Amarona

Name: Amarona

Realm: The Kindergarten

Sphere: Vengeance, rebellion, anarchy, personal liberation, and forbidden love; patron of forsaken children and the oppressed

Description: Amarona, also called the Child's God, the Two Faced Queen, the Bound Amaranth, the Dreamwalker, and the Lady of Transitions, is the Daedric Prince of vengeance, open rebellion, liberation, forbidden love, and personal change. A very little known prince, whose realm only recently became known to the residents of Mundus, she is explicitly disdainful towards the Nine, and is a sworn enemy of Stendarr, whom she sees as “arrogant” and “hypocritical”, claiming that no rule based on might can ever be just and righteous, and that he has no right to call the Daedra callous and cruel when he himself sits in silence and allows people to suffer. Her sphere extends to those whose lives have been made miserable by the actions of others, and all those forsaken by the so-called “mercy” of the Divines, taking extra special interest in orphaned or abandoned children. She will often seek out such children to tempt into her realm of Oblivion with the genuine promise of happiness and an eternal, carefree childhood. She is also known to kidnap children away from neglectful or abusive families, cursing the abusers with infertility and wasting diseases of the flesh as further punishment.

When not helping lost children, Amarona is known to take pity on beggars, the wrongfully imprisoned, or other forsaken individuals, bringing them sudden good fortune, such as a noble's coin purse falling loose in front of them, or a wall of their prison cell suddenly collapsing. Those few who worship Amarona on Mundus know her as a bringer of vengeance, and often petition her to strike down those who have wronged them. Dealings of this nature are quite dangerous, however, as Amarona will often strike down the one who sought her audience instead if she finds them to be the guilty party by her own moral code. Despite this harsh attitude, she is also known to be a patron of personal liberation and forbidden love, seeing all true love, no matter how “unconventional”, as beautiful. Many people who seek acceptance for their relationships end up turning to Amarona for aid. However, as with those seeking vengeance, these dealings can be quite dangerous, as Amarona can see into the hearts of those who summon her, and is known to punish those whose feelings do not meet her standards, declaring them an insult to “true” love. Anyone foolish enough to summon her to officiate a love forced onto someone else will undoubtedly be dragged into her realm of Oblivion and punished for all eternity.

Amarona herself is somewhat of an enigma. It is unclear exactly where her origins lie, whether she was a Daedric Prince to begin with, or if she was once something else that became a Daedra through unknown means. To children or young teens, she appears as a teenager or very young adult of varying races, with deep maroon hair and differently colored eyes, one red and one blue, wearing strange, loose fitting clothes decorated with cosmic formations, which shift and glow different colors depending on her mood. Children also claim that she gives off an air of familiarity, almost as though she were their big sister. To adults, her form is still vaguely humanoid, but they are unable to properly perceive any aspect of her appearance, as though they were seeing both her form and empty space at the same time, and observing her for too long causes adults to become physically ill. When not tending to matters on Mundus, she spends most of her time either in the Gallery admiring the works of her children, or in the Lucid Library reading. While she is vengeful, and her actions can be considered wrong by some, she is often considered to be one of the “good” Daedra.

Court of Petals: The Court of Petals is a group comprised of several people who answer directly to Amarona on a regular basis, and carry out certain functions of the Realm for Amarona.

The first member of the Court is a tall, bald Dunmer man wearing fancy black clothes, who calls himself the Curator. This man acts as an intermediary between Amarona and adults to avoid the side effects of observing her, appearing before those who seek her favor, or those who are deserving of just vengeance, to offer them a deal from Amarona. He stands out among those who serve Amarona as the only adult, and seems to serve a similar role as Sheogorath's chamberlain, Haskill. Oddly enough, despite being a Dunmer, the man says his name is “Orc”.

The second member of the Court is a little golden-haired Khajiit girl named Zabhila, who is frequently seen with Amarona showing her parchments of unknown content. She has also been seen all over the Kindergarten taking notes on things. When approached by other residents of the Kindergarten, she is kind, but seems to have a nervous, even jumpy disposition. By all appearance she seems to be Amarona's personal assistant, and she is very affectionate towards her.

