Mount Celestia

Mount Celestia

Alignment	Lawful Good
Number of layers	7
Associated Faction	None
Gate-Town	Excelsior
Inhabitants of Mount Celestia
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The Seven Heavens of Mount Celestia stand tall within the Upper Planes, the ultimate symbol of purification through struggle and trial. To many the source of all that is right, the Mount is such a symbol of Good that the very word "celestial" is derived from it, regardless of where the being truly calls its home. Many mortals, both those standing for justice and those seeking redemption through good works or personal trials, call the shores or slopes of Celestia home, in addition to the innumerous archons, angels, and other celestial beings that fill it from foot to peak.

Here, the watchword is "ascension". While Lunia is open to all that wish travel there, moving beyond the Silver Sea requires indulging oneself in rites of redemption, self-discovery, or other means by which a person better brings themselves closer to an inner peace and purity that the Mount truly represents. No matter how far a person climbs, they simply cannot reach a higher layer than Lunia without such acts, and the further one wishes to travel towards Chronias, the more difficult or the more personal this self-discovery becomes. There are many general paths of revelation that have been developed over the millennia, providing a known, if less personal, route: the Noble Eightfold Path, the Path of Valor, the Path of Renunciation, and the Path of Gnosis only some of the many paths towards enlightenment that exist about the Mount. But any method that achieves the same ends functions just as well to allow a person to ascend towards the summit.

Physical Conditions

Each layer is something of a paradise, though far from an easy one. Each of the layers of the Mount shines on the one below as a sun, beaming through the clouds unto the realm below. At the lowest layer, Lunia, the sweet waters of the Silver Sea lap at the shore, an entire ocean of holy water surrounding the peak, dotted with the occasional island here and there. The weather on the peak is usually mild, if slightly chilly, with just the right balance of rain, wind, snow, and sun; occasionally, though, harsher weather does strike at the Mount. Never without warning, and never without ample time to prepare, but even a place such as this cannot be ever perfect.

The lowest level is by far the most populated one, filled with smaller villages and larger towns devoted to one view or another of the pursuit of justice, enlightenment, or other such concepts. Perhaps as a result, small portals connecting to all manner of areas across the multiverse can be found dotting Lunia; so many so that many Primes end up confusing the Mount with Mount Olympus as a result. But mortal inhabitants can be found throughout the mountain; not all paths of enlightenment, after all, are devoted to the eventual reaching of Chronias, and many in the plane are perfectly happy to reach a chosen destination and settle there, wherever that may be and whatever personal truths it may bring them. The plane wishes only that its inhabitants find peace, whatever their specific outlook or desires; further encouraging this, all those on the Mount of either good, or of nonevil lawful alignment receive the benefits of a bless spell for the duration of their stay, bolstering their spirit against that that might otherwise bring them unease.

In keeping with the inner purification that paths towards enlightenment can bring, ascension through the layers of Celestia can bring bodily purification as well. Each layer above Lunia, when successfully reached, purges one ailment or another from those that arrive, ranging from simple poisons to the most tenacious of curses. While it may to some be a somewhat selfish reason, many come to Mount Celestia as a result to heal that which traditional methods or magics cannot; and indeed, many happen to find a spiritual restoration as a result alongside.

Magical Conditions

Abjuration	No change
Conjuration	Chaotic or evil mages cannot compel service from any summoned creature, regardless of their efforts. Creatures neither lawful nor good summoned to Mount Celestia can at times break from control, gaining a saving throw vs. spell to break free for every action in the name of Good they're forced to make.
Divination	All divinations on the mount are completely true, except where blocked by spells such as obscured alignments or a philter of glibness. The false results from these protections still seem entirely truthful, however.
Enchantment	No change
Evocation	No change
Illusion	No change
Necromancy	Life-enhancing necromantic spells are doubled in effectiveness in all respects - duration, range, area of effect, and end result. Spells intended to kill, however, are reversed, instead doubling the strength of their target for 24 hours. Hit Dice and damage dealt by the target are doubled, and their AC gains a +1 bonus.
Transmutation	No change
Elemental	Summoned elementals are soothed by the plane, serving willingly and with no chance to break free of control. Wild, directly destructive elemental magic fails completely here; no floods, earthquakes, or firestorms occur on the plane without the will of a deity behind them.

LG 0%	NG 10%	CG 30%
LN 10%	TN 30%	CN 60%
LE 30%	NE 60%	CE 90%

Beyond the above modifications, most magic works as intended on Mount Celestia, though a number of spells fail entirely. Most spells that encourage chaos, disruption, and evil cannot be cast here with any degree of success: these include, but are not limited to, blur, confusion, contagion, demand, enervation, fool's gold, misdirection, mislead, modify memory, and trap the soul.

Spellcasting ability is also restricted by the purity of spirit of the caster. Every step of the caster's alignment from lawful good incurs a cumulative 10% casting penalty, as shown on the table here. Even chaotic evil spellcasters here, though, do have a 10% chance of casting success, as to completely dissuade such casters from entering the Mount would be to dissuade them from turning from their path.

Spell Keys

Spell keys on the mount all take the form of metallic objects, the specific type of metal determining the level of spell they allow. The school allowed by the key is determined by the shape of the key, with each school having a unique shape representing it: hearts for necromancy, stars for conjurations, bowls for divination, circles for abjurations, cups for enchantments, wands for alterations, dust or filings for illusions, and blades or spikes for evocations. The metal must be pure (both literally and ritually) and untarnished, with great care taken to avoid corruption, or the key won't function. Spell keys also do not prevent the alignment-based chance for spell failure, as spiritual purity is as important as material purity on Mount Celestia.

Layers

• Lunia
• Mercuria
• Venya
• Solania
• Mertion
• Jovar
• Chronias

Powers

• Babylonian Pantheon
  • Girru - Fire
• Cerilian Pantheon
  • Haelyn - Noble war and leadership
• Chinese Pantheon
  • Chung Kuel - Truth and testing
  • Kuan Yin - Childbirth and mercy
• Dwarvish Pantheon
  • Berronar Truesilver - Safety, truth, home, and healing
  • Moradin - Creation and smithing
• Faerunian Pantheon
  • Torm - Duty and loyalty
  • Tyr - Justice
• Halfling Pantheon
  • Arvoreen - Protection, war, and vigilance
  • Cyrrollalee - Friendship, tryst, and home
  • Yondalla - Protection and fertility
• Indian Pantheon
  • Brihaspati - Wisdom and worship
  • Lakshmi - Fortune
  • Mitra - Friendship, contracts, warmth, light, and growth
  • Surya - Morning and evening
  • Vishnu - Mercy and light
• Japanese Pantheon
  • Amaterasu - Light and the sun
  • The Shichifukujin - Various happinesses
• Krynnish Pantheon
  • Paladine - Order, hope, light, rulership, and guardianship
• Oerthian Pantheon
  • Heironeous - Justice, honor, and war
  • Rao - Reason, intellect, and peace
• Other
  • Bahamut - Good dragons and wisdom
  • Jazirian - Couatl, community, peace, learning, and parenthood
  • Trishina

References

• Manual of the Planes, pp.132-136
• Planes of Law - Mount Celestia