Neih

Neih, the stage of birth, the natural start, filled with wonder and confusion. Everything is magical and filled with beauty. One can almost feel Veritas in the outflow of the atmosphere and can taste it in the mist and fruit. The invitation and beginning for all on the path. A mighty Cosmic Tree ushering in life.
The plane goes through approximately 10,000 year seasons. Each season has its own Seraph, an entity made to manage the season.
People who live in Neih are referred to as Neihites.

Geography

This plane of existence is one cosmic tree with planet sized leaves on its branches. All life in this plane lives on or at the base of this tree depending on what season it is. The tree itself sits on an island, but there is nothing beyond that island within this realm. But, since the tree is the size of a universe in itself, there is no real drive to go beyond its boundaries. The geography and life within this plane varies quite differently depending on what season it is. Each season lasts approximately 10,000 years. Most life is centered around the world sized leaves, each with its unique climate and geography. A key factor of this realm is that where there is growth, it grows in abundance.
This realm also has no sun, at least not a ball of gas. Instead, the Seraph of Summer flies around the Cosmic Tree in an endless circle.

Ecosystem Cycles

Winter is the season where Neih rests. Most the world leaves lie beneath the snow, and it is as though life is taking a break. But there are a few places where life continues on despite the outward appearance of lifelessness. In the branches, there are times where a pile of world leaves would gather and mush together, providing an insulated nest for life to continue on. These nests can vary from a few to dozens of world leaves, thus making sizable worlds. These worlds tend to be more like cavernous underground domains, though they are in a tree, due to leaving the shelter of the world leaves would be to face the cold. There are also places along the base of the tree, between the emerged roots and the frozen waste, where the heat of the tree is enough to push back against the winter enough for life to be sustainable. Here, ice kingdoms do arise.
Spring is the time of torrential rains. These rains would be devastating for life, as the droplets are the size of oceans. The snows of winter are washed away, old world leaves pounded down to dirt, and the buds of new leaves begin sprouting. For the first part of Spring, about a couple thousand years, the rains are endless with little respite. The base of the tree becomes flooded. But then there is a lull in the rain, where it will go a few hundred years before another rainfall. Here life burst out with vigor. Millions of world leaves emerge, welcoming creatures to live upon them. While these baby world leaves do host a large amount of life (those sheltered from the rain the most ample), there is another place where life strives, on floating dead world leaves on the base of the ocean. These are the World Sailors, facing endless seas in the shadow of a cosmic tree.
Summer is the time of greatest life, where the rains are few and far between, and life amongst the branches flourish. It is not the same for the base though, where the roots drain the soil to swamp and then dry wasteland. But, on the leaves, they are at their riches. The light of summer is more forgiving and welcoming, and weather enjoyable to the denizens of Neih. When one pictures Neih, they hope their souls would reincarnate in this season.
Fall is the season of decay. World leaves begin to fall with whatever civilization they have on them. Is it quite a devastating period, as worlds are destroyed by winds or rot. If that was not enough to destroy the world, there are also period of great rain, lasting several decades. Most life in the branches are crushed by this natural and supernatural onslaught. Yet, this period is not all doom and gloom, as the fallen leaves at the base make valleys and enclaves to which life can be, and even strive off the decay and riches of the branches.

Localized Phenomena

Stars in this realm are not distant suns, but rather gargantuan fireflies called starflies.

Fauna & Flora

As the first stage of existence, any and every creature could find its way here in someway or another. Neih is the stage of invitation, calling interesting creatures from other realms into the path of Veritas. It is up to the DM to explain how they were invited and from what universe they came from. For example, a world leaf could be ruled by dragons, or can majorly be fey, or a mechanical empire arose. There are millions of leaves, thus the possibility is endless. One note though is that Neih itself, though the embodiment of True Neutral, is not a fan of other gods.

Natural Resources

A key resource that is unique to this plane of existence is Cosmic Sugar, the sap from the Cosmic Tree itself. It is a powerful drug with great magical potential.

Alternative Name(s)

The Cosmic Tree, The First Stage to Veritas

Type

Planar Sphere/Grouping

Included Locations

• Hall of Seasons
• Neih Aarakocra
• The Droplets of Turm
• The Veritian Leaf
• Ul Instalations

Included Organizations

• The Eternal Empire

Owner/Ruler

The Embodiment of Neih