The third and forth members of the Court are a young Nord boy named Warren, and a young Imperial girl named Emilore, who can sometimes be seen talking quietly to Amarona. Although Amarona assures people that they serve a very important function for the Realm, neither she nor they have ever explained what that function is. Despite this, the two are always armed, Emilore with a child-sized rapier, and Warren with a mace, and they have occasionally been seen returning from the mortal realm with blood splattered on their clothes, so residents have their theories.

Princesses

Besides Amarona, there are several powerful and enigmatic child-like entities that exist in the Kindergarten, whom Amarona calls her “Princesses”. She claims that she did not create these entities, but rather “found” them in books in her Library. These Princesses usually oversee a specific major landmark within the Kindergarten. Each Princess also carries a specific flower with them, for unknown reasons.

• The Painted Princess: The Painted Princess oversees the Dark Gallery, and appears as a girl with golden hair and a green dress. She is a rather precocious child, and enjoys creating impressive works of art. She is very friendly, almost clingy, with children who visit her part of the Gallery, especially other girls. However, she is prone to extremely violent outbursts towards the adults imprisoned there. The Painted Princess carries a Yellow Rose.
• The Silent Princess: The Silent Princess is the overseer of the Mad House, and appears as a little girl with long raven hair and a blue dress. Not much is known about her, because as her name would suggest, she never speaks. She seems to be the one who creates the doll guards. The Silent Princess carries a Blue Hydrangea.
• The Mayor: The Mayor is a hyperactive young girl who oversees Sweetrush. She has black hair and strange, mismatched garb, and always seems like she's had too much sugar. Unlike the other Princesses, whose jobs are mostly in title, the Mayor is actually in charge of administrating and running Sweetrush, and acts as its official head of government. Also unlike the other Princesses, she seems to have the ability to teleport, and uses this ability to make her way across the seemingly endless expanse of Sweetrush. The Mayor carries a Purple Carnation.
• The Wandering Princess: The Wandering Princess oversees the Ward. She is a rather ordinary looking girl, with a simple yellow dress and shoulder-length brown hair. She has a rather absent disposition, wandering aimlessly around the Ward and speaking in an esoteric manner that only a madman would understand. She usually just plays games with the children at the Ward to keep them entertained, however, she seems to be able to exist in both Lumen and Stygian simultaneously, as she has sometimes been seen aiding the Slumbering Princesses. The Wandering Princess carries a Red Anise bloom.
• The Slumbering Princesses: The Slumbering Princesses are two Princesses who oversee the same area, the Slumber Clinic. They both act as counselors there, and handle different areas of mental health. There are rumors, however, that both of them might actually be dreams, not real Princesses, and that they're really just human girls living somewhere in the Kindergarten.
• The Dreaming Princess: The Dreaming Princess dresses in pink and white, and has pink hair as well. She has a very soft and caring demeanor, and helps patients who have been severely traumatized. She is aided by several animal-like beings, who act as additional counselors and nurses at the clinic. The Dreaming Princess carries her Starlily, a White Lily, which she uses to help calm her patients.
• The Sleeping Princess: The Sleeping Princess dresses in all black, with raven hair, and handles children who suffer from natural mental illnesses, like depression and anxiety, and those who committed suicide before ending up in the Kindergarten. She uses her own artifact to create spaces where patients can confront and deal with their issues, by either overcoming them, or destroying them. The Sleeping Princess carries a Black Asphodel.
• The Starlit Princess: The Starlit Princess resides in Fantasia, and appears as a young girl dressed all in white and black, with long, wispy white hair which blows like smoke to an unfelt breeze. She also has insect-like fairy wings on her back, and flits around through her forest upon them. She insists that people not call her a Princess, and appears to dislike the title for some reason. Her self-appointed job is to protect Fantasia and those who live there from the nightmares that stalk its trees. When she does happen upon such creatures, she fights them off herself using Light Magic that Amarona claims she borrowed from Meridia. The Starlit Princess carries and adorably small Golden Sunflower.
• Library: Library is a curious entity, who oversees the Lucid Library. She looks almost identical to the Princess of the Mad House, but has a different, more causal wardrobe, and wears strange spiral spectacles. She also speaks quite frequently with Library attendees, as opposed to the Mad House Princess's complete silence, encouraging them to read and trying to make friends with other kids. She is always exceptionally excited when the other children agree to be her friends. She can also be seen keeping the Library in order, re-shelving books and helping children find stories they want to read, just like a librarian. However, she frequently insists that she is the Library, not its overseer. As such, most attendees simply call her “Library”. In most other respects, though, she seems to be the most human-like of the Princesses. Oddly, she has not been observed to possess a flower like the other Princesses, calling into question whether she really is one or not.

