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-====== I-A) Cosmology ======
-[[start|Back to start page]]
-===== Cosmology Overview =====
-//Common Knowledge//:
-The study of the universe (including all the myriad worlds and dimensions
-it contains) is not a topic of great concern to the average person.
-Since they cannot see beyond the night sky, they know almost nothing
-of other worlds or the astral plane. What little they do know is told
-to them by their church and most churches have a tendency to
-exaggerate the importance of their deity. The only non-visible world
-they are aware of is Godsland since that is the home of their god and
-their eventual destination when they die.
-//Expert Knowledge//:
-The World as we know it resides in what is known as the Material Plane.
-Around this is the Astral plane, and beyond that the Elemental
-Energies, Godsland, and other miscellaneous dimensions. It is known
-that there are nineteen other worlds in the material plane, though
-little detail is known about these worlds.
-It is believed that the material plane consists of an equal portion each
-of the four physical elements: Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. These
-elements are constantly battling for supremacy and occasionally one
-or more will win out for a brief time. This explains many phenomena
-such as Floods, Storms, Volcanoes, and Earthquakes. Life in all its
-forms, is also an amalgam of the four elements, but the balance there
-is much more equal and stable than in nature.
-Cosmology has a great significance to certain spellcasters who, over the years,
-have devoted considerable research time to better understand the
-interactions of the various dimensions. The question of when and how
-the universe came to be has more theological than practical value and
-so has been largely ignored by magicians.
-Magicians, almost without exception, are taught about the astral plane and the
-elemental world. Both realms are of crucial importance to the
-functioning of magic as they are the pathway and the source
-(respectively) of magical energy. Godsland is an esoteric world and
-information about it is limited exclusively to divine scripture. The
-various religions differ on a number of important aspects of
-Godsland, such as its location, its size, and its origin. The other
-worlds and miscellaneous dimensions have no bearing on normal magic
-or on theology and so are learned only by specialists.
-Regarding the beginnings of time and space, most religions agree that the gods
-(either individually or in concert) did not create all that exists.
-Despite this accepted belief, though, little philosophical thought
-has been given to exactly who or what is responsible for creation and
-the common worshiper is usually taught that the gods were responsible
-for creation since it makes for a more powerful story.
-//Hidden Knowledge//:
-Many texts refer to a division between the Terran gods and the elven gods
-(see Religion for more information). It is known that the elven gods
-are older, but it is still not believed that they were responsible
-for creation. Instead, an even earlier race of gods is rumored to
-exist. Several names are used for this race, but "Earthmasters"
-seems to be the most common. Nothing is known for certain about the
-Earthmasters, but legends say that they lived in the material plane
-and left behind artifacts of tremendous power. Quests for Earthmaster
-artifacts have been undertaken throughout history, and while some
-have claimed success, none have been able to prove their success.
-Most believe that the Earthmasters are entirely fiction.
-===== 1) The Material Plane =====
-See the sub-categories below.
-==== 1a) The World ====
-//Common Knowledge//:
-The World has three major continents known simply as the "Main",
-"Eastern", and "Northern" continents.  However, they are also sometimes
-referred to by their formal names of "Thentao" (Main), "N'Galt" (Eastern),
-and "Immenri" (Northern).
-//Expert Knowledge//:
-The World exists as a flat, circular region surrounded by The Wall and
-centered on the Well. Around it moves the Sun, the Moon, Dancer, and
-the Stars. The wall itself is a thousand-foot-tall waterfall which
-rings the entire world. The well is a great, swirling maelstrom at
-its center where the water from the wall collects. Since far more
-water seems to come over the wall than goes out of through the well,
-scholars often argue about what happens to the remaining water. Many
-bizarre theories have been presented, but none have gained
-acceptance.
-Beyond the wall is thought to be another land which is completely devoid of
-magic. If a person can make it to the wall, he will find a ferryman
-who will take him beyond it. However, the tale of the transgression
-(see Religion) details the origin and the purpose for the wall from a
-religious perspective and the punishments for violating that purpose.
-This alone has kept most of the curious away from the wall, but
-history is full of stories of people traveling to the wall. Since
-most failed to return, the trip is rarely undertaken.
