Balmuria fluff and flavor

[Anastasia]

An Overview of Fey Society

A book written by the sidhe scholar Spruce, this book discusses the basics of fey organization in a simple and direct manner. Such an accounting is quite rare and free of the mystique fey encourage. It is known that fey of both courts have suppressed this book when they come across it, but copies can still be found on occasion.

The Seelie and Unseelie Courts rule fey life. The Seelie Court rules the more life giving, positive aspects of nature, whilst the Unseelie Court embodies the negative and deadly aspects of nature. Much like good and evil they exist as a yin and a yang. However, while strongly associated with them, good and evil do not fully define the Courts. Further, the Courts do not precisely line up with those definitions of good and evil. While most fey are aligned with a Court, not all are. The nature of fey encourages independence; many fey strike out on their own and pay little to no homage to the Courts. This is generally accepted, as most fey scholars assert that a fey cannot help but advance the agenda of its Court, no matter if it tries to reject it or not.

The Seelie Court is located within Arborea. It is said that it has the capacity to wander all of the heavens, but the truth of this matter is unclear. It is known that the Seelie Court is ruled by Queen Titania, a figure sometimes conflated with Queen Morwel of the Court of Stars. In depth study suggests that they are merely close friends and allies, and that assuming they are the same entity is a common mistake. It is true that the fey and eladrin are closely bound and perhaps related, a morsel of truth that is used to bolster this argument. The fact that the Seelie Court and the Court of the Stars are closely united and share warm relations also contributes to this.

The Unseelie Court realm drifts between the neutral evil and chaotic evil planes. It is ruled by several enigmatic figures, cloaked in anathemic secrecy. It is ruled by the Queen of Air and Darkness. Her true name and identity are unknown, as she is never seen without a mask and her physical form varies on her whim. The matter of her identity is the subject of considerable debate, with many female powers of evil being suggested as her true identity. Names such as Shar, Beshaba, Auril and Talona have all been suggested as possibilities. A few male deities have been likewise suggested, as the thought is that what better illusion and lie is there than that? The Pale Mother is known to have some relevance to the Queen of Air and Darkness as well, though the matter is hazy.

Entry into the Seelie Court can be found in Arborea. Such portals are not found, they find the seekers in their own time. Thus it is with the Unseelie Court, often coming on those that seek it like a nightmare from the depths. In addition, entry to both courts can be found in the mortal world. These entry ways vary wildly and at the whims of powerful fey.

Both Courts have elaborate titles, organizations and noble rankings. The exacts vary between Courts and each Court varies as its rulers see fit. As the fey tend towards chaos and independence, they listen to whim rather than tradition and change titles as they desire. Personal power and high rank tend to go together, so an individual fey's power is a general indication to what rank they hold, if any.

[Anastasia]

Elder Magi Tepen's Classroom: Planar Trading

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

Hello and good afternoon, all. I see you've found the refreshments already. If you'd all settle in, we'll get to this lecture.

Before we begin, I'd like to remind all of you that this is an intermediate level lecture. You should have a solid foundation in planar structure. Additionally, a background in the psychology of various exemplars and outsiders will prove useful. If you lack those, I would recommend going to the library to review past lectures, then listening to this lecture once it is placed there. Ask for Sylvie or Sage Vul'lath in the library, they'll be able to get you sorted out.

The purpose of this lecture is to explain the reasons why there is trade across the outer planes. We will discuss why this occurs, what various planes get out of it and have an examination of several-!

Hm? I see you've raised your hand, thank you for doing so instead of interrupting. I'd rather answer any questions after the lecture, there will be a chance for those then. Thank you.

Ahem. As I was saying, we will discuss why this occurs, what various planes get out of trading and have an examination of several planar trading organizations. To properly frame this, let us begin with a simple question. If the Heavens are perfect, to what ends would they have any need for trade? All material needs are taken care of in the Heavens, yet they join trade just as eagerly as law, chaos and evil. Why?

Then we must look at law. Law is complete and self-sufficient by its nature. The collectivist aspects of order suggests planes that are wholly self sufficient. In fact, this touches on another point altogether. The planes are ultimately all self sufficient. They are infinite and without end, so to what ends would any have to trade with others? Those that inhabit a plane are perfectly suited to it, for they made their choice in mortal life and now live the eternity of that choice. What need would they have of things they rejected?

In light of this, you may wonder who would trade. If you thought about it and answered 'mortals and fiends', you'd be close to the truth. The mortal realms are not so blessed as these other realms and are often beset by greed. Coming from lands where trade is vital, they seek the planes as a way to make greater and greater profits. On the other hand, fiends always desire and crave more. Fiends crave more souls to gain, more treasure for security and luxury, more magic for power. They seek to sate the greed that plagues them. Indeed, the most well known type of planar trading may be the soul and larvae trade within the Hells. Further, both blocs gain from trading by accruing influence and connections. Mortals gain more chances for profit, while fiends gain connections to further advance themselves and corrupt more souls.

In this we find the answer to the rest of our question. The Heavens trade to counter-act the efforts of the fiends and some mortals, all while making more connections they can use to fight the good fight. Unlike the other two, they need not what they trade, which makes them fundamentally different merchants to deal with.

In turn, the competition of good and evil draws law and chaos in, for the archons, devils, demons and eladrin all wage that ancient enmity as much as they wage the battles of good and evil. Just as the righteous are drawn in to oppose the fiends, those of law and chaos are drawn in to defend their own interests.

Over time, this has lead to trade being accepted across the planes. The benefits of communication, influence and espionage are too precious to neglect. This has even opened up the Silver Sea of the Astral Plane, the elemental planes and more obscure planes yet. However, therein lines another problem. Outsiders do not always make the most acceptable merchants due to longstanding and irreconcilable differences between various planes. While some planes do maintain diplomatic relations with their opposites - Celestia and Baator are best known for this, having entire bureaus dedicated to it - having angelic traders in the Abyss or yugoloth traders in Arborea is unacceptable to all concerned.  As a result of this, non-aligned creatures have become a large presence in trade. There are no pesky problems of eternal enemies, realms that innately reject them and other difficulties. Further, quite frankly, the opposing realms are rarely interested in directly trading with one another.

This has lead to, or at least greatly aided, the rise of the mercane. Likewise, mortals can easily find a place in planar trading if they are capable and willing. Brighter than average elementals are likewise used at times, as are countless other bystanders neutral in a particular planar conflict.

Now then, let us discuss the various planar structures and organizations of trade. Each plane has its own take on trade, we will only be touching on basic details, as an extended examination of any single plane's trade is far beyond the scope of this lecture. I-!

Yes, yes, please sit down. I'm perfectly aware that Brightwater is the largest trading hub in Creation. With all respect, please wait until the end of the lecture if you wish to go into Waukeen's religious scripture. Thank you for your understanding.

Now then, let's touch on a few salient groups. We'll focus on the outer planes for our purposes here, as the trade of the elemental planes involves a deeper understanding of the issues unique to those planes.

We'll begin with the largest trade nexus in Creation, Brightwater. Brightwater is home to several deities, including Waukeen. She oversees trade, merchants and other related concepts. As such, her home realm is a natural hot bed of trading from across the planes. While fiends are generally not welcome there, it nonetheless has goods from every corner of Creation. Still, it must be understood that Brightwater is not a monolithic trade bloc. It is home to countless houses and groups. Additionally, Waukeen's clergy often does its own commerce outside the bounds of the established trade houses.

Just behind Brightwater is the Mercane Consortium. This group oversees all official mercane trade in Creation. They have their hands in everything on almost every plane, or at least try to. They trade in everything and trade to everyone that will have them. The Consortium may rival Brightwater and is better organized; however, they also cultivate good relations with as many powers as they can. If nothing else, the mercane seem to live for trading, having no other aspects that are commonly known of.

