The current year is 324 A.C. (After Cataclysm). Years in Pools of the Niravar progress at the same speed as in real life.
MagicMagic is present everywhere in Terran. All creatures native to the planet are made of it. |
CivilizationTerran is shaped by its residents. Language, currency, and culture are all part of everyday life. |
Recent HistoryThe fate of the planet is in your hands. See the steps of your fellow explorers. |
World Legend
Here, traveler. Have a seat. So, you want to learn about the history of your new world, eh?
Well tell me first, what are the four elements that make up the universe? Heheh, if you said fire, air, earth, and water, you need to think a little harder. Dig a little deeper. What is earth? Or water? Everything in the universe is made up of molecules. Atoms. Matter. What does that matter exist in? Space. Things move across time, and every action in the universe is fueled by energy. Now, let me tell you how these four most basic elements came to be:
In the beginning there was nothing. Nothing save for four great beings who each bore one gift. The first gave the gift of Time. The beings were now aware of the passage of one moment to the next. The second being gave the gift of Space. The universe now had dimensions, but nothing to fill it. The third being gave the gift of Energy, and the universe was filled with potential. The fourth and final being gave the gift of Matter. Atoms formed, came together to make molecules, and eventually stars and planets and entire galaxies formed. And the four beings were pleased and declared themselves gods of this new world.
However, after many eons of stars being born and dying, the gods were lonely. With all their powers, they were only able to create unliving matter that did nothing but blindly follow the rules of the universe. And in their loneliness, the gods wept. Their tears fell upon the planet of Terran and these tears, filled with the longing of the gods, became pools of swirling magical energy - aether - that bridged their universe to many others. The gods were delighted. Terran became a nexus of many universes, each connected to a pool where the rules of both universes met and were in conflict. From these pools, the gods drew strange power from these foreign universes, finally creating life. These were the first Niravar.
These ancient Niravar had no need for food or air or water. They lived on the gods’ graces alone and the gods loved them. In their love, the gods gave every Niravar the vision to see the rules of the universe as the gods had set them, and the ability to change those rules as they saw fit. The ancient Niravar used this ability to create even more life, drawing all sorts of foreign energy from the pools scattered about Terran and manipulating it to their will. However, with this unbridled use of magic, many of the pools grew unstable and began to spawn horrifying creatures filled with nothing but the desire to spread chaos and entropy: the Reapers.
The creation of one Reaper tainted a pool, turning it into a void that spawned nothing but more Reapers. The Reapers spread across Terran, and the Niravar had no choice but to defend their home against the threat. The battles resulted in what we now call the Cataclysm. Continents were rent and sunk under oceans by Niravar magic. Other oceans dried up or froze over. Uncontrolled space and time magic led to instabilities in the fabric of the universe itself. All written history from before the Cataclysm was burned away or lost. Finally, however, the Niravar emerged victorious. They took back their home and the voids were purified. The last few Reapers disappeared to who knows where.
And after all this, there were only four ancient Niravar left.
After seeing the great Cataclysm that their beloved Niravar had caused, the gods revoked their favor. The four remaining Niravar were left unable to use magic, and now had to sustain their bodies by consuming other organic material. But, with the land and pools razed by magic, the earth was barren and there was nothing to eat. Seeing that they would starve, each of the Niravar appealed to one of the gods. The oldest of the ancients, Valcyon, called upon the god of Time to restore his vision of the universe’s laws and for the ability to rewind time and gather the priceless lost knowledge of the past. The god of Time was impressed with Valcyon's wisdom. He restored his sight and some of his abilities, but forbade Valcyon from meddling with the past. The second ancient, Quall, appealed to the god of Space, praying for the ability to instantaneously move from one place to the next in a search for survivors who may need her help. The god of Space was moved by Quall's compassion and restored a small measure of her former abilities. The third ancient was a warrior named Iriana. She sang to the god of Energy, weaving a song filled with her determination to live and build anew. The god of Energy laughed and danced and restored some of Iriana's power, but as with the others, limited its extent. Garroth, the youngest and last survivor of the Cataclysm, prayed silently to the god of Matter, hoping for the ability to materialize food and other raw materials. The god of Matter also gave his blessing, but forbade the creation of matter from nothing.
The four Ancients saw that they would not survive alone with their reduced gifts. But they came together at a pool, still simmering with energy, and used their powers together. Just as the gods had done many eons ago, the four Ancients drew from the other universe’s energy, combined it with their own magic, and brought life back to Terran. Plants flourished, new species of animals arose to inhabit the new world, and the Ancients were overjoyed. The Ancients then began a long journey to visit as many pools as they could to restore Terran to its former lush glory. Valcyon stayed on the western continent, in what would come to be known as Sarthia. Quall packed up her herbal medicines and began to travel south towards where the sun was bright and warm. Iriana headed north towards the icy tundra. She was the only one brave and hardy enough to survive there, she scoffed. Garroth shrugged and looked to the east. The earth was rich there, and he would likely be able to build a new home for himself somewhere.
And then they disappeared from history.
And now here you are, the whole new world ahead of you. You look a bit scrappy, a little worn, but there’s a spark in your eye and I think you’ll come to do great things.