Cosmology
What is cosmology?
Cosmology is the theory of the universe (the cosmos), as well as the study of the origin and development of the universe and existence, considered a subfield of astronomy. Not to be confused with cosmetology, which is the art and science of beautification.
What is Oliel?
Oliel is the mortal sphere, the finite known world shaped from the combined essence of all the Lysi at the dawn of creation. When the young Lysi, the immortal gods, begged their parents the Primordials Wa-He and Ze-Nyt for a place of permanence and a place for which to play and experiment. Oliel was woven from light, sound, and divine sacrifice. It is the first and only land where spirit agreed to wear flesh.
What are the moons?
The moons of Oliel, Svita, Sumra, and Nyxos, are celestial bodies whose movements anchor the world’s tides, seasons, and magic.
Though mortal astronomers debate their physical nature, the Lysi teach that each moon is a spirit-body, a wandering vessel of divine will. Some cultures revere them as gods, others as titanic guardians, and others still as ever-watchful judges in the sky.
What are Svita and Sumra?
Svita and Sumra are known as the Twin Titans of Twilight, attendant spirits bound to the great moon Nyxos - Svita, the Titan of Dawn and Sumra, the Titan of Dusk. Sacred writings describe them as wardens who flank Nyxos on its nightly journey, guiding and containing the immense power sealed within it. Their gentle radiance is a blessing; their eclipses are considered omens.
What are stars?
The stars droplets of divine blood, crystallized into flame and cast across the void when the Primordial of Light, Ze-Nyt, birthed her twin children, Velaja and Agnidha. Only a select few are the spirits of creatures or beings who have either been honored or punished.
What are shooting stars?
Shooting stars are rare bursts of loosened magic and matter crossing from one realm into another. Some are embers flung from Aurínvascil, the Divine Realm. Others originate in Kuepothys, the Realm of Subtle Fire. In reality, shooting stars are most likely one of the following:
an elf traveling between realms
the birth of a firebird
the fall of a fragment from the Higher or Outer Realms
Their appearance is always an omen, though not always a decipherable one.
What are comets?
Something else entirely. Witches and wizards say comets are a transference of magical energies. Worshippers of the Divine (Vascelians, Aelysites, and Solysites) say it’s Kroth dragging her scythe across the void of Nûlnan. Whatever they truly are, comets are undoubtedly powerful omens and heralds of great significance.
What are the planets?
The Nine Wanderers, are celestial objects visible in the sky over Oliel. In the sacred texts, it is suggested that the planets orbiting the sun are the bodies of the Aelysiars who used too much of their divine powers to save the mortal world and destroy Morterrandath the child of the Five Unhallowed, and so became solid wandering objects.
The planets are named for the very gods that saved the world. Through powerful telescopes, they appear as such:
Velaja: teal with bands of orange clouds
Agnidha: deep maroon with bands of yellow clouds
Myjaila: rosy brass and warm yellow
Kroth: black with glowing hues of purple
Su’prahn: royal blue with flecks of red
Ba’trahn: navy and black
Wo’drahn: golden and whitish
Anvawan: dusty gray and greenish
Svaramystri: purple with vibrant flecks of blues and greens; rings
What are constellations?
Constellations are collections of stars forming various shapes of objects, beings, and creatures. Since each star is the clotted blood from the afterbirth of Ze-Nyt, or chosen spirits to be either honored or punished, constellations are very powerful phenomena, and are revered. According to legends and folklore, constellations are oftentimes the gods’ way of honoring beings of great significance in history and recreating their likeness in the void of Nûlnan, such as the twelve zodiac signs or birth signs. From new year to the end of the year, they are:
Koravo, the Thunderbird (air sign) – Month of Coldstar
Meela, the Otter (water sign) – Month of First Light
Ananeo, the Firebird (fire sign) – Month of First Song
Brontymir, the Mammoth (earth sign) – Month of Verdence
Soutilte, the Moth (air sign) – Month of Second Song
Eheu’wai, the Manta (water sign) – Month of Solstune
Enigmae, the Dragon (fire sign) – Month of Firestar
Uhltati, the Wolf (earth sign) – Month of Final Song
Vaengye, the Bat (air sign) – Month of Harvestine
Expancia, the Kraken (water sign) – Month of Mystence
Jaahes, the Lion (fire sign) – Month of Graystar
Aurbora, the Snake (earth sign) – Month of Last Light
What is the sun?