The next largest is highly disputed. The city of Dis in Baator is generally thought to hold that position, but it has many rivals. Rather than going through several more locales, let us focus on a few noteworthy groups instead. These groups are far from comprehensive, but rather a sampling of various planar enterprises in regard to trade.

Celestia's Envoys is a small but well organized trade service, used on occasion by the more pragmatic archon lords, Authorities of Celestia and even the Hebdomad. They are not driven by profit in coin, but profit in deed and accomplishment. It is known they often take great losses, all to better fight against the wicked. Persistent rumors suggest that the Slayers of Domiel are tied to this group and use it for cover. In truth, I suspect many groups in Celestia use the envoys as cover. In any case, they deal in goods from Celestia, usually arms, armor, foodstuffs and magical items.

Another noteworthy group is The Purple Flag. This is not its official name, for it is generally thought that it has none at all. It is a sect of slaad who use a purple flag when trading. Slaad trade is inherently unpredictable and erratic, but it does occur at times. Goods, deals, value and prices vary each time they go out, and oftentimes in the middle of negotiations. They are mainly noteworthy for being abnormally long-lasting, as few slaad groups endure long. The motives behind the group is unknown.

Finally, let us discuss the Brides of Agrimony. This group of traders is sponsored by the demon lord Graz'zt and is comprised of beautiful women. They wear white veils and focus on getting the demon prince as much money as they can. They focus on more tempting goods, ones related to sex and lust, but they do not limit themselves to it. They are sharp traders that often quarrel with erinyes and brachina traders from Hell. Such conflicts are routine, as the Blood War does not limit itself to only armed violence.

Essentially, it must be understood that planar trading groups reflect the ideals and purpose of the exemplars behind them. Every group has a purpose, but unlike mortal trade, material profit is not always it. Even when profit is the goal, it is seldom the only goal. To assume purely mortal motivations to these groups is folly.

Now then, we'll begin with questions. If you'd all raise your hands? We'll start with the lady in the gray robes. It isn't known, as mercane dealings are ubiquitous but relatively little about their internal structure is public. What the precise difference between official and unofficial mercane trade is somewhat ambiguous, but the fact that there is a controlling organization is clear. The mercane are extremely reluctant to discuss the specifics with others. Scholarly research in this field is unfortunately limited by this. I've considered composing a paper on this subject, but both political realities and other engagements have prevented it.

Now then, the red-haired gentleman in the back? Ah, by political realities I mean that Aurora enjoys good relations with the mercane. We have a few mercane here, such as Filbrez and his emporium of curious magical items. The mercane view those who pry on such matters dimly. This is a simple matter of politics. It is sad to say, but academic curiosity must take a back seat to the goal of liberating Lifasa. It is better to have the mercane on our side than to alienate them. That said, do you have another question?

A fair deal. Realms and personalities with an elemental leaning use them the most. The trading arm of Mephistopheles uses ice para-elementals as bodyguards and sometime negotiators, for instance. Elementals are another tool in the kit of many trading houses and organizations, especially those who wish to indirectly deal with their opposites. To continue in Baator, unaligned fire elementals were notably used in an incident where Raziel and Belial had reason to trade and deal with each other. It's quite the fascinating story, one recounted in the papers of Varinscha Bloodwing. There's a copy of these papers in Aurora's library. Check the diabolical studies wing, though bear in mind that Ms. Bloodwing is a devil and has her own natural biases. If you can read between the lines of her biases, you'll find a wealth of information on the devilish mindset.

I'll take a question from the man in green, right there. Ah, yes. By that, I refer to those who have no need for material possessions. Pistis Sophia has no interest in trading, since material things are irrelevant to her. Others vary depending on their station, though perhaps pragmatic was not the best word. Again, the personality and inclinations of each plane and each personality must be taken into account. With Celestia, it must be understood that there is a sizable contingent that has no need of material possessions at all. But this opinion is not uniform, as Celestia's Envoys illustrate. This is explored in a few works, most expertly in the Sanctum Folio by Adan Rosespire.

Are there any more - ah, of course. Your question? No, there's no real involvement in the soul and larvae trade. It's certainly known that the Heavens will attack and disrupt it at times. Scholarly opinion varies on why they don't oppose this more. I personally believe that it is because the souls and larvae are mortals who were evil in life. To the Heavens, someone who reaches there after life is a precious treasure. To the Hells, someone who reaches there after life is a resource to be exploited and used. But allow me to state that this is a far from settled issue. If you're interested, independent study and research is always welcome in this field. Ah, you are? Excellent. Come see me in the library in the future, we'll discuss this in further depth then.

I believe that's enough questions for today. Planar trade must be understood as a reflection of what each realm is. Once you understand that, the reasoning and motivation for it become clear. In this you can find yet another insight into the minds of outsiders and the eternal war between law, chaos, good and evil. Likewise, even though we did not discuss it, the inner planes likewise must be considered in the same light.

Thank you, please enjoy the refreshments.

[Anastasia]

This information was recovered by Aurora during their raid on Castle Crumbling. It is from a coded book that was successfully decoded by Aurora and deals with an entity called the First Vampire. Little of known of this First Vampire beyond that it is a scion of the Abyss. This information is presented here as is, a curiosity of intercepted knowledge.

It is assumed that Lixer wrote this, though it cannot be decisively ascertained.

Notes on the First Vampire

- The First Vampire has been gone for eons, though several of his children remain.

- The First Vampire has no weaknesses, even sunlight. Further, he is so resistant to positive energy as to be effectively immune.

- The First Vampire fell into a deep, restless sleep eons ago.

- The First Vampire went to sleep by choice.

- The First Vampire is said to be due to awaken.

- While Orcus has often claimed the First was his work, ancient lore constantly contradicts this.

- The First Vampire cares nothing for order, yet nothing for Orcus or demons as well.

- The First Vampire is an abomination, possessing a fragment of divinity.

- The First Vampire desires to sate his lusts - blood and far more carnal things yet. This is his ultimate motivation.

- The First Vampire can be wounded by holy, axiomatic weapons of the highest magic that have been blessed by a deity of life, such as Lathander.

- Typical wards to protect the mind are useless against the First Vampire should he will it to be so. He can even command mindless creatures, with only deities and powers being safe.

- The First Vampire regenerates any wound in seconds. Even true wounds by holy magic or the proscribed weapon above, heal fully. The First Vampire must be slain decisively and within mere seconds or even the greatest effort is for naught.

- Through an ancient pact, the First can summon Ubalukk obyriths.

[Anastasia]

Planar Structure in Balmuria

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 great 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. Also note this is an introduction, not an in depth article on all each plane has.

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 deities, though the names may be different.  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 deities cannot enter the Prime without fundamentally changing its nature. 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.

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
Earth, Fire, Water, Wind

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 has 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 divine, 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 deity(s) exist, unless said otherwise.

The deities are supreme on the Outer Planes. The only beings that can challenge them are lords of the planes. These beings, such as Asmodeus, Queen Morwel, Primus and other entities, are capable of being worshiped and granting clerical power. Deities represent mortal ideals and concepts, while lords of the planes 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 an outsider or joining with a deity or power. If a deity 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 outsiders do not retain memory of their mortal life. In the Hells this is a point of torment and alienation, forever yearning for things unremembered. In the Heavens, 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 ever 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 deities 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).

Twin Paradises of Bytopia
Quiet Mourning

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, Tymora and Empress Sulia).

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 deities 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) and Sylica (Alicia Reynes, Syala).

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 deities 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

Baator is as described in the normal cosmology. However, the Gates of Hell material from Dicefreaks greatly inspired me and is often drawn on. While the general structure of Hell and the Lords of the Nine are as noted in the Fiendish Codex 2, a lot of material is adjusted to fit that.

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 deity 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]

Death, the Afterlife and Resurrection

Balmuria's afterlife is not the same as normal D&D, nor does it have a Fugue Plane like Forgotten REalms. It has its own system of sorting souls into the afterlife. This supersedes information elsewhere, such as in Complete Divine.

