Cosmology

The Cosmology of the Multiverse is the multidimensional realm within which all planes exist. It came to be during the Time of Creation, the creation process guided by the Entity of Balance. Most information on the cosmology has been lost to myth and legend, but some fact remains known by the scholars and sages of the Material Plane.

The cosmology is structured out of several layers of spheres, each layer expanding upon the last. There are a total of 4 grand layers. The 'smallest' layers are those closest to the mundane, to reality, to an existence without magic. The 'largest' layers are those most subject to magic, where reality shifts by the power of the mind, and the laws of physics are severely bent to each individual will.

* Ohváh, The Material Plane
* The Physical Planes
* The Divine Planes
* The Soul Realm

There are some theories on realities beyond the known cosmology, questioning the existence of additional layers. These could be smaller than the Material Plane, or larger than the Soul Planes. Their existence is beyond myth and legend, only discussed by the most obscure scholar or sage.

* The Mundane Realm
* The Far Realm

## The Material Plane

The Material Plane, also known as Ohváh, stands within the centre of the physical planes, and is the absolute core of the entire cosmology. It is the only plane affected by all aspects of the multiverse equally, keeping it in a natural balance. Despite being the smallest of planes, it is the most important of all, anchoring all other planes in a symmetric dance of balance. Some scholars theorize that there are an infinite amount of parallel layers within the Material Plane, each with their own Aëdryn, or perhaps even other unknown worlds.

## The Physical Planes

The Physical Planes are all planes within which matter, energy and magic coexist in their physical state. They are the planes of mortal life, and all adhere to the laws of physics more than the will of magic. Only the innermost of the physical planes are habitable by regular life. The outer planes contain only raw elemental components, rendering them entirely inhospitable.

This sphere contains the Material Plane, 6 Mirror Material Planes, 6 Prime Elemental Planes, 4 Para-Elemental Planes and 8 Quasi-Elemental Planes. Each plane except for the Material Plane has an opposing plane, placed directly on the opposite side of the Material Plane.

The Prime Elemental Planes are by far the most sizeable and powerful of the Physical Planes. The Para-Elemental and Quasi-Elemental Planes are but relatively small and weaker dimensional pockets where the magical energy of the prime planes meet, formed by the resulting contact.

### Mirror Material Planes

* **Everlagoon**, Aëdryn submerged in water and rain, where only few islands dot the oceans.
* **Hollowscape**, Aëdryn where earth grew beyond the atmosphere, only massive caverns habitable.
* **Scorchfields**, Aëdryn dried up with endless deserts, plains, volcanoes and magma. Few oasis.
* **Shattersky**, Aëdryn shattered into floating chunks, an endless storm at the core.
* **Feywilds**, Aëdryn empowered with color, magic and life. A beautiful realm.
* **Shadowfell**, Aëdryn drained of color, magic and life. A dark, hopeless realm.

### Prime Elemental Planes

* **Plane of Water**, infinite ocean depths with but few pockets of air, with massive oceanic streams.
* **Plane of Earth**, infinite rock and minerals, with but few pockets and tunnels of air.
* **Plane of Fire**, infinite deserts and volcanic terrain, barraged by solar flares of many suns.
* **Plane of Air**, infinite clear skies, with massive storms of cyclones and lightning.
* **Plane of Light**, infinite amount of radiant energy, empowering all energy.
* **Plane of Dark**, infinite void of absolute nothingness, nullifying all energy.

### Para-Elemental Planes

* **Plane of Ooze**, between Water and Earth.
* **Plane of Magma**, between Earth and Fire.
* **Plane of Smoke**, between Fire and Air.
* **Plane of Ice**, between Air and Water.

### Quasi-Elemental Planes

* **Plane of Flux**, between Water and Light.
* **Plane of Minerals**, between Earth and Light.
* **Plane of Radiance**, between Fire and Light.
* **Plane of Lightning**, between Air and Light.
* **Plane of Salt**, between Water and Dark.
* **Plane of Dust**, between Earth and Dark.
* **Plane of Ash**, between Fire and Dark.
* **Plane of Vacuum**, between Air and Dark.

## The Divine Planes

The Divine Planes are all planes representing a certain abstract aspect of reality beyond the physical. This sphere of planes stands adjacent to the physical sphere, overlapping without ever truly touching each other. Between them, a barrier prevents passage, which is weakest at the core of the divine sphere. They are so far removed from the mundane, and so close to the origin of all magic, that an individual's mind is the greatest power. The laws of physics are but a suggestion. Time and space can flow in complicated and impossible ways, though all within imaginable reason.

Beings native to these planes have an innate connection to magic, and are generally far more powerful than mortal beings. They can never truly die, only gain or lose strength and power by their actions and those of others. Whenever a being is defeated, it will return over eons of time, in another shape or form.

The most powerful of these beings are the Gods of the divine planes, leading, ruling and guiding the inhabitants and environment of the planes which they inhabit. They are sentient beings in an unimaginable variety of shapes and forms, wielding enough power to influence the Material World in many subtle ways.

