Steel and Silver Realms

Realms

Mortal Realms

The Material Plane (The Natural World)

The world of Asteris is a sprawling place. Every continent is a huge mass of land amidst endless seas, and even the world's smallest takes days to cross. All forces of every realm convene here, and it is, for all intents and purposes, the most sought after known realm. Primordials crafted the world, and originally had no real plans for it. They crafted few creatures, but tended to none. Soon, however, the gods of the Celestial Planes took notice and began to create their own features and races of the world. The Primordials took this as an insult, believing the gods were tainting the Elemental Lords' creation and hating the increasing invasion of the Gods' races. The Gods and Primordials engaged in a great and fierce battle that claimed many lives on both sides, as well as many mortal races employed to the immortal powers. Eventually, the Gods won the war and the remaining Primordials were either imprisoned, put into a deep sleep, or isolated and hidden. At first, the Primordial races held the most power, crafting great empires and subjugating other races. The last of these empires left standing, amidst the rise of the Yuan-Ti empires that predate history, was the great Titan empire of Akkar, the largest empire ever to be known. The mortal races pray to the various Gods of the Celestial Plains and many empires and kingdoms have risen and fallen in history. Though much of this information is lost or deemed minor, the sages have compiled a book named "Key History of the World" that details most well-known aspects of all the continents.

The Underdark

Below the surface of Asteris is a sprawling series of tunnels and lakes that make up a world almost entirely detached from that above it. Only a handful of races from the Underdark ever come to the surface of the Natural World and seldom does a race of the surface travel below the first layer of the Underdark. The realm is divided into four layers. The uppermost layer, known simply as the Dark, is sometimes well-travelled and mapped like in cases of the Crowning Peaks or Dalvus. Below the Dark lies the Great Below, which is vastly populated with malicious races and savage beasts. Below that lies the small layer known as the Earthgate, which is populated by almost entirely savage beasts and dotted with very few of the more intelligent races. Below the Earthgate lay a fourth layer known as the Core. The Core is the source of legend and very few intelligent races have ever made ventures there. Many undiscovered races dwell in the Core, as do many horrific dangers. Between the Dark, the Great Below, the Earthgate, and the Core lays countless races as well as several unchecked portals to other realms.

The Realm of Shadows

When the Primordials crafted the world they found some parts too bleak and gloomy, and so they cast them out. Where they landed the Realm of Shadows was born. When the Gods began to create they followed suit, casting bleak creations and failed races into the Realm and causing it to grow. The Realm of Shadows is a desolate and dark place, and is mostly empty and largely ignored by the majority of the Celestial Plains. Some races live here, few of them with any intelligence, but they dot the vast emptiness that surrounds them. Despite their relatively small population, the creatures found here all extremely dangerous. For reasons unknown, souls travel first to this realm before passing on into their final resting place in the Celestial Plains and is sometimes called the Sorting Realm by immortal races. Because of its place in the working of the realms, gods of death are the only prominent Gods that pay it any mind, meaning that occasionally a powerful mage can help build the perfect hideaway within the realm.

The Feywild

The Feywild is the bright and vibrant counterpart to the bleak Realm of Shadows. The Feywild was created by primordials and, like the Realm of Shadows, almost entirely abandoned by its makers. However, the Gods took great interest in this realm, and populated its dense forests with many races, intelligent and not. Some Feywild races can be found in the natural world, among its rich forests, but most prefer to stay in their realm of origin. Good and evil intelligent races war and carve empires much like the Natural World, and kingdoms rise and fall with frequency. Currently, no great empire spans across the Feywild, and much like the natural world a series of city-states leads civilizations.

Astral Realms

The Celestial Planes

The Celestial Plains is the birthplace of the Gods and its other immortal inhabitants. The Celestial Planes is made up of a myriad of different planes in the form of massive floating earth mounds that sit floating in the Cosmic Sea, an ocean of a celestial element that closely resembles water of a lighter tint. The ocean is home to many an immortal creature and the planes even more. Not each god has their own plane, some prefer to share them with gods of the same portfolio. However, good and evil gods, even of the same portfolio, frequently go to war.

