Cosmology

In time immemorial, before the world began, two forces resided in the eternal mist. They were the Almighty and the Demiurge. The Almighty reigned as a force of pure light and metaphysics; the Demiurge, its dark and material counterpart. The two fought in the eternal mists, and through their skirmish the universe was created. From the mist emerged the void; from the void, the primal elements; from the primal elements, the multitudinous materials and forms of the world. The Almighty made souls to wander freely, and the Demiurge created bodies to entrap and delude them.

When the fighting subsided and the world was complete, its denizens lived in a golden age of peace and harmony. The many races emerged and spread all around. Kingdoms rose and ruled justly. Wealth and luxuries were plentiful. The Demiurge created a race of gods to reside over the world, who held immense powers and received praise from those down below.

But over time the world grew decadent. The gods began fighting amongst themselves over followers, titles, and dominion. The people below stole, assaulted, and killed each other. A great deluge swept the land and drowned the heavens, scattering the peoples and leaving the old gods helpless. For the most part, worship of the old gods faded completely, apart from vestigial cults. Folk heroes rose to take their place, pledging allegiance to the Almighty and acting as patrons saints.

Many centuries have since passed. The world’s peoples have forgotten each other and their histories. In the Heartlands, four naval powers have entered an Age of Exploration, with folks taking to the high seas to explore, plunder, find freedom, or make a name for themselves.

Will you be among those exploring these vast oceans, seeing sights none of your kind have seen? Will you buckle swash and fight danger at every turn? Will you make a fortune trading goods exotic and magical? Or will you do something entirely different, something not even the saints could foretell?