Blessed Fields of Elysium

Passion rules the Blessed Fields of Elysium, a lush and abundant plane where the power of nature grows fierce both physically and spiritually. Wild villages of native humans and other types dance and make merry, most perpetually drunk on eternal wine brewed from perfect grapes and other fruit. These revelers are accompanied by many fey-type creatures, such as satyrs, and their wild abandon and never-ending partying stand in stark contrast to the dangers present around them.
These dangers come from roving bands of cyclops, gygans, and minotaurs, and while most hunt in small groups an occasional war party is formed when they are stirred up to action by an influential leader. And these are not the only threats, as sometimes the beasts of the forest, grasslands, and mountains turn suddenly violent and attack with little or no warning. Legendary beasts also lair in the wilderness, many guarding fabulous treasures.
The weather also poses a danger, though the inhabitants of Elysium view it more as a portent of the future than a direct threat. Thunderstorms, hail, blizzards, tornadoes, and more stir up with little notice, plunging large areas into dire peril. Some specific areas, such as the forests ruled by Thalassus and certain legendary monster lairs, have muted or perma-nent weather shifts, but even so travelers must be cautious.
The most prominent feature of Elysium is the magnificent River Oceanus, a sparkling crystal blue river system that both starts and ends in the plane’s third layer, Tethys. The river and its many tributaries form the beating heart of the plane, though plenty sites of wonder and mystery exist beyond its mighty banks.
When most think about Elysium, they picture the middle layer, known as Amoria, with its limitless tracts of untamed forests, jagged peaks, deep lakes, and sweeping grasslands. The plane holds two other layers as well. The top layer is Nyx, an expanse of stardust and dreams, where creatures and heros come into being from thought and story.
Tethys is the lowest layer and serves as the source and destination of the River Oceanus itself. Hundreds of islands stand amidst the tranquil blue waters. Beneath the ocean rests an azure sea of dazzling brilliance with its own secrets to keep.
Many secrets lay hidden across all of Elysium – some in the hands of the revelers, some in the clutches of the past, and some beyond the understanding of any still living. Many travelers have sought out the prophetic wisdom of the Ivory Oracles, found respite and horror in the Winesong Glade, toasted sailors in taverns in the city of Diosceron, and climbed the dangerous heights of fabled Mount Olympus itself in search of secrets. Some never return and few find what they sought, but in the end the journey through the magnificence of Elysium is enough to move most souls towards a greater understanding.

Geography

Lay of the Land The River Oceanus is a dominant feature throughout Elysium. Its presence is a defining force in all three layers, and much of the civilized life on the plane is centered on or around its mighty banks. The flow of the river defies logic and explanation as it winds back and forth on and over itself through countless miles, spilling innocently from layer to layer and plane to plane. Enormous libraries have been devoted to the study of its flow and its dark twin, the River Styx in Hades.
Nyx Elysium's first and top layer is Nyx, an endless expanse of existence where the powers of potentiality and belief hold sway. It is the realm of the stars, of belief given form, of dreams, and of rising and fading philosophies. Wars may be waged by warriors created from seemingly nothing, only to fade away into the stardust from which they were born.
Nyx can be perceived in the night sky, with its ever-changing brilliance marked by constellations and cosmic phenomena. Its power slips into the world in the same form, with star fields filling the shadows of Nyxborn beings that are infused with its power.
While Nyx is impossible to map, distinct regions do exist, and some travelers have returned to the mortal realm with tales of these incredible locations, only to fail to find them again once they return. While vast like the plane's second layer, Amoria, the distances between locations on Nyx change and tend to make little sense. A traveler a mile away from Mount Hiastos may take a week to reach it, while another who can just barely see it on the horizon may reach it within the day. A person who just left a location may wish to immediately return and stay a while, only to find it more than a day's travel away.
This layer is also the source of most of Lutheria's powers. She uses this dust and dream-like elements to formulate, control, and locate the dreams of others. Sometimes she uses it for her own amusement, creating scenarios and monsters and releasing them into the realm.
Amoria The limitless expanse of Amoria is filled with wilderness left to grow on an incredible scale. The forest trees stretch up to the sky, many more than a mile high, while heavy mountain ranges pierce the veil of rumbling clouds that gather around their peaks. The titanic trees create hundreds of natural glades on the forest floor with many sporting a natural canopy that makes them resemble fantastic ballrooms in a verdant green mansion.
Raging rivers wind their way through the forest down from the peaks of the soaring mountains. Many of these end in deep lakes which ultimately drain down to the plane’s third layer, Oceanus, through permanent conduits.