Devanta - This plane is home to the Overgod of Overgods himself, Zerial. No other being, mortal or immortal, has ever set foot on this plane and this has led to great speculation even among the Gods themselves. Some believe that Zerial may in fact be many different beings that look identical, others believe Zerial might be the ambassador from a hidden race that created the Gods. Whatever the origins of Zerial or the facts behind the plane of Devanta one thing holds true: Zerial is much more powerful than all other gods by a a very wide margin and what he says is law.

Aldruit - Aldruit is a massive plane and beacon of good civilization that mirrors the Natural World. Besides Hell which equals it in size, it is by far the largest plane and holds a plethora of Gods including Aggramenon, Brunalli, De-Xi, De-Yeong, Jy'kha, Arierill, and Kamah making a collection known as the Grand Six as well as the Fellowship of the Shield.

Amuron - Home to the evil gods Baani and Abu An'sa, this plane of vast endless desert is full of his followers stuck in constant war with one another. Sometimes, Baani will unite his forces and invade other planes, using Abu An'sa's disasters as aide, but this is a rare occasion and generally his inhabitants revel in their endless war.

Bagobo - A plane that orbits Hell, Bagobo is home to the evil god Zu-De. Its inhabitants walk the ruins almost entirely as devils, much like Hell itself. It is the largest of all the planes that orbit Hell, and the most powerful besides the main plane itself.

Baraia - A plane of beautiful forests and lakes and home to the gods Almor, Dezilla, Drizzte Dare and Eng-Liu as well as the Court of the Elder Tree and the demigod Samue. This planes afterlife inhabitants are elves of good alignment as well as Drow who have forsaken their kin and took to the worship of Drizzte Dare, the Enlightened.

Carcia - Home to the gods Darnelius, Hsu-Shao, Tibu, and Bhadda and the demigod Zepha, the afterlife inhabitants are involved in an endless but fair eternal war. They happily slay one another on the massive battlefields, to be reborn immediately. No malice is had between combatants and they share a level great respect among one another.

Chaos Pits - A vast pit where anything goes, only slightly smaller than Hell or Aldruit, it is a place of utter chaos and madness and home to the entire Orc Pantheon, Nestrah, Prigalla, Bullin, To-Qu, Indelyen, Gili, Undasm, Gleguk, and Sinfiz Firehand

Draconic Isles - Home to the Draconia Pantheon that have not taken up residence elsewhere all dragonkind not in debt to another god or creature of the abyss rests here among the vast mountain ranges. The gods Gui-Kai and Lucarus have homes here, but prefer to dwell elsewhere.

Endless Night - Home to the gods Losarro, Jaipur, and Sho-Hsy, and Guo-His, this eternally dark plane is home to a myriad of inhabitants. Jaipur is frequently at odds with the other gods, and is seeking his own plane to migrate to.

Eternal Flame - Home to the gods Tai-Zhao and Lucarus, this endless but controlled plane of fire is the counterpart to the Elemental Plane of Fire. Inhabitants here are not burned by the fire that surrounds them, instead always feeling comfortably warm. However, those under the god Tai-Zhao do not have this exception from flame, and are constantly burning in the lowest layer of the plane.

Glittering Dales - Home to the gods Rhyorso, Rajapul, Na-Shu, Endel, Gundo, Zinbi Glittergold, and Minarv. The Glittering Dales are a plane full of gold and riches. Though they have no real value in the Celestial Planes, they still serve to make the inhabitants happy.
Great Forges - This plane is made up of great forges who produce amazing works and whose flames never go out. It is home to the gods Zomorro, Hsu-Da, and Kuresu as well as the Dwarven Pantheon who do not take up residence elsewhere. Ruled by Disanz, its inhabitants constantly work with endless material.

Gretto - Home to the evil god Torvo, this plane resembles a massive castle where your status determines your standard of living and the level in the castle the inhabitants see.

Harvest Plane - Home to the gods Afreida, Eng-Liu, Muuta, and Arin this plane is the final destination for faithful farmers who till away happily for eternity. It often sends crops to other planes and is generally excluded from any inter-planar wars between them for having this value.

