The Astral Sea

The Canvas of Reality

The Astral Sea is the blank canvas upon which all of reality is painted. The opposing gods Ashra and Boda are firmly positioned at either end, with their respective Celestial and Elemental Planes situated in between. Eventually, Cynos would be born right in the center of the Astral Sea, perfectly caught between both the Sun and the Moon.

Astral Currents

The Astral Sea is woven of an energy that cyclically flows with the currents of Law and Chaos. These currents keep the lawful planes permanently adjacent to their ruler Ashra, and likewise keep the chaotic planes adjacent to Boda. After the inadvertent birth of Cynos and the emergence of life, death and mortal souls, the astral currents were discovered to have an additional purpose: carrying the souls of the departed mortals to their final resting places. For mortals who lived with an obviously-aligned life, they would be carried directly to one of the four Celestial Planes, in accordance with their alignment: the Lawful-Good to Mount Celestia, the Lawful-Evil to The Nine Hells, the Chaotic-Good to Arborea and the Chaotic-Evil to The Abyss. If a being was morally ambiguous but still distinctively lawful or chaotic, they would be delivered before the appropriate god and face Divine Judgement. If a being was truly neutral in terms of Law and Chaos—a rare mortal indeed—the astral currents would pull the soul equally in both directions, resulting in the disturbing phenomenon of Soul Tearing. The being's soul is split in half and each part is carried to the appropriate destination. Cynosian legend has it that, as souls travel through the Astral Sea, they can be seen from the surface of Cynos at nighttime. They appear as distant, twinkling lights and are referred to as "stars" in the Common tongue.

Navigation

Though the most common travelers of the Astral Sea are doing so involuntarily postmortem, it is possible for mortals to enter the Astral Sea while still alive. Spells such as Astral Projection can allow mages to momentarily access the Astral Sea. Physically entering the Astral Sea requires much a much greater display of magical skill, but once done, mortals can use the Astral Sea to reach other planes of existence. One such traveler was the fabled Daveigh Jones, a renowned mind flayer pirate lord who first died in the year 600 BDB. The silver-tongued rogue bargained with the Demon Lord Umberlee, achieving immortality as an illithilich in exchange for ferrying doomed sailors straight to her layer of the Abyss until he was permanently killed in 90 BDB.

The Great Old Ones

Main article: The Great Old Ones

An Elder Aberration.

Adrift in the Astral Sea are behemoth, slumbering monstrosities known as Elder Aberrations, also referred to as Great Old Ones. These titans were among the first life forms to emerge after the birth of Cynos, and their supreme intellect and appetite for destruction prompted Ashra and Boda to banish them from the planet. From their eternal sleep in outer space, the Elder Aberrations have been known to influence on the planet's surface, sometimes even granting them power in exchange for service. All aberrations on Cynos are descended from these colossal beasts.

Geography

A vast, infinite expanse of blackness, dotted by twinkling souls en route to the afterlife.

Natural Resources

Astral currents that flow endlessly in the cycle of Law and Chaos, carrying planes, souls and celestial bodies to their appropriate destinations accordingly.