As befitting a plane of passion, the weather is wild and unpredictable across Amoria. The layer oscillates between spring, summer, and autumn in the blink of an eye, while up in the mountain peaks and passes winter falls hard and suddenly. Some regions across the layer, such as the Ice Forest of Thalassus, keep more steady weather patterns but these areas are the exception rather than the rule.
Humanoids of all type live in small communities in and around the great trees of Amoria, dwelling in simple pleasure. Ruins of former inhabitants dot the area as well, and these crumbling fortresses and towns become more prevalent the closer one travels to the highest peak on the plane, Mount Olympus. Few have dared climbed its treacherous peaks but legends say a race of immortal titans once lived upon the mountain’s top.
Elves claim a large swath of Arvandor known as Nasselaithess, which means “ancient high home” in Elven. There the elves have grown their homes out of the trees themselves, artfully combining star crystals into the trees to create natural beautiful buildings that blend perfectly into the forest. Grand temples dedicated to the Seldarine, the pantheon of elven gods, form the cornerstones of Nasselaithess, with the High Court of Corellon Larethian dominating the center. Few non-elves are allowed into the borders of this wondrous realm.
Tethys Elysium’s third layer is an endless if shallow freshwater ocean. The weather is just as volatile here as on Amoria, perhaps even more so as the full fury of emerging storms is fueled by the contrasting warm and cool waters that clash invisibly across the seas. Hurricanes, typhoons, water spouts, rainstorms, and more appear without warning to churn Tethys' oceans into white-foamed terror.
Tethys' bottom is a sandy expanse continually shifting with the powerful currents. The depth varies wildly, with some regions as shallow as 20 feet deep and others plunging to a mile or more. Great forests of coral reef, usually only found in saltwater oceans, dominate many shallower areas where the water is the color of pale blue crystal.
Few islands stand permanently up from Oceanus' bottom as the raging tides and waves batter everything down eventually, though spontaneous islands are not uncommon. Tempest Head is the largest island by far, and it holds a permanent settlement of lusty sailors upon its rocky expanse.
Below the waters, great sea monsters swim with fish of all kind. Massive schools of quippers compete against giant hunting gar for easy prey while merrow, merfolk, and locathah make their way through the terrain. Nereids and oceanids hold the largest domain in Tethys centered around the impressive Crystal Temple of Parthenope, the god of aquatic elves.
By ancient decree of the primal titan, Parthenope, non-water breathers that come to Tethys are automatically imbued with the ability to breathe water. This does not protect travelers from the myriad of dangerous creatures that lurk in the freshwater ocean nor from the violent weather that destroys ships with ease.

Ecosystem

Highlights & Impressions

The below listings include notes on highlighting the nature of Elysium as characters explore and travel through it. These are suggestions of elements that can be used in descriptions of the landscape and denizens with the goal of actualizing the “outside” nature of the multiverse beyond the Material Plane. Use them to incorporate into encounters and adventures on Elysium.
A Welcome Refuge. An easy sense of respite and calm fills the rich air on Elysium. It puts most travelers at ease as they drink in the sights and sounds of a vibrant yet soothing landscape – the pleasant song of exotic birds, the gentle lapping of water from a nearby pool or stream, and a sweet breeze that brings memories of brighter and greener days. Even those who come to the Blessed Fields with malice in their hearts experience these senses, and while many choke them down with bile and hatred, just walking in such a place as Elysium has turned the hearts of some wicked to a brighter future.
River of Peace. The River Oceanus is a dominant feature of Elysium. On Amoria, by some curious quirk, the river is always either within sight or hearing wherever a traveler goes, and that trait extends to the wild untamed mountains of Eronia as well. The river is the lifeblood of travel, trade, relaxation, and communication on Elysium, and its clear waters are a soothing pleasant balm for body and mind. Strange Skies. No sun sits in the sky of Elysium, and there are no field of stars in the night as well. At night, thousands upon thousands of luna jellies rise from the River Oceanus slowly and ascend to the purple air overhead, forming a flow of twinkling lights that mirrors the path of the river itself. When night ends and the light of daytime fills the plane, the luna jellies disappear, subsumed by the natural radiance. There are two moons on Elysium but these are not normal moons – they are very close to the ground, and they move of their own accord. The pale moon is known as Highsilver and contains a large population of albino halflings, while the crimson moon is Redrise and holds a temple dedicated to the Lady of Flame

