Nervonia

We all know about Nervonia. Many belief that the Elemental and Celestial Realms are located there. These realms are said to protect us against the Primal Chaos that forms the center of Nervonia. All of this is thought to be true but getting there to verify that is something even I have not yet achieved.

— High Sage Syronikir

Many of the ancient civilizations met their end in huge cataclysmic events of which the origins remain unknown. Chaos magic is often seen as the culprit. The source of the Primal Chaos itself is located in Nervonia. A large nebula-like celestial object which can be seen at certain periods of the year. It is believed that the Elemental and Celestial Realms can also be found here, protecting the rest of the universe against anything that comes out of the Primal Chaos.

What lies within

Inner Nervonia

Primal Chaos

Deep within Nervonia itself the Primal Chaos can be found. Some assume it is the brightest part of Nervonia. This is , however, not the case. The brightest part of Nervonia is actually the Celestial Realms surrounding the Primal Chaos. Nonetheless burst of Chaos energy can be seen by those observing Nervonia with a telescope. No one knows how far Nervonia is actually located but it is assumed that these bolts of lightning that escape from the Primal Chaos are unimaginably enormous.
The only accounts of what the Primal Chaos can look like are from those who have shortly experienced death before being resurrected. After passing the Celestial Realms they describe seeing a globe of eternal purple tempests and chaos barely contained by the layers around it.

Primal Chaos by Kefkejaco with Inkarnate

Celestial Realms

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Celestial Realms

Every civilization or religion likes to give their own names to the areas of the Celestial Realms. Nonetheless they agree on some key aspects of which some have been verified by near death experiences.

Death Realms

As a protection against the Primal Chaos itself there have been layers added which surround the source of this vile magic. The lower layers are heavily corrupted by the Primal Chaos and are believed to be filled with all kinds of monstrosities and demons. The higher layers are somewhat better but still remain desolate wastelands.
Depending on the belief this is the area where all people who lived a life in service of evil are sent to.

Black Mountains

The Black mountains are the regions connecting the Inner Celestial Realms with the Death Realms. Some believe that many fortresses have been built along the peaks to protect the peaceful realms of the wasteland in the center.

Inner Celestial

The Inner Celestial Realms surround the Death Realms completely. Although they take up what appears the inside of a globe the gravity seems to function in the same a-way as would be on top of a celestial object. How this is possible is a subject that no scientists thus far can agree on.
It is the general belief that this is the area where the Gods reside. Although its ecology resembles Niorath's in some way it is still very noticeably different. Most grass and trees take on a more bluish color and gigantic trees, not too different from the Mizarin Nightlights. Can be found throughout the area.

Outer Celestial

From the various near death accounts people have found out that the Outer Celestial Realms are pretty similar to Niorath itself. It is filled entirely with an ancient forest but those who passed through it mentioned that it feels far more magical than any forest on the planet. Possibly it is home to minor deities and other ancient creatures.

Celestial Realms by Kefkejaco with Inkarnate

Celestial Entrance by Kefkejaco with Inkarnate

Celestial Entrance

Those who died but managed to return describe their journey from the Outer to Inner Celestial Realms as one of the strangest. One part of the Outer Realms is filled with a gigantic sea with in the middle a large permanent whirlpool. It gives off a blue light suggesting something lurking beneath it.
Once a soul travelled through the Outer Celestial they are transported through the whirlpool into the Inner Realms. This journey is described as one of beauty with blue orbs of light surrounding the soul as it travels deeper inward. Some even describe seeing the best moments of their lives reflected in the water.
If a living humanoid can safely pass through this gate is still unknown since no one has even managed to create a portal to the Outer Realms.

Outer Nervonia

The rest of Nervonia is thought to be filled with many separate realms each affected by specific elements. This is why they are refered to as the Elemental Realms. Many believe that a person who would wish to enter the Celestial Realms without being dead would first need to get through several of these Elemental Realms to reach it.
How the Elemental Realms look exactly is still a topic for debate. In general everyone agrees that they are scattered throughout the nebula known as Nervonia, but the exact form is a source of disagreement.

Separate Globes

According to some the Elemental Realms are spread across multiple separate globes each dedicated to an elemental. In this theory the various Elemental Realms of fire, earth, water and air are all bundled together depending on their element.
Travel between these realms is thought to be done through portals and impossible to be done in any other way. Getting to the center of Nervonia is according to this theory just a matter of finding the right portals.
Some of these realms are assumed to be combination of various elements and are thought to be located near the borders of each elemental zone.

Elemental Globes by Kefkejaco with Inkarnate

Elemental Paths by Kefkejaco with Inkarnate

Elemental Paths

Another theory is that of the Elemental Paths. According to this view of the Elemental Realms there are a series of free floating paths each with their own gravity. These can go in all directions and be of various sizes. Some are a mere 200 meters wide while others can be hundreds of kilometers from side to side.
From each path it is possible to see other path free floating in Nervonia. Travelling along these paths takes a long time but some believe the duration can be shortened through hidden portals.
Each path has only one elemental linked to it but can vary greatly. For fire for exaple some are more desert like while other are almost entirely made out of magma. Travel between various paths is done through hidden portals or through crossings. These crossing are typically vary large and create a gigantic area of mixed elements.

Ecosystem

In Nervonia the ecosystems are vastly different because there is such a vast variety of environments. Almost none of them are exactly the same causing a large variety of creatures to inhabit it.

Elemental Realms

The edges of Nervonia, the Elemental Realms, have varying degrees of habitabilty. Some still have climates comparable to Niorath while others are influenced more heavily by the element from which they originated. For example the fire realms can range from lava filled worlds to large deserts. It is worth noting that other elements can be found there. All of the realms have varying degrees of water, air and earth.
The creatures living there are primarly those born from the elements themselves, the Elementals. Nonetheless it is believed that there are other creatures there and even some civilizations. This is , however, impossible to verify at the moment since no active portals to the Elemental Realms have been found. Most of the accounts come from ancient times when the portals were still active.
At least two civilizations are believed to have made themselves home here. The Selefer are thought to have escaped to the fire realms whereas the underground Gnome civilizations are believed to still inhabit the earth realms.

Fire Realm by Kefkejaco with Artbreeder

Asmer God by Endless Space, Amplitude Studios

Celestial Realms

The Celestial Realms are home to the Gods and are thought to have perfect conditions throughout. The forests of both the inner and outer realms seem to always be healthy and receive the perfect amount of water. Due to these perfect conditions, some believe that the Gods themselves control the weather of the region themselves.
The creatures that inhabit these regions are often larger and more magical looking versions of animals, such as stags with a shimmering coat for example. In the inner realms the trees are different from their counterparts in Niorath. They often have blue colored leafs and shimmering white barks. The larger trees can have purple leaves and darker trunks.
Almost all trees in the region and some plants give off a slight glow. In addition to that there are some trees with glowing orbs in them giving the celestial forest a magical looking atmosphere.

Death Realms

Due to their close proximity to the Primal Chaos, the Death Realms are far from optimal for living. They are dark, gloomy and in general just awful to be at. It is filled with Death Crystals making the area more suitable to be inhabited by the undead.
According to some religions there are also evil Gods forced to live here after their war against the true Gods in the God War. Whatever is really the case there are some beings here that try to keep the creatures coming from the Primal Chaos at bay. The inner layers of the Death Realms are, however, still filled with various aberrations and demons.
If some myths can be believed some of these 'evil' Gods have succeeded in control some of these monstrosities.

Death Realms by Kefkejaco with Assassin's Creed Odyssey

Further Reading