Thoughtshine
Geography
Thoughtshine, at first glance, is a realm of pure, blinding, light, with no discernible features except for that some spots are brighter than others, located above the Abandoned realm, Shadespace, and Dancing Dream. This, is a falsehood. The light is merely a covering, a protection from those who entered unprepared or without permission. In truth, the plane is an infinite landscap, shaped from each theory, each idea, each thought that ever was and ever will be. The lands are made up of various plots of theoretical locations, mythical beasts, weather that can only be guessed at, and laws of physics that can only be considered so alien that it wouldn't be possible to truly experience them for most, only take a guess at.
The plane is rather difficult to navigate. While it is consistent, somewhat, in where everything is located compared to one another, this only truly extents to how much the theory stays consistent. For example; the mythical city of Keret'Sever is, supposedly, located 10,000 steps east from the last fountain of youth. Therefore, if you wish to find the fountain from the city, you simply have to go that far west. However, if the theory on the distance between the two changes, this will eventually change the placement of the two in Thoughtshine as well. This means that one has to keep track of exact direction and current theories on where they wanna go instead of any landmarks, unless they have to go to one specific realm.
The plane is divided into 4 different realms, each of which represent on of the 4 energies which it is made up off. These 4 are; Elementus, Arcaneum, Divinatus, and Kisch. All these realms feed on and feed Thoughtshine, as well as being fed by the actions of mortals and gods within the Abandoned realm.
Elementus
Elementus is the realm of pure, basic, instinctual reasoning. The realm is made up of and fed by the elemental energy used by Druids, Rango ters, Sorcerers, and, perhaps unsurprisingly so, Elemental spirits as well as any thought and action that is basic and corresponds with what is natural, such as a wolf hunting to feed, rabbits mating, or the flowing of a river's water.
It is the largest of the realms, but also the most chaotic as many of the concepts and thoughts that feed it completely contradict each other or simply exist to oppose on another but can never succeed, such as how predators have to hunt prey and water must put out fire. There are no major settlements in this realm, but it is, instead, populated by hundreds of small tribes of various races, such as Orcs, Mountain Giants, and lizardfolk, that constantly war over resources and territory like wild animals fighting over scraps.
The head tribe of Elementus is the Forest of the Instinct Furies. This tribe is, as the name suggests, made up of the Instinct Furies of Acr'Aldr, an all male species of fury that embody the Over-Powers natural drives and urges and serve as his enforces whenever the will of Nature needs doing, such as when a forest needs to burn down for pine-cones to open up, or when a plaque ravishes a population and can't die out on its own. The tribe has a culture of: Whatever you want goes unless ''the boss'' says so. There are no restrictions on what a Fury can do, be it eating, killing, sexing, and even stealing from one another is completely allowed, as long as ''The boss'', aka Acr'Aldr, explicitely forbids it. This rather careless attitude to regulation is balanced out by their wish to do whatever ''The Boss'' commands to the best of their abilities. No Instinct Fury will ever not listen to their Over-Power and will always do whatever he commands until they see it as perfectly complete; if asked to kill someone they wont just end their life, they will erase any trace of them; if asked to end a plaque they will clean any and all individuals of the virus so it can never resurface again; even when asked to kill themselves, they will ensure they can never be ressurected nor damage anything but themselves. This, terrifying, servitude of Acr'Aldr is what grants them actual respect from other Furies, despite, and perhaps because of, their usual debauchery.
It holds a great number of settlements, but those are mostly laboratories and recordhalls, staffed by various scientists which, in life, either showed great skill, creativity, wisdom, devotion, or served Acr'Aldr himself, and were granted an eternal life in servitude of their work as reward.
Arcaneum
Arcaneum is the realm of rational, scientific reasoning. It is constructed of the Arcane magic employed by Wizards, Bards, Artificers, and any act of scientific research as well as any thought related to it, such as research into the workings of the Weave or pondering over why an apple fell to the ground in the way it did. It is the smallest of the realms, but also in many ways more varied than any other, as any one of the subjects that make it up, such as biology or astronomy, have dozens, if not hundreds, of minor subjects, variations, and experiments of it that create a realm of thousands of different possibilities and technicalities.It holds a great number of settlements, but those are mostly laboratories and recordhalls, staffed by various scientists which, in life, either showed great skill, creativity, wisdom, devotion, or served Acr'Aldr himself, and were granted an eternal life in servitude of their work as reward.
