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The Realms:
The physical manifestation of a planet of rock and water and trees is only the central realm in the Ul-Zaorith tradition. What we would consider the "world" they recognize is but a small part of a greater system of connected levels of existence known as the Realms. In this tradition there are ten layers "below" or further towards the Huskline and ten layers "above" or closer to the Manna Weave that surround them. In certain hot spots where the Realms touch or gateways exist it is possible to slip from noe Realm to another. There are also portals and spells that enable travel through the Realms. Some races possess special abilities to commune with creatures from other Realms or actually travel to these other places. Each Realm has its own set of Laws of Existence. For instance, on the Earth Realm, things like gravity, cyclical seasons, balance of Husklnie and Manna Weave, the pattern of life, growth, death and other laws that we would consider 'givens' are in effect. These are not always so constant or compatable in other Realms. The Realms are listed below from most Huskline to most Manna Weave in alignment.
-10 ~ Tebbania (The Realm of the Unknown)
Tebbania has the least documented evidence as the least number of people have managed to make it there and return. Since the Fall of the Twins this journey is no longer possible. It is said to be a place of raw energy, the boundaries of the existence of Ul-Zaorith from the universe beyond.
-9 ~ Sutasia or The Üllen (The Realm of Chaos)
Actually, Sutasia was one of the first Realm contacted and plays a huge role in the Speritanian religions. Sutasia is basically raw Huskline with no governable laws but that of chaos. Everything is in permanent flux and transition.
-8 ~ Ekbasia (The Realm of the Damned)
Ekbasia is the Realm from whence hexes, curses, and the magics widely regarded as evil originate. It is said that such wealth of horrid power eminates from Ekbasia because it is here that souls are sent to be punished by deities who are displeased with followers who have failed them.
-7 ~ Minvathrian (The Realm of the Lost)
When one goes missing and no trace of them is ever found - such as those lost at sea, those abducted and never seen again, travelers who vanish en route and never reach their destination - have fallen into Minvathrian. Minvathrian is also notable for the near impossibility to escape from this Realm. Part of the difficulty is that while there are a fare few entrances into Minvathrian, there are no return Gates, so the only way to escape is to travel from there into another Realm - such as Ekbasia or Vuvaithon, and those Realms have a habit of devouring their visitors so that even should the Lost return they do not return the same being as when they left.
-6 ~ Vuvaithon (The Realm of the Grey)
Vuvaithon is the Realm of the Grey and is home to all those who hang in the half-life between life and death. Known as the Undead, the Unholy or Zombies, the Grey are something else entirely. The type of Grey creature they become varies, whereas some retain all semblance of functionality and appearances but lose their memories, others decay with every day they remain in a Realm other than Vuvaithon. There are even some who can return to the world of the living so long as they sacrifice some part of themselves. All the inhabitants of Vuvaithon are permanently forsaken by whatever Deities they might have followed once, as the touch of the holy - whether of Gods or Demons - is lethal to the creatures of the Grey who have fallen from the graces of the Domains of the Deities.
-5 ~ Tulorian (The Realm of the Ghosts)
Those who find their flesh and soul separated by death, magic, hex or misfortune wind up here. The inhabitants of Tulorian are those who either do not realize they are dead, have unfinished business or are waiting for something that will enable them to move on such as the fulfillment of a curse or the destruction of an artefact. Unlike the Grey, the Ghosts of Tulorian are watched over by their deities and awaited. While there is not a true passage of time in Tulorian, it comparitively seems like eons compared with the Earth Realm, and a few hours for the living seems an eternity to a Ghost.
-4 ~ Muniloria (The Primordial Realm, or the Winter World)
Many believe life originated in Muniloria and was transferred to the Earth Realm by the whim of some deity, portal or chance. The cold and dark realm of Muniloria is ruled by the Tirivahni Spider Goddess Wipo and it is here that dreams are spun. It is said that if someone damaged a cobweb someone's dream somewhere is transformed into a nightmare. It is the place of beginnings, origins and primordial wisdom. It is said to be a realm of truth rather than history.