According to legend, the sun is the heartbeat of Ze-Nyt. It was made when she plucked out her heart of light and gave it to her love, Wa-He. He used the heart’s pulse like flint to stone to create a great fire. He returned his love’s heart and went to mold the fire into a great sphere with his breath and echo, which was then used to shine light above Oliel so all their children may work and to see their creations.
How was the universe created?
Phenomena of the spirit realms and mortal realms that inhabitants of the planet Oliel interpret as the universe coming into being several millennia Before the Dawning Age of Mortals (BDA). It was created through magic and myth, and this process is interpreted in a variety of ways too numerous to mention here. Some of these myths can be found in the Lys Ursunga, a legendarium and sacred text.
Content
1. Background
2. Outer Realms
2.1 Nûlnan
2.2 The Inthreading
3. Inner Realms
3.1 Oliel
3.2 Nyxos
5. Lower Realms
5.1 Daranûrthil
5.2 Umbredorra
5.3 Kharonwyn
5.4 Ashalûn
6.1 Aurínvascil
6.2 Kuepothys
6.3 Quarynthe
6.4 Zenzohm
7.1 Primordials
7.2 Aelysiar
7.3 Nyxos
7.4 Torlysi
7.5 Titans
Background
an interpretive model of the known realms
The Cosmology
Reality is not a single plane but a layered convergence of realms, dimensions, and conceptual spaces. Each is governed by its own laws, mythic roots, and metaphysical alignments. Scholars of the Lysi, the Diviners, and even the Abyss Cult agree on at least this much: Existence is an orchestra of realms, each a chord in the cosmic harmony, held together by the luminous strands of magic that thread all creation.
These strands, called the Cosmic Strings, form the very sinew and viscera of reality. They not only bind realms together, but they bind fate, allow gods to act, and give rise to all forms of magic. Plucking the Cosmic Strings can be cataclysmic, changing fate and reality forever.
Outer Realms
Nûlnan
aka: “The Void,” “The Great Solitude,” “Space,” “The Final Adversary”
Space is exactly what it sounds like. Emptiness. An immeasurable abandon. An endless without. “[…]Nûlnan was filled with chaos and the emptiness was ever ready to devour all that was creation[…]” — Lys Ursunga prose.
In some cultures, Nûlnan is treated as an entity in and of itself.
In some philosophies, it is claimed that "nature abhors a vacuum" and that all space is filled with some combination of elements, as a void would allow objects to move infinitely fast.
The Inthreading
aka: “The Steps Between,” “Realm Between Realms,” “The Secret Path,” “The Pocket Place”
A subspace pocket dimension between realities. An ‘overtone’ resonance of spacetime from the hum of the Cosmic Strings that permeates, and thereby connects, all realms.
The Inthreading is used as a highway of sorts by those highly practiced in the ways of magic. This ‘highway’ is a plane of reality-bending proportions able to transport a being across long distances in spacetime with haste and with ease, in near-instantaneous speed. Traveling in this fashion is often known as “realm-stepping” where a person uses the Inthreading that connects two points in space that are not adjacent to each other in normal space.
From onlookers, it seems that the person appears out of nowhere, or perhaps stepping through the fabric of the world itself. In reality, the “realm-stepper” steps into the Inthreading, travels to the desired location of spacetime, then steps out of the Inthreading and back into the mortal realm, now at the new location.
Try to imagine that spacetime is a flat piece of fabric and you wish to travel from one end to the other. Then imagine wrinkling the fabric enough so that the opposite points touch. All you have to do is take a step, unwrinkle the fabric, and you are standing on the opposite end. Have you imagined it? Good, now forget it, because realm-stepping is nothing like that. But if you need to picture something, that should suffice.