The capital of the realm, located at its heart, is the Grandhall of Logic. A massive hallway with a hundred doors on both sides, with each door leading to a different laboratory or library somewhere in the realm.
In this hall reside the Wisdom Furies of Acr'Aldr, an all female species of Fury that embody the logical nature of Acr'Aldr's mind, as well as his omniscience. Their culture can best be seen in how they present themselves; a tall figure dressed in a long robe that blends into the air, as if becoming one with it, and a mast that covers their whole face except for their eyes. They are the eyes of Acr'Aldr, a part of his perfect creation yet protruding from it to serve it to the best of their abilities. They are incapable of doing anything not exactly in line with the wishes of Acr'Aldr, and when not within the Grandhall of Logic they are guiding the hands of craftsmen and researchers to dig deeper into the secrets of the world.
This realm is also the one most visited by mortals, with many gods allowing their worshipers a stay within it. Due to this, many cities have both been founded as well as gained a massive population boom over a short amount of time. Cities such as El Dorado, Agartha, Keret'Sever, and many others have become great hubs of trade, and/or research, with replenishing populations of both mortal and mythological creatures.
In this hall reside the Wisdom Furies of Acr'Aldr, an all female species of Fury that embody the logical nature of Acr'Aldr's mind, as well as his omniscience. Their culture can best be seen in how they present themselves; a tall figure dressed in a long robe that blends into the air, as if becoming one with it, and a mast that covers their whole face except for their eyes. They are the eyes of Acr'Aldr, a part of his perfect creation yet protruding from it to serve it to the best of their abilities. They are incapable of doing anything not exactly in line with the wishes of Acr'Aldr, and when not within the Grandhall of Logic they are guiding the hands of craftsmen and researchers to dig deeper into the secrets of the world.
Divinatus
Divinatus is the realm of philosophy, and the trust put in something larger than oneself. It is made up of the Divine diablerie of Clerics, Paladins, Warlocks, and Sorcerers, as well as any inquiries to the nature of the Gods, government, nature, and any other such things, such as theories on why gods allow natural disasters to happen or if gods control them at all. The entire realm is a large melting pot of mythologies and folklore, populated by pixies, bokkenrijders, nikkers, Ahuitzotls, Chaneques, Komainus, Draicos and many more.This realm is also the one most visited by mortals, with many gods allowing their worshipers a stay within it. Due to this, many cities have both been founded as well as gained a massive population boom over a short amount of time. Cities such as El Dorado, Agartha, Keret'Sever, and many others have become great hubs of trade, and/or research, with replenishing populations of both mortal and mythological creatures.
The three capitals of this realm, each representing one of the three energy planes, are Annwn, Scholomance, and Vara'Met'Hil. All of these places are inhabited by various mortal and mythological beings but ruled over by the Piety Furies, an all male species of Fury that represent Acr'Aldr's wish to serve and his understanding of the role of the Divine in the lives of his creations. The Piety Furies are, besides the Instinct Furies, the most free spirited of the Fury species, with them oft exploring the various planes of the multiverse when not in service to their Over-Power or spreading the word of Batorian gods as prophets.
Annwn is an island, located 500 kilometres off the shore of a large lake to the east end of Divinatus, surrounded by a thick fog. It is a place of eternal youth and pleasure, a place where the lords of the Fairies, the Sane Gods, and the most loyal of protectors of the Abandoned Realm will be able to rest and enjoy themselves eternally, served by the Pious Furies and helped to their every whim. Annwn represents the Dancing Dream of the Abandoned Realm and is strongly connected to it, with it even being possible to move between the Dancing Dream and Thoughtshine, if you know which direction to go in. Because of this, it is also where many of the beings from Folklore that hold no basis in the Dancing Dream will reside as well, and use as a path to the Dancing Dream as well.
