Mount Celestia

Mount Celestia, also known by its full name as the Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia or just the Seven Heavens, is a plane of absolute law and goodness steeped in mercy. This plane is located in the Outer Plane and is the home of archons, paladins, clerics, and pilgrims. There are, as its name implies, seven layers that make up this plane, each one rising higher and higher along a singular mountain, or mountains depending on the edition, until a pilgrim reaches the summit, and the seventh layer.
The layers, in ascending order, are Lunia, Mercuria, Venya, Solania, Mertion, Jovar, and Chronias. Much is known about the lower layers of Mount Celestia, with little information known about the higher layers like Mertion and Jovar, and nothing is known about Chronias for only the truly pure of heart can ever enter this layer, and they never come back down. Pilgrims from all over come to this plane to make the hard journey up the mountain’s slopes, as they ascend the mountain, they pass on to the next layer, but only if they are worthy of passing on. As you climb this mountain, you must become more and more pure, pushing out chaos and evil, for only the best may ever journey up through the layers.

Ecosystem

An Outsider’s Perspective
Journeying to this plane are the pilgrims and paladins who seek to make themselves worthy of ascendancy. These travelers are lawful good or at least are working towards that.
Due to the many layers of this plane, there can be a variety of reasons for coming here beyond seeking purity of body and spirit. The second layer, Mecuria, is the eternal resting place for the knights of good, they rest here for eternity as examples to those who come after of bravery, mercy, and valor; their deeds are carved into their tombs. On the third layer, Venya, are the Green Fields, beautiful and verdant fields of the halflings. On this layer, they tend to their farms and live an idyllic life, their lives filled with the joy of being close to their deity. The fourth layer, Mertion, contains the forges of a great dwarven god, this layer is devoted to crafting the finest weapons and it is said that this dwarven god creates every dwarf in his forges.
A Native’s Perspective Planes of Law, 1995 TSR Inc. Planes of Law, 1995 TSR Inc.
Inhabitants of Mount Celestia are mainly the archons, these are the petitioners of Mount Celestia and they are on a spiritual journey after their death on The Material Plane, or anywhere else on the plane. They form as small orbs of light, known as lanterns, and they begin their journey at the bottom layer, Lunia. As the archon progresses on their physical, and spiritual, journey, they change their forms from lantern archons to hound, sword, and tome archon. A petitioner's goal is to become a hound or better and eventually become one with this plane, this process takes eons to accomplish.
Of course, archons aren’t the only inhabitants on this plane, though they do represent the goal of many and what many are striving for. The halflings, on the third layer known as Venya, reside in a section of that layer known as the Green Fields. Here they live an idyllic life, the land is lush and fertile, the animals that live there are no more dangerous than moles, badgers, and rabbits. The halflings rarely ever leave their small villages, the only reason most would ever leave if it was in defense of their home from invaders.
On the fifth layer, known as Mertion, are the paladins, sword archons, devas, and warriors of Mount Celestia. This is the marshaling grounds where the forces of good and law pray in the morning, practice their fighting throughout the day, and then pray at night before falling asleep. These warriors are in constant training for there will be a day when they are called on to defend Mount Celestia from a demonic invasion or the primordials will rise again or the Blood War will visit this plane. Their training is about the protection of the forces of goodness, law, and mercy, their holy mission is to protect Mount Celestia.
All the inhabitants are trusting and good, though that doesn’t mean that they are naive. Most like to believe that those who visit this plane are virtuous and in many cities, there are no locks. Guards still patrol the cities, with some of the newer guards looking to prove themselves and being quick to question anyone they see as suspicious.
Atmosphere Mount Celestia, regardless if it is a singular mountain or seven mountains, has the typical atmosphere found on a mountain. The bottom layer, Lunia, has the normal atmosphere that most are used too. The higher you climb up the mountain(s), and each layer, the less oxygen is present and thus on even the second layer, Mercuria, many pilgrims become giddy and must acclimate to the mountainous climate. As you continue climbing higher and higher up the mountain, you must keep acclimating to the higher regions, though there are no layers that aren’t hospitable.
The weather of Mount Celestia is always nice, with bright shining days consisting of golden or silver light. This light is typically radiated from the mountains or clouds themselves and ebb and flow in brightness throughout the day. Though the bottom-most layer, Lunia, is in perpetual night time, its stars and moon radiate enough silver light for most to be able to see perfectly fine. When it rains, it is no harder than a sunshower, though on the fourth layer of Solania, sometimes the dwarven god causes great and horrible storms.

Tourism

Travel to the Plane Visitors to this plane can arrive in a variety of ways. Drifting through the Astral Sea, you can move through a gold color pool, you could travel from Arcadia or Bytopia through a portal, or use a spell to bring you here. Regardless of how you travel to this plane, you arrive in the same location, the shallow surf of the ocean that surrounds the lowest level of this plane. This ocean is freshwater and is home to a variety of species of fish, sea elves, coral reefs, giant oysters, dolphins, and more. While it isn’t unheard of for the unaware to drown in this ocean, the inhabitants of the ocean will help any who fall into the ocean and begin drowning, unless they are given good reason to not help.
Traversing the Plane
Traversing this plane is just as easy as climbing a mountain, though there are footpaths everywhere as well as gleaming white citadels, cities, and fortifications. Pilgrims from all over can be found walking up and down these paths, searching for the portals that will take them from one layer to the next, and while many of these portals exist physically, they can only be used when you are spiritually ready.
Climbing from one layer to the next isn’t nearly as easy as climbing from the bottom of one layer to the top of it. You must go on a personal pilgrimage to purify yourself, for only those who can pass the tribulations and spiritual tests can ever fully ascend to the next layer. Many find this a difficult proposition, especially after ascending to the fourth and fifth levels where only the purest can ever ascend to the next level. And it isn’t just the pilgrims who have traveled here who must undergo these spiritual tests, but also the petitioners, the archons, who travel across this plane searching to ascend not only to the next level but also to the next form of archon and to become one with this plane.
The physical conditions of this plane vary greatly depending on what layer you are currently traversing across. Pilgrims must be aware of rock slides, deal with muddy footpaths where the mud is several feet deep and worse. Deep valleys cut across the mountains, and finding a path up a sheer cliff can be incredibly dangerous and difficult. If you are under the protection of the archons, they can help guide you safely up many of these dangerous areas.
The Paths
There are a wide variety of paths that an archon and a pilgrim can take when venturing up the Mount Celestia, and it isn’t just physical. If a pilgrim so chooses, they can follow a spiritual path where they give themselves over to a set ideology and must continue to follow that ideology as they move up the layers, while they are following this path they gain boons that are focused towards their path and lantern archons watch over them as they climb the mountain. If they break from their path, it means that they are no longer being watched over and they lose their boons, and while they can still travel across the plane, they must fend for themselves and it is much more dangerous.
Archons are different, archons must follow a path and they can not leave that path or become an outcast, a fallen archon. While lantern archons have more leeway than other archons, as they are typically treated like children who do something wrong, it is expected that archons are always pushing themselves to become pure.
One of the paths that an archon or pilgrim might take is the Eightfold Path which emphasizes patience, pacifism, courage, joy, discipline, generosity, kindness, and teaching others. As a way to help them follow this path, they are given a boon to their Charisma, allowing them to be more helpful and pleasant to those they meet.

Type

Plane of Existence

Location under

Upper Planes