Annulus - Basics Explained

1. First things first, welcome.
2. Second things second, forget everything you think you know.
3. Third things third, try to remember everything I just told you to forget. You may actually need it, my bad.
4. Fourth things fourth, I can’t remember what was fourth. Pretty sure it wasn’t important though.
5. Fifth things fifth, let’s just start before I forget what was sixth.

The Universe of Project Annulus is a bustling fictional setting, filled to the brim with diverse life and cultures, grand histories and civilizations, and a myriad of magical phenomena (both explainable and unexplainable).

## Cosmology Explained

In the Present, a time known as the Iron Age, the Universe consists only of the Annulus, the Crystal, the Moons, the Stars, and the Void.

### Annulus

The Annulus is a multi-ringed array of the celestial debris; it is the namesake of our Project, the primary subject of our focus. The pieces, known formally as Shards, are all leftover from the Breaking of the Ur-Planet, a cataclysmic event that has left magic and reality itself a bit of a mess. Collectively, these Shards, scattered amidst the desolate and deadly Void, are the last residence of most life left in the Universe.

### Dah-Veh

Dah-Veh is a big, old, glowing gemstone-thing that rests at the very center of the Annulus and the physical Universe. It is the beating heart around which all other celestial objects, the Shards and Moons, are organized. This fancy jewel provides the Annulus with metaphysical stability, protecting them from the turbulent, ever-changing nature of the Void. It is not perfect for this role, and each Shards will experience its presence in unique ways, leading to a diversity of "natural" laws.

While known most commonly as Dah-Veh (or some derivation thereof), it has also been called the Great Crystal, Tříštikámen, the Dragon's Eye, Tog-Nor, DV-1, the Luminant Rose, and countless other cultural names.

### Moons

The Moons, also known as the ***Triune Moons***, are the three natural satellites that once revolved around the Ur-Planet. Following the Breaking however, they instead now orbit around Dah-Veh, though their movements are much more chaotic than before, as are their true natures.

### Stars

The Stars are unique among other celestial objects, mainly because they don’t actually exist. They are in fact shared hallucinations, tricksy optical manifestations of the psychic realm's openings into the physical. They produce no actual light, existing solely in the minds of sentient beings. They cannot be observed by any creature or device that lacks sentience (if someone has a self-aware camera lying around, let me know).

### Void

The Void is the formal term for the empty space surrounding the Annulus and the Moons, extending into the eternal beyond. For much of history, it has been viewed merely as an inert cosmic expanse, a vacuum. However, as the current age nears its end, signs of a hidden nature have emerged. Void-magics once dismissed as aberrant cult fascinations are becoming increasingly prevalent. Voidstorms, violent disturbances in the fabric of space, wherein the laws of nature bend to the point of breaking, are becoming increasingly common, putting all on the Annulus in danger.

Reverence for the Void is on the rise since the end of the last age, when practitioners of unknown/unknowable void-magics broke the 7th Segment of the Annulus. Now a plethora of interpretations have arisen to subvert the empty-space explanation: some have come to see it as the embodiment of entropy itself, others as some grand cosmic beast driven by an instinctual hunger, while a few believe it possesses its own consciousness.

## History Explained

### Mechanics of Time

#### The Greater Cycle

The Greater Cycle is a cosmic phenomenon that dictates the emergence, development, and eventual fading of the Universe's magic systems over time. When a single magic system is dominant, that period of time is referred to as the system's "epoch". Each epoch consists of three ages: the first age, where the magic system grows and flourishes; the second age, characterized by stagnancy; and the third age, when the system begins to fade as a new one emerges. After its epoch ends, the fading system will linger for a while before disappearing completely.

As magic systems continue on, they become so ingrained in the basic workings of the Universe that they appear indistinguishable from fundamental natural laws. However, it's important to note that this is a perceptual trick. In reality, the only fundamental laws are those asserted by the Great Cycle: everything, regardless of how 'primordial' it may seem, has been built upon something else. There are no founding laws of nature, just older and older "magic".