-//Hidden Knowledge//:
-Several experiments have concluded that the world is not actually flat, but
-is in fact convex. Since the well resides in the center, it is
-thought that the well draws the water up the sides of this dome and
-that this force is powerful enough to offset the tilt of the surface.
-Therefore, even at the edges of the world, where a person would
-naturally fall down the slope, he is held up by this unseen force. It
-is believed that this force has something to do with the mana flow
-(see Magic), but no conclusive experiments have been performed.
-Beyond the wall, it is not known whether the tilt continues, but some claim
-that the slope does continues and that the world is a sphere. The
-most common supporting argument for this theory is that the moon is a
-sphere (as can be demonstrated by its phases) and that the sun is at
-least circular and could easily be spherical and so too should be the
-world. Measurements of the convex surface, however, indicate that if
-the world were a sphere, it would be vast and that the area within
-the walls would be but a fraction of its size. Since even the force
-of the well could obviously not hold up a person standing on the
-opposite side, most of this land is thought to be unlivable.
-==== 1b) The Sun ====
-//Expert Knowledge//:
-The Sun has been estimated at anywhere from 1 to 300 million kilometers
-from the World and is believed to be either a great fireball left
-over from the creation or a world whose elemental balance went astray
-and fire won out. Whatever its origin, since there is no evidence
-that any elements other than Fire exist on the Sun, some use this as
-support for the theory that one day, one of the four elements will
-gain the upper hand on the World.
-The Sun travels across the sky in an arcing path that most view as
-circular. However, as the amount of time it spends above the World
-varies from month to month, the center of this circle is believed to
-revolve around the World as do the Moon and Stars.
-//Hidden Knowledge//:
-Another sun is known to exist on the astral plane and many feel that these
-two suns are linked in some way. They do not seem to have the same
-period or intensity, though, and so many discard this theory. Some
-have even argued that the sun is not comprised of fire, but is a
-source of positive energy. Since an equal and opposite negative
-energy source has never been discovered, this theory is generally
-disregarded.
-==== 1c) The Moon ====
-//Expert Knowledge//:
-Whether or not the Moon is or was a world like our own, it is believed to
-consist almost exclusively of elemental earth. No evidence of fire or
-water can be seen, and it is assumed that air is also not present, as
-it is earth's opposite. The moon does have a link with water, though,
-as it has a noticeable influence on the tides. This link has never
-been satisfactorily explained.
-//Hidden Knowledge//:
-The mage Hrothnoth from the second age claims to have traveled to the
-moon, but never revealed his method. Since Hrothnoth was famous for
-building magical sailing ships, it is thought that he manufactured a
-flying ship and traveled to the moon in that way. His account of the
-moon is that of a lifeless and sterile world made entirely of sand
-and rock. He was forced to bring his own air, fire, and water in
-order to survive and so many use his account as further proof that
-the moon is a world where earth won out over the other three
-elements. Hrothnoth, though, was known to have a flair for the
-imaginative and many believe his tale was intended as fiction.
-==== 1d) Dancer ====
-//Expert Knowledge//:
-This body is an enigma to magicians and cosmologists worldwide. It is a
-relatively small object, just over one hundred kilometers wide, and
-it has no easily predictable path across the sky. When traversing
-from horizon to horizon, it has a measurable cycle of 76.5
-days. However, during any given day, it moves across half the sky in
-a north-south direction, often times rising and setting several
-times.
-One school of thought believes it to be a mini-world, similar in most
-respects to the moon. A more accepted belief, though, is that it is a
-small island piloted through the sky by a reclusive god.
-Its size and distance are known with quite an accuracy due to a
-pioneering observation made late in the second age by the mage Dyan.
-One day during an eclipse of Dancer and the Moon, Dyan teleported a
-great distance and noticed that Dancer's position varied noticeably
-on the face of the Moon. By carefully measuring the angle of
-difference, and assuming that the Moon was sufficiently far enough
-away, Dyan calculated that Dancer was approximately 40,000 kilometers
-above the World. Since eclipses of this nature occur frequently, this
-experiment has been confirmed several times and subsequent
-extrapolations have indicated that Dancer is no more than 150
-kilometers in diameter. What has eternally confounded cosmologists,
-though, is the fact that Dancer is oblong in shape and that it
-appears to tumble as it traverses the sky. Many say, therefore, that
-no right-minded person, god or other, would ever pilot such an
-unstable craft.
