Dusk Raven
2015-03-14, 03:45 PM
So, I've been working on my own setting for D&D 3.5 and then for Pathfinder, and at last I think I've worked out enough backstory that I've explained the origin of most of the major players in the setting. I believe it's ready for feedback, to see if I'm missing anything... I'll start with the cosmic scale, and later I'll write the explanations for more mundane things like the humanoid races.
Every tale must have a beginning, but how can a tale begin if the beginning is unknown? Such is the dilemma faced by those wishing to describe the history of the world, for the world has no known beginning. As far as can be determined, the Primordial Chaos always was and always will be. Perhaps it had a beginning, or perhaps not. Perhaps time even works in such a way as to render the concept of a beginning meaningless. But in any event, the tale of the world begins with Primordia.
Primordia is a realm of pure chaos, where any and all things are possible. Countless concepts and realities form and are unmade in this realm. But, in the countless realms of possibility, there emerged a realm that was stable – that was somehow protected from the chaos of its surroundings, insulated against being unmade. Three elemental planes – earth, water, and air – formed, and where they overlapped, the physical world was made, known to modern scholars as the Material Plane. This plane was mostly luminiferous aether, but contained nine round planets orbiting a singularity. Together, this pocket of stability was known as Coranex.
But this world was silent, dark, and motionless. It had no energy to speak of. Its inhabitants, beings of pure mechanical form called Aeternals, were content to lie motionless in their pocket of stability. The universe would not allow them their peace forever, however. From beyond the bounds of the physical realm, the Proteans, the sapient beings of Primordia, worked to undo the mote of stability in the otherwise perfect chaos.
At last, they seemed to succeed in affecting the Material Plane. The darkness of the realm was violated, with countless stars appearing in the firmament of the world. From these stars were spawned the dragons. These dragons, possessing common traits indicative of order, also held the power of chaos in their maws, for they brought energy into the world. With them came three new elemental planes – fire, cold, and electricity. Drawing these powers into their hearts, and possessing the power to rewrite the code of the realm of Coranex, the dragons brought magic in the world. For many years they matured in their respective stars, before setting out to explore the planets of the Material Plane.
But this brought them into conflict with the Aeternals, who reacted violently to the disruption of their world’s sanctity. But they were ill-prepared to deal with the dragon’s magic, and the energy produced by the dragons was anathema to them. Furthermore, each time a dragon was slain, it merely reincarnated at its star of origin, before returning to plague the Aeternals once more. In time, the Aeternals were defeated, and they retreated to the singularity in the center of Coranex, where the dragons banished them to a separate plane of existence contained within.
Then, the dragons began to explore the planets of Coranex, and found themselves alone. They wandered about aimlessly, experimenting with magic, until they summoned Proteans from Primordia. The Proteans looked about with wonderment at the world they found themselves in, before turning their eyes to the dragons. The contact between the two manners of beings was mixed, but eventually, life sprang from the combined efforts of the two. Through magic and breeding, the worlds were seeded with life-forms that would be called strange by modern considerations. All manner of alien biologies were created, populating the planets.
But the resulting beings required energy to survive, and the dragons were inexperienced in creating ecologies, or in providing for their creations. Soon, however, Polaris, the dragon of the north star, unique amongst dragons in that his breath produced pure life energy, hatched a plan. Using powerful magic, he and an alliance of dragons and Proteans transformed the singularity in the center of Coranex into a source of light and warmth, providing energy for all life in the material plane. But this came at a cost, for a great schism occurred in creation – all life was divided between light and darkness, between positive and negative energy. The void created by the igniting of the singularity created a dark mirror plane, the Shadow Realm, where darkness reigned and life energy was opposite and anathema to that of the “normal” material plane. Polaris himself was sucked into the emerging Shadow Realm, his star winking out and reappearing as the lone star in the Shadow Realm. Polaris was transformed, becoming a dragon of unlife. He grew regretful at his decision to bring light into the world, and resentful of those in the Material Plane, for the life in the Shadow Realm was a hollow mockery of true life, being held together by life force and sheer will more than anything else. He swore eternal enmity to all life, seeking to convert or destroy it.
Meanwhile, it’s said that the Ethereal Plane was created as a result of this schism as well, a ghostly realm overlapping the Material Plane. This event also enabled the creation of various outsiders whose essences were linked to that of the planes. On the elemental planes, the genies and elementals formed, while on the Material Plane, the first Fey formed.
