Cosmology

An Overview of the Multiverse and Arcallis's place in it

Cosmology.jpg

D&D4e Terms as they pertain to Arcallis

The Natural World

A part of creation, each natural world has its own world laws, axioms, and rules. From the infinate possiblilty of chaos springs the infinate worlds or cosms, each a universe, plane, or dimension distinct and seperate from all others. Part of the astral sea almost always also connects to a cosm. In addition, the Underworld often connects to a cosm through the twisted Shadowfell.

The Astral Sea

Home to spirits and the gods. Also The Spirit Realms. A realm of thought, belief, and faith. Each natural world has its own associated astral sea, though there is some crossover possible as well as nexus points connecting one or more seas. While possible, travel across the "deep" astral, to cross from one world's spirit realm to another, is ardous and nigh impossible.

The Shadowfell

The Shadowfell is the seepage where the connection to the [[Cosmology#Underworld|Underworld]] grow strong and overlaps Existence, like shadows on a wall. Typically the Shadowfell is a reflection of the reality it overlaps, though often twisted or macabre, but the further one travels in the Shadowfell the more it begins to diverge from the entrance point. Travel too far and it is possible to reach the Underworld.

The Feywild

Between the elemental chaos and the bounded form of creation, lays the Feywild. It is a magical place outside the bounds of creation but still reflecting it in many ways. It is a narrow shelf of reality where the fae can dwell and feed bounded on one side by the banality of creation and on the other by the deep unknowns and chaotic nature of the Elemental Chaos.

The Elemental Chaos

The elemental chaos is the foundation on which creation was formed by the primordials. The deeper one goes into it, the closer one draws to the Far Realms or deep chaos where all sense of space, time, form, and state are lost. The elemental chaos itself is still bounded by space, time, form, and state, just not in any particular order nor with any zealousness. Deep in the elemental chaos is the prison of the primordials: the Abyss.

The Abyss

The prison the gods built for the primordials beyond the bounds of creation. Constantly they strive to free themselves and rule creation once again.

The Far Realms

This is the deep, unbounded, and unshaped chaos. Unfathomable and unshaped beings dwell here. Only madness, mutation, and death await the shaped here.


The Underworld

When the first primordials were killed in the rebellion against them, creation was unable to dissapate their spirits since they were greater than creation, having existed outside it and created it themselves. So these great spirits sank into creation, pushing out a bubble of reality called the Underworld where they exist yet, trapped between death and eternal existence. In the ages since their defeat they have acted like magnets on the spirits of other being in creation, trapping them in the Underworld with them. Oblivion can be their only release, so they strive to unmake creation to gain release from their eternal torture.

Creation

All of [[Cosmology#Existece|Existence]] that is bound by Form and State, as opposed to the formless potentiality of [[Cosmology#Chaos|chaos]].

Existence

All of reality from chaos to the spirit realms to the astral plane and the cosms. Everything which is, as opposed to the non-being of the Void.

Chaos

The raw un-actualized stuff of existance. Swirling with possibilies and what-ifs and yet also the ultimate entropy. That which is beyond the bounds of creation, yet still bound in existence. Also Limbo

The Spirit Realms

The individual realms of the gods and spirits within the ethereal plane.

The Void

From nothingness comes being. The void is that which is not, as opposed to existence, all that is. Also The Elder Dark.

The Abyss

The defeated titans were bound outside creation after their defeat in this prision of dark design. Here, they rage against their defeat and make endless plans for their return, all the while surrounded by their twisted creations.

The Gauntlet or The Veil


The Void

First there was (or was not) the Void. The black, empty stillness of non-being.

Chaos

Then a light was struck. The light of creation; a light of potential. This was raw chaos, unactualized with no form or state. A swirling maelstrom of what-ifs and possiblity. Yet, since anything could be, nothing was, for each time it became, it was swept away by the inexorable rush of change, decay, and disolution that is chaos.

Creation and the Titans

Then something came into being that held its own against the relentless flood of change. This being exerted control over the chaos around it, shaping the enviroment for its own survival. Soon others formed from the potential inherent in chaos, or perhaps they all formed at once, or in backwards order, yet form they did. Powerful beings who further shaped existance to their whim and need. From this shaping and naming, creation was brought forth. These were the Titans . Mighty beings of primordial existence. Beings of definition. Beings of existence, yet older than creation.

The Gods

When the task of maintaining creation against the constant onslaught of chaos became burdensome and monotonous, the titans created the Gods to oversee creation. These were spirits of creation created to maintain creation from moment to moment. Some, like the spirit of a reed, were weak; others nigh rivaled the power of the titans, such as Sun and Moon. Each was charged with overseeing a certain part or facet of creation or a part of the grand celestrial bureaucracy put in place to oversee the actions of the whole.

The War against the Titans

Soon, be it because the gods were jealous of the titans, or because the gods grew tired of cleaning up after the destructive titans, or for some other reason, the gods decided to usurp the titans. But the gods could not challenge the titans; their rebellion had been foreseen. But the gods raised up mortals with powers and gifts and council; and the mortals fought the titans. But the titans were greater than creation and when they died, creation could not return their essence to existence as with most creations. So these dead titans sunk through creation to a new place: the Underworld. As the war raged, gods were destroyed as were some titans and countless mortals. The souls of these dead were drawn to the underworld as iron by a magnet. Where once before the soul or essence of the dead returned to creation, now it roamed an afterlife.

The Golden Age

Still, the gods and their allies prevailed, and the remaining titans were cast into a prison beyond creation. The gods and mortals set about rebuilding the shattered creation, while the imprisoned titans raged and fought their cage, while the dead titans dreamed their deathless dreams in the underworld. The mortals looked to terrestrial matters while the gods looked after the celestrial affairs.

The Bending of the World

As with everything, an end must come. Soon corruption and breakdowns in communication cause an end to the golden age. The terrestial and the celestial harmony broken, man was left on his own. Soon the world was overrun with chaos; on the brink of destruction, a deperate plan was hatched to save creation. The world was bent around a sixth elemental pole, sundering it into layers and levels. Protected from destruction by the forces arrayed against it; it is still lessened and different.

The War in Heaven

Even as the terrestials strive to survive, the celestials war amoungst themselves over ideological matters. The though Heaven is victorious, its unity is destroyed. The defeated are cast out of Heaven; the fallen are created.

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