#### Lesser Cycles

Time is measured in standard cycles (SC), which simply correspond to one revolution of the 1st Moon (exactly 360 Earth days). Larger and smaller units of time are all derived from this base unit, and use standard metric prefixes (kC for kilo-cycles, mC for milli-cycles, etc.).

**Note:** The use of standard cycles is common, but not universal. As with any system of measurement, there can be and are a variety of methods depending on the culture in question.

### Prehistory: Refraction Epoch

In the furthest reaches of memory and knowledge, the magic system known as Refraction shaped what we view as the Universe's framework, doing so according to its nature. It put forth the physical laws that governed mass, mechanical motion, gravitation, thermodynamics, and others (some of which have faded). Importantly, it also gave rise to the formation of the Four Worlds. It is possible that other worlds existed at some point, but they didn't survive.

### Ancient History: Aitheria Epoch

The Aitheria Epoch began with the Kindling of the Stars, marking when the psychic plane was fully opened, and the entities from the innumerable Aitherian Planes entered the Universe. The most powerful of these entities were veritable gods, reshaping this reality to their liking. They created life on the 1st Moon, helping it to burgeon and evolve at a remarkable pace.

Sapient life emerged from a variety of sources. Some peoples came as travelers from other Universes, taking physical form and settling on the Moons. Others were created by gods. Many evolved naturally, without need for intervention. As the Epoch drew on and the Stars began to dim, the visitors from Aitheria began to lose their hold on this plane. When the last of the gods fled, the many peoples of the 1st Moon were forced to become self-sufficient, helped only by a smattering of discordant demigods.

After many kilo-cycles of development, various states emerged to colonize the 2nd Moon, and began taking advantage of its abundant resources. The uncovering of strange, unknown metallic deposits deep within would lead to the discovery of Filamency, though no one understood enough yet to use it. Following much trial and error, the last (and least) of the demigods managed to claim a portion of the 3rd Moon as well, albeit at the cost of their life.

### Modern History: Filamency Epoch

The Filamency Epoch, as its name suggests, is the period which the Filamency magic system rose to preeminence. It began formally with the proclamation of the Founding of the Order of the Mage-Companions, and continues to the present.

#### Golden Age

The Golden Age was a time of transcendent societal, cultural, and technological development throughout the Four Worlds. With the advent of a new Epoch, heralded by the godlike Mage-Companions, the Four Worlds were fully settled, each transformed into a unique paradise. The Many Peoples

#### Silver Age

The Silver Age starts at the moment of the Breaking of the Ur-Planet, and the mysterious disappearance of all Mage-Companions. Now, only the Blade-Scribes were left. They were Filamencers, sure, but their power was nowhere close to that of the Mage-Companions. They could never innovate, or discover new magic; they could only preserve what they had, fighting against time itself to keep the magic they knew alive.

After their home was destroyed, the Blade-Scribes banded together to design and create a new place to live, in the form of the Annulus. It was intended to be a work of art, an intricate machine, in which every piece plays its own part.

Again, however, the Age came to an end when all Blade-Scribes disappeared following an incident on SGM-07. Their death heralds the end of the Silver Age, and the beginning of the Iron age.

#### Iron Age (The Present)

The Iron Age is the final age of the Filamency epoch, and as such, Filamency is starting to fade out. At the same time, the next magic is starting to take its place, in the form of Aapzquuraa.

Since the death of the Mage-Companions, Filamentic secrets can no longer be discovered or invented, only kept alive. Still, it is fading away quickly, more things forgotten with each passing century. Aapzquuraa is increasingly taking its place, and slowly but surely, will begin its own Epoch, destroying all that is known to the people of the Iron Age.

### The Future: Aapzquuraa Epoch

The Iron Age is considered the "present" of the world, and is the Age in history that we focus on most. We will not develop anything further into the future, into the Aapzquuraa Epoch.

