World-Building Website by Daniel-André Sørensen

The Personal Website of Daniel A. Sørensen

  • PROJECT THIRD ERA
    A fictional fantasy world project
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What we call the Greater Gods are the astral children of the Shapers from long ago. Born from a union between the three Shapers, the Creators are imitations of their parents and their powers. Although they're not as powerful as the Shapers, the Creators still possess great cosmic powers, and are able to remake, shape and, indeed, create; mostly dependent on their own gathered energies. However, as imitations of the Shapers, the astral children also once inherited differing ideals that inevitably led to a schism between the Creators.

Those who viewed the universe like Malagan, namely that it had to be remade anew for the greater good of the Eternal Balance, sought out the Celestials and waged war on the colossal beings; justifying it as a necessary first step to create a new, stable universe. These Creators would name themselves the Malagani.

Others leaned more towards the views of Aethos, who insisted that the universe could be mended with the Celestials still a part of it. They gathered the broken fragments of stars and the Arcane Threads; reforging them into mighty shards of energy, and connected them to a renewed network of Threads, which would lead to the creation of the Shard of Origin. These Creators were the Aethosians.

The last group of Creators were called the Ilosians, named after the Shaper Ilo. They often mediated conflicts between the Malagani and Aethosians, but never truly revealed their own motives and plans for the universe. Of all the Creators, the Ilosians were the most secretive.

Creators that reside in Nym's Eye are a mixture of these three groups; having banded together from necessity due to their inability to leave Nym's Eye. This was because of the Overgod Tariel's merging with the Worldsoul, which resulted in the Soulbind that bound all Creators to the Eye.

We recognize the Creators as deities of our world, and accept them as the most powerful beings in our sphere. Their ability to stand above and transcend various Universal Laws, easily bend energies to their will, and create and control aspects of the world, makes it clear that they are more than just simple beings of the cosmos. They are by all definitions gods, and mortals do well to remember that; as the Creators help and punish whomever they wish.

The Creators each hold a dominion and duty over an aspect of our world; drawing power from their domains and worshipers, and assist in sustaining the world. What their true motives are in Nym's Eye are unknown even by the most revered priestly servant, as the words of the gods are often shrouded in uncertainties and vagueness.

Besides the Creators who remain in Nym's Eye, there is little doubt that there are others out there in the Dark Beyond, possibly hundreds if not thousands of them.

To mortals, Creators take many shapes and forms. Typically a Creator will appear as how they are perceived by their worshipers, such as how Shaar might appear elven to elves and human to humans. But this doesn't necessarily mean that she might appear as a dwarf to dwarves, meaning that a Creator's perceived manifestation is in some form controlled by the Creator as well, or perhaps the manifestation is predetermined by the Creator, but influenced by the perceptions of worshipers.


 
 

A R C H O N S   &   D I V I N E S

 
Before the War of Eternity, the Creators in Nym were more or less fully united. Their various views were always diverse, as they still identified themselves as Malagani, Aethosian, or Ilosian. However, they never revealed to mortals which kind of Creator they were, and it is still largely unknown in regards to the majority of the Creators in Nym's Eye.

The most obvious and recognizable divide between the Creators was made more apparent once the War of Eternity began. Gaerdras had disobeyed his fellow members of the Pantheon of Solitude and entered the Solstree without permission. When he returned, he tried to convince other Creators that Tariel's Soulbind had to be removed.

Those who agreed with him, regardless of their reasons, would become what we refer to as Archons. But those who remained loyal to Tariel and the Pantheon of Solitude stayed firm in their belief that Tariel would one day return, and so they would become the Divines. The resulting war between the Archons and Divines led to the second destruction of the planet Nym (the first one having been during the reign of the Elemental Titans before).

