Eternals

These are rules for a transcendental fantasy setting for Fate Core, **HIGHLY** inspired by Chronicles of Amber, by Roger Zelazny. They extend and complement the setting of **Urania**.

# INLUM

Just south of Ehren, amid a treacherous outcrop of jagged rocks and mist, lies a small island called Alephgaard. On this island there are only ruins, but within the remnants of what was once a place full of life, there is a castle, Castle Alephgaard. In this castle, there is a dungeon, and in this dungeon, there is a room with a labyrinth inscribed on the floor.

This is no ordinary labyrinth, however. Its curves and paths form a specific pattern, and this pattern encodes nothing less than all the laws that govern the universe. However, this pattern is not just a representation of universal laws, it is *the very* source of these laws. If it is breached, erased, altered in any way, the very basis of the universe will be altered. One more brief stroke in the Pattern can represent thousands of galaxies appearing or disappearing.

This pattern has a name, it's called: Inlum.

## PATTERNWALKING

It is possible, after facing many dangers, to reach the pattern room, and walk through Inlum until you come upon its center. However, this is not an easy task. From the moment a person steps on the beginning of Inlum's path, they *must* reach the end, or they *will* be annihilated in the attempt. If a walker attempts to backtrack, their body will be burned to ash.

From the first step a person takes, the whole Pattern lights up. Its contours begin to emit a white fire that reflects the walker's efforts along its way. However, Inlum will oppose the walker, and will present seven barriers in an attempt to prevent them from reaching the center.

* The first is a physical force that opposes the walker, as if it were a force field. To overcome it, a successful "Physique" roll at -3 is required.
* The second is a strong wind that will try to unbalance the walker. To overcome it, a successful "Athletics" roll at -3 is required.
* The third is a sequence of sharp energy threads that dance between the contours of the labyrinth. Overcome them requires a successful "Notice" check at -3.
* The fourth is a wave of sleepiness and an almost invincible fatigue. To overcome it, a successful "Will" roll at -3 is required.
* The fifth is a sudden blindness that takes over the walker, in which they have to keep on walking from memory. To overcome it, a successful "Lore" roll at -3 is required.
* The sixth is an unbearable heat that takes the walker to maximum exhaustion. To overcome it, two tests are needed: "Physique" at -3 and "Will" at -3.
* In the seventh and last barrier, the fire of the labyrinth itself will close the path and try to burn the walker with sudden flames. Overcoming them requires two checks: "Athletics" at -3 and "Notice" at -3.

Each time a person walking the pattern fails to overcome one of these barriers, they must take one point of physical damage and may try again. This damage cannot be avoided, cannot be canceled, cannot be prevented. There is no armor that protects against it, there is no magic that attenuates it.

If a person manages to reach the middle of Inlum, after having walked the entire path of universal laws, they achieve one of the greatest rewards. Their perception expands to infinity. Their body is raised to eternity. From the middle of the pattern, they contemplate the entire universe, from the beginning to the end of time, simultaneously, and can, with a thought, go to any point in space-time.

They gains the first level in a skill called "Inlum", the skill that differentiates Eternals from mortals.

### THE "PATTERNWALKING" SKILL

People who have walked the Pattern multiple times can develop a special skill, used only to make walking the Pattern easier. This skill is called "Patternwalking". Each level in this ability grants a bonus to checks for the other skills used to overcome the Pattern's seven barriers. This skill can also be used to walk through the Logrus (see below).
## THE TEMPORAL UNIVERSE AND THE REAL WORLD

Urania is not a world like the others. In some respects, Urania is the only world there is. All other worlds, in all of time, are but reflections of Urania, like dreams. However, the civilization of Urania is unaware of this fact, and goes on with their lives, never realizing their real power.

But those who walked the pattern, the "Eternals", they know.

The universe has trillions of galaxies, and each galaxy has thousands of inhabited worlds. Its total age, from the beginning to the end of time, is hundreds of billions of years. However, Urania is outside of all this. Both of time and space of the temporal universe. From Urania it is not only possible to reach any world in any galaxy, but at any point in the history of the temporal universe. The time that elapses on Urania is not the same as the time that elapses within the temporal universe.

