Dungeons and Dragons Lore: Elysium

the Blessed Fields of Elysium, is a strongly good-aligned plane of existence with four distinct layers, located in the outer planes of the Dungeons & Dragons multiverse.
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aj pickett, the mighty gluestick, dungeons and dragons, roleplaying, tabletop, 5E, 5th edition, faerun, toril, forgotten realms, Eberron, pen and paper, Dungeons and dragons lore, monsters, magic, magic items, monster ecology, greyhawk, mystara, krynn, golarion, spelljammer, planescape, homebrew, paradise, heaven, outer planes, great wheel, guardinals, pelor, chauntea, eldath, petitioners, good, goodness, celestial, celestial creatures, angels, solar, planetar, archon,

[@rejvaik00]

🎶 _Top the vast planar highway_ 🎶 🎶 _Warm breeze on the air_ 🎶 🎶 _A place for pure happiness_ 🎶 🎶 _That everyone can share_ 🎶 🎶 _Not far off in the distance_ 🎶 🎶 _See great flora and birds_ 🎶 🎶 _Richly green filled grasslands_ 🎶 🎶 _Which taste like superb herbs_ 🎶 🎶 _Standing in the portal doorway_ 🎶 🎶 _Hear inviting ringing of bells_ 🎶 🎶 _Then you start to think to yourself,_ 🎶 🎶 _'That this heaven and all else is hell'_ 🎶 🎶 _Lightin up a candle of courage_ 🎶 🎶 _As your mind slowly sways,_ 🎶 🎶 _Whispers coming from the portal door..._ 🎶 🎶 _Thought you heard them say:_ 🎶 *"Welcome to the great plane of Elysium"* *"Anytime of year, (anytime of year)"* *"You can find it here"* *"Living it up in the great plane of Elysium"* *"What a nice surprise, (What a nice surprise)* *"Now come on inside"* 🎶 _Mirror waters lakeside_ 🎶 🎶 _Mountains with glacial ice_ 🎶 🎶 _And you think:_ 🎶 🎶 _'We are all just prisoners here,'_ 🎶 🎶 _'In what is true paradise'_ 🎶 🎶 _"Relax" say the locals,_ 🎶 🎶 _"We are Elysium you see?"_ 🎶 🎶 _"You can check in anytime you like..._ 🎶 🎶 _"BUT YOU WON'T WANT TO LEAVE!"_ 🎶

[@grammaticalrouge29]

👏👏👏

[@lysander9957]

*sick guitar solo*

[@That80sGuy1972]

A great adaptation of Hotel California... a song that The Eagles made vague in meaning on purpose but you made it actually have meaning via some creative edits. Nice.

[@Mortablunt]

Can't wait for your version when AJ covers Hades.

[@robomonkey1018]

Well done

[@Troommate]

If you find yourself alone, riding in green fields with the sun on your face, do not be troubled for you are in Elysium and you are already dead. - Maximus Decimus Meridius

[@nicolaezenoaga9756]

Everybody in Elysium is a good mortal kombat character but with non of the flaws and in an environment where they don't have to resort to such barbarisam.

[@JanusKastin]

Evil thief: That retirement home is an easy mark! All those old folks do is lounge around and stroll in the garden. C'mon, let's go get some loot!" *Home is filled entirely with retired Seals, Rangers and Spec Ops*

[@AJPickett]

Exactly.

[@Mortablunt]

@@AJPickett A retirement home full of me and my former militia comrades and cop buddies. in our prime condition and skills. I love the imagery.

[@HBHaga]

Retired and Extremely Dangerous.

[@sircastic959]