Creatures

As with any plane of Oblivion, the Kindergarten is home to a number of Daedric creatures, several of them unique to the Kindergarten itself. Most if not all Daedra who live in the Kindergarten take on child-like forms in accordance with Amarona's will, however, a few varieties of Daedra have fully acclimated to the Kindergarten's magic, and become entirely different types of Daedra.

• Faedra: The most common type of Daedra living in the Kindergarten, the Faedra appear to be tiny, winged versions of Golden Saints and Dark Seducers. No bigger than the palm of your hand, they are much like fairies, and attend to the needs of the children living in the Kindergarten. They are also sent into Mundus by Amarona to seek out children lost in the wilderness, and lead them to the Kindergarten. The origin of these Daedra is as yet unknown, and it is unclear if they were originally Aureals and Mazken who were altered by the Kindergarten's magic, or if they are entirely separate races.
• Kindremora: The Kindremora where once the normal Dremora that anyone familiar with the art of Conjuration would know, who have been altered by the magic of the Kindergarten. This alteration was not a simple age-reversal, as Dremora are not born, and thus are never children to begin with. Such a drastic alteration changed the Kindremora on a fundamental level, creating an entirely new type of Daedra, who will always appear child-like, within or without of the Kindergarten. The transformation has also quelled their natural Daedric rage somewhat, and the disposition of the Kindremora is more akin to hyper-competitive bullies than outright bloodlust and malice.
• Little Scamps: Scamps native to the Kindergarten are smaller than their cousins in other realms, taking on a more “youthful” and child-friendly appearance in accordance with the Kindergarten's magic. However, despite their appearance, they are also significantly smarter than normal Scamps, possessing an intellect on par with a young child's. True to their nature as Scamps, they live for creating mischief, and love to play pranks on residents of the Kindergarten, especially the adults living in Sweetrush. Their pranks are, however, very tame in nature, and in fact Amarona will punish any Little Scamp who makes a child cry with their jokes.
• Honeysuckles: Honeysuckles are a peculiar variety of Daedra who tend to congregate around sources of chaotic creatia. Similar to Faedra, Honeysuckles appear as tiny, winged humanoids. However, instead of having the general appearance of another type of Daedra, Honeysuckles seem to be flower-like creatures who take on a human-like shape. Honeysuckles are curious creatures, who seem to have a desire to be eaten by other creatures in the Kindergarten. Kindremora, Scamps, and even the children living in the Kindergarten, have been known to eat them when they come across them, which seems to delight the Honeysuckles. Those who are fond of eating them say they have a richly sweet taste, almost like that of butterscotch. In addition, Honeysuckles seem to return from the waters of Oblivion much quicker than other Daedra, and it is not uncommon for a Honeysuckle to return and seek out the one who ate them again the very next day.
• Neops: Neops, at first glance, appear to be stuffed dolls vaguely reminiscent of rabbits, but dressed in clothing like a human or mer. Despite this appearance, these beings are very much alive, and are indeed a type of Daedra that is unique to the Kindergarten. When an adult commits atrocities so unspeakably, overwhelmingly heinous that no other punishment in the Kindergarten is adequate, Amarona transforms the individual into a “line” of Neops, whose appearance is based on the individual. Their soul remains as a single entity, but is simultaneously housed inside dozens of Neop bodies. These Neops are then gifted to any victims of their crimes who live in the Kindergarten, with any left over serving Amarona's will. Neops are unable to act of their own accord, being forced to follow the orders of their owner, and Amarona encourages children to “do with them as they please”. Regardless of whether or not the children decide to abuse them, the Neops are in constant psychological agony and distress due to having their mind split across so many conscious bodies, and their souls are eventually broken to the point that they lose all sense of self, becoming blank, mindless dolls. Child molesters, the most loathsome of all criminals, are invariably turned into Neops.
• Rosebuds: In much the same way that Neops are adults that Amarona has turned into Daedra as a punishment, Rosebuds are children who were granted Daedric power so that they could take revenge on those who had wronged them for themselves. Children who express the desire to take such revenge are approached by Amarona herself, who offers to partially bind their soul to the Kindergarten, granting them some of its power, and giving them the strength to exact their vengeance. Children who accept the offer are fed three spoonfuls of the honey-like chaotic creatia of the Kindergarten, which partially converts their soul into a Daedric being. Each Rosebud is unique, any powers or changes in their appearance being based on their own imagination, but all Rosebuds eventually "bloom", becoming fully-fledged Daedra. Due to Amarona's generosity with the power she gives to such children, Rosebuds who have bloomed can be considered minor Daedra Lords themselves in terms of power, and are sometimes even called upon again by Amarona for their unique talents.