Mortal Creatures

For the purpose of this work, a mortal creature is defined as an intelligent creature (Int 1 or higher) of the following types: aberration, animal, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, ooze, plant or vermin.

When a mortal dies, their soul exits the body approximately one round after the moment of death. Should the body be destroyed, the soul appears at the spot of death. Souls in this state are invisible to almost any means to see, invulnerable and generally beyond the reach of any effect. A soul lingers for a short time, usually between one to six rounds before vanishing. They travel instantly and unerringly to the Well of Souls, where they begin a week's journey to their afterlife. This is covered in more detail below.

It is known that mortals are easier to revive while they are within the Well of Souls. The reasoning is not entirely clear, but speculation is that they still have some ties to the mortal world. This makes reaching them less difficult, or so the theory goes. Regardless of the reason, mortal souls still within the Well of Souls are easier to bring back. .

Once a mortal soul passes to its afterlife, it is far harder to resurrect. Souls that have reached their final destination are seldom willing to leave the Heavens or able to freely leave the Hells.  Further, the souls that pass into a divine realm very rarely revive unless it is the will of their patron, usually through a cleric or other agent seeing to the revival. Calls from other divinities are usually ignored. In more detail, a soul that has been absorbed into an outer plane can be revived. Those that become outsiders vary, though as most start at the bottom, this is not usually a problem. However, outsiders that retain memory of their mortal life (a rarity) cannot be revived; they have become something different and left behind mortal life.

The Well of Souls

A few decades ago a new method of passing into the hereafter was made by the hand of Helm. It is known as the Well of Souls.

When a soul passes, they drift to a place in between other parts of Creation. Here they reflect on their mortal life, proceeding along as a shade overseen by loyal Knights of Helm. For seven days they pass, drifting towards a portal that will take them to the plane or divine realm their mortal life has taken them to. During this time they are shades, a pure soul invulnerable to harm. They are often unaware of anything else as they walk, lost in contemplation of their life.

The Order of the Mist oversees the procession, knights anointed into deathless servants by Helm. They are comprised of fighters, paladins, knights and clerics of Helm, fantastically loyal. The entire Well of Souls is maintained by Demedais the Prophet, who is said to possess near divine powers within the Well of Souls.

Plane shift and similar magic cannot reach the Well of Souls. The only known way is to die and pass through as nature demands. All the portals from the Well of Souls are one way. However, members of the Order of the Mists have no difficulty entering and exiting as they need. This development is a sharp encroachment into the portfolio of Kelemvor; divine war between Kelemvor and Helm simmers. What effect this will have on the Well of Souls is unknown.

Exceptions

As with anything, there are ways this natural order can be perverted. First and foremost, a soul with a powerful will to stay behind to finish it's affairs instead lingers on the spot of it's death. The soul gathers ectoplasm and becomes a ghost. Second of all, spells such as trap the soul prevent a soul from leaving its prison, effectively removing it from the natural cycle of death. Thirdly, the actions of various divine powers can alter a soul's course. A soul that dies in the realm or plane it is destined to go to skips the Well of Souls entirely, instantly migrating to its destiny. Certain powers, mostly those of evil, can absorb or consume souls that die in their direct presence. Finally, by treaty with Helm, diabolical pacts are not inhibited by this new order. A soul that has sold itself will immediately plunge into Baator. In turn, Baator has foresworn interference with the Well of Souls and in any possible divine war between Helm and Kelemvor.

Undead are a special exception to these rules. Besides ghosts, many creatures are damned to become undead if slain by an undead creature. In these cases the soul lingers within the body and remains after it rises as an undead creature. Most undead created from remains older than a week are near mindless undead such as skeletons or zombies, often times being entirely soulless. However, potent circumstances and dark magic can occasionally wretch a soul from the hereafter and confine them within the form of undeath.

There are other exceptions, such as the entrapping traits of Hades and Elysium. Generally, anything that traps and transforms a soul into an outsider bypasses the Well of Souls entirely.

Resurrection

Note: This is identical to the resurrection rules tab in houserules. If you're familiar with this, you can skip down to other races.

The normal SRD spells of raise dead, resurrection and true resurrection are banned. A one size fits all spell is used in its stead. Reincarnate exists and works as normal, as does clone. Other non SRD spells vary, ask me about them. Resurrection now costs no money, but it relies on two things - divine will and the chance that the spell will still fail. Do note that divine will is a fickle thing, and often pays no attention to who is a PC. Further, even a PC may fail a resurrection chance check.

Resurrection
Level: Clr 6
Components: V, S, M, DF
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Touch
Target: Dead creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None.
Spell Resistance: No.

This spell raises the dead. This spell can even bring back creatures whose bodies have been destroyed, provided that you unambiguously identify the deceased in some fashion (reciting the deceased's time and place of birth or death is the most common method).

Upon completion of the spell, the creature is immediately restored to full hit points, vigor, and health, with no loss of level (or Constitution points) or prepared spells. Status conditions are removed unless stated otherwise. You can revive someone killed by a death effect or someone who has been turned into an undead creature and then destroyed. This spell cannot resurrect elementals or outsiders, nor can it resurrect constructs or undead creatures. In any case, the creature must succeed on a resurrection chance check or the spell fails.

This spell cannot be selected freely. A cleric can request it if they wish, but only their patron can decide if it should be allowed. At other times, a suitable cleric will find themselves granted with this spell, often with a stark vision of what is to be done with it. Spellcasters who spontaneously cast spells, such as a favored soul, may select this spell. However, it only functions when their patron wishes for it to be so.

Material Component

A droplet of fresh blood from the caster.

Resurrection chance rules

There is a chance that resurrection, reincarnate or similar spells will fail. Short of the direct intervention of a deity using alter reality or a salient divine ability, use the following information to determine the chance of successful resurrection.

From the moment of death to a week after, resurrection is not overly difficult. While the odds are not 100%, a spirit passing through the Well of Souls is much easier to call back than a spirit that has moved onto the Realms Beyond. Use the following formula:

Base resurrection chance: 75%

Modifiers:

+10% if the deceased's death was premature or left affairs beyond. A young man's murder, a parent dying and leaving children behind to fend for themselves, a warrior with an unfinished holy quest are all fine examples. Spirits motivated above and beyond even this tend not to reach the Well of Souls, becoming ghosts instead.

-10% if the deceased's death was due to old age or satisfying. An old man dying surrounded by beloved family, a paladin of Ilmater giving his life so that his friends live, a knight dying after assuring his kingdom will survive a terrible threat are all good examples.

+5% if the caster is a close friend, family member or beloved of the deceased.

-25% if a neutral but unconnected power attempts the resurrection. This applies to powers with no ties to the realm or god the deceased is going to pass onto - for example, a cleric of Mystra attempting to revive a follower of Hanali Celanil. This does not apply to friendly powers in the same group or alliance of powers at the DM's discretion: A cleric of Helm can raise a follower of Tyr just fine, for example.

Automatic failure if the caster is an enemy of the deceased or otherwise opposed to him. In essence this causes automatic rejection in all but the rarest instances. A paladin of Mystra isn't going to answer the call of a cleric of Shar. If the DM rules that the circumstances are exceptional enough to allow the possibility, treat this as -50% instead.

-10% if the deceased is aware of his afterlife and welcomes it. This doesn't mean that he may be going to one of the Heavens, only that he's happy with his assumed final fate.

+10% if the deceased is aware of his afterlife and dreads it.

-15% per previous resurrection. These stack, someone who has been revived twice has a -30% modifier, someone who has been revived three times has a -45% modifier and so on.

