Brightwater was a Celestial plane[4][5] in the World Tree cosmology model. It was the home plane of the goddesses Lliira,[6][7] Sharess,[6][8] Sune,[6][9] Tymora,[6][10] and Waukeen[6][11] until the Spellplague upset the cosmos. At least a portion of Brightwater survived the Spellplague and became Sune's realm in the Gates of the Moon.[12]
Description
As a Celestial plane, Brightwater was connected to the trunk of the sentient World Tree which sometimes allowed beings with good and noble purpose to pass unimpeded.[5] Most travelers had to navigate the Astral plane using an astral projection or plane shift spell to visit this paradise.[13] Some of the deities maintained permanent portals to allied realms. Sune and Hanali Celanil from Arvandor shared a portal and Tymora was known to keep a portal open to Green Fields. Sharess, who was known to the Mulhorandi as Bast, had a portal to her realm in Heliopolis.[1]
Brightwater had all the natural beauty of Arvandor but was less wild and more gentrified, with stately mansions, summer homes, winter retreats, beach cabins, cottages in the woods, and happy houses great and small. However, this plane was not well known for its quiet solitude but rather for rollicking adventure, industrious business dealings, thematic parties, thrilling romance, games of chance, roving bands of revelers, and joyous celebration.[1] Waukeen's realm was the hub of the populated portion of Brightwater, with the realms of the other four goddesses arranged around it roughly in quarters. Petitioners, celebrants, gamblers, lovers, and tycoons could travel freely among the realms.[14]
Inhabitants
Only the devas, planetars, solars, and other angels that served the goddesses were native to Brightwater, the rest of the inhabitants were either petitioners or visitors looking for a good time.[1] Travelers had to exercise caution on this plane because too much revelry could have possibly fatal consequences. When a wandering band of merry makers got close enough, their enthusiasm was intoxicating and mortals found it hard to resist joining the party. If they succumbed, they were swept away in the throng and had the time of their lives, refusing to leave voluntarily. But the food and drink gave no sustenance and they eventually collapsed of malnutrition.[15]
Realms
- Lliira, Mistress of the Revels,[7] had a realm known as the Quarter of the Orange Lanterns where the festivities never ceased—a continuous carnival of music and mirth, drink and dancing, feasts and fetes.[14]
- Sharess, The Dancing Lady and Mother of Cats,[8] named her realm Rapture and catered to the darker, more decadent aspects of pleasure and the senses. Her quarter was next to Lliira's and was considered the rough part of town with a hint of danger down every back alley and dark passageway. If it was frowned upon in polite society, you could probably find it in Rapture.[14]
- Sune, Lady Firehair,[9] had the realm on the other side of Rapture and it was called the Heartfire Quarter. She imbued the air here with romance and seduction and gave lovers hidden gardens and courtyards in which to meet and rooms away from the louder celebrations in which to retire. If peace and quiet could be found in Brightwater, it was likely in the realm of Heartfire Quarter.[14]
- Tymora, Lady Luck, the Lady Who Smiles,[10] devoted her quarter, the Quarter of the Great Wheel,[note 1] to games of chance and wagering on races. All manner of gambling and tests of luck could be found here in grand and gracefully luxurious buildings connected by wide, well kept streets.[14]
- Waukeen, Merchant's Friend,[11] had the central realm, named the Marketplace Eternal, where buying, selling, trading, and dealing went on at all hours, day or night. The streets were constantly filled with shoppers and shopkeepers, producers and consumers, all enjoying the business of gainful commerce and taking pleasure in a deal well made or a hard won bargain.[14]
Great Wheel Cosmology
In the Great Wheel cosmology Brightwater was the divine realm of Sune, located on Arborea's first layer, Arvandor.[16][17][3] The realm was shared by the goddesses Tymora, Lliira[17][18] and, since about the Time of Troubles, Sharess.[19] As divine realms went, Brightwater was considered a very young and vibrant place. It attracted many visitors through a great variety of diversions and constantly new high-lights.[17]
Appendix
Notes
- ↑ Not to be confused with the Great Wheel cosmology. This is likely named for the Wheel of Fortune from mythology and the Tarot. It was not until after the Spellplague that Tymora's realm is described as a circle of interconnected earthmotes in the World Axis cosmology model (Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide, page 63).
