Worlds within Worlds

The Dawn of Creation

During the dawn of creation, there was a singular being of pure elemental and celestial force. This being is known only through whispered tongues as Lord Ao. As the legend goes, Lord Ao emerged from an aether of nothingness, and felt the space around them was empty and devoid of purpose. So they decided to breath their own essence across the sky. Through this act, and their power, the universe was born.
The first aspects of the cosmos to take shape were the Astral Sea and the Elemental Chaos. The Astral Sea formed from the pure celestial force of Lord Ao. This infinite vacuum of space gave birth to nameless worlds of celestial energy, known today as Astral Dominions. The Elemental Chaos was given form through Lord Ao's raw elemental force. From the chaos of this power the first Elemental Realms were formed.
But still, Lord Ao was not satisfied with their work. So they split a part of their being into 12 unique bodies of celestial and elemental power. These entities, each with their own essence and will, were assigned oversight of an Astral Dominion or Elemental Realm. Some entities of similar creed shared one Domain or Realm, while others kept their Domain or Realm to themselves. These entities would become known as the Prime Deities in the Athunian Doctrine, and would bring about the worlds as we know it.
The first Astral Dominions and Elemental Realms shaped by the wills of the Prime were Celestia, Hestavar, Arvandor, Chernoggar, The Nine Hells, Tytherion, The City of Brass and The Abyss.
While the Prime worried themselves with the formation and molding of their own respective domains and realms, Lord Ao continued with his creation. Through his will the parallel bodies of the Mortal World, the Feywild, and the Shadowfell began to take shape. Today these worlds are known as the Material Plane (Athunis) and the Parallel Planes (Feywild, Shadowfell)
After countless millennia, Lord Ao competed his creation of the material and parallel planes. The three worlds, suspended between the fundamental planes of the Astral Sea and the Elemental Chaos, were beautiful blank canvases ready to nurture and support the races that would inhabit them one day. But Lord Ao was tired, having exhausted much of his essence in the universe’s creation. So he left the task of populating these worlds to the Prime, as he recessed into the ether of nothingness from whence he came.