Hell - This massive plane is the only to rival Aldruit in size and is the afterlife that awaits many evil creatures that led lives of sin. Ruled with an iron fist by Aeduecan and his chosen advisor Camua, it is comprised of 10 layers and home to the infamous Hell Lords and the evil gods Ukhund and Finethor. You can find details of these plains in Hell: What Lies Beyond for the Wicked. Several smaller planes circle this, and in them lie the homes of other gods of sin, all answering to Aueduecan himself. Some say Aueduecan is the strongest of the gods besides Zerial, and it is sometimes hard to argue these claims.

Lost Plains - While many planes are indeed home to gods, many more are shells of their former selves. Once home to gods now dead, faded, or even just unimportant these wild planes are populated with various creatures and gods of lesser power. Xato, the only greater god present in the Lost Planes besides Mi-Shao-Shur, visits all of them to tend to the various races and gods here. It is also said that the Fellowship of the Freed Age resides here, although in utmost secrecy.

Mystic Plains - The place where all Natural magic derives and final destination of those good creatures deeply attuned with magic, this plane is home to the gods Razzadol, Qi-Lai, Abu Ry'fa, Almorhodh, and Calybar Darkcloak. The gods here constantly persue ways to advance both knowledge and magic.

Naraka - Home to the evil god Rhobari, Naraka is one of the planes that orbits Hell. Its inhabitants are primarily not devils however, instead most are in an endless cycle of torture and death for Rhobari's own pleasure. Those Rhobari favors are turned into giant snakes, and sometimes sent back into the natural world.

Netherworld - The place all souls go to before being sent to another plane. It is often called the Judgement Plane or Purgatory. After a soul departs to the Realm of Shadow it is plucked from the darkness by one of the gods of death that inhabit this plane. The gods Cyrus, Xue-Xao, and Fa'mee have permanent homes here while other gods of death make frequent visits to collect and sort their followers.

Peklo - A plane of evil outside the reaches of the Draconic Isles where all Draconia Gods live in a string of planes. Peklo is ruled by the evil god Aliisil and is the scourge of the Isles as a whole.

Rajadul - Ruled by the god Haja, it is the overlord plane of the pantheon with the same name. The god Ajari and goddesses Rusha and Rajana both also have homes here, and its inhabitants lead a life of grace and pleasantry.

Rush - A fast moving plane of long fields where sprinters and those who love speed can constantly exercise. The goddess Callada makes her home here.

Saluin - The demigod Hielat was given this plane by the god Devettoro, and since then Hielat has decided to share with other demigods making it a diverse plane of various jubilous activity. The demigods Hielat, Rielek, and Gavriel were the original inhabitants but, since then, even the goddesses Chi-Xiao and Apphine and the god Edhror have even made their homes here, but still have a love for travel.

Sea of Ages - A plane made almost entirely of calm waters with kind winds, it is dotted with islands which hold the homes of faithful good hearted sailors, as well as good merfolk. The god Gregario and the goddess Dwynwen has permanent homes here, while the gods and goddesses Muuta, Quo-Xie, Altas, Thatur, and Ahas Buck visit with some frequency.

Silk Caverns- A place of beauty, satisfaction, and hedonism it is the home plane of the goddesses Liu-Hu, Adressa, Selsany Greenshadow, and the demigod Mesha.

Solis - Home to the god Devettoro he constantly works in his craft. Most of his inhabitants aren't those who pray to him, as he tends to send them to other planes and keep to his modrons. He has close relation with the demigod Hielat and even gifted him his own plane, which he shares by choice with others.

Taciri - Home to the evil god Fabracho and demigod Binem, the swamps of Taciri is rich with murder and plundering. Fabracho openly allows his subjects to seek out Binem for ways of undeath, and when an undead creature turned by Binem is killed, it returns to this plane where it must stay for a year and a day before being able to rise as an undead creature again, so long as its bones are still intact.

Tirinhu - Home to the gods Mao-Ji, Silanius, Sufi, and Finethor; this dark realm is the final destination for assassins and murderers, generally those that accept a form of payment for their killing.