However, when the Eternals walk through worlds and time in the universe, there are two major limitations to their travels. They cannot return to Urania (or other real worlds) in a time prior to their departure, nor can they take an in-universe action that invalidates their personal past. Therefore, even though they can walk through time and space, they could not travel into their own past, even to alter the smallest of aspects of what they have experienced up to that point.

### THE POWER OF REAL BEINGS

Any real being who leaves their original world will soon realize that, walking through the temporal worlds, they are much, much stronger. Real beings that are outside real terrains do not age. They can be injured normally, and even die, but these conditions are temporary for them. Their body regenerates very quickly from any injury. They don't have to take an action that justifies recovering from consequences: they begin to recover them on their own. Even injuries such as the loss of a limb or a vital organ can be regenerated. If they die, they return in the next scene as long as any part of their body remained.
If a real being's body is completely de-atomized (such as by an atomic explosion, or because they were thrown into a star, or whatever), they regenerate in a day (or a scene, whichever lasts longer). However, upon returning, their maximum stress value (physical and mental) is 1. They recover their maximum stress values at the rate of 1 point per day.
Real beings are also immune to disease, poisoning and radiation. They can hold their breath indefinitely if they want to, and as such they can survive in outer space.
However, there is a "type" of damage that is fatal to real beings, called "real damage". This is damage created by eternal powers, or by objects that were created in real terrain. This damage can injure and kill real beings as if they were on real terrain. For a real being to die from real damage, all damage received must be real.
## THE INLUM SKILL

Those who have walked the Pattern develop a new ability called "Inlum". Each level in "Inlum" allows the character to choose an "Inlum power" from a list of powers. These powers can be chosen in any order, but the first level imposes a specific power, which is the core power of the eternals: the ability to walk between worlds.

A character can only evolve their Inlum skill by walking through the Pattern again. When going through all that trouble once more, and reaching the core, the character can use any evolution skill point they have to level up this skill.

### INLUM POWERS

These are the powers a character can choose from when walking through the Pattern. One for each level in "Inlum" they have.

***Worldwalking:***

This is the basic power of an eternal, the mandatory power of the first level of "Inlum", the ability to walk between worlds. To use this ability, the character must visualize in their mind where they want to go, and walk. They can target any image they can visualize in their mind, because somewhere in universal space-time there will be a point where that image is real. As they walk, they must use every opportunity they can to change their environment: entering or leaving a building, going through doors, entering caves, whatever. Each time they change environment, they are actually changing worlds, until eventually they get to where they want to be. Each world change, however, will be subtle. Only one or two details change from one world to another as they pass through. Thus, the time that a worldwalk takes depends fundamentally on how different is the place they intends to arrive.

As an eternal walks between worlds, the passageways they open remain open behind them, and will remain open until the environment around it changes drastically. For example: if they enter a store, the store door will continue to connect different worlds until it closes. If they enter a manhole on the street, the passage will remain open until the manhole is covered. Anyone, eternal or not, can pass through a gap between worlds created in this way as it lasts.

Real beings have a semi-conscious awareness of the world they are in. They always know how to speak any living language on the worlds they travel through, and have an intrinsic cultural awareness that helps them avoid any misunderstanding that can come from an unfamiliarity with an alien culture.

***Certain Chance:***

The eternal manages to determine that a coincidence occurs. Any event that can be considered possible, even if strange, can be determined. However, events so, so unusual as to be practically impossible are not covered by this power. Make an "Inlum" check. The success shifts indicate how much the eternal manages to distort the coincidences in their favor. Even if they determine a very abnormal coincidence, and does not get the necessary success shifts for it, somehow something will happen in the direction they have determined.

***Logos:***

The eternal tunes into the collective mentality of the world in which they are (called "logos"). This allows them to tap into that world's non-eternal abilities that may exist (including magical abilities). This power grants a number of "wildcard skill points", which are equal to the levels in the "Inlum" skill. Characters can use these skill points to gain whatever abilities exist in that world, or even improve their own abilities if they also exist in that world. Once these wildcard points are distributed, they will only be reset when the eternal changes world again.

