Lios Dùileach

The Garden of the Elemental Fey

Lios Dùileach is a Demi-Plane within the Dimensional Plane of Tìrean na Sìthichean Dùileach. It is a Demi-Plane that greatly resembles the Plane of Tìr na Sìthe, but is filled with elements of Primal chaos from its adjoining Elemental Fey Planes. Lios Dùileach is both beautiful and unpredictable; a place where all Elemental Fey can gather and meet without concern for losing themselves, touched by all Planes of the Elemental Fey and acting as neutral ground amongst them.

While there is no "official" ruler of Lios Dùileach, Cináed the Bright King is considered the High King of the Elemental Fey due to his status as the most powerful of them, and thus he has authority there by proxy.

Geography

Touched by all the Planes of the Elemental Fey, Lios Dùileach is influenced by all of them and features five distinctive biomes: The Terrace, The Loch, The Wall, The Plateau, and The Vents. Each of these areas is separated by a series of magical waterways that somehow start as freshwater around the Terrace, but become saltwater upon reaching the edge of the Plane. These waterways then form a small sea, known as the Encircling Sea, which is held in place by the Outer Ring, a flat expanse of barren Astral Rock that prevents the water from falling into nothingness.

The Terrace

Greatly resembling Tìr na Sìthe, The Terrace is the centralmost point of Lios Dùileach and features the most balanced climate.

The Loch

Greatly influenced by Màthair-Uisge, The Loch is a water-based biome that runs deep, warm at the surface, but colder in the depths.

The Wall

Influenced by Talmhanta, The Wall is mountainous with deep caverns, sprawling canyons and sharp peaks, as well as lush forests and grasslands.

The Plateau

Under the influence of Fàileadh, The Plateau is a series of flat-topped mountains constantly surrounded by clouds. The colour of the clouds can often determine the coming weather.

The Vents

With Corra-Chagailt as its main influence, the Vents are a hot, desert-like landscape interspersed with lava flows and burning gas vents.

Localized Phenomena

Lios Dùileach is the only known location where Multi-Elemental Particle Storms are known to occur naturally. While Elemental and Para-Elemental Particle Storms are relatively common across the Primordial and Elemental Fey Realms, Multi-Elemental Particle Storms are formed of three or more Elemental or Para-Elemental phenomena, which can only occur where multiple Elemental energies are present.

The Demi-Plane is also a place where the Primal-Fey Sea can be witnessed without directly entering it, with the Barrier-Realm forming the night sky of Lios Dùileach. During the day, the Primal-Fey Sea is obscured by the light of the Demi-Plane's sun, known as An Solast (lit. "the light"), which glimmers with various colours depending on the exertion of Primal Energies upon it.

Climate

Lios Dùileach's climate is mutable depending on which Elemental Fey Plane has the greatest influence over the region at the time, with The Terrace area of the Plane being the most influenced by the mutability, though typically temperate like much of Tìr na Sìthe. The weather of The Terrace is often determined by the physical presence of Elemental Fey within Lios Dùileach, or moves with the ebb and flow of the natural Planar Tides. When Earth is more prominent, the climate leans toward cooler and dryer, while a prominence in Fire makes the climate hot and dry. Rainfall is less likely during the prominence of these Elements. Conversely, Water gives a hot and humid climate, while Air offers a cool and wet climate. Both offer more rainfall than Fire and Earth. Snowfall is relatively rare in Lios Dùileach, but can occur during times of high Elemental instability between Air and Water.

The Loch, The Wall, The Plateau and The Vents also show variations in climate and weather depending on Planar Tides and the presence of Elemental Fey, but there are some features that remain consistent. In The Vents, it never rains, though ash sometimes falls from clouds in place of rain. The Loch always maintains a persistent dampness to the air, regardless of temperature. The Plateau is always filled with at least a moderate breeze which changes direction of origin on a whim. In the Wall, the climate is typically like The Terrace though is prone to more monsoon-like rainfall.

Particle Storms are relatively common across Lios Dùileach, but are not typically considered a danger unless they reach a Category 3.

Fauna & Flora

Creatures and plants from all Planes of the Elemental Fey, as well as some from the Primordial Planes and Fey Planes, can be found within suitable biomes in Lios Dùileach.

Natural Resources

While Lios Dùileach is rich in natural resources, they are typically left untouched as the Demi-Plane is considered neutral, sacred ground for Elemental Fey. Resources can only be extracted if all four Elemental Fey Rulers agree, and then only by individuals that have been given express permission to do so.

History

When Caitir, the daughter of the Raven Queen, held back the Primordial Detonation of the four Elemental Gates from the main body of Tìr na Sìthe during the Titan Incursion, she was not able to save those that were already attempting to stop the Titans from achieving their goals. The detonated gates allowed a mingling of Fey and Elemental energies, turning the areas around the four locations into chaotic juxtapositions of both Elemental and Fey magic; beautiful, but dangerous in a way no Fey had ever encountered before. The Fey trapped within were changed by the energies; twisted into elemental forms capable of devastating all they touched, but Caitir's barrier held back the new power that had been created.

After his transformation into the most powerful of the Fire Fey, Cináed was in isolation for a little over two moon cycles, during which time the lands within the Barrier placed by Caitir remained unstable. Moyra, Iona, and Niall had claimed their positions as leaders of the Elemental Fey of Water, Earth, and Air, but even the combined power of those three was not able to overcome the Primordial chaos that had been left behind. The four zones impacted by the Titans' initial strike on the Fey could only be partially stabilised, no longer able to be returned to their previous state, and the chaotic nature of these new biomes was putting severe pressure on Caitir's barrier, thus putting the Fey Realm at risk.

At the behest of the three Rulers, the soon-to-be White Flame General, Fionntán, begged Cináed to release himself and help, as he was considered the most strategic of them and he had been exposed to the Primordial energies at their most concentrated. Cináed finally did so, his transformation complete, and went to the place that would become The Terrace. He summoned a purple flame that he identified as "the Flame of Sovereignty", and when he applied his power over that of the others', the land around them stabilised, becoming Lios Dùileach and forming an anchor that stabilised the rest of the new Elemental Fey lands.

However, the power of the Primordial energies were still considered too destructive for Tìr na Sìthe, so the Ancients Caledonia and Lady Loss used the Heart of the Ancients to separate the zones from Tìr na Sìthe, creating a new Lateral Plane, the Realms of the Elemental Fey. Lios Dùileach was declared a neutral zone amongst Elemental Fey, and became a place where they could safely mingle without fear of losing themselves.

Alternative Name(s)

The Elemental Garden

Type

Dimensional plane

Location under

Tìrean na Sìthichean Dùileach

Owner/Ruler

Cináed, the Bright King

Owning Organization

The Elemental Court