Further modifiers may be assigned by the DM as the situation warrants. The maximum chance to revive is 90%, there is still a small chance that a soul is unwilling or unable to return for whatever reason. Once a roll is passed or failed, this applies to all resurrection rolls until the soul reaches the Realms Beyond. This success or failure is final, a caster with better odds that would succeed on a previously failed check does not succeed. A soul that is revived, dies again and is resurrected again recalculates it's chances and rerolls. Direct divine intervention, in the form of a miracle spell or true divine action, are not affected by any of these rules. In the case of a miracle spell, the deity still must choose to intervene - a mortal cleric casting miracle is not assured of resurrecting another if his deity is not willing.

---

A soul that has passed into the Realms Beyond is far more difficult to recall. It may be content in paradise. Perhaps it has found the spring of the ethos that drove it's life, becoming one with it or an exemplar of it. The less fortunate may be found in chains and tormented, or reborn as the lowest of the low souls in the Hells. For all these various reasons, resurrections after a week have passed are far more likely to fail. Use the following formula:

Base resurrection chance: 10%

-20% to +20% depending on the deity or outer plane the deceased went to. Deities take precedence over outer planes when applicable - someone who died in the service of Mystra would use her modifier and not the modifier of Elysium. See sub-table 1 for more information. Note: this table is current as of the posting of this article. Refer to the resurrection rules tab in houserules for updates.

+10% if the deceased's death was premature or left affairs beyond. A young man's murder, a parent dying and leaving children behind to fend for themselves, a warrior with an unfinished holy quest are all fine examples.

-10% if the deceased's death was due to old age or satisfying. An old man dying surrounded by beloved family, a paladin of Ilmater giving his life so that his friends live, a knight dying after assuring his kingdom will survive a terrible threat are all good examples.

+5% if the deceased does not fit the exact alignment of his deity or outer plane. Again, deity takes precedence over outer plane.

-5% if the deceased fits the exact alignment of his deity or outer plane. Again, deity takes precedence over outer plane.

+5% if the caster is a close friend, family member, or beloved of the deceased.

Automatic failure if the caster is an enemy of the deceased or otherwise opposed to him. In essence this causes automatic rejection in all but the rarest instances. A paladin of Mystra isn't going to answer the call of a cleric of Shar. In this case no possibility of success is allowed - a power isn't going to allow souls faithful to it to be called away from it's realm.

-20% if the deceased failed a resurrection roll in the Well of Souls.

-15% per previous resurrection. These stack, someone who has been revived twice has a -30% modifier, someone who has been revived three times has a -45% modifier and so on.

Further modifiers may be assigned by the DM as the situation warrants. The maximum chance to revive is 50%, there is still a sizable chance that a soul is unwilling or unable to return for whatever reason. A soul that is revived, dies again and is resurrected again recalculates it's chances and rerolls. Only direct divine intervention by the deity or realm that the soul resides in can bypass these rules.

Sub-Table 1: Modifiers for resurrection chance by relevant divinity or realm. Short blurbs are given to explain modifiers; more information on the reasons behind a power's modifier can be given if you're curious.

Alicia: -20%. - Is generally against resurrection and prefers that souls pass on in peace.
Auril: -20%. Spring never comes to Auril's realm, only endless winter.
Angharradh: +20%. - A goddess of elven life, the Triune Goddess brings renewal to her followers, including resurrection and reincarnation.
Empress Sulia: +10%. Empress Sulia celebrates the sacrifices of martyrs, giving them many honors. This sometimes includes another chance at life.
Gond: 0% - As the god of both constructive and destructive creation, Gond respects both life and death.
Helm: +10% -  Duty always marches forward, and who among the faithful lets their duty go?
Ilmater: +5% - This one's complicated. While Ilmater values sacrifice and mending the pain and suffering of many, including death, many of his faithful look towards his afterlife as a respite from a lifetime of suffering for others. This complicated relationship restrains Ilmater's hands somewhat.
Jannath: -10%. Jannath prefers reincarnations within the week after death, those that pass beyond are less likely to return.
Lathander: +20%. - Is the god of the dawn, new life and newborns. Duh.
Mother Ocean: +10%. - Is a goddess of healing, yet is not the true lifebringer, as that falls to Father Earth.
Mystra: 0% - Magic is to be used wisely; including resurrection magic. She has no leanings here.
Red Knight: +5% - Death is often a sign of poor strategy, but many games allow a second chance. In the end, she prefers her faithful to have a chance to go back and learn more.
Seira: +20% - Seira values life.
Sharess: 0%. - Sharessians value life, yet what waits beyond is life eternal and pleasure never-ending. Ultimately, Sharess is neutral on this matter.
Syala: -5%. - Syala has a neutral opinion of resurrection, but finds it difficult to banish souls who have found peace and paradise in Sylica back to the material world.
Umberlee -20% or +20%. - Umberlee is a destructive deity, but is vulnerable to flattery. If her faithful offer up sufficient tribute to her, the modifier changes from -20% to +20%. Such is the mercy of the savage seas.

Celestia: -5% - Once the climb up the Holy Mountain is begun, few turn away from it.
Elysium: -10% - Who can leave perfection?
Arborea: 0% - Arborea respects the choice of the soul, doing nothing to encourage or inhibit this choice.
Mechanus: 0% - Mechanus holds that resurrection is acceptable and part of the natural cycle. Excessive use gets maruts sicced on you, as noted in their flavor text.
Limbo: Random, roll 1d6: 1: -20% 2: -10% 3: -5% 4: +5% 5: +10% 6: +20% -Limbo does whatever Limbo wants at any one moment.
Baator: -20% - This can vary depending on soul pacts and relevant contracts. For a typical schlep who ends up here the odds of coming out are painfully low to non-existent.
Hades: -20% - The gray depths of Hades damns all who come and let precious few ever go.
Abyss: +20%- However, those who come back from the Abyss have very high odds of strange mutations. Gaining Abyssal Heritor, Vile or Anarchic feats is normal. The Abyss wants to reach out and kill you and everyone you care for, then make them wallow in agony for a few eternities.

After a soul is raised, there is a chance that they came back a little bit...different. Wrong, or at least still touched by the grave. There is a flat chance of 20% that someone resurrected will roll on the Resurrection Mishaps table from page 80 of Heroes of Horror. A result completely contrary to the interests of reviving deity should be rerolled. This does not prevent unfortunate results, but only stops ones that make no sense based on the power involved.

Other Races

Dragons

Dragons are superior creatures, naturally immortal and extraordinarily powerful. They never die of old age and only grow stronger, though many fade away after countless centuries. When a dragon dies, its spirit lingers for but one round before vanishing to its afterlife. They are not bound by the Well of Souls, as a draconic spirit is potent enough to directly travel to its final destination. The exact fate of a dragon's soul varies by realm, but most continue searching for the perfection that eluded them in life. Unlike mortals, dragons always retain the memories of their mortal life.

No matter the fate of a dragon's soul, all dragon-spirits lack any capacity to age further or gain levels. The cause for this is not known and only affects dead dragons. Living planar dragons, dragons that gain divine rank zero or any other dragon that has not died are not subject to this.

Dead dragons can be resurrected, but very few are interested in living again, no matter how they felt before death.

Fey

Almost all fey are naturally immortal, though there are a few exceptions. When a fey does die, they pass onto another system altogether. This is a great and endless cycle of death, afterlife and reincarnation. The cycle of the fey involves the Yggdrasil tree, a period of afterlife reflection and reincarnation into a different type of fey. Fey do travel through the Well of Souls like mortals, though their trip is briefer and they vanish before reaching a portal.

Fey that are pledged to a power of deity, such as the Seladrine, Court of Stars or Brightwater, may instead migrate to that plane. The fey that do so leave the cycle and are seen with scorn, pity and sorrow by other fey forevermore. A fey that does so becomes a unique outsider, usually with all the powers they had in life. Dead fey retain their memories, as they lose them when they reincarnate.

Fey can be revived, though they view it with a great deal of disgust. They feel this violates the cycle and is an abomination. Only extreme circumstances or temptation will cause a fey to accept a chance to return to life.