Solomonărie is an academy for the Solomonari, a group of 10 wizards that serve, not only, as the lords of Shadespace but also as the only non-fury servants of Acr'Aldr himself, if more-so by association rather than being directly commanded by him. It is located far underneath the mountain fortress of Munteîntunecat, which itself surrounds the mountain Munteîntunecat on the top of which lays a lake where the 10 dragons of the Solomonari reside, in the far west of Divinatus. The academy does not, in fact, serve as a school only; but also serves as an embassy between the Abandoned Realm pantheons and those of other spheres. Here, the Mad and Sane Gods obtained their respective pantheons and the Batorian Pantheon was first assembled.
Lastly, the mythical city of Vara'Met'Hil is the most important of the three capitals in the management of Divinatus. It represents the actual plane of Thoughtshine, and is less of a city and more an accumulation of various parts that, when put together, allow for an amount of residence and work to be done within its bounds, with most people that live in the city being there as either guards or merchants who trade in a constant commercial frenzy, with treasures from hundreds of spheres being found here and being open for purchase. The actual use of the city is to serve as a seal for the Crib of Acr'Aldr, a demiplane which is said to contains all the magical and technological wealth of the realm, and therefore all of Acr'Aldr as well. This seal can only be opened when Acr'Aldr abandon the crystal sphere as it is his power that ensures its maintenance.
Kisch
Kisch is the realm of physical and personal reasoning. It is made up of the Ki of all living things within the Abandoned Realm, mainly of Barbarians, Monks, and Sorcerers, as well as any actions and questions related to oneself, such as when a monk meditates or a barbarian trains his body. While Kisch might appear to be the smallest of the 4 realms, this is nothing but an illusion. Just as anyone has great potential hidden within themselves, so does Kisch hold a vast world within itself, one made up of an infinite collection of corridors and hallways that connect to each other in specific intersections creating large rooms, the purposes of which range from sleeping areas, kitchens, hunting grounds, and gymnasiums.because of the nature of the realm, it has a much more symbiotic relationship with its inhabitants than the other three. It needs people to better themselves and their Ki to exist, and so it provides those who wish to do so, and managed to be allowed to enter by Acr'Aldr or another, a perfect abbey for them to do so. Unlike, say, Elementus which can exist without sapient life, Kisch NEEDS sapient beings to actively pursue what it represents to exist. It needs Monks and Barbarians, therefore, anyone ,that wants to, will find sanctuary within its infinite corridors.
These halls are not entirely empty without their mortal residents, however, as the 2 other groups that live in Kisch are the Detachment Furies and the Attachment Furies. These two, both all female, Fury species were not actually created by Acr'Aldr; they were generated as a result of the constant flow of Ki within Kisch, and serve as the realm's personal caretakers which serve to keep the mortal residents going and replenish anything they need but don't have. They represent the eternal struggle of self improvement, with each Detachment Fury eventually growing attached to someone or something only to disassociate themselves again over time in a continuous cycle which can last for generations and that serve as examples of the road all residents of Kisch must tred.
Fauna & Flora
The lands of Thoughtshine are populated not so much with Flora and Fauna but more with general descriptors.
Since most tales don't actively describe greenery, most plants that are found on the plane are your standard plants, such as oak trees, dandelions, and grass; But there are exceptions. These exceptions have been spawned by various tales throughout history that specify specific areas of green and pastures, a kind of tale that has greatly increased in number ever since the desert took its hold over the world of Bator and the people longed for the old planes of grass and hordes of trees.
Fauna, on the other hand, is much more... varied, i suppose is the best way to call it. Sure, the plane is invested with simple beasts like dear, alminrajs, aurochs, bats etc but it is also crawling with the hundreds of mythical, theorized, legendary, imagined, and so on animals that have popped up in the minds of all mortals. This creates a vast ecosystem that is more reliant on the animals than it is on the plants, such as the ones of the material worlds, but which still retains a variety of diverse beasts that one can encounter, such as Draeks, Nikkers, Quatl's and many others.
Since most tales don't actively describe greenery, most plants that are found on the plane are your standard plants, such as oak trees, dandelions, and grass; But there are exceptions. These exceptions have been spawned by various tales throughout history that specify specific areas of green and pastures, a kind of tale that has greatly increased in number ever since the desert took its hold over the world of Bator and the people longed for the old planes of grass and hordes of trees.