-3 ~ Letheria (The Realm of Darkness)
Letheria is the Realm of the Element of Darkness, one of the primal elements of many races including the Briandynians, the Suoro and the Tirivahni. Not to be confused with evil, Letheria is a realm of secrets, potential, misfortune, subterfuge, disguise, defense, warding and protection.
-2 ~ Vismithia (The Realm of Dreams)
Vismithia is the Dream Realm, but not the sort of dreams one sees in their sleep. Vismithia is the subconscious, the plane on which we can communicate with other creatures, where we can tap into inner wisdom and make sense of things that seem too complex or convoluted in the waking world. It is in Vismithia that the Padua reside - a highly intelligent race of beings that understand these layers of collective consciousness and can reveal truths to those who come seeking answers.
-1 ~ Kukothrian (The Shadow Realm)
Kukothrian is the most intertwined layer with the Earth Realm, there are numerous gateways between the two worlds, though they say that those within Kukothrian cannot see the other souls lost there unless they have some gift of sight such as Aura Reading, or League of Spirits. The Tirivahni Pomeli Loffur rules Kukothrian with an apathetic reign. Time is displaced between Kukothrian and the Earth Plane, and often even if one passes back into the world through what appears to be the same gate they entered, they rarely return to the same location in the Earth Plane. This is said to be because the Realm of Kukothrian shifts and fluctuates like the shadows in the light.
0 ~ The Earth Realm (The Physical Plane)
This is the Realm where the countries and peoples of Ul-Zaorith as we are familiar with them reside. Because of its central position, it is one of the most stable and dependable reams, and from it contact can be made to almost all of the other realms if not physically then mentally. The form of crafting in the Earth Realm that is used in no other realm is Ore Craft, the art of melting and fusing metals to create everything from jewellery to weaponry.
1 ~ Olosyria (The Realm of Peace)
Olosyria is very much like Kukothrian in its close connection with the Earth Realm and its permeability. Unlike Kukothrian, however, where one's whole body slips into the Realm, Olosyria is merely a Realm for the psyche. When one is said to slip into a coma in the Earth Realm it is because their mind and spirit have slipped into Olosyria. It is said that Olosyria is a passive paradise where violence is not possible and is therefore difficult to tear oneself away from.
2 ~ Nunilonia (The Realm of Water)
Nunilonia is the Elemental Realm of Water, from whence the water manna originates. In fact the entire realm is "underwater" as it were with no land or sky. The Sha'a'hi of Ere Breghin legends dwell here though there is some argument over whether or not they originated in the Earth Realm or in Nunilonia. Irris of the Speritanian Pantheon, Irtem of the Suoro Pantheon and Veteirndi of the Tirivahni Pomeli all rule sections of Nunilonia. It is said that it is because of their power struggles that the tides swing out and in and that ocean storms arise when they clash. The craft of Nunilonia is Sea Craft, one of the most common types to be found on the Earth Realm as it is brought up occassinoally in fishermen's nets or washed in on the tides. It is a semi-sentient and mutable substance that can be crafted into a carapace that when worn and willed to obey can change shape to become variants as per the owner's wishes.
3 ~ Cytheria (The Realm of Air)
Cytheria is the Realm from whence inspiration comes and is the Elemental Realm of Air. Those who are truly inspired or talented touch mentally upon Cytheria. Mind Speech and other forms of Telepathy are done through this Realm, as well as many forms of Astral Travel and Divinations. It is said that Prodigies are the chosen of this Realm. Cytheria is ruled over by Iho and Ebrd of the Tirivahni Iseapo. Cytheria is a Realm of truce where those who are pursued can take sanctuary without fear of persecution.