***Planar Seal:***

The eternal can fundamentally alter one or more universal laws that operate in the world in which they are. This allows them to change aspects such as: whether or not magic exists, how magic works, whether gunpowder works, the value of the force of gravity, etc. Only universal laws can be changed: laws created by people, social rules, political organizations cannot. A planar seal can also be created to prevent other eternals from arriving or leaving that world, or even block the use of other eternal powers. Make an "Inlum" check. The success shifts obtaining in creating a planar seal determine the difficulty of trying to remove it by others who may also possess this power.

Planar seals affect a world throughout its history, past and future, keeping all people's lives, and their general condition, as intact as possible. For example, if the eternal is being pursued by a group of mages, they might wish to create a planar seal that negates magic in the world. The moment they do that, they are no longer being chased by a group of mages, but could be chased by a group of elite soldiers, because magic never existed in that world. When creating a planar seal, it doesn't change the laws of the world from that point forward: it changes them within forever.

A planar seal can be created to regenerate the destructive effects of certain Logrus powers on a world (see below).

Creating or breaking a planar seal requires 1 fate point. The character can spend more fate points, if desired, to gain a +2 to their result per extra point.

Once a planar seal is determined to neutralize other powers, there is no possible resistance against it. The only option is to attempt to undo the planar seal itself with another use of the same power. On a failure, each repeated attempt incurs a cumulative -1 penalty. Multiple characters can team up to create a stronger planar seal, if they all have this power. To achieve that, everyone makes theit planar seal test, and the final result equals their best result, +1 per assistant.

An eternal can create a planar seal around themselves or others in order to hide from searches made with Inlum or Logrus.

***Eternal Search:***

To use this power, the eternal must be able to look up at the starry sky at night. The eternal can search eternity to find, out of all time and space, a specific person, object, or place. This allows them to use their "Inlum" skill as a kind of "Notice" throughout the temporal universe. It is not possible to perform an eternal search in a real world.

It is only possible to find people, places or objects that were (at some point in time) exposed to the open sky. It is possible to search for real people or objects that are within the temporal universe, but it is only possible to find the present state of these people, from the point of view of their own real time.

When an eternal finds what it was looking for, they are able to point towards the sky, and any other eternal can follow this guidance and also see, in space-time, what the character has found.

***Real Sight:***

This power, when selected, is always active. It allows the eternal to see what is real. They can no longer be deceived by illusions, and can always determine the true nature of a shapeshifted being. This power allows them to see the Logrus of another eternal, and perceive emanations of Inlum power. With real sight, an eternal always knows which planar seals are acting on a world as soon as they enter it, or if they observe the world from afar with "Eternal Search". This power works from within real terrain.

This vision also allows them to see and immediately analyze with emanations of lesser powers such as magic or mental powers.

***Rewrite Eternity:***

Like a "planar seal", this power alters a world throughout its history. However, instead of acting on universal laws, this power acts on things or people. By rewriting eternity, an eternal can take a person out of a world's history, or add a continent, or change an entire society. Changes take place in the past, present and future, so the inhabitants of the world themselves have no idea anything has changed. However, other real beings in the same world will notice the change the moment it occurs. This power requires an Inlum check, with a higher difficulty the more radical the change.

***Voice of Judgment:***

The character is capable of enacting judgment and determining fatal occurrences, as long as these occur as an expected reaction to someone's attitude. For example, upon witnessing a murder, they might say, "For having killed this person, you are doomed to lose your arm." And thus, something will happen to make that sentence come true. This can also be used in a positive way, for example: "For saving this little girl's life, you are sentenced to live healthy until the end of your days". These sentences can be passed on individuals, groups, or even entire kingdoms and nations. This requires an "Inlum" check, with a higher difficulty the more radical and the broader the sentence passed.

This power can be used on real beings to force them to fulfill the promises they make, creating an aspect associated with the promise made. If used on real beings, this power requires the cost of 1 fate point.

***Transcendent Power:***

There exists, throughout the temporal universe, a series of "lesser powers". Supernatural powers that, while impressive to the natives, lack the transtemporal dimension of eternal powers. Magic, psychic powers, divine powers, are some examples.

This power allows an eternal to transform the lesser powers it knows into "transcendent" powers. These become real for a while. A transcendent power can deal real damage and counter other real powers. A transcendent cancellation spell could undo a planar seal, for example, and a transcendent clairvoyance could see a logrus.

