Heaven (Pathfinder)

Heaven (also called the Holy Mountain, Paradise, or the Realm of the Righteous) is the Lawful Good plane in the Pathfinder Great Beyond cosmology.

Heaven is where "goodness" is expressed through law and order. "Righteousness" requires structure, and "Structure" requires an end goal, otherwise it is meaningless.

Heaven is a realm of crusaders; it is quite possibly the most militant of the "upper planes" in that its inhabitants strive to spread their ideals across the multiverse. Contrasted with those from Nirvana who tend to be quite passive, or from Elysium who are individualistic.

Its D&D counterpart is Celestia.

Locations

Much like Celestia, the Realm of the Righteous is depicted as a seven-tiered mountain surrounded by an ocean. Each tier is considered "holier" than the last; with the pinnacle of the mountain representing an unattainable level of goodness that even the deities cannot comprehend.

1. Threshold

The first layer at the bottom of the mountain incorporates the shoreline and the border fortresses against invasion and intrusion. Threshold is the only layer that tolerates foreigners to the plane and makes for a thriving trading hub, catering to various well meaning sorts ranging from Djinn to Axiomites, though mortals do thrive here too.

Anyone who wants to try to travel further up the mountain must either wait in long lines to make petitions to the Archons and Empyreal Lords to be granted access. If they don't want to wait, they can attempt to skip the queues and follow the "Alabaster Passage", which is essentially just a white path up the mountain. Though it is heavily guarded and is only passable for people of truly Lawful Good character. Else you'd just get arrested for trespassing.

Beneath the mountain is the deific realm of Forgeheart, belonging to the Dwarven god Torag and his servitors. Strictly speaking it is not considered part of any tier, but geographically it cannot be placed any higher on the mountain. Forgeheart crafts the weapons and arms for the armies of Heaven, as well as protecting the plane from Abyssal incursions who might try to tunnel up from below.

2. Proelera

The second layer is the mustering ground for heaven's armies of crusaders. It contains the realm of Swordhome, the fortress-nation of Iomedae that draws heavily from Aroden's realm in Axis. Iomedae's realm is endorsed by many others within the plane, granting her a huge expanse of territory. Within Swordhome, the Petitioners are more likely to ascend to Archons themselves for some reason, quite possibly to do with Iomedae's forces constantly drilling for battle.

3. Clarion

The third layer is a dedicated center of learning, steered towards finding means to better provide service to the cause of Lawful Good. Here stands the Great Library that contains the sum of Heaven's knowledge, carefully vetted for truth by the Veracity Choir. The Library does welcome extraplanar students, but carefully monitors the them and keeps them away from dangerous texts.

Clarion also houses an oddity: Mirialin the city of agnostics. The inhabitants here staunchly refuse to accept any divine authority and are fiercely independent, but nonetheless remain absolutely pure-hearted and aligned with Heaven's goals. Such dedication towards the cause means that very few will question the city's allegiances.

4. Requius

This realm is for lawful good souls who have no interested in crusading or proselytizing . The fourth layer is an idyllic realm of fields and villages.

Erastil's realm of Summerlands are here, and contains many portals to other planes that are maintained for the purposes of trade. Such a breach of security flies against the planewide ethos of segregation and the defensive fortification and military drilling done in the other layers, but Erastil argues that exposure to foreign ideas is absolutely necessary for reminding oneself what makes them unique.

5. Illumis

The fifth layer is dedicated to the heavenly bureaucracy. It is the center of moral debate where the inhabitants spend their time deciphering heaven's "values" and legislating them into policy.

6. Judica

The "capital" of the plane is located on the sixth tier. The center of law is the Grand Court of Heaven with a rotating roster of 71 judges takes appeals from 77 lesser celestial courts that roam the planes. The center of government is the Court of Accord where heaven's leaders discuss matters of importance and also hosts the execution site for criminals found guilty of particularly vile deeds.

7. The Garden of Mysteries

Strictly speaking, the seventh tier does not actually connect to the mountain. It exists as a small, untended garden that floats just above the peak.

Inhabitants

Julera Twice-Crowned, ruler of the first layer.

Heaven is particularly restrictive when it comes to foreign exposure. Visitors past the first tier are almost always kept under careful supervision, lest they corrupt the purity of people they get exposed to.

Therefore the range of inhabitants in Heaven tends to be quite small.

Mortal souls who find their way here in their after life are referred to as the Elect. These petitioners take forms that resemble their mortal bodies with wings and halos. Though some do advance to become true Angels or Archons themselves, many are content to find their place and provide honest work in service to heaven's cause. Though they get treated well, they are mostly viewed as a resource to be spent.

Archons make up the bulk of the higher ranking entities on the plane. They hold most of the decision making roles in government, though they are crusaders first and administrators second. They are quick to punish those who behave unjustly, giving the impression that they are authoritarian zealots. The truth is they are generally tolerant of any folk as long as they adhere to the laws.

Lesser in number are the Angels, who are more flexible in their thinking. They tend to serve in advisory or transitory roles rather than fixing themselves to the hierarchy. Having Angels playing devils advocate means that important questions can be asked, and it prevents Heaven from becoming too hidebound in its adherence to law over good.

The highest of the celestials are the Empyreal Lords are a pantheon of demigod-like beings. They fill the day-to-day leadership positions of generals, leaders and teachers and each has his own area of particular concern.