True Afterlife
Overview
Welcome to the enigmatic realm known as the True Afterlife, a plane of existence that beckons souls from the Material Plane through the Ethereal Plane, an ethereal conduit that serves as the gateway to the eternal unknown. This afterlife is a cosmic enigma, shrouded in infinite layers, where each soul finds itself in a personalized haven, mirroring the essence of their mortal existence.
Souls traverse the Ethereal Plane, guided by the currents of the radiant Soulvein, until they reach the True Afterlife. Once here, the veil of mystery descends, for no one who embarks on this journey returns with recollections of what truly lies beyond. The True Afterlife remains an elusive destination, its nature concealed in a tapestry of layers that weave an intricate mosaic of individual experiences.
In reality, the True Afterlife is a plane with layers upon layers, each tailored to mimic the familiar environments and experiences of the soul during its mortal existence. The essence of each individual soul shapes its layer, creating a personal haven that resonates with the echoes of their past. Souls who shared significant connections in life, be it familial or friendly, find their layers situated close to one another, allowing them to traverse the ethereal spaces between their realms.
These layers are dynamic and malleable, evolving with the experiences and memories of the souls they host. Souls can move between layers, visiting those they knew in life and sharing in the ethereal reflections of their shared history. It becomes a cosmic reunion, where the connections formed in life persist beyond the veil of mortality.
However, the mysterious nature of the True Afterlife is further compounded by the Veil of Souls' peculiar function. When a soul leaves the True Afterlife and traverses the Veil of Souls back to the Ethereal Plane, it carries none of the memories and experiences accumulated in the True Afterlife. It is only upon re-entering the True Afterlife that the memories return, like a flood of recognition and familiarity washing over the soul.
Time, as mortals understand it, holds no sway within these ethereal layers. The passage of moments, days, or eons becomes an abstract concept, irrelevant in a realm where the essence of existence is eternally preserved in the tapestry of layered realities. Here, experiences are timeless, and the cyclical nature of mortal existence gives way to an unending dance of memories. While time appears to flow normally, with the passage of days and nights on the layers, it is actually just the plane mimicking this to maintain the continuity of the experience.
Mortals who venture into the True Afterlife meet an abrupt end, their physical forms left behind in the Ethereal Plane with their souls passing on into the True Afterlife immediately. The True Afterlife, with its infinite layers and personalized realms, remains an eternal enigma. It is a realm where the echoes of mortal life reverberate through ethereal landscapes, and where connections forged in life persist across the layers of existence. Yet, the Veil of Souls ensures that the mysteries of the afterlife remain intact, waiting for each soul to rediscover its ethereal haven upon returning to the True Afterlife.
Celestial beings, inherently attuned to the divine rhythms of the multiverse, view the passage of mortal souls into the True Afterlife with a certain reverence. Their mild jealousy is tempered by a recognition of the sacred nature of mortal existence and the ethereal journey that follows. Rather than harboring animosity, they find solace in the belief that the mortals' destination is one of profound significance.
On the flip side, fiendish creatures exhibit a starkly different response to the mortality of souls. Driven by a deep-seated hostility towards mortals, they view the mortal souls as a resource to be coveted and exploited. Fiends place immense value on trapping mortal souls into Soul Coins, using these infernal currencies for their nefarious and mercantile dealings. Their jealousy takes a dark turn as they seek to bind and manipulate mortal souls for their own malevolent purposes.
Among soulless entities, an innate jealousy festers. Lacking the capacity to experience the True Afterlife, these creatures are driven by a mixture of spite and a perverse desire to disrupt the cosmic balance. They embark on quests to consume, destroy, or even enslave mortal souls, their actions fueled by a bitter envy that compels them to lash out at the very essence they can never possess. In some cases, the motive is sustenance, a parasitic hunger for the Incarnum that constitutes mortal souls.
Properties
- Physical - normal gravity, timeless, infinite, divinely morphic (inhabitant soul) & alterable morphic (other visitors), infinitely layered
- Energy/Alignment - mildly neutral aligned
- Magic - normal
- Planar Relations - Ethereal Plane (coterminous)
Veil of Souls
The Veil of Souls, an ethereal gate that stands as the custodian of the passage from the Ethereal Plane to the True Afterlife. This mysterious gate, suspended in the boundless expanse of the Ethereal Plane, functions as a cosmic filter, orchestrating the transit of souls and preserving the delicate tapestry of their experiences.
As mortal souls traverse the Veil of Souls, it acts as an intricate sorter, discerning the unique essence of each individual. Souls are delicately guided into their tailored layers within the True Afterlife, a process akin to a celestial orchestration that ensures each soul finds its place within the layered realms. The veil's role as a cosmic sorter ensures that the individuality and memories of each soul are preserved and honored in the True Afterlife.
Moreover, the Veil of Souls doubles as a custodian of memories. When a soul departs the True Afterlife, it passes through the Veil, which temporarily holds the accumulated experiences and memories from inside the True Afterlife. The veil becomes a repository, safeguarding the memories of the departed until the soul crosses into the True Afterlife once more. This cyclical process ensures that souls retain a connection to their past lives, allowing for a seamless integration of experiences in the layered tapestry of the afterlife. Because of this, and the timeless property of the True Afterlife, souls who pass through the Veil from the True Afterlife into the Ethereal Plane behave and exist as if they had never even entered the True Afterlife.
The Veil of Souls, in its ethereal majesty, enforces a strict boundary against physical entities seeking entry. Mortals who approach this cosmic gate meet an abrupt and final end. The veil's guardianship extends beyond the ethereal boundaries, preventing the intrusion of physical creatures into the sacred realm of souls. The bodies of those who dare to approach are left behind in the Ethereal Plane, and their souls, severed from their corporeal forms, are ushered through the Veil to embark on the ineffable journey into the True Afterlife.
This celestial barrier serves as a testament to the sanctity of the afterlife, allowing only mortal souls to traverse its threshold. The Veil of Souls, with its dual function as a sorter and custodian, stands as a sentinel on the cosmic crossroads, ensuring the seamless passage of souls while preserving the eternal dance of memories within the layered realms of the True Afterlife.
Resurrection
Resurrection works much the same as normal, the only exception is that a deity cannot prevent a soul from resurrecting if the soul is in the True Afterlife. A soul in the True Afterlife being magically resurrected, such as through the use of Raise Dead, is fully aware of what is happening and may refuse to be resurrected. Should a soul's body be sent through the Veil of Souls, the soul and its body are immediately reunited and ejected back through the Veil and into the Ethereal Plane. The normal rules of the Veil of Souls still apply, and their memories are stored inside the Veil as normal. The soul cannot resist this reunion, nor are they even aware of it happening until they wake up in their body on the Ethereal Plane, feeling well rested. This form of resurrection does not incur the normal penalties that come from being resurrected magically, such as the use of the Raise Dead spell.