Manual of the Planes

on the Material Plane, sounds more melodious and soft,and the nature of others seems more pleasant and understanding.At the conclusion of every week spent on Elysium,any nonoutsider must make a Will saving throw(DC 10 + the number of consecutive weeks on Elysium).Failure indicates that the individual has fallen under thecontrol of the plane, becoming a petitioner of Elysium.Travelers entrapped by the inherent tranquility andgood of Elysium cannot leave the plane of their ownvolition and have no desire to do so. Memories of anyprevious life fade into nothingness, and it takes a wishor miracle spell to return such characters to normal.• Normal Magic.ELYSIUM LINKSElysium borders the neighboring Outer Planes ofBytopia and the Beastlands. Natural portals exist betweenthese locations, and the shifting borders between Elysiumand its neighbors mean that travelers may findthemselves on another good-aligned plane without realizingit. Portals from Elysium to other planes often takethe form of caverns.Elysium has four layers, each with a radically differenttype of terrain. Inhabitants move between layers througha portal, or by following the River Oceanus—probablythe easiest method.The River Oceanus originates in the deepest layer ofElysium and flows through all four layers, emptying fromthe first layer, Amoria, into the Beastlands. There arerapids at the border where the river crosses the boundarybetween layers, but no serious waterfalls or other perils.Most of the activity on Elysium takes place along the bordersof the great river.ELYSIUM INHABITANTSAll types of good-aligned outsiders can be found on Elysium,including those of lawful or chaotic dispositionand even natives of the Elemental Planes such as djinn.While all types of celestials can be found here, the dominanttype is the guardinal, which includes the wingedavoral guardinal and the powerful leonal guardinal.The plane is also aswarm with celestial creatures andhalf-celestials. Celestial creatures have golden skin andsilvery eyes, and they seem to shine with power andnobility. Unlike the creatures of the neighboring Beastlands,celestial creatures have the same Intelligencescores as their counterparts on the Material Plane,although they seem more empathic and understanding.Elysium is also the home of deities devoted to thecause of good. The most powerful of these deities is Pelor,the sun deity, who rules from a gold-plated fortress on thefourth layer of Elysium.Elysium PetitionersThe petitioners of Elysium either venerate a particulardeity of that plane, or are merely souls that naturally gravitatedto the plane of ultimate goodness and peace. Petitionersappear as they did in life (goodness cares little foroutward appearance), but most have a nobler and calmerdemeanor as petitioners.Only when evil actions besmirch the plane do the petitionersof Elysium take up arms, and then they are moredangerous than most other petitioners. Unlike otherpetitioners, those who call Elysium home retain someknowledge of their past, which usually manifests itself aswistful nostalgia. Sometimes their memories are morepractical: Petitioners who had character levels beforethey became petitioners retain up to four character levels(multiclass characters can choose levels from any classesthey held in life).Petitioners of Elysium have the following special petitionerqualities:Additional Immunities: Electricity, cold.Resistances: Cold 20, fire 20.Other Special Qualities: Retain up to four characterlevels acquired prior to becoming a petitioner.Planar travelers are common on the shores of the RiverOceanus, and merchants ply their wares up and downthe river between towns inhabited by petitioners andhalf-celestials.Evil and morally neutral creatures tend to become lostalong the riverbanks, unable to cope with the goodnessthat infuses the landscape. This makes such interlopersprime targets for avoral scouts. If the scouts face determinedevil foes, they’ll call on the more august leonals tojoin the battle; evil creatures are slain on Elysium.Morally neutral visitors are often questioned closely bythe avorals, who determine their intentions and theneither aid or expel them. Aid or expulsion is accompaniedby a gentle (but long) lecture.MOVEMENT AND COMBATThe Great River Oceanus and its side channels dominatemuch of the plane, so boat traffic is common. TheOceanus current is normally 3 miles per hour and flowsfrom the deepest layer, Thalasia, through Belierin andEronia to Amoria.Celestial animals haul rafts and keelboats upstream,and all manner of mundane and fantastic seagoing vesselsstray into deeper waters. In places, the Oceanuswidens to a great, calm lake or fen with no appreciablecurrent, while in others, the river splits and tumblesthrough sharp-rocked rapids, particularly on the mountainoussecond layer.Elysium CombatElysium does not present any inherent benefit or penaltyto combat. There is very little tolerance for evil, and mostof the celestial natives have the ability to smite evil.Fights tend to last longer and be less often fatal due to thepositive energy that infuses the entire plane.FEATURES OF ELYSIUMThe top layer of Elysium is Amoria; it is more like the MaterialPlane than the other levels. Upstream on the Oceanus,CHAPTER 7:THE OUTERPLANES139