The first Fey were five in number. They comprised of the World Tree, the Great Hunter, the Earthblooded, the Depthswimmer, and the Skyroamer. Together the five of them settled one of the planets, which they called Arcadia. This world was already home to the Aboleths, who swam the darkest depths of the ocean known as Panthalassa, and the Dark Folk, who lived in the underground realms called Hades, as well as various aberrations, oozes, and vermin. Though wary of the newcomers, both Aboleth and Dark Folk lived closer to the core of the planet, where geothermal heat was plentiful and where light could not reach. The three races formed a pact – that whenever their shared world was threatened, the three races would unite to fight against the common threat.
Meanwhile, the first Fey spawned the lesser Fey. First were the Sidhe, divided into the whimsical, chaotic Seelie and the dark, stoic Unseelie. Together, the first Fey and the Sidhe created plant and animal life, filling the surface of the world with life, and turning it into the most verdant of the planets. As a biosphere formed, the Sylvan Fey, aspects of nature, came into being, dedicated to protecting nature in its various forms.
Meanwhile, in the depths of Hades, the Dark Folk became the first to discover the secrets of divine magic. They discovered the Elder One, the First God, and worshipped it. They brought it sacrifices, and in return it blessed them with gifts. In their own way, the first Fey became gods as well, drawing on the power of nature to grant magic to their favored servants. But trouble stirred beneath the earth, for a trio of Dark Folk sought to uncover the secrets of divinity. Their search led them to the depths of Tartarus, the deepest depths of Hades, and what they found there changed them forever. When they returned, it was at the head of a host of alien monsters, which they unleashed on their former kin. The Three and their horrors nearly exterminated the Dark Folk, using them for slaves, for food, for play, empying their once-great cities and turning them into necropolises.
The surviving Dark Folk invoked the pact that had been made between themselves, the Aboleths, and the Fey, and the latter two responded. A great war was fought across the depths of the world, attempting to drive back the alien horrors. At last, the Three seemed to claim victory, binding the Elder One before preparing to take the surface world and the oceans. But the First God worked its machinations from its prison, turning the Three against each other and breaking their host apart. As a final sacrifice, it used its own essence to bind the Three and their horrors beneath Tartarus, where nothing else treads. As a result, the First God became a living seal – and not without its price, for its essence leached the life from its surroundings, bringing decay, death, and entropy around its prison.
In the aftermath, the Dark Folk became degenerate, too adversely affected by light to go to the surface yet too fearful to return to their cities in the depths of Hades. Chaos overtook them, and they lost the once-magnificent ways of their people. The Aboleths, meanwhile, retreated to Panthalassa, while the Fey hatched their own plans. Using the essence of the fallen Dark Folk, they created the first humanoids, using the Doppelgangers as their base. The intent was to create a servitor race who would watch over nature, and help defend the world against the incursions of hostile aberrations and undead.
But in time, the humanoids rose up against their Fey masters, attempting to tame the wilderness and build civilization. The Fey attempted to suppress them, and a war emerged. The Fey were powerful and had ancient magic at their side, but the humanoids possessed ingenuity, numbers, and the ability to wield cold iron, anathema to the Fey. At last the Fey retreated into the wilderness, content to hold what territory they had, but seething all the while. They created the so-called “beast races” – humanoids with aspects of animals – and these remained loyal to their creators, surviving and building cultures in the wilderness.
Meanwhile, the souls of the dead were building up. The life of the world had inherited the immortality of the dragons, but only after a fashion – instead of reincarnating, their souls wandered the planes. In time, however, souls of given ideologies began to coalesce. The collective wills of the dead – centered around the dual concepts of benevolence and malevolence – reached a critical mass, and birthed a pair of new races of outsiders – the noble Celestials and the wicked Infernals. It is said that this event was the birth of good and evil, at least in terms of cosmic forces. Almost instantly the two sides began to war with each other, each forming their own plane of existence to call home. In addition, they sent emissaries to the mortal races, each attempting to convert mortal souls to good or evil. Amongst the humanoid races, these ideas formed the most purchase, and good and evil warred in the hearts of the humanoids as well as in the depths of the planes.