The Before Times

Over the next several millennia the deities of the universe argued and fought over who’s domain and creation should rule over the material and parallel planes. During this period, which is known today as the Before Times, new deities were created by members of the Prime. It is believed that the creation of these new secondary, tertiary, and quaternary (referred to collectively as lesser deities) was to garner more strength towards one deity's domain and alignment, giving them an upper hand in winning the fight for control of the material and parallel planes.
Many of the lesser deities are bound to and serves a member of the Prime. These lesser deities often lived on the same astral dominion or elemental plane as their creator, though some did branch out to shape other unclaimed astral dominions and elemental planes. Others formed out of the pure chaos of the cosmos, as was the case with the primordial titans Grumbar, Akadi, Istishia, and Kossuth. Of those that formed their own domain or realm, some still served their creator and others refuted their creators rule over them.
After the Prime brought forth the Lesser, some members of the prime decided to create new beings in their image and place them among the material worlds. At first this was their way of following through on the job given to them by Lord Ao to populate the worlds. However, shortly after the Prime reveled themselves to these new beings, the beings began to worship their Prime creator. This act of worship increased the power of that particular deity. Once it was understood how this surge in power occurred, the members of the Prime began to populate the world with their offspring with a determined haste, each working to have the most mortal worshipers and thus the most power. Members of the Lesser did the same, creating new beings in their image to aid members of the Prime of a similar alignment.
While some members of the Prime were busy creating life for the Material and Parallel Worlds, one god decided to do their part to insure the life created by the others could survive and grow. Amaunator left his home plane of Hestavar to create the Eternal Sun that orbits around the Material Plane (referred to mortals as simply, Eternal). He left behind an aspect of himself in Pelor, to see that Hestavar was well taken care of as he made a new plane for himself, the Keep of the Eternal Sun.
Many of the mortal beings given life from the gods were granted a piece of their Prime or Lesser creator that manifested itself in a way alien to them. This raw power was utilized by the mortals to raise civilizations, develop societies, and evolve into something more than mindless sources of power as the gods once saw them. But with these gains came many setback. The various races were constantly at odds with each other, fighting over which Prime or Lesser creator was superior. This age became know as the Wars with Magic.
During this age the very fabric between worlds was so thin that the three parallel planes would bleed together. This only expanded the conflict between races; the elves of the Feywild could be found fighting against the demons of the Abyss, while humans of the material plane would ward off invading armies of devils from the Nine Hells. All manner of mortal races were at war to prove their Prime or Lesser creators dominance.
While the mortals of the parallel realms experienced persistent conflict, the deities of the cosmos had to face their own troubles. They were constantly at odds with each other, working to gain more followers and power in the material and parallel plans to help them destroy each other. They had not yet learned the meaning of balance, but after a time they would come to know it's harsh truth.
Things came to a head when the gods of the cosmos intervened on the material plane during the Wars with Magic. It was the first, and only, time that the gods walked among mortals on the material and parallel planes. During this final conflict, Lord Ao felt a disturbance in his being for what he had created and he returned to find the cosmos in disarray. Furious, Lord Ao used his immense power to pull the gods back to their respective planes and encased the material realm, as it was the source of most of the conflict, in a shroud of pure energy that no being of lesser power than his own could penetrate. In doing so, Lord Ao cut the material plane off from all influence of the gods, including the magics gifted to the mortals. Millions were killed in this event, and it led to the Era of Nothingness on the Material Plane, which had become known as Athunis by the mortals that inhabited it.
Determined to teach the gods a lesson, Lord Ao brought forth a new being of celestial force said to be stronger than any other of his creation. This deity, known as Auppenser the 13th, was to be the eyes, ears, and will of Lord Ao himself. Auppenser was tasked with returning the balance to the material and parallel planes, as well as the Astral Domains and Elemental Realms. Auppenser claimed the moon of Sigil as his Astral Dominion that he might have total vision over the events on Athunis and the Parallel Planes, and access to all the Astral Dominions and Elemental Realms. Leaving Auppenser to his work, Lord Ao returned to his own domain through the ether once more.
While the mortals of the Athunis and Parallel Realms struggled to discover themselves and survive in a world without magic, the gods of the cosmos dealt with an unforeseen side-effect of the barrier Lord Ao raised, known today as the Celestial Sphere. It seemed the gods had become just as reliant on the mortals as they had the gods. Without the worship of followers to lend strength to the Prime and Lesser deities, it was feared they would cease to exist. Such an event could have untold consequences, and the World Axis would fall into utter chaos likely killing every being that inhabited it. But Lord Ao was no fool, and he had his eyes on the events that would transpire over the next 1400 years through his connection with Auppenser. Lord Ao felt the gods of the cosmos needed a reality check that they might understand they are not the most powerful beings in the multi-verse.
So Lord Ao waited, all the while the mortals of the Athunis and Parallel Planes thrived, particularly on Athunis. These mortal soul's ability to adapt and overcome impressed Lord Ao. He learned from the reports of Auppenser that they seemed to have learned from the mistakes of their past and moved forward. A trait Lord Ao felt the gods lacked…the drive to pursue that which was important to them. To band together for the greater good of their world. And while there were struggles, and the mortals would often squabble at things of little care to an all powerful being, it was impressive nonetheless.
