Void & Interplanar Mechanics

[SotU]

The Mechanics
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Void

The universe of Secrets of the Underworld is a collective of many planes of existence, and together, form something called the "void". This void, however, does not have a depth solely defined by these planes alone; it also possesses its own unique qualities separate from them. It's the vast space surrounding the planes and fills all the tiny crevices in between. It contains everything, is everything, and yet, is nothing.

Source magic originates from it, the void also being the source, and is infinitely woven together, flowing through each of the planes. With thought, it's also known as the Nameless One.

The Planes

There are numerous planes, seemingly countless, but certainly not unlimited. Unlike the void, a plane does not have endless physical depth. For example, if one sailed to one end of Terral, one would fall off the edge, and with nowhere to go, ends up outside in the void.

Each plane is different and can even sometimes hold different laws of nature. These can range from magic, to size, to physics. Deities may even hold control over single planes but not over others. The Nameless Land plane, for example, is reigned by Drance and Silver. Planes are fragile things at best, where most are either torn asunder or remain vastly small and incomplete. This is especially true for pocket planes.

Vacationing

Planes constantly collide and overlap with one another, and while this is generally harmless, it also temporarily tears holes into their very fibers. Through these holes, one may easily travel from one plane to another, so long as the hole remains intact and the planes are still overlapping each other. Without this overlap, it's impossible to jump directly between them. Terral is known for enveloping whole pocket planes where one may jump through, in and out, and end up in another part of Terral, resembling a sort of teleportation.

If one chose to, one could even travel out into the void itself, though this is considered incredibly dangerous due to its hostile nature. Doing so requires for a hole, or portal, to be ripped open.


Some of the Existing Planes
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Terral
See Terral (insert link)

Witherend
Deities: Azrael
Civilization: None: inhabited by corrupt fey, swamp dragons, and hermits
Animal life: Mostly carnivorous
Plant life: Swamp-like, ancient trees, luminescent plants, carnivorous plants

Witherend's existence is due to Azrael's doing during his struggle with his brother for dominance. It separated from Terral, though still totally enveloped by the parent plane, and now barely hangs on from collapsing back into the void. Accidentally stumbling into it isn't uncommon but can become deadly.

Eternally night time, there is no sun or moon and light is dependent upon the numerous luminescent plant specimens. Dense swamps with trees dating back to the birth of Florawyn flourish inside. Nothing is unmoving, and nothing is harmless, not even the trees. The only inhabitants are corrupt fey, hermits, and swamp dragons.

Death is especially dangerous here because there are no laws for the dead, no underworld to pass into. Spirits wander aimlessly, trapped in the plane, waiting to be either brought back from death or devoured by the hostile plane. Even worse, no divine magic other than Azrael's is present here.

Nameless Land
Deities: Drance, Silver, Obad-Hai, Silenos, Ilsensine
Civilization: The Nameless Village, Calandror, Airol City
Animal life: Temperate
Plant life: Temperate

Abyss
No details

[Hoboz]

All thanks goes to Gwelaine for this amazing contribution to lore. A new plane for everyone.