What I would find even more funny is looking at Belerin here and assuming that it works like the rest of Elysium, only slightly different: Because it has trapped this primal Hydra it might have gotten morphed a bit, with the other dangerous creatures around as well. What if many of the prisoners of Belerin consider it a somewhat acceptable place? (Since we are talking about beings from the lower planes, not a high bar to beat.) What if Belerin LACKS the trait of forcing evil creatures away yet the other effects of the plane persist? So they too would want to stay and would make camp away from the towns in Belerin but eventually the effects of the plane would seep in and they begin to mellow out. The Ecosystem might still be hostile (perhaps just unfamiliar) to them but the communities perhaps not entirely. Only in Belerin would you stumble into a hut in a swamp and find a Pit Fiend living there like Shrek and warn of the black dragon in the are because "I´m strictly professional, he´s a professional asshole." An evil creature that can keep its head down in Belerin would gradually fall under the influence of the plane. A few examples: It would be pretty funny to have an adventuring party lose to a Great Wyrm Ancient Black Dragon with Draconic Sorcery only for it to steal half their rations along with their gold and consider itself "the supreme evil of these dreaded marshes" because it made a point of tearing apart the rangers cloak of elvenkind before sending the party off in their way. (He serves as a rite of passage for younger Guardinals to beat because even though he may seem whimsical by black dragon standars, he is still a great wyrm and will send them back with partially disolved fur to lick their wounds if they fail) The Pit Fiend meanwhile won´t help unless rewarded for it, acting more like a lawful neutral mercenary than the vile fiend you would expect. He has a handful of Fiends as a quasi adventuring party and the Guardinals tolerate them because they don´t bother the locals and their services are bought quite easily for good food. Sometimes a disctraction makes search and rescue in the lower planes much easier. Fiends act differently if they belive they are facing their own instead of good creatures who they know care about the mortals they captured. Crown that with an actually friendly Coven of various Hags, lead by a Night Hag, who once pulled a certain card from a deck and now settled in the swamp and uses her magic to spread (out) misery and trade curses among those who seek her so that the results are decidedly LESS terrible. She also knows how to trick a soul caught in elysium into leaving the plane again but refuses to do so unless it´s for the sake of family or a loved one and unlikely to corrupt the soul. Guardinals frequent her for intel on the lower planes when they have more delicate missions and the other members of the coven can provide additional support by enticing the services of some of the monsters and fiends caught on Belerin through the right gifts. There is a downside to their services though, as they require sacrifice for their magic to work and the minor curses inflicted and payments rendered can turn major if a bargain is not upheld. (For example them restoring a badly twisted leg might come with the side effect of stubbing a toe in an unexpected and nasty way every week for seven months. And you can´t kick things smaller or weaker than you or else your kneecaps fly off. Funny for a monk. Returning a loved one from elysium would cost MUCH more. An arm and a leg so to say. Perhaps eyesight, the most happy memories together, etc. A real sacrifice that would make one pause but might still be worth it. Supremely evil DM way of utilizing that very special Coven: Horny Bard gets princess pregnant, has lovely twins. Wants to continue adventuring. Fine for now. Later though the princess gets assassinated and the Kingdom falls. Party manages to get the children somewhere safe. Princes wants to stay in elysium though. Bard should raise kids. Is a bard though. (Big on that CHAOTIC good) Party travels to elysium, FINALLY find the Coven and a green Hag is willing to help. So after she sent the party to collect the components she needs for the spell as well as rendering a "small favor" for her (delivering a simple pie she made to the aformentioned Pit Fiend. The bugs are annoying where he lives and she just doesn´t wanna deal with them.) it is finally time to cast the spell. And all she needs is the bards "lustful seed" in the cauldron to finish it. Then she tells the grinning bard that this will be the last time he is able to get his pecker up for a woman he´s not married to. Seeing as he already has children AND is getting the princess back she thinks that´s a small price to pay. Fair warning, he breacks a heart, the spell breaks his wiener. Hillarity ensues as the hags pull a two for one, bring brack the princess and some random tavern maid from the same kingdom the bard also banged and it turns out the princess always swung both ways and now so does her future wife. The bard will surely put on a great performance at the wedding. So now imagine that our thief SOMEHOW managed to escape the retirement home and then tries to fence the goods here. [The Hags have directed him to the Pit-Fiend, promising him that he "will get what is his due"] Pit-Fiend: "So you are proudly telling me you met the Dwarven King who beat me in single combat to reclaim the soul of his father, stole his hammer while he was fishing and then kicked him in the balls and put an arrow through his knee so he could not follow you?" [Picks up his mace] "Lucky for you I am expecting a Leonal for Dinner today, he just recovered from the wounds he took when we pulled that STUPID KENDER ROGUE! from the demonweb pits so I won´t kill you because I don´t have time to clean up. Also Torin might want to deal with you himself, so keeping you here with shattered limbs and extending an invitation might earn me a replacement for the armor I lost to the bebelith when I had to cover our retreat. What fortunate day indeed for I have longed to settle the score with this mighty king for over a thousand years by now and today I can finally meet him again. A hearty salmon will go well with the mead from Ysgard."

[@sircastic959]