Artifacts

Amarona herself has only a few artifacts to speak of, and rarely presents any of them to mortals; however, several of her Princesses seem to have their own personal artifacts.

• The Staff of Broken Cycles: The Staff of Broken Cycles is Amarona's personal artifact. A long magical staff, made of a dark, grayish wood, the top of which is adorned with seven roses in a shade of maroon so dark they almost appear black from a distance, with a single mushroom bearing a striking resemblance to the mushroom trees of the Shivering Isles peeking out from the flowers. Some even theorize that the staff itself is actually a branch from the Tree of Shades, a known component of the Staff of Sheogorath, which leads said scholars to believe there is a strong connection between Amarona and Sheogorath. The staff's function is, as of yet, unknown, as it has never been bestowed upon a mortal champion.
• The Truthwood Blade: Amarona's second artifact is, at first glance, a normal wooden sword. However, it has a striking power that dwarfs even the finest of Daedric weapons, and can fell most foes in an instant. In addition to such power, the blade also has the curious property of causing those struck by it to be universally known by an insulting nickname rather than their own name. All people around the victim, even friends and family, will be unable to recall their true name, only able to refer to them as the insulting word.
• The Flower Crown: The Flower Crown is Amarona's third and "final" artifact. However, instead of wearing it herself, she has given it to the Starlit Princess to serve as her artifact. She claims she did this because she found it funny, as the Starlit Princess dislikes the title of Princess. As its name implies, it is a flower wreath, which centers on a vibrant Orchid. It is only ever given to a champion who proves themself truly devoted to Amarona's ideals. The crown is able to turn anyone who wears it into a child. It also confers Amarona's powerful blessings onto the person, greatly protecting them.
• The Rosen Knife: The Rosen Knife is the artifact of the Painted Princess. It is a small, solid gold knife with ornate thorns carved into the handle. A flower, usually a rose, will sprout from the fatal wound of anyone killed by this knife. The flower acts much like a Soul Gem, and can be used to enchant objects.
• The Saw of Silence: The Saw of Silence is the artifact of the Silent Princess. It is, by all appearances, a normal (if somewhat large) wood saw. However, it has the ability to disrupt and dispel any and all magic, preventing opponents from using spells.
• The Starlily: The Starlily is the artifact of the Dreaming Princess. It is a small, white flower that emanates a calming aura, putting those around its bearer at ease. Some debate whether the artifact is real or not, since nobody has ever seen it outside of Stygian.
• The Black Mirror: The Black Mirror is the artifact of the Sleeping Princess. It serves to create a physical world from the mind of the person it is used on, filled with manifestations of aspects of their psyche. This is used to help people who have severe mental issues to get past them, or confront and destroy them. Just like the Starlily, it has never been seen outside of Stygian, and people debate the reality of its existence.

