The Fields of Mourning
The Fields of Mourning stand at the shores of the River Styx. It is for those whose connections to others who are still alive or are in a different afterlife can stay to linger with their connections.
Phlegyas by Jarhed
Looking into the River Styx, one can communicate with someone in another afterlife, on one condition: that person must want to speak to them as well. Due to this, one will often find in the Fields of Mourning, hunched over figures crowding around the banks of the River Styx. Often, it becomes difficult to disembark onto the shores because of the crowds, begging for a word with those they love, for one last bit of communication.
The Asphodel Meadows
The Asphodel Meadows are said to be the location where most souls of Morrigan's followers go. They are vast, sprawling, rocky fields where a thriving civilization of souls can be found. It is no perfect society, but it is said to be much more of a paradise than that of the
Korvian City. After all, there are no nobles, no real class. It is run by an old Korvian warrior who became one of Morrigan's great angels: Phlegyas.
Phlegyas is said to be trapped under a rock which stands at the center of the Asphodel Meadows, however it is believed that in times of crisis, he will be freed and will come to the aid of the souls of the Asphodel Meadows. After all, his great heroic tale is of a man imprisoned by the Orcs who found a way to free himself and save the Korvian City at the cost of his own life. In life he was called Slammer. In death, he became Phlegyas the Angel.
The Asphodel Meadows themselves are a warrior society who fight to maintain their lives even in death. They battle each other to train so that they can be prepared for any threat to Heaven. In this way, they can preserve their deaths and not have their souls erased permanently. Many actually compare this land, despite its majority being Korvians, to that of the Orcs on Totania. The very enemies of the Korvian people.
The Lethe
The Lethe is a lake, also known as the Lake of Oblivion, which serves as the source of the River Styx. It is said that if one were to drink in its pure, undiluted water, they would forget their mortal lives, thinking they were always in the Elysium Fields, and that this was their only life.
Morrigan is said to give this water specifically to those who led lives of evil or crime. This is fairly common for Korvian nobles and, therefore, they forget the lives of greed and evil they led on Totania and believe themselves only to be poor souls wandering the Elysium Fields.
The Lethe splits off into a few other bodies of water, which dilute its properties into others. Of course, the main one is the River Styx. The others include the Acheron, the Cocytus, and the Phlegethon.
The Acheron River
A similar river to the Styx, Acheron flows throughout all of the Elysium Fields. It is said to be the flow of the tears of all the dead and those who mourn for them. Touching it will bring unbearable sadness, and drinking it or submerging oneself in it is said to bring depression.
The Cocytus Whirlpool
The Cocytus Whirlpool is said to be guarded by a group of chained Ice Giants: the first followers of Morrigan, before even the Korvians existed. One of them is unchained, and is said to walk around the whirlpool, as his feet hit the very bottom. He sweeps up those who fall in, deciding either if they should be tossed back onto the shores, or instead thrown into the center.
Divine by Jarhed
If one were to go to the center, they would find Morrigan's first Head Priest: A Devil named Divine. A man who sought to become a God, and was sated with a part of Heaven by Morrigan to quell his ambition. Those deemed hateful or evil are given to Divine to judge.
Divine
Divine is said to have six eyes, many of which he hides beneath his hand or his clothes. His hands are also said to have mouths, which he uses to eat sinners, chewing on their bodies for all eternity.
The Phlegethon
The Phlegethon is a river that is constantly on fire. No one is sure exactly how the water itself burns, with some believing it to be some kind of liquid other than water. However, all accounts do claim it to be water.
It is said that the flames come from Hell, and thus it is believed there is some connection to the Phlegethon and Hell. Morrigan and
Satanael, however, both refute this claim.
Elysium Palace
An island at the very end of the River Styx, in the center of the Lake of Oblivion. Around the palace, the Korvian noble spirits are taken. Those who mistreated the poor or the weak have their memories wiped, while the truly noble are allowed to live normally. Due to this, many Korvian nobles dream of Elysium, not knowing what may happen to them.
Within the decadent palace, one can find Morrigan herself, watching fate as it plays out, playing with death, and preparing for the ultimate doom of everything. It is said to be a terrifying but beautiful place known as Death's Palace.
Cultural Impact
Korvians have very short lifespans, and therefore with Morrigan as the major religion in their land, many Korvians often have their minds on the Elysian Fields, and therefore much Korvians art and culture is centered around the transition between Totania and the Elysian Fields.
The Black Orb
One major cultural mark of the Elysian Fields is that of Charon's Black Orb, which tells the histories of all who enter, and where they are to go after they've died. Many use the phrase "Your name is in the black orb." to say that one is dying soon or has trouble coming. Often when someone is about to undertake a dangerous task, quest, or journey, this phrase or a variation of warning such as "Don't go putting your name in the black orb" will be used.
Promises
Alongside this, when making a promise, some people swear by the River Styx, as it means to break ones promise is to cross over it and, therefore, die. This promise is not magically binding, but it shows devotion to ones own promise at the cost of their own death if they were to break it.
Forgetfulness
Many say the phrase "I wish I could drink from the Lethe" after seeing or hearing something they wish they could forget. To "Sip from Oblivion" is to have a fresh start, where all prior connections are washed away. This is common for those who move far from where they grew up, such as someone who moves from
Aurilet to
Martinau.
When someone is forgetful or forgets things often enough, they are said to be "A Nereid of the Lethe" implying they live under the waters of the Lake of Oblivion and, therefore, breathe in water that makes them forget things.
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