Ecosystem Cycles

Cycle of Time Amoria and Tethys have a day/night cycle that resembles the Material Plane, with roughly 12 hours of daylight to 12 hours of night. However, no sun sits in the beautiful skies of Elysium on any of its layers – the sky is lit by a glow suffused into the plane itself. At night, no moon rises, but a river of sparkling stars dazzles overhead, following the exact pattern as the River Oceanus. Some planar scholars have theorized this “river” is a reflection of the water on some unknown surface high in the night sky, though no proof has been found of the phenomena.
Unlike the other layers, Nyx has a perpetual night sky filled millions of stars and nebulae of blues, purples, and greens. Many constellations, while keeping their general shape, move throughout the sky, making it impossible to both map and navigate using stars.

Localized Phenomena

HAZARDS & PHENOMENA

Elysium isn’t referred to as the Blessed Fields for no reason. Its idyllic landscapes are peaceful and the residents are friendly, and as long as visitors keep to the general principal of helping others they can find the plane easy to navigate.
Easy Restfulness A sense of peaceful rest fills the air of Elysium. Creatures that complete a short rest on Elysium remove one level of exhaustion, and any spent hit dice for regaining hit points are treated as if they rolled the maximum amount. After completing a long rest on Elysium, all exhaustion levels are removed and all spent dice are restored.
Golden Rewards The very nature of Elysium rewards those that perform deeds in service to the greater good. Non-evil characters receive a point of inspiration upon entering Elysium which is regained automatically after a short or long rest as long as it is spent in the service of good. The DM has the final say as to what constitutes an action in the service of good, but most actions with a positive outcome should qualify.
Passionate Weather While, in general, Elysium is quite peaceful, passions can whip up weather into a frenzy that can take natives and travelers by surprise. Random weather tables are provided for each of the layers, and it is suggested that they be used with every change of scene while characters are exploring the Blessed Fields. Otherwise, each weather event can last 1d20 hours. Often times, the passionate weather of Elysium covers a wide area, large enough where the characters must last the duration, but for swift-moving parties escaping the weather area may be possible.
While extreme, the weather of Elysium mimics that of most Material Planes. Immediately threatening weather, such as acid rain or fire storms, are not part of the passionate nature of the plane. The passionate weather is also not affected by the day/night cycle, with equal chances during the day and night for weather events to occur.
Cold Snap. The temperature plunges in the area. Each hour, creatures exposed or traveling in the cold must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion. Creatures with resistance or immunity to cold damage automatically succeed on the saving throw, while creatures wearing cold weather gear have advantage on the save.
Deluge. Heavy rain comes down in sheets. Everything is lightly obscured, and creatures in the area have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight and hearing. Open flames are extinguished as well.
Hail Storm. The clouds unleash ice chunks in the form of hail. Each minute, exposed creatures in the area must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, suffering 11 (2d10) bludgeoning damage on a failure or none on a success. Hail storms last half as long as a typical storm on Arborea.
Heat Wave. A swelling heat and humidity fills the area. Each hour, creatures exposed or traveling in the heat must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion. Creatures with resistance or immunity to fire damage automatically succeed on the saving throw, while creatures in medium or heavy armor suffer disadvantage on the save.
Lightning Storm. Jagged streaks of lightning fill the sky. Every hour creatures spend traveling or exposed in the open during the lightning storm, one target randomly is struck by a lightning bolt from above. The target must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw, suffering 28 (8d6) lightning damage on a failure, or half as much on a success. On Mithardir, the lightning is purple and the storm lasts twice as long.
Snow Storm. Snow begins to fall in great flakes across the area. The temperature drops enough where the snow doesn’t melt right away, though the climate usually normalizes after a few days and any fallen snow would melt. During the snow storm, the area is lightly obscured, and creatures in the area have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Strong Wind. The winds pick up in a fury, blowing in a random direction and changing directions at the whim of some mysterious force. Ranged weapon attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing are made at disadvantage. Flying creatures in a strong wind must land at the end of its turn or fall to the ground, suffering appropriate falling damage. On Mithardir, the wind whips up the sand, imposing disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight as well.
Thick Mist. A thick fog engulfs the area. The area is heavily obscured, and all light sources drop down a degree (bright light becomes dim light, dim light becomes darkness).
Thunderstorm. Peals of thunder accompany the pounding rain that fills the region. The area is lightly obscured by the rain.
Weather Table of Nyx and Amoria Every type of weather imaginable can crop up on Nyx and Amoria.
1d20 Passionate Weather of Nyx and Amoria 1-2 Cold Snap 3-4 Deluge 5-6 Hail Storm 7-8 Heat Wave 9-10 Lightning Storm 11-12 Snow Storm 13-14 Strong Wind 15-16 Thick Mist 17-18 Thunderstorm 19-20 Roll twice, re-rolling results of 19 or 20 Weather Table of Tethys The passionate weather of Arborea affects the area above the ocean of Tethys, leaving the underwater regions relatively unaffected by the powerful whims.
1d20 Passionate Weather of Tethys 1-3 Cold Snap 4-7 Deluge 8-10 Heat Wave 11-13 Lightning Storm 14-16 Strong Wind 17 Thick Mist 18-20 Thunderstorm Random Encounter Tables The below tables can be used by the Dungeon Master as a source of inspiration when a party of characters are traveling through Elysium. Though each layer has its own unique flora and fauna, the tables below can be used on the layers to throw challenges at a band of characters. Look at each one as a springboard for new adventure ideas, or as a means of highlighting the nature of the plane for the players.
Nyx and Amoria
1d100 Nyx and Amoria Encounter 01-05 A cloud of sunflies lights up the evening sky 06-10 A herd of giant elk charging through the wilderness 11-15 A brown bear in search of food 16-20 An aethon in the sky 21-25 A raiding band of cyclopes led by a gygan 26-30 Festive humanoid dancers 31-35 Three centaurs playing a game 36-40 Two giant boars fighting each other 41-45 A herd of wild horses 46-50 The howl of a lone moon dog in the distance 51-55 The barge of a traveling merchant band stopped on the river shore for rest 56-60 Fisherfolk on the River Oceanus swapping stories 61-65 A playful pseudodragon chasing insects in a meadow 66-70 A griffon eating a meal 71-75 Two wine spirits playing with a drunk satyr 76-80 A swarm of insects protecting their nest 81-85 A gorgon on the hunt 86-90 Two Seers of Tomorrow arguing over visions 91-95 A dryad from the Roots of Thylea 96-00 Bacchus, the Wine Prince Tethys
1d100 Tethys Encounter 01-10 A ship being attacked by a scylla serpent 11-20 Oceanid veterans on patrol 21-30 An ichthys hunting party 31-40 A hungry cetus 41-50 A dragon turtle diving deeper into the sea 51-60 Merfolk searching for a lost sailor 61-65 A rotten gar picking at a carcass 66-00 A lost water elemental