Elementals

Elementals are of one body and one spirit. When they die, that's that. The essence of the elemental returns to the appropriate plane and that's the end of it. This happens immediately on death. They do not pass into an afterlife or into the Well of Souls in any manner. To revive an elemental, a wish or miracle spell is required. Most elementals are willing to return to life, unless slain by an opposite element.

Do note that summoned elementals are do not truly die even if slain while summoned, just like any other creature.

Outsiders

Before this begins, it must be understood that each plane has its own methods of handling its children. Likewise, each deity and power has a preferred way of dealing with this. The following focuses on generalities.

When an outsider dies outside of its native plane, its body dissolves in some fashion and its spirit lingers at that point for three rounds. This spirit is unaware and invincible as a mortal soul, as it is the soul and essence of the outsider. Thereafter it instantly migrates back to the plane it hails from, and in due time will reform in the same guise or as another type of outsider. Outsiders cannot be permanently slain on any plane but its native plane, though an outsider's soul can be trapped as a mortal's can. Outsider souls do not pass through the Well of Souls or any other limitations.

The exact length of time for an outsider to reform varies by realm, as well as any possible promotions or demotions. As a rule of thumb, the more powerful the outsider, the faster it reforms. Once it has reformed, it cannot return to the plane it was killed on. This may be (rarely) permanent or be a set amount of time, usually having numerological relevance to the plane (99 years for Baator, for example). No known means can circumvent this limitation, as Creation itself remembers the echos of its death. This prevents it from returning, lest it create a paradox.

If an outsider is slain on its native plane, it joins with the plane in one round. Once it has joined its native plane, the outsider cannot be revived by any means short of a wish or miracle spell. Outsiders vary on returning to life, despite a well known fear of oblivion by many, not all respond to the call.

Deities and Powers

Extremely little is known about divine death and if anything lies beyond for the rulers of Creation. What is known that a deity is almost impossible to kill, reforming in its realm quickly if slain off plane, much like an outsider. To slay a deity, another power or god must kill then in their domain and succeed on an opposed rank check. If the rank check fails or the killer does not possess divine rank, the divinity reforms.

No known means exist to revive a slain power. A wish or miracle is useless in these conditions. Some say that enough belief after a deity's death can do the trick, but the truth is unknown. It is generally accepted that a power slain in its realm is dead for good. If there is any afterlife for those who rule Creation, it is beyond the ken of any but the powers and deities themselves, and perhaps not even them. It may be that only distant Ao can answer that question.

[Anastasia]

Eternal Winter

This book is a holy book of Auril's faith, describing how to properly worship the unfeeling heart of winter. It explains how Auril inspired Creation, molded it properly and then saved it after fools like Lathander gave it far too much life. It then goes into a basic set of parables about how Auril must be feared, for she is the one and only who holds the throne of winter. Winter is the power to still, to stop, to preserve, to freeze. It is the vital source of all Creation, and only those who earn her mercy will be spared its effects.

Walls, trees and protections against cold must be destroyed. Auril's winds must spread everywhere and winter must be unchecked. Those who do not give winter homage must be put to winter's chill until they die or please Auril and repent. The only thing that matters is serving Auril's will, for winter is everything. Face the winter winds head on and sing Auril's praises. Never harm those who follow Auril and stain the snows with the blood of those who do not. Those who succumb to winter are weak and worthless, for they did not earn Auril's favor.

The last part of the book is filled with simple instructions and words of wisdom. A few are provided below.

It is better to die of exposure while worshiping Auril than to spend a lifetime hidden beneath warm clothes and fires.

Arctic animals are Auril's. Harm them only with great need or to make a tribute to Auril. All other animals are yours to put to the knife.

Should a man's ardor bring warmth to him, he is to lay with the snow until he is numb. Should a woman's ardor do the same, she must immerse in cold water until her ardor is quenched.

Every day of winter is a holiday. Please Auril each day of winter, for every day of winter is sacred to her. Never take a winter's day for granted.

[Anastasia]

Tributes

This book discusses the rites to sacrifice animals to Auril. It explains that this is an important part of serving Auril, for animals sacrificed become as winter before Auril. It goes into a great deal of detail explaining the proper ritual to do so, as well as how to do it in a way to earn Auril's favor. The book is quite precise about this, as well as the names to call on and the proper method of slicing the animal apart, and finally how to leave the corpse for snow and ice to claim.

It is asserted that animals killed in this fashion become Auril's property. They become creatures ice and snow, who are blessed to wander an eternal blizzard. Such creatures exist forever in this fashion, never again knowing the caress of sunshine or the warmth of summer. It emphasizes this is the best fate for non-arctic animals of any type. The more you sacrifice, the more winter will come to embrace you in body, heart and soul.

[Anastasia]

The Glasae Queen

What is it: The Empress of the Fey Marches, a powerful fey said to have been born of her own desire to exist.

Status: Information obtained. Barely.

So there I was, hiding behind a giant mushroom and hoping the swans wouldn't catch me. You see, the Glasae Queen is a powerful Empress of the fey and one of the highest nobility under Titania. You ask around, you'll hear she's summer's life and the peak of Summer fey.  That's all well and good, but the rub is that apparently Queen Titania's never liked her. Story is that she ordered the Glasae Queen sequestered away into a palace of animated water and reeds, a maze that protects us from her and her from us.

Anyway, so I investigate and find some leads. I go nosing around the sylvan realms, asking the right questions to the right sort. You know how the fey are, play your cards right and you can get a promise out of them. That's the ticket to getting information, since they take their word seriously as an archon takes Chronias. So I worm out a few promises, get some directions and all that. Turns out the Fey Marches are a border with...I'm not sure what, actually. I never found out since everyone got vague about it. Probably one of those things fey won't talk about with others.

In any case, the Glasae Queen lives in the Swan's Keep. There's a single road to it and it winds through a forest. Big old place, with giant plants and forest things along with the trees. There's giant mushrooms next to oaks, blades of grass as tall as pine trees and all of that. It's a might crazy if you ask me, but everything grows extra large there. Anyway, the upshot is that the forest has guardians - those damn swans. You ask me, they're smarter than most and damned persistent. They chase you, peck you and do their best to get you to turn around and run off.

I gave them the slip eventually and moved on - only to find myself given a good lurch. Next thing I know, I'm in the bleeding positive energy plane! Now good thing I have my boots, so I use them to make a retreat back to Air rather than get popped like a pimple. Near as I can tell, everything about the Glasae Queen being sequestered away is true. That's some serious mojo to keep people from reaching her keep. Worst part is that I hear that the keep is by far the most formidable part. Those swans are stronger there and everywhere, plus mazes that never end and that twist around forever.

I suspect that I need a fey with me to get closer. I've heard that's important, but I figured I could feel it out before worrying about that. I've also heard she has an interesting personality, whatever that means. Really, the fey either don't know much about her or don't like talking about her.

[Anastasia]

The Hecatoncheires

What is it: A 100 armed warrior of titanic size, a former avenger created by divine cooperation. It now hates its former creators and seeks to tear them down into ruin.

Status: Information obtained.

You ask anyone with a clue and they'll tell you that taking an Abyssal portal's a damn good way to die. You never really know where you'll end up and odds are it'll be somewhere deadly and dangerous. The locals tend to fight first, second and last, and your bleeding isn't optional. Anyway, so there I was, sniffing around an unknown portal in the Astral. Wouldn't you know it, that's when a storm starts and some wind knocks me right in.

It's a battlefield, full of broken weapons and corpses. Abyss chic, yeah? But it's empty. The sky's dark and there's not a sound. Just weathered ground, isn't so bad for the Abyss. No bonfires, acid skies, screaming tornadoes or anything like that. 'course, it was a one way portal and I'm curious, so I go looking around. Against my better judgment, let me tell you. I wander, find nothing worthwhile. Just the same thing forever, 'till I see a mountain on the horizon. Then the damn mountain stands up! Arms everywhere, more than I can count and each with a greatsword bigger than four of me stacked head to feet.

