Willverse Cosmology

=Willverse - The Way and the Worlds=
==The Worlds [Physical Reality and Metaphysics]==
=== The Physical Universe ===
Within the Willverse universes are referred to as IterationsBloodline; Page 261 and these iterations are completely separate realities from each otherSkysworn; Page 227. Iterations are clarified by WOG to be universes in a full sense not simply localized spheres of planets and stars or a single galaxyCradle World: The Abidan (Part 1) Comment and this is a fact further proven within the series itself which show several galaxies existBloodline; Page 262 within different IterationsReaper; Page 364 and these iterations potentially posses an endless amount of spaceBlackflame; page 289. Time is a fundamental aspect of reality such that individual iteration have their own separate flows of time Unsouled; Page 68 as well as temporal lawsDreadgod; Page 349 and the relationship between time and space of an iteration being further displayed through the fact that the destruction of an Iteration in its entirety involves the destruction of its space and time togetherReaper; Page 365. Further more within the authors other more Fantasy-Sci-fi focused work "The Last Horizon", the iteration the series takes place within is specifically noted as a TimelineThe Captain; Page 183 which should serve as definitive evidence for their nature as [4-D] Space-Time Continuums.
=== Underline Metaphysics [Layers of Laws] ===
The more metaphysical nature of reality is fundamentally made up of laws layered over each other in such a way that the lower laws serve as the supports for the higher laws yet are still superseded by them, the lowest level consists of the worlds physical laws, essentially physics as a whole [The Baseline], superseded by the particular metaphysics related to a worlds built in energy system which break, bend and overrule said physical laws, to an admittedly limited degree [The First Layer], while beyond that are laws or changes enacted through the will of an ascended being [The Second Layer]Bloodline; Page 63. There are more layers of superiority that go beyond just what was outlined prior [Two Layers] which are inherently built into the any interactions between the abilities of ascended beings because when two principles that already outrank physical laws come in contact with each other the superior one will overwrite the lesser one by virtue of outrank it similarly to how they already outrank physical laws, furthering the layers of laws, so all ascended beings inherently have [Two Layers] above baseline abilitiesBloodline Release Stream (April 5, 2020).
An Iterations innate power systems are fundamentally just aspects of it's inherent metaphysicsDreadgod Release Stream (July 3, 2022) which function in a manner that isn't directly tied to the Way in the sense that they actively draw from the Way in it's purest form but are still shaped by it's concept, specifically whatever Icons it is more attuned to.
=== Iteration 110 [Cradle] ===
In Cradle, Dreadgods exist in a state of being fundamentally part of the world's rules, substance, it's very fabric as a result of being tied to an unnatural variation of one of the iterations energy systems known as Aura, in particular Hunger Aura, showing clearly that a world's energy system is inherently built into it's fabricWill Wight Reddit Post (June 7 2023). Aura as a whole is one unified force, simply the soul of the worldSoulsmith; Page 49 and a manifestation of it's powerBlackflame; Page 172 that creates and accumulates alongside the physical processes of the worldWintersteel Release Stream (Oct. 5, 2020) including phenomena that are inherently intangible and conceptual like death or destructionAbidan Archives such that aura can form multiple dualities like air and earth, heat and cold even life and deathBlackflame; Page 165.
=== Iteration 119 [Fathom] ===
In the Last Horizon, there as exists a metaphysical reflection of the galaxy in which the series primarily takes place inThe Engineer; Page 234 that resides above and below physical reality called the AetherThe Captain; Page 12 which serves as the source of the series various power systems ranging from MagicThe Captain; Page 434 to Aether Technician GiftsThe Engineer; Page 290 and even Combat ArtsThe Engineer; Page 324. It is within the Aether serves to govern not just an individual but also their magic by way of containing their definition which is itself an Aetheric construct analogues to a soul that also contains their consciousnessThe Engineer; Page 44
== The Abidan System [A Cycle of Creation and Destruction]==
=== The Natural Life Cycle of a Universe ===
Iterations undergo a natural cycle in which they are created and destroyedCradle World: The Abidan (Part 1) where upon the destruction of an iteration most of it is erased except for fragments of places(usually on the central planet) that hold a strong enough "identity" to continue existing within the Void as small pockets of energy and orderBlackflame; Page 293. These Fragments float through the Void until they randomly collide with each other or are drawn together by the intervention of an Abidan to form a new central planet which acts like a "seed" that eventually expands into a full IterationBlackflame; Page 174. At the heart of the cycle, Iterations are anchored to the Way by the presence of humansSoulsmith; Page 42 specifically their innate conscious will thus an Iterations continued existence is dependent on its human populationCradle World: The Abidan (Part 3) Blog and though this might be the case if an Iteration were cut off from the Way they wouldn't immediately cease to exist just like that as the natural process of such occurs over an unspecified amount of timeUnderlord; Page 12.