Fauna, on the other hand, is much more... varied, i suppose is the best way to call it. Sure, the plane is invested with simple beasts like dear, alminrajs, aurochs, bats etc but it is also crawling with the hundreds of mythical, theorized, legendary, imagined, and so on animals that have popped up in the minds of all mortals. This creates a vast ecosystem that is more reliant on the animals than it is on the plants, such as the ones of the material worlds, but which still retains a variety of diverse beasts that one can encounter, such as Draeks, Nikkers, Quatl's and many others.
History
Thoughtshine is a realm as old as, if not older than, the Abandoned Realm. Many believe that, just like how the Dancing Dream formed as a reflection of Shadespace, Thoughtshine must have formed as a reflection of The Prime Material Plane, with it being a singularity of thought which eventually settled into the plane where myth and legend become as real as fact and history.
This theory is generally considered probable, especially due to how such a thing has happened before with the Positive/Negative energy planes, but many, in the fields of Planar Science and Theology, have discarded it due to how it leaves out the influence of Acr'Aldr and other gods. Due to this a more widely acceptable story exists behind its creation. The story goes that, instead of the Sane Gods creating the Crystal Spheres in an effort to keep a Limboan incursion from invading the material planes, the Crystal Sphere was a form of Embryo which Acr'Aldr gave life, in the process creating Thoughtshine which his new creations would shape with their thoughts and he could station his divine Furies.
Regardless of the Origin of the Plane, the history past this remains mostly unchanged. During the eras of Fog and Sciences, the plane was almost completely unvisited, besides maybe a few individuals who probably contacted some ancient god for access, and as such it remained mostly a legend; a predestined thought, ingrained in the very essence of each soul born in the realm which, while it did change depending on each person's interpretation, remained consistent across all cultures.
in the Era of Fog, the Batorian Pantheon and its two subordinate pantheons were recognized by the multi-spherical powers after a long and draining meeting at the Solomonărie academy
During the Era of Gods, in the year -3980, the first, recorded, Pioneer to Thoughtshine, Leroy MarStill, left Bator and traveled to the plane. He kept 5 pages worth of records of his travels, a collection of ramblings ranging from raging about the bright light to descriptions of endless halls and a nigh infinite lake, and returned with a broken mind, making interrogation impossible. This result both dis and encouraged future travelers from looking for ways to enter the plane, with some believing the madness wasn't worth whatever lay in Thoughtshine while others believed that the mysteries were to important to simply leave be.
From then on, Thoughtshine became a nearly mythical end point for the Abandoned Realm's most daring adventurers who wished for a last great adventure before retiring, inspired by those who actually succeeded while trying to somehow outdo each other in what wonders they can discover in the vast planes of the 4 realms. For the plane, this proved very beneficial as the countless visitors from the Realm proved to be a great source of prey, wealth, and energy. No longer, tho a bit still, did the monsters have to hide under the beds of children, did the kingdoms of myth have to fight one another, nor did the 4 realms have to pull out and puncture the borders between planes to find their sustenance, from then on it would come to them all.
This theory is generally considered probable, especially due to how such a thing has happened before with the Positive/Negative energy planes, but many, in the fields of Planar Science and Theology, have discarded it due to how it leaves out the influence of Acr'Aldr and other gods. Due to this a more widely acceptable story exists behind its creation. The story goes that, instead of the Sane Gods creating the Crystal Spheres in an effort to keep a Limboan incursion from invading the material planes, the Crystal Sphere was a form of Embryo which Acr'Aldr gave life, in the process creating Thoughtshine which his new creations would shape with their thoughts and he could station his divine Furies.