Amidst all this, the various races of humanoids began to raise nations and empires, with so many unaware of the countless forces at work in their world. Yet within a few, there existed a spark of power, a seed that could grow into a powerful force, given time and experience, transforming individuals into beings with souls and power to challenge the most powerful beings of the cosmos…
Every tale must have a beginning, but how can a tale begin if the beginning is unknown? Such is the dilemma faced by those wishing to describe the history of the world, for the world has no known beginning. As far as can be determined, the Primordial Chaos always was and always will be. Perhaps it had a beginning, or perhaps not. Perhaps time even works in such a way as to render the concept of a beginning meaningless. But in any event, the tale of the world begins with Primordia.
Primordia is a realm of pure chaos, where any and all things are possible. Countless concepts and realities form and are unmade in this realm. But, in the countless realms of possibility, there emerged a realm that was stable – that was somehow protected from the chaos of its surroundings, insulated against being unmade. Three elemental planes – earth, water, and air – formed, and where they overlapped, the physical world was made, known to modern scholars as the Material Plane. This plane was mostly luminiferous aether, but contained nine round planets orbiting a singularity. Together, this pocket of stability was known as Coranex.
But this world was silent, dark, and motionless. It had no energy to speak of. Its inhabitants, beings of pure mechanical form called Aeternals, were content to lie motionless in their pocket of stability. The universe would not allow them their peace forever, however. From beyond the bounds of the physical realm, the Proteans, the sapient beings of Primordia, worked to undo the mote of stability in the otherwise perfect chaos.
At last, they seemed to succeed in affecting the Material Plane. The darkness of the realm was violated, with countless stars appearing in the firmament of the world. From these stars were spawned the dragons. These dragons, possessing common traits indicative of order, also held the power of chaos in their maws, for they brought energy into the world. With them came three new elemental planes – fire, cold, and electricity. Drawing these powers into their hearts, and possessing the power to rewrite the code of the realm of Coranex, the dragons brought magic in the world. For many years they matured in their respective stars, before setting out to explore the planets of the Material Plane.
But this brought them into conflict with the Aeternals, who reacted violently to the disruption of their world’s sanctity. But they were ill-prepared to deal with the dragon’s magic, and the energy produced by the dragons was anathema to them. Furthermore, each time a dragon was slain, it merely reincarnated at its star of origin, before returning to plague the Aeternals once more. In time, the Aeternals were defeated, and they retreated to the singularity in the center of Coranex, where the dragons banished them to a separate plane of existence contained within.
Then, the dragons began to explore the planets of Coranex, and found themselves alone. They wandered about aimlessly, experimenting with magic, until they summoned Proteans from Primordia. The Proteans looked about with wonderment at the world they found themselves in, before turning their eyes to the dragons. The contact between the two manners of beings was mixed, but eventually, life sprang from the combined efforts of the two. Through magic and breeding, the worlds were seeded with life-forms that would be called strange by modern considerations. All manner of alien biologies were created, populating the planets.
But the resulting beings required energy to survive, and the dragons were inexperienced in creating ecologies, or in providing for their creations. Soon, however, Polaris, the dragon of the north star, unique amongst dragons in that his breath produced pure life energy, hatched a plan. Using powerful magic, he and an alliance of dragons and Proteans transformed the singularity in the center of Coranex into a source of light and warmth, providing energy for all life in the material plane. But this came at a cost, for a great schism occurred in creation – all life was divided between light and darkness, between positive and negative energy. The void created by the igniting of the singularity created a dark mirror plane, the Shadow Realm, where darkness reigned and life energy was opposite and anathema to that of the “normal” material plane. Polaris himself was sucked into the emerging Shadow Realm, his star winking out and reappearing as the lone star in the Shadow Realm. Polaris was transformed, becoming a dragon of unlife. He grew regretful at his decision to bring light into the world, and resentful of those in the Material Plane, for the life in the Shadow Realm was a hollow mockery of true life, being held together by life force and sheer will more than anything else. He swore eternal enmity to all life, seeking to convert or destroy it.
Meanwhile, it’s said that the Ethereal Plane was created as a result of this schism as well, a ghostly realm overlapping the Material Plane. This event also enabled the creation of various outsiders whose essences were linked to that of the planes. On the elemental planes, the genies and elementals formed, while on the Material Plane, the first Fey formed.