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 146. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
- ↑ Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), p. 181. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wolfgang Baur and Lester Smith (1994-07-01). “The Book of Chaos”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Chaos (TSR, Inc), pp. 48–50. ISBN 1560768746.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 257. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 140. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 258. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Eric L. Boyd, Erik Mona (May 2002). Faiths and Pantheons. Edited by Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 99. ISBN 0-7869-2759-3.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Eric L. Boyd, Erik Mona (May 2002). Faiths and Pantheons. Edited by Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 105. ISBN 0-7869-2759-3.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Eric L. Boyd, Erik Mona (May 2002). Faiths and Pantheons. Edited by Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 65. ISBN 0-7869-2759-3.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Eric L. Boyd, Erik Mona (May 2002). Faiths and Pantheons. Edited by Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 77. ISBN 0-7869-2759-3.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Eric L. Boyd, Erik Mona (May 2002). Faiths and Pantheons. Edited by Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 87. ISBN 0-7869-2759-3.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 63. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 139. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 147. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
- ↑ Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 146–147. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
- ↑ Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 149. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Colin McComb (October 1996). On Hallowed Ground. Edited by Ray Vallese. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 171, 181. ISBN 0-7869-0430-5.
- ↑ Julia Martin, Eric L. Boyd (March 1996). Faiths & Avatars. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 96, 166. ISBN 978-0786903849.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 51–52. ISBN 978-0786906574.
Connections
| Arvandor | Aquallor | Mithardir | |
| Arvandor (The Aerie • Gwyllachaightaeryll • Evergold • Erevan's changing palace • Hanali's crystal palace • House of Glowing Stars • Lolth's Grove • Pale Tree • Tethridar) |
Brightwater Fermata Florallium Olympus Whistledge |
Caletto Elavandor |
Amun-thys |
Wandering: Seelie Court
Demiplanes: Court of Stars
Prime Material plane • Feywild • Shadowfell • Fugue Plane
Transitive Planes: Astral Plane • Ethereal plane
Inner Planes: Elemental Plane of Air • Elemental Plane of Water • Elemental Plane of Earth • Elemental Plane of Fire • Elemental Chaos
Para-Elemental Planes: Frostfell • Swamp of Oblivion • Fountains of Creation • Great Conflagration
Quasi-Elemental Planes: Lightning • Radiance • Minerals • Steam • Vacuum • Ash • Dust • Salt
Outlands: Sigil
Outer Planes: Arcadia • Mount Celestia • Bytopia • Elysium • Beastlands • Arborea • Ysgard • Limbo •
Pandemonium • Abyss (Layers) • Carceri • Hades • Gehenna • Nine Hells • Acheron • Mechanus
Energy planes: Positive Energy plane • Negative Energy plane
Planar Pathways: Infinite Staircase • Oceanus • Mount Olympus • Styx • Yggdrasil
Far Realm
Prime Material plane • Cynosure • Fugue Plane
Transitive Planes: Astral Plane • Ethereal plane • Plane of Shadow • Spirit World
Celestial Outer Planes: Arvandor • Brightwater • Dwarfhome • Dweomerheart • Gates of the Moon • Golden Hills • Green Fields • House of Knowledge • House of the Triad
Fiendish Outer Planes: Abyss (Layers) • Barrens of Doom and Despair • Blood Rift • Clangor • Deep Caverns • Demonweb Pits • Fated Depths • Fury's Heart • Hammergrim • Nine Hells • Nishrek • Supreme Throne
Neutral Outer Planes: Dragon Eyrie • Heliopolis • House of Nature • Jotunheim • Warrior's Rest
Inner Planes: Elemental Plane of Air • Elemental Plane of Earth • Elemental Plane of Fire • Elemental Plane of Water • Positive Energy plane • Negative Energy plane
Planar Pathways: Infinite Staircase • River of Blood • World Tree
Far Realm
Prime Material plane
Fundamental planes: Astral Sea • Elemental Chaos
Astral dominions: Arvandor • Banehold • Celestia • Cynosure • Deep Wilds • Demonweb Pits • Dismal Caverns • Dwarfhome • Eternal Sun • Fugue Plane • Gates of the Moon • Green Fields • House of Knowledge • Nine Hells • Nishrek • Supreme Throne • Towers of Night • Tu'narath • Warrior's Rest
Elemental realms: Abyss (Layers) • City of Brass • Cresting Spires • Fimbulwinter • Hidden Realm • Muspelheim • Root Hold • Sky Home • Steading • Thraotor • Undying Pyre • Zerthadlun
Parallel planes: Feywild • Shadowfell
Anomalous planes: Far Realm