-//Hidden Knowledge//:
-Hrothnoth was unable to travel to Dancer (he claimed it moved too fast for him
-to catch) and no other accounts exist as to conditions on Dancer.
-However, since its surface is visually similar to the moon's, its
-environment is thought to be identical. One theory states that Dancer
-was originally a part of the moon and that it was either cast out by
-angry "moon-men", or was taken from the moon by the god
-that now drives it. Some even say that Dancer is a kingdom that once
-was powerful on the moon and fled the destruction of its world by
-escaping into the sky.
-==== 1e) The Stars ====
-//Expert Knowledge//:
-Unlike the previously mentioned worlds, most Stars are constant and move
-about the sky in a precise fashion, having one cycle every 24 hours.
-These points of light are thought to be weakenings in the fabric of
-the heavens where light and magical energy leak in from the other
-realms (primarily the Elemental Energies). Stars exist on the astral
-plane, but are neither constant, nor have the same cycle.
-//Hidden Knowledge//:
-Some believe that the stars are other worlds because their constant
-pattern is reminiscent of the dodecahedron shape of the twenty worlds
-(see below). Over the centuries, many scholars have tried to map out
-the heavens and deduce its patterns. The most widely circulated star
-charts are those drawn by the scholar Aldgar in the first age. The
-charts survive because they have been transcribed by thousands of
-scholars since Aldgar's time. Aldgar's charts were thought to be
-incredibly accurate, but more recent attempts to duplicate his work
-show some minor differences in the position of certain bright stars,
-bringing Aldgar's work into question.
-==== 1f) Other Worlds ====
-//Expert Knowledge//:
-It is known that there are twenty worlds in the material plane,
-interconnected in the shape of a dodecahedron. Each world rests on a
-vertex and is connected to its three adjacent worlds by magical
-portals. It is not known whether this dodecahedron shape is
-figurative only or whether the worlds are physically positioned in
-such a manner. The World is one of these twenty and it is believed
-that neither the Moon nor the Sun belongs to the set since their
-descriptions do not match those of the three known neighbor worlds.
-The stars, however, have among them a group of four wanderers which
-current belief says are the three adjacent worlds of Xotei, Greyhawk,
-and Kona. The fourth visible world is difficult to see and is thought
-to be one of the next adjacent worlds. The fact that four worlds can
-be seen, rather than nine is proof to some that the dodecahedron is
-merely a figurative arrangement.
-Access to the portals which connect the World to its three nearest neighbors
-has been sporadic throughout the centuries. However, a vague
-description of the near worlds can be gleaned from the variety of
-adventures reported over the years. The World's three neighbors are
-called Xotei, Greyhawk, and Kona. Xotei is believed to be a world
-rich in magic where every person is a wizard. Greyhawk is much more
-like the World and is settled by the same quartet of races: Human,
-Elf, Dwarf, and Orc. Kona is a savage land, full of beautiful plants
-and ferocious animals and it is said that the gods that rule Kona
-live among their worshipers.
-//Hidden Knowledge//:
-Kona is the name of the world which the Godslayer invaded. When he
-arrived, he slew the Sumerian gods (see Religion) and destroyed or
-corrupted all life on the world. When Lord Ozzie destroyed the
-Godslayer, the explosion seems to have destroyed the portal linking
-Kona with its three neighbors. No precedent for such a catastrophe
-exists and since the origin of the portals is unknown, it is not
-known whether they will ever reattach themselves.
-Literally hundreds of worlds are listed in various texts, but since no
-parallels can be drawn amongst the descriptions, few are accepted as
-fact. The crew of the spaceship Aquila came from a world they call
-"Earth" and it is assumed that this world is part of the
-twenty worlds, but its location in the dodecahedron is not known. The
-true mystery about Earth is that neither Aquila nor the Captain and
-the Engineer came to this world by way of the portals, the only known
-way to travel between worlds.