Underworld - One of the planes that orbits Hell, the Netherworld is a chilling and empty desert where its inhabitants experience unquenchable thirst for all eternity. It is home to the god Sa'yaah, who boasts an army of devils created from those he deems "acceptable".

Valhalla - Home to the entire To'ah Voh Pantheon, it is a place where the warrior race can engage in eternal battle and feast. The days pass with a cycle of joyous celebration, exuberant feasting, and glorious battle.

Some gods choose to not make a home on the Celestial Planes but instead walk the Mortal Realms or drift across the planes, though their powers are greatly stifled by Zerial when walking the Moral Realms. These gods and demigods include Fol, Ireul, Sandard, Chuy-Tsu, Hu-Xia, Warder, Garl Glitterglow, and Branacea.  Some gods, like those of the Drow Pantheon and Mi-Shao-Shur prefer to make their homes in neither the Mortal Realms OR the Celestial Planes.

Rivlun

Also known as the City of Doors, this small plane is accessible from the Celestial Planes. The City of Doors holds countless portals, all leading to different planes and realities. However, very few of these doors may be opened by even the Gods, stopped by Rivlun's one and only keeper, Freana and her immortal guardians known as Lachs. It is believed only the god Zerial may cross over any door he pleases.

The Abyss

While Hell is a place of great evil, it is also a place of order. Many laws are in place to enforce the hierarchy and the senseless murder of others is seen as stupid, as you cannot rule what is dead. The Abyss, however, is the exact opposite. The creatures of the Abyss are evil, ruthless, and cruel. They live only to destroy and kill and often times make even the gods of chaos look tame. The origin of demons can be traced back to an ancient god whose name was forgotten with time but is often called the Mad One attempted to defeat the Primordials during the war between them. He thought he could kill the Primordials by driving them mad, so he collected all the negative energy and insanity he could and drove himself down into the core of the Elemental Chaos. However, so great was the impact of this that the area around the Core of Evil, as the Mad One Called it, was torn from the Elemental Chaos and strewn to another realm entirely. No one knows what happened to the Mad One (though a cult in the Natural World has risen in hopes of his return) but it is known that the former elementals and primordials were twisted into what we now know as demons. The Abyss is divided into 12 sections, much like Hell's layers, and each section is ruled by an Abyssal Demon Lord save for two. The demon lords engage in constant and endless war, sending massive armies to attempt to conquer the others' lands, but land rarely changes hands. The sections are much like twisted versions of the Natural Plains, full of dark and twisted forests, oceans of bitter, filthy water and seas of harsh burning sand.

Agzu - The ruler of this section is Kaveph, Demon Lord of Undeath. It is full of various undead creations of the demon lord alongside those demons that serve under it. Kaveph is exceptionally powerful because he can raise his dead, making him one of the more powerful Lords and Agzu one of the larger sections. Kaveph's desire is to destroy the Netherworld and become the only lord of death.

Bex'iat - The ruler of this section is Soyno, Demon Lord of pain, torture, and suffering. Soyno's throne lies in the Castle of Bone, where he tortures and flays countless sacrifices sent to him. Soyno is said to once have been a god who was fed up with the rules of the Celestial Planes, instead diving into the Abyss and twisting to fit his new surroundings.

Graz't - The Drow Pantheon makes its home on this outer section of the Abyss. The Drow overgod, Sintra Tryne and the goddesses Graemaya Abar and Shurdra Yausztiil have all become half demons, enticing various demon followers to join the ranks of the drow who reside there. Slowly but surely the Drow Pantheon are all becoming half demons, and will all soon completely slip into demonhood.

Hersorrou - Home section of the Abyssal Demon Lord Oces, it is home to giants who no longer heed words from the Living Primordials, also losing faith in Those Asleep, and instead wish to worship their ancient creator. Oces still retains some of his Primordial power, being able to move the ground with his greatclub Earthshaper.

Mazzag - Home section of the Demon Lord Bera, one of the most furious of all Demon Lords and bitter rival to Nexaph in the neighboring section of Ritshalu. Bera lashes out in calculated but uncontrollable fury and he often sends his aspects to corrupt the Mortal Realms.