As you can probably guess, realm-stepping can be very dangerous on the body and the mind. There have been reports of hemorrhages in the body (particularly in the nervous system and vascular system) after repeated use while not taking the proper precautions.
inner Realms
Oliel
aka: “the earth,” “Mother Earth,” “Bones of the Divine,” “The Mortal Realm”
The mortal world is the realm of existence that encompasses the planetary body called Oliel. It is surrounded by the void known as Nûlnan. All of the Lysi, the Aelysiar, the Torlysi, and more, gave parts of themselves to create Oliel. Yet when Thraelli and Ari Umani plucked the Cosmic Strings and caused this plane to contain the power of entropy, many became disgusted, and so vowed to make it for only Lysi, remake the world, and destroy all mortal beings.
At the end of the First Great War, when Nyxos fought against Lysi the great titan Morterrandath was slain, the entirety of the world was reshaped, and the result of the conflict resulted in cataclysms within one era - waters swallowing lands, great fires, great freezes, and land forming around the bones of Morterrandath, which is now known today as Patalia. Legends speak of other vast lands across the waters from Patalia, but none have concrete proof of this.
Axial tilt and climate
It is never stated, but can safely be assumed, that Oliel’s axial tilt is negligible, since days and nights remain more or less the same length throughout the year, even in the northern part of Kaldymens. There also appears to be minimal variation in climate from month to month.
The northern regions are frigid. The ocean north of Kaldymens, The Wilds, and Stormwing Island, is said to be primarily frozen. Kaldymens, and, by some extension, Rommelen and The Wilds, are typically snowy, especially farther north. Closer to the equator lies Nahmea and the Solsthiel Islands, relatively tropical and warm locations.
Weather
Snow and rain are common forms of precipitation on Oliel. Certain areas in northern Patalia, such as Rommelen, The Wilds, and Kaldymens, experience rare auroras, colorful waves of energy in the night sky.
Realm of Patalia
The planet has a notably large continent, Patalia, which is where all of The Cycle of Entanglement activity takes place. The land mass is surrounded by the Great Salted Waters, a massive saline body of water.
Patalia is geographically diverse: it has mountains, tundras, cold and hot deserts, swampy regions, grasslands, tropical rainforests, and more.
The inhabitants of Patalia have attempted to locate other land masses separated by the surrounding ocean, but so far no attempts have been successful. Or, if they have, there are no reliable records. Most reports are treated as hearsay, rumors, and farfetched legends of distant lands.
Nyxos
aka: “The Cage Above,” “The Great Moon,” “Shame of Lysi,” “Silver Sister”
Nyxos is the largest of the three moons above the sky of Oliel, orbiting next to twin moons Svita and Sumra. Also known as The Cage Above, this prison ‘realm’ houses the essence of the Five Unhallowed Lysi: Njaatesso, Mentibus, Sensoien, Lakrainte, and Verdagoli as penance for attempting to destroy Oliel. Nothing is known about what this realm is truly like inside the moon. Though if the legends are correct, and the ancient gods are trapped within, it cannot be pleasant.
It wasn’t always a prison, though, nor did the twin moons always follow it across the sky.
There is a prophecy that sees the great moon breaking open and the Nyxos finalizing their scheme to wipe the slate of the mortal world, remaking it in the ways they see fit.
Solar Cycle of Oliel
Calendars
The calendars of Patalia are operated on an evenly spaced tri-lunar system and a solar cycle of 432 days, while seasonal harvests and solstices are celebrated within.
Years:
A year in Patalia is measured by a solar cycle, which consists of 12 evenly-spaced months.
Months:
Coldstar
First month of the year and the second Winter month
First Light
Second month of the year and the last Winter month
First Song
Third month of the year and the initial month of the Spring season
Verdence
Fourth month of the year and the second month of Spring
Second Song
Fifth month of the year and the final month of Spring
Solstune
Sixth month of the year; the halfway point and the first month of Summer
Firestar
Seventh month of the year and the second month of Summer
Final Song
Eighth month of the year and the final of Summer
Harvestine
Ninth month of the year and the first month of Autumn
Mystence
Tenth month of the year and the second month of Autumn
Graystar
Eleventh month of the year and the final month of Autumn
Last Light
Twelfth and final month of the year and the first month of Winter
Weeks:
There are 4 weeks in a month, 48 weeks in a year.