I just about break to go, but I get a look at it. It has a human looking face, normal despite the size. It's angry, let me tell you. Furious, hateful and the sort of gaze that makes you need a change of underwear. But fast as I can see, it looks hopeful. Fast as I can blink, it starts talking to me. Talking about power and alliances, striking back against those that wronged it. Now I'm standing there, trying not to scream. The thing is terrifying, like a dagger at my throat. I can feel blades against my back and my front and hell, everywhere. All I an think is that it's a deadly weapon and it's going to kill me. Over and over and over like that.

But somehow I keep it together. I tell it I'm interested - and for a moment, it looks hopeful. Really hopeful, for a moment it looked like something else. Something that wasn't quite a mountain ready to rip me apart. Quick as I can, I tell it I'll pass it along to my superiors and activate my escape magic. Next thing I know I'm back in Air near Aurora, and I book it in there like all the hell hounds in the Lord of the Ninth's kennels are after me.

So later, once I'm all safe and composed, I manage to get Tepen to ferret out the name of it. It's called the Hecatoncheires, a living weapon of some sort that hates all that's divine. Had a bad falling out with its creators and wants to even the score. You ask me, it just looked desperate and full of despair. Guess it makes you think. What happens to a sword when we're done with it? Stupid question, but here I am, and that question sure seems important now.

[Anastasia]

Lost Lore of the Abyss: The Sixfold Steel

This series of books is written with a great deal of repetition and reinforcement. The entire writing style is highly ordered, as a preface explains this is desirable to better hold the often mutable lore of chaos.

The Sixfold Steel is a group of six elite steel devils. They were once loyal soldiers in the Blood War, but were turned towards chaos after a confrontation with a demon prince. The six survived the battle through sheer luck but were turned to chaos as a result. They took the name Sixfold Steel and promptly became mercenaries for hire and established a base in Pazunia. They are savage, skilled and noted for getting the job done.

As renegade devils, they are routinely hunted by dogai and other devil assassins. So far they have managed to elude capture and prosper despite them. It's whispered that a demon lord sponsors them and provides sufficient protection to ward the devils off. Indeed, they've gone so far as to manage assaults on Acheron, Mechanus and even Arcadia, suggesting that they are being used by one to assault law.

The most dangerous aspect of the Sixfold Steel is that they multiply in strength when they fight together. One is merely a stronger than usual steel devil. Two are equal to a hezrou. Six are capable of tearing a pit fiend or balor apart in mere moments. In particular, no attack can damage them unless it damages them all. How this works is unclear, but it seems to be remarkably effective.

[Anastasia]

Behind the Screen: Avatars

Avatars are a tradition in D&D. The incarnation of a deity or similar entity, they come to guide mortals, bring judgment or devastate the world. We'll be discussing how they work in Balmuria and also touch on the related rules for them. This supersedes rules elsewhere for them, such as in Deities and Demigods or the SRD. The basic concept is the same, but the flavor and mechanical execution is somewhat different.

Before we begin, a few notes. This assumes you're familiar with the concept of an avatar and know the basics. If you don't, you may be a little lost at points of this article. Also, planar lords also use avatars, as they use the same rules as deities. They are sometimes called aspects but function identically. So you can assume this applies to the various permutations there as well.

Finally, note that some parts of these rules are written with flexibility or vagueness. This is intentional, as a degree of flexibility is required with deities. In the event of a conflict with the rules posted in the upcoming divine compendium, the rules in the divine compendium take precedence over the ones presented here.

What is an avatar?

Balmuria takes the concept of avatars and expands them, as they are important for more reasons that merely being a shadow of a deity. The main purpose of an avatar and the intended use of one is to allow a deity to interact with the Prime Material Plane. A deity's true form would cause unthinkable spiritual wounds to the Prime and altogether devastate it, as the Prime Material is unable to withstand the purity and intensity of spirit a deity represents. An avatar does not threaten the Prime Material in this way, as it does not create spiritual wounds at all. This is all designed, as the Three Incarnations created the concept of avatars for precisely this reason.

That being said, avatars are used for far more. They are useful tools to attend to divine business across the planes. An avatar can fulfill virtually any role the deity desires: a diplomat, a warrior, a zealot of the faith, a wanderer or countless other tasks. They provide more power than all but the greatest servants or proxies as well as a personal touch. When a deity commits an avatar to an event, she is committing to it wholly.

An avatar is by default a copy of the deity (with the adjustments noted below), though a deity is more than capable of making unique avatars. The spread of class levels does not change, but the form of it can, as well as what abilities the avatar emphasizes. In addition, the length and breadth of divine abilities allows deities to mimic other classes.

Creating an avatar

Any deity of rank 1 or higher can create an avatar. This ability is standard to deities and does not require a salient divine ability. A deity can have as many avatars as she has divine ranks, though she may have less manifested or created if desired. The creation of an avatar takes one minute of focus for the deity, in which she uses alter reality each round to forge part of her energy into a proper form. The avatar automatically continues to form once this is done and requires no further effort from the deity. The amount of time for an avatar to form depends on the power of the deity, as seen in table 1.

An avatar must be created in the deity's divine realm. An avatar in the process of creation is an indistinct mass that slowly gains definition over the time it takes to create it. An unfinished avatar has 10 hit points per divine rank of the deity. Should an unfinished avatar be reduced to zero hit points, it dissolves and must be recreated from scratch. As such, unfinished avatars are usually kept in a secure location.

Table 1: Time to create an avatar



   
   
   
   
   

Divine Rank	Time to Create
1-5	1 year
6-10	6 months
11-15	1 month
16-20	1 week

Avatar statistics

An avatar has the same statistics, classes, race and abilities as the deity it springs from, with a few exceptions. An avatar has divine rank 0, which reduces the various bonuses the avatar gains based on divine rank. The avatar retains access to the deity's salient divine abilities, but the DCs and other factors related to divine rank are adjusted to divine rank 0. The avatar continues to have access to alter reality, but at demigod level, no matter the divine rank of the actual deity. The avatar retains the deity's spell-like abilities, divine aura and abilities granted it from its domains. In the event divine rank 0 would render any divine ability unusable, such as by having zero uses per day, the avatar cannot use that ability.

An avatar has copies of the deity's signature equipment. Such equipment is reduced in power by approximately half. Enchantment bonuses are halved, special properties are reduced or lost and so forth. The exact adjustments vary and are left to the deity's discretion. A deity can make different choices with different avatars. In any case, these copies are little more than shadows tied to the avatar. They vanish if separated from the avatar for more than one hour (unless the deity chooses to loan them to a worshiper, in which case they last until returned) and reappear in the deity's divine realm.

An avatar is not limited to copies of the deity's equipment and can use any other equipment it finds or is given. Such equipment works normally and does not vanish if removed from the avatar.

Managing avatars

A deity automatically controls any of her avatars. This control is automatic and takes no effort or actions on the party of the deity, and is not interrupted even if the deity is rendered unconscious or otherwise disabled. This control cannot be disrupted by any known means. If a deity chooses to cease controlling an avatar or this control is somehow disrupted, the avatar ceases all actions and is inert. Treat the avatar as helpless.

A deity is aware of everything around the avatar at all times, treat this as a use of the deity's remote sensing, except that it cannot be blocked by any means. This use does not count against the deity's normal limit of remote locations.

Destroying an avatar

An avatar that is killed dissolves into nothingness, including any equipment it carries. An avatar that is destroyed is gone for good, it does not reform in the deity's divine realm. However, the deity can create an identical avatar if it desires. A destroyed avatar does not count against the deity's total of avatars.

The death of an avatar is unpleasant for the deity, leaving her queasy and disoriented. She suffers a -2 penalty to all rolls (except rank checks) for 24 hours, no saving throw is allowed. The penalty stacks with itself if more than one avatar is destroyed within 24 hours. This penalty does not apply if a deity chooses to destroy an avatar in her divine realm, such as to replace it with another avatar.

