Syrania: The Azure Sky

Imagine a perfect blue sky, stretching off into the horizon. There’s no sign of the sun, but the sky is clear and bright, and the floating crystal towers gleam as if caught in a sunbeam. A warm, gentle breeze brushes over you, and there’s a faint sound of distant chimes. You feel absolutely calm; in this moment, all anger melts away.
This is Syrania, the Azure Sky. While people often think of its floating towers and crystal spires—the same magic that sustains the great towers of Sharn— Syrania is the plane of peace and all that flourishes in peaceful times: commerce, education, reflection. There are no vast armies here, no dangerous monsters. The magic of Syrania allows all creatures to communicate and dispels aggression. As such, it’s a common crossroads for beings who do travel the planes, and the Immeasurable Market of Syrania is the safest place to interact with fiends, slaadi, and other extraplanar beings. However, while bloodshed is rare in the Azure Sky, you can still make deadly enemies; mortals are always wise to tread lightly in the cities of angels.

Universal Properties

Syrania encourages communication and negotiation, and grants all creatures the gift of flight. The Open Sky of Syrania is an endless void, and without flight, you could fall indefinitely; fortunately, all creatures find that they can move through the air just as naturally as walking.
Unburdened. A creature gains a flying speed equal to its walking speed, unless it already has a flying speed greater than or equal to its walking speed, in which case that speed increases by 10 feet.
Gentle Thoughts. A creature has advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks and disadvantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks.
Standard Time. Time passes at the same pace as on the Material Plane, and is consistent across its layers.
Universal Understanding. A creature can understand the literal meaning of any spoken language that it hears and can understand any written language that it can see. This doesn’t decode secret messages or reveal the meaning of symbols that aren’t part of a written language.
Absolute Peace. To make an attack or cast a damaging spell, a creature must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it doesn’t make the attack or cast the spell, but the action is lost.

Denizens

Syrania is a curiously empty plane. While the Immeasurable Market is always bustling, most of this traffic is comprised of creatures from other planes. Syrania’s other spires have comparatively few inhabitants—not so few that they feel desolate or barren, just enough so that it always feels slowand peaceful. There’s no need for people to perform menial tasks in Syrania, nor does this plane have manifestations to populate it; damaged structures gradually repair themselves, and litter and debris slowly dissolve.
The native inhabitants of Syrania are winged humanoid immortals, collectively referred to as angels, though they differ from those of other planes in some important ways. While they’re considered to be celestials, most angels of Syrania are neutral in alignment. They aren’t champions of justice or bringers of hope; rather, they’re observers and scholars, defined by their domain of study. The lesser immortals are simply referred to as angels, while the higher orders have titles—virtues, dominions, and thrones. These higher angels are bound to the contemplation of a particular concept, based on their domain, and devote their existence to contemplating and understanding it. Some believe that it’s through this contemplation that the concept continues to exist (though most inhabitants of other places—mortal and immortal alike—consider this to be highly unlikely). The appearance of Syranian angels is influenced by their domain, so the Dominion of Storms might be wreathed in lightning and have wings formed of storm clouds, while the Dominion of Trees could have bark for skin and moss for hair.
Unlike lesser angels and visitors to Syrania, virtues, dominions, and thrones are immune to the effects of Syrania’s Absolute Peace property, and are capable of taking aggressive action to defend Syrania, or when pursuing their domain—so a virtue of war could fight. However, they always try to find nonviolent or nonlethal solutions to threats.
Angels. Angels are the least of the immortals of Syrania. They have no names or domains and are generally interchangeable; they serve as scribes and guides, performing minor tasks. They do not engage in combat and their statistics are largely inconsequential.
Virtues. Virtues are a higher order of angel, with names and broad domains—Hazari, Virtue of Nature. They act as assistants and emissaries of the dominions. Virtues spend much of their time contemplating their domain, but they also gather information for their dominions—either by fetching existing records within Syrania, talking with creatures who visit the plane, or by venturing beyond Syrania and discretely observing. A dominion is always aware of everything that happens to its virtues and immediately knows all information they collect.
Virtues typically use the stat blocks of devas, and they change their forms to conceal their presence while gathering intelligence. The “Syranian Domains” sidebar provides examples of some domains; it’s possible that a virtue might be able to cast a couple additional spells that are associated with their domain, though they’ll not know the full list. They can only use commune to answer questions tied to their domain, and can cast plane shift once per day, but only when acting in the direct service of a dominion.
Dominions. Dominions focus on a very specific aspect of a single domain, like wolves or swords. They have names and specific domains, along with extra titles for pomp—Tezaria, Angel of the Storm, Dominion of the Seventh Spire. They typically spend their time in contemplation and use virtues as their eyes and hands, but occasionally a dominion acts directly—especially if its spire is threatened in some way. As neutral observers, dominions have no sympathy for mortals, but they’re often willing to discuss their domain with a mortal who has an interesting perspective on it.
It’s important to recognize the difference between a warrior angel of Shavarath and a dominion of Syrania with the domain of War. The Shavaran is an angel who fights wars, and this has no place in peaceful Syrania. On the other hand, the dominion of Syrania—perhaps called the Angel of Swords—understands war, and in particular, knows everything there is to know about a single thing: swords. They know sword-fighting techniques from every mortal and immortal culture. They can recognize any sword, know the locations of a number of long-forgotten legendary blades, and may have a few in their possession. They’re likely one of the deadliest swordfighters in existence, but they don’t actually desire to fight, because that’s not the point: they are the Angel of Swords, and they contemplate swords.
Dominions often use the statistics of a planetar, substituting the spells and skills on the “Syranian Domains” sidebar; however, they maintain the ability to cast detect good and evil and invisibility at will, and use the latter to move unseen when observing on the Material Plane. Dominions might also possess additional abilities reflecting their absolute knowledge of their domain. For example, the Angel of Swords could be immune to any damage inflicted by a sword; perhaps they know perfectly how to defend against such an attack, or the sword itself might even refuse to strike them.
Thrones. The greatest angels of Syrania are the thrones. There’s a single throne for each domain, and they have a profound knowledge of their entire domain. Unlike lesser angels, thrones are known only by their domain, with no other name—the Throne of War. They’re bound to all the dominions whose studies lie within their domain, and they know everything experienced by those dominions. They largely remain in deep contemplation, acting only if Syrania itself is threatened or if a dominion succumbs to corruption.
A throne has powers equal to or greater than a solar, though when using spells such as commune, it can only answer questions tied to its domain. A throne also has access to the skills and spells on the “Syranian Domains” sidebar. As a bonus action, a throne can strip the benefits of Syrania’s Unburdened property for any number of creatures it can see—so flightless creatures who cause trouble may find themselves falling forever through the Open Sky.
The thrones are the most powerful entities that can be encountered by mortals, but many sages assume that they are themselves tied to a greater force who knows everything that they experience, and who shapes the plane itself.