Days:
There are 9 days in a week, 36 in a month, 432 days in a year:
Primmas
Duannas
Tertias
Vaerkas
Middas
Beairas
Velajas
Penultas
Ultas
Hours:
There are 24 hours in a day, 216 in a week, 864 in a month, 10,368 in a year.
Lower Realms
Daranûrthil
aka: “The Underworld,” “Realm of the Lost,” “The Undergird,” “The Crossroads”
An in-between spiritual plane of existence. Daranûrthil is a threshold realm, the liminal space on the other side of The Veil, the partition between life and death.
Daranûrthil is a long dark road, a place of soft haze and drifting silhouettes, where spirits arrive still echoing with traces of their mortal lives. It is said that the road for each spirit gradually reveals itself. Some are drawn toward one another, some are said to resist the road, either refusing the acceptance of their death or waiting for another or even having unfinished business in the mortal realm. It is said that if these souls wait too long, they become lost souls and are sent to Umbredorra.
The roads in Daranûrthil are the ones that souls travel to reconnect with the living on Veilight Night when The Veil is thinnest.
Umbredorra
aka: “The Ever-Dim,” “Realm of Shadows,” “The Discord”
A place of shades and half-thoughts. If Daranûrthil is the crossroads of souls, Umbredorra is where identity begins to unravel.
Umbredorra holds what mortals shed: regrets, false desires, and things left unspoken. The shades here are not malicious, only incomplete, forever looping fragments of their former selves.
This is the plane where lost souls go. It is not empty, though, for enough half-truths can still build an empire.
Kharonwyn
aka: “The Susurrus Garden,” “Realm of Souls”
This is the realm of verdant, eternal gardens, where the wind carries the soft hum of departed souls. Gentle streams wind through endless valleys, and flowers bloom in colors that do not exist in the mortal spectrum.
Kroth, the Goddess of Death, is the eternal gardener here. She walks barefoot through the gardens, tending to the newly arrived as a mother tending children who have wandered too far and finally come home.
Souls of the kind-hearted become radiant blossoms in her fields. Souls burdened by suffering rest beneath silver-leaved trees until they regain their clarity. Souls uncertain of their path are guided by Kroth’s tenderness toward rebirth, renewal, or rest. A few of these souls are sent to the Higher Realms to spend their eternal rest, and even fewer are sent outside all realms to where even the Primordials cannot guess.
When a soul is wicked, cruel, or malformed by its own choices, Kroth plucks it like a weed. Those removed from her garden fall into Ashalûn, the deepest realm below.
Ashalûn
aka: “Hell,” “Deep Abyss,” “Dark Wastes,” “Lowest of the Low”
Home to wicked souls plucked from Kharonwyn, demons, monsters, and nightmares. Ashalûn is the antithesis of light, the realm of inverted radiance known as un-light. Where Ze-Nyt’s Heartbeat warms and nurtures the mortal world, Ashalûn’s un-light burns with cold malice, freezing compassion and magnifying hatred.
It is said that this realm is a vast expanse of black sand deserts, fiery iron mountains shaped like twisted spines, and skies of negative flame where souls and shadows burn brighter than actual fire.
Here reside demons, fallen angels, and condemned souls.
Demons: spirits and fallen angels who have been transformed into monstrous nightmares with un-light poured into them
Fallen angels: spirits whose forms once belonged to holy children of the Lysi
Condemned souls: cast from Kharonwyn and gradually reshaped by this realm’s un-light
Demons and fallen angels wage endless feuds among themselves, clawing at the remnants of who they used to be.
It is rumored that Agnidha, the Goddess of Chaos, visits every so often. She will pick a chosen few to ascend to her side and do her bidding. While Agnidha visits, she ensures that, despite its horrors, Ashalûn is not a place of mindless chaos. She wishes it to remain a place of structured distortion, molded by the fallen children Lysi who now rule over its vast territories like tyrants of shadow.
Higher Realms
Quarynthe
A twilight quagmire realm immersed in strange fog. Above this fog the land is equally as strange, yet it is opposingly cheerful compared to the foggy land below. Quarynthe is the realm that contains the source of all dreams and nightmares. Strange beings that could only be described as ‘dove serpents’ inhabit this realm, pulling the strings of visions and of the subconscious within the mortal realm as part of Khiashba’s bidding. This is a place where mortals and immortals may interact freely, and the realm where astral projections fly.