=== The System Arrangement ===
The Abidan refer to the entirety of all Iterations under their control as the "System" which is stated to consist of 10,000 IterationsBlackflame; Page 290, many of which are scarcely inhabited pioneer worldsReaper; Page 39. World not under the Abidan's control like Vroshir control worldsDreadgod; Page 101 are not considered part of their System but overall there are worlds without endSkysworn; Page 229. In the event of a total system collapse the Abidan have measure in place involving the quarantine of specific important Iterations like Cradle, Haven, Sanctum and AsylumUnsouled; Page 237 and the Abidan classify a set of 10 or more iterations as a SectorCradle World: The Abidan (Part 5) Blog.
=== Fate and Alternate Universes ===
Fate is a fundamental concept that governs the natural lifespan and "story" of each Iteration, acting more like a force similar to gravity rather than a detailed planCradle World: The Abidan (Part 2) Blog. Each iteration has it's own fate which is separate from that of other Iterations as the intercrossing of Fates between Iterations is considered a violation to orderSkysworn; Page 22, this Fate exists as a structure within the Way itself consisting of possible futuresDreadgod; Page 317 which are endlessReaper; Page 448 and inexhaustibleBloodline; Page 249 in number. The possible futures that comprise an iterations fate are first speculated by Varic within the Last Horizon to be Alternate Timelines of that particular worldThe Captain; Page 387 to which it has been clarified by WOG that possible futures are essentially alternate universes themselvesThe Captain Release Livestream (Apr 2, 2023).
Note: The number of possible futures seen by Lindon is by no means a contradiction to there being inexhaustible amount of possible futures as by his own admission he is inexeprience at seeing Fate and it is specifically explained by a knowledgeable characters that his specific Icon is simply not suited for seeing FateDreadgod; Page 305.
==The Way [The Chambers at the Bottom of Reality]==
Before getting started, It should be no surprise to anyone reading this that certain aspects of the Willverse, Cradle in particular, are heavily inspired by various Chinese Xian Xia novels for which the author is very open aboutCradle World: The Abidan (Part 2) Comment and in line with this inspirations he also recognizes how these novels tend to derive themselves from certain aspects of Taoism which are very much present in his workInterview with AC Cobble (May 31, 2019). By no means am I mentioning this as a means of trying to forcibly scale aspects of the series to Taoism but instead to give some added context for how certain ideas might have developed over the conception of the series.
=== The Way Between Worlds ===
The Way Between World [commonly, The Way] in a purely cosmological sense serves as the space between universesWaybound; Page 36 which has iterations embedded on itself like fruits on a vine to which it obviously is itself what separates these iterations from one another. The WaySkysworn; Page 21 is an endlessBloodline; Page 5 dimension, not in the sense of a placeWaybound; Chapter 32 but an additional direction akin to extra depth that lays beyond all directions of spaceWaybound; Chapter 30, realityWaybound; Chapter 12 and timeWaybound; Chapter 13Waybound; Chapter 15 such that reality, and in turn the timelines it composes, are simply a thin membrane along the wayWaybound; Prologue. In the authors new series "The Last Horizon", which takes place within the same shared multiverse as Cradle though is written as to not seem connected to the wider multiverse, FTL travel exists in the form of skipping through what they refer to it as "Subspace"The Captain; Page 43 and in one such journeyThe Captain; Page 84The Captain; Page 312The Captain; Page 318 Subspace is specifically said to be an extra-dimensional spaceThe Captain; Page 379 of 5 dimensionsThe Captain; Page 313.
In terms if it's function the Way is fundamental the basis for all of existenceBloodline; Page 242 comprised of vast inscrutable flows of pure order that keep everything in existence functioning. The Way spans all of existence to facilitate the stability and protects from the influence of the Void necessary to sustain reality to such an extent that reason itself can only exist within it's influence. the Way is the source of the most fundamental aspect of all things like existence, causality, physics, laws, fate and archetypal greater concepts of reality like Icons or Judges AuthorityWintersteel; Page 120.
=== Icons [Archetypal Concepts] ===
Icons are archetypalWill Wight Reddit Post (Oct. 19 2021) greater concepts of realityWintersteel; Page 129 which are fundamentally intrinsic to all of realityReaper; Page 425 because they serve as the single template for all things they representReaper; Page 299 to such a degree that alterations to them change all of reality itself [Conceptual Manipulation] and Icons have complimentary halves, opposites, which are present alongside them to form a dualityWaybound; Chapter 3. These concepts are sourced and empowered by the WayReaper Spoiler Stream (Nov. 9 2021), the fundamental basis for all of existence, which exists deeper than and completely separate from realityReaper; Page 255 such that Icons themselves exist beyond the worldReaper; Page 278 and the manifestation of their power is "projected from beyond reality"Reaper; Page 273.
=== Abidan Judges [Archetypal Properties of Absolute Order] ===
Abidan Judges are representations of the most basic aspects of reality that are intrinsic and 'real' in a similar fashion to Icons but unlike Icons they serve as pillars holding up the order and structure of the Way itself and rather than simply being archetypal concepts they are instead the archetypal properties of Absolute Order itselfWill Wight Reddit Post (Oct. 19 2021) acting across all that was, all that is and all that shall beOf Kings and Killers; Page 147 at a level even deeper than Icons as a wholeWaybound; Chapter 1.
