The Soul Plains - Geography

At a surface level, the Soul Plains appear to embody the piece that most conscious entities think of wanting to dwell within. Lush, vast grassland spreads with the occasional variety of flowers, herbs & trees to fill the tranquil emptiness between small towns & the occasional small forest or valley. The frequently clear skies are constantly dazzled with shades of pale pink amid an expected azure, faded to coral & scarlet during dusk, and completely dyed over to a cloud-vacant, star-filled night sky. Even the scent of one's surroundings is padded with nature's fertility, budding with a pleasant sweetness that wafts the air. Wildlife - rare as it may be, is just as peaceful lest provoked, bearing full coats of phantasmal coloration or qualities (unique patterns or additions, like elemental/nature's influence to 'ordinary' animals, larger-scale to their frames, comfort among Soulborn) and seldom fleeing from seeing a soul.

Were it not for its inhabitants its appearance wouldn't be as deceptive -- though it is those inhabitants that allow its allure to truly come to fruition. The nature of the afterlife feeds upon the very energy of its denizens -- using their reishi no matter how insignificant or vast as the transmission for growth. Even the physically constructed bodies of the Plains' mightiest, the Soulborn, are eventually broken down into what they began as; Reishi. Here, death is breathed in with the same nonchalance that brings its catalysts upon the dwelling.




Plum Blossom Trees [Uncommon]: Dubbed a natural occurrence in the Soul Plains despite being rarely seen. Its lumber is sought after for its high resilience and sleek, smooth appearance. Ordinary weather cannot wither away at its foundation. The reason for its rarity in the common day is that the trees tend to be cut down; despite this, they always manage to crop up from time to time, nestled among common wood. Most Soulborn have come to even opt to leave individual few be, seeking out the forests instead since they tend to regrow the fastest among trees. It is said that discovering a genuine plum blossom tree is a sign of good fortune.
Cherry / Peach Blossom Trees [Common]: Usually mistaken as Plum Blossom Trees for their immense similarity in coloration, cherry & peach blossom trees are vast across the Soul Plains, found across different locations. When the colder seasons have drawn to cession, these are the first sights not long after.
Qinghuā [Common]: A very frequently-seen flower known as the 'Passion Flower'. Varying between bright whites, pale pinks, and yellows, these flowers are littered across the plains & the most commonly seen in particularly verdant areas. They have a faintly sweet scent and usually bloom when warmer weather crops up.
Emberblessed [Common]: Brand of flower that tends to be collected en mass by those able to bear residences of their own. They appear in fluorescent reds & oranges and emit sparkling cinders around themselves. Despite being quite small, just a half-dozen are enough to light up a clearing. Their pollen is used in fireworks & explosives, especially by the Xun family.

• Time passage. Even if an initial arrival does not recall names, faces, locations -- and barely recalls anything of their previous life (likening it to an ephemeral dream of sorts), many note that it feels as though time is faster than they're used to. They are correct. Progression of time is far faster for those within the Soul Plains; likewise, the spans of life that its inhabitants can live out are far, far longer than what they could manage in a prior life.
  
• The appearance & disappearance of smaller land masses, namely cliffs & canyons. They will be present for years, only to disappear with no sign of damage suggesting they could've ever been destroyed by man. They usually are vessels to caves bearing sizable mineral veins or the lair of longstanding wildlife. Regardless of which it may be, these spots are as dangerous as they are lucrative & rare. While there are ones that don't disappear, they are usually the territory of 'fellow' Soulborn and/or contain nothing.
  
• Cloud formations. These seemingly hang amid the horizon of distant land instead of above it, obscuring potential land masses until they're within a few miles ' reach. While mostly harmless, it does make travel quite uncertain. On rare occasions, these clouds adopt a more abstract shape, vaguely resembling the likes of 'auspicious clouds'.
  
• Everything can take in reishi. While unable to conduct it, all constructs have to some extent the ability to harbor & hold reishi, and usually generate very small amounts throughout decades & centuries. For souls, reishi is a contained light source as well, with the wiser among them who've visited the living realms believing it could serve as an auxiliary to electricity and electricity-fueled constructs as well.
  