[Anastasia]

Lost Lore of the Abyss: The Hanged Raven

This series of books is written with a great deal of repetition and reinforcement. The entire writing style is highly ordered, as a preface explains this is desirable to better hold the often mutable lore of chaos.

The Hanged Raven is a demon servant of Pale Night. Once a mortal wizard named Lyss Ravensbane, she was spurned by a lover and humiliated. Scorned, she turned to the darkest of research for revenge. In time she found herself studying the Pale Mother and dared to peek at what lies beneath her vale. The fact that she survived is remarkable, as precious few can claim to have done so. The cost was high: her mind and sanity, both crushed like a bug beneath a demon's hoof. Lost in madness, Lyss hung herself and took her own life.

Stained by the sins of her research and suicide, her soul plunged into the Abyss and was claimed by Pale Night. What happened thereafter is unknown, but within six years, she emerged as a being known as The Hanged Raven. She is now a fanatic servant of Pale Night and chokes the life out of others as surely as she stole her own precious life away. She is silent and hateful, unable or unwilling to speak.

The Hanged Raven has no notable weaknesses. She is a devastating opponent that overwhelms foes by choking them and crushing them with flocks of ravens. She may or may not have the spell casting of her mortal life, passingly few creatures survive an encounter with her to testify to her abilities. It is likely she has a depth of power that is yet unrevealed. At the least, she likely has the spell-like abilities of a greater demon, as well as the ability to call down unholy miracles from her patron.

She uses no magical items of note, though the noose around her neck - the same one she used to kill herself, or so the legends say - is thought to be powerfully enchanted.

[Anastasia]

Elder Magi Tepen's Classroom: Spiritual Physiology

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

Good evening, all. If all of you would come be seated, please. For those of you heading to the back, there won't be refreshments until after the lecture. Yes, yes, fill in the seats closest to the front first.

Ahem. Before we begin, I'd like to remind all of you that this is an intermediate level lecture. If you don't have a basic grasp of the various exemplars, you will likely gain little from this. Hm? No, the lecture you'd be looking for is death and resurrection. I - no, no harm done. There's enchanted recordings of the previous lectures in the library. Ask for Elena, Sylvie or Sage Vul'lath if you have trouble finding them.

Anyone else? Then let's get started.

First of all, this lecture will use the following terms interchangeably: outsider, spirit, exemplar. They all refer to spiritual beings that have a body and soul that are one in the same. This is a contrast from mortals, who have a soul surrounded by a body that is not a part of the soul. Most outsiders are creatures tied to the afterlife, such as angels, devils and slaad. There are outsiders that are not directly tied to the afterlife, but these are uncommon and the distinction isn't important for our purposes today.

Secondly, please no questions until the lecture is over. There's a chance for questions when I'm done. If you have to leave or are otherwise indisposed, please exit quietly. This lecture will be in the library within a week's time, so you can resume from where you left off there.

Now then, let us begin.

An exemplar appears as a living creature. They may be beautiful beyond mortal means, monstrous beyond mortal comprehension or otherwise alien. Yet all have bodies and do not seem different from us. In spite of this similarity, anyone who has studied spirits knows that they have none of the requirements of mortal creatures. An outsider has no need for food, drink or rest. No outsider grows older in body, regardless of how many eons they exist. Why is this?

As you know, when a mortal perishes, the body is left behind and the soul progresses to the afterlife. Whatever the final fate of the soul, they do not come to inhabit a new body. Instead, the soul takes on the form of a body. A mortal body's needs are irrelevant to it, for it is not a mundane existence. The eternal soul does not need anything to provide for it. The soul as a body is beyond such concerns.

Yet here lies another conundrum. Should you wound an exemplar, it will bleed. Should an outsider wish, they can eat or sleep. They can make love and even perform mundane bodily functions, should they desire to do so. The key to understanding this is to grasp how the soul is shaped by belief and how they are connected to an outer plane. Mortal life is the seat of belief, where a soul chooses its morality and what it shall follow. This belief is what guides souls to their afterlife, but that is not all it does.

This mortal life sets the stage for eternity. In setting that stage, the forms and patterns of mortality are remembered. As mortal life shapes a soul's eternity, it also shapes their perceptions. It should be no surprise that these abilities are retained. Simply put, a mortal life conditions the soul to have those things.  It is best understood that an exemplar has the best of both worlds. They have all the mortal capacities, but only need obey them when they wish. They remember what is good and keep it, while they discard the unpleasant.

Now why is this important to know? It is obvious that our foes are devils, who number amid these eternal spirits. A devil will not grow tired, slow down, get hungry or succumb to any other mortal weakness. You will find they are resilient beyond mortal means and able to endure conditions that would render a mortal army to disarray. Moreover, you are fighting an enemy that has chosen this morality. They have become a tyrant in the flesh, an enslaver of worlds given material form.

To think that Hell will wane, relent or do anything against what they believe is the utmost foolishness. Devils have already made their choice and there are no further negotiations. To battle a devil is much the same as conflict with the undead. There's no room for anything but total victory. The immortal soul body reflects that the choice has been made and mortality is finished. They are now and forever tyrants and will only cease when put to death.

The eternal soul is the physiology of a spirit. Do not be deceived by the veneer of mortality they wear. Be it angel or devil, saint or sinner, an outsider has chosen and has become part of something far greater than a mortal life. To understand this is to take the first step to understanding the truth of the exemplars.

*Ahem*

This discussion establishes a few points but doesn't continue on with them. As such, I'm sure all of you have questions. I'll take them one at a time, please. We'll start with the gentleman in the back, wearing the chain mail.

An astute question. It must be understood that there's no consensus on that particular question, so I heartily encourage independent research if you're interested in it. But to answer your question, there isn't one agreed on reason why the majority of outsiders do not progress or progress at a rate too slow to be measured by mortal reckoning. My personal opinion is that spirits represent something that is far beyond mortal standards. To improve it is harder than to improve a mortal life. Perhaps there's an echo of mortal life being the time to choose there as well. I'll also note that there are exceptions to this. There are spirits that rise to prominence abruptly, sometimes after eons of no progress at all.

Now then, how about the young woman with Sylican heraldry on her armor? Hm. Yes, there are exceptions. Some outsiders do change, but they are by far the exception to the rule. Fallen angels and risen fiends are the most common, though there are lawful creatures that have gone to chaos, as well as the reverse. But I must stress these are the exceptions. I would suggest you read The Illusion of Free Will by Xabas IV, who goes into a great deal of detail about this subject. It's rather dry reading, but the coverage of the subject matter is without peer. The Redemption Liturgies by Cerulean Joy also touches on this from a standpoint of redemption, though it's not the primary focus of the work. Both can be found in Aurora's library.

Now the man in red - hm? Beg pardon? Oh. Oh yes, haha! Yes, it does seem like I'm saying there's lots of exceptions, aren't I? But are we not all exceptions? Are we not mortals playing on a field we have no right to? Just as we are exceptions to the countless mortals who live and die as expected, there are outsiders that are exceptions as well. I think that chaos would have Creation no other way. A fair deal of literature from eladrin philosophers touches on exceptions and the value they hold. If any of you are interested in recommendations for eladrin literature, come see me after the lecture.

Next is the metal-skinned man in the corner. Ah, you say it's actually not metal? My apologies. Now then...? By the Weave, that is an excellent question! The question as to why angels embrace all the Heavens in spite of being the mirror of the daemons is entirely fascinating. It's also completely beyond the scope of this lecture, but to touch on the subject briefly: General consensus leans towards it being a reflection of the nature of good and evil. Evil has a Blood War between law and chaos, while good maintains peace between them.

Next is, ah yes, you in the corner there. To go into that is beyond the scope of this lecture. Why there are occasional fallen angels, risen fiends and other anomalies is a complex question and no consensus exists on the matter. We are considering a lecture discussing this subject in the future.