Manifest Zones

Manifest zones tied to Syrania can reflect one or more of the properties of the plane, but often in more limited ways. The manifest zone containing the city of Sharn has a lesser aspect of the Unburdened property; it doesn’t grant flight, but it enhances effects that grant flight or levitation, enabling the skycoaches and flying buttresses that support the towers. A zone that has the Absolute Peace property might have a lower DC for the saving throw, or it might encourage peaceful behavior without actively enforcing it. Temples are often built on Syranian zones with the Absolute Peace property, while universities and House Sivis search for zones with the Universal Understanding property.
In addition to standard manifest zones, there are a few portals to the Immeasurable Market hidden in Eberron. These take many forms; a back door could be an actual door, a large chest, or a shallow pool of water. A back door only opens under specific circumstances: when opened with a special key, when used at a certain time, when blood is spilled, or when a heart is broken. Most who discover these portals jealously guard them; a merchant with access to the Immeasurable Market can acquire remarkable goods!

Layers

Rather than being divided into separate layers in the same way as many other planes, Syrania is comprised of crystal spires floating in the seemingly infinite void of the Open Sky. The space within a spire may be far larger than it appears from the outside, whether the spire leads to the multiple towers of the University or the vast expanse of the Immeasurable Market. However, all of these regions are connected through the medium of the spires and the Open Sky.
The majority of spires aren’t all that vast. Most are the seats of a dominion, who is attended by a few virtues and additional angels as needed. These have the general flavor of a library or museum, with additional facilities to allow the dominion to practice or study its subject. The spire of a dominion of nature has gardens, while the tower of a dominion of war has displays of armor and a dueling chamber. But these are still places for study and contemplation; the seat of a dominion of war isn’t an impenetrable fortress, and the spire of a dominion of nature has cultivated gardens, not the wilderness one finds in Irian and Lamannia.

The Open Sky.

The Open Sky is the vast blue expanse from which the Azure Sky takes its name. The clear, bright, sunless sky shows no signs of passing time; the moon Therendor can be seen, but it doesn’t move or have phases. Despite the Open Sky’s seemingly infinite space, it wraps around on itself, effectively making it a 300-mile cube. So while it takes a significant time to travel between the farthest points, it is possible. There are no native threats in the Open Sky, and all visitors to Syrania have the ability to fly; the catch is knowing where to go, as there are hundreds of spires.

The University.

The pursuit of knowledge and education are things that flourish in times of peace. While most dominions are devoted to their own personal contemplation, the Throne of Knowledge maintains the University of Syrania, where chosen students can study an astonishing array of subjects with virtues of knowledge and the occasional guest dominion. The catch is that students need to be admitted . . . and there isn’t actually a process for applying. At the moment, the University only has twenty students, chosen from across the planes by roaming virtues.
For planar travelers who come to Syrania, the University is a good repository of general knowledge; if the scholarly virtues can’t help, they’ll likely know the way to a dominion that can. It’s also an unusual background for a player character; perhaps a Divine Soul sorcerer unlocked their powers at the University, or perhaps a warlock’s Celestial patron is their thesis advisor. And it’s a very exotic option for a university group patron . . .

