City of Lamps

Known by many names including Ljosgardt, Lukhnopolis, and As’iskurtu, this realm is experienced as a great stone city perpetually cloaked by night, over which watch constellations of stars entirely unlike those seen in the material world. The climate is balmy and comfortable, with only the faintest of breezes stirring the darkness. Quite how large the city might be is unclear, and the vast majority of it is believed to be uninhabited. The shades of the dead tend to gather in certain areas in which are found the “lamps”, or “lanterns” from which the city gets its name. These lanterns are visible as orbs of soft, warm light, said to possess a rudimentary intelligence and be broadly benevolent in nature; they will follow the requests of any that give them, but if left to their own devices will tend to imprint upon a passing being and follow them for a time. The imprinting of such a lantern is sufficient to provide all the sustenance that a being might need in order to survive quite comfortably, and the lanterns are capable of conjuring simple objects when requested to do so.
The City of Lamps is by and large a place of quiet contemplation, in which a desire towards introspection and meditation on the mysteries of the universe seems to come naturally. Violence is practically unthinkable, and great compassion towards others is an almost universal sentiment. It is said that some of the greatest sages and philosophers of the past dwell within, and that the most sublime wisdom of ages might be found in this place. There are no widely-attested psychopomps who take souls to the City of Lamps - rather, it is said to be a place that one must will oneself towards.
The original inhabitants of the City of Lamps are generally referred to as the “Erudite Ones”, or simply as the Erudite; the name which they give themselves is unknown. These creatures appear as tall, slender winged humanoids with orange-red skin, under which the faint flicker of flames can be seen; they lack facial features save for a great number of eyes, and have tentacle-like protrusions in place of hair. Eerily silent, the erudite communicate by gesture and by telepathy, and even with these methods they tend to be taciturn in the extreme. The erudite are solitary by nature, and do not seek out the company of shades or their own kind; rather, they are sometimes found wandering the darkened streets of the city in silent thought, accompanied by a number of lanterns.

Alternative Name(s)

Ljosgardt, Lukhnopolis, As’iskurtu

Type

Dimensional plane