Cosmogony of Giantstep

There are many legends and tales about the origins of the world. All sentient species in the world of Giantstep have wondered about the beginning of all things, and where do they fit within the universe. Astromancers study the stars and the dark void that surrounds them, hoping to find the secrets of the universe, while priests and shamans pray to their gods for those answers. Minstrels and poets tell songs about the legends and tales that brought the world into being. And yet, very few entities, not even the gods themselves, recall when the world truly started, or what forces brought it into being. However, many ancient myths share many of the same common elements, speaking of the way the universe was brought forth, and even modern studies, both common and magical, seem to give weight to some of those theories.

## From Nothing to the Staircase

Out of all the existential questions about the origins of the world and the universe, none are more fundamental than answering the origins of the Cosmic Staircase. Also called the Giants’ Staircase or the Celestial Staircase, this universal structure holds the structure to all existence while surrounded by the dark void, the heavenly dome and the many celestial bodies swirling around it. The true nature of the Staircase is heavily disputed by sages, priests and wise men, and despite the study done, it is possible that none will ever get a full answer, as how can mere mortals truly comprehend the inner workings of existence?

But where did the Staircase come from? Was it a fixed point in existence, existing as a fixture in the universe, with no true beginning or end, being older than time itself and destined to last even longer? Or was created by incomprehensible forces? And if so, why? Where does the Staircase begin, and where does it lead to? Is the Staircase truly infinite, or does it really have a start and a destination? And if so, what are those realms? What was the true goal of these forces when they created the Staircase? Were they seeking something, or were they running away?

The truth of the matter is that is simply unknown, possibly a mystery for mortals to ponder until no more suns bring life to the world of Giantstep and it slips into never-ending night.

## The Cosmic Staircase

The Cosmic Staircase of the Giants and the Gods and the Cosmos is the structure that existence itself has taken. It is composed of an undefined number of steps, in one of which being the world of Giantstep. Many wizards and astromancers theorize that the different dimensions summoners can access are, in fact, not parallel dimensions, but instead faraway steps, so far from that of Giantstep they are radically different. What lies beneath the step itself is unknown, and again, theories are abound, from tunnels to an underworld of hellish nature or to falling into oblivion. Around the Cosmic Staircase, the celestial bodies move, always ascending in their never-ending path to the highest point. This results in the celestial bodies seen above the skies of Giantstep constantly changing, and once they go they are never seen again. Thus, each year there will be different celestial bodies, which can lead to one or multiple suns and multiple moons to a single satellite to none at all. The graceful balance in which they always move talk about the perfect equilibrium of the universe, as even if there are many bodies moving at once, they never get in the way of each other, and there are never so many bodies that the world becomes affected by gravity or heat and light imbalances.

The irregularity of the celestial bodies also causes time to be quite difficult to measure up, as days, seasons and years can vary quite a lot, never lasting the same. The astromantic orders are the ones in charge to study the passage of time and make sense of the world calendar. Using one of the only constants in the seemingly chaotic yet elegantly harmonious movements of the celestial bodies, there is always two equinoxes and two solstices in a year, which they can use as a way to establish dates across a year. Starting from the spring equinox, it will go to the summer solstice, then the autumn equinox and then the winter solstice, starting the new year again in the next spring equinox. Astromancers divide the year in weeks of ten days, though there are some astromantic orders that prefer a seven-day week. Even so, the calculus of the astromancers are often opaque and extremely difficult to comprehend by the common populace, being only used in areas of high importance such as national or military affairs, where the presence of multiple calendars can cause great problems. Even so, many areas of their world prefer to have their own time measurement systems, often following agriculture cycles or the arrival of the seasons.

There are multiple interpretations trying to discern the true nature of the Cosmic Staircase. These theories can work alongside the worship of different gods and religions, and there will be theological discussion about the shape of the Cosmic Staircase, due to the possible theological and philosophical implications of each. The Patch of Ascension interprets the Cosmic Staircase as a straight line, going ever upwards. Each step follows the next in an orderly fashion, and its followers defend the search for spiritual enhancement, following in the literal footsteps of Giants and Gods. The Infinite Path, on the other hand, defends that the Cosmic Staircase is a cycle of infinite proportions, looped upon itself in an unending sequence. The followers of the Infinite Path give more importance to the journey than to the destination, as they defend that the gods and giants’ goals are achieving enlightenment and ascension to another plain through their never-ending efforts at crossing the infinite Staircase.