The character gains a number of "transcendent" activations for their minor powers equal to their Inlum skill value, for each game session. However, after these activations are expended, they can still cast transcendent powers by spending fate points. If the power naturally requires the expenditure of a fate point, this expenditure is *not increased* for a transcendent use of the power.

This is one of the only eternal powers that can be taught to mortals, though few possess the mental state necessary to learn it. However, since mortals do not have the Inlum ability, their only option is to use fate points to cast transcendent powers.

# LOGRUS

Urania is not the only real world. Just as Urania is the center, there is another real world that is at the border of reality, on the edge between space-time and the abyss beyond. This world is called "Egress", and there lie the "Court of Chaos", a shapeshifting castle that once housed a powerful family of eternal beings. In the depths of the Court, there is a room, and in this room, a labyrinth drawn on the floor that is constantly changing shape. This labyrinth is called "Logrus".

Just as Inlum is the source of universal laws, Logrus is the source of chaos and disorder. Whatever Inlum commands, Logrus undoes.

It is possible to walk through Logrus, as well as through Inlum, and whoever reaches the center of Logrus develops the first level of a skill called "Logrus". The challenges and tests for walking through Logrus are the same as those for walking through Inlum.

As far as it is known, the same real being cannot know both abilities. If they know Inlum, they won't know Logrus, and vice versa.

### LOGRUS POWERS

As with Inlum, each level in the Logrus skill allows the character to develop one of the following powers, the first of which is mandatory for the first level of Logrus.

Most logrus powers require the emanation of a metaphysical construct called "The Logrus". The logrus is invisible and intangible, and only eternals with the logrus power, or with the "real sight" power can see it. To these, the logrus appears as a more or less spherical floating central body from which several tentacles project. When emanated, the logrus is approximately the size of the person who created it, though its tentacles can literally extend through all of time and space. At their creator's command, the tentacles can lift objects and make them move as if they were floating. They possess the same physical strength as their creator. Unless the eternal has a special power to do so, the logrus moves too slowly to be used in combat.

***Logrus Search:***

This is the basic and mandatory power of logrus. With it, the eternal is able to emanate its logrus and use its tentacles to search for locations in space-time that are identical, or nearly identical to what they are mentalizing. As they search the universe, the tentacles of their logrus reach out to various worlds and times. When one of the tentacles finds what they want, they have the option of wrapping themselves, and other people nearby, with the other tentacles, and "pulling" themselves to the location found. Unlike an "worldwalk", this method of travel leaves no open doors, but on the other hand it usually takes longer for an eternal to find a space-time point with logrus than to walk there with Inlum.

Any other Eternals who also know the logrus power can "piggyback" on another character's logrus if they witness that character travel to another world by using this power.

***Logrus Combat:***

This power allows the character to transform their logrus into a combat weapon. The logrus gains the ability to attack and defend as if it were a new character under its creator's control. It has access to the same fighting abilities as its creator, and has the same number of physical and mental stress points as its creator. If the creator wishes, they can wrap themselves around their logrus, so that any damage they take goes to the logrus first.

The logrus' attacks can affect any target in the same zone it is in, or one zone away, without penalty. Upon taking damage, the logrus does not have the option to take consequences.

If the logrus is destroyed in combat, its creator cannot recreate it in the same scene unless they spends 1 fate point to do so.

It takes a turn of intense concentration to emanate the logrus in combat.

***Tuned Search:***

This power extends the ability of the logrus search so that it can search not only for places, but also for objects, animals, and people. The character also gains the option of, in addition to transporting themselves to the place where they found what they wanted, pulling what they found to where they are through space-time.

***Logrus Presence:***

With this power, the character can transform the tips of their logrus tentacles into sensory organs, becoming able to see, hear, smell, feel, and even speak in other points of space-time that are being touched by their logrus. If they also have the "shapeshift" power, they can even shape the logrus in their image and make it visible if they wish.

This power also allows the character to perform magic or supernatural powers as if they were present in the location where their logrus is located.

By using the abilities of this power, the character's logrus becomes susceptible to attacks by beings who can perceive it. It has the same number of physical and mental stress points as its creator. Upon taking damage, the logrus does not have the option to take consequences.