Eventually the Archons lost the war when Gaerdras' brother, Akama, betrayed them and captured Gaerdras. Gaerdras was imprisoned inside Nym, and the Archons agreed to stand down and end the war. The Archons and Divines have since more or less maintained a peace between them, although it is often very strained. Distrusts and grudges born from the War of Eternity still linger, and Creators who became personal enemies to each other still remain as so.

The Pantheon of Solitude also decreed after the war, that no Archons could ever be one of the keepers of the Seven Seats of Solitude. The exception being Akama, who took the Seat of Shadows from his brother, Gaerdras. Though some would argue that Akama was no longer an Archon when he betrayed them, but neither does he consider himself a Divine.

It is easy to say that Archons are evil and Divines are good, but in reality it isn't as simple as that. There is perceived good and evil in both Archons and Divines, but Archons often garner more distrust and ridicule simply because they lost the War of Eternity. There is also the fact that the Pantheon of Solitude consists of mainly Divine members, which has also made the Divines as a whole more powerful within Solitude.

The Creators all have their own motivations and motives for what they want; be it good or bad. They are very much like mortals in this regard, and the Creators' motives often change based on new wishes or developments of character. But because of the War of Eternity, the mortals and even the Creators themselves still hold onto the divide; defining one's allegiance as either being an Archon or a Divine.

In simpler terms one could explain that Archons are those who hold doubts about Tariel's intentions in Nym's Eye, and the Divines are those who remain loyal to the Overgod. But, seeing as they are all gods, it's never as simple as it might look. Complicated thoughts and opinions form in every individual Creator's head, regardless of their supposed allegiances.


 
 

T H E    D R A G O N F O R G E R S

 

After the War of Titans, six Creators combined their powers to create the first Worldshaper Dragons; the Elder Dragons. Using the fallen body of the Primordial Slaa, the Elemental Souls, energies from the Shimmering Belt, as well as portions of their own powers, they crafted the Dragonsoul.


Tylmaar infused the Dragonsoul with fire and life, Golmath hammered it with strength and form, Moruk shaped its bone and gave purpose, Shaar willed steadfastness and flight, Malendii gave it awareness and a connection to nature, and Tiral incorporated magic and intelligence.


Together with Slaa's body and energies stemming from the Shimmering Belt, the Dragonsoul created the Elder Dragons. They consisted of five distinct broods, which gave us Dragons we today refer to as Red, Blue, Green, White and Black Dragons. As a whole we call them the Worldshaper Dragons.


The Dragonforgers eventually entrusted the Elder Dragons with the Dragonsoul, which empowered them in helping to heal and and reshape the world; which had been broken because of the War of Titans. The Dragonforgers would later use the Dragonsoul to begin the First Slumber, which put all the dragons to sleep after their work had been done. The Dragonsoul itself was hidden within the world of Nym, where it would remain for thousands of years; undisturbed.


But when the Dragonsoul was suddenly shattered during the  Confluence of Ar-Zhala, Dragons awoke and found that they had lost the ability to worldshape. They also discovered that the world they had once shaped into a paradise had been destroyed by the War of Eternity, and this discovery set the Elder Dragons on a path of hatred towards the Dragonforgers.


Before the First Slumber had been induced, Golmath also crafted a specific breed of dragons through the Dragonsoul. These dragons were to become the Metallic Dragons, who once used to guard the Dragonsoul while the other dragons slept. After the Dragonsoul was shattered, the Metallic Dragons would no longer have a purpose, and most chose to remain in the depths of Nym's Underground Realms. They would go off on their own; spreading through the Underground Realms, claiming lairs for themselves, and created personal broods to serve them.


Unlike the Elder Dragons, the Metallic Dragons were never truly connected to the Dragonsoul, and could only create more of their own kind by forging them, like Golmath had done. They are also responsible for having dug out a large portion of the Underground Realms' tunnels and caverns; particularly in the Deepdark.