Zenzohm
The accounts of those who have been there and returned, speak of a place of vibrant colors and such beauty that some have returned to the mortal realm unable to see color. Legends of Zenzohm, also known as the Realm of Flowing Resonance, speak of it being a sliver of Aurínvascil, others stating that it just appeared from the Lysi Svaramystri and Traz’om using their creativity over time. Souls who have found peace and pure enlightenment before death will get the wonderful opportunity to travel and remain in this place if so desired.
Kuepothys
aka: “Realm of Subtle Fire”
A realm made from fractals and stardust. Kuepothys is one of the Higher Realms of immortal beings where the Oli Kuelve (Elves) reside. The realm is said to be bright and heavenly. This realm is different than that of Aurínvascil, where the gods reside in their halls of starlight. Kuepothys, the Realm of Subtle Fire, is a place of peculiar resonance where those born out of the First Light of the Primordial, Ze-Nyt live and thrive. A realm where djinn and firebirds and other higher spirits come from.
The Elves have hidden away their kingdom of Vaethyriel in this realm. Vaethyriel is said to be created from crystalline towers, and floating spires all set within natural grandeur of endless iridescent skies.
Aurínvascil
aka: “Divine Realm,” “The Nebulous,” “Immortal Plane”
Aurínvascil, or the Divine Realm, also known as the Nebulous or the Immortal Plane, is the realm where the Primordials made a home for their children. It is where the Lysi, both Aelysiar and Torlysi originate. This realm contains a large number of ‘halls’ and ‘houses,’ which are smaller realms within, though not many are known. It is a wide belief that mortal souls may ascend to these halls and houses, depending on how they lived in the Mortal Realm.
Those who worship the Eight Divine believe that the gods spawned branches of their own embodiments such as wisdom, justice, and hope. These embodiments took on form and became the children of the gods, named as angels. The negative spawned embodiments of the gods were known as demons and reside in the lowest of the realms, Ashalûn, though demons can also be created in other ways.
Lysi Pantheon
The ultimate purpose of a deity is to instruct and improve the generally deplorable character of mortals. However they see fit…
Primordials
Ze-Nyt: The First Light of the Cosmos. The eternal fire. Mother of radiance, origin of flame, the spark that illuminated the void. Her light is the wellspring from which all stars, suns, and divine vitality are drawn.
Wa-He: The First Sound of the Cosmos. The breath of life. Father of resonance, origin of breath. From his word came music, language, creation, the first vibration that stirred stillness into life.
Together, Light and Sound birthed the cosmos, and from their union came the first gods: the Aelysiar.
The Aelysiar – the Divines
Velaja- God of Order and Time, King of Gods, Simplicity within Chaos; Velaja is the chief deity and is usually depicted as looking both into the future and the past. When Velaja opened his eyes, time began. His gaze stretches forward and backward at once, forever measuring the hour.
Agnidha- Goddess of Chaos and Destruction, Queen of Gods, Complexity within Order; Twin to Velaja, equal in birth but opposite in nature. Where Velaja sets structure, Agnidha breaks it open to reveal what lies beneath. Misunderstood by mortals, her chaos is the crucible in which all transformation begins.
Myjaila- Goddess of Love and Mercy, All-Mother; She is the gentlest of the Divines, the sheltering embrace that holds the cosmos together. Every act of compassion is done in her name.
Kroth- Goddess of Death, Mistress of the Void; She tends the gardens of departed souls, separating the wicked from the worthy with patient, sorrowful hands.
Su’prahn- God of Hope and Strength, Prince of Persistence; A beacon in hardship, invoked by warriors and wanderers who refuse to surrender.
Ba’trahn- God of Justice and Purpose, Steward of the Spirit; The unwavering balance. His judgments are measured, his lessons stern but fair.
Wo’drahn- Goddess of Truth and Wisdom, Lady of Light; She exposes lies with gentle brilliance, guiding scholars, seers, and rulers who seek clarity.