Even if one tried, it would prove to be difficult, as the Aapzquuraa Epoch starts when the concept of linear time is annihilated. In the Salt Age and beyond, nothing is certain, and nothing is logical- at least, not to us. All we can know without a doubt is that the Greater Cycle will continue forever, spiralling into new Ages and new Epochs.

## Magic Explained

### Magic Systems

#### Filamency

Filamency is a dynamic magic system rooted in the collective thoughts of all living beings across time and space. It operates through invisible Filaments, strands of fundamental arcane energy drawn from the infinite potential of the Psychic Plane. These Filaments have no intrinsic properties, but become malleable to the will of skilled practitioners known as Filamencers. By arranging them in specific patterns called Runes, Filamencers can unleash a vast array of magical effects, manipulating reality on scales ranging from delicate precision to world-altering devastation.

**Key Concepts**

* *Filaments*: The fundamental building blocks of magic, existing as non-physical strands of pure arcane energy.
* *Runes*: Specific arrangements of Filaments that define and unleash magical effects. Their complexity and variety determine the scope and intensity of the associated magic.
* *Filamencers*: Individuals capable of interacting with Filaments, weaving them into Runes and shaping reality through their will.
* *Filamentic* *Resonance*: The connection between a Filamencer and the specific set of Runes they can access.
* *Filamentic Concertation*: The ritualistic process through which a Filamencer bestows a Resonance upon another individual. This grants the recipient the ability to perceive and interact with Filaments within a specific spectrum, enabling them to form the Rune Patterns associated with their Circle.
* *Filamentic* *Oscillation*: A gradual shift in a Resonance over generations, potentially leading to access to new Rune Patterns. This process occurs unintentionally through minor "transcription errors" during Concertation rituals.

##### **History and Evolution**

* *Proto-Mages*: The earliest wielders of Filamency, these individuals stumbled upon the ability to channel Filaments and form Runes, but wielded them haphazardly and with limited power.
* *Mage-Companions*: The pinnacle of Filamency, these enigmatic beings possessed mastery over Runes, shaping Filaments to fulfill any desire with seemingly effortless precision. Their influence ushered in the Filamency Epoch, a time of unprecedented societal advancement. However, their mysterious disappearance near the end of the 5th Age plunged the world into chaos.
* *Blade-Scribes*: Trained by the Mage-Companions, these specialized Filamencers honed their skills within specific areas of mastery, becoming formidable warriors and guardians. Though lacking the versatility of their masters, they played a crucial role in maintaining order during the Mage-Companions' absence. Their internal conflicts triggered the Lesser Fracture, an event that reshaped the world and ushered in the current era.
* *Rune-Wrights*: Descendants of the Blade-Scribes, these contemporary Filamencers operate in tightly-knit groups known as Circles. Each Circle possesses a unique Filamentic Resonance, granting them access to a limited set of Rune Patterns. While lacking the innovation of their predecessors, they carry the torch of Filamency into the future, hoping to one day recapture the heights of the past.

#### Aitherography

Aitherography is the magic held by spirits and deities from the various Aitherian Realms, as well as the study of these realms and entities. While the people of the Annulus are incapable of using these types of magic themselves, they can observe and study their influences.

As there is an unknown, and possibly unlimited, number of Aitherian Realms, it is impossible to describe all of its magic systems anywhere near concisely. Each and every realm has its own laws of nature, including those of magic, and no two realms adhere to the same rules. Not all realms are physical, for example; there is a reason the world of the Annulus is sometimes called the Material Plane.

#### Aapzquuraa

Aapzquuraa is often said to be the "dark half" of Aitherography. Those who practice it, however, know that it is something entirely different- though even they do not know where it comes from. Its source, and even its inner workings, are completely unknown.

The effects of Aapzquuraa, however, are widely feared and hated throughout the Annulus. It is a destructive force, capable of erasing things, beings, and even fundamental laws of nature. Though, "destructive" isn't entirely the proper word. Aapzquuraa completely erases the very concept of something, until only the memory of it is left. It is an incredibly dangerous magic, and there is a good reason why it is so incredibly taboo to discuss in most cultures.