Oglik -The ruler of this section is Marbat, making it the most unorganized and chaotic section of the entire Abyss. Marbats forces can strangely unite only for a moment to crush those who invade, and immediately after the threat ceases return to brutally killing one another.

Qilp - The only section of the Abyss without ruler, it holds an assortment of demons of various power. None have yet to rise to the level of Demon Lord, and it is too far in the outskirts of the Abyss for other Demon Lords to conquer it, being protected by the Drow Pantheon so that they would not be surrounded by two Demon Lords. However, one could rise at any time and quickly seize the section.

Rhadsou - The Demon Lord of this section is Vephin. Vephin is a mysterious and aloof Demon Lord whose interest lies more in the Mortal Planes than it does in the great Abyss. Though Vephin's armies are still strong and savage and are involved in the eternal wars of the Abyss regardless. Vephin is considered the most intelligent of all Demon Lords, making him extremely dangerous.

Ritshalu - The Demon Lord of this section is Nexaph, and he is in a bitter war with Bera. Where Bera strikes in calculated wrath, Nexaph lashes out in blind fury with his army of gnolls. Sometimes called the Fang Father, Nexaph is considered the most beastly of the Demon Lords, but only a fool would think his lesser intelligence make him any less a threat.

Xa'glazou - The largest section of the Abyss, it is ruled by Aphus. Aphus is said to be the first demon and is the self-proclaimed Prince of Demons. However, outside of Abyssal Demon Lords themselves , it is rarely argued that Aphus is the most powerful of all. Some even believe that Aphus may, in fact, be the Mad One. Regardless of his origins, Aphus rules the land with an iron fist.

Zahour - The ruler of this realm is Takku, often considered the most civilized of Demons. Takku certainly is not opposed to senseless violence, often reveling in the slaughtering innocents by the masses, but he believes that all creatures of power must have a group that they utterly dominate and rule over, and that they should capture any beings they see fit to live. Takku is bitter rival to Adyus, and his sections neighbors Adyus' own in Zeroudon.

Zeroudon - The ruler of this realm is Adyus. Adyus believes he is the lord of the same creeds of Takku, and is in a bitter never-ending war with the other Demon Lord from the neighboring section of Zahour. He believes almost all Takku believes, all powerful beings should rule unopposed one group, but where he differs is in the belief of bringing in those deemed worthy of living. To Adyus, no others should ever be seen worthy of living, and the group never growing from outsiders.

The Elemental Chaos

The Elemental Chaos is a raging sea of ever-changing elements dotted with stable areas. The Primordials dwell and rule here, but they are hidden away from both mortal and God alike, and thus their word is rarely heard and the Chaos is more or less left to the powerful creatures who inhabit it. The Elemental Chaos is designed in planes. Most planes are sprawling stretches of untamed elements, but some smaller planes are home to a sort of stability and ruled by the denizens who created it.

Burning Plane -This plane of searing flame and thick smoke is ruled over by the dreaded Primordial Xaxis, he is the only Elemental Lord that openly announces his presence. This is due to the fact that Xaxis wields power that even the Gods fear.

Cronus - A plane of water ruled by the marid Sultan Sighen.

Earun - It is said that Prax dwells in this mountainous landscape of earth. Vast underground tunnels that far outshine even that of the Crowning Peaks lead this plane to be the most twisted maze of the entire Elemental Chaos

Magnarus - This plane was crafted by a fire titan of great strength named Arzos, but it is believed he was killed and the planes current leader is actually an Azer using his name.

Meditarious - A plane made up of water, it is said that Aldritch dwells here.

Skyrus - A plane made up of air that is said to be ruled by Ristis. The plane is covered in constant undying storms, making it very hard to traverse.

Tallindor - A plane of air and storms ruled over by a storm titan by the name of Rakdor. This is much more tame than its cousin in Skyrus, but still very deadly.

