The Player's Compendium/Cosmology

The Primordial Planes

The cosmology of the Fables of Folly and Legend multiverse is composed of many different planes of existence, each serving its own unique purpose. The planes themselves are a force of order against chaos. The material planes sit at the centre of the cosmos, consisting of three distinct planes, which were once united as one. In times long past, the material planes were torn asunder, creating the Feywilds, the Prime Material Plane and the Xaerilands. The magic of the cosmos flows from the Feywilds, through the Prime Material Plane and on to the Xaerilands, which serves as a sink for the magic, where it pools and is slowly absorbed back into the fabric of the cosmos.

Surrounding the material planes, like a ring, are the eight elemental planes. (Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Metal, Energy, Light, Shadow) These planes are host to primal spirits of the elements who vie and politic for power over one another. They skirmish betwixt themselves in an endless war.

In a cosmological space above the material planes, lies the Upper Planes. They form a dome over the cosmos, with {NAME} forming the top of the dome, and the other six planes forming a ring and the rest of the dome around it. In opposition to the Upper Planes, lie the Lower Planes with a structure mirroring the Upper Planes. These planes, representing the fundamental forces of good and evil, are not at war. Instead, they work in concert, laying claim to the souls of those who fall into their jurisdictions.

The Astral Plane sits adjacent to the other planes. This is where the consciousness' of all being reside. A link between the Astral Plane and the plane upon which the physical body of the creature resides, known as a spirit, allows for the connection between the physical body and the mind. Some of these spirits exist detached from a specific body, but still linked to a plane of existence. These may be ghosts of the dead, elemental spirits of the Elemental Planes, primal beings representing forces of nature as well as many deities.

The last of the primordial planes, is the Judicial Plane. This is the plane where disputes between the upper and lower planes, regarding claims over the souls of mortals are adjudicated. The Arbiter commands supreme authority over this plane. The Arbiter is a being of undiscernable origin which dictates challenges to both the powers of the upper and lower planes, as well as the souls upon who judgement is being cast to determine their rightful belonging.

Between and connecting all of these planes rests the Planar Void. The Planar Void is a place of pure chaos. Out of this chaos forms incredible and horrifying creatures which seek to destroy the planes, drawing them into the chaos of the Void.

Conjured Planes

Powerful beings and novice mages alike, often flirt with the ability to manipulate the fabric of the cosmos and form new planes of existence. These planes, known as conjured planes fall into three distinct categories.

Momentary Planes are planes of existence which exist for a predefined periods of time. These are often the easiest to create for mortals utilizing spells, and often serve the purpose of temporarily imprisoning an enemy on the battlefield, or keeping a precious object hidden to smuggle it past prying eyes.

Sequestered Planes are planes of existence linked to a particular place or object. When the object or place that the plane is linked to is destroyed, or purges of magic, the Sequestered Plane linked to it is destroyed.

Realms are permanent planes of existence created by incredibly powerful beings. They often serve as a private domain which the creating being rules over. Many of these planes have existed for time immemorial, created by beings now long dead. Others created as a feat of incredible spellcasters to serve as everything from a safe haven for their people, or simple as a secure storage space. Many of these planes bare a close association with one of the Primordial Planes.

The History of The Planes

Before all else, existed the Void and the Judicial Plane. These two spaces coexisted for an eternity, in the Timeless Time before creation. After countless timeless eons, out of the chaos emerged the astral plane, granting consciousness to the Arbiter. This begins the Era Primordial. The Arbiter, a being of supreme order, first drew, out of the chaos of the Void, the eight Elemental Planes. Then, to maintain order over the Elemental Planes, the Arbiter created the Upper and Lower Planes. The denizens of the Upper and Lower planes became stalwart wardens of order over the Elementals Planes.

Over time, the denizens of the Upper and Lower Planes sought to bring further order to the universe, using the powers of the Elemental Planes, they created the first of the material planes, [INSERT NAME HERE]. This plane was suffused with magic, which was imbued into every creature which inhabited the land, sea and sky. Thus began the Era Fantasmus. Within [INSERT NAME HERE] there grew factions. Some aligned, others opposed. Many wars were waged. Two primary coalitions emerged. The Fae and the Xaeri.

In the final war of [INSERT NAME HERE], the Fae and the Xaeri sundered the material plane, creating three, distinct, but separate, planes. This was the beginning of the Era Arcanum. Out of this conflict, was born The Feywilds, The Xaerilands and The Prime Material Plane. Previously, magic in the material planes simply flowed any every which direction, forming an ocean of magical energies across the plane. Now, after the sundering, magic had direction. Magical energy, originating in the Feywilds, flows through the Prime Material Plane, and pools in the Xaerilands, where it is consumed by both the lands themselves as well as the creatures that dwell there.

Now, there are many worlds throughout the Prime Material Plane. Each interacted with magic, and the other forces of the universe in their own way. Some embraced the planes and ventured beyond their own worlds, and others abandoned magic and embraced science and technology.

In one world, Qelmar, over time, they mastered control over the magics of the universe. Leaders, both incredible and terrible, rose to and fell from power. Eventually, the ambitions of mortals grew too great. They sought to create new magics, believing themselves to be capable of feats greater than the gods themselves. This lead swiftly to ruin, as the attempts at altering the fabric of the plane itself reverberated throughout the universe, causing untold damage and incredible destruction with the material planes. This brough the Era Arcanum to an end, and began the Era Domini.

All across Qelmar, in the fallout of the previous era, new regional powers grew. These lords of the land forged new borders and developed a new relationship with the magics of old. While many secrets of powerful magic were lost and some lords sought to recover them, others believe magic to be a danger to the world, citing what those who came before them had done to the world.

While magic never left the world of mortals, eventually science caught up to much of what magic had done before. And eventually, the study of magic wasn't as necessary as it once was. This technological revolution marked the start of a new era, the Era Stellarum.

List of The Planes

• Material Planes
  • Feywilds (source of magic in the material plane)
  • Prime Material Plane (magic flows from the feywilds, through here, then into the aberration plane)
  • Xaerilands (destination of the flow of magic)
• The Elemental Planes
  • Earth
  • Air
  • Fire
  • Water
  • Energy
  • Metal
  • Light
  • Shadow
• 7 Upper Planes  (Often referred to as “heavens” or “the heavens”)
• 7 Lower Planes (Often referred to as “hells” or “the hells”)

• Astral plane (Where the minds of all living things reside)
• Judicial Plane (The Arbiter) (Judakos?)
  • Pass trials?
  • Representatives from planes argue?
• Planar void (Chaos? All other planes produce chaos, but cannot sustain it so it is cast off into the void, creating different kinds of creatures)
• Conjured Planes
  • Momentary planes (Temporary planes that last for predefined periods)
  • Sequestered planes (Conjured panes connected to or associated with an object or place; they typically only last so long as the magic on the object or place lasts, collapsing when dispelled)
  • Realms (Permanent planes created by powerful magics; many are closely associated with one of the true planes)