Anvawan- God of Knowledge and Memory, Keeper of Secrets; Every forgotten thing finds refuge in him. Libraries are said to be his temples.
*Svaramystri- Goddess of Magic, The Resonating Font, The Weaver of Mysteries; She is the guardian of arcane law and all magic flows from her.
*removed from the pantheon by mortals
The Nyxos Gods – the Five Unhallowed, the Opposing Gods
The children born from Kroth when her left hand was accidentally sliced off by her own scythe.
Njaatesso- Goddess of Suffering, and Starvation, Mistress of Domination; Represented by the thumb. She feasts on despair and bends the frail-hearted to her will.
Mentibus- God of Lies, and Deceit, Great Swindler; Represented by the pointer finger. His tongue births falsehood and all secrets and plots are born from him.
Sensoien- God of Conflict and Rage, Commander of Blood; Represented by the middle finger. All conflict stems from him, and each fight makes him stronger. He delights in battle and bloodlust rather than righteous combat and rebellion.
Lakrainte- Goddess of Fear and Doubt, Shepherd of Suspicion; Represented by the heart finger. She plants whispers in the mind, twisting trust into paranoia. All phobias are her children.
Verdagoli- God of Greed and Gluttony, the Fell Hoarder; Represented by the little finger. All-consuming appetite, collector of souls, devourer of joy. He is the whisper behind the greedy harvester and the gluttonous tax collector.
The Torlysi – the Changelings
Shapeshifters, elemental patrons, embodiments of nature’s wild temperament.
Vaerkana- Goddess of Air and Storms, Seamstress of the Skies; Depicted as a strong woman cloaked in clouds and brilliant electrical eyes. Mother of Thunderbirds and Dragons.
Meggalier- God of Seas and the Great Waters, Cloaked Mariner; Depicted as a cloaked sailor. A wanderer of tides and storms, guiding sailors and drowning tyrants alike.
Storvild- God of Wilderness and Mountains, Lone Woodsman; Depicted as a great bearded man wielding an axe. Sometimes depicted as a giant bearlike beast with antlers.
Tra’zom- Both a God and Goddess of Music and the Arts, Master Bard; Depicted as a blue-skinned bard. A harmony of duality. Artistry in all forms be it music, painting, dancing, or crafting originate from them.
Khiashba- Goddess of Dreams and Nightmares, Veiled Lady; Depicted as a terrifyingly beautiful cloaked woman. She walks the borders of sleep with dove and serpent perched upon her shoulders, representing dreams and nightmares.
Drekk- God of Beasts and the Hunt, Sovereign of Wildlife; Depicted as an horned amalgam of every great creature. His spirit is the hunt and the game, the predator and the prey.
Beraiche- God of Harvest and Commerce, Herald of Change; Depicted as a powerful horse, other times depicted as a merchant, peddler, or farmer with a crown of golden leaves and a staff of wheat. Patron of autumn, trade, crop growth, shifting fortunes.
Nedera- Goddess of Fire and Warmth, Princess of Summer; Depicted as a seductive woman with a cloak of light. Nedera brings the sun, passion, and heat, cloaked in burning light. Wife to Drukolt, mother of Dragons.
Drukolt- God of Ice and the Cold, Prince of Winter. Depicted as a great, white-bearded man with a staff and hood. His staff of frost shapes the long sleep of the seasons. Husband to Nedera.
Geelanvie- Goddess of Beauty and Sexual Desire, The Green Mother, Whispering Bloom; Depicted as a beautiful, voluptuous green-skinned woman. From her all flowers bloom. Patron of spring, igniting love and life.
Titans
Svita- Bringer of Dawn, Watcher of Beginnings; One of the twin titans who guards the great moon Nyxos.
Sumra- Bringer of Dusk, Watcher of Endings; One of the titans who guards the great moon Nyxos.
Morterrandath- The Bane of Worlds; Born from the pooled malice of the Five Unhallowed, this continent-sized monstrosity was crafted to unmake creation. The gods slew it, and a great swath of land grew from its colossal corpse.
The Jaws of Extinction- the child of Morterrandath said to be slumbering in an egg at the bottom of the Terrormor Sea. Prophecy warns that its awakening will bring about the end of the world.