***Vital Chaos:***

The character is capable of creating new forms of life or altering existing ones from their blood. Creatures are formed with the character's blood by consuming their physical stress points, or their fate points, although a physical stress point must always be consumed. Each stress point gives creatures 2 "creation points", and each fate point gives 4.

Creation points must be distributed across the creature's physical, mental, and armor stress counters, and its physical abilities. The physical abilities are: *Fight, Shoot, Notice, Athletics, Physique, Stealth, Burglary and Crafts*. Each skill point or stress slot cost 1 creation point, and each point of armor costs 2. No creature's skill can have a value greater than the character's own.

Characters may wish to purchase some extra abilities for their creatures. The exact cost of these is left up to the storyteller, but here are some suggestions:

* ***Wings***: 1 creation point.
* ***The creature is a swarm*** (all damage always removes the lowest layer of stress) : 3 creation points.
* ***Magic Attack***: Purchase as a new skill.
* ***Area Attack***: Purchase as a new skill + 1 creation point.
* ***Extra attack per turn***: 2 creation points.
* ***Stunts***: 1 creation point per stunt.

Creatures formed with this power act autonomously, but always try to defend their creator. They can also respond to their creator's mental commands in the scene in which they are created.

At the end of the scene, or at any point during the scene, the character has the option to re-assimilate their creatures back into their blood, and regain lost physical stress (but not fate points). However, if the option is made not to assimilate the creatures after a scene, they become autonomous and independent of its creator. The shock of their creatures' independence weakens the character, and they gain a penalty to all their actions equalling the number of physical stress slots used to create them. This penalty adds up to -1 for each scene that passes in the game.

***Shapeshift:***

The character is capable of altering their own physical form, assuming basically any form they desire within a volume that is larger than a mouse, and smaller than an elephant. Make a "Logrus" check. Every success shift in this test can be used to enhance one of the character's physical abilities, increase their physical or mental stress level, or bestow them with armor points. Only one shapeshift roll can be attempted per scene. The character can maintain their altered form for as long as they like, but they can make new Logrus checks each scene if they want to alter the parameters of their form.

The success shifts from the logrus test can also be used to purchase special abilities, along the same lines as buying abilities for new creatures of the "vital chaos" power.

When a character uses this power to change form, they are effecting a change at the most fundamental level possible. They effectively become the new form they assume: physically, mentally and spiritually. This does not usually have serious consequences when the character assumes fictional forms. However, if they take the form of a person who already exist, and maintain that form over several scenes, they will gradually begin to think and act as that person thinks and acts, until, at a certain point, they lose all sense of identity and become a real copy of the person.

Characters with the "real sight" power can identify an eternal shapeshifter, but cannot see what its original form was, because that is their original form.

***Summon Primal Chaos:***

The character can open the eye of their logrus, and summon from the depths of the abyss beyond the primal chaos itself, origin and end of the entire universe. When summoned, the primal chaos wreaks havoc and uncontrolled destruction on everything it touches, increasing in effect as the character maintains the summons.

Summoning primal chaos, and maintaining the summons, consumes 1 fate point per turn.

By summoning primal chaos for one turn, the character can perform an attack on a target in the same zone. This attack ignores any armor (normal or otherwise) and any supernatural protection. It destroys any spells or powers in progress, and annihilates inanimate objects (magical or otherwise).

Keeping the summons for 2 turns, all creatures in the same zone as the character are attacked.

Maintaining the summons for 3 turns, the attack expands to all creatures within 100m.

Each additional turn increases the area covered by 10 times. In most cases, sustaining this power for 8 turns is enough to destroy all life on an entire world.

Even if this power is used for a short time, it often causes unpredictable damage to the very foundation of reality, and can permanently mess up a world.

The character who summoned the primal chaos is unaffected by their own power.

A primal chaos summons can be countered by a "planar seal". The opponent makes an Inlum check against the character's Logrus check. On a success, the primal chaos does not expand for that turn, and the summoner does not spend the fate point they would have used to expand the primal chaos. If the opponent scores a success by 3 or more shifts, they can decrease the primal chaos' size by one degree, or close it if it was already at its smallest size.