4 ~ Nunithorian (The Realm of Fire)
Nunithorian is the counterpart to Nunilonia and is the Elemental Realm of Fire. It is said that this is the source of all Fire Manna and is a piping hot, constantly burning world of ash and fuel, one of consumption, rebirth, transmutation, evolution and progression. Life may have originated in Muniloria, but the evolution of the Five Clans, and perhaps other races (like the Lisdanese and Talmontese), were caused by the touch of this Realm. Unlike some realms that maintain contact in one place or one method with the Earth realm, Nunithorian only makes actual contact with the Earth Realm once in an era, and it is during these times of Fire in which new breakthroughs are made and progress advances.
5 ~ Sanilonia (The Realm of Light)
Sanilonia is the "White Light" some people claim to see when they are dying. It is merely passage through the Realm of Light in a spiritual sense that gives that appearance as one moves on from life into Balania. Sanilonia was basically commandered by the God Salin from the Speritanian pantheon, and is now much harder to obtain than it might have once been. The Elemental Realm of Light it is the counterpart of Letheria, and is a place of truth, illumination, clarity, contrast, finality, fortune, dogma and definition.
6 ~ Balania (The Realm of the Spirits)
Balania is the Realm to which all souls go when they die. It is from this realm they are them sorted. While not an unpleasant Realm, one can always feel the pull of the Realms to which they belong like a palpable sense of yearning. It is for this reason that those who are denied "heaven" with their deities and sent to a realm of punishment or chaos feel the spurn so sharply, because in Balania they have tasted a touch of what they have been denied. From Balania Spirits are sorted depending on their faith. For the Tirivahni they are sent to the Halls of their Iseapo in the Realms of Fialysia The Suoro are sent to Leddania where those go who have died. The Lisdanese remain in Balania until they are ready to be reincarnated. The Speritanians are sent to the Üllen to be tested for their merit, and so on...
7 ~ Rulamian (The Realm of the Soul)
Rulamian is the Realm of perfection, where truth is obtained, where flaws are cut away and where raw power is derived from the Manna Weave. In this respect it is the opposite to Sutasia and is a triad of superimposed time of past present and future where all of the paths of Manna Weave connect. However, the gateways from the Earth Realm to Rulamian were sealed with the Fall of the Twins. While passage is still possible from other Realms to Rulamian it has become inhospitable to mortals and any who try to stay there to perfect aspects of themselves will be warped and destroyed before they can reach perfection. Now only the gods can access Rulamian, and only Ahd'ar'ohk, the God of Legends and Heroes can channel energy from Rulamian into his pupils, but even he will only do so for one of the 5 aspects per Hero.
8 ~ Peolysia (The realm of the Lesser Gods)
Peolysia is the first of three Realms where the majority of the pantheons reside. It is said that the entrace to the world is in the form of a circular room with a number of choice doors, each representing a different group of sentient Gods. From here one passes into the Domains and territories of their patron deities. Peoplysia is actually an easily reached realm through prayer and faith, and the less potent gods who reside here are more apt than their Higher God counterparts to answer prayers of mortals. Physically entering the Realm of Peolysia can only be done under the permission of the God you wish to address and otherwise one has no choice to to return home.
9 ~ Fialysia (The Realm of the Higher Gods)
Fialysia can -only- be accessed through Peolysia so only those who have been admitted by the Lesser God have a chance of reaching the Higher Gods and must be presented by the Lesser God who allowed them in. Through prayer Fialysia can still be reached, but it is much harder to do, and requires a great deal of dedication, faith and usually a heightened state of mind achieve either through narcotics, meditation, trance, orgasm or some other method.
10 ~ Leddania (The Realm of the Beyond)
Only those who are dead are permitted to Leddania and once admitted there is no return. Once one has achieve Leddania their essence, the materials that compose their soul, and all their memories are retired from the world and will never again be used. Leddania is almost a repository for those who have no return. It is governed by Nusir - a Deceased Suoro Goddess and is home to Teomves, another dead Suoro Goddess, as well as the deceaded Bodovian gods: Arr, Tell, Harr and Ull.
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