Library also has an artifact that she carries with her, which appears to be a moderately sized, handheld device of Dwemer appearance, with a small glass lens on the front. However, she won't tell anyone what it is, what it's called, or what it does, and has never demonstrated its use.

Though not strictly speaking an “artifact”, Amarona has been known to impart a dragon shout onto her more dedicated followers, “Kiir-Nir-Nax”, which shows them the auras of people who have been cruel to children so that they might be punished.

The Kindergarten

Much like how the Shivering Isles is loosely similar to Wonderland, the Kindergarten is loosely similar to Neverland. The main realm consists of an island, all across which children can be found living in complete, innocent bliss. The settlements of the Kindergarten are often grown right from trees and giant rose bushes. The children's needs are maintained by a type of Daedra native only to the Kindergarten, called Faedra, and their safety is ensured by Dremora who have been altered by the Kindergarten's magic, called Kindremora.

Also like the Shivering Isles, the Kindergarten is divided into two halves, though not in the traditional sense. One half, "Lumen", is the Kindergarten in the waking world, where most children in the Kindergarten live and play in the ceaseless summer sunlight. The other half, called "Stygian", is the Kindergarten in the world of dreams, where more adventurous children can go exploring and have adventures under the softly glowing moon. Sleep within the Kindergarten is entirely optional, and residents can switch back and forth between these realms at will.

The chaotic creatia of the Kindergarten is a thick, honey-like substance, and even has a sweet smell to it. It is fed to children in the creation of Rosebuds. Some residents who live near or visit the coasts of the Kindergarten claim that they have seen another island far off on the horizon, but Amarona has never given a clear answer as to what this island is, or if it truly exists, giving wildly differing accounts when pressed, including saying it is Artaeum, the Shivering Isles, a second, identical the Kindergarten inhabited by giant bees, the "PC Continent", and “New Zealand”.

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Lumen

Lumen is the bright, shining daytime in the Kindergarten, where children who are "awake" reside. It is a beautiful, verdant land of rolling plains and flowering plants, and is home to most of the settlements in the Kindergarten.

• Kinderstadt: Kinderstadt is one of the largest settlements in the Kindergarten, dwarfed only by Sweetrush. Of all of the settlements in the Kindergarten, it is the closest to resembling a normal town from Tamriel. It is broken up into various districts, each covering a different style of home, from Skyrim to Morrowind, from the Summerset Isles to Elsweyr. Other than Sweetrush, this is where the most children live in the Kindergarten. Amarona's personal assistant seems to own a house in this town, but is rarely seen around.
• Blumengarten: Blumengarten is part settlement, part botanical garden, with every kind of blooming flower you could ever want to see. Many children with an above average appreciation for nature live here. The weather conditions, fauna, and layout of Blumengarten are perfectly balanced to ensure absolute comfort, and as a result, no actual houses have been constructed there. Children will often be seen simply lying on the cloud-like grass, fast asleep as though in their own beds.
• Maroon Village: Maroon Village is a curious settlement inhabited mostly by the children of Daedra worshipers. Most are children who grew up groomed to be sacrifices to various other Daedra, whom Amarona snatched away before such a fate could befall them. A few, however, are the children of her own followers, who were given over to her for various reasons, often to foolishly try to earn favor with her. Regardless of their origin or motivation, the children of Maroon Village share one thing in common: Active worship of Amarona. Though Amarona does not like the idea of children wasting their time with worship when they could be enjoying themselves, she doesn't have the heart to crush the comfort that it brings them, so she simply lets them carry on, and even personally answers prayers to keep their spirits up.