Since I got a few likes, let me continue this plot option: Assuming your party lost the fight against the Pit Fiend, they wake up as promised, on the floor with all of their extremities broken as well as their jaws dislocated (for all those spellcasters) stable at 1 HP. The Dwarf visits together with an awakened Donkey who has 9 levels in bard and heals the party back to sufficient health so that they can prepare and serve dinner for the two as well as do the dishes. If the party choose to be good guests and extend humility and/or guilt towards the Dwarven King he "rewards" them with his forgiveness and a chance to make the multiverse a better place: He would indeed love to forge new armor and a weapon for the Pit Fiend but he lacks some materials. The party is to take the quest "pro bono" as "Kindness is its own reward" (If they complete the quest which should cost them roughly half their hard earned wealth the Pit Fiend (who is now wearing artifact level adamantite armor and has 20 levels multiclassed into Oath of Conquest Paladin, Celestial Warlock, Champion Fighter and Berserker Barbarian if you wanna be fancy or simply 20 levels into oath of redemtion if you are a lazy DM, retaining his other stats except for his poison bite and the vulnerablity to silver (now you need magic) as well as having legendary actions on the level of an Infernal Archduke) will curb-stomp the next BBEG who bests the Party and/or save a beloved NPC/Pet while EVERY good aligned Dwarf they meet will treat them as a Dwarf. Yes, even if the party member is an Orc that the Dwarf has NEVER met before they start out on favorable terms. This obviously only last so long as the party member is at least neutral in alignment on the good/evil axis) To illustrate how powerful that Pit-Fiend would be in the multiclassed version: Action Surge, crits on a 19, short rest spell slots for smite, makes eight attacks, check out his charisma for the purpose of paladin abilities. Honestly, ten levels are already hardcore, but RAGE is what truly sells it if you consider that he can have 3. level warlock spell slots and counterspell. He can ALSO clear his own exhaustion he gets from the Berserker. Quick lore justification for the levels: Warlock because of his bond with a being on Elysium, Oath of Conquest because of what he swore in life before he fell, Champion because of what he learned in Hell, Barbarian because of what got him through his exile. (Round one he action surges, mindless rages and unloads a full round plus bite, smiting on every crit which, statistically speaking, he should have one of if he has advantage Sentinel and Mage Slayer Feat, Counter spells on his reaction, reckless all the way, sticks melee with the boss or bonks a caster, fire balls for the minions. If the Donkey is with him the casts haste on the Pit-Fiend and goes full support, as they enter the initiative order, you can hand the stat-blocks over to your resident munchkin or whoevers character Acerak (who is about to face regret) just disintegrated) FULL LEVEL 20 Oath of Redemption if you wanna turn him pure neutral good and prove that "good does not have to mean nice" and "redemption can hurt pretty bad" This lime green Pit-Fiends mace is named "regret" and is a mace of disruption that appears to be a simple wooden greatclub, which it is, but it also happens to be a charred yet gleaming branch from Ygdrasil. If it hits a succubus and she fails the save against fear it makes a "bonk" sound and she wakes up in whatever passes best for "horny jail". Furthermore, the save is CHARISMA instead of wisdom and the fiend is instead reduced to 1 HP and wakes up with THE WORST HEADACHE in a smelly pool of mud in Belerin and finds themselves moved one row towards good until they finish a long rest. The Fiend can then ATTEMPT A SECOND SAVE AGAINST THEIR OWN SPELLSAVE DC TO KEEP THE ALIGNMENT CHANGE. (Regret knocked some sense into them. The Weapon breaks if it strikes a good creature.) This means that a Succubus for example might wake up in a cage (with bad hair, wearing a potato-sack) in the hags coven and be given the classic folklore tasks of sorting peas or lentils.

[@scottleneau6221]

That mental image of Pelor fishing out an Astral Dreadnaught, and then throwing it back while laughing cracked me up. It's also kinda revelatory. Not too many people characterize the D&D gods like that, and it adds another dimension to what these beings would be like.

[@nicolaezenoaga9756]

So the lawful one's are the regal one's, the neutral one's are the friendly one's and the chaotic one's are the...other friendly one's?

[@cobblegen1204]

I imagine that lawful good gods would take everything too seriously, while chaotic good gods might mean well, but come off as scary due to their tempestuous natures, with neutral good gods being the most friendly and personable toward mortals.

[@nicolaezenoaga9756]

@@cobblegen1204 That's a good way to look at things.

[@llewelynshingler2173]

It could also lead to a running gag where the party gets into Astral Dreadnaught fights that always end with the Dreadnaught vanishing abruptly.

[@dragonlord498]

well given what astral dreadnaughts are i don't think he would be a hook and release more like fishing for them to remove a menace to at least a portion of the multiverse and planar travelers i would assume still it was a interesting image of the things that gods would fish for

[@MythosTheSophist]

Lost in paradise... Amazing and terrifying at the same time...

[@daniell1483]

The idea of staying too long and dying in Elysium as a deadly trap is hilarious, and I doubt the victims mind too much. Hope we get to see the other Upper Planes soon, Arborea in particular for me. Last thought: major props for the perfect pronunciation here, there are some legit tongue twisters here, I doubt I'd have done half as well as you managed, AJ.

[@AJPickett]

Thank you.

[@warlich666]

It's kind of a weird concept as well. Stark contrast to Hades too. Elysium wants to keep you, hades wants to slow you. I think the idea that you kinda just... "die" and become apart of it is disturbing but I suppose alot of us wanna live in the best aspects of the shire.

[@Janshevik]

@@AJPickett are these outer planes in a playlist so we can organize and see what is done? Since these plane videos are quite apart regarding upload date.

[@AJPickett]

@@Janshevik I will be making some playlist updates soon. The explores series has them all I think

[@That80sGuy1972]

It's like the plane of Hades (or whatever it's called now, "Grey Waste" as of the 90s? The Neutral Evil plane) but in reverse.

[@ETBass-zx3mw]

The thought of running into a deity sunbathing or fishing with a sun hat and sunglasses telling some petitioner to leave them alone now they're harshing their buzz/chill, hilarious. Great video, you are the best.

[@haydenwhite7192]

I am doing an Elysium campaign right now and am incredibly happy you did a video on this amazing plane. The good planes just never get the attention they deserve. I took my campaign in a different direction where I made this catastrophic event that killed some and moved many gods out of Elysium (some do still remain). The guardinals feel great guilt for not protecting their land and in turn, now hold dominion over the plane; examining all who wind up there. Basically, they are paranoid to the extreme and by their own design become the antagonists of the campaign as the players want to leave the plane.

[@Mortablunt]

AJ Picket returns to the outer planes, oh happy day!

[@Darwyn4321]

Ah Elysium. The plane so nice you'll never want to leave.

[@Mortablunt]

You say that like it's a bad thing.

[@roepi]

@@Mortablunt Well, it does litterally kill you with kindness. There is the teensy drawback of ending up dead.

[@sextwister]

You know we've been waiting for this one. Lion people rise up!!!

