Ethereal Mists

In eons past, the Ethereal Mists, or the Realm of Lost Souls, was a realm of infinite mists dominated by thick fog and an air of unknowable mystery. However, in the less distant past, a new manner of creature came to inhabit the plane and transformed it into what it is today. Now, the realm is dotted with monolithic structures in various states of decay and ruin. Each structure, known as an Arbitrarius, operates under its own rules and is filled with beings known only as Mediators.

Ethereal Outskirts

The Ethereal Outskirts is what most people think of when they try to imagine the plane. It is a seemingly endless expanse of fog and mystery. This is the part of the Ethereal Mists where adventurers and mages usually end up should they attempt to pierce the veil. This border is known to overlap with other planes in certain places, including the Material, Wyldshade, and Elemental Tides, allowing for easy contact with the denizens of the other side, or even passage between realities. Although the Ethereal Outskirts seems lifeless at first glance, a slim few interesting creatures dwell within its misty depths.

Crawling Fog

One such creature is called "Crawling Fog." This entity has no consistent form and appears as nothing more than a swirling cloud of darkness that moves slowly through the mists at the edges of the Ethereal Mists. Although disconcerting and unsettling, it does not hunt or seek to do harm.
At first, the Crawling Fog may seem harmless. However, upon approach, faces and voices emerge from the mist, speaking words that no living creature can understand. If one attempts to comprehend them, they may find themselves utterly entranced by the concept of death and mortality and risk being pulled into the fog, never to be seen again. This entity is the product of mass murder. The souls of those killed too quickly in one location, especially by dark magic, tend to gather together and become one with the Crawling Fog without the careful guidance of the Mediators.

The Veiled Ethereal

"Getting to the Veiled Ethereal is not a challenge, even for those without magical talent. You just have to die."
-Addendum by Archivist Rowan Caelan

Past the Ethereal Outskirts is a vast region of nothingness called the Veiled Ethereal. This expanse is rarely traveled by the living. Even the most adventurous seekers of knowledge are hesitant to consider a trip too far into the utterly alien landscape of the intangible. Across this region, you can find a number of different structures, from the simple and elegant to the bizarre and grotesque. Known as Arbitrarii, each of these structures are unique and operate under different rule sets. They are populated by beings known only as Mediators, whose purpose is to judge the dead.

Judging the Dead

The plane is almost entirely devoted to sending souls to the afterlife they have earned. In many cases, the decision is straightforward. If the person lived a good life, they pass into an unknown that none have returned from. If a person could be deemed evil, they are sent to the Netherworlds. If the Mediator cannot come to a satisfactory conclusion, they are sent to another Mediator for a fresh perspective.
The Mediators' purpose, is to decide, one at a time, where each soul will go. Some may judge the dead merely by examining their deeds in life and sending them on their way; others may go through a complex series of interviews and courts, slowly narrowing down the proper place for a soul. In many cases, there is an unexpected degree of persuasion allowed. Some can successfully convince Mediators to send them to one afterlife over the other. However, most of these Arbitrarii are bureaucratic in nature, with copious restrictions and protocols for every conceivable scenario.
This is not to say that every judgment is fair. In fact, the frequency of their 'mistakes' has increased along with the population of T'bet Dal. As such, the Arbitrarii either compromise on the quality of their rulings, invent new ways to judge souls in an expedient manner, or simply take a long time.

The Sovereign of Dust

Although it's almost imperceptible, there is a being that "rules" over the Ethereal. Known only as The Sovereign of Dust, this being seems capable of manifesting anywhere in the Ethereal Mists, usually doing so as a colossal spiked cliff with a smiling face. It is unknown if it chooses to appear this way, or if this is what it actually looks like. This is hard to determine, considering those who have glimpsed the entity often have their souls ripped from their bodies and sent to be judged without a hint of resistance.
In spite of the Sovereign's power, it does not have an army. It does not need one. The Sovereign of Dust is the final arbiter of souls in the Ethereal Mists, and whatever it wishes, it will do. The Sovereign does not have the habit of making itself known to the living and seems not to need or desire the prayers of mortals like the Prime Hieron. As such, aside from the Mediators of the Ethereal Mists, the Sovereign has no known followers.

Type

Dimensional plane

Owner/Ruler

The Sovereign of Dust