First Alignment

The alignments refer to philosophical schools of thought concerning existence, particularly by observing the cycle of life that emerged from the dream. The first alignment views matter as the start to the cycle of the physical world. Matter, then life, then light are added, and although they were right in this depiction of the dream cycle, proper context and understanding were lacking. This belief originated as a result of Minara granting life first to Toru, then Gzaji, with many viewing that as the natural order of creation. The belief went on to frame this cycle as one between creation and destruction, with darkness eating light, death severing life, and void claiming everything that was left. For all of early history, this narrative spread, and although there were many who viewed it otherwise, these beliefs took foothold within all major cities, which were controlled by the primary subordinates of Minara and Gzaji (Fariah and Oraphin respectively.)

Minara had neglected to bring Seth into the physical world, fearing his power would be her undoing. It was only when Seth liberated himself from the void of his own power, that the narrative of the first alignment began to shift. Seth's method of manipulating matter came from his time of meditation and observation from within the dream, caught there as he was. He observed the dream being pulled away, recognized it as it eventually returned to the dream, larger than before. He remained in the dream as civilizations were built, living there for centuries, a reversed perspective from those living within the physical world. Eventually, Toru sought Seth out, discontent with the imbalance growing not only in the waking world, but the dream as well. As the consciousness of Toru found Seth and connected to him through the dream, he was granted the gift of perspective, finally able to recognize his own conscious as separate from the dream.

Toru continued to visit Seth within the dream, and as Seth gained knowledge of magic and the existence of the physical world his own dream began to fold in on itself, attempting to make sense of the waking world and his own place within the dream. On his sixth visit to the dream Toru shared magic with Seth, linking their souls briefly to convey a greater state of understanding through the lens of that which is tangible. When Toru departed, Seth fell into a deepening slumber even while within the dream, and awoke in the physical world as a tattered physical manifestation of his chaotic being.

These events brought about the first shift in philosophical thought, although still within the first alignment. As Seth came into the world, the greatest fascination came from his ability (as the god of chaos and destruction) to use magics of creation to build a physical body. Seth began to spread his own philosophies to the Iku, framing the dream cycle as that which arises from the dream, and that which returns. This mentality took root, and spread rapidly not solely through the proliferation of the Iku, but through the discovery that new perspectives and knowledge of the dream brought a degree of control and power. Even those most loyal to Minara and Gzaji soon separated from their prior beliefs, through fear of obscurity, for want of knowledge, and by the addiction of dreaming.

To return briefly to the cycle of souls and dreaming itself; it was mentioned that although early observers accurately mapped the trajectory of a soul through the dream, it was misinformed and inaccurate in justification. Indeed, it was Toru who first uncovered the reasons behind the dream cycle, and kept the dream close in his pursuit of new life. He observed the dream as the root of everything that exists. A font of infinite possibility that could be harnessed and manipulated with relative ease. In this mode of thought, matter, souls, and energy could be seen as tangible aspects of the dream, or manifestations of the dream in an alternate dimension. Cumulatively, they could be arranged to create entirely new life. Matter, to bring physicality to existence, souls, to create individuality that could influence the stagnation of infinite possibility, and energy, that would power body and mind, and become the conduit for practical life. Although the purpose or reason was yet unknown, he found it impossible to bring life to pure energy, or matter already imbued with energy, thus enforcing the common depiction of the dream cycle (previously thought to be the life cycle).

The first alignment continued to develop, with increasing curiosity being cast toward the dream itself. No one retained memories of being a part of the dream, and yet everything returns to the dream. These pieces of the dream, souls of the living, that could mould the reality of the physical world. Darkness holds the ultimate fear of the living. Darkness not only of light, but of energy, and minds. The first step of returning to the dream, at the edge between living and dreaming. From there comes absence of mind, but presence of soul, and yearning for the dream. So soul returns and becomes dream leaving husk to dwindle into void. Negation and separation from the physical world to grow dreams.