-===== 2) The Astral Plane =====
-//Expert Knowledge//:
-Permeating all of the material plane is an invisible, intangible substance known
-as the Ether. The ether links the material plane with the Astral
-plane and is believed to be the medium through which all the heavenly
-bodies float and the substance with which the demons and spirits fly.
-If a wizard becomes adept with the ether, he can use it to travel
-outside of the material plane or to go great distances within the
-material plane. A few beings are said to actually live on the astral
-plane, feeding on the Elemental energies that flow to the material
-world.
-The astral plane has a direct correspondence with the material plane,
-though there are occasionally differences. It is said that the land
-around the Dark Bay is still intact on the astral plane, though
-tremendous storms rage and the region is hard to explore. Travelers
-on the astral plane are often able to see events on the material
-plane and this method is a very useful spying technique. An astral
-entity, though, can be seen from the material realm if the observer
-is trained in such things.
-The astral plane is a strange place where the mind is supreme over the
-body. The most common form of astral travel is to leave your physical
-body behind and release your mind to roam on its own. Once the step
-is taken away from the material plane, the traveler will find that
-his astral body is not necessarily similar to his physical body.
-Often times, great warriors have traveled to the astral plane and
-found themselves barely strong enough to move. On the other hand, an
-infirm old man could find himself wearing warrior's armor and
-possessing great strength in his astral form.
-A less common mode of travel to the astral plane is taking your
-physical body with you. The advantage of this method is that you can
-often times travel great distances on the astral plane much easier
-than on the material plane.
-Normally, a person has only a tenuous link with the astral plane. It is
-believed that the astral plane is the home for a person's spirit,
-though astral travelers are rarely able to kill someone whose body
-remains on the material realm. When a person's physical body is
-killed, their astral self is released and drifts through the ether
-until it arrives at the gateway to Godsland. Once there, the spirit
-is granted admittance to the halls of the dead.
-A trained mind can use the astral plane as a starting point for travel
-to the elemental world and this journey has been made a number of
-times by adept astral travelers. However, since the elemental world
-is a land seething with war and turbulence, such a journey must be
-taken with extreme care.
-//Hidden Knowledge//:
-The route taken by the deceased from the astral plane to Godsland is a
-carefully guarded secret, though it is possible to learn it while
-alive. Entrance to Godsland, though, is strictly controlled by a
-being known as the guardian. The guardian can take any form it
-desires and has supreme authority over the admission of souls through
-his gate. Still, stories exist of clever travelers who have tricked
-the guardian to gain admittance. Most of these stories, though, end
-up in tragedy when the traveler annoys one of the many gods who live
-in this realm.
-Other routes from the astral plane will take a traveler to Limbo, the
-Shadow realm, or the plane of Time. These routes are extremely
-dangerous and difficult as the traveler must venture far away from
-the relatively safety of the material realm.
-It is known that in the first age a great war raged between denizens of
-the astral plane. Their origin is unknown, but they are believed to
-have been descendants of a mortal race which learned the innate
-ability to travel astrally. The two races most often mentioned are
-called the Githzerai and the Githyanki. It is rumored that a few of
-these beings remain to this day and that their powers on the astral
-plane are incredible.
-===== 3) The Elemental Energies =====
-//Expert Knowledge//:
-The elemental energies have as their source a realm often called the
-elemental world. It is not a world in the traditional sense and some
-even say that it is infinite in size. Still, it is arranged (at least
-figuratively) in a spherical shape with the four physical elements
-equally placed around the equator and the two poles occupied by the
-spiritual elements of positive and negative energy, also known by
-their generalizations: Good and Evil.
