Pandius the City of Immortals

Pandius is one of the last remaining Cities of the Immortals inhabited by the Immortals of Mystara. The city exists in the Ethereal Plane within one of the larger craters of the moon Matera.  Within Pandius it is possible to see out onto the Prime Plane however beings on the Prime Plane cannot see in.  A mortal character on the Prime Plane could walk right through the area occupied by the city of Pandius and would neither see nor touch the city nor anything in it.

Planar Traits

• Gravity: Normal Gravity
• Time: Normal Time
• Size: Finite Shape - A hemisphere several hundred yards in diameter, consisting entirely of the City of the Immortals.
• Special Traits: Special Traits.

Location Links

Permanent or semi-permanent portals or other ways to/from location.

Inhabitants

The city of Pandius is densely occupied by Immortals, Titans, Lesser Fiends, monsters, and favoured mortals of all descriptions.

Movement and Combat

Special notes on movement and combat in the location

Features of Location

The Hemisphere. The lunar surface is barren and has no atmosphere, so the Hierarchs who initially created Pandius enclosed a large area in a thick crystalline dome (actually a set of interlocked, glass-clear baaka) and created an atmosphere within it. Of course, the Immortals do not need air to breathe, but many of their estate servants do; additionally, without air no verbal communication is possible even between Immortals, and the Immortals enjoy the scents of flowers and foods just as much as mortals do… when there is atmosphere to carry those scents.

Locations

The Central Dome. This giant golden dome is the centre of activity in the city. It is where Immortals of all the Spheres can meet freely and in peace. Combat between Immortals is forbidden here, and the Hierarchs in Pandius ruthlessly punish those who violate this rule.

The exterior ring of the dome consists of access corridors and numerous chambers. Some of these chambers are meeting rooms; several of them permanently assigned to various Councils of Hierarchs, others open for use by Immortals in need of a neutral meeting ground. Some of the chambers are prisons, where cells or chains made of baaka can hold Immortals or other powerful creatures. Others are monitoring rooms with skylights, where low-level Immortals working for the Council of Mystara use their magic to watch out for illegal Immortal activity on the Known World below.

The main chamber of the Dome is a theatre with seating all around; sometimes it is used by Hierarchs to address the collected Immortals, sometimes it is used as an arena for challenge combats or demonstrations of magic, sometimes it is used as a court where Immortal malefactors are tried. This chamber is decorated with motifs suggesting all five Spheres: inlaid gem mosaics celebrating the Sphere of Matter, pulsing energy paintings displaying the glories of the Sphere or Energy, synchronized moving patterns suggesting the Sphere of Time, absorbing interpretive art appropriate to the Sphere of Thought, and grim black-and-white etchings glorifying destruction and death for the Sphere of Entropy.

Underneath the main chamber is a punishment chamber containing the Altar of Diminishment, an immensely powerful artifact which can only be used by an entire Council of Hierarchs acting together.  This is a slow, painful process and is only done to Immortals who have committed a grave offense, been captured, and need to be taught a severe lesson.

In addition to the Immortals present, titans, fiends, and other servitor-races are often found in the Central Dome, usually running errands for their Immortal masters.

Connecting Corridors. These golden passageways are inset with heavy crystal windows and skylights, allowing those within to see outside. Each corridor connects the Central Dome with one of the Domes of the Spheres. Each has four 10’-wide colored strips on the floor, one blue, one red, and two gold. Anyone standing on the blue strip is automatically swept toward the Central Dome, while anyone standing on the red strip is swept toward the connected Dome of the Sphere. The golden strips enable Immortals to walk at their own pace without being carried along by magic; they also provide a place to stand and stare meditatively out the windows.

Domes of the Spheres. Each of these domes is governed by the Hierarchs of one Sphere of Power; Immortals from other Spheres are not usually invited to visit. These domes are where Immortals of a single Sphere can meet – to socialize with others of their kind, to plot against the Immortals of the other Spheres, or simply to relax in a congenial atmosphere.

Each dome is laid out similarly to the Central Dome, with one central chamber and several utility rooms at the rim. Each is decorated in a manner suited to that sphere. Each is monitored by Immortals of that Sphere, who use their magical detection spells and abilities to make sure that Immortals from other Spheres do not enter unannounced.

The Plaza. The area around the Great Complex is an open plaza decorated with statues, fountains, and stands of trees. It is a less formal area where Immortals and their servants of all Spheres can meet in peace. The no-fighting prohibition of the Complex extends to the Plaza, as well.

Estates of the Immortals. The rest of the city is made up of residential districts where Immortals may build themselves estates. Any Immortal with an interest in the Known World can ask for and receive a plot of ground, where he or she may create whatever sort of estate suits the character’s fancy. For this reason, each estate is unique and reflects the personality of its resident. Most include lavish palaces, villas, citadels, or castles and are staffed with retainers or monsters belonging to the Immortal owner of the estate.

These estates tend to be segregated by Sphere; Immortals of the Sphere of Matter tend to build their estates close together, for instance. However, there are no rules prohibiting Immortals of other Spheres from visiting the areas belonging to other Spheres. Since Immortals of different Spheres can be friends, allies, and lovers, there is a good deal of traffic into any given area by Immortals of other Spheres.