Ardventel
It is where shadows fail and the light is eternal
It is the end of evil and the haven of righteousness
It grants the world sight, it reveals all
It is the holy sun of the earth.
The surface of the sun underneath the radiating Holy-Fire is made from many of the same materials as that of the earth; soil and stone, filled with flourishing perfect grasslands and cities of Angels. Evil cannot survive here, good cannot fail here, and under the unending sheathe of light there is no darkness.
The planet was born for one of Erodemius’ Angels named Ardventel. During the beginning wars, the demons of Azrael and the Angels of Erodemius clashed in a great war across Terral. Eventually, an unknown plague swept through the ranks of the battle; The Taint. It infected armies and drove angels and demons alike to madness, altering them mentally and physically; thus was born the Devils.
Ardventel began succumbing to the Taint, knowledge of infinity racing through his mind, his brothers beginning to show signs of corruption, rather than endure an eternity of the shape imposing upon him, he chose to slay himself. Erupting in flames of his own power, he struggled to force himself to die, lifting with the ashes into the air until he was little more than a charred husk.
As the last of the corruption seeped into his remains and burned away among them, the taint caused the carcass to transform. A new flame was born of the holy soul of his life, and the fires of his death, merged. The raw power of the rebirthing energy restored Ardventel to life. The risen angel felt pure again, he travelled back to Erodemius, but the power never stopped growing.
His body enveloped in the radiance of the new element, his warmth ever growing. The power was unleashed as his skin could not contain it, the raw energy expanding rapidly, it is believed he became too vibrant for even Erodemius himself and could have threatened all that existed; Erodemius constructed an entirely new form much as the land of Terral, surrounding Ardventel within this expansion one hundred times the size of Terral itself. It is this containment of soil that contains the vast majority of Ardventel’s energy, pockets of the element bursting out in what are known to be Solar Flares. The Holy Element of Ardventel’s soul encouraged life on the world through positive energy and light, allowing an ease of creation and healing ever since the sun’s formation.

Ardventel Traits
Ardventel has the following traits

Heavy Gravity: All Balance, Climb, Jump, Ride, Swim, and Tumble checks suffer a -2 circumstance penalty, as do all attack rolls. All item weights are effectively doubled and weapon ranges are halved. Characters that fall take 1d10 points of damage for each 10 feet fallen, to a maximum of 20d10 points of damage. The sun’s immense size causes gravity to be overwhelming on its surface.
Normal Time
Self-Contained: The realm is contained within the blazing holy flames of the Sun which is approximately 100 times the size of the earth. (6,088 billion kilometers surface size)
Divinely Morphic: Good aligned deities of at least lesser divine status may morph the plane at will; Ordinary creatures may alter it in a normal manner.
Holy-Fire Dominant
Minor Positive-Dominant
Strongly Good-Aligned and Mildly Law-Aligned: Nongood characters suffer a -2 penalty on all Wisdom-, Intelligent-, and Charisma- based checks. Chaotic Nongood characters suffer -4 penalty on Charisma- based checks.
Enhanced Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities with fire, positive-energy or light descriptors are empowered. Spells that are already empowered are unaffected by this benefit.
Impeded Magic: Spells and spell-like abilities that use Illusions or Necromancy are impeded. These spells and spell-like abilities can still be used, but a successful Spellcraft check (DC 15+ level of the spell) must be made to do so.
Ardventel Links
The world of Ardventel is separated from the Material plane by a containment of Holy-Fire constantly erupting into the vacuum of the Material plane’s Space, as such, the barrier is constantly present, but ever shifting in density due to Solar Flares and random Holy-Fire Radiation. While unlikely, travelling through space is the only method to physically travel to Ardventel.
Ardventel Inhabitants
Ardventel is home to Angels and creatures of Good. Celestial Phoenix take residences in brilliant trees, any phoenix that enter rebirth in this realm adopt the Holy flame in addition to their natural abilities, adding another d6 or Holy damage to any evil creature that is hit with any of their fire attacks.
All manner of heroic outsiders from millennia past reside here, as well as guardians encouraged to remain at Erodemius’ command. Petitioners of Ardventel are gatherers of the endless fruits, builders for the cities, or servants of varying crafts to serve others. Every resident of Ardventel feels a sense of Harmony, discipline, and willingness to serve one another regardless of status. The intense UV exposure of the plane gradually yellows the lens of anyone’s eyes over the span of a week, sometimes travellers to the plane and back are recognized as “Sun-touched” by knowledgeable scholars. This effect may be targeted by a Lesser Restoration, though it bears no ill effects.
All petitioners have the following qualities:
Immunities: Petrification.
Resistance: 10 Fire.
Special: Hit Die d10.
Other Special Qualities: Damage reduction 25/+1.
Features of Ardventel
Solar Flares
Ripping through the ground of the world are bursts of Holy-Flame erupting from the core, sometimes arcing across hundreds of thousands of miles in the blink of an eye or remain consistently channeling in one location for minutes at a time. They are commonly a lesser size of 100 million kilometers in size, while some exceptionally rare ones may cover a third, or even rarer, half of the surface all at once. They briefly open “cracks” in the loose soil of the world which instantly collapse as the flare ends. When one of these cracks open beneath anyone, they may align horizontally to be lifted by the absolute force of the wave, sometimes carried off in the air until they are no longer enveloped by its flow, and they descend to the ground.
Within the direct force of one of these waves, the holy energy takes on dire heat yet releasing significant positive energy into the enveloped individual, off-setting the 2d6 fire damage with 3d4 positive energy healing for every round. While most who hear of these flares become greatly concerned, anyone incapable of flight is watched by a winged guardian, the celestial inhabitants also seem capable of telling when a flare is coming, they make sure everyone is ready to be cared for during its passing.

