The Twin Paradises of Bytopia
The Twin Paradises of Bytopia, or Bytopia, were two layers that formed one of the Outer Planes that represented the alignment between lawful good and neutral good.
The two layers of this plane were joined at one barrier which happened to span the entire sky at about 10 miles (16km) above sea level. Gravity for each layer was normal for that layer but switched direction as soon as one crossed the barrier. The inhabitants of one layer could look up and see the other layer hanging upside down high overhead. Several mountains reached the crossover point and a few met mountains rising up from the other side, allowing careful climbers a way to reach the other layer. Also, the space between layers was filled with air, allowing flight from one side to the other. Each layer glowed with a golden-white light.
DOTHION Dothion was a bucolic land of old forests and huge meadows subject to mild seasonal changes and gentle weather. Portals to Seven Heavens, Elysium, and Concordant Opposition were found in caverns as brightly glowing patterns: concentric circles for the Seven Heavens, radiating lines for Elysium, and both patterns superimposed, which resembled a spider web, for Concordant Opposition. Travellers from the Astral Plane would emerge from the colour pools on this layer. It was the first layer of Bytopia. It was a pastoral landscape, teeming with farms and industries. The layer resembled a pre-industrial world on the Prime Material plane that was in the process of perfecting every aspect of life and work. The landscape of Dothion was orderly and domesticated. Farms prospered and grew, animals were confined to the properties of their owners, water-powered mills made high-quality flour and meal, mines yielded vast amounts of minerals, canals efficiently brought water everywhere, and roads were well travelled and well kept. Dothion's farmers, miners, smiths, and artisans spent their lives joyfully producing food, wooden and metal items, jewellery, and clothing from the raw materials widely available. The workshops and towns were dedicated to nothing but the common good. The weather on Dothion was mild and with benign seasons. Occasionally a storm broke out from the opposite layer, Shurrock, but the climate was generally quiet throughout Dothion. Towns across the layer lacked any fences or walls. Located near the central region of the layer, the city of Yeoman was the main trading post, through which all products from across Dothion were sold to travellers and caravans. SHURROCK Across the barrier, Shurrock had much the same landscape features but much harsher weather: summers were hot and winters were long and cold. Storms were more common here, with booming thunder and heavy rains. Life on the Shurrock side was more challenging and kept the inhabitants busy, but both sides were virtuously industrious. It was known as an untamed wilderness. Unlike the mild weather and clear skies of the first layer, Dothion, the weather on Shurrock was harsh and unpredictable. Storms constantly ravaged the landscape, strong winds were almost constant and clear skies were very rare. The landscape was very mountainous, and the abundant creeks and rivers flowed fast throughout the layer. Shurrock had an abundance of raw materials. As in Dothion, Shurrock was a place of hard work and satisfaction from a job well done, but instead of taming the land, work on Shurrock focused on the extraction of natural resources. The wild landscape of the layer was peppered with mines, mills, and quarries. Due to the layer's harsh weather and rocky, irregular terrain, most dwellings and active work sites were underground. Most of the raw materials used in construction and the industries of Dothion came from Shurrock. In order to transport them there, traders braved the harsh weather of the layer to either reach a portal to Dothion, which was usually controlled by guilds that charged high tariffs, or to transport them directly there using a floating gnomish contraption. Taking advantage of the unique configuration of Bytopia, traders put their goods into protected baskets and sewed together large pieces of tarp into bags, which they filled with hot air. After attaching enough of these bags to the basket, it began to float until it reached the divide between the layers. By the time the load crossed the divide and started falling towards Dothion, the cooling air had lost enough of its buoyancy for the cargo to descend gently onto Dothion. Here, Centerspire, the enormous mountain that physically connected Dothion and Shurrock. It was a common land route between the layers. Among the other creatures native to both layers of Bytopia, Shurrock was inhabited by a race known as the Air Sentinels, gentle and benevolent beings similar to djinn who guided visitors and traders to shelter against the perilous weather in the layer's abundant caves. Shurrock was also home to a great adamantine dragon Mercialla. She considered herself the guardian of all good things that existed in Shurrock, working together with the air sentinels.
The animals in the Twin Paradises were sentient with average intelligence or above, but did not have the ability to speak. Some trees were also intelligent, similar to treants from the Prime Material Plane. The usual menagerie of upper plane creatures were found here, including solars, planetars, hollyphants, devas, foo creatures, baku, and agathia.
