Mount Celestia
Encyclopedia
In Dungeons & Dragons
, the fantasy
role-playing game
, Mount Celestia or more fully, the Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia, or even the Seven Heavens is a lawful good-aligned plane
of existence. It is one of a number of alignment-based Outer Plane
s that form part of the standard Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) cosmology, used in the Planescape
, Greyhawk
and some editions of the Forgotten Realms
campaign settings.
s, the petitioner
s of this plane.
; travel is possible between Celestia and these planes at certain locations.
and beautiful shining cities of white stone. The Silver Sea itself is pure freshwater, not salt, filled with many aquatic life forms. Numerous portals to other planes connect near to the shores, the masses of holy water acting as an effective deterrent to evil outsiders
. The sky above Lunia is perpetually dark, filled with beautiful constellations of silver stars bright enough to illuminate the base of the mountain. Innocence is the theme here.
Lunia is the location of a number of godly realms, including Tyr's secondary realm of The Court, Brihaspati's realm of Nectar of Life, and the Shichifukujin's realm of The Eight Happinesses. Trishina
can be found wandering on Lunia when not with her consort, Deep Sashelas
.
Lunia is ruled over by the archon Barachiel, the patron of trumpet archons, whose Citadel of Stars sits on the shores of the Silver Sea. Barachiel is charged with defending Celestia from incursion, a task which, even on this lowest and most accessible layer, he rarely has to act upon.
The palace of the good dragon deity Bahamut
moves about the first four layers of Celestia. It is made entirely from Bahamut's enormous treasure hoard, with walls made of mithral
and windows composed of huge gemstones. Inside, seven great wyrms closely guard the huge hoard of amassed treasure.
Mercuria is the location of a number of godly realms, including the god Rao
's realm of Sweet Reason, Torm
's realm of Trueheart, Surya and Mitra's realm of Goldfire, Vishnu's realm of The Divine Lotus, and Amaterasu's realm of Radiant Light.
Mercuria is ruled over by the sword-wielding Domiel from the Golden Spire of Aurilon, a 400 feet (121.9 m) golden tower in the midst of a valley fed by four rivers.
The Green Hills, a separate plane in the 3rd-Edition Forgotten Realms
cosmology is located on Venya. It is a place of safety for the many halfling
s that live here; their crops always give plentiful harvests and there are no large predators to speak of. It is also home to the halfling
deity
Yondalla
, and other members of the halfling pantheon (Arvoreen
and Cyrrollalee
).
The Fields of Glory are the realm of Heironeous
, the deity
of justice
and valor.
Erathaol the Seer, an incredibly handsome archon with subtle masculine features, governs Venya from his underwater library-fortress of Xiranthador. Within its pearl-lined halls are said to lie more tomes of knowledge than can be read in a thousand lifetimes.
and magnificent cathedral
s. Many of the slopes are rich in precious ore
s and minerals and are mined by populations of dwarves that reside there.
A vast dwarven mansion called Erackinor is located on the slopes of Solania, where the dwarven deity Moradin
makes his domain, with his wife Berronar Truesilver
. Here exists the giant Soul Forges, that Moradin is said to use to temper the spirits of his people.
Solania is the location of a number of other godly realms, including the couatl
deity Jazirian
's realm of Uroboros, the Gates of Wisdom, Paladine's realm of The Dome of Creation, Chung Kuel's realm of The Ministry of Virtue, Kuan Yin's realm of The Lotus Garden.
Pistis Sophia, called the Ascetic due to her monk
like tendencies, holds no abode but travels the misty hills of her layer, helping out all who greet her along the way.
s. The many great citadel
s that dot the layer are the mustering grounds for forces of paladins
and celestial creatures.
The City of Tempered Souls, Empyrea is located on the edge of a cold mountain lake
. It is known to host many magical fountain
s with powerful healing properties, as well as many hospitals and expert healers.
Raziel, known to his peers as the Firestar for his judicious wrath, rules Mertion from Empyrea. As the patron of paladins and warriors, he holds no permanent fortress but can be found in any of the city's many hospitals and infirmaries, providing spiritual guidance and protection to the clerics and patients within.
