For example, Avrandor is part of Arborea, essentially a sub-plane. All of the Forgotten Realms divine realms exist as long as their patron God(s) exist, unless said otherwise.

The Gods are supreme on the Outer Planes. The only beings that can challenge them are Planar Lords. These beings, such as Asmodeus, Queen Morwel, Primus and other entities, are capable of being worshiped and granting clerical power. Gods represent mortal ideals and concepts, Planar Lords are more of the eternal concept of good, evil, law, chaos or some other primal force. This isn't a distinction that matters to mortals in all but the rarest cases. Even to planar adventurers it's a point of irrelevance. It doesn't matter much if it's Bane or Bel who torments your soul for all time.

The Outer Planes are pure idea, spirit and thought. Good, Evil, Law and Chaos are tangible forces. An Archon has a tiny bit of Good and Law within them, as well as a primal connection to pure Good and Order. Mortals often have difficulty enduring the Outer Planes. Some Planes are so perfect in their happiness or misery that it entraps mortals to stay there, such as Elysium or Hades.  All are transcendent experiences, giving the living mortal a taste of what lies beyond life. Mortals who live their lives in a particular Outer Plane tend to become like residents of it in time. Their alignment changes to match and they often become celestial, fiendish, axiomatic or anarchic creatures. These mortals often die young, spirits unable to be held within a mortal frame any longer.

Mortal souls have one of several general fates: Becoming one with the outer plane they go to, being reborn as a petitioner, being reborn into a low level outsider. If a God or Power is worshiped, the soul goes to that realm and is dealt with as the entity sees fit. If they worship nothing, they go to the closest aligned outer plane. The vast majority of mortals that die and are reborn as petitioners or outsiders do not retain memory of their mortal life. In the Lower Planes this is a point of torment and alienation, forever yearning for things unremembered. In the Upper Planes, this is a liberation from the pain and misery of mortal life, where you meet those you care about anew and again forge the bonds of family and happiness.

In rare cases a mortal can be remade as an outsider without dying. In this case the mortal retains all their memories. This is a great honor and usually reserved for divine champions and those of such purity of ideal they can withstand the Realms Beyond. It is a chance at mythical immortality, though few are up to every reaching this plateau. In an extension of this, it is now known it is possible for a mortal to become a divinity. How such can be obtained is a tempting question, but the answers are elusive.

In addition there are a few divine realms that do not reside in the Outer Planes. Shar's realm is within the Plane of Shadow, the Elemental Gods reside within the appropriate Elemental Plane.

Information about each outer plane follows below.

The Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia
Mount Celestia, The Holy Mountain.

Mount Celestia is where unity and righteousness unite into a coherent whole. It works as in the normal cosmology. The seven members of the Hebdomad rule and guide over the archon host. The archons in turn aid those who engage in the sacred journey up the holy mountain, to the promised light of Chronias.

Notable divine realms that are a part of Mount Celestia include the House of the Triad(Helm, Ilmater, Tyr), Dwarfhome(Moradin and some other elements of the dwarven pantheon), and Bahamut's Palace(Bahamut, obviously).

Twin Paradises of Bytopia
That upside down place, I can't think of any good fucking titles placeholder

Bytopia's basic geography is the same as in the standard cosmology. The population is largely angels with a few archons, a smattering of eladrin and herds of celestial animals. This is a quiet realm with little direct divine presence. Mortals who visit rarely stay long no matter what they planned before entering. While it is as satisfying as any other Heaven, those who are of strong enough mind and will to recall that they meant to stay longer report a lingering sense of sadness in the realm.

There are no notable divine realms in Bytopia. Note that as angels replace guardinals as the neutral good exemplars.

The Blessed Fields of Elysium
Elysium, Angelhome

Elysium functions as it does in the standard cosmology. However, any instance of guardinals is replaced with angels, as there are no guardinals in this setting. The wisest sages know that there are angel lords who work in the shadows of this realm, but they seem to take considerable pains to stay out of mortal knowledge. Instead, the various divinities of Elysium rule over much the realm - what little rule Elysium requires.

Notable divine realms in Elysium include Dweomerheart(Mystra, Savras, Azuth, Velsharoon) and the House of Nature(Lathander, Chauntea, Mielikki, Silvanus, Eldath, Lurue and others; borders with the Beastlands).