The Immeasurable Market.

While most planes are isolated from others and it’s difficult to move from one plane to another, commerce and peaceful interaction are defining aspects of Syrania. Most planes have back doors that lead to the Immeasurable Market. The crystal spire in the Open Sky is merely a gateway leading to an open marketplace that extends as far as the eye can see. To one side, a slaadi haggles with a modron over the price of hippogriff eggs; to the other, a sly dao shows a Shavaran balor a selection of Ferniaforged blades. It’s said that anything you can imagine—and many things you can’t—can be found in the Immeasurable Market.
The Immeasurable Market includes customers and merchants from across the planes, including the Material Plane; there are a few back doors to the Market hidden on Eberron, and those who find them can make a healthy profit trading in exotic goods. It also includes a significant number of native immortals. Angels work as servers and porters, while virtues of commerce run small stands and shops. Dominions of commerce run the largest and most reliable businesses, while the Throne of Commerce monitors the entire Market and banishes troublemakers.
There are countless merchants in the Market. Most have temporary stands or tents, but there are a few permanent structures scattered about; the Last Resort is the most beloved watering hole in the planes. The Immeasurable Merchants table provides a few examples of merchants and shops adventurers could discover.

Immeasurable Merchants

The Last Resort

is a tavern where angels and devils drink together, where fey share stories while slaadi do shots. The barkeep Solace is the Dominion of Hospitality; he’s got a sympathetic ear for patrons and knows the perfect drink for any occasion.

Jabra

the night hag is an alchemist of exceptional skill. She bottles stolen dreams and nightmares, and sells unique potions with remarkable powers. She peddles her goods from an eye-catching tent of red dragonhide, and when she’s not in the Market, she can often be found selling her goods in Graywall.

Sar Saeran

the dao is the finest weaponsmith in Fernia. Sometimes he has goods for sale, but he also comes to the Market to discuss commissions.

Mazalene

is the Dominion of Rumors, and she only trades in kind. Anyone who has a particularly interesting story to share with her can get an intriguing—and possibly true— tale from this angel.

The Hoard

is the storefront of the ancient gold dragon Halazaryx, who settled in Syrania after some differences of opinion with the Conclave of Argonnessen. Hal has a collection of interesting relics tied to historical figures in Khorvaire, and is always interested in trading for items that have fascinating stories.

Lady Ash

is a githyanki merchant who sells the plunder claimed by her city-ship, Zaeran’s Sword. Her goods depend on the Sword’s most recent target.

Bor’ob

is a slaadi merchant specializing in extradimensional spaces: bags of holding, handy haversacks, and the like. He’s usually a gray slaad, but it varies from week to week.

Slade

is the Dominion of Music. They craft and play magical instruments, and may be willing to sell an instrument, a song, or a performance.

Immeasurable Currencies

Angel Tears.

These translucent coins are one of the only active currencies in the Immeasurable Market. They’re produced by the Throne of Commerce and honored by most dominions and virtues. For simplicity’s sake, they could be assigned a value in gold pieces, so a Dominion might pay adventurers 100 gp in angel tears for a minor service. These are useful when you want to buy a drink at the tavern without selling your soul.

Dragonshards.

Dragonshards are unique to Eberron, and there are merchants who take a great interest in them—especially Khyber dragonshards, which can be used to bind spirits.

Luck.

Some merchants literally let you spend your fortune. Luck is measured in “dice.” Each die you spend allows the DM to give you disadvantage on a future d20 roll of their choosing. So if you spend five dice to acquire an item, that’s five difficult rolls in your future.

Trade Goods.

Many merchants are primarily interested in things they can resell. What’s valuable to an immortal may not seem valuable to a mortal; an item that is unique or has emotional significance may have value to an Immeasurable merchant even if it doesn’t do anything. So it’s possible a treasured trinket holds more trade value than a legendary magic item.

Odd Organs.

Some merchants like to deal in the body parts of unusual creatures—unicorn horns, a dragon’s heart, a demon’s eye. They may be willing to sell something on the promise of future delivery, but there’s usually a fixed time to complete the transaction.

Services.

Merchants may well barter goods in exchange for a promise of service, either immediately or to be performed in the future. Remember that oaths sworn in the Market carry great weight; those who break a vow can end up facing a tribunal in Daanvi.

A Song.

This doesn’t have to literally be a song, but there are merchants who trade goods in exchange for a performance of some sort. Usually this is about quality; they’ll sell you the dagger for a song, but it needs to be an epic performance.

A Soul.

These aren’t a common form of currency, but some immortals trade in souls . . . if not your own, this is usually about promising to kill someone! A soul traded in this way becomes the possession of the immortal upon death instead of it going to Dolurrh; this eliminates any possibility of resurrection unless the soul is reclaimed.