Planar Dynamics

 Setting – Planes of Existence 

The myriad planes of the previous multiverse were consumed by The Reaping and the fundamental cosmology of existence was irrevocably changed. There are now only five planes of existence, and passage between them is governed solely by the gods.

- Sanctum, Plane of Mortality. The incarnate Gaia now functions as the Prime Material plane. All mortal life exists here and is held securely beneath the other remaining planes—partially as protection, and partially out of necessity for the works of the gods.

- Aether, Plane of Immortality. The Aether holds the individual realms of the gods, where they exist with their ascended servants and guide mortal life. Each god has a discrete domain over which they maintain absolute control. These domains can be barred or open to other divinities at the will of their owner. Should a god perish, their domain perishes with them, leaving nothing behind. The plain (not plane) of Vigrid stands within The Aether as a common space for divinities, which none can either own or be banished from. Mortals cannot access any portion of the Aether except through divine will (direct intervention or a divine servant).

- Morpheum, Plane of Dreaming. Commonly known as “The Dreamscape”, The Morpheum is an ever-changing plane created by the subconscious minds of all living creatures. All animals and mortals dream when asleep, and their dreams shape The Morpheum. Mortal fear, fury, and envy coalesce in Nightmare, the dark half of The Morpheum. Mortal hopes, loves, and desires coalesce in Fiddler’s Green, its light half. Sufficiently powerful mortal dreams can create permanent features or even inhabitants in either half of The Morpheum. Gaia herself is in a perpetual state of sleep and dreaming, and her dreams give rise to vast changes within the Morpheum as well as powerful entities, such as elementals. Fey creatures originate and dwell within Fiddler’s Green while creatures commonly referred to as “demons” originate and dwell within Nightmare. Previously, the boundaries between these divisions and the plane as a whole were governed by Hypnos, God of Sleep. Following his death, his throne at the center of The Morpheum remains empty, and the boundaries between Nightmare and Fiddler’s Green shift and bleed into one another. Portals to The Morpheum exist across Sanctum but are naturally difficult to perceive or use without training or magical assistance. Fey and Nightmare creatures can pass into Sanctum through these portals under very specific circumstances, and if destroyed on Sanctum, they will eventually re-form in The Morpheum. Mortal travel through The Morpheum is a very dangerous prospect, as natural law is subverted by the unconscious mind, and all seemingly concrete rules of physics and perception are subject to change at any moment.

- Tartarus, Plane of Banishment. Ruled by Arawn, Tartarus holds both entities from before The Reaping and after whose existences either cannot be ended, or whose ends would create dangerous effects in other planes. Only gods may pass freely into and out of Tartarus—mortal arcanists have breached its gates at least once, but none returned from their journey. Gods may cast an entity into Tartarus, but Arawn holds ultimate authority over how long they remain or if ways to destroy them will continue to be pursued. Arawn’s faith also teaches that mortals who commit great wrongs may be banished to Tartarus to exist eternally in bondage after their death. Few other faiths espouse this belief.

- Nyx, Plane of Night. Home of the eponymous Titaness, Nyx represents the boundary of the remaining planes and the dark outer void where larger creation once stood. Unique among planes, only Nyx herself can pass freely into and out of her domain—even the gods are barred passage if she wills it. There are no substantiated instances of mortals visiting Nyx, but there are tales of madmen and seers who were drawn into the Endless Night by its mistress for reasons known only to her.

Though their actual interaction is more complicated, it is easiest to visualize the planes in terms of a spherical center that is Sanctum, with the other planes acting as successive shells enveloping it. Sanctum is surrounded first by The Morpheum, then The Aether, then Tartarus, and finally Nyx. Depending on the method of transport, it may or may not be necessary to pass through intervening “shells” in order to get from one plane to another. The exception is Tartarus—deliberately placed between Nyx, preventing escape to the outer void, and The Aether, where the gods can intervene in any possible escape towards Sanctum or The Morpheum.