## The Flat World

The world of Giantstep is part of the Cosmic Staircase. As such, it is contained within the rectangular shape of the step. Most of the edges of the world are located within deep ocean, with the exception of some areas of the south of the world, in which the land actually enters in contact with the edges. The study of the edges of the world has been quite troublesome due to the difficulty in reaching, as the borders of the world are full of dangers, ranging from sea monsters, vicious hurricanes to the Nothing that devours Everything. The study within the lands of the Zulutaur Steppes, however, has given a great deal of insight in how the barriers work. Once one reaches the limits of the world, one can see a landscape seemingly identical to the one they are standing in right now, and no apparent indication of it being the edge of the world other than a seeming uniformity stretching as far as the eye can see and a lack of animal life. If an individual in question tries to advance further beyond, they will have the sensation of actually moving forward for as long as they keep walking. But it reality, they are not moving, they are merely walking on the spot. Once they stop, they will realize they have not advanced at all, staying in the same spot as they were before. And if an outsider observes someone trying to advance beyond the edge of the world, they will see how they are still on the same spot, walking and acting as if they were truly moving. This strange wall ignores the effects of inertia, and no matter how fast one charges against the edge of the world, the result will be the same. One cannot truly crash against the edge of the world, as all the momentum will be ignored no matter how fast they are moving. While the attempts at studying this phenomenon in the sea are few, the results are seemingly similar, with the exception of the western edge of the world, where the Nothing impedes any kind of study.

What lies beyond the edges of the world, it is unknown. Logic dictates that at the other side lies the next or previous step of the Cosmic Staircase, but the bizarre nature of the edges of the world simply impedes any conclusion. And even then, it is unknown whether the Cosmic Staircase follows the western-eastern sides of the world, or the northern-southern ones. Discussions are plenty, especially with the presence of the Nothing, but so far, there is no solid conclusion.

## The Gods and the Divine

The nature of the gods of Giantstep is a matter of great division. All throughout the step, the mortal inhabitants of the world worship a wide variety of entities, some worshiped by millions, some by clicks of a few hundred individuals. The role they have in the creation and maintenance of the Cosmic Staircase and the world is unknown: despite the influence and presence of the gods in the world, both in ancient times and in current day, the divine always refuse to speak of the matter, and so speculation is abound. These entities are beings of a nature incomprehensible for mere mortals, with power incommensurable. Trying to understand what the gods truly are is as much of a folly as a man trying to put all the water of an ocean into a cup. The only thing mortals can do is seek for glimpses and hints of what They truly are and what they want.

Indeed, many gods are often represented as patrons of certain elements: virtues and vices, professions, stages of life, parts of the world, concepts and ideas… Many have argued that these is just the effects of the mortals humanizing the divine, though this point often becomes debated due to the occasional action of the gods in the mortal realm, often reaffirming their image as patrons. The importance of worship for the gods, as well as the rituals, principles and sacred words followed, tend to vary from religion to religion, though they often relate to said patronage. Their actions within the world also varies from entity to entity: some beings are said to not have interacted with the material world since time immemorial, where some have a clear and active part within the world that can clearly be seen at any point. The morality of the divine is also an often debated subject, as the nature of some gods is clearly a positive influence where as others are actively destructive. Whether they are a source of morality and ethics, or they are subject to the whims of their own inscrutable nature is once again a matter of discourse. However, most nations and societies recognize a series of divine entities whose mere influence ranges from harmful to outright destructive: the renegade moon Mg’umba, the Goddess of Greed, the traitorous Uun… all of these divinities are considered a threat to the mortal realm, and as such, their worship is forbidden in the civilized world. Some even argue some of the divinities that are veneered throughout the world were not part of the original creation, but are instead outsiders, opening another unanswerable question to the nature of the divine.