***Unbind Chaos:***

The character can disrupt order in a world and accelerate a its entropy. This power can have several effects. If used on a person, for example, it can drive them completely insane. If used in a kingdom, it can trigger a rebellion. If used on a castle, it can create an earthquake. If used on a magical object, it can cause its magic to fail.

The character can choose to use this power and determine its target, but cannot determine its exact effect (although the *player* can). Anything can be targeted by this power: objects, places, people, spells, powers, societies, concepts, laws, etc.

This power can be used to undo planar seals, using the same mechanics as the "planar seal" power.

***Anti-Power:***

Opposite to Inlum's "transcendent power" is Logrus' "Anti-Power".

There exists, throughout the temporal universe, a series of "lesser powers". Supernatural powers that, while impressive to the natives, lack the transtemporal dimension of eternal powers. Magic, psychic powers, divine powers, are some examples.

This power allows an eternal to turn the lesser powers it knows into "anti" powers. Anti-powers become real for a while. An anti-power can deal real damage and counter other real powers. An anti-cancellation spell could undo a planar seal, for example, and an anti-clairvoyance might see a logrus.

The character gains a number of "anti" activations for their minor powers equal to their Logrus score, for each game session. However, if these activations are expended, it is still possible to cast anti-powers by spending fate points. If the power naturally requires the expenditure of a fate point, this expenditure is *not increased* for an anti-use of the power.

This is one of the only eternal powers that can be taught to mortals, though few possess the madness required to learn it. However, since mortals don't have the Logrus ability, for them to cast anti-powers, they are forced to use fate points.

Anti-powers always cause permanent and negative effects, in the sense of destruction. An anti-telepathy, for example, can leave the target depressed and suicidal forever. An anti-fireball can leave targets burning forever, etc. These effects behave like more subtle versions of an "unblind chaos". It is said that a large enough number of anti-powers being used could even cause the disruption of the temporal universe as we know it.

### NEUTRAL POWERS

In addition to the powers described for Inlum and Logrus, there are still some powers considered "neutral", which can be chosen by both those who know Inlum and Logrus. These powers, if chosen, also take the place of an "official" power, whether of Inlum or Logrus.

***Pictora:***

The character can create real paintings. Being real, they are a permanent connection with what they represent. For non-real beings, these are just normal paintings. However, real beings can touch these paintings and establish a communication with whatever the image represents.

To create a pictora, the character must stand in front of what they are painting, and spend 1 fate point. No Inlum or Logrus tests are required.

The pictora can be drawn on any surface. Paintings, walls, notebooks, playing cards, etc. The time needed to create a pictora is just the time needed to draw it.

There are several actions that can be performed with a pictora:

* By touching a person's pictora, a character can initiate telepathic communication with that person.
* During a telepathic communication, it is possible for the communicating people to exchange objects with each other, or even pull each other to where they are.
* During a telepathic communication, it is possible that one side tries to "expel" the other. This is resolved as a mental combat using "Will" for offense and "Deceive" or "Empathy" for defense.
* During a communication, or shortly thereafter, the side represented in the pictora may wish to destroy its pictora (if it is an eternal). To do so, they must expel the initiator of the communication, and, right after expulsion, spend 1 fate point. The pictora "burns" in its original location.
* By touching the pictora of a location, the character can enter the pictora (if it is large enough) and travel to the place it represents.

Pictora is one of the only eternal powers that can be taught to mortals, though few can withstand the trauma of such learning. However, since mortals do not have real blood, for them to create a pictora they must take a severe (-6) physical consequence in addition to spending 1 fate point.

***Aegis:***

The power of absolute protection, "aegis" allows an eternal to be even tougher than usual.

This power gives the eternal a number of "aegis points" it can use in each scene, equal to its Inlum or Logrus level.

Each Aegis point can do one of these:

* Recover all of the character's normal damage.
* Recover one point of real damage.
* Allow the character to come back to life in 1 minute, with full stress tracks, if they have not died due to real damage.
* Increase the maximum physical or mental stress tracks by 1 slot per 1 scene.
* Grant 1 point of armor for 1 scene.
* Allow them to resist any individual use of a power, real or otherwise, without requiring a challenge.

The character still has the option of using their fate points after their aegis points are expended, to perform one of these effects.