Wilderness of the Beastlands
Untamed Nature, Heart of the Wild

This realm functions as noted in the standard cosmology, once again replacing guardinals with angels. This realm is largely ruled by the House of Nature, which includes myriad minor deities of natural elements and wild races. The planar lords of this realm are reclusive things, or perhaps they have merged with the House of Nature.

Notable divine realms include the House of Nature(Lathander, Chauntea, Mielikki, Silvanus, Eldath, Lurue and others; borders with Elysium).

Olympian Glades of Arborea
Olympus, Avrandor

Arborea is as described in the standard cosmology. It is ruled by the beautiful and mysterious queen of the Eladrin, Queen Morwel. She is served by two royal consorts; the current ones are Gwynharwyf and Faaerinal. Here the souls of those who love life and freedom come to celebrate for all eternity. As the eladrin, fey and elves are closely related, the Seelie Court and Avrandor both are integral parts of Arborea.

Notable divine realms includes Avrandor(The entire elven pantheon), The Gates of the Moon(Selune, Shaundakul) and Brightwater(Waukeen, Lliira, Sune, Sharess and Tymora).

The Peaceable Kingdoms of Arcadia
The Land of Perfect Order

Arcadia is as noted in the standard cosmology. Arcadia is ruled by peace and harmony, a representation of Law focusing Good. Archons, modrons and other lawful and good exemplars rule, guiding a realm that largely functions on it's own. Recently the House of the Triad shifted from Arcadia to Celestia, leaving something of a power vacuum. This is still sorting itself out.

Notable divine realms include the House of Knowledge (Gond, Oghma).

The Heroic Domains of Ysgard
Heroes' Rest, Asgard

Ysgard is as described in the standard cosmology. A realm of eternal battle by day and celebration by night, it is one of the ultimate battlefields of Creation. It is only loosely ruled by powerful outsiders who oversee the endless battles, as well as a few Gods who take interest in the realm.

Notable divine realms include Warrior's Rest(Tempus, The Red Knight and other minor war deities; borders with Limbo.)

The Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus
Nirvana, The Flawless Order

Mechanus is as described in the standard cosmology. Ruled by legions of bureaucratic Inevitables and other clockwork creatures, Mechanus is a sole paradise of perfection. It sees itself as the lawmaker and enforcer of Creation, often sending Inevitables to punish those who break the natural laws. No Gods stay within this realm - it is ruled by inviolate order, everything connecting back to Primus, the unquestioned master of Mechanus.

Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo
Limbo, Chaos, dozens of other names that come and go like whims

Limbo is as it is described in the standard cosmology. Limbo is a roiling see of of utter and complete chaos, twisting around as it pleases. The SlaAD FROLIC HERe, lead by powerful Slaadi exemplars such as Ssendam, Renbuu and Ygorl.

notable divine realms include warrior's rest(tempus, the red knight and other minor war deities; borders with ysgard.) and Nature's Heart(Talos)

The Infernal Battlefield of Acheron
Fiend's Battlefield

Acheron is as noted in the standard cosmology. It is a battlefield of the Blood War, endless cubes in space the grounds for bloody massacres. Rebels without a cause fight endlessly, bloodshed without meaning the only true constant. 

Windswept Depths of Pandemonium
Names are lost in the howling winds of Pandemonium. If it has another, it cannot be heard.

Pandemonium functions as per the normal cosmology. It is a realm of madness and pointless fury, signifying nothing. Fiends stalk in it's shadows, horrid things that are as much demon as yugoloth. What order there is comes on a local level from a powerful warlord or leader, and it almost always crumbles in due time. Pandemonium rejects all, and few rarely seem to last.

Notable divine realms include the Supreme Throne(Cyric).

Nine Hells of Baator
The Pit, Hell

You're getting extra information here as it's relevant to your interests. I'm getting into a lot of the psychology of devils and Hell, as well as a lot of other information.

The basic geology and structure of the Lords of the Nine is as described in the normal cosmology. I use the Gates of Hell supplement to add a lot of diabolical flavor to the realm and fill out it's ranks. While reading it isn't required, at least a passing familiarity with the material could be helpful. Abigor hails from it, as do the other Dukes of Hell and Archdukes. I prefer the version of Mephistopheles and Baazlebub in the Gates of Hell over the canon ones, so be aware.