Regardless of the Origin of the Plane, the history past this remains mostly unchanged. During the eras of Fog and Sciences, the plane was almost completely unvisited, besides maybe a few individuals who probably contacted some ancient god for access, and as such it remained mostly a legend; a predestined thought, ingrained in the very essence of each soul born in the realm which, while it did change depending on each person's interpretation, remained consistent across all cultures.
in the Era of Fog, the Batorian Pantheon and its two subordinate pantheons were recognized by the multi-spherical powers after a long and draining meeting at the Solomonărie academy
During the Era of Gods, in the year -3980, the first, recorded, Pioneer to Thoughtshine, Leroy MarStill, left Bator and traveled to the plane. He kept 5 pages worth of records of his travels, a collection of ramblings ranging from raging about the bright light to descriptions of endless halls and a nigh infinite lake, and returned with a broken mind, making interrogation impossible. This result both dis and encouraged future travelers from looking for ways to enter the plane, with some believing the madness wasn't worth whatever lay in Thoughtshine while others believed that the mysteries were to important to simply leave be.
From then on, Thoughtshine became a nearly mythical end point for the Abandoned Realm's most daring adventurers who wished for a last great adventure before retiring, inspired by those who actually succeeded while trying to somehow outdo each other in what wonders they can discover in the vast planes of the 4 realms. For the plane, this proved very beneficial as the countless visitors from the Realm proved to be a great source of prey, wealth, and energy. No longer, tho a bit still, did the monsters have to hide under the beds of children, did the kingdoms of myth have to fight one another, nor did the 4 realms have to pull out and puncture the borders between planes to find their sustenance, from then on it would come to them all.
However, as the Abandoned Realm transition, or, to be honest, Crashed, into the Era of Nobility this changed. Yes, hundreds of thousands still attempted, and sometimes succeeded, to enter but the methods to do so had to change. Acr'Aldr saw the chaotic state the Realm was in and knew of the possibility that one of the new kingdoms would attempt to seize his cradle to legitimize itself, and thus altered the requirements for entering the plane. From the year -2200 and onward one would need the permission of Acr'Aldr himself, tho it could be requested from lesser gods or from one of his priests, and even if one could get into the plane without it you would still require to prepare with dozens of rituals and spells just to see anything besides blinding light.
This change of entry also came with a slight change in attitude. As the years went on, in a manner best described as shared precognition, the denizens of the plane slowly but surely prepared for disaster. No one quite knew what it was, but everyone was aware that SOMETHING was coming.
This something was, as probably guessed
The Collision
The Collision, for those unaware, was a catastrophe of unparalleled destruction. It was caused by the world of Bator colliding with the Castle of the Raven's loft which caused the planet to be subjected to mutation, drought, monsters, and a slow and painful rot that besieged all who had to suffer the aftermath. The results of it were not limited to the one world, sadly, as all worlds within the Abandoned Realm were devastated and desecrated, the twin red worlds of Blas and Sarte are good examples of this as they are currently overwhelmed by demonic incursion after infernal incursion due to the Castle's influence, and the very gods were forced to, well, Abandon it as they fled and sealed the crystal sphere to not allow the Castle to move to other spheres. Thoughtshine, thankfully, was left mostly unscathed thanks to the power of Acr'Aldr who shielded the plane from the Castle and is continuing to do so to this very day. From The Collision onward, the history of the plane has returned to what it was before the first mortal visitor. The countless mythical kingdoms and cities are now in their own power struggles, the 4 realms suckle off whatever energy they can obtain, the furies are in constant care and service for Acr'Aldr and only Acr'Aldr, and there is a somewhat constant stream of inter-spherical visitors. It is, perhaps, the only plane or realm in the Abandoned Realm that is somewhat safe from the Castle and the Horrors it spawns.
Tourism
Tourism is not very common in Thoughtshine, in current years, due to the fact that few people have the resources to contact Acr'Aldr or one of his few remaining priests nor do many have the time to travel there at all; However, this means that those that do travel here range from the richest o'merchants to the most fanatic of zealots to the scholars most starved for knowledge. Of course, this means that the most visited of the 4 realms are Divinatus and Arcaneum, with some zealots deciding to visit Kisch to test their mettle. Within these realms, the Solomonărie Academy in Divinatus, the Zink embassy in Arcaneum, Anwn in Divinatus, and the Word Auction in Arcaneum are the most common sites to visit, tho its not uncommon at all for travelers to reside at the various cities scattered across the lands of Thoughtshine.
Alternative Name(s)
The crib of Acr'Aldr, the plane of theoretical energy.
Type
Dimensional plane
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
Inhabiting Species
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments