shxwiiem
2013-04-07, 06:40 PM
This is my first time posting a world building concept, forgive me.
Evil has unleashed a force so destructive, the material world is all but ground to dust. No mortal life is known to exist in the universe, and the planes of the dead are overflowing with the souls killed in the apocalypse. The shock of countless lives ending crippled the Gods (good and evil) to be overwhelmed by attacks from the Infernal Races. Now, the spirits of the mortal races are flooding Purgatory, with no Goddess of Death to guide them to their fates they must forge their own path in a dark universe void of salvation.
Timeline of the End:
Leading up to the intended beginning of a campaign, the world ended and shadows of civilization have begun to reappear.
The Catalyst:
The exact cause of the end is unknown to most of the Mortal Spirits, there are rumors of great heroes failing to stop an evil Cult or a union of the Fiend Lords but in the end, the exact cause is a mystery to the Mortals.
The Archdevils, Daemon Lords, and Demon Princes know what happened but for the most part don't care.
(This is my interpretation of what happened but the final decision is the GameMaster's call.)
There were three Arcane masters of immense power seeking to harness the raw unlimited power of Devils, Daemons, and Demons to achieve divinity. To do this, they spent decades sealing these Fiends and other powerful beings in various locales, items, and people with the intention of merging them all into a single being. This being ended up being the leader's daughter, he believed her loyalty to him would have her give him the power after containing it all in her soul. The torment of countless (100, 1000, 10,000) fiends shredding her soul was too much for her to take, and she lashed out in anger and despair. "No one came for me, so everyone can just die." With that, her "birth" into divinity wiped out life on the Material Plane. The souls of her creators and any heroes attempting to stop them never reached Purgatory, presumably she destroyed their very souls or devoured them into her being.
Death of the Lady of Death:
Purgatory was overrun with the souls of the dead, millions of sentient beings died as one and flooded the wastelands and courts of Purgatory. The sheer shock of such loss of life crippled even the Goddess of Death, and she attempted to regain control of her realm. The other Gods, Evil, Good and everything inbetween, were also rendered vulnerable by the massacre.
As the Lady of Death and her angels attempted to rally and control the countless masses to send them to their final resting places the Fiends seized this opportunity. Without working together, yet working in unison, the Armies of Hell, Abaddon, and the Abyss charged purgatory drawn to the countless dead like vultures on carrion. Thousands of Infernal beasts descended upon the crowds of Mortal Souls snatching them up to drag back to their realms or outright devouring them right there. In their weakened state, the Angels weren't able to properly defend the mortals. Worse, the Demon Prince of Undeath sought a greater prize, the Lady of Death herself. He slew her upon the top of her Court of Ages and roared his gospel to the dark skies.
The Culling:
The Death of the Lady of Death opened a floodgate. Realizing just how vulnerable the Gods of the Divine realms were, the Fiends abandoned their harvest of Mortal Spirits and flooded the Divine planes. It was an immense battle, but a futile one for the Gods. Many of the Gods and their servants were killed, but the unlucky ones were taken captive by their infernal admirers to be played with. The Divine realms went dark, and the prayers of the Dead found no listeners.
The Will to Persevere:
Death was once a release, a passing on to a plane of like-minded souls and a world of rewards and enlightenment. It was the phase where Mortals found rest to fully release their attachment to existence and let the new generations continue the world. That cycle was gone. Only an existence of fear and terror awaited them now.
But the souls of Mortals are strong, they would not be snuffed out quietly. It is a blessing and a damnation that the Fiends turned their hungry eyes to the Gods. Many Fiends were so bloated with power they began turning on one another gain, the Blood War resuming in full swing with new Archdevils, Daemon Lords, and Demon Princes leading their own forces. The Mortal Spirits were all but ignored, now regarded as a free source of cattle no longer needing effort to hunt down. This gave the mortals the only advantage they could hope for, Time.
The effort to Rebuild would not be easy, Purgatory is a vast but empty plane filled with barren fields, numerous tombs, and decrepit courts. Not enough to build a society of any kind. The need for safety is strong, with the will to find peace the Mortal Spirits will stand one last time to find it.
The Planes:
There are numerous planes scattered throughout existence. Most were ravaged by the Apocalypse and are barren shadows of their former selves. The souls of the dead are attempting to rebuild a semblance of normality following their traumatic end.
PURGATORY:
Before the End - Purgatory was a barren, foggy wasteland where the dead awaited judgement by the Goddess of Death. It was a bleak plane that merely existed as a transition in the phases of afterlife.
After the End - With the bulk of the Mortal Spirits dwelling in Purgatory, the restless dead have begun to flood the tombs and courts in search of shelter. Forming crude governments and scavenging what little remained from the Angels and Lady of Death's stores. There is no capital to speak of yet, but leaders are arising amongst the dead, to create their own refuge.
With the Arcane and Divine casters long dead, they search the Lady of Death's library for anything that could give them something to work with. Carving runes of magic into the stone walls and writing ritual scrolls on the lists of the dead.
Purgatory is seeing more life than it ever has before, but it is still a bleak world. A reminder of all that has been lost and what little hope there actually is. Mass infighting between traumatized and desperate mortal spirits is rampant. The occasional fiend prowls the graveyards seeking a new toy. And the introduction of so much emotion has begun to awaken something new in the parched dirt of the plane itself.
HELL, ABADDON, the ABYSS:
Before the End - These realms were similar to the realms outlined in the Pathfinder Supplemental books. Home to Devils, Daemons, and Demons; these realms were the realms Evil souls of all kinds were sent to fight amongst themselves saving the Heavenly and Mortal realms from them.
After the End - These realms are now overflowing with even more decadence than before, in the minds of the fiends they've won and all of creation is their playground now. With such a bloated reservoir of souls to consume, dominate, or torment the amount of conflict between the Fiends has shrunk if only a little.
- Archdevils, Demon Princes, and Daemon Lords are still being conceived as well as notable locations in these realms.
- A Demon Prince has arisen to attempt to seize control of Death, Charon, the Horseman of Death has no qualms with another Fiend taking the Lady of Death's place, if anything it will simply hasten the complete Oblivion of existence.
DEMI-PLANES:
Before the End - Several demi-planes existed throughout the multiverse before the end, some survived but most were permanently altered or outright destroyed.
After the End - Powerful mortal souls, Fiends gorged with energy, and other beings have begun to create their own refuges or playgrounds to dwell in. These range from clean "utopias" to nightmarish pits depending on their creators and citizens.
- There are realms still being conceived.
THE MATERIAL WORLD:
Before the End - Was a world rather standard for a fantasy universe. Numerous humanoid races, countries, continents, various climates and cultures. The world was home to great heroes and vicious villains, war and order, it was a world rich in history.
After the End - The world is broken, almost nothing remains. Empty ruins of cities, scorched fields, and shattered chunks of earth mark the ended world. Undead flow throughout the world, repeating the motions of life or endlessly wandering the wastelands. Constructs stand as a last testament to the success of the humanoids.
Note - The GameMaster can decide if any life survived the Apocalypse, but this world building assumes that none did.
Note - The Mortal spirits capable of crossing back into the mortal world do so as a form of ghost, able to influence the world but not truly "alive."
HEAVEN, ELYSIUM, NIRVANA:
Before the End - These were the homes to various good spirits and the Gods and Goddesses of the universe. Peaceful and blissful existence, occasionally setting out to protect and resist Evil.
After the End - After the Material world was destroyed, these realms were overrun by Fiends and other Evil or Chaotic beings and completely reduced to rubble. Nearly all the Gods were killed or imprisoned across existence, the mortal spirits fleeing to the other corners of existence. Now, these shattered planes greatly reflect the material world, though the Fiends are more likely to build new homes here, greatly enjoying the sick irony of having conquered the Gods.
- The Pantheons are still being conceived as well as their realms.
OTHER:
Other realms are still being conceived, but this about reflects the universe.
The Mortal Spirits:
The mortal races were virtually all wiped out, now existing afterlife as a form of spirit. All races were sent to Purgatory and are now trying to find a new path in their existence. Races are still being chosen from the 4th Edition books.