Tourism

GETTING THERE

Portals are common through the layers to the rest of the multiverse, though they are especially plentiful throughout Nyx due to its deep connection with the Astral Plane.
Most portals out of Elysium sit in shallow caves around the banks of the River Oceanus or one of its many tributaries. The river dominates the landscape of Elysium across all four of its layers, and it’s a vitally important feature for travel to and from the plane as well. Most visitors arrive via boat traffic along the River Oceanus from Beastlands or further upriver, and most of the important sites in Elysium are situated along the riverbanks.

SURVIVING

Elysium is not inherently threatening to travelers. Even on Tethys, the freshwater ocean layer, a special blessing from the elven god of sea, Deep Sashelas, immediately grants air breathers the ability to breathe water as long as they are in the waters of the layer. Each layer holds threats aplenty from weather and monsters, however.

TRAVELING AROUND

Elysium is vast, infinitely vast, so the largest impediment to travel is the sheer distance and terrain between locations. Amoria especially is filled with vast tracts of dense forests, towering mountains with treacherous valleys, and sudden weather changes that change the landscape in the blink of an eye. Planar scholars recommend flying, either via winged mount or other means, but the best mode of transportation is teleportation magic.
The River Oceanus connects all three of Elysium’s layers and provides the most reliable means of transportation within the plane. The mighty pure river both originates and ends in Tethys, Elysium’s third layer, which creates two major riverways – one flowing out and one flowing in. Hundreds of tributaries branch from both of these major routes, crossing into and out of each layer.

Type

Dimensional plane

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Outer Planes

Included Locations

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