• Relics of the past, in the form of sentience that is still purely comprised of reishi. These are primarily animals and plants that have yet to become partially physical (an adaptation to the growth of Soulborn that have come to embody this aspect). They are a fuel only useful for souls, and considered too low in reishi-output even for Soulborn to seek out. Living things of this nature, referred to as mundane, tend to be more normal in appearance, suggesting that partially physical plants or animals (dubbed as 'Mystical'), have adapted the ability to alter themselves in the same way Soulborn have.
  
• Reishi veins. Similar to mineral veins, deep wells of reishi can be located deeply nestled below ground or in lower-elevation spots such as valleys. They are commonly sought after by higher-end & intellectually-inclined Soulborn alike, who seek the secrets behind why they form.
  
• Accelerated plant growth. It is unanimously agreed upon and widely known that the root of it is the exposure to and harboring of reishi.
  

Tasogare: "A decrepit town caked in lavender & black, its gloom foretells hopelessness." ---- Also known for its bay (dubbed the Tasogare Bay), this is a small town located far south in the Soul Plains. Primarily comprised of fishermen, this town is stated to be a location where 'only souls whose lives are waiting to end' go. It is a land rich with talent, however, and many Soulborn come to challenge themselves here, only to settle down or perish.
Eun-Cheonan: "The trailblazers to the future of Soulborn, proclaiming that 'societal growth is important, too'. There is nary a soul in sight in this vast location, and yet it thrives." --- Sat east, Eun-Cheonan is home to most financially well-off, it is rare for any commoner or usual-face among the Soulborn to be able to enter this location. It truly lives up to its renown as a city, bustling with activity and most importantly, technology. It is home to the Projector's Guild and features more 'modern' qualities, such as powerlines and other conveniences only able to be acquired by the top ten percent of Soulborn. People who get to visit this location rarely ever want to leave.
City of Sparkles: "Littered with oranges & reds, their excess fancy for Emberblessed can be seen from miles away." --- Formerly called 'Guāngliàng City' by its Huaren residents, it is a bright town settled in the southeast, boasting even a small portion of the Tasogare Bay. The City of Sparkles is all about the convenience and ease of living, with most people hailing from this 'city' tending to prefer working smarter rather than harder. Residents, dubbed Guangren, are usually gadgeteers and finaglers at heart, responsible for the creation of fireworks and the spread of Emberblessed. The Xun & the Den of Stalkers are rooted here, with the former leading the city.

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Dazzlerock Mine: An incline leading into a small mountain formation separating Eun-Cheonan and Guāngliàng. It is home to (and more known for) the mines that it holds, bearing a rare, but occasionally found material within that strikes cords of deja vu & recognition in souls formerly apart of Zenchou in their past life.
Ashen Lands: Where the Sesshoseki stone has been rooted in the center of for centuries, if not millennia. Rooted southeast, the lands are dimmed with an atmospheric ash. It is rare to see anything living or dwelling in these lands, but they are good for training and are a preferred location to duel, for Soulborn that have some form of incendiary under their belt.
Golden Stretch: One of few heights within the Soul Plains that remains consistently present, the Golden Stretch is a valley comprised of four far-spanning mountains that have to be gone through to reach Eun-Cheonan, and wealthier parts of the City of Sparkles. Some liken these mountains to the Shiten'no, guarding the prize that is 'guaranteed wealth' upon reaching the east. It is heavily guarded by mercenaries & bandits alike.
Northern Peaks: A tall, more mountainous area of the Soul Plains. Most gossip that this is where more recluse, 'odd' Soulborn tend to go. Despite the imposing appearance, gloom and perpetual cold cast across this stretch where small towns are few & far between, it is the only location in the Soul Plains that truly has a low rate of death.
Tasogare Bay: Covering the rest of the stretch of the bay that Tasogare Town doesn't, it is by the only coast that these plains possess, leading off into a vast body of water -- that is eventually obfuscated by clouds. None have truly have traveled beyond it, though on rare occasion, they see other Soulborn moving from beyond it, suggesting there's at least land beyond the obscured point, likely in the form of islands.
Towns: A variety of small settlements, though their names are easy to forget and they're scattered aimlessly along the grasslands.