RETCON NOTE: This posts supersedes portions of "Planes of Monvesia: The Six Spheres" and "Planar Inhabitants of Monvesia."The "outer planes" of Monvesian cosmology are finite, independent demi-planes that exist within one of the other planes created by the overlapping of the Spheres. This is similar to the way that the Abyss and Astral Domains exist within the plans of 4th Edition cosmology. These planes are called Dominions. Two sets of these planes will be explored here: the Thrones and the Powers. Collectively, these are the Greater Dominions
Thrones
At the hear of each Sphere, a vast city can be found, housing the aeon of that Sphere. The city sxits simultaneously in that Sphere's Elemental Plane as well as each adjacent Cosmic March. It is from these aeons that the angels originate, and it is through the angels that that will of the aeon is communicated and/or enacted. While the aeons are the supreme governors of the Spheres, dominion over individual planes is exercised by the most powerful inhabitants of those planes.
There are six Thrones, one for each Sphere. Each is inhabited by that that Sphere's aeon and a majority of its saints. Some archsaints may have dominions of their own elsewhere.
Destiny, the Verdant City
- Location: Elemental Plane of Water; Arcadia, Fantasia, Tartarus, Utopia
- Temperamental Association: Dynamism
- Alignments: NG, N, NE
- Outer Planar Equivalent(s): The Beastlands, Hades
- Inhabitants: Angels ([Astral] Deva, Monad[ic Deva], Paraclete, Psychopomp, Throne Archon)
- Known Saints: Anumat, Asamma, Isyria, Orro, Sychus
The Verdant City is built on a floating island that restaurant on the backs of two whale-like leviathans, swimming in opposite directions. This gives the city a sensation of spinning as it restaurant at the center of a gentle maelstrom on the Elemental Plane of Water. The city itself is filled with fountains and gardens, with lush vegetation covering even the peak of the island's central mountain.
From Orbimond, the Destiny can be seen as the northern pole star.
Genius, the Azure City
- Location: Elemental Plane of Air; Bedlam, Dis, Fantasia, Olympia
- Temperamental Association: Idealism
- Alignments: LN, N, CN
- Outer Planar Equivalent(s): Arcadia, Pandemonium
- Inhabitants: Angels (Amnizu, Monad[ic Deva], Movanic [Deva], Solar, Trumpet Archon)
- Known Saints: Adoltho, Hephtan/Khelosani, Gygar, Mekare, Mermis, Nesta
The Elemental Plane of Air is filled with majestic clouds--the grandest of which is the thunderhead on which the Azure City is built. Tunnels burrowed in the nimbus structures of the cloud form the major avenues of the city. Towers of ice penetrate the tops of the cloud cover.
From Orbimond, Genius can be seen as a fixed star along the ecliptic. It is most prominent in the sky during late Winter and Spring.
Oblivion, the Onyx City
- Location: Elemental Plane of Void; Dis, Gehenna, Stygia, Tartarus
- Temperamental Association: Nihilism
- Alignments: LE, NE, CE
- Outer Planar Equivalent(s): Acheron, Carceri, Gehenna
- Inhabitants: Angels (Amnizu, Erinyes, Horned Devil, Psychopomp, Shadow Demon)
- Known Saints: Hekala, Hippolyta, Oge, Rellis, Syphis
Deep in the bowels of the Elemental Plane of Void, a palatial estate rises from an inky black sea. No light illuminates it. No breezes pass through it. All is still and dark. The central tower rises higher than any mortal structure. Thousands of wings and annexes, descending in height as they spread out along the still plain, are buttressed and bridged to the main structure. This great building, ever growing with each passing night, is the Onyx City.
From Orbimond, Oblivion can be seen as a fixed star along the ecliptic. It is most prominent in the sky during the Dark season and early Winter.
Perdition, the Golden City
- Location: Elemental Plane of Earth; Hesperia, Purgatory, Stygia, Utopia
- Temperamental Association: Materialism
- Alignments: LG, LN, LE
- Outer Planar Equivalent(s): Mechanus, Mount Celestia, The Nine Hells
- Inhabitants: Angels (Erinyes, Pit Fiend, Planetar, Sword Archon, Throne Archon)
- Known Saints: Honsu, Iamus/Mosamartle, Meomari, Meshakhte, Mura, Netha, Theodore Rosenshild, Vachari
The Golden City appears to have been carved from the rock, surrounded on all sides by elemental Earth, with no apparent exits of entrances. The gold, silver, platinum, and copper that compose the city shimmer with an unknown luminescence. Spires connect floor to ceiling, and great bridges vault from wall to wall. This City is composed of layers of every metal known to mortal and saint.
From Orbimond, Perdtion can be seen as a fixed star along the ecliptic. It is most prominent in the sky during late summer and Autumn.
Providence, the Ivory City
- Location: Elemental Plane of Light; Arcadia, Elysium, Hesperia, Olympia
- Temperamental Association: Altruism
- Alignments: LG, NG, CG
- Outer Planar Equivalent(s): Arborea, Bytopia, Elysium
- Inhabitants: Angels ([Astral] Deva, Lantern Archon, Planetar, Seraph, Solar)
- Known Saints: Aria, Baltus, Hadin, Jostin, Mohas, Msakhuri
From the Elemental Plane of Light, the City of Ivory appears as a massive, pearlescent orb that shimmers in all colors. It is surrounded by three rings of minuscule crystals, the outermost pink, then yellow, then cyan nearest the orb. The orb is divided into two hemispheres, the northern little more than an atmospheric do.e covering the shimmering city beneath.