DESCRIPTION
The two layers of this plane were joined at one barrier which happened to span the entire sky at about 10 miles (16km) above sea level. Gravity for each layer was normal for that layer but switched direction as soon as one crossed the barrier. The inhabitants of one layer could look up and see the other layer hanging upside down high overhead. Several mountains reached the crossover point and a few met mountains rising up from the other side, allowing careful climbers a way to reach the other layer. Also, the space between layers was filled with air, allowing flight from one side to the other. Each layer glowed with a golden-white light.
LAYERS
DOTHION Dothion was a bucolic land of old forests and huge meadows subject to mild seasonal changes and gentle weather. Portals to Seven Heavens, Elysium, and Concordant Opposition were found in caverns as brightly glowing patterns: concentric circles for the Seven Heavens, radiating lines for Elysium, and both patterns superimposed, which resembled a spider web, for Concordant Opposition. Travellers from the Astral Plane would emerge from the colour pools on this layer. It was the first layer of Bytopia. It was a pastoral landscape, teeming with farms and industries. The layer resembled a pre-industrial world on the Prime Material plane that was in the process of perfecting every aspect of life and work. The landscape of Dothion was orderly and domesticated. Farms prospered and grew, animals were confined to the properties of their owners, water-powered mills made high-quality flour and meal, mines yielded vast amounts of minerals, canals efficiently brought water everywhere, and roads were well travelled and well kept. Dothion's farmers, miners, smiths, and artisans spent their lives joyfully producing food, wooden and metal items, jewellery, and clothing from the raw materials widely available. The workshops and towns were dedicated to nothing but the common good. The weather on Dothion was mild and with benign seasons. Occasionally a storm broke out from the opposite layer, Shurrock, but the climate was generally quiet throughout Dothion. Towns across the layer lacked any fences or walls. Located near the central region of the layer, the city of Yeoman was the main trading post, through which all products from across Dothion were sold to travellers and caravans. SHURROCK Across the barrier, Shurrock had much the same landscape features but much harsher weather: summers were hot and winters were long and cold. Storms were more common here, with booming thunder and heavy rains. Life on the Shurrock side was more challenging and kept the inhabitants busy, but both sides were virtuously industrious. It was known as an untamed wilderness. Unlike the mild weather and clear skies of the first layer, Dothion, the weather on Shurrock was harsh and unpredictable. Storms constantly ravaged the landscape, strong winds were almost constant and clear skies were very rare. The landscape was very mountainous, and the abundant creeks and rivers flowed fast throughout the layer. Shurrock had an abundance of raw materials. As in Dothion, Shurrock was a place of hard work and satisfaction from a job well done, but instead of taming the land, work on Shurrock focused on the extraction of natural resources. The wild landscape of the layer was peppered with mines, mills, and quarries. Due to the layer's harsh weather and rocky, irregular terrain, most dwellings and active work sites were underground. Most of the raw materials used in construction and the industries of Dothion came from Shurrock. In order to transport them there, traders braved the harsh weather of the layer to either reach a portal to Dothion, which was usually controlled by guilds that charged high tariffs, or to transport them directly there using a floating gnomish contraption. Taking advantage of the unique configuration of Bytopia, traders put their goods into protected baskets and sewed together large pieces of tarp into bags, which they filled with hot air. After attaching enough of these bags to the basket, it began to float until it reached the divide between the layers. By the time the load crossed the divide and started falling towards Dothion, the cooling air had lost enough of its buoyancy for the cargo to descend gently onto Dothion. Here, Centerspire, the enormous mountain that physically connected Dothion and Shurrock. It was a common land route between the layers. Among the other creatures native to both layers of Bytopia, Shurrock was inhabited by a race known as the Air Sentinels, gentle and benevolent beings similar to djinn who guided visitors and traders to shelter against the perilous weather in the layer's abundant caves. Shurrock was also home to a great adamantine dragon Mercialla. She considered herself the guardian of all good things that existed in Shurrock, working together with the air sentinels.
INHABITANTS
The animals in the Twin Paradises were sentient with average intelligence or above, but did not have the ability to speak. Some trees were also intelligent, similar to treants from the Prime Material Plane. The usual menagerie of upper plane creatures were found here, including solars, planetars, hollyphants, devas, foo creatures, baku, and agathia.
Type
Dimensional plane