[@fhuber7507]

Use the opening to describe where a fallen PC has gone. Then ask if their spirit is really willing to come back when the party cleric casts Raise Dead. "A willing spirit"

[@AJPickett]

Exactly.

[@agsilverradio2225]

Yes. I'm eager to return to the prime, where the Good I do actually maters! ... Besides, I trust Eleisium about as much as I trust the FeyWild.

[@jacopoarmini7889]

what I find weird is that the world of the dead seems to be even more interesting than the world of the living in D&D, it's surely more complicated

[@AJPickett]

After all, they have eternity to discover it all.

[@adamhunter1223]

I hadn't thought about that, but it makes a bit of sense considering how religious gygax was. There's always been a big focus on the afterlife in Christianity, and the strain gygax adhered to takes that further.

[@agsilverradio2225]

The world of the dead also has to be bigger that that of the living, by a factor of functionally infinity, to house all souls and potential souls forever, without overcrowding.

[@agsilverradio2225]

@@adamhunter1223 Yeah, but Heaven is supposed to be *eternal* life with God, so why does D&D Heaven have permideath as a thing that's even physicly possible?

[@placeholdername3818]

@@agsilverradio2225 Becaude at the end of the day this is a fictional fantasy setting not a retelling of the Bible. His faith influenced his work that's all.

[@josephjohnson5415]

My favorite is bytopia and Ysgard. But elysium is just the perfect place in all of existence. You simply could not go wrong as a soul being there in the afterlife. I love the guardianals. And my favorite faction the Cyphers call it home. Don't think, do. Go and see the beauty of goodness, just make sure you have a good contingency spell to pull you butt out when you want to overstay.

[@BuddyLee23]

In the event it has not already been mentioned; if you find yourself alone, riding in green fields, with the sun on your face, do not be troubled, for you are in Elysium and you are already dead.

[@Faircrow]

as a paladin of Tamara all I can say is FINALLY! more lore please

[@Morrowind4732]

I love hearing about realms and planes of existence

[@Kakkarot211]

really great breakdown, makes me want to do a quest to elysium

[@megatroymega]

I had an idea for a "villain". A Celestial Warlock that is mentally unwell. This Celestial Warlock kills or planeshifts good people as mercy for the sole purpose of sending them to Elysium. I think it would be creepy for a village to be devoid of all the good people leaving behind a handful of cruel and indifferent individuals. The luminous being that brought swift 'mercy' looked at them with pity and smiled at those killed.

[@alienz8641]

That’s actually really good. Maybe he could refer to himself as a “Herald of Paradise” to really emphasize his delusions. Or perhaps the warlock is inexperienced in planeshifting and only BELIEVES he’s sending the people to Elysium as opposed to the Abyss or Pandemonium.

[@alotosius]

I have been waiting so long for another one of your outer planes videos! And I was not disappointed!

[@coffeegator6033]

You know it's a blissful and peace loving plane if AJ doesn't say "however" a few times with subsequent counterpoints following lol. Was a great video!

[@AJPickett]

Heh! True.... however

[@leandersearle5094]

@@AJPickett Isn't it a little unfair to win your own comment section?

[@nooneinparticular5256]

I like the idea of a villain, who reincarnates every time he's killed, so the ultimate way to beat him, is to seal him in Elysium for long enough, that he becomes too drunk on pleasure to try anything ever again.

[@abdullahalghanimi379]

29:10 Out in the distance, you see this strangely dressed man with light hair and a sun kissed completion, wrestling... an alligator??? No, a crocodile... The only words you can clearly hear, and understand, is him saying "Crikey!!!"

[@Forsakei]

I actually had developed an Artifact for a campaign eventually I plan on running in the future. It can only be destroyed by being tossed into the ocean in Thalasia. This video reminded me to get back to work lol

[@joshuastamos2213]

You should read “The Great Divorce “ by C.S. Lewis. He has a really interesting description of heaven.

[@maxxor-overworldhero6730]

C.S. Lewis is among the GOAT.

[@bookwyrmbaneoftheplothole8500]

I definitely use Great Divorce as an inspiration for my interpretations of celestial planes, but I tend to also mix some of the Space Trilogy and Narnia in as well, so mostly I just really love CS Lewis

[@FayAlexGG]

KK

[@rylog8]

Def best Christian fanfic author

[@JoseMolina-ij3xx]

Elysium reminds me of a Greek mythology of a place that is the opposite of Hades. It's called the Elysian Fields. Curious that Olympus and the Elysian Fields are not adjacent to each other in D&D lore. In Hades, one forgets their past life to live in damnation, while in the Elysian Fields, one forgets their past life to live in salvation. In a way, Elysium and Hades ends human lives in their own ways.

[@AJPickett]

It is the Elysian fields, it is next to Olympus and it is the polar opposite of Hades.

[@Mortablunt]

@@AJPickett Can't wait for your Hades video.

[@jonalynmisalang9447]

@@AJPickett quick question, does folkvangr from norse mythology count as elysium?

[@JoseMolina-ij3xx]

@@AJPickett I thought the Happy Hunting Grounds was between Elysium and Olympus. Or maybe I was mistaken?