## Dragons and Dragongods

The beings known as dragons have inhabited the world since time immemorial. These majestic creatures used to populate the world in ancient times, and were present when the first civilizations rose up. These creatures are gargantuan reptilian beings, often with scaled wings big enough to blot out the suns. There are also tales of them being able to gather the energies of the world to breathe fire or ice upon those they unleashed their wrath against. Many religions consider them angels to the gods, sent to enlighten the mortals and then return to the heavens. Some consider them demonic aberrations, whose power and malice was stomped out until only lebgends remain. Some consider them creatures come from another plane of existence, from a more developed step in the Cosmic Staircase. And some worship them as gods in their own right. Whatever Nowadays, however, dragons are rare and elusive creatures, the near majority of them a shadow of their former self. While it is an accepted fact that ancient dragons were both sentient and immensely wise and powerful, nowadays the great majority of the dragons are barely above beasts, with the few ancient dragons remaining (often known as “dragongods”, of which only three are known to still live in the material world) laying dormant within a few areas of the world.

One of the most well known theories about the origins and disappearance of the dragons is the “Tale of Light and Darkness”, an azanese legend believed to originate from the early days of the empire. According to the tale, during the creation of the world, the many gods were too big and powerful to add the infinitesimal detail needed, and as such, they created the dragons. These entities would be the eyes and fingers of the gods, focusing their creative energies into the shape of Giantstep. Out of all of the gods, Bronzar the Faceless shone as a dragonmaker, and the dragons birthed by him proved to be the most successful within the shaping of the world. However, one of the bronzarian dragons, Althazzar, became envious of his progenitor, as he worked and labored tirelessly while Bronzar gained the accolades of mortals and gods alike. Some versions of the story tell that Althazzar was instead an envious god, who tried to take the form of a dragon once he started acting against Bronzar and creation as a form of mockery. Whatever version is told, Althazzar became corrupted by envy and pride, and sought to corrupt the work of creation, though he was discovered and exiled. Swearing revenge, he launched a great campaign of darkness against Giantstep and the gods, though he was ultimately defeated. Once creation was established, the dragons began going back to the heavens to their creators, leaving only their spawn who had become too weak to follow them.

## The Elder Giants

All across the world, if one digs deep enough, mysterious remains can be found. Colossal bones of creatures long gone are sometimes discovered, brimming with magical energies. These creatures are the elder giants, and are said to be even older than the first dragons. Tales of these creatures are even fewer and more far between those than dragons, as giants do not seem to take part in the original creation, nor do they seem to come from the gods. Instead, they seem to be entities of myth, entirely alien yet with a physical form, with an incomprehensible size and power, who desired to climb the Cosmic Staircase just as the gods did. Whether the giants were just physical gods or if they were mortals, we do not know. The most important document pertaining to giants was discovered within the Handprint Desert. The bizarre human shape of the mountains across the desert has resulted in many legends swirling around the mountain range’s creation, often linked to the elder giants in one way or another. However, the Archaeological Society of Azan eventually discovered a small shrine within the mountain peaks. Hidden within the deepest and tallest mountains, this shrine is believed to be of ancient age, related to the Qadashians and the Men of Bronze. This is the only construction of its kind, as the Men of Bronze kept to themselves within the inner lands, and rarely ventured outside. Within this small shrine, a series of old, barely preserved reliefs tell the story of the last of the true giants: the creature was as big as the step itself, but in comparison to the elder giants that preceded him, it was very small. To compensate for this, in his desire to go to the next step into the Cosmic Staircase, he had to propel himself, putting his hand into the ground and creating the Handprint Mountains. The other qadashian inscriptions are so damaged they are considered but lost, and thus the mystery of the giants’ nature went with them.

Whatever they were, the study of their remains show that they were immensely magical creatures. However, the nature of their magic is remarkably different compared to any other known form of magic. Instead, they have been known to work as a warden against magic, with tools and clothes made out of giant bones often being highly resistant against magic. Which is why the desecration of the giant bones by the mossovoians was such a shock, and considered not only a near impossible feat to accomplish, but also a horrific desecration of the dead. Unlike dragons, there are no giants left in the world. The only thing they left were their descendants, often known as “giant-spawned”, though they are the palest of pale shadow in comparison to their titanic forbearers.