Asphodel

"I have travelled to almost every realm imaginable, and yet none leaves you feeling quite so empty as Asphodel, the resting place of the neutral. The realm of the mediocre dead." ~Church Paratir, Grand Archivist of the Authenian Archives.

Mortal Opinion on Asphodel

Many mortals have come to accept that they will never see the beautiful splendor of Elysium, and acknowledge that the best fate they can wish for is to go to Asphodel after death. Though some hate the idea of being sent to the Realm of the Mediocre Dead, most acknowledge that it is a far better fate than being plunged into the depths of Tartarus. Those who go to Asphodel may not be able to obtain the endless joy and pleasure of Elysium, but it is possible to find peace in the realm, something that cannot be done by the tormented souls of Tartarus.

Geography

Asphodel is a realm of vast fields of sky blue grass, filled with white flowers. There is a mist that blankets much of the land, and the sky is bleak and grey. Floeing through Asphodel is the river Lethe, the river of forgetfulness. Those who drink from this river lose all their memories, and even their very identity. It is a rather solemn sight, lacking doom and hope alike.

Ecosystem

There are very few creatures within Asphodel, besides the souls of mortals. Most mortals create small towns within Asphodel to stave off loneliness, though some prefer to wander the endless blue fields. Those in Asphodel are the souls who lived uneventful lives, and because of this, many of the souls feel that they have wasted their mortal lives and as such they wish to correct this mistake in the afterlife. Many of the lost souls wage false wars with each other as a form of entertainment, as they know that they cannot die. Sometimes, battles of millions of dead souls can be seen in Asphodel, due to the fact that Asphodel is the most populated of all three afterlives.

"I visited Asphodel to see an old college of mine, and what did I find? He had gone and joined a war fought by millions of souls, all just to defeat their ultimate enemy: boredom." ~Church Paratir, Grand Archivist of the Authenian Archives.

Those that do not join the mock battles of the dead often join the towns and cities scattered throughout the realm. At these places, those in Asphodel spend much of their time in the company of others, or reading books. No one really performs any jobs in Asphodel, as no one has any need for food or drink, as they are undying. Some to retain their old jobs as a hobby, if they found their job entertaining, though this is rare.

Localized Phenomena

The passing of time is unnoticeable in Asphodel. There is no moon or sun ever in the sky, only the dreary grey clouds. It is unknown what it is that keeps Asphodel from being in pitch darkness, but somehow it is always bright enough to see.

Climate

There is a slight chill in the air as far as mortal visitors are concerned, but the dead hardly seem to notice. It rains rather frequently in Asphodel, though the winds are always calm.

Fauna & Flora

Asphodel Blossoms are small white flowers found all throughout the realm. Asphodel Blossoms are occasionally given as an offering Lord Hades. When significantly large amounts of these flowers are sacrificed to Lord Hades, he has been known to occassionally send shipments of luxury items from Elysium to Asphodel. Hades gives these flowers to the dead souls of worshippers of Dionysus in Elysium, as Asphodel Blossoms can be added to wine to improve the flavour.
Asphodelic Fireflies are a species of small fireflies spawned from the forgotten sorrows of those who have had a drink from river Lethe. They glow a vibrant blue, and are considered to be one of the few things that could make Asphodel be considered beautiful to some extent. They fly above river Lethe for the first few days of their life, and after that, they wander aimlessly throughout the infinite blue fields.
Mead Berries are small golden berries that taste of honey and contain alcohol. These berries are considered to be one of the only things in Asphodel to be worth eating. It is believed that the first of these berries was planted by Hermes himself on his first adventure to the Underworld, when he was still a child, if you believe the legend.
Earth Bread is a starchy, potato like root vegetable that can be found growing in the ground of Asphodel, particularly on hills. Normally rather tasteless, their natural flavour is brought out best by boiling it in water with a small amount of salt. It is believed that eating Earth Bread can help the body recover from exhaustion rather quickly, though their have been no tests to confirm this rumour.

Tourism

The only people who come to Asphodel that could possibly be considered a "tourist" would be the powerful spellcasters that occasionally visit the realm, which they do for various reasons. To speak to the inhabitants, to collect samples of the native flora and fauna and to take water from river Lethe.

Alternative Name(s)

The Lamenting Fields

Type

Plane of Existence

Owner/Ruler

Hades

Owning Organization

The Chthonic Gods