Yetsirah, The Heavenly City is a huge seven-layered ziggurat
, with a large staircase on each face connecting the terraces of each layer. The stones that make up the city are made of precious gemstones, similar to those seen around the surrounding hills. On the topmost terrace is the bridge of al-Sihal, formed of pure light
. Here lies the portal to the topmost layer of Celestia, Chronias; the bridge of sheer blinding light known as the Bridge of al-Sihal is guarded by one of the mightiest of the solar named Xerona who allows those who are righteous and good to pass.
Yetsirah and all of Jovar is ruled over by Sealtiel the Defender. Sealtiel commands one of the most impressive standing armies in the Heavens from his fortress of Pax Exaltea, and is charged with preventing impure beings from reaching the uppermost layer of Celestia.
It is thought to be the ultimate goal of the inhabitants of Celestia to ascend the layers one by one in order to reach Chronias, where their souls will join with the essence of the plane itself.
If anyone can even be said to rule in Chronias, that being would be Zaphkiel
. Zaphkiel is the mysterious ruler of the Hebdomad, and is the only one who has held his position since it was created; all other previous members having perished in combating fiends or gone on to join the essence of their planes. Zaphkiel embodies the "perfect good", and only the most righteous and exalted individuals can stand in his presence without being consumed. Zaphkiel is the patron of dead children and stillborn babies and watches over their spirits. Beyond this Zaphkiel's motivations and plans are unknowable, though it is known that he intends to make the planes as good as they can be, and only he can promote an archon into the Hebdomad.
's The Divine Comedy
, in the same way that the Nine Hells of Baator
are based on his Nine Circles of Hell.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
, the fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, Mount Celestia or more fully, the Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia, or even the Seven Heavens is a lawful good-aligned plane
Plane (Dungeons & Dragons)
The planes of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game constitutes the multiverse in which the game takes place.In the earliest versions of Dungeons & Dragons, the concept of the Inner, Ethereal, Prime Material, Astral and Outer Planes was introduced; at the time there were only four Inner Planes...
of existence. It is one of a number of alignment-based Outer Plane
Outer Plane
In the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons, an Outer Plane is one of a number of general types of planes of existence. They can also be referred to as godly planes, spiritual planes or divine planes. The Outer Planes are home to beings such as deities and otherworldly creatures such as...
s that form part of the standard Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) cosmology, used in the Planescape
Planescape
Planescape is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, originally designed by Zeb Cook. The Planescape setting was published in 1994...
, Greyhawk
Greyhawk
Greyhawk, also known as the World of Greyhawk, is a fictional world designed as a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
and some editions of the Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
campaign settings.
Description
Celestia is the ultimate in law and good. All aspects of Celestia are beautiful and perfect; it is where the souls of many creatures of lawful good alignment go to after death. It is home to numerous celestial creatures including various types of archonArchon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, archons are a type of creature from the Dungeons & Dragons role playing game. In 1st and 2nd edition, they are powerful lawful good creatures from the upper planes, and in 3rd edition they are celestials. These creatures are sent by higher powers...
s, the petitioner
Petitioner (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, a petitioner is the soul of a deceased mortal.-Publication history:The concept of the petitioner first appeared in second edition for the Planescape setting in the original Planescape Campaign Setting boxed set , and appeared throughout the...
s of this plane.
Structure
As an outer plane, Celestia is spatially infinite, further consisting of seven infinite layers (or sub-planes). The seven individual layers form a colossal (perhaps infinite) mountain that rises from an infinite sea of holy water on the bottommost layer, to the summit on the topmost layer. Ascending the mountain is analogous to travelling through subsequently higher or 'deeper' layers to the top. Each of the different layers consists of various beautiful mountainous environments becoming more breathtaking the higher the mountain is ascended. Celestia’s first (bottommost) layer shares borders with the neighbouring planes of the Peaceable Kingdoms of Arcadia and the Twin Paradises of BytopiaBytopia
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Bytopia, also known as the Twin Paradises or more fully, the Twin Paradises of Bytopia is a lawful good/neutral good aligned plane of existence...
; travel is possible between Celestia and these planes at certain locations.
