Aeon
Aeons are the children of Powers. They fashion and rule over worlds, build systems and cycles. On worlds that contain life, they guide the evolution of that life.
Yaldaboath split into thirteen, and they set about forging the world. Like Yaldaboath, they are cut off from the Source, and therefore are slowly experiencing the heat death of the universe.
They discovered after the arrival of humanity that they can harness the power of love, fear, and awe to fill the hole left by the severing. They are more prone than their ancestors to rebellion against the Ineffable Plan, though this is largely due to the effects of harvesting Ambrosia to stave off the entropy.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Aeons are willpower first, beings of energy and light with intention anchored to their bulks in the fourth dimension. They form their three dimensional bodies from particles of light, packed into the desired shape and frozen in time. The result of this "cosmic flesh" is a being that can shapeshift rapidly at will, though most have favorite shapes they return to most frequently.
Genetics and Reproduction
To create another Aeon, one must split a part of themselves away. This process usually results in an equal 50/50 split of two new entities, but at the height of a god's power they may be able to make smaller sacrifices and create weaker gods.
One method to get around this is by investing a miniscule portion of their essence into a mortal. This can produce heroes with divine gifts, or demigods where a new life is born of both parents.
Another is the creation of the Heralds, who are to the Aeons what the Powers are to the Thrones.
Growth Rate & Stages
From the moment an Aeon is split from its source, it begins to experience entropy and decay. It will weaken over time, and in the coming millennia it will fade away into a wisp to await helplessly for the heat death of the universe. Alternatively, if it can harness the will of mortals it can grow in power instead, though to even achieve the status of a Power is likely impossible without the sole devotion and sacrifice of quadrillions of mortal minds.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Aeons feed on will and psychic energy. Originally, they are invested with a certain amount by the True Source, but this begins to fade the moment of separation.
Mortals, especially mankind, are a potential new source of this energy. Strong and focused emotions such as love, terror, awe, and devotion are the most nutritious, and Aeons with larger cults can harvest more of this energy. This isn't as pure as the True Source, and they are changed by the consumption of it.
Behaviour
'Pure' Aeons exist with the will and intention of their creation. A source, be it Yaldaboath or the True Source before it, splits with a purpose and the new Aeon will seek to fulfill that desire. Aeons that accept the worship and awe of mortals as a new source are warped and corrupted by it, and become petty and selfish in their desires.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Aeons perceive the world at a molecular level. They can analyze the movements and interactions of those molecules and are capable of extrapolating the meaning of those interactions and construct a bubble of omniscience around themselves. When they are young, these bubbles are relatively small but as they learn their awareness grows.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Aeons name themselves with titles, and their names shift over time as they and their worshippers reimagine themselves.
Common Taboos
While killing an Aeon is night impossible even for other Aeons, there is an additional difficulty they have in bringing themselves to perform the deed. They all began as part of the True Source, and even the bitterest of foes still feel that kinship.
History
The True Source discovered the universe. The universe had a unique property: time. From the moment the universe was created, everything in it ticked one infinitesimal notch towards entropy. This linear progression created an impression of time passing. This established an opportunity: mortality. The True Source reached a small sliver of its being into the universe and broke it off with the intention that it would arrange the universe as best it could for the creation of life. This sliver split again and again, dividing up the universe into smaller and smaller domains.
The sliver that knew itself as Yaldaboath arrived on Ersetu. It created the star that would be known to its children as Sol, it fashioned gravity wells for planets to form from, and when they had sufficiently coagulated it selected the best candidate for life. Yaldaboath descended on the planet, separating seas and sky, hauling rocks from the ocean floor to create landmasses and arranging the tectonics of the world. When it was needed, Yaldaboath split itself into thirteen Aeons. These had tasks to contribute to the construction of Ersetu.
Eventually, with the arrival of mankind, they began to feed on the worship of the mortals. They became possessive and jealous, forgetting their original purpose and doing as they pleased. Of the Aeons on Ersetu, only Gad'Erel still desires to follow its original purpose.
Interspecies Relations and Assumptions
The gods rule over mankind in its entirety. The worship of men is too valuable a resource to avoid being exploited.
The other mortal races' love isn't as valuable, but they serve the gods in other ways that are often more tangible.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Genetic Descendants
Related Myths
Related Materials
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