Biology:
The Mortal Spirits don't require food, but some seek it out to feel some kind of normality. For the most part spirits don't age, they don't really change physically though some are capable of it with enough strength. While they don't need to sleep, the lack of any divine intervention gives a great fatigue and lack of energy over time, so rest is still necessary. There is no ability to reproduce for the spirits, they can have relations but no children will ever be born to the dead souls. For the most part, the mortal races are gone.
Society:
Still being determined, but groups of like-minded or racial spirits are trying to build echoes of their former societies in the remnants of the universal realms. Many rebuilding societies have themes referring to hope, rebirth, death, and other themes to keep them going. Most places are built of stone, and occasionally materials scavenged from the other planes.
Metaphysics:
The Mortal spirits exist in a physical form despite being "Dead." These are not actual bodies so much as vessels for what little life force they have left. When these vessels are damaged, instead of blood a fine sand slides out of the wound. And on "death" the body and possessions crumble to dust.
Despite this, Mortal Spirits can be healed and returned to "life" should this dust be used in a variation of the Raise Dead ritual.
Second Death is not a salvation from the new Order, if anything it just hastens and worsens their torment. Due to the machinations of the new Demon Prince of Death, when a Mortal Spirit dies again it releases a beacon of energy that shines across the Abyss (though Abaddon and Hell have learned to watch for this as well.) The Spirit exists in a barely aware state, linked to its dusty remains. However, it shines for the new Angels of Death to sweep in and drag it back to their Lord. There is no way for the soul to resist in this state and will likely join the Spirit Spire in the Abyss.
Classes and Power Sources:
Despite not being alive, the Mortal Spirits are still capable of achieving power and making a difference. This leads to hopeful and ambitious individuals to lead the spirits to continuing "living."
Martial:
Despite being dead, the spirits are still capable of crafting and wielding weapons, studying new techniques from other dead masters and individuals.
Divine:
The death or imprisonment of the Gods has changed Divine magic forever. But it still lives and thrives in the world to individuals whose faith is strong enough to manifest, as well there are beings powerful enough to grant Divine Magic. As such there are two sources of Divine Magic in this universe.
Powerful Patrons - Some spirits have turned to worshiping Archdevils, Demon Princes, and Daemon Lords to survive. Entire religions being born around these beings hoping to find some kind of salvation from these beings. For the most part, this often leads to corruption and evil in mortal souls. Though some individuals actually carry these teachings to some semblance of "good."
Faith in Virtue - While Good was effectively crippled, it is far from gone. Divine practitioners are the biggest examples of this. Some individuals hold faith so great that they manifest Divine Power as if from the Gods. These ideals include but aren't limited to Hope, Courage, Devotion, Justice, Humor, and other ideals.
Arcane:
Magic flows through all of creation, as much an element as an energy. As such, the Mortal Spirits still have access to harnessing this power and use it for protection or rebuilding. Individuals "born" with magic (sorcerors) retain this even in death.
Primal:
Primal Power took a big hit from the destruction of the Material world, where the Primal Spirits were intrinsically linked. Despite this, the spirits were never wiped out but are even more far gone than the Mortal Spirits. Through meditation and focus, individuals have discovered the "echoes" of their Primal Ancestors wandering a realm both within and without Purgatory. An even more empty realm kept alive through sheer will. It is believed that the more "alive" the realms are the more powerful the Primal Spirits will become. Possibly able to breathe life back into existence.
Psionic:
Individuals capable of Psionic power retained it even in death. Though the chaos caused by the destruction has traumatized many minds they are still capable of tapping into that energy.
This is very much a work in progress, a world building whim of sorts. I'd still love opinions and suggestions. Critiques of course as well.
Thank you for reading.
Edited .1 : 09/04/2013
- Added Timeline.
- Rewrote Purgatory entry in Planes.
- Added note of rising Demon Prince of Death in Planes
- Removed bits from the Material World in Planes.
- Added note of possibility of Life in Planes.