In addition to the scattering of settlements across the Lumen, there are also several main landmarks created by Amarona herself for a specific purpose. Occasionally, she will have a spark of inspiration, usually from reading a story in her Library, and create a new landmark, unveiling it with pomp and circumstance, as though it were an attraction.

• The Gallery: The Gallery is a massive art gallery located in the center of the Realm. It was created to showcase artworks by the residents of the Kindergarten, and to cater to the tastes of the more artistically inclined children. However, by touching a certain painting, one is transported to a strange, dark version of the Gallery. This Dark Gallery is filled with living works of art, which children brave enough to venture into the Dark Gallery will often be seen playing with. Adults are usually imprisoned here for neglecting their children, and are attacked and tormented by the artwork. The Dark Gallery is overseen by the Painted Princess, while the main Gallery is overseen by the Curator. The Gallery has become a popular place for children who live in Sweetrush to take their parents on family outings.
• The Mad House: The Mad House is a large mansion located to the north east of the island, with many secret passages and hidden rooms, which is overseen by the Silent Princess. Nobody is quite sure how big the mansion actually is, as its passages and stairways seem to expand indefinitely downward. The Mad House seems to be a prison for child abusers and murderers, and is guarded by a multitude of ghouls, specters, and even living dolls. Here, children who were severely abused, and even murdered, are taught magic and given control of the guarding creatures so they may in turn torment their abusers and murderers. Otherwise, dark children can be found loitering around the rooms and halls, and sometimes playing with the doll guards.
• The Ward: The Ward is a settlement that is part wellness resort, part abuse shelter, which is overseen by the Wandering Princess. It stands out as one of the only two locations in the Kindergarten where adults are allowed to roam freely, with residents being those who were in such miserable, horrifically abusive environments that Amarona felt she had no choice but to step in. Most are either former slaves, children/spouses who were abused by other family members, or beggars from areas that are particularly hostile towards the destitute. The Ward provides a safe, comfortable environment for abuse victims to live, while giving them easy access to the Slumber Clinic so they can receive treatment.
• Sweetrush: Sweetrush is a strange town located to the west of the island, inhabited by both children and adults, and overseen by the Mayor. It is a town of huge, colorful toy houses, magnificent parks, and strange flora that grow baked goods and sweets. While Sweetrush appears to occupy a finite space when looking in from the outside, once one enters the town, it seems to span on in every direction, with only the town gates to indicate an edge. The residents here are families who entered the Kindergarten together, one way or another. A few families living there are even some of Amarona's own followers, whose adults were deemed worthy when they genuinely pleaded Amarona to take their children away from a life of poverty or wartime. Most adults who live in the Kindergarten reside in Sweetrush, where they are “supervised” by their children, and are required to obey them as though their roles were reversed. Although the Mayor discourages discrimination against the adults, by Amarona's orders they are still considered second class citizens, and any acts of ill will towards children may result in punishment. Adults living in the town also find they are unable to locate the main gates of Sweetrush unless escorted by a child, and so are unable to leave the town on their own. If an adult wanders off once they're out of Sweetrush, they invariably stumble into the Siren's Swamp. Although this settlement is overseen by a Princess, and displays such magical properties, Amarona claims that she did not build the town herself originally, and only helped those who did expand it when the population began to boom.
• Playground: At the very southern tip of the island, there is a town known as Playground. Contrary to its name, Playground is actually a town where children who have intentionally and unrepentantly caused harm to other children are sent to be disciplined. Much like Sweetrush or the Siren's Swamp, the town is inescapable, however this is more due to the children who are held there being "roped into" various incidents, rather than a direct physical impediment. As stated, children who are being punished here are constantly dragged into increasingly ridiculous, and often quite frightening, circumstances which befall the town on a near daily basis. Though Amarona assures residents that the children are in no real danger, the experience is usually enough to get the message across. Playground does not have a Princess to oversee it, and exists in a more-or-less anarchic state at any given time. However, there is a small group of children who live in the town who are the usual instigators of the incidents in town, who all punished children claim to have met. It is unclear if they are similar to the Princesses, or are simply children who have chosen to live in the town permanently.
• Shadow Valley: Shadow Valley is a strange and frightening place that is supposedly located in the same spot as Fantasia in Stygian, however, residents are for some reason unable to find that specific location in Lumen, always seeming to "miss" it somehow. The only way for residents to enter Shadow Valley is to "take the 800^th path", but this instruction has never been explained by Amarona. Mostly, residents tend to just "take a wrong turn" and suddenly find themselves in the Valley. The high concentration of dream energy at this location in Stygian seems to "leak" into Lumen, creating a strange area that is almost like a waking dream, somehow feeling less real than the actual dream realm. The area is inhabited by many odd creatures, some threatening, some benign, some unfathomable, but all inconsistent. Strange, sometimes cataclysmic events take place regularly in Shadow Valley, only to be seemingly undone the next day. Despite all of this, there is a town in Shadow Valley, and some residents have even chosen to stay and live there after entering the Valley, seeming to enjoy the absurdity. The children who live in Shadow Valley are just as strange as the area itself, seemingly aware of the bizarre happenings that surround them, but speaking of them as though they were mundane. Amarona herself claims to live in Shadow Valley, calling it her "hometown".
• Afterthought Academy: Put together by Amarona as an afterthought at the request of some of the more bookish residents of the Kindergarten, and then improved upon as Amarona decided to run with the idea and have fun with it, Afterthought Academy is one part school, two parts jungle-gym. Standing as the tallest building in the Kindergarten, it is a grand spire that dwarfs any building created by man or mer on Mundus, with odd protrusions sticking out at every which way. By rights, the whole structure shouldn't be able to stand at all, yet it remains upright in stark defiance of what any adult would think possible, even seeming to sway like a tree sometimes. Moreover, the inside of the Academy is even stranger, riddled with impossible geometry and strange, twisting gravity that makes navigating it an academic pursuit in and of itself. Children who enter the building, however, seem to have no trouble making their way around the hallways, saying it simply "makes sense" to them. Despite being an official landmark of the Kindergarten, Afterthought Academy has no Princess to oversee it, but is rather run by a staff of creatures who appear to be crudely drawn children's pictures of adults, who maintain the building and teach classes at the request of the children attending the Academy.

