EMPYREAN

Among the Aethons, one of the great Cosmic Aspects is Truth. To the Aethons, Truth is not limited to that which is perceived with the senses, or that which is reached with pure rational deduction. Their Truth is mystical. As one of the Aspects, Truth emanates directly from the unknowable Source, and as such, is transcendent. It is perennially revealed - and as long as there is time, it can never be fully known. The Empyrean idea of Truth is that of the revelation of Cosmic  Order, which is equated with a gestalt Cosmic Will. Truth fills existence with Purpose. The Aethons believe that though this Purpose is diverse in emanation, it is singular at its core. The Aethons know that Truth is both a Cosmic Absolute, and a personal revelation, and therefore a personal quest - for each Aethon to discover their own purpose - their own lot of Truth, so to speak.

Aethons are fiery celestial beings that sprung straight out of the Flame Eternal. They are gestalt emanations of the Source which expresses itself in unimaginable diversity.

Standing vigilant before the Empyrean Gates, their guardian is sworn with the task of protecting the inviolate mysteries concealed behind them. There are innummerable celestials that dwell in Yrion - the High Aether, and among them the Aethons are all the purest emanations of the Eternal Flame, the very Force that battles for Yrion's very existence. Yrion itself is heavily guarded by the gates of the High Aether, where a mighty bastion filled with celestial warriors is positioned. But even within the vast realm of Yrion, there are rumored to be at least 8 gates of great mystery. The most mysterious of these gates are the Empyrean Gates. Though none knows what truly lies behind them, it is said that the gates lead to the Empyrean itself - a place of vast divine flame and celestial rapture, surpassing the radiance of the many realms of Yrion by a thousanfold. This is the rumored location of the Empyrean Throne, where the mysterious Archon is said to reside. Before each o...

Empyrean leaves the world of Arandor back, for a time, visiting other places and worlds in the Unfolding Dream. This is one of the stories we're working on, from one of those worlds, hope you enjoy. Children of Sky and Mountain Forever, since the Timeless days, there was Sky-king. Alone he reigned upon his vast realm since time immemorial. Forever, since the Timeless days, there was Mountain-queen. Alone she reigned upon the tall mountains from her mighty summit. Sky saw Mountain and desired her. He desired her so much that he could not stop looking at her. Because he did so, the sun would never set, and the night would never come. The snows of the tall peaks begun to melt. The trees were stunted – their leaves scorched. Rivers begun to dry, and the animals went hungry and thirsty. Mountain suffered under the all-consuming burning gaze of Sky. But Mountain was proud and strong. She would not surrender to Sky. She would never bow. She raised her coun...

Kaltos crosses the irradiated wastelands, and ponders whether to enter the neighbouring dark woods, or seek shelter in the wastes that surround him, as the blazing sun gives its place slowly to the silver moon.

And in the height of their insolence the Akharen - for that is the name they had back then, when their master was still flesh and blood, guiding every moment of his tyrannical conquest, came forth, and built the colossal citadels on top of the cities they conquered. These structures were so colossal that they bled the planet's natural resources dry, ravaging the wilderness, and polluting the world with radiation and toxic waste. Even so, they were marvels of architecture, engineering and technology. During the great war that followed, they became the refuge of millions of humans, and solidified the power of the Akharen. In time Akronas ascended to the heavens, and the last of the Akharen became his heirs on Arandor. The Hexad. And among the Hexad, Nalatoth was always the most extravagant. The Arrogant God of Swords and Seas had built his giant citadel - Anatheras, near the sea, ensuring that his fleet would dominate the seas. Furthermore, Haedras was the most central of the s...

In the eve of their pledge of Love, Aelon and Nuviel created Arralor together to be their home. A heavenly sanctuary of the things dearest to either of them. There, Light and Night mingled freely, creating the most beautiful realm in the entire dream. Because of its beauty, Arralor was also a favored place to visit for Ankael the Divine Musician, who was, in any case, a very close friend of the couple.  After the War of Light and Shadow, the Celestials closest to Aelon followed him into his realm, as well as some of the Celestials who were closest to Nuviel. Mountains of white and night Quartz float in the skies, whilst thin wispy clouds spread in the high winds. The land below is covered by a crystalline sea, as far as the eye can see. The sea is remarkably serene, despite the strong currents of wind that buffet the higher places, there is solace and calm down below. The angelic Alahar have resplendent cities built upon the islands of quartz and amethyst.

While traversing the glacial highlands of Arandor, the landscape becomes deceivingly dreamy, leading unwary travelers in the embrace of the unrelenting cold.

The view of the glacial highlands from within the desolate wastes at the edge of the Mordrassean Pass.

Yrd Yrd is the power of the collective flow that chains events into the apparent sequence of action and reaction. A stream of deeds that necessitate from a primordial origin unto the destiny that awaits everything in the cosmos. Indeed, Yrd, is the concept of cosmic Fate. It is also the concept of flow, of water, Karma - as some call it- and even, to some extent, time. All of these things are hid in Yrd, and more. For there is understanding there, inherent, innate, the gift of insight, as some call it and thus the ability to know, which supersedes the ability to see or feel, or which includes both of these. In Yrd, knowing and seeing and feeling are not at odds, but are as one. Thus, Yrd is the power of divination, revealer of the Past, Present and Future. The Mirror Pool:  You reach deep into the forces of Fate, questioning the unknowable and gaining valuable insight into what was, what is, or what might be. You gaze into a mirror-like surface, gleaning visions from the p...

Another attempt to depict the wildly changing climate of Arandor in a single shot. From the Desolate Wastelands in the basins and valleys of the world, to the Glacial Highlands in the higher altitudes.