- Rewrote Metaphysics in Mortal Spirits
Evil has unleashed a force so destructive, the material world is all but ground to dust. No mortal life is known to exist in the universe, and the planes of the dead are overflowing with the souls killed in the apocalypse. The shock of countless lives ending crippled the Gods (good and evil) to be overwhelmed by attacks from the Infernal Races. Now, the spirits of the mortal races are flooding Purgatory, with no Goddess of Death to guide them to their fates they must forge their own path in a dark universe void of salvation.
Timeline of the End:
Leading up to the intended beginning of a campaign, the world ended and shadows of civilization have begun to reappear.
The Catalyst:
The exact cause of the end is unknown to most of the Mortal Spirits, there are rumors of great heroes failing to stop an evil Cult or a union of the Fiend Lords but in the end, the exact cause is a mystery to the Mortals.
The Archdevils, Daemon Lords, and Demon Princes know what happened but for the most part don't care.
(This is my interpretation of what happened but the final decision is the GameMaster's call.)
There were three Arcane masters of immense power seeking to harness the raw unlimited power of Devils, Daemons, and Demons to achieve divinity. To do this, they spent decades sealing these Fiends and other powerful beings in various locales, items, and people with the intention of merging them all into a single being. This being ended up being the leader's daughter, he believed her loyalty to him would have her give him the power after containing it all in her soul. The torment of countless (100, 1000, 10,000) fiends shredding her soul was too much for her to take, and she lashed out in anger and despair. "No one came for me, so everyone can just die." With that, her "birth" into divinity wiped out life on the Material Plane. The souls of her creators and any heroes attempting to stop them never reached Purgatory, presumably she destroyed their very souls or devoured them into her being.
Death of the Lady of Death:
Purgatory was overrun with the souls of the dead, millions of sentient beings died as one and flooded the wastelands and courts of Purgatory. The sheer shock of such loss of life crippled even the Goddess of Death, and she attempted to regain control of her realm. The other Gods, Evil, Good and everything inbetween, were also rendered vulnerable by the massacre.
As the Lady of Death and her angels attempted to rally and control the countless masses to send them to their final resting places the Fiends seized this opportunity. Without working together, yet working in unison, the Armies of Hell, Abaddon, and the Abyss charged purgatory drawn to the countless dead like vultures on carrion. Thousands of Infernal beasts descended upon the crowds of Mortal Souls snatching them up to drag back to their realms or outright devouring them right there. In their weakened state, the Angels weren't able to properly defend the mortals. Worse, the Demon Prince of Undeath sought a greater prize, the Lady of Death herself. He slew her upon the top of her Court of Ages and roared his gospel to the dark skies.
The Culling:
The Death of the Lady of Death opened a floodgate. Realizing just how vulnerable the Gods of the Divine realms were, the Fiends abandoned their harvest of Mortal Spirits and flooded the Divine planes. It was an immense battle, but a futile one for the Gods. Many of the Gods and their servants were killed, but the unlucky ones were taken captive by their infernal admirers to be played with. The Divine realms went dark, and the prayers of the Dead found no listeners.
The Will to Persevere:
Death was once a release, a passing on to a plane of like-minded souls and a world of rewards and enlightenment. It was the phase where Mortals found rest to fully release their attachment to existence and let the new generations continue the world. That cycle was gone. Only an existence of fear and terror awaited them now.
But the souls of Mortals are strong, they would not be snuffed out quietly. It is a blessing and a damnation that the Fiends turned their hungry eyes to the Gods. Many Fiends were so bloated with power they began turning on one another gain, the Blood War resuming in full swing with new Archdevils, Daemon Lords, and Demon Princes leading their own forces. The Mortal Spirits were all but ignored, now regarded as a free source of cattle no longer needing effort to hunt down. This gave the mortals the only advantage they could hope for, Time.
The effort to Rebuild would not be easy, Purgatory is a vast but empty plane filled with barren fields, numerous tombs, and decrepit courts. Not enough to build a society of any kind. The need for safety is strong, with the will to find peace the Mortal Spirits will stand one last time to find it.
