Manual of the Planes

amid treasure gathered over eons—and the bones of athousand failed thieves.Bahamut’s Palace moves among the first four layers ofCelestia at Bahamut’s will, carried aloft by a whirlwind.For travelers friendly to the Platinum Dragon, the palaceoffers an alternative method for traveling Celestia withoutusing the paths.VenyaThe third layer of Celestia is also called the PearlyHeaven. The slopes of Venya are old, rounded, and occasionallylaced with snow. The brooks run warm and clear,though ice often forms on the banks in winter. Terracedfields and carefully tended woodlands are commonsights on the slopes.The Glass Tarn: This mountain lake of icy water isnestled in a bowl-shaped valley between three peaks, fedby the runoff from a glacier of blue ice high above.When a believer throws something truly important andvaluable into the tarn as an offering, a light rushes upfrom the incomprehensible depths. When the lightreaches the surface, it takes the form of a prophecy featuringthe supplicant—or a powerful archon to dealwith the intruder if the offering was not sincere.Green Fields: Here crops never fail, the weather isalways mild, and plentiful harvests are a blessing. This isthe realm of the halfling deity Yondalla, and that meanscomfort. The realm is a combination of burrowed households,small rustic buildings, and endless fields. No largepredators live in the Green Fields; moles, rabbits, andbadgers are common.SolaniaThe fourth layer of Celestia is also called the CrystalHeaven. A sky that shines with the glow of burnished silverhangs above the quiet slopes of Solania. Luminescentfogs and invigorating scents shroud the valleys. Many ofthe slopes hold mighty glaciers above, and they remainrich in ore and precious minerals below. Solania’s peaksare home to monasteries, cathedrals, and other holyshrines. Often, these structures are the destinations ofinterplanar pilgrims seeking answers to questions of creation,toil, and love.Erackinor: The slopes of Solania are deeply tunneledwith a vast dwarven mansion called Erackinor. None butdwarves and dwarven petitioners are allowed within.Those who enter and return speak in hushed tones ofstonework and craftsmanship that far surpasses anythinga dwarf might have seen on the Material Plane.When Moradin fires up the deep Soul Forges belowthe roots of Mount Celestia, all the halls rush with thenoise of the bellows. Dwarven clerics say Moradin usesthe Soul Forges to temper the spirits of his people andtheir weapons. The forges may have other uses as well.The armories of Erackinor are second to none, and thecombat-veteran dwarves and dwarven petitioners that fillErackinor’s halls make the mansion nigh impregnable.MertionThe fifth layer of Celestia is also called the PlatinumHeaven. The slopes of Mertion are gentle, leveling off ingreat, sweeping plains dominated by citadels and domes.The citadels of Mertion are marshaling grounds for paladins,celestials, and other creatures of good and law.Empyrea: Also called the City of Tempered Souls,Empyrea sits on the edge of a cold, clear mountain lake.The many healing fountains and curative waters inEmpyrea can restore withered limbs, lost speech,derangement, and life energy itself; those who ail needonly find the right fountain. Empyrea is also known forits healers and hospitals, and many a pilgrim seeks toreach this legendary site of perfect health.CHAPTER 7:THE OUTERPLANES Illus. by M. Cavotta135