Inhabitants
While Mount Celestia is home to all manner of goodly and lawful beings including solars, dragons, phoenix, asuras and hollyphaunts, as well as the souls of the good petitioners of the planes, its native inhabitants are the varied race of archons. The archons and all of Celestia are ruled over by the members of the Celestial Hebdomad; the ruling council of heaven. The Hebdomad deal with all matters relating to their plane, including dealing with the archons below, the souls of petitioners, goodly and lawful inhabitants of other planes and the defense of the weak and good and all of Celestia itself. The Hebdomad is ruled over by Zaphkiel from the illuminated plane of Chronias, the only remaining member of the seven original martyrs whose souls created the Hebdomad eons ago.Lunia
The lowest and first layer of Celestia is Lunia, also referred to as The Silver Heaven, due to its vast dark Silver Sea of holy waterHoly water
Holy water is water that, in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, Oriental Orthodoxy, and some other churches, has been sanctified by a priest for the purpose of baptism, the blessing of persons, places, and objects; or as a means of repelling evil.The use for baptism and...
and beautiful shining cities of white stone. The Silver Sea itself is pure freshwater, not salt, filled with many aquatic life forms. Numerous portals to other planes connect near to the shores, the masses of holy water acting as an effective deterrent to evil outsiders
Outsider (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, an outsider is a type of creature, or "creature type". Outsiders are at least partially composed of the essence of a plane other than the Prime Material Plane....
. The sky above Lunia is perpetually dark, filled with beautiful constellations of silver stars bright enough to illuminate the base of the mountain. Innocence is the theme here.
Lunia is the location of a number of godly realms, including Tyr's secondary realm of The Court, Brihaspati's realm of Nectar of Life, and the Shichifukujin's realm of The Eight Happinesses. Trishina
Trishina
In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Trishina is the dolphin deity of love, fidelity, the young, and play...
can be found wandering on Lunia when not with her consort, Deep Sashelas
Deep Sashelas
In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Deep Sashelas is the elf patron deity of aquatic elves. He is also a god of creation, knowledge, beauty, and magic...
.
Lunia is ruled over by the archon Barachiel, the patron of trumpet archons, whose Citadel of Stars sits on the shores of the Silver Sea. Barachiel is charged with defending Celestia from incursion, a task which, even on this lowest and most accessible layer, he rarely has to act upon.
Mercuria
The second layer, called Mercuria is also known as The Golden Heaven, so called because a mysterious golden light permeates everything within it. Gentle hills and lush green valleys comprise this layer, dotted with small settlements of archons and other good-aligned beings. Mercuria is known for its great tombs and monuments to noble fighters and paladins who now rest on this layer. These warriors are honoured during an annual Day of Memory.The palace of the good dragon deity Bahamut
Bahamut (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Bahamut is a powerful draconic deity, who has the same name as Bahamut from Arabic mythology....
moves about the first four layers of Celestia. It is made entirely from Bahamut's enormous treasure hoard, with walls made of mithral
Mithral
Mithral Inc. is an American company founded in 1995 by Adam L. Beberg. Mithral currently specializes in distributed systems and software infrastructure, but also has a history in security and web applications...
and windows composed of huge gemstones. Inside, seven great wyrms closely guard the huge hoard of amassed treasure.
Mercuria is the location of a number of godly realms, including the god Rao
Rao (Greyhawk)
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Rao is the Flan god of Peace, Reason, and Serenity. His holy symbol is a heart-shaped mask with a calm expression, or a simple white heart crafted of metal or wood...
's realm of Sweet Reason, Torm
Torm
Torm may refer to:* Dampskibsselskabet Torm, a shipping company* Torm , a fictional deity...
's realm of Trueheart, Surya and Mitra's realm of Goldfire, Vishnu's realm of The Divine Lotus, and Amaterasu's realm of Radiant Light.
Mercuria is ruled over by the sword-wielding Domiel from the Golden Spire of Aurilon, a 400 feet (121.9 m) golden tower in the midst of a valley fed by four rivers.