When a mortal being perishes, their soul could end up in any one of the divine planes to live their afterlife.

Within the centre of the Divine Planes sphere stands the Ethereal Plane, overlapping with the Material Plane. All Divine Planes know an opposite plane, placed directly on the other side of the Ethereal Plane. Within this sphere, there are 6 Prime Planes, 12 Joined Planes and 8 Greater Planes.

Each Prime Plane is aligned to a Prime Elemental Plane within the Spirit Barrier. Between every 2 adjacent Prime Planes, a Joined Plane stands, combining the two aspects into one. In between all the spaces between each 3 Prime Planes stands a Greater Plane, which combines the aspects of three into one, massive domain.

### Ethereal Plane

At the core stands the Ethereal Plane, which directly overlaps the Physical Planes. The 'barrier' of the overlapping spheres is weakest near the Material Plane, blending the Material Plane and the Ethereal Plane together in unseen ways. It is through the Ethereal Plane that all Divine Planes reach and influence the Material Plane itself.

Certain spells can allow a traveler to cross over to the Ethereal Plane, becoming ethereal themselves. Within this reality, there is no gravity. There is no need to breathe, and you cannot be crushed or drowned by the environment. While the Ethereal Plane is what binds the Material Plane to the Divine Planes, travel from the Ethereal Plane to any Divine Plane is impossible. Travel to other physical planes is possible however, as there are a variety of portals leading further towards the elemental planes.

### Prime Planes

* **Intellect**. Plane of knowledge, intelligence, thought, mind, reason and logic.
* **Order**. Plane of law, structure, rules, practicality, organisation and hierarchy. Mechanus.
* **Heart**. Plane of instinct, desire, intuïtion, feeling, ambition and inner drive.
* **Chaos**. Plane of change, individualism, choice, equality and freedom. Limbo.
* **Good**. Plane of absolute good, positivity. Elysium.
* **Evil**. Plane of absolute evil, negativity. Hades.

### Joined Planes

* **Civilization**, between Intellect and Order
* **Destruction**, between Order and Heart
* **Nature**, between Heart and Chaos. The Beastlands.
* **Creation**, between Chaos and Intellect
* **Humility**, between Intellect and Good
* **Honor**, between Order and Good. Protection, truth. Arcadia.
* **Compassion**, between Heart and Good
* **Life**, between Chaos and Good
* **Cruelty**, between Intellect and Evil
* **Death**, between Order and Evil
* **Craving**, between Heart and Evil
* **Deception**, between Chaos and Evil. Betrayal, manipulation. Carceri.

### Greater Planes

* **Celestia**, between Intellect, Order and Good. Plane of angels.
* **Ysgard**, between Order, Heart and Good. Plane of righteous battle.
* **Arborea**, between Heart, Chaos and Good. Plane of fey.
* **Bytopia**, between Chaos, Intellect and Good. Plane of innovation and invention.
* **Baator**, between Intellect, Order and Evil. Plane of devils.
* **Archeron**, between Order, Heart and Evil. Plane of pointless war.
* **Abyss**, between Heart, Chaos and Evil. Plane of demons.
* **Gehenna**, between Chaos, Intellect and Evil. Plane of plots and schemes.

## The Soul Realm

The Soul Realm exists beyond the Divine Planes, overlapping them within their own dimensional layer. It is a place where there are no coherent dimensions, where the laws of physics such as space and time are all but non-existant. The only inhabitants of the Soul Planes are the souls of mortals, waiting to return to a new life. Another name for the Soul Realm is the Astral Plane.

The soul planes have 6 regions that freely blend into each other. Each region is aligned to one of the Prime Divine Planes within their sphere. There is a region of sapphire energy, pyrite energy, ruby energy, quartz energy, infinity energy and null energy. These regions are never stationary, yet rarely moving.

The Soul Realm is constructed entirely of raw magical forces. All souls have a connection to this 'Astral Plane', which is the prime catalyst for casting spells and interacting with the flow of magic. The Astral Plane can be used as a means of travel of one's astral form to visit the Divine Planes.

The Soul Realm is infinite times larger than all other planes combined, but is anchored to the core of the realm; the Divine Planes sphere.

## The Mundane Realm

Some eccentric scholars theorize that there is even a 'smaller' plane of existence within Ohváh, which is so mundane that magic cannot exist there, and the laws of physics are absolute. The existence of such has never been proven, however, which could be blamed by the theory that there is no magic in that realm, and thus, no way of passage.

## The Far Realm

It is unknown whether there is a 'larger' plane somewhere beyond the Soul Planes. It is unthinkable that reality can be even less coherent than the Soul Planes themselves. Such a place would be impossibly alien to the mortal or even divine mind, a realm where there is nothing and everything at the same time. Though occasionally a subject of debate for scholars and sages, most agree it is a pointless discussion, for such a thing would exist so far outside our cosmology that it could never have any effect within the inner planes.

Myth holds that abberation creatures originally come from beyond the cosmology, beings twisted and turned into horrid monstrosities as their original form cannot survive the laws of physics of our cosmology.