Trogus - A plane of earth ruled over by the titan Eridion the All-Father, most powerful of all titans. Giantkind still holds a massive, sprawling city of stone here

The Dreamweave

When a being sleeps, his consciousness travels to a place known as the Dreamweave. Here, it rests and dreams, tended to by the unthinking denizens of the realm. It is unknown where the Dreamweave came from, as no God nor Primordial has ever claimed it, but Zerial has decreed it to be left to its own devices by the Gods, and that they shall never intervene. The Abyssal Demon Lords have paid it little to no mind and the Primordials are unaware of its existence.  The Dreamweave is vast, seemingly endless, and most don't know they are even there. However, two intelligent races are present in the form of Dream Speakers and Night Terrors. However, these intelligent races are completely detached from our own reality, and only interact with us as either a source of food in the Night Terrors' case and for unknown purposes in the case of Dream Speakers.

The Far Realm

The Far Realm is a place of madness that does not follow the same law of physics as our own. Very little is known about this realm of insanity beyond anything of our imagination, but the creatures that have entered our world are among the more tame denizens. What is known is that it contains countless layers of varying sizes, its design is ripped from our darkest nightmares, and its laws of physics greatly differ from our own. None have so far managed to enter the Far Realm and return, few even managing to be near a portal to the realm without being driven mad, but the Farwatchers are determined to be the first.

Zastius

Zastius is a world created alongside Asteris. However, both Gods and Primordials began to ignore this world, especially as the two sides increased aggression toward one another. This led to Zastius being underdeveloped and unfinished, utterly devoid of life. In recent years, however, some gods (mainly of the Bradecci Pantheon) have begun to pay mind to this world, finishing the majority of it and even populating it with primal beasts and primitive races after Lord Zerial decreed the Gods may indeed intervene here. Tribal humans, elves, and dwarves have begun to grow, alongside beasts like dinosaurs, mammals, fish, and birds. Zerial allows only minimal God intervention, allowing them to introduce new races and creatures but not control them. He also decree that no God may directly alter the course of Zastius. Some Gods, especially those who have lost faith with the evil present in Asteris, have seen this as their second chance for creating the perfect world.

Sauru

Also known as The World That Lives, Sauru is a world of unknown origin that actually breathes and lives. It is mostly devoid of intelligent life, but bizarre beasts dwell on its surface. Rarely does a portal open to Sauru, but some groups, including the Farwatchers, wish to open these portals and communicate with the living planet, while some wish to harness its power for nefarious purpose. In extremely rare times of need, Sauru will reach into the Mortal Realms and take heroes to its surface, talking to the adventurers and returning them home after their quest. Otherwise, Sauru keeps to itself, creating and destroying lives on its surface as it pleases, fiddling away as a god of its own.

Larkantum

Larkantum is said to have once been part of the Natural World, but due to powerful magic and divine intervention, was ripped from the world and thrown across the planes. No portals to Larkantum open in the Natural World, but it is speculated that the occasional tear can be found in the Realm of Shadows. The immortal races can reach Larkantum via Rivlun. Larkantum is a land where technology has surpassed the natural world and magic has faded into obscurity. Strange ships of steam transport its inhabitants, mostly human, across the lands sea and even stranger vehicles transport them across its land. Larkantum has mostly given up on using the sword, instead using pistols and rifles or early make, capable of firing multiple shots before needing reloaded, but never more than 4 at a time.

Fasalvania

Fasalvania is a world that has only very recently been opened to the immortal races. Accessible only from Rivlun, only select few may cross through the door, and only with Lach guides. The world is much like the natural world, but dark and gloomy where undead creatures of intelligence often rule over the living. The vampire is the most prominent of the ruling races, and vampires found in Fosalvania are much more powerful than those in the Natural World. Magic is rampant and technology scarce. Castle stand over small villages and dreary towns, and dark seas are scarce. The forests are dead and populated with only the most vile savage beasts, and disgusting swamps and bogs dot them. In comparison to Asteris, Fasalvania is small. However, it is the newest major realm to be unveiled by Freana, and draws much interest from the races of the Celestial Planes.
Countless other realms dot the multiverse, but the vast majority of them cannot be reached by anywhere but Rivlun, and Freana and her lachs prevent access to any of them.