Venya
Venya, the third layer, is also known as The Pearly Heaven. This layer is somewhat colder than the previous two and its slopes are often seen covered with a gentle layer of snow. Peaceful brooks and carefully terraced fields are common on Venya.The Green Hills, a separate plane in the 3rd-Edition Forgotten Realms
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
cosmology is located on Venya. It is a place of safety for the many halfling
Halfling
Halfling is another name for J. R. R. Tolkien's Hobbit which can be a fictional race sometimes found in fantasy novels and games. In many settings, they are similar to humans except about half the size. Dungeons & Dragons began using the name halfling as an alternative to hobbit for legal reasons...
s that live here; their crops always give plentiful harvests and there are no large predators to speak of. It is also home to the halfling
Halfling
Halfling is another name for J. R. R. Tolkien's Hobbit which can be a fictional race sometimes found in fantasy novels and games. In many settings, they are similar to humans except about half the size. Dungeons & Dragons began using the name halfling as an alternative to hobbit for legal reasons...
deity
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
Yondalla
Yondalla
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Yondalla is the chief halfling goddess and a member of the game's 3rd edition "core pantheon". Her symbol is a shield with a cornucopia motif....
, and other members of the halfling pantheon (Arvoreen
Arvoreen
In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Arvoreen is the halfling deity of protection, vigilance, and war. He is also known as "The Defender."-Publication history:...
and Cyrrollalee
Cyrrollalee
In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Cyrrollalee is the halfling deity of Friendship, Trust, and the Home. Her symbol is an open door...
).
The Fields of Glory are the realm of Heironeous
Heironeous
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting and the default pantheon of deities for the third edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Heironeous is the Oeridian god of Chivalry, Justice, Honor, War, Daring, and Valor. His holy symbol is a silver lightning bolt, often clutched in a...
, the deity
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
of justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
and valor.
Erathaol the Seer, an incredibly handsome archon with subtle masculine features, governs Venya from his underwater library-fortress of Xiranthador. Within its pearl-lined halls are said to lie more tomes of knowledge than can be read in a thousand lifetimes.
Solania
Solania, the fourth layer, is also called The Crystal Heaven. Many valleys comprise Solania, covered with luminescent fogs and strange scents. The peaks are homes to numerous holy shrines, including monasteriesMonastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
and magnificent cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
s. Many of the slopes are rich in precious ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
s and minerals and are mined by populations of dwarves that reside there.
A vast dwarven mansion called Erackinor is located on the slopes of Solania, where the dwarven deity Moradin
Moradin
Moradin is the chief deity in the dwarven pantheon in the Dungeons & Dragons game and is a member of the default D&D pantheon. Moradin's domains are Creation, Earth, Good, Law, and Protection. His titles include Soul Forger, Dwarffather, the All-Father, and the Creator...
makes his domain, with his wife Berronar Truesilver
Berronar Truesilver
In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Berronar Truesilver is the dwarf goddess of Safety, Truth, Home, and Healing.-Publication history:...
. Here exists the giant Soul Forges, that Moradin is said to use to temper the spirits of his people.
Solania is the location of a number of other godly realms, including the couatl
Couatl
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the couatl is a large serpentine creature, and in 3rd edition is considered a native outsider.-Publication history:...
deity Jazirian
Jazirian
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Jazirian is the couatl deity of Community, Peace, Learning, and Parenthood. The couatls believe Jazirian to be the embodiment of supreme purpose and fate, the invisible force that moves the strings upon which all other gods move...
's realm of Uroboros, the Gates of Wisdom, Paladine's realm of The Dome of Creation, Chung Kuel's realm of The Ministry of Virtue, Kuan Yin's realm of The Lotus Garden.
Pistis Sophia, called the Ascetic due to her monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
like tendencies, holds no abode but travels the misty hills of her layer, helping out all who greet her along the way.
Mertion
Mertion, The Platinum Heaven, is a layer of gentle slopes and wide plainPlain
In geography, a plain is land with relatively low relief, that is flat or gently rolling. Prairies and steppes are types of plains, and the archetype for a plain is often thought of as a grassland, but plains in their natural state may also be covered in shrublands, woodland and forest, or...
s. The many great citadel
Citadel
A citadel is a fortress for protecting a town, sometimes incorporating a castle. The term derives from the same Latin root as the word "city", civis, meaning citizen....
s that dot the layer are the mustering grounds for forces of paladins
Paladin (Dungeons & Dragons)
The paladin is one of the standard playable character classes in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The paladin is a holy knight, crusading in the name of good and order, and is a divine spellcaster...
and celestial creatures.
The City of Tempered Souls, Empyrea is located on the edge of a cold mountain lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
. It is known to host many magical fountain
Fountain
A fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
s with powerful healing properties, as well as many hospitals and expert healers.
