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0 votes RE: A Cosmopolitan Cosmology

In the D&D franchise (and its settings) there is the (Prime) Material Plane, which encompasses most of the diverse world-settings and most of what's familiar to our own world in terms of physics (but with magic, of course), as well as various other planes, such as the Astral, Ethereal, various elemental planes, and others. They all operate as their own "dimension", all with their own idiosyncratic paradigms and realities. There are also the Outer Planes, which operate with another parameter: alignment. Alignment is typically split into nine distinct pairings of Law-Neutral-Chaos and Good-Neutral-Evil axises (e.g. Lawful Good, Chaotic Neutral, Neutral Evil, etc.). The Outer Planes are manifestations of these precepts and ideologies, with the standard cosmology having seventeen distinct planes: each of the nine alignments, plus a few "in-betweens" and the central True Neutral plane (The Outlands or Plane of Concordant Opposition). These Outer Planes are also the destination for most creatures after their deaths, their souls migrate to the Outer Plane which corresponds strongest to their own alignment, where they either become part of the plane itself or take up residence in their deity's realm on that plane. So, the Outer Planes are often the afterlife of most things across the multiverse. It should be no surprise that in realities (planes) operating with alignment as part of their physics, belief (and, ostensibly, faith) guides and infuses these places, giving it power and shape.

Most Material worlds are in the dark about the planes, operating on myth, legend, and belief to guide their perception and knowledge. Different worlds have different relationships, but only a very select few are truly "in-the-know", while most are ignorant or distorted in their view. Most of these worlds are also far inferior in overall technology, very uneven in the distribution of information, and so on. But what about a world with a cosmopolitan relationship to the planes?

What if there were stable access for travel and communication between the Material world and the Outer Planes? It would be general knowledge that these planes exist and there would be some common familiarity with how they function, what goes on there, and would be looked upon more like alien foreign countries. This would be a positive scenario, where it were sufficiently monitored and regulated. The details don't matter now, but could view it a lot like we view immigration now (but less fraught with our real-world political and cultural biases).

How do you think this would affect the religion and culture of your standard fantasy world? How would it be like to know there are places they go after death, determined by one's disposition and history, much like many of the religious traditions state, and all of them have some part of truth to them? What would it be like to know you could, with the right papers and clearance, go visit one's ancestors in their traditional afterlife? Everyone would know death was no end, but what kind of new problems would that create? What kind of civil rights movement could develop? Could they lobby against any of these procedures? ...Too many variables to think of, weird scenarios to come up with.

 I was chaotic neutral for dungeons and dragons

or neutral good for modern world test

The dumbest god to ever exist apparently, i am dionysus, ra, horus, vishnu, the infinity
Posts: 4990
0 votes RE: A Cosmopolitan Cosmology

 I was chaotic neutral for dungeons and dragons

or neutral good for modern world test

I hope to make an appointment with a magistrate that works in our region.  He works in the Ministry of Planar Affairs, more specifically with petitioner-related administration.  I'm going to ask him his thoughts on where members here (and perhaps others) stand a chance of going, were they to pass from this mortal coil.  Which Outer Plane do you think we might become petitioners of?

I had been thinking you were definitely going somewhere on the Chaotic slice of the Great Wheel.  I thought perhaps Limbo, but I think more likely Pandemonium.  I guess the magistrate will have more experience and can give a more confident assessment.

Their system of appointment is a bit archaic and formal; they apparently insist on in-person meetings at that level.  Very formal.  I suppose that makes sense, since the Ministry has long been associated with the Celestial Bureaucracy.

Wish me luck!

Thrall to the Wire of Self-Excited Circuit.
last edit on 6/6/2026 8:27:05 PM
Posts: 4990
0 votes RE: A Cosmopolitan Cosmology

I made sure to be on time -- actually, a little early, to be honest -- for my appointment with Magistrate Huang. His office was modest but (tastefully) decorated with various certificates of merit and accolades, shelves filled with very serious-looking books, folders and scrolls of important documents, but honed by discipline, focus, and organized professionalism. My confidence rose significantly in my hopes of getting some experienced insights.

We exchanged formalities and he thanked me for the charitable donation, then acknowledged the foresight in making an appointment and taking the proper steps for an audience with him.

I thanked him in return for sparing me his time for a personal interest of mine, but he seemed willing to consider the matter a whimsical distraction that could offer him a little practice. I gave him a folder containing portfolios of SC members which he could use to give me his expert opinion on where they'd likely end up as petitioners, or what plane they'd end up otherwise...

 

Reading from the list, the magistrate said:

- Turncoat > "This one seemed fit for the Nine Hells, but perhaps Acheron seems a better fit. Despite their posturing and frailty, they are a combative type that might belong among the Battle Cubes."

- Good > "A strong case for the Nine Hells, as well. I could see some quibbling which could make Acheron or Gehenna a possibility."

- Spatial Mind > "This one sounds like they'd find themselves in Gehenna. It is a place of bitter truths and those interested in making use of them."

- Legga > "Here is another Hells-bound individual, I think. Though they do seem to make a lot of effort to sound like they belong some place like Arcadia. Without more information -- I see they could be keeping secret -- I can only go from what you've given me."

- Dragoon > "Despite their anti-natal stance, when they get to the Beastlands, they'd probably figure it out. While they might not always appreciate the struggle, at least its an honest one with consequences that they can own."

- Delora > "Pandemonium is clearly this one's destination. If you know the plane, this will make sense. With some help perhaps they'll end up somewhere better, but they will definitely end up in that part of the Chaotic side of the Great Wheel."

- Dexter > "Another Pandemonium candidate. And again, with some help, perhaps Limbo is more likely. That might be best to hope for here."

- Blanc > "This one seems, at first glance, to belong in Pandemonium as well, but I feel they are more misguided than fated like the previous two, so they probably belong in Arborea."

- Chapo > "The Abyss might turn out to be enjoyable for this one. More blood for the Blood War, but they might eventually escape that trap."

- Med > "What more obvious place than Carceri? There are cases of others ending up imprisoning themselves there through betrayal and obsession."

- ChallengeSeeker > "If this one had not acted on their deviance and depravity, they would have also joined others in Pandemonium. However, they are going to the Abyss...and definitely not enjoying it at all."

- Tryptamine > "The precarious slopes of Gehenna would be this one's planar destination. Hmm, maybe similar reasons to the other one."

 

"...Hold on," he said. "Did you not include yourself in this?"

"N-no, I didn't ...really think of it," was all I could say.

He gazed at me with an increased intensity and I could feel my soul being weighed.

"Bytopia. That seems most fitting for you."

"Oh, uh, okay. Whew. Thank you!"

We wrapped up with further formalities and I was ushered out the way I came by the same assistant I remembered bringing me there. I only had about ten or fifteen minutes, but there was some waiting in different lines beforehand. Definitely prepare to wait in lines even longer if you don't have an appointment. Be warned!

Thrall to the Wire of Self-Excited Circuit.
last edit on 6/7/2026 9:07:58 PM
Posts: 191
1 votes RE: A Cosmopolitan Cosmology

My favorite scene in Beetlejuice (the Original) as a mere thirteen year old used to be what I remember as the purgatory room where characters who survived various suicides awaited their fates. (Isn’t that horrible?) This reminds of that.

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