To all dragons the Dragonforgers are regarded as their parents. However, ever since the dragons awoke from the Dragonsoul shattering, and once they learned of the War of Eternity's destruction upon the land they had once shaped into a paradise, most dragons look upon their parents with spite and disappointment. The Dragonforgers more or less claim to still love their dragon children, and despite the hatred they receive, they still watch over them.


 
 

A S P E C T S

 

Aspects refer to the different same variations of Creators; meaning that a deity might have separate personas and personalities, whilst still being the same deity. It is a form of split persona, which is why some Creators might be known by different names and have different domains throughout the world, while also still constructing the same singular Creator. Some examples would be Nir'Kir (separately known as Nir and Kir), Nyth/Nyxné, and Bastirith, who has three Aspects (Bas, Tirith, Rena).


It is not entirely certain if an Aspect is an independent being, or whether a Creator has full control over his or her various Aspects. Aspects seem to be most common in Creators who hold and supervise many domains as opposed to a few, and their existence appears to alleviate responsibilities over those domains.

It is generally believed that an Aspect is mainly an extension of the Creator it hails from, though the precise conditions of the creation of an Aspect is more difficult to surmise. In some cases Creators separate themselves from a part of their souls, thus creating a new, independent Aspect. Sometimes it appears that Aspects are created by accident, or they somehow find a way to separate from a Creator's soul by themselves.

Most Aspects seem to still maintain the general ideals and powers of the Creators they originate from. They act the same and possess the same abilities, and also draw deistic energy from the same worshipers. In some cases an Aspect's personality or priorities can be noticeably different, like how Nir is an Aspect of the Night, and Kir an Aspect of the Day. But generally speaking, most Aspects are seen as the same Creator, and only perceived as different parts of the whole.

Sometimes an Aspect won't look the same as the Creator it hails from. It could even be as different as possessing a different gender from the original. It is thought that appearances typically form as a result of a Creator's inner feelings and subconscious thoughts, and as those Aspects are born, they manifest in appearances that match these hidden beliefs, desires, and wishes.


 
 

G O D S P A W N

 
Godspawn are beings who are direct descendants of Creators; either born from loving union between two Creators (Demigods), or they can also spawn from individual Creators who expended large portions of their own energy (Lesser Godspawn). Sometimes a Godspawn could be created from a Creator meddling with certain amalgamations of different species and races, or they are the spawn of a Creator's divine impregnation of a mortal individual.

Godspawn typically belong in Creator families. They will serve their parents by fighting their battles on the Eternal Strife, managing their territories outside of Solitude, or by performing any other task where a Creator alone can't be everywhere. They are often created with the specific purpose of acting as the direct servants of their parental deities.

Most Godspawn are godlike in nature, but not entirely Creators themselves. Aspects can't be formed from Godspawn, and Godspawn don't necessarily inherit their parents' traits. Most Godspawn are born as fully grown, and inherit the general knowledge of their parents; though they are still largely considered children.


DEMIGODS:
Godspawn born either directly from the fornication between Creators, or from divine impregnation of a mortal, are generally known as Demigods. These direct children of the gods are more powerful than average Godspawn, and are regarded by their parents as true descendants of their being. They generally inherit portions of their parents' powers, and it is often they appear as physically alike to them.

Demigods start their lives as newborns, and most of their kind are born from mortals, when Creators infuse deistic energies into a mortal woman; typically by using Avatars to engage in intimate, sexual intercourse with them. This is a rare occurrence, but it has been known to happen several times throughout history in various places of the world. Such interactions could spawn from a Creator's unusual and typically forbidden love to a mortal, or as a divine plan devised by that Creator.

Godspawn born from divine impregnation are noticeably recognized as Demigods even at birth. Their powers are usually dormant for most of their juvenile life, until they reach a proper age (which varies) when they are contacted by their Creator parents. Most will join their Creator parents in Solitude, where they will remain in familial houses in their parents' Halls. They will usually become extensions of the Creators; tasked with supervising their parents' domains and territories throughout Nym's Eye.