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Stygian

Stygian is the cool, dim nighttime of the Kindergarten, where children who are "asleep" reside. It occupies the same area as Lumen, but the topography is very different, composed of dark forests and tall mountains. Because sleep is entirely optional for the residents of the Kindergarten, so too is entering Stygian. Residents are entirely lucid while in Stygian, and are able to remain asleep for as long as they wish. Strangely, Amarona seems to exist in both Lumen and Stygian simultaneously, and can often be seen talking to residents of one while in the other.

• Campfire: Campfire is a settlement in Stygian in the same location as Blumengarten. Where Blumengarten is an open, breezy garden, Campfire is a large forest full of wide clearings and roaring bonfires. Campfire caters to those children who enjoy spending their nights beneath the stars, watching torchbugs and feeling the warmth of their fires as they listen to the sounds of the forest around them. Children can often be seen gathered around the bonfires, telling stories and roasting honey nut treats over the open flames.
• Dreamless: Dreamless is a place in Stygian in the same location as Maroon Village, and serves a purpose that is extremely important to Amarona: allowing the traumatized children of the Village to properly sleep. Being raised by Daedra worshipers leaves a uniquely powerful trauma that never truly goes away. As such, Amarona designed Dreamless to be a place where the children of Maroon Village could put their minds at rest without the fear of nightmares plaguing them. It is a place of comforting darkness and absence, which prevents the children from dreaming as the slumber. Unlike other places in the Kindergarten, children within Dreamless are actually asleep, and comforted by the area's magic.

Stygian also has its own distinct landmarks, each corresponding to the location of a landmark in Lumen. Not every landmark in Lumen has a counterpart in Stygian, although Amarona does tend to try to keep the corresponding locations thematically consistent.