The Planes:
There are numerous planes scattered throughout existence. Most were ravaged by the Apocalypse and are barren shadows of their former selves. The souls of the dead are attempting to rebuild a semblance of normality following their traumatic end.
PURGATORY:
Before the End - Purgatory was a barren, foggy wasteland where the dead awaited judgement by the Goddess of Death. It was a bleak plane that merely existed as a transition in the phases of afterlife.
After the End - With the bulk of the Mortal Spirits dwelling in Purgatory, the restless dead have begun to flood the tombs and courts in search of shelter. Forming crude governments and scavenging what little remained from the Angels and Lady of Death's stores. There is no capital to speak of yet, but leaders are arising amongst the dead, to create their own refuge.
With the Arcane and Divine casters long dead, they search the Lady of Death's library for anything that could give them something to work with. Carving runes of magic into the stone walls and writing ritual scrolls on the lists of the dead.
Purgatory is seeing more life than it ever has before, but it is still a bleak world. A reminder of all that has been lost and what little hope there actually is. Mass infighting between traumatized and desperate mortal spirits is rampant. The occasional fiend prowls the graveyards seeking a new toy. And the introduction of so much emotion has begun to awaken something new in the parched dirt of the plane itself.
HELL, ABADDON, the ABYSS:
Before the End - These realms were similar to the realms outlined in the Pathfinder Supplemental books. Home to Devils, Daemons, and Demons; these realms were the realms Evil souls of all kinds were sent to fight amongst themselves saving the Heavenly and Mortal realms from them.
After the End - These realms are now overflowing with even more decadence than before, in the minds of the fiends they've won and all of creation is their playground now. With such a bloated reservoir of souls to consume, dominate, or torment the amount of conflict between the Fiends has shrunk if only a little.
- Archdevils, Demon Princes, and Daemon Lords are still being conceived as well as notable locations in these realms.
- A Demon Prince has arisen to attempt to seize control of Death, Charon, the Horseman of Death has no qualms with another Fiend taking the Lady of Death's place, if anything it will simply hasten the complete Oblivion of existence.
DEMI-PLANES:
Before the End - Several demi-planes existed throughout the multiverse before the end, some survived but most were permanently altered or outright destroyed.
After the End - Powerful mortal souls, Fiends gorged with energy, and other beings have begun to create their own refuges or playgrounds to dwell in. These range from clean "utopias" to nightmarish pits depending on their creators and citizens.
- There are realms still being conceived.
THE MATERIAL WORLD:
Before the End - Was a world rather standard for a fantasy universe. Numerous humanoid races, countries, continents, various climates and cultures. The world was home to great heroes and vicious villains, war and order, it was a world rich in history.
After the End - The world is broken, almost nothing remains. Empty ruins of cities, scorched fields, and shattered chunks of earth mark the ended world. Undead flow throughout the world, repeating the motions of life or endlessly wandering the wastelands. Constructs stand as a last testament to the success of the humanoids.
Note - The GameMaster can decide if any life survived the Apocalypse, but this world building assumes that none did.
Note - The Mortal spirits capable of crossing back into the mortal world do so as a form of ghost, able to influence the world but not truly "alive."
HEAVEN, ELYSIUM, NIRVANA:
Before the End - These were the homes to various good spirits and the Gods and Goddesses of the universe. Peaceful and blissful existence, occasionally setting out to protect and resist Evil.
After the End - After the Material world was destroyed, these realms were overrun by Fiends and other Evil or Chaotic beings and completely reduced to rubble. Nearly all the Gods were killed or imprisoned across existence, the mortal spirits fleeing to the other corners of existence. Now, these shattered planes greatly reflect the material world, though the Fiends are more likely to build new homes here, greatly enjoying the sick irony of having conquered the Gods.
- The Pantheons are still being conceived as well as their realms.
OTHER:
Other realms are still being conceived, but this about reflects the universe.
The Mortal Spirits:
The mortal races were virtually all wiped out, now existing afterlife as a form of spirit. All races were sent to Purgatory and are now trying to find a new path in their existence. Races are still being chosen from the 4th Edition books.
