A Celestial Stairway was a type of pathway linking the Realms with the planes. A stairway led to a nexus, which led to the homes of all the gods. They were used by gods to traverse from the Realms to their home planes. The stairways, invisible to ordinary people, could only be seen properly by gods or by very powerful mortals. When made visible to others, they appeared to constantly change shape, such as a long wooden spiral staircase, a marble ladder, a pathway of amber and pearl, or stranger forms.