The celestial realm is comprised of two co-existing planes, and is named after Natia, the sky goddess, of whom it is actually a part. One realm, Natia-Ran, is the daylight aspect of the sky goddess, and souls of good alignment are normally sent here. Conversely, Natia-Ur represents the night, and is filled with the spirits of the wicked.
A soul freed of its mortal bonds must stand before the goddess Veora, who passes judgment on which realm it shall go, and what punishments, if any, it must endure. Even those sent to Natia-Ran may experience chastisement, but this is usually of limited nature, intended for redemption or atonement. Most souls in Natia-Ur experience nothing but a life of drudgery and hardship, and must suffer the pain of their existence for all eternity.
Neutrally aligned souls will still be judged by their deeds to determine in which realm they shall reside. The moral component of their alignment changes to match that of the plane. Occasionally, there is a remarkable exception, a soul so perfectly balanced with respect to good and evil that Veora will allow them to remain in her chamber of judgment, contemplating for themselves which aspect of Natia suits them. Most will eventually choose based on their beliefs, but some few continue to stay in Veora's court. These she appoints to become her psychopomps, guiding the newly dead to her throne.
The gods may petition Veora on behalf of their followers, asking for change or even elimination of punishments. In some very rare cases, they may even ask for a soul to not be sent to the realm of Natia in which Veora has decided they will spend eternity.
A story oft told is of a master thief who gave his ill-gotten gains to the poor. Veora measured his deeds, and found the harm he had caused in life outweighed the good. His soul was sentenced to Natia-Ur. Drendari, goddess of Shadow, interceded for him, though some say her view was swayed by her weakness for charismatic mortals. She asked Veora to give him entrance into Natia-Ran. Veora granted the request, with the condition that he work the fields of the privileged in Natia-Ran until she deemed his debt repaid.
Kordas often requests to have a particularly blood-thirsty leaders who have honored him be given a place to rule in Natia-Ur, rather than the typical life of misery placed upon those who enter that dismal place. Such rewards are often why mortals seek the attentions of malign gods, even though they are not guaranteed to receive them. Their afterlife is still brutal, but there are those who believe it is better to rule in Natia-Ur...
All spirits in Natia are free to answer the call of a Raise Dead spell. Those who do so to escape their suffering in Natia-Ur, or any punishment in general, are warned by Veora that unless they enact great moral change during their return to the physical plane, their situation will only worsen when they return.