Magical Realm Cyoa/Sempiternitas

Build

Realm Wizard: Artifex

Complications: Trapped!; Exile!; Benevolent!

Demiplane: Area Increase 1

Planar features: Insertion; Portals; Division; Transient; Protection 2; Assimilation

Inhabitants: Culture & Customs; Population Longevity; Metahuman Population

Technology: Technology Upgrade 6

Magic: Magical Upgrade 5

Society: Public Education; University; Industrial; Mystical; Technomagic; Infrastructure; Sanitation; Secure

Culture: Occult Affinity; Intellectual Affinity; Mechanical Affinity

Environment: Landscape Adjustment; Fertile; Fauna & Flora 3

Adventure: Dungeons 3; Afterlife; Fate; Theme (Fatalism and cyclic history)

Capital: Automatons 2; Influence 1; Equipment

Personal: Immortality; Spirit Walk; Shape Shift 2; Tongues; Memory; Awareness; Peak Condition; Superhuman Body

Powers: Teleportation; Psychoactive Awakening; Geas; Glamour; Alchemy; Enchanting; Machina Mind; Conjuration; Elementalism 3; Scrying; Biomancy; Nullification; Dominion

Companions: Familiar

Ascendance: Divine Spark; Guidance 2

"Sempiternitas": A Report

I have been given the unique opportunity to document a hitherto mostly unknown Realm. Few immigrants, and even fewer travelers, have ever been allowed to enter this Realm, despite its occasional discovery when it drifts into an occupied part of the multiverse. In my several months of travel throughout Sempiternitas, I have learned a great deal about it, and far more than could be included in a report such as this. However, I have done my best to summarize my findings in a presentable, intuitive way.

Geography and ecology

Sempiternitas is a transient Realm, which seems to drift throughout the multiverse, and occasionally through the oceans of Earth as well. Rarely does it stay in one place for more than a few Terran days before suddenly shifting to another location entirely, and often moves in a matter of just a few Terran hours. This, paired with the lack of stable gateways to the Realm, makes it very difficult to travel to at all without use of a temporary portal, which seem to be quite rare. The source of these portals is unknown to me. The Realm itself seems to be divided into at least two separate planes, one roughly the size and shape of the island of Sardinia where the inhabitants live. I was unable to visit the other, though I am told that there exists a plane where the inhabitants' souls travel after their death which is mostly inaccessible (the most powerful mages of the Realm are apparently able to travel there and back while still alive, but even for them I am told it takes a great deal of effort). Whether other planes exist within the Realm is unknown to me, though there is some speculation among the natives here as to other possible planes.

The island is host to an amazing array of environments, from dense forests to high mountains and fertile valleys to sandy deserts. Each is quite small, of course, but the diversity is quite impressive for a landmass of this size. The wildlife is similarly impressive in its diversity, ranging from the full complement of species that one would expect from the environments present to other-worldly beasts and plants that seem to pulsate magical energies. During my time in Sempiternitas, the island remained as one (so far as I know), but I am told that during times of great strife it has been known to break into many pieces, each of which goes on drifting through the multiverse separately, until eventually they return to each other once each has stabilized.

Culture and inhabitants

Though not a particularly large Realm, Sempiternitas is incredibly sparsely populated for its size. Most of the island is all but uninhabited, with a few “cities” no larger than a moderately-sized Terran town (the largest has no more than 7,000 inhabitants), and a number of smaller towns and villages scattered about, as well as some tiny dwellings with no more than a few dozen members living together.

This distance, combined with a strong streak of independence I found among the majority of the inhabitants, has seemed to prevent any significant governments from arising among the many groups on the island. The various cities each seem to have several organizations that are relatively powerful, some of which claim dominion over various parts of the island, but given the size of the territory compared with the apparent numbers of these organizations, it seems doubtful that they exercise much actual authority over those areas. Nevertheless, these organizations, as well as the individual inhabitants themselves, seem to keep the island (or the civilized areas at least) quite safe and orderly – I had a small escort with me, but I never required their assistance during my time in Sempiternitas (whether that is because of the normal safety of the island or their presence I cannot be sure, of course).

For all this, the technology of the island is incredibly impressive, among the greatest I have ever seen and clearly far beyond that of Earth. Not only that, but the inhabitants of Sempiternitas have clearly mastered the melding of technology and magic, since few things are merely technological – the magical energy infused in their devices was great enough to feel from several meters away at first (I found myself getting used to the feeling after a few weeks here). It is hardly any wonder either – the people here seem all but obsessed with technology, and tinkering is one of their greatest pastimes. The only thing which seems to grip their imagination more is magic, which is a topic of study for it seems every person, from those living in the tallest skyscrapers in the largest city to those living in tiny hovels in the unmarked wilderness.

The population of the island seems to be entirely human though some may perhaps border on the cyborg with the number of technological enhancements they have integrated into their bodies. Yet, the humans here are not like the Terrans of Earth in many ways besides their occasional integration with technology. I am told that all of the inhabitants of Sempiternitas are immortal, living for as long as they choose (for the most part – more on this later in the report), and capable of controlling their aging. Not only this, but further, I am told, that every inhabitant is born with magical ability, some more than others, but all capable of improvement given sufficient practice and study.