• The Lucid Library: The Lucid Library is a massive, castle-like building, in the same location as the Gallery. Within, every book that a child could ever desire to read can be found among the shelves. In addition, those who spend extended amounts of time in the Library often find themselves in increasingly wondrous and dream-like places, although adults often end up dreaming themselves into darker places. The Lucid Library is tended to by the girl of the same namesake, Library.
• The Slumber Clinic: The Slumber Clinic is a strange area in Stygian, in the same location as the Ward, which deals with mental health. Children who suffer from mental illness or have been severely traumatized are taken here for treatment, to help them cope with and overcome their problems. It is run by the Slumbering Princesses, the Sleeping Princess helping those who suffer from natural mental illnesses, and the Dreaming Princess helping those who have suffered trauma at the hands of others, although the two often work together.
• Night Light: Night Light is the Stygian counterpart to Sweetrush, and is somehow even more nonsensical in its design. A massive city of impossibly tall buildings constructed of pillows and bedding, Night Light is a slumber party that never ends. Night Light has no exit to the rest of Stygian, nor a Princess to oversee it, as it is designated a place with no rules. It is impossible to be hurt while within Night Light, and residents are free run, climb, fall, and roughhouse to their hearts content.
• Fantasia: Fantasia is Stygian's counterpart to Shadow Valley, and seemingly the cause of said location's existence. It is a seemingly endless forest full of fantastical creatures and plants, and is the manifestation of all of the dreams of the residents of the Kindergarten. It is inhabited by creatures both sweet and nightmarish, who are constantly at odds with each other. Residents who visit Fantasia are advised not to enter without some mode of protecting themselves, preferably a Kindremora escort. However, if things do get dire, and a child is in true danger, the guardian of the forest, the Starlit Princess, will descend upon the creatures and drive them off.
• The Dream Theater: The Dream Theater is Stygian's counterpart to Afterthought Academy. It is a massive, open-air stage, where children with a flair for the dramatic come to play and perform. The stage is equipped with countless props, all enchanted to help the children act out their wildest fantasies, and is equipped with powerful illusion magic so it is able to display any scene the performing children desire. The seating area for the audience also seems to be much like Sweetrush, in that it does not seem to have a finite amount of space, and can accommodate any amount of people. The Dream Theater has become another popular destination for children to take their parents on family outings.

Siren Swamp

The Siren's Swamp is a marshland in an indeterminate location on the island. The Swamp is inhabited by Sirens, and is a sort of purgatory where “lost” adults, either runaways from Sweetrush or those foolish enough to attempt to break into the Kindergarten, are placed while they await judgment from Amarona. The swamp seems to be present in both the main realm and Stygian, as those who go to sleep within it still find themselves there, and possibly exists somewhere between the two. It is inescapable, as any adult who tries to leave will be entranced and led back by the Sirens. There is also no guarantee of how long an adult will remain in the Swamp before Amarona comes to deal with them; it could be a day, it could be a hundred years. Generally though, Amarona tends to deal with runaways more quickly than attempted intruders. The Swamp has no Princess to oversee it, and is maintained by the Siren's who live within it, giving more credence to the theory that it is its own realm within the Kindergarten.

• The Mansion: The Mansion is a large house in the “center” of the Siren's Swamp. It is the place adults are taken to when they enter the Swamp, and where they are led back to if they stray too far from it. The Mansion is, by all appearances, a normal, if run-down, house, and doesn't seem to have any sort of magical nature to it, though sometimes adults who have only recently arrived will claim that they've seen or heard strange things around the house. Older residents usually assure them that it's just their imagination, or one of the Sirens messing around with them.
• The Town: The Town is an unofficial landmark within the Siren's Swamp. It was built by adults who had been imprisoned in the Swamp for many years. Given the scarcity of trees and materials, the Town's structures are very simple. All of the residents of the Town are adults, and live in constant fear of Amarona. While not officially sanctioned by Amarona, she has quietly decided not to interfere with the residents of the Town. However, she also will not release them from the Swamp unless they are in the Mansion when she happens to decide to deal with Swamp residents.