[@josephmatthews7698]

@@JoseMolina-ij3xx no you are correct but dnd designers jumped that little plot hole by saying there is a special astroglide highway between all of the Greek sites, Tarvaris, gehenna, Styx, etc They also allegedly have astroglide highways directly to all of the material planes who worship them. So theoretically your characters should be able to come to earth if you can find the astroglide highway Zeus used to philander all those ladies and handsome animals.

[@cruuvoshirin5580]

"I could go on for hours about cooking, don't get me started." Oh, do go on.

[@linguisticallyoversight8685]

Imagine being a chaotic good neutral good or lawful good character you die fighting some great evil or even medium level evil and you get to your assigned after life you find true Bliss and happiness and fulfillment in that after life and then the party resurrects you could you imagine being ripped away from that truly horrifying to be ripped away from such happiness and thrust back into the mortal world of pain and suffering I could see a good character becoming evil specifically because of that

[@kevinbarber2795]

If you don’t want to come back, resurrection magic typically fails, from what I’ve heard.

[@TheAlgorath]

With Elysium, you're generally a person who wants to face down the evil, so if anything you're more reckless than before

[@johngleeman8347]

I love that Elysium has the same trapping quality that the Grey Wastes of Hades possess. Good thinking on the designer's part. :3

[@johngleeman8347]

Also, Pelor fishing for astral dreadnoughts is an amazing image. Thank you AJ.

[@itzybitzyspyder]

"You don't get to turn over a new leaf here, you get to push up daisies." Damn.

[@placeholdername3818]

Hearing about Elysium always makes me feel saudade. Like it feels familiar deep in my soul. Not the literal Elysium from D&D but it being described always pulls at something deep inside of me. Makes me wistful.

[@alienz8641]

That is interesting.

[@TheSneakyVikingJarl]

One of my warlock players, yes there are two, has a patron who is a great old one that has been sundered and split into multiple sentient powerful beings. Each of them trying to become whole again and the new predominant consciousness. I think I know now where one of these demigod fragments is held. I can see a high level adventure forming now.

[@biblebot3947]

9:30 Perfect layer of the Abyss

[@bigsarge2085]

Peace and fulfillment. Wow, you've taken your already great content to another level with this amazing documentary!

[@AJPickett]

Thank you very much :)

[@maninthemirror9732]

@@AJPickett Yeah i really dig the new style of presenting the art pieces, add a sense of vibrancy to the storytelling. I have an advice you may find useful for the channel, i've seen a few D&D lore channels on youtube and you are one of my favourite ones, however i've never seen a channel deliver the lore from a first person perspective, as though they were an character in the D&D world telling there story to a group of travellers beside a warm fire at a cozy roadside tavern. This may add some greater immersion to the storytelling if done right, but just some advice.

[@rogerburkowski357]

I heartily agree. You need a food and drink diatribe. FR, Spelljammer, Planescape. Highlights of exotic consumables. Death cheese, H'cathan beets, etc.

[@aaron2187]

I'm a cook by trade and a poet for pleasure so I found this wildly inspirational, the joy of creation is something that is familiar to me so I can very easily imagine the wonders of just spending eternity creating for the sake of beauty. I don't believe I'd ever leave a place like that so thank you for a wonderful description that has my imagination just afire with ideas for my own campaign and setting.

[@HamsterPants522]

I had the same thought. Given infinite time and energy, I could very well imagine myself slowly building an endlessly sprawling palace of glittering colors and gardens, if for nothing else than the satisfaction of creating something beautiful to share with others - a piece of my internal world brought into reality.

[@Greenscyth22]

The best way of describing Elysium is every picturesque screensaver/background and every vacation advertisement that's ever made you want to just be there. Hard for anything even slightly evil to hide there with so many benevolent beings consistently on the lookout for the slightest hint of malevolence. Makes me think how NE characters would be received there. Darklings aren't truly evil, just more concerned about looking out for their own kind (whilst doing whatever they can to ensure a comfortable life for their families). If a Dark One was thrust into Elysium would it be killed on the spot, or perhaps just "Detained" forever, lol. Loved the intro btw AJ.

[@brettonalwood4173]

I like the idea that alignment of the creatures especially in the official source books is based more on how they react to the typically "goodly heroic" PC's. Kobolds are lawful evil in the book (maybe chaotic I can't remember) but they very much embody the idea of putting the community and their friends and families well being before themselves working hard in the mines. I can imagine that in this plain they would be welcomed with comfortable caverns filled with all sorts of previous gems and minerals that could happily dig up alongside their family and lived ones. I know Kurtlemak has their own paradise for kobolds but I still think they could be welcome here.

[@AJPickett]

A NE Darling would be executed, yes.

[@HBHaga]

@@AJPickett My brain cross-fired over to Blackadder for a moment, there.

[@warlich666]

"Storm guyant" These things happen and I'm not judging you friend, but I had to go back and listen again. Had a laugh. So... I wanna ask a question. We hear about fallen angles often enough but what of risen fiends (only one that comes to mind is planescapes fall-from-grace) and i get why for the game its more useful to have bad angels but I ponder on what prehaps a pit fiend or bone devil might look like after many centuries imprisoned and altered by the plane will look like. I imagine that becoming a good creature it may in time be given more freedom but as a concept I wanna know what you might envision.

[@AJPickett]

What if they were indistinguishable from any other celestial being? Indeed, what if many of the celestials you encounter have been alive for so many eons, it is actually a rare thing when one has not risen from a fall from grace at some time in the past?

