Welcome to Eden
Unearthed Apocrypha #1: East of Eden, pp. 2–3.
The Garden of Eden, also known as the Sacred Grove, is a land of immaculate beauty and the pure innocence of new creation. Although at first glance this grove appears to be utterly normal, with grass, trees, and wildlife, the glistening landscape of Eden actually exists on a demi-plane of its own making. When Adam and Eve committed the first sin and were cast “out” of Eden, they weren’t just told to leave this place, this place also left the Material Plane. Eden severed itself from the physical world, and now this sliver of God’s original creation lives on in its own Plane of Existence: a beautiful and lonely memory of what creation was intended to be.
At first glance, much of Eden appears like an ordinary swath of Mesopotamian countryside, but a closer inspection reveals some distinct and otherworldly features.
Vegetation. Although the trees and flowers here look just like those found anywhere else in the world, there is something about them that calls to mind memories from childhood. The leaves and grass are just a shade too green, and the fruit and flowers are just a bit too vibrant. While there is nothing exactly “wrong” with the scenery here, a mortal that encounters Eden cannot help but view the world as though through the eyes of a child that is seeing the world for the first time. Fruit-bearing trees are always in season, and the branches are always heavily laden with fruit that is perfectly ripe. Flowers are always in bloom, and the grass and moss is always soft underfoot. Last, a mortal who traverses the forests in Eden will notice a startling lack of thorns, brush, weeds, or other unpleasant types of undergrowth. Even the wildest forests here in Eden are easy to stroll through, with grass never growing more than a few inches tall, and branches of trees never growing in a way that would pose an obstacle. Characters that can speak with or otherwise sense the intentions of plants will find the vegetation here to be relaxed and friendly, if a little naive.
Animals. There is an unspoken harmony to this place, causing the wildlife to behave curiously. Carnivorous animals still hunt and kill other animals, as it is part of their nature, but there a kind of peace and respect that permeates this activity, and neither predator nor prey seems to harbor resentment for the other. It is common to find animals that would normally fight over territory living together peacefully in Eden. While all of these creatures still live and act in a way that is true to their nature and created purpose, there is no sense of antagonism between species, and an overwhelming sense of harmony and acceptance exists between all species.
Eden Crossings. Portals between the Material Plane and the Plane of Eden are few and far between, and are usually situated in areas of lush natural beauty. The area within 1 mile of an Eden Crossing is enchanted with divine magic. Any creature with an Intelligence score greater than 5 that enters this area must succeed on a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw or become confused and disoriented, even if they have the “Keen Mind” or “Labyrinthine Recall” features. This effect will cause the creature to take an alternate route through the region, missing the portal entirely. A creature that succeeds in locating the portal will find its way barred by a Cherubim wielding a flaming sword. This Celestial is under orders from on high to prevent any mortal from entering the Garden of Eden as a consequence for the original sin committed by humankind. Attempting to fight a Cherubim is ill-advised, and the only way past this guardian is to command it to stand aside using its true name. Since Cherubim guard their true names from all but their most trusted allies, the knowledge of a Cherubim’s true name is taken as evidence of divine intervention.
Domain of Creation. This Sacred Grove is an anomaly in the cosmos. It is the place where the breath of the divine brushes against the face of the earth, and creation spontaneously lives and moves in the glory of its Creator. It is also a place of unbridled nascence. The animals and plants that live here often possess advanced intelligence, and some even have the ability to speak. Despite this, these creatures live in a state of perpetual innocence; they have never known sin or malevolence, and are confused by the concept of it.
Additionally, the realm of Eden has a fertility that cannot be understated. As the dawn of existence, this Garden thrums with the divine Word of life and moves to the rhythm of creation. Any spell from the school of Conjuration that summons or creates Beasts or plants has its potency doubled while in Eden. A spell that conjures a certain number of Beasts, such as Conjure Animals or Summon Beast, can conjure twice the number as the spell would normally allow. Similarly, a spell that conjures plants or Beasts in a specified area, such as Insect Plague or Plant Growth has its Area of Effect doubled when cast in Eden.
Optional Rule: Irresistible Innocence. The purity of this demi-plane is overwhelming. A creature that finishes a Short or Long rest in Eden must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw or its Grace score temporarily increases by 2, to a maximum of 20. If you are not using the optional Grace Score rules, then a failed save causes an alignment of Evil to become Neutral, or Neutral to become Good. Regardless, this change becomes permanent if the creature does not return to the Material Plane after 1d4 days.
Additionally, a creature that finishes a Long rest must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or the magic of Eden will take root in its heart. For each day that a creature spends in Eden, this DC increases by 1. A creature that fails this saving throw is overcome with feelings of peace and contentment, and desires to stay in Eden forever. A Dispel Good and Evil or Greater Restoration spell, or similar magic, ends this effect.