From Orbimond, Providence can be seen as a fixed star along the ecliptic. It is most prominent in the sky during the Light season and early Summer.
Reverie, the Crimson City
- Location: Elemental Plane of Fire; Bedlam, Elysium, Gehenna, Purgatory
- Temperamental Association: Vitalism
- Alignments: CG, CN, CE
- Outer Planar Equivalent(s): The Abyss, Limbo, Ysgard
- Inhabitants: Angels (Balor, Horned Devil, Movanic [Deva], Seraph, Sword Archon)
- Known Saints: Hathra, Ignatius, Maun, Nyres, Sietun, Vaeltava
The Crimson City is built on the inner surface of a ring of brimstone that encircles a ball of magma. Plumes of lava erupt from the sphere to endanger the inhabitants of the City, but never quite reach. Bonfire the size of palaces dot the surface of the city; some say these fires were once saints who betrayed the Sphere, and were punished by the aeon.
From the tropical and southern regions of Orbimond, Reverie can be seen as the southern pole star.
Powers
Powers are a class of Dominion that exist simultaneously in the Mortal Realm and two Transitive Planes. The two transitive planes each Power connects are "companion otherworlds" which share two Spheres in common (with the third Sphere being either the Hierosphere or Necrosphere). These pairs are closely enough related to often be spoken of as two sides of a greater meta-plane (such as the Astral or Aethereal plane). The Powers which connect them have even become home to the elders of the otherworldly races.
They are seen from the mortal realms as the "wandering stars" of the sky. From Orbimond, the order of the Powers from nearest to furthest appears to be:
They are seen from the mortal realms as the "wandering stars" of the sky. From Orbimond, the order of the Powers from nearest to furthest appears to be:
- Sylane, the moon (Functional Planes)
- Vasperon, the morning & evening star (Liminal Planes)
- Helyon, the sun (Aethereal Planes)
- Vaynon, the far wandering star (Astral Planes)
Helyon, Plane of the Sun
Dominion of the Aethereal Planes
- Location: Material Plane, the Empyrean, the Inferno
- Temperamental Association: Idealism, Vitalism
- Inhabitants: Spirit folk
The Sun, or Golden Sun, has been recognized as a Dominion for several centuries. Historians have noted that the shape of this demiplane has been described as a chariot, a barge, or even as a wolf-- though it can only be seen as a radiant sphere in the Material Plane. Though limited in size, its scope is still probably greater than that of Orbimond.
Sylane, Plane of the Moon
Dominion of the Endless Planes
- Location: Material Plane, Infinity, Eternity
- Temperamental Association: Dynamism, Materialism
- Inhabitants: Neshu
Only in the last couple hundred years has the Moon been recognized as a Dominion. It has been speculated that lycanthropy originates from this demi-plane--which is why the Moon can sometimes be seen to have sway over these creatures.
While not the ancestral homeland of the draconic races (which spans Henjal and Prace), this plane has become their home since the rise of the humanoid races. When dragons do speak of their kind to lesser mortals, they occasionally reference a retreat, or the retreat of the great/ancient ones. Idiomatic salutations in the draconic tongue can be translated: "Blessing from the Star at Dawn" or "Until we meet again at Dusk." The evidence is circumstantial, but magic-users have declared fundamental laws with less.
Edited Aug 14, 2018; Aug 21, 2018; Sep 15, 2018. Removed Sep 22, 2018. Reposted Sep 25, 2018. Edited Nov 11, 2019; Nov 17, 2019; Jun 24, 2020.
Vaynon, Plane of the Far Wandering Star
Dominion of the Astral Planes
- Location: Material Plane, the Dreaming, Limbo
- Temperamental Association: Dynamism, Idealism
- Inhabitants: Gith
The Far Wandering Star is believed by many to have played a role in the Giants' War. Some arcanists suggests that it was though this Dominion that the HMDJVNW entered the Mortal Realms; while the goliaths speak of the distant star as a haven the giants spoke of at the end of the war where they might hope to escape and survive. While both suspicions could be true, either would be hard to prove: Vaynon is so distant from Orbimond that mortals cannot get there to see for sure.
Vaspyron, Plane of the Morning and Evening Star
Dominion of the Liminal Planes
- Location: Material Plane, Faerie, the Abyss
- Temperamental Association: Materialism, Vitalism
- Inhabitants: Dragons, Elves
While not the ancestral homeland of the draconic races (which spans Henjal and Prace), this plane has become their home since the rise of the humanoid races. When dragons do speak of their kind to lesser mortals, they occasionally reference a retreat, or the retreat of the great/ancient ones. Idiomatic salutations in the draconic tongue can be translated: "Blessing from the Star at Dawn" or "Until we meet again at Dusk." The evidence is circumstantial, but magic-users have declared fundamental laws with less.
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