Metaphysics and Mythos

[Note: The majority of this section is based purely on my interviews with a number of inhabitants during my time in Sempiternitas rather than my own observations, and as such some degree of skepticism as to the veracity of this information is appropriate. However, there was a remarkable consistency among their reports, despite some significant cultural differences in other areas.]

The Ancients

The inhabitants of Sempiternitas, by and large, do not worship any gods as we know them. There is one group, called “the Ancients” by most, which exist as figures of legend that one might mistake as gods at first glance, but do not appear to be so on further investigation. They do not seem to be distinct from the other inhabitants in anything besides their age and magical aptitude. None of the Ancients are credited with creating the world, nor with exclusive control over any aspect of life or the environment. Furthermore, the Ancients intervene with some regularity in the affairs of the island, and most of the island's significant political organizations call one of the Ancients their leader (though they do not engage in the day-to-day operations of the organizations). Whether they are worshiped is a question of interpretation perhaps – they are certainly well-respected, and their intervention is requested with some regularity, but this is no more than can be said of any person of similar power and influence in any given society. That they are not gods is perhaps best demonstrated by the typical view among the inhabitants that I interviewed that the position of the Ancients is not an unattainable one for the average person. The origin stories of each of the Ancients is rather mundane – they each gained their place it seems most of all through survival, study, and practice, from beginnings as humble as anyone's. Few strive to repeat their path, as it seems a particularly strenuous and dangerous one, and not one with overwhelmingly attractive rewards.

Life and Death

As noted before, Sempiternitas' inhabitants are all immortal, but, although it is extremely rare, they can die. The primary causes of unintentional death seem to be from the natural world around them – there are no diseases to speak of, but although their technology is very advanced, they still face dangers when wandering in untamed areas from flora and fauna alike. Past that, I am told that there are a number of long-forgotten tombs, shrines, underground dwellings, and the like scattered throughout the land, most with very dangerous protections, and some few with sufficiently valuable artifacts so as to make these dungeons worth risking even eternal life to explore, at least for the gutsy. I suspect it might also be a way of doing something new and exciting in a world that is otherwise one with few significant risks.

What is most odd, however, is that the acts of other inhabitants cannot kill them. They can be injured severely, but they will eventually recover. I'm told that even if the would-be killer released a dangerous animal or fed them a potent poison, somehow the victim will survive. The only exception to this is if the killer wills their own death as well in the act – the saying goes, “only death pays for death.” I'm told that not even the most powerful mages, not even the Ancients can bypass this – all are equal in the price that must be paid to take a life.

I had trouble believing this, and most, understandably even if what they said were true, were not particularly inclined to demonstrate this fact as it is a very painful process to be brought to the brink of death, not to mention the recovery thereafter. However, I did eventually come upon a pair willing to show me this. One took a pistol, pointed it at the head of the other, and shot several times. By the end, the victim's head was little more than a gory mess. I have no doubt that had a rock fallen on this unfortunate man's head and caused the same damage, he would surely be dead. But, a week later, I visited the victim in the hospital, on his way to a full recovery, with the attacker by his side. Whether or not all such acts are equally incapable of killing, I am unsure, but regardless, it was an impressive display.

A rather less pleasant truth exists as a corollary to this, however, as creation of life too has a high price in Sempiternitas. Pregnancy can occur only with an act of will on the part of both mother and father – it cannot happen unintentionally – and this seems to be a good thing given the cost that I'm told would-be parents must pay. In order to create a life, one of the parents must surrender their immorality and all its attendant advantages, and will never be able to gain them again, through magic or technology. They will live the rest of the time they have until their body breaks down, as all mortal bodies do, and then they will die. So it is said by the people there, “only life pays for life.”

Yet, even in death, not all is necessarily lost. When a person dies in Sempiternitas, their soul is transported to the part of the Realm which serves as a sort of afterlife which I discussed earlier. The reports of exactly what this plane is like are very sketchy and inconsistent, owing to there being few to go there and recall the experience. The most frequent descriptions involve a sprawling maze-like city with massive cogs, engines, and odd metal arrangements throughout, as though the entire city formed a giant machine. Once the soul reaches this plane, it travels through the city with one of three possible results. The most common is for the soul to never return – whether it continues to travel through the city or is annihilated is a matter of some debate, but it seems that most who die never return. The second most common (perhaps second least uncommon is more appropriate – I'm told it happens in no more than 1 in 1000 cases) result is for the soul to be reborn in the form of a child, who is found abandoned in the wilderness (this may explain why some continue to live in such areas). Though the child has no memories of their past, the soul is the same, and so the consciousness of the reincarnated person remains, and their personality and traits will often reassert itself (sometimes leading to those who knew the reborn before their death to come to recognize them). The least common by far (I am told that it happens at most 1 in 1000000 deaths, but then the records of it happening are so few that this number is perhaps as much statistical noise as it as a hard figure) is for the soul to return in an adult body, with its memories of its past life intact (and some blurred memories of their time in the afterlife). The reincarnated adults are found just as the reincarnated children – alone in the wilderness. There is typically great celebration following such an event, as one might expect.

