The Gates

The blood that was covering your eyes (and a great deal of the rest of you) dripped away, quickly removing itself from your body as it slid onto the ground. Some remained upon your corneas but you instinctively wiped it away to see one of your comrades lying about mostly unmoving though still alive. You saw that you were on a path...and that the sun, though obscured by beige-pink clouds, was up and shining the lovely light of day upon you, gently illuminating this new world you’ve found yourselves in as beams of sunlight managed to pierce through the cumulus pinkish-beige clouds. The childlike wonder and joy that this inspired was quickly cut short as you were not only reminded of your objectives but of your injured companion. You saw Namina was propped up sideways against a nearby tree with garishly saturated blue and green leaves. Agave managed to get Namina stable, and that almost childlike sense of wonder returned as you realized that a lot of what you’re seeing are things you’ve seen for the very first time. A rather unusual sense of pure joy overcame you…though it was dampered significantly by the exhaustion brought about by the until-recently unrelenting journey through the maze. Grass of all sorts of colors was sprouting up tall out of the ground, and flowery bushes lined the path you’re currently on. To either side of you was a forest that the path seemed to run down the middle of. You didn't see any immediate signs of intelligent life in this pristine place besides your own friends, but you did hear the sound of an ax slowly chopping away at wood in the distance. The smell of blood slowly faded from your nostrils and was swiftly replaced with an incredibly aromatic collection of flowers from the plants around you. Your eyes were immediately drawn to various unusual plants nearby and a flock of green birds with vibrant, multi-colored tail feathers flew over the path from one side of the forest to the other.

Geography

Within The Gates there are a variety of biomes including Forests, Badlands, Grasslands, Tundra, Mountains, lakes, rivers, impossibly far drops into nothingness, and so on. Each Biome has different civilizations formed by spirits, fae, or even mortals. These societies have their own cultures and while most of them don't have a need for currency they do still have a system of bartering utilizing sentimental items, pretty things, information, or even just "stuff they're interested in." One society does have a use for currency though, and they tend to cause others to have that same interest just to acquire some of their wares.

Localized Phenomena

There are 10 Gates in this area: The Manufactured Gate, The Burning Gate, The Resonance Gate, The Rotting Gate, The Sturdy Gate, The Dying Gate, The Untethered Gate, The Torrential Gate,The Freezing Gate, and The Spiraling Gate. Each Gate has an impact on the area around it including emotional manifestations, environmental changes, higher density of certain spirits, powerful spirits, and, of course, the Gates themselves are portals to other portions of The Spirit World. Some gates are permanent structures while others are found through emotional distress, when certain environmental conditions are met, with rituals, or even through recipes!

Maps

The Gates
The primary location of the Spirit World which connects all the other layers. The Spiritual Tourism campaign mostly takes place in The Gates.