[@warlich666]

@@AJPickett I can dig that, I suppose that my interests lie in the rare concept of an elevated fiend and the aesthetic differences. This video kinda sent my mind into (one of my favorite videos you did is the baernoloth [sorry if misspelled]) the idea of that... loth... somehow cast there but more over how the the plane changes something. Sorry for being a bit long winded. Kinda a though of Zariel but if prehaps Bel (think thats the pit fiend) was purified, how rare it is to see that, and how that change would alter them physically

[@AJPickett]

@@warlich666 very, very rare, and it changes them utterly.

[@aliceofspades]

Elysium has always been my favorite D&D plane. Thank you for doing it justice!

[@michaelpettersson4919]

I imagine an evil creature visiting here but something is wrong, the plane doesn't reject this being due to this being wasn't actually evil at all, just bitter but belived itself to be evil. Finally having found peace within its soul it just ignore whatever machinations that drove it to visit here and just relax and in time become another inhabitant. Actually I got to think of Harold Foster's Prince Valiant whos familiy was driven from their homeland of Thule by an usurper. Many years later when Valiant confronts the usurper in what used to be his family's castle he is offered a trade. The usurper have grown tired of court intrigues and the constant fear of someone betraying him for his stolen crown. As such he offers a trade, the throne of Thule for the swampland where Valiants family have lived in exile all thease years because that where the only place on the British Isle would tolerate their presence. Some years later Valiant visits the swampland and encounter an old man peaceful fishing and then recognise him at the usurper that once stole his fathers throne. Now however he is a welcome guest in the very home he grew up in. I absolutely love this journey where a villian that stole a throne finally found peace living a simple life fishing (the fact that he didn't bring his wife with him on his exile may have helped as well, typical Harold Foster humor 😄).

[@TheKing-qz9wd]

To this I say "Never."

[@agsilverradio2225]

🎶To reach BeastLands🎶 🎶from Elysium,🎶 🎶travel downstream,🎶 🎶'till plants be' fat🎶 🎶and beasts talk-back!🎶 ... OH NO, I'm becoming naturalized to Elysium!😥

[@coreyeaston6823]

Ah, so peaceful. So tranquil. So beautiful. So . . . .WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT! No where is safe; GIANT CRABS. REALLY, run!

[@animefan3794]

Seems to me like Hades would be the natural follow up to here. Help us all more fully understand both planes by having their opposite chronologically near each other.

[@AJPickett]

Hades is a terrible... terrible place.

[@cobblegen1204]

Hades is the plane of depression, while Elysium is the plane of rampant positive emotion.

[@agentchaos9332]

Interesting though that Elysium might actually kill you faster...kinda emphasizes that death in of itself isn't inherently evil, and it's all about perspective, and quality of life I suppose

[@zacharyweaver276]

Now I need a video on guardinals since you keep mentioning them in this

[@AJPickett]

My thoughts exactly.

[@AlgaeNymph]

"You'll lose your sense of Self! A fate worse than death!" 1. I don't _like_ what little I've become. 2. Immigrating to someplace ideal is only optimal. 3. A place of pure Good wouldn't trap me so long as I had work remaining. But I'll wait for my lover to go there first before joining them.

[@Tazirai]

I write and Illustrate a Comic called Iatet, Goddess of Milk, who is the daughter of Iat, and Granddaughter to Hathor. Her realm is in Elysium (Field of Reeds); Amoria, known as M'herus Rest. I actually base a lot of my writing whether heroic or horror stories, based on Planescape Lore. It's just so rich for that kind of thing.

[@cobblegen1204]

Goddess of milk? How does that work? I can’t help but want more details.

[@wistercrimson3904]

Yes! Thanks for another lore video AJ! I've been looking forward to more videos on the planes, and you have delivered sir! Keep up the great work!

[@zacharyhawley1693]

The OG hotel California.

[@agsilverradio2225]

Elisium has no law and order. ... "If men were angels, no governmnet would be nessisarry..." - Federalest Papers

[@dogle9258]

I’m so happy we get an updated planes series! Always been my favorite.

[@EdricLysharae]

While the denizens of the Lower Planes continue the neverending war between Order and Chaos, the inhabitants of the Upper Planes found a better way... Joy outshines Despair.

[@trajanfidelis1532]

I need a vacation there

[@AJPickett]

Don't we all?

[@CyberneticHamster108]

Just remember not to stay too long

[@agentchaos9332]

Yes..a very, very short vacation

[@moonringXD]

If a evil creature is imprisoned in elysium will they eventually be corrupted to good?

[@agentchaos9332]

Probably depends on how evil, and how powerful they are. A mildly evil thief who's never taken a life, but is just a selfish ass? Sure, potentially the goodness might eventually change him, especially if he's been there longer then his mortal lifetime. But say, a Millenia old succubus or night hag who lives for the suffering and damnation of others? Probably not. If such creatures are even capable of redemption it wouldn't be achieved passively through mere stasis. Many great and tumultuous events would have to occur in their lives to make them question the eternity of evil decisions and give them reason to consider a change. If you just threw them in a cell with pure goodness energy wafting around them, they'd just be uncomfortable from it and over an extended period of time it would essentially be torture. Also someone who dogmatically believes in evil could probably actively oppose any good influence the plane imposed upon them. So someone like Grazz't or Glasyia..yeah I don't think the Air of elysium alone is gonna change their life outlooks

[@agsilverradio2225]

I'm concerned about the reverse happening, and/or the evil being breaking free and causing allot of harm.