The first Fey were five in number. They comprised of the World Tree, the Great Hunter, the Earthblooded, the Depthswimmer, and the Skyroamer. Together the five of them settled one of the planets, which they called Arcadia. This world was already home to the Aboleths, who swam the darkest depths of the ocean known as Panthalassa, and the Dark Folk, who lived in the underground realms called Hades, as well as various aberrations, oozes, and vermin. Though wary of the newcomers, both Aboleth and Dark Folk lived closer to the core of the planet, where geothermal heat was plentiful and where light could not reach. The three races formed a pact – that whenever their shared world was threatened, the three races would unite to fight against the common threat.
Meanwhile, the first Fey spawned the lesser Fey. First were the Sidhe, divided into the whimsical, chaotic Seelie and the dark, stoic Unseelie. Together, the first Fey and the Sidhe created plant and animal life, filling the surface of the world with life, and turning it into the most verdant of the planets. As a biosphere formed, the Sylvan Fey, aspects of nature, came into being, dedicated to protecting nature in its various forms.
Meanwhile, in the depths of Hades, the Dark Folk became the first to discover the secrets of divine magic. They discovered the Elder One, the First God, and worshipped it. They brought it sacrifices, and in return it blessed them with gifts. In their own way, the first Fey became gods as well, drawing on the power of nature to grant magic to their favored servants. But trouble stirred beneath the earth, for a trio of Dark Folk sought to uncover the secrets of divinity. Their search led them to the depths of Tartarus, the deepest depths of Hades, and what they found there changed them forever. When they returned, it was at the head of a host of alien monsters, which they unleashed on their former kin. The Three and their horrors nearly exterminated the Dark Folk, using them for slaves, for food, for play, empying their once-great cities and turning them into necropolises.
The surviving Dark Folk invoked the pact that had been made between themselves, the Aboleths, and the Fey, and the latter two responded. A great war was fought across the depths of the world, attempting to drive back the alien horrors. At last, the Three seemed to claim victory, binding the Elder One before preparing to take the surface world and the oceans. But the First God worked its machinations from its prison, turning the Three against each other and breaking their host apart. As a final sacrifice, it used its own essence to bind the Three and their horrors beneath Tartarus, where nothing else treads. As a result, the First God became a living seal – and not without its price, for its essence leached the life from its surroundings, bringing decay, death, and entropy around its prison.
In the aftermath, the Dark Folk became degenerate, too adversely affected by light to go to the surface yet too fearful to return to their cities in the depths of Hades. Chaos overtook them, and they lost the once-magnificent ways of their people. The Aboleths, meanwhile, retreated to Panthalassa, while the Fey hatched their own plans. Using the essence of the fallen Dark Folk, they created the first humanoids, using the Doppelgangers as their base. The intent was to create a servitor race who would watch over nature, and help defend the world against the incursions of hostile aberrations and undead.
But in time, the humanoids rose up against their Fey masters, attempting to tame the wilderness and build civilization. The Fey attempted to suppress them, and a war emerged. The Fey were powerful and had ancient magic at their side, but the humanoids possessed ingenuity, numbers, and the ability to wield cold iron, anathema to the Fey. At last the Fey retreated into the wilderness, content to hold what territory they had, but seething all the while. They created the so-called “beast races” – humanoids with aspects of animals – and these remained loyal to their creators, surviving and building cultures in the wilderness.
Meanwhile, the souls of the dead were building up. The life of the world had inherited the immortality of the dragons, but only after a fashion – instead of reincarnating, their souls wandered the planes. In time, however, souls of given ideologies began to coalesce. The collective wills of the dead – centered around the dual concepts of benevolence and malevolence – reached a critical mass, and birthed a pair of new races of outsiders – the noble Celestials and the wicked Infernals. It is said that this event was the birth of good and evil, at least in terms of cosmic forces. Almost instantly the two sides began to war with each other, each forming their own plane of existence to call home. In addition, they sent emissaries to the mortal races, each attempting to convert mortal souls to good or evil. Amongst the humanoid races, these ideas formed the most purchase, and good and evil warred in the hearts of the humanoids as well as in the depths of the planes.
Amidst all this, the various races of humanoids began to raise nations and empires, with so many unaware of the countless forces at work in their world. Yet within a few, there existed a spark of power, a seed that could grow into a powerful force, given time and experience, transforming individuals into beings with souls and power to challenge the most powerful beings of the cosmos…