-The structure of the elemental world:
-| POSITIVE |
-| Lightning | [Spark] | Radiance | [Obsidian] | Minerals | [Clay] | Steam | [Crystal] |
-| AIR | (Smoke) | FIRE | (Magma) | EARTH | (Ooze) | WATER | (Mist) |
-| Vacuum | [Fumes] | Ash | [Pumice] | Dust | [Silt] | Salt | [Frost] |
-| NEGATIVE |
-Only in the border regions where two or more elements mingle together does
-life as we know it flourish. In these regions, there exist entire
-kingdoms of man-like beings known collectively as the elemental
-spirits. These spirits guide the activities of the elements on the
-material plane as well as in their home realm. Ruling over the
-Elemental Energies are the Elemental Lords. There are six in all, and
-under each of the physical elemental lords are two princes, one
-governing the border with Positive Energy, and the other governing
-the border with Negative Energy. To act as intermediaries between the
-ever-warring lords, a race of mixed elementals were created called
-the Djann. The Djann often travel between the elemental world and the
-material plane and are believed to know a tremendous amount about the
-twenty worlds.
-One of the fundamental treatises on the elemental energies is known as
-[[Melf|Melf's Guidance of Symmetry]].  It covers the
-relationship between the elements and how they can be combined to produce
-effects greater than their parts.
-//Hidden Knowledge//:
-To defeat the Godslayer, Lord Ozzie drained the energies from the
-positive and negative energy realms and the physical realms were
-thrown into anarchy. The borders between all six realms became
-indistinct and the mysterious shadow force advanced throughout the
-elemental world. It is now believed that only pockets of the original
-elements remain and that the entire realm has been converted to
-shadow. Whether this is a permanent effect remains to be seen.
-===== 4) Godsland =====
-//Expert Knowledge//:
-Though it is in many ways like another World, this special world is not part
-of the twenty material worlds. This is the world where the gods live
-and where all mortal souls go to rest between lives. On this world
-reside the great cities of Olympus, Heliopolis, Asgard, and others.
-Deep under this world is the Underworld (not to be confused with the
-underworld on this World) where evil souls are held for punishment.
-//Hidden Knowledge//:
-Since information concerning Godsland is almost entirely from divine
-scripture, most unbiased scholars take it with a grain of salt. No
-accounts of Godsland exist outside of religious texts and since
-annoying the gods is not a hobby of most magicians, few have
-attempted to seek additional information.
-===== 5) Other dimensions =====
-//Expert Knowledge//:
-Despite all attempts to rationalize the structure of the cosmos, there still
-exist realms which do not fit in with the structure. These places,
-occasionally are found by lost explorers of the Astral plane and
-their descriptions sometimes defy logic. Among the myriad of stories,
-though, three realms stand out: Shadow, Limbo, and Time.
-Shadow is a pocket dimension between the elemental realms. It is said to be
-the perfect equilibrium between all elements. It's denizens are
-thought to be devoid of intellect, though there are tales of a
-Shadowlord which rules the realm much like the Elemental Lords rule
-the Elemental Energies. In recent years, this Shadowlord has been
-proved to exist, though very little is yet known about him.
-Limbo is the realm of chaos. It is the antithesis to the material realms. Much
-of this dimension is unfathomable to the mortal mind and the only tales that
-exist usually end up with the hero going insane. The only common aspect is the
-omni-present "Winds of Limbo", a mean-spirited wind that constantly
-shifts and changes intensity.
-Time is not so much a realm as a concept. Still, travel through time is
-part of a few stories and there are indications that a realm exists,
-complete with a Time Lord to govern it.
-//Hidden Knowledge//:
-The Shadow realm is largely obsolete now, since the Shadowlord advanced
-into the elemental world. It is not known whether the original
-dimension remains in its original form.
-Limbo is home to a group of entities commonly called the Lords of Chaos. It
-is said that they are eternally at war with the gods in Godsland and
-that they seek nothing short of the destruction of the material
-plane. Some accounts of Limbo say that the Githzerai from the first
-age fled here when their war with the Githyanki went poorly. Their
-current status is unknown, though evidence exists that a race of
-warriors called the Slaad do exist in Limbo and some have tied the
-two races together in their texts.
-The realm of time is not known to exist for certain, but is believed to
-be a place from which a traveler can access any time in the past or
-future. The ruler of time, though, is known to exist and he is a
-merciless being named Parádoxa, whose power in many ways
-exceeds the gods. His duty is to correct or prevent paradoxes. Only
-the time mage Kwalish from the early second age has recorded a
-believable account of the time lord and in that account, Kwalish
-mentions the existence of an army of servants to Parádoxa,
-whom he called Time Elementals.