The Rune "Sha" Sha:  It is impossible to form an action without generating a reaction, equal to the force that was applied. Together the pair of action and reaction form the friction that generates the spark which sends the whole universe to turn like a primeval cog inside an invisible colossal machine. Because of the principle behind friction, the whole universe could be seen like a giant tempest, riddled with infinite smaller storms erupting in different speeds and time within its body. Sha is the concept of the Tempest and the Vortex, and this is the implication of eternal motion which can simply be said to be one thing: Energy. By itself, Sha enhances movement and delivers liberty. The vortex grants wings with which one can fly across the aetheric currents, or perhaps actual wings to traverse the more familiar winds of Arandor.     Aetheric Wings :  You gain the power to fly on a movement equal to your [Soulforce] + [Spell Power]. Typically your wing...

The Rune Da   Da :  The second among the Prime Runes, is the Rune of Formation, Structure and Order. The Prima Materia of the Empyrean's world is the prime crystallization of energy. This is the arch-matter that begets all matter. The substance that lies at the root of all of creation. Thus, while Aes is the Flame Eternal - the purest form of the essence of Aether that ultimately flows in all of creation, Da is the archetypal form of creation. The perfect specimen of structure and form is the potent Adamant, whose quality is both that of great endurance - unbreakable and untamed, but also the substance that cuts through all other matter. Likewise Da can be called upon to fortify defensive and protective qualities, but also to resolve an attack in its most basic form - the blade of a sword. Thus Da is a basic rune in many melee-based attack spells, but also in spells of powerful warding and defense. When used by itself, Da is great for enhancing physical items, endowing th...

The rune Aes Aes : The rune of Fire. But not just any fire. Aes is the rune of the Flame Eternal, the sacred fire that beats in the hearts of all Empyreans. In that regard, Aes is the most essential of all the Prime Runes. Aes is an essential rune to all Fire-based magic, but it is also used often to enhance other magic often adding a fiery effect. Aes is especially potent in restoration and purification magic, due to the holy properties of the Flame Eternal as a power of creation and a force that cleanses corruption. Using the rune Aes by itself allows the invoker to call upon the light of the holy flame, illuminating the space around them with the power of a well-lit torch. It is also possible to make variations in this, by manifesting the flame as an aura that surrounds the invoker, or even an unnatural glow in their eyes. Bearing a small portion of the power of the light of the flame causes some discomfort to creatures of darkness and evil. Spells :     Sacred...

The magic of Empyreans is a mystery. The key to unlock this mystery is the Empyrean Runes. Only Empyreans trained in the Aether Weave and Empyrean Invocation can successfully use these powerful symbols, in order to channel their forces, and even combine them successfully. The Runes are the most accurate representation of how Empyrean magic actually works. Although an involved system, they are actually recommended to players who want to thoroughly explore the role of the Empyrean Invoker. In fact, the Empyrean Invoker is, in many ways, the foundation of Empyrean itself. Being creatures with strong spiritual ties, Empyreans fit best to the role of the Invoker, than any other concept. It is therefore recommended to use the Empyrean Runes extension, at least conceptually, in all aspects of Empyrean. This will truly help emphasize the intense relationship of Empyreans to the world of Spirit. Each Empyrean Rune is a nexus of forces that the Empyrean can tap onto, just by mentally...

Magic in Empyrean :  Empyreans are already highly spiritual creatures with very strong, phenomenal powers. The magic system is meant to enhance the diversity between different kinds of Empyreans, but is also meant to introduce an element that is already present with the most formidable of Empyrean Powers.  For this reason, the magic system is an optional extension of Empyrean that cannot easily coexist with the existing power system. With using the Magic System, Empyrean Powers become more subtle.  To reflect this, it is recommended that the following powers become increasingly difficult to acquire, or perhaps they are only available as spells. - Aetherean Edge - Bane - Celestial Panoply - Empyrean Wings - Eternal Flame - Shroud of Night - Soul Blade - Tempest Magic is meant to be the only means for the Empyrean to manifest spectacular effects. When magic is available, Empyreans are overall considered to have more subtle "psychic" pow...

Like all the other legendary citadels, Anatheras was built on top of a vast older city that was abandoned during the great wars that led to the Age of the Fall. These cities were huge complexes, and often could be compared only with industrial hives with many layers containing a mix of habitats and industrial sites. A separate power grid was installed on the citadels, much more advanced and superior to the redundant old technologies that were swiftly abandoned. Only a few names remain of the old cities that now lie buried deep within the hollow bowels of Anatheras, and yet millions of souls have found home there, able to dwell beyond the immediate rule of Akronas and the Hexad. Anathon, Aedras, Aethra, and Adraca were only a few of those names - none of them verified. And yet, thousands of small settlements still persist, having developed their own laws and means of survival. Many survive due to part of the old power grid still functioning thanks to huge solar panels that are mi...

An ancient, thousand-year-old legend persists in the bowels of the citadel of Anatheras. A sect of ancient mystics once built a wondrous underground city. Some believe that the fabled White Citadel is one and the same with this city - the mystic city of Acheron. Built underground, Acheron was built in three levels: the first level was a cemetary, filled with tombs, graves and catacombs, but also a place of worship. Underneath it, was built the second level which was the living quarters of the mystics. In the final level, there was an underground lake with an island in the middle. Within the island was the fabled hidden chamber which was protected aggressively. Only the most enlightened members of the mystic society could enter this chamber, and what they did there, or what they had remains unknown. Some speculate that the chamber was a place of miracles - that since the mystics of Acheron apparently dealt with mysteries of death, spirituality and the afterlife, their artifacts ...