Sometimes a Demigod chooses to remain on the planet Nym, where they make independent lives for themselves, without the guardianship of their Creator parents. There have been several Demigods throughout history who found new purpose and motivation in Nym, though mortal races will often either seek to actively worship them or hunt them down for a variety of reasons; such as earning favour with a specific deity, collecting deistically powerful energies or body parts, or to boast about killing a Demigod, among many things.

Sometimes Demigods who reside in their parents' Halls might return to or visit the Core Planes, and while they are not beholden to the same laws that forbid Creators from entering the Core Planes, Demigods are advised by their parents to not go there, or they might risk dying there and never be reborn in Solitude. Demigods are inherently mortal, and are always in danger of experiencing mortal death whenever they are outside of Solitude. But like all children (even those born directly from gods) Demigods can be difficult to control, and defiant in their parents' commands and wishes.

While Demigods are powerful, their deistic abilities will usually be limited or drained while they remain in the Core Planes. It is only in Solitude that they can reliably replenish their powers and energies, or otherwise they have to find other sources on Nym; often in the form of siphoning certain places of power, or consuming mortal souls or life energy. It is because of the possibility of an independent Demigod seeking blood and souls that mortals often fear them, and thus subsequently hunt them down. 

Many Demigods who reside in Nym will hide in places that are far from civilizations and general inhabited regions. Sometimes when they are discovered by tribal societies, they are actively worshiped as Demigods, and they create a sort of personal system and place of worship for themselves; taking advantage of the gifts and wealth mortals present to them.



LESSER GODSPAWN:

Some Godspawn are created with a specific purpose, and they might even be created in large numbers; fit to be defined as an entirely new race. Godspawn races are not to be confused with Creatorforged races; who are the mortal, non-related, Nymborn races in Nym's Eye. Instead a Godspawn race is made from energies directly spawned from their Creator parents and makers.


These so-called Lesser Godspawn are the thousands of godchildren who act as warriors and personal servants to the gods; usually residing in their parents' Halls, in or near Solitude, or in other territories where their Creator masters assign them to. The most common of the Lesser Godspawn are known as the Starborn.


The Starborn are the angelic children created by Arkath to fight for the Divines during the War of Eternity. Made from essences originating from the Shimmering Belt, as well as energies spawned directly from Arkath himself, the Starborn were infused with both celestial and deistic energies. Their efforts during the War of Eternity proved them to be very efficient and loyal warriors, which earned them a place in Solitude; where they could continue to serve not only Arkath alone, but all the other Creators.


While Arkath is the Star Father who birthed the first Starborn, most Starborn don't refer to him or recognize him as anything else except the one who first made them. They generally serve whichever Creator they are sworn to, and will often refer to their masters as their parents. When they are sworn to a Creator, they tend to inherit or change slightly in their appearances (physically and in terms of armour or clothing) by imitating their master Creators' domains or physical appearances.


There are many different kinds of Lesser Godspawn who reside in Solitude or in their master Creators' Halls. They inherit some appearances of their makers, but often appear as changed versions of creatures found on Nym, the Planeworlds or on the Tearworlds. Their purposes are also often very specific, such as tending to a Hall, acting as bodyguards, or a number of different reasons depending on the Creator's wishes and needs.


Lesser Godspawn are generally weaker than Demigods, and they don't inherit many deistic powers from their Creator parents. But there are usually greater numbers of a given Godspawn race in comparison to Demigods, who are individual children. Lesser Godspawn are rarely recognized as individuals except when between themselves. Demigods earn more favour and love from their Creator parents, whilst Lesser Godspawn are seen by most Creators as nothing more but expendable servants.


Most of the Lesser Godspawn will remain in their Creators' Halls to maintain those realms, or fight in large legions and armies for their Creators on the fields of the Eternal Strife. Sometimes, depending on a Creator's wishes, some of the Lesser Godspawn are sent to the Core Planes, where they perform various divine tasks given to them by their Creators.