After Lord Ao felt the gods had served their punishment, but before any of them had been wiped from existence, he returned once more. Lord Ao and Auppenser explained the terms of what was to come. Lord Ao would allow the essence of the Prime and the Lesser to once again influence the mortals of the Athunis and Parallel Planes, but only slightly. Auppenser would create ten perforations, known Flumes (Astral or Elemental depending on where the anchor lies), in the Celestial Sphere surrounding Athunis that would connect some astral domains and elemental realms to the material and parallel planes. This would allow the mortals to once again experience the magic they lost almost 1500 year prior. These Flumes however, would only allow for a part of the Prime's and Lesser's essence to leak through, and they would not be able to travel to Athunis or the Parallel Planes in their true divine form; though they could send projections of themselves, an ability Lord Ao taught to the gods. These projections could not interact directly with the world around them, but they could speak with and influence the mortals of Athunis and the Parallel Planes, most commonly through the Dreamsphere. These projections could only pass through these Flumes with the permission of Auppenser, who would be the Gate Keeper, thus adopting the name he bears today among mortals…Auppenser, the Gate Keeper. With a final warning to the gods from Lord Ao to not let the events of the past happen again, he recessed once more into the ether and has never returned.
Immediately the gods began to work through Auppenser to create and extend projections of themselves unto Athunis through the Dreamsphere, and the effects were just as immediate. The magic that was allowed to leech through the Celestial Sphere was small, much less than during the Wars with Magic. More importantly however, was the mortals renewal of belief in the gods. Once again the gods felt themselves return to full strength as they watched the cosmos around them flourish. Through the guidance and instruction of these divine projections, some mortals were able to connect to and harness the magical essence of the gods once more. This energy became known as Arcane Energy, and while it was scarce in comparison to the technological advancements the mortals had crafted, it allowed them to experience the same gift their ancestors once had. It was soon discovered that some mortals had a stronger connection to this Arcane Energy than some, and they were able to instruct others to harness this energy themselves without direct intervention from the gods through the Dreamsphere. Though it should be noted that most mortals, particularly of Athunis, are distrusting of this Arcane Energy; having a stronger preference for the mundane way of life they had come to know through generations.
Some deities, often those of an evil alignment, would use their divine projections to influence mortals in ways different than those of good alignment. Though one might wonder why they were allowed to do this, resulting in powers given to, by all accounts, evil individuals, Auppenser allowed it in order to keep the balance. There can not be an overwhelming amount of darkness or light, less the world fall into imbalance once more. Those mortals of more evil influence, sometimes willingly and sometimes not, revere their deities as patrons granting them power with unlimited potential and often destruction. Though it should be noted that the moral compass of a mortal is less firm than those of divine essence. Any mortal individual granted power could be good or evil, regardless of the original source of their new power, good or evil.
It took some time, but eventually some of the mortals of Athunis and the Parallel planes, more adept in Arcane Energy than others, discovered these Flumes, and figured out that they could allow for travel to the Astral Domains and Elemental Realms to which they were tied. This knowledge opened the cosmos to those mortals with the skill to do so. Though traveling among the planes was a dangerous activity, and not all that could attempt it would survive. Through this travel it was discovered that all matter of mortal races were spread out across the cosmos from the event that ended the Wars with Magic, separating mortals from the planes they once called home. However these mortals among the cosmos were not cut from the same cloth as those of Athunis and the Parallel Planes. The celestial and elemental energies had morphed them into something different, yet familiar. Similarly, inhabitants of the astral domains and elemental realms that were not of a true divine nature (namely demons, devils, and aberrations) discovered they could travel to Athunis and the parallel realms in a similar manner, but only along established Flumes.
It should be noted that not all interactions between mortals and gods through the Dreamsphere was to garner faith or lend power. Some deities, such as Oghma (god of knowledge), felt the mortals deserved to know more of the universe around them and the events that lead to the current state of Athunis and the Parallel Planes. It is through the good will and consideration of Oghma that mortals know what they do about the cosmos, even if what they know is only a small segment of the multi-verse.
It seemed the World Axis was back on track. Time progressed on Athunis, the Parallel Planes, the Astral Domains and Elemental Realms without issue or major strife.
But as is the nature of good and evil, they are always at odds…and though Auppenser the Gate Keeper keeps and ever watchful eye on the World Axis around him, there may again come a day where the worlds are trust into chaos at the whims of the divine once more. Only time will tell…

Astral Dominions

Celestia, the Seven Mountains
Hestavar , the City of Light
Arvandor, the Eladrin Fields
Chernoggar , the Dwarfhome
The Nine Hells
Tytherion, the Endless Night
Shom, the White Desert
Pluton, the Clockwork of Magic
Tu’narath, the House of Knowledge
Kalandurren, the Deep Wilds
Carceri, the Darkest Depths
Pandemonium, the Dismal Caverns

Elemental Realms

The City of Brass
The Abyss
Zerthadlun
The Keening Delve
The Ninth Bastion

Unmapped Dominions and Realms

Keep of the Eternal Sun
Banehold
Cynosure
The Fugue Plane
The Dismal Caverns
Gates of the Moon
Green Fields
Nishrek
The Supreme Throne
Towers of Night
Warrior's Rest
The Demonweb Pits
Cresting Spires
Fimbulwinter
Hidden Realm
Muspelheim
Root Hold
Sky Home
Steading
Thraotor
The Undying Pyre