[@Giganotus]

I know this is an older video, but I wanted to still comment and say how much I liked it! Just reading the blurbs about Elysium on the Forgotten Realms wiki, I had trouble really understanding what made it... special y'know? But this video helped me finally understand how Elysium works in the overall cosmology!

[@AJPickett]

Good !

[@animorph17]

Given what I know about Pelor, the thought of him being anywhere near a good aligned plane just gives me the jebbies. Cruel monster of a god pretending he's a good guy.

[@themightymoose5047]

Yes!! I've been waiting for this one. Thank you my friend!

[@That80sGuy1972]

Over my decades of being into AD&D, I see now how the Law-Chaos axis has changed... quite drastic from the origin, especially since the death of Gygax. Elysium, as it is now, would be a Chaotic Good plane via the original law-chaos axis.

[@goldenbrigain7031]

you know where I could get a description of the original law-chaos axis?

[@That80sGuy1972]

@@goldenbrigain7031 1st & 2nd Ed had detailed descriptions and most Dragon articles at the time painted clarifications because of people transitioning from the D&D boxed sets to AD&D. That was years before law and good had grey areas and chaos and evil had their grey areas. If I didn't lose my books over the decades I would have scanned them into a digital version myself.

[@That80sGuy1972]

@@goldenbrigain7031 **smacks forehead** AJ Picket, the guy who posts these videos on this (this being his) channel, he's probably the best AD&D sage I know. If anyone would know where to get an online or digital description of the original law-chaos axis, he would! He also reads his comments and has social media! I don't know why I didn't think of this hours ago. He'd probably be able to point you in the right direction, my friend!

[@scicen]

One would think a true neutral plane would have some law ☝️😇

[@That80sGuy1972]

@@scicen Yep. Even if they are just as implied value open to be followed for the sake of the greater good, that still implies some law.

[@agsilverradio2225]

Stereotypes of the upper planes: Archadia: the stict Heaven of Order Celest: the mountain capital of Justice and moral principles Bytopia: Heaven of Workaholics and Gnomes. Elesium: Heaven of uphoria Beastlans: Heaven of Furries and Druids Arboria: Heaven of Freedom and elves Ysguard: The celestial PVP server.

[@AJPickett]

Halflings, not Gnomes, and they work far less than we do. 😎

[@agsilverradio2225]

@@AJPickett No, I absolutely meant the gnomes. Bytopia is the personal den of Garl Glittergold. (Or, a certain reagion of it is, anyways.) ... The hobbit's Heaven would be Soul-Earth, Eleisium. ... Either way, bytopia's inhabitants are mostly friendly smallfolk, which gets me wondering, are there creatures (of any allignent) so big that they would find bytopia verticly closterphobic?

[@tonyh9600]

Ah yea! Way to end the week with some epic lore mastering. Thank you for your hard work

[@jackwalls6551]

I would love a playlist of a bunch of planer videos. This was too good.

[@gustavopaez2444]

This is by far my favorite plane to go chill for a couple millenia

[@gustavopaez2444]

Thanks for liking

[@tylorstorey714]

Aj, can you write a story about a spelljammer party with a puppy just going to all the good realms and just be a wholesome story like these descriptions? I think this episode was relaxing im this time of chaos.

[@AJPickett]

We can all do with a little Elysium right now.

[@TheGlader2]

As a DM this channel is immensely helpful

[@AJPickett]

Happy to help!

[@cllaay]

I know this is an old video, but i’ve got to thank you for this video! I got a freelance assignment making magic items for elysium and i am NOT a big planes guy. This gave me a ton of great jumping off points and was a relaxing listen :)

[@AJPickett]

Congrats on the assignment 🙂

[@Pinefr0st]

I hope I'm living such to be worthy of such a place when my time here is over.

[@sagesheahan6732]

Win!!! Been waiting for this from you! Thank you for all you do, man!

[@anindyassdey]

It was beautiful AJ. I didn't realize I started forming tears when hearing you speak about Elysium

[@Gr33nOfGrundleburg]

I actually felt myself getting a bit misty eyed when he talked about the mending of emotional and mental wounds.

[@FullmetalOrk]

Just listening to the description of this place made me feel more at ease.

[@cobblegen1204]

Same.

[@chriscoffee2268]

Do the diametrically opposed planes have layers that are also diametrically opposed? Ie is there a layer in hades opposite of thalasia that represents oppression rather then boundless choice?

[@AJPickett]

Hmmm, dunno yet.

[@cobblegen1204]

I’ve been waiting for this video ever since I discovered your series on the outer planes almost a year ago. It isn’t common to see Elysium covered, so that made this even more of an enticing video. I loved the artwork as a side note. Next I was maybe thinking a more in depth video on hades, since, like Elysium, the forgotten realms wiki doesn’t go into much detail in hades.

[@AJPickett]

I will do my best.