I think that's enough questions for today. I'd like to close with this: We may face things greater than we are, but with the right knowledge and power, we can still defeat them. Mighty and unrelenting as Hell is, we will not be forced to bow. Use this knowledge as the sword and shield that it is.

Thank you. There's refreshments in the adjoining room, as well as Kascha of The Cauldron. She has graciously agreed to offer her own insights as a spirit into this lecture. As she recalls her mortal life, she has a rare perspective on this matter.

Right this way.

[Anastasia]

Behind the Screen: Artifacts

This article will discuss how artifacts work in Balmuria. This article is written from an OOC perspective and is aimed at players, not PCs. As such, I'll include a notes at the end explaining how much of this each character knows IC. I'm not worrying too much about spoilers here, as this is the sort of thing Mystra would tell Alicia if nothing else, so there's reason for it to be public knowledge.

What is an artifact?

The DMG discusses the origins of artifacts briefly (pg 277), as well as discerns between minor (pg 277) and major artifacts (pg 280). Review those before continuing. Balmuria uses a slightly different take on artifacts, tying them into the greater campaign world.

An artifact is a divine or quasi divine magic item beyond the means of mortals to create in normal circumstances. It is not a matter of lost lore as a matter of purpose. In Creation, every artifact has some purpose, some meaning towards the greater search for the Answer. Minor artifacts are relatively trivial things, minor points of minimal importance. Many do not have any obvious connection to such matters, as they may address small questions or points rather than great matters of good and evil. Major artifacts always have a history and a clear purpose, something that works towards the Answer in some way - perhaps obliquely or perhaps obviously, but always towards that. Many artifacts, especially major artifacts, are aligned towards law, chaos, good or evil due to this.

What properties does an artifact possess?

The powers of artifacts vary. Some are essentially powerful magical items while others do things beyond the greatest magic item to accomplish. Not all artifacts would be considered epic magic items nor are epic magic items automatically artifacts. Regardless, all artifacts are have the following properties unless their description says otherwise.

Artifacts ignore antimagic, dead magic areas or similar things. This is identical to a deity's ability to ignore such things. An artifact sword retains its full powers in antimagic, an artifact ring that raises ability scores continues to do so in antimagic and so forth. Exception: Artifacts that grant spell casting (such as the Shield of the Sun in the SRD) directly do not grant that spellcasting the ability to ignore antimagic.

Artifacts cannot be damaged or destroyed by mortal means. Note that mage's disjunction is not used in this campaign in favor of a houseruled equivalent called magic disjunction. Any non epic ability or spell that says it can affect artifacts can be assumed to be houseruled to be compliant with this. In the case of an unusual situation, bring it up with the DM. Physical force of all kinds are ineffective. Only specific circumstances unique to the artifact can destroy it. Generally, minor artifacts are easier to destroy than major artifacts. 

Artifacts are tied to the force or deity that created them. The strength of this tie varies. Minor artifacts have a faint connection, but major artifacts are always overseen by what they are tied to. How this manifests depends on a variety of factors.

How are artifacts created?

Mechanically speaking, there is one way to create artifacts. The Craft Artifact salient divine ability allows a deity to bestow the properties of artifacts on anything it creates. A deity with this ability can make artifacts as they please, so long as they have some small, tangential purpose towards the Answer. Generally, anything a deity makes will be a reflection of what they are and qualify for that.

However, that is not the only way to make artifacts, only the one supported by raw mechanics. Other methods can make artifacts as described below.

The personal equipment of deities usually becomes artifacts over time, if they were not artifacts before. The amount of time this takes varies, but multiple decades is the minimum. This usually entails no mechanical change beyond the item gaining the traits common to all artifacts. This must be equipment regularly used and equipment that has an effect that is not overlapped by artifacts or the deities innate abilities (example, a ring of protection+1 would not change, as the deity has a deflection bonus higher than that by virtue of being a deity). In other words, it must be equipment that contributes to the deity in some small way.

Rarely, an extremely powerful intelligent item with a purpose related towards good, evil, law or chaos is exposed to exceptionally powerful energy and compatible over a vast period of time. It is possible for an item in this situation to slowly become an artifact over hundreds or thousands of years. Most notably, the item develops a soul in case it did not possess one before. This is essentially akin to a mortal becoming an outsider without dying due to being exposed to powerful planar energies, only on a much longer period of time due to the differences between items and living creatures.

Both of the previous methods are not common, outliers that are notable that it happened at all. The main method of artifact creatures relies on a magical item being used in a remarkable way and accruing a legend around it. A mortal paladin's great holy sword that is part of every story as he throws down tyranny after tyranny and defeats monster after monster may one day have as much of a legend as the paladin. As the paladin grows stronger, gains levels and grows in meaning to Creation (see the article here for more information on that concept), the holy sword may as well. In time a small spark of potential may develop within it.

When an item has developed this spark a deity can choose to ignite it. Doing so transforms the item into an artifact, catalyzing all of this potential into the item and transforming it. The item becomes an artifact connected to the deity that transformed it. Additionally, a deity can only transform an item if it is compatible with them. For example, Tyr could certainly empower the previous discussed holy sword, but Cyric could not. This is done by the patron deity of the creature who primarily uses the item, assuming the creature has a patron deity. If the creature does not, a suitable deity who would not be hostile to the creature may do so.

How are artifacts destroyed?

As the DMG discusses, artifacts require specific methods to destroy them. The method for an item is meaningful for the item, usually some deed that is anathema to the item in some way. For example, using the holy sword above to murder a solar. The difficulty varies. Stronger items are harder to destroy, and major artifacts are harder to destroy than minor artifacts. Destroying any artifact should require a method that is a quest to complete under normal circumstances.

It's worth discussing another aspect as well. Namely, the methods of destruction can range from clear and material (use this sword to murder a solar) to the highly abstract (quench this sword in the suffering of a nation, then have it held by a man that embodies the sin of wrath). As a rule of thumb, more abstract methods of destruction should be considered more difficult than clear and material ones. This especially applies if figuring out what could fulfill the conditions is a quest unto itself. There is a slight tendency for artifacts related to law to have clear and material means of destruction while artifacts related to chaos to have more abstract means of destruction. However, this is far from universal and any artifact can fall anywhere on this range, regardless of if they are related to law or chaos.

How do magic items and artifacts interact?

As artifacts are magical items with extra properties, by and large they interact as they normally would. In most cases the rules established here and existing rules are sufficient. For example, a magic item that drains and destroys other magic items to power itself couldn't drain or destroy an artifact (unless that was the artifact's method of destruction), as artifacts can't be destroyed by normal circumstances. Alternately, an artifact used to cast greater dispel magic to counter another magic item used to cast lightning bolt would use the normal rules for such a situation, using greater dispel magic's dispel check as normal.

If there is a situation where an artifact and magical item clash and the outcome is not readily apparent in the rules, assume that an artifact trumps a magic item, be it a normal item or an epic magic item. Any exceptions are a matter of DM discretion and should be rare.

What do various characters know about artifact creation?

It's safe to assume that any typical, non epic character knows nothing about how artifacts are really made. Exceptions may exist but these are exceptions, not the norm. Epic characters may know more, from experience or simply being highly knowledgeable. A DC 60 Knowledge (Arcana) check reveals a a few tidbits, a DC 80 check reveals a general overview but with hazy details and a DC 100 check is sufficient to have a grasp of how artifacts are made (though not perhaps every method of doing so).

Deities are knowledgeable about the process, as they are directly involved in the creation of most artifacts.

What about artifacts and the works of Incarnations or things from the Far Realm?

In the event an artifact and a work of the Incarnations clash (such as 21), the work of the Incarnation has total supremacy, as it would have any other magical item, within the limits of the powers the work has.

Anything from the Far Realm only loosely plays by the rules of Creation at best, so this is something handled on a case by case basis. Unfortunately, there is no standard here, as creatures from the Far Realm lack any such structure or standards.