The Unseated Throne
At the center of the sun is a hollow chamber in which Ardventel resides; here he remains, the infinite stream of Holy-Fire born from his body bursting through the flesh of the world that surrounds him, six wings swaying in the furnace of glory; he remains here for the good of all.
The only openings that lead to him are the Solar Flares that blast through the body of the world he remains enclosed within, and as these breaches collapse immediately as the flare moves on, it is nearly impossible to reach him. At the center chamber of the mega-planet, all gravity seems to cease as all who remain here are given natural flight speed. Even those of the purest good are enflamed in the ever burning glory of Ardventel’s ceaseless blaze those who look directly at Ardventel must make a will save (DC 30) or die from the sheer splendor of his features, those who succeed this saving throw are blinded for 1d10 days.
Those trapped within the center chamber may attempt to escape through a solar flare; launching themselves through the brief hole at maximum speed in order to reach the surface, a reflex save (DC 23) is required to avoid launching themselves outside of the plane itself.
Holy-Fire Elemental Dominance
Evil aligned individuals take 3d10 points of Holy-Fire damage every round from the Holy-Flame filled air. Any evil character in a Solar Flare must make a fortitude save (DC 20) or be disintegrated, leaving behind only a trace of fine dust, any non-evil equipment is unaffected. If they succeed, they take 10d10 Holy-Fire damage. Undead cannot make a saving throw.
All ground is considered Consecrated, granting +6 to each charisma check to Turn Undead. Every undead creature suffers a -2 penalty to attack rolls, damage rolls, and saves. Undead cannot be created within or summoned on Ardventel.
All water on or brought to Ardventel immediately becomes Holy Water, capable of damaging Undead and Evil outsiders as if it were acid.
Positive-Energy Energy Dominance
All things are made more vibrant in this realm; colors are brighter, flavors are richer, sensations are more intense and all creatures gain fast healing 2 as an extraordinary ability for as long as they remain on Ardventel. Undead are dealt 4 positive-energy damage every round for the duration of their stay.
Any non-evil character slain here, or brought here in death will rise as if from a True Resurrection after 24 consecutive hours spent on the realm, even if they are an outsider and cannot normally be resurrected.
Good-aligned outsiders throughout the planes may be resurrected here in a blaze of holy flame provided they fill a prerequisite similar to the Risen Martyr (book of exalted deeds) these paragons of heroism are reborn among Ardventel with the Celestial Martyr template.

Celestial Martyr Template
Size and Type: Size remains unchanged, the racial type of outsiders changes to Celestial, while celestials become Angels.
Special Qualities: The Celestial Martyr gains Radiance emitting natural bright light (20ft,) Fire Resistance 10, fast healing 1 and may use Detect Evil at will, as well as Smite Evil once a day.
Abilities: Wisdom and Charisma are increased by +2