For those of you that aren't, in essence Baazlebub isn't a wretched slug, but a beautiful fallen angel surrounded by flies. He is obsessed with his own perfection and engaged in a blood feud with Mephistopheles. Mephistopheles is not the classical devil as described in canon, but a cold master of knowledge who rejects emotion in favor of uncaring fact. The other Lords of the Nine are more or less the same as in canon.

Baator is ruled in a cold military structure. From the lowest lemure to the highest devil - save Asmodeus - all is ordered according to rank, file and protocol. Conformity is everything, any sign of dissent results in demotion, torture or oblivion. In it the promise of great power and rank is afforded to those who can rise past the rest and backstab their way into the halls of true influence. Yet only one in a million lemures ever becomes a Pit Fiend, let alone a Duke of Hell or greater creature.

All else is inferior to Hell. Diabolical might is supreme and Creation must be brought to heel, bound in chains to serve Baator. Good is a fool's delusion, weakness that leads only to defeat. Chaos is wasteful, worthy only to be stomped out beneath the devil's yoke. Any who do not bow to Hell must be broken or slain. Any who challenge Hell must be made an example of, forced to abandon all they held dear and submitting to Baator's rule. The weak have no place in Creation, save to be enslaved and mercilessly used into nothingness. Yet there is one greater crime than all of those together, worse than even Chaos. The greatest crime of Hell is defecting from Hell and choosing another path. Such is absolutely intolerable. The rare risen fiend can spark cataclysmic battles of revenge, as can one who succumbs to chaos. More woe than that goes to whomever was behind such a change.

Above all else, Baator loathes the Abyss. Law and Chaos within evil are in open warfare, the endless Blood War raging across the lower planes. For all the scorn, disdain and murder that is delivered unto the forces of Good, it is only the tiniest fraction of what is directed at the Abyss. For all but the rarest devils, life is all about the Blood War. Chaos must be held back and ultimately crushed. The Blood War will not end until the last demon is slain, the Abyss itself submits to order and all fiends bow only to the Serpent Throne. They fight a thousand to one odds against the hordes of Chaos, yet never waver.

Notable divine realms include The Barrens of Doom and Despair(Bane, Lovitar, Beshaba, Hoar and Talona.)

Bleak Eternity of Gehenna
The Fourfold Furnace

Gehenna is as described in the normal cosmology. Here the foul yugoloths live, forever attempting to direct the Blood War their unknown ends. The General of Gehenna exercises authority over this realm, but oftentimes it only extends to as far as his reach goes. The yugoloths are inherently betrayers, serving only themselves.

Gray Wastes of Hades
The Three Glooms

Hades is as noted in the standard cosmology. The current Oinoloth, the Adversary, recently obtained the Siege Malicious after overthrowing the previous Oinoloth. What exactly happened is unclear, for a celestial crusade into Hades against the Yugoloths added considerable confusion to affairs. The Adversary is consolidating his rule, whispers of purges within the yugoloth upper ranks common tales across the Depths Below. Little is known of him otherwise.

Tarterian Depths of Carceri
The Red Prison

Carceri is as noted in the standard cosmology. This is a realm of prisoners and a rare few who choose to live here and defy the plane itself. No God claims it as his own, instead only endless miseries of torment and denied freedom ruling all. Information on this realm is scarce, as those who visit it have a tendency to become fresh meat, and if they survive, prisoners of the realm.

Infinite Layers of the Abyss
The Abyss

The Abyss is as noted in the standard cosmology. There is no Lolth, so the Demonweb Pits do not exist. The Abyss is inherently chaotic, with demon lords rising and falling in a grotesque, endless dance. To catalog all of them is impossible - if you must deal with the Abyss, you'll find out what you need to know. Pray that you do, for the sake of your souls.

Notable divine realms include Fury's Heart(Auril, Malar and Umberlee)

The Far Realm
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A few sages, mad as they are wise, claim there is another circle to Creation. A place of alien shapes and impossible geometry, where all reason breaks down into a truth too horrible to understand sane. It is called the Far Realm. Nothing else is known, be it a myth or a terrible truth.

[Anastasia]

Stickying this for awhile as a refresher. Feel free to re-read it since I'm getting a lot of basic K:P questions lately.

[Anastasia]

Unstickied.

[Anastasia]

It seems like it's that time for a refresher bump!

[Anastasia]

Will likely be referring to this a fair bit, so bumping this up.