Raziel, known to his peers as the Firestar for his judicious wrath, rules Mertion from Empyrea. As the patron of paladins and warriors, he holds no permanent fortress but can be found in any of the city's many hospitals and infirmaries, providing spiritual guidance and protection to the clerics and patients within.
Jovar
The sixth layer, Jovar, is The Glittering Heaven. Its hills are studded with precious gemstones that glitter in the light.Yetsirah, The Heavenly City is a huge seven-layered ziggurat
Ziggurat
Ziggurats were massive structures built in the ancient Mesopotamian valley and western Iranian plateau, having the form of a terraced step pyramid of successively receding stories or levels.Notable ziggurats include the Great Ziggurat of Ur near Nasiriyah, Iraq; the Ziggurat of Aqar Quf near...
, with a large staircase on each face connecting the terraces of each layer. The stones that make up the city are made of precious gemstones, similar to those seen around the surrounding hills. On the topmost terrace is the bridge of al-Sihal, formed of pure light
Light
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye, and is responsible for the sense of sight. Visible light has wavelength in a range from about 380 nanometres to about 740 nm, with a frequency range of about 405 THz to 790 THz...
. Here lies the portal to the topmost layer of Celestia, Chronias; the bridge of sheer blinding light known as the Bridge of al-Sihal is guarded by one of the mightiest of the solar named Xerona who allows those who are righteous and good to pass.
Yetsirah and all of Jovar is ruled over by Sealtiel the Defender. Sealtiel commands one of the most impressive standing armies in the Heavens from his fortress of Pax Exaltea, and is charged with preventing impure beings from reaching the uppermost layer of Celestia.
Chronias
Chronias is the topmost and final layer of Celestia, also called The Illuminated Heaven. There is no real account or description of Chronias, as no entity that has entered has ever returned.It is thought to be the ultimate goal of the inhabitants of Celestia to ascend the layers one by one in order to reach Chronias, where their souls will join with the essence of the plane itself.
If anyone can even be said to rule in Chronias, that being would be Zaphkiel
Tzaphqiel
Tzaphqiel is the Archangel of Binah on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, ruled by the name IHVH Elohim and ruling the angelic choir Aralim. Binah is the supreme feminine aspect in Kabbalah and Tzaphqiel is its representative in the world of Briah...
. Zaphkiel is the mysterious ruler of the Hebdomad, and is the only one who has held his position since it was created; all other previous members having perished in combating fiends or gone on to join the essence of their planes. Zaphkiel embodies the "perfect good", and only the most righteous and exalted individuals can stand in his presence without being consumed. Zaphkiel is the patron of dead children and stillborn babies and watches over their spirits. Beyond this Zaphkiel's motivations and plans are unknowable, though it is known that he intends to make the planes as good as they can be, and only he can promote an archon into the Hebdomad.
Fourth edition
In the fourth edition of Dungeons & Dragons, Mount Celestia is known as Celestia, the Radiant Throne. Celestia is the dominion of Bahamut, Kord, Moradin and their exarchs. Instead of a single mountain, Celestia takes the form of a "range of seven mountains that runs about 120 miles and reaches a height of 10 miles and is surrounded by a narrow sea." The peaks, in ascending order, are Venya (the haunt of Kord), Solania (where Moradin keeps his forge), Mertion (Bahamut's dwelling), Jusor, Fulghen, Perantia and Chronias. The exalted of the three gods engage in a series of war exercises, the Game of Mountains."Historical influences
The Seven Heavens are loosely based on the Nine Spheres of Heaven (skipping the Seventh Sphere and combining the Eighth and Ninth) in DanteDANTE
Delivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe is a not-for-profit organisation that plans, builds and operates the international networks that interconnect the various national research and education networks in Europe and surrounding regions...
's The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy
The Divine Comedy is an epic poem written by Dante Alighieri between 1308 and his death in 1321. It is widely considered the preeminent work of Italian literature, and is seen as one of the greatest works of world literature...
, in the same way that the Nine Hells of Baator
Baator
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, Baator, also known as the Nine Hells of Baator or the Nine Hells, is a lawful evil-aligned plane of existence...
are based on his Nine Circles of Hell.