The Book of Ancestry
A Tale of Everything
The first series of texts collected within the Archive that outline the creation of the initial planes and celestials. Beginning with the first primordials and their creation under Chaos, the Book of Ancestry covers the creation of the known multiverse, the development of the first mortal races, and the Pantheon of the Seven. It's a time of discovery and exploration across the planes as magic is uncontrolled and wild.
Summary
Out of Chaos came Tilvera and Abyss, two cosmic beings of unknowable power. While the two were not initially opposed, gradually they became enemies locked in an enternal fight between good and evil. Between them, they birthed the elemental planes, the three beings of Judgement, the Twins of Life, and a number of other primordial beings that make up the cosmology of the multiverse. Over time, their war encompassed all of existence, and in some ways still rages on today; they, along with the other primordials, were imprisoned as the planes of existence for eternity, stripped of their former power and influence, but still able to slowly put their grand plans into motion through the actions of others.
Creation
Before the world, before mortals, before time itself, there was Chaos. The true power of existence, Chaos is the force that binds all of creation together. It's the power that a wizard will focus into a fireball, it's the rage that pushes warriors beyond their limits. Chaos is everywhere and everything. And from Chaos, came two beings. One of creation, expansion, and presence; Tilvera. The other, as an opposite, lacked control and yearned for a return to the nothingness of Chaos; the Abyss. It's unknown for how long these two beings were the only ones present in the cosmos, but Tilvera was the first to harness the energy of Chaos to create more.
Change
Tilvera was the first to weave Chaos to their benefit. Feeling the two parts of Chaos, Tilvera created the primordial beings of Fire and Water. Abyss could not focus their energies in the same way initially, so Tilvera created two more primordials to teach Abyss, as well as bridge the gap between the other two elemental primordials; Air and Earth were created. Abyss, in their first attempt to weave Chaos alone creates Limbo. During the creation of Limbo, Abyss passed too much of their Chaos to the primordial, leaving them with a more malicious energy to rival Tilvera further. Limbo, by contrast, became a truly neutral form of Chaos.
Judgment
Tilvera, seeing the attempt by Abyss to create a primordial, elected to support the development of more balanced beings by working together. This effort led to the creation of three further beings; created to provide law and order to the cosmos, and the other primordials. Bytopia, a being of trust, justice, and always managed to see the good in things. Gehenna, on the other side of order, was prone to suspicion and greed, a deeply untrusting being. Finally, Mechanus, a being of codes and laws, unwavering in its application of rules for good or ill. Together, these three came to be known as the Judgement.
Life
Growing complacent at the seeming emptiness of the cosmos, and the isolated presence of the primordials, Tilvera chose to focus the energies of Chaos in a more large scale fashion. Creating two further primordials, Aborea and Arcadia, the Twins, a new task presented itself. Life. The Twins were presented with the controlled Chaos to form their own kinds of beings, stemming from the blueprint of the primordials, but limited in their own power and strength.
Aborea, a being that appreciated and respected the natural state of the cosmos, created the graceful and beautiful Elves. Beings of long life, ethereal wisdom, and a strong connection to magic. Meanwhile, Arcadia, taking influence from the Judgement, created a race that followed strict traditions and codes, priding themselves on their ability to create and build. Dwarves, while living slightly shorter that Elves, were noted lawmakers and historians. A weaker connection to magic led them to adopt more martial and physical traits, relying on their strength and constitution over their intelligence and wisdom.
Death
While the Elves were blessed with near immortality, they longed for adventure and travel to fill their time with. Recognising their plight, Aborea created a primordial that could provide them with just that. Known as the Beastlands, this being was a focus of the natural order; untamable and wild, yet controlled and predictable. The Elves relished, and spent much of their time hunting, studying, and learning from the Beastlands. However this also came with great change to the lifestyles of Elves; Aborea demanded more of them in life and they were left sometimes unsatisfied with their achievements. After untold ages, Aborea provided yet another primordial to sanctuary the souls of the Elves after life; Elysium continues to house and nurture Elves, and their kin, who pass on from the mortal realms.
Seeing these new mortal races, and the potential for death in this new state of the cosmos, Abyss took advantage. A primordial was created to intercept souls heading to Elysium and instead have them fight. Endless and unyielding, Acheron is a being of war, knowing nothing else but bloodshed and destruction. The souls in Acheron are forced into this unending conflict, some say to provide Abyss with further power, and potentially an army of its own.
Seeing many Dwarves pulled into Acheron's influence due to their more aggresive and physical nature, Arcadia chose to follow in the steps of Aborea, creating a primordial to celebrate and challenge the souls of Dwarves, and other races, to battles and tests of mettle, but of their own volition. Unlike Acheron, Ysgard was a being of control and law, like the Dwarves themselves. It's said that any who die in battle today are welcomed at the gates of Ysgard for eternity.
Punishment
Limbo creates the Nine Hells
Chaos
Abyss creates Pandemonium
Order
The Judgement create Carceri
Loss
Elysium creates Hades
Hope
Tilvera creates Mount Celestia
Mount Celestia creates the Skopun
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