Biology:
The Mortal Spirits don't require food, but some seek it out to feel some kind of normality. For the most part spirits don't age, they don't really change physically though some are capable of it with enough strength. While they don't need to sleep, the lack of any divine intervention gives a great fatigue and lack of energy over time, so rest is still necessary. There is no ability to reproduce for the spirits, they can have relations but no children will ever be born to the dead souls. For the most part, the mortal races are gone.
Society:
Still being determined, but groups of like-minded or racial spirits are trying to build echoes of their former societies in the remnants of the universal realms. Many rebuilding societies have themes referring to hope, rebirth, death, and other themes to keep them going. Most places are built of stone, and occasionally materials scavenged from the other planes.
Metaphysics:
The Mortal spirits exist in a physical form despite being "Dead." These are not actual bodies so much as vessels for what little life force they have left. When these vessels are damaged, instead of blood a fine sand slides out of the wound. And on "death" the body and possessions crumble to dust.
Despite this, Mortal Spirits can be healed and returned to "life" should this dust be used in a variation of the Raise Dead ritual.
Second Death is not a salvation from the new Order, if anything it just hastens and worsens their torment. Due to the machinations of the new Demon Prince of Death, when a Mortal Spirit dies again it releases a beacon of energy that shines across the Abyss (though Abaddon and Hell have learned to watch for this as well.) The Spirit exists in a barely aware state, linked to its dusty remains. However, it shines for the new Angels of Death to sweep in and drag it back to their Lord. There is no way for the soul to resist in this state and will likely join the Spirit Spire in the Abyss.
Classes and Power Sources:
Despite not being alive, the Mortal Spirits are still capable of achieving power and making a difference. This leads to hopeful and ambitious individuals to lead the spirits to continuing "living."
Martial:
Despite being dead, the spirits are still capable of crafting and wielding weapons, studying new techniques from other dead masters and individuals.
Divine:
The death or imprisonment of the Gods has changed Divine magic forever. But it still lives and thrives in the world to individuals whose faith is strong enough to manifest, as well there are beings powerful enough to grant Divine Magic. As such there are two sources of Divine Magic in this universe.
Powerful Patrons - Some spirits have turned to worshiping Archdevils, Demon Princes, and Daemon Lords to survive. Entire religions being born around these beings hoping to find some kind of salvation from these beings. For the most part, this often leads to corruption and evil in mortal souls. Though some individuals actually carry these teachings to some semblance of "good."
Faith in Virtue - While Good was effectively crippled, it is far from gone. Divine practitioners are the biggest examples of this. Some individuals hold faith so great that they manifest Divine Power as if from the Gods. These ideals include but aren't limited to Hope, Courage, Devotion, Justice, Humor, and other ideals.
Arcane:
Magic flows through all of creation, as much an element as an energy. As such, the Mortal Spirits still have access to harnessing this power and use it for protection or rebuilding. Individuals "born" with magic (sorcerors) retain this even in death.
Primal:
Primal Power took a big hit from the destruction of the Material world, where the Primal Spirits were intrinsically linked. Despite this, the spirits were never wiped out but are even more far gone than the Mortal Spirits. Through meditation and focus, individuals have discovered the "echoes" of their Primal Ancestors wandering a realm both within and without Purgatory. An even more empty realm kept alive through sheer will. It is believed that the more "alive" the realms are the more powerful the Primal Spirits will become. Possibly able to breathe life back into existence.
Psionic:
Individuals capable of Psionic power retained it even in death. Though the chaos caused by the destruction has traumatized many minds they are still capable of tapping into that energy.
This is very much a work in progress, a world building whim of sorts. I'd still love opinions and suggestions. Critiques of course as well.
Thank you for reading.
Edited .1 : 09/04/2013
- Added Timeline.
- Rewrote Purgatory entry in Planes.
- Added note of rising Demon Prince of Death in Planes
- Removed bits from the Material World in Planes.
- Added note of possibility of Life in Planes.
- Rewrote Metaphysics in Mortal Spirits