Icons are derived from the Way and as such project their influence from beyond reality but the true nature of these derivative concepts is that of an emanation of the Way residing in a dimension beyond the physicalBloodline; Page 60 while the Way itself in truth resides deeper and at a more foundational level.
The nine Abidan Judges, listed, are:
#Makiel, The Hound [Fate] - The Hound represents Fate, the Way holds the force that governs the natural lifespan of each iteration and in which the story of each universe is written.
#Gadrael, The Titan [Protection] - The Titan represents Protection, a function of the Way is to provide a barrier against the influence of chaos and destruction as an unbreakable shield.
#Durandiel, The Ghost [Conscious Will] - The Ghost represents Conscious Will, the force that binds all of reality to the Way and supervises the natural cycle of universal death and rebirth.
#Telariel, The Spider [Existence] - The Spider represents Existence, the fundamentally incorruptible nature of the way as pure truth that keeps record of all things.
#Razael, The Wolf [Strength] - The Wolf represents Strength, the counterpart to the protection of the Titan manifested as the Ways fundamental property as an unstoppable force in contrast to it's unbreakable shield.
#Suriel, The Phoenix [Restoration] - The Phoenix represents restoration, The Way is a force of pure unending restoration that restores order to a system thus reverting it to prime condition.
#Zakariel, The Fox [Space] - The Fox represents Space, the Way governs both space and time with it's branches reaching across all iterations without the headache of physical distance.
#Ozriel, The Reaper [Destruction] - The Reaper represents Destruction, originally though to be a function of Chaos, the Way's all encompassing nature inherently holds True destruction as one of its functions.
#Adriel, The Creator [Creation] - The Creator represents Creation, fundamentally another property of the Way from which all things are derived and fresh pieces to the cycle are added.
=== Metaphysical Record Storage System ===
The word Origin of Existence is commonly shortened to be used interchangeably with either "Origin" or "Existence", this is best seen in context of the "Origin Shroud" which is a device said to "hide the very Origin of his existence."Bloodline; Page 109 while simultaneously being said to be "A veil on his existence itself."Reaper; Page 421 where as in the very same book Ozriel also mentions that "No matter what he did, his origin didn't change"Reaper; Page 155. The Origin of a beings Existence is a fundamental aspect of their existenceReaper; Page 12 as it is the very essence that defines themReaper; Page 419 consisting of "Who you are on a fundamental level" and "Who they are recognized to be in the Way" stored as a record within the Ways own "metaphysical record storage system" composed of pure order and truth. It's essentially a mix between their concept (as it defines them) as well as fundamental information (It is also a record) and abilities which are tied to an origin of existence require a means of interacting with it to be removed, alteredReaper; Page 154 or restrictedBloodline; Page 285Bloodline; Page 67.
==The Void [The Empty Chambers of Chaos]==
The Void is the endless pure lack of existenceUnderlord; Page 271 said to be beyond existenceDreadgod; Page 297 that resides outside the Way itselfBlackflame; Page 175 surrounding it while similarly being beyond additional depth as space peels away from like a wallpaper revealing the "deeper hole" that is the Void beyond all directions of space, reality and time. The Void constitutes a pure nonexistenceDreadgod; Page 219 and endless chaosWaybound; Chapter 17 which causes the break down the Ways influence wherever it finds a foothold.
=== Nonexistence and Annihilation ===
As a force of nonexistence and annihilation outside the influence of Way the Void naturally lacks the various metaphysical properties it provides such as Icons as a whole including the Void Icon which is the concept of nonexistence itself and it's counterpart which is the concept of existence [Nonexistent Physiology: Nature 2 - Aspects 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5], causality which is absent from anything erased from the WayWill Wight Reddit Post (Nov. 2 2021), laws which are erased from within it, Physics which it inherently lacks, Logic which it also inherently lacks, Fate is separate from it and it would naturally reside outside the Ways metaphysical record storage system which stores fundamental information.
=== Chaos and Corruption ===
The Void is the source of the infinite Chaos which corrupts anything it interacts with be it humans or the worlds in which they resideSoulsmith; Page 41 while breaking down the influence of the Way leading to various effects, such as, bringing nightmares to reality directly from peoples minds, creating spaces in which the rules of reality do not apply consistently, causing a worlds inherent power system to stop functioningBloodline; Page 246, causing the breakdown of even the simplest forms of technologyDreadgod; Page 259Dreadgod; Page 296, the distortion FateWaybound; Chapter 21 and causality, mutating living things in its presence.
=== Fiends of Chaos ===
The Void itself is responsible for the creation of beings known as as Fiends of Chaos which defy classification by the very nature of their beingBlackflame; Page 292. Fiends are half-real creaturesReaper; Page 362 composed of chaos made flesh in their physical formsBlackflame; Page 173 though they still linger on even if their physical forms have been destroyedBloodline; Page 111 in metaphysical formsDeathmatch Part 1: The Death-ing Begins Blog composed of shards of pure chaos. These Fiends seek out and consume other beings for their connection to the Way as this sustains their existence within physical reality while also causing the breakdown of the order necessary for existence though even they cannot survive the further reaches of the VoidReaper; Page 156.
==References==
Category:Willverse
Category:Cradle
Category:Explanation Pages