[@FirstNameLastName-okayyoutube]

I thought about kidnapping some evil people and then returning them to wherever. And even though they don't feel quite right in Elysium, they can't shake from their minds the experience of good. A sort of reverse taint and reverse corruption upon evil realms.

[@snakedog9694]

I want to live in Elysium..

[@thebrokenjay4279]

No need to go anywhere next.... Let's just stay here..... Forever

[@OMentertainment]

Everywhere the darkness touches is our kingdom. What about that light place? That is Elysium. You must NEVER go there.

[@cobblegen1204]

I imagine a powerful arch devil saying this.

[@oniminikui]

This video is rather quite enlightening! There's so many videos about the Layers of the Nine Hells or the Abyss but not enough about the Good-aligned or Neutral-aligned planes. More of these please.

[@goransekulic3671]

Oh yeah? Just mentioning Lathander like that, in a passing. This will not stand! Kidding, great work, those were some really fast and pleasurable 40 minutes. Even though I'd like some place that's more active, more fun. Elysium's awesome, but...

[@Mr_m33k]

This reminds me of frieza in. Hell from dragon ball super

[@TheKing-qz9wd]

Seeing a parade of annoying stuffed animals would drive me mad, too. Now if it was just a stuffed lion lying in my lap, that would be fine.

[@christianadams211]

Great video! I’m gonna give my group’s Aasimar Celestial Pact Warlock visions of this plane, thanks for various descriptors and well painted scenes.

[@chriscalvin5083]

Great video AJ love this video could you do a video on the beast land next?

[@docbaker3333]

Honestly AJ your description of the layers of Elysium is scenery porn at it's finest every layer is a biome in the prime at it's most breathtaking and the chance I might hang out with Pelor for a bit is pretty wild. Granted this beauty does come at a price but for the brief time here it would be unforgettable.

[@stuartlaws9977]

You just invented the term "scenery porn" which satisfies me on so many levels.

[@rodrigoca3288]

I played a druid/planar shepherd with Elysium as my plane of choice and I must say your description of it was spot on. Please do more videos of the planes.

[@primuspilushb]

Ive listened to you for quite some time and I gotta say, this is one of your best videos.

[@paulol7224]

Thank you so much!!! I’ve been waiting for more outer planes content!! Good stuff as always!! 👍👍👍

[@flibbernodgets7018]

7:54 that's such an interesting concept. I wouldn't have thought of it that way but it makes so much sense.

[@wanderdragon1075]

Hmm running a campaign where the players play a team sent from Elysium to rescue souls captured by evil could be a lot of fun

[@malaficus]

Damm. And I thought living in celestia was great.

[@haydem0823]

That feeling when u realize none of ur players would be well received in Elysium

[@AJPickett]

That feeling when the paladin looks at the rest of their adventuring friends and a slow smile spreads across their face... and not in a nice way.

[@haydem0823]

@@AJPickett lol, one of them is a paladin, but hes an oath of vengeance paladin.... also the rest of the party is two rogues. with their shenanigan's, the paly gets that "smile" almost every single session.

[@goldenbrigain7031]

@@AJPickett The paladin's mind: "finally....FINALLY!!!!!" I imagine none of the adventures would like what they saw if they were to look at the Paladin's crotch. One look at the holy murder boner is enough to inflame all evil creatures with a deep burning fear...yeah, fear, let's call it that.

[@Ducken2g]

Thank you for the constant content! I can't help but feel like this is one of your most well made videos to listen to. Will you cover the good aligned gods next or are their stories just too scarce?

[@randallmarcum9998]

This video is rp gold any chance we’ll get a similar one for the other planes of existence? I’ve been fascinated by Acheron lately and have more than a few questions regarding the extraplanar species of both the Bladlings and spikers

[@cobblegen1204]

He made a video on acheron that also covers the rust dragon. Should be able to find it by looking up aj pikett acheron.

[@christosgiannopoulos828]

This was so beautiful it almost made me cry

[@KS-PNW]

Nice one AJ, thanks!

[@TunaSam2314]

I hope actual heaven is like this

[@alienz8641]

I believe it is

[@kevinniziol2974]

Watching this Vid again for the umpteenth time, and frustrated to find out I already “Liked” it and cannot like it again. Thank you AJ for introducing me again and again to magical places!

[@joshuazane3210]

It's always nice to get another extraplanar exploration video.

[@Blackjack3905]

This was beautiful, it actually got a tear out of me

[@DED_MEEM]

"Oh that's lovely!" "That's just lovely." "Well that's lovely." "Oh that's just lovely!" REPEAT FOR DURATION OF EPISODE

[@lysander9957]

Could you do a video on the pros/cons of different methods of interplanar travel? Like what is the benefit of Astral Projection over the Gate spell or Plane Shift?

[@AJPickett]

Hmmm, good idea

[@NoLoveSouth1st]

This is an amazing ASMR video

[@phillycakeboss]

I wonder somehow where you gathered this masterpiece of explanation from..but that's non of my business. Master of words here AJ.My favorite by far and pretty sure you where describing your idea of the heavens.

[@maninthemirror9732]

I've long since I can remember, lost count of how many times i've watched this video! Never ceases to bring me a little sense of joy, especially during tough times, my #1 ASMR video on KZbin for sure! Thank you!

[@AJPickett]

Wow, thank you! I am glad it has brought you so much peace and joy.