Fate and the Cycle

The last common point that the natives' explained to me was their concept of Fate and the Cycle. If I am to believe what I am told, for all its transient and fleeting exterior, for all its sudden shifts in ecology and geography, at its core Sempiternitas is a place of almost-oppressive stability. Fatalism is no mere philosophy here: it is an inescapable fact, a veritable law of nature which cannot be defeated even by the power of all the Ancients combined (and I am told they have tried). Though they appear free and self-determining, the inhabitants are all quite sure that they play a prescribed role in some grand play, wittingly or not, to what end, none are exactly sure. They say that the island's development proceeds on a particular, well-worn course which has been repeated innumerable times. In the beginning of this rehearsed play they call “the Cycle” is the period they call “the Ascendency”, marked by births, growth of understanding of the Realm and its magics, and progress, both technological and cultural. However, after this comes the period called “the Descent”, marked first by stagnation, then by a decline in understanding and society, and finally by deaths. The details of how this plays out are always different, they tell me, but the results always the same in essence – a period of great accomplishment followed by a period of decline back to a much lesser state.

I have arrived, apparently, well into the Ascendency, and from all appearances, the island is host to some of the most advanced magic, technology, and culture in the known multiverse, but apparently in the depths of the Descent life on the island is more akin to pre-industrial Earth, full of superstition and mystery. I would be fairly disinclined to believe all this, after all, given the immortality of the population, how could things become so bad? Yet, many people I interviewed reported having lived through several Cycles, and though their memories are understandably hazy after so much time, they all report the major events consistently. Not only that, but records remain from past Cycles, detailing this path. It might well all be a cultural fiction, but it is an incredibly elaborate cultural fiction if so. I find it hard to dismiss the evidence that they present, in spite of my initial incredulity.

"Fateweaver", "Fate", and "the Fateless"

Fate and the Cycle is related to the least well-documented figure that my studies as well. He is the closest the people come to a deity, though he seems to be more a common philosophical speculation than an object of worship. Most frustratingly, he lacks a consistent name in the various mythoi of the population here, which made him the most difficult to study in the first place, and what he is called seems to attach to several different philosophies of his role in the plane: the Weavers, the Unitarians, and the Dualists. The Weavers, who seem to be the most numerous, call him the Fateweaver. They believe that he is an agent of the greater power they call Fate, who has empowered and directed him in his task of maintaining the stability of the Realm. The Unitarians, only slightly fewer in my study, call him Fate, believing that he is not an agent of some greater power, but rather the power of Fate personified – as aspect of the force that drives their lives in its predictable path. The Dualists, the group who I encountered in the smallest numbers, named him the Fateless. In this philosophy, he is neither an agent nor aspect of Fate, but rather its enemy, unbound, a force that seeks to overthrow the prescribed pattern and way of things, to usher in a new age.

There are some commonalities between all of these philosophies. First, all three groups believe that this figure lives in the maze-city of the afterlife. What his relationship to that city is depends on further views that cut across the earlier boundaries – the Unitarians say he built the city, while the Weavers and Dualists agree that the city predates him, though they disagree about why he is there. Second, all three agree that he exerts some control over the path that souls which enter the city take, though disagreement about his exact role in the process vary in ways that cut across the three larger divisions.

Curiously, none of the three philosophies have a unified view on the question of whether this figure is a benevolent, malevolent, or indifferent force – though their positions on that can be predicted well by their views on Fate itself. The Necessitarians, who believe that Fate is a good and important feature of the world, staving off chaos, will tend to think of the figure as a benevolent or indifferent one when they are Weavers or Unitarians, but as a negative one when they are Dualists. The Libertarians, who believe that Fate is a bad and unnecessary part of their world, and that they could live better without it, tend to view him as a negative or indifferent figure when they are Weavers or Unitarians, but as a benevolent figure when they are Dualists.

The Great Folly

The greatest event in the history (or perhaps mythology) of Sempiternitas was what most call "the Great Folly" (some others call it "the War of Liberation", and tell a much more heroic version of the tale). A great many Cycles ago, it is said, the bride of one of the greatest Ancients died (how exactly this happened has been lost to history, or at the least is a matter of contention among scholars of this event). It was at the height of perhaps the greatest Ascendancy in history, and apparently, at this time, the Ancients had a number of privileges regarding the afterlife, some measure of control over the path of souls who enter the great city. The Ancient in question, of course, made his will for his bride to be reincarnated be known. Yet, many days passed without his bride being discovered, despite many excursions into the wilderness to locate her. As the weeks dragged on with no sight of her, it became more and more obvious that her soul had not left the afterlife to return to the island's plane. The Ancient, offended and furious at this rebuke, gathered support from many of the other Ancients and other powerful mages in the Realm who had grievances with Fate. He led his great force through a portal to the plane of the afterlife to retrieve his bride at the least, but moreso to destroy Fate once and for all.

The details at this point understandably start to blur. The summary of it is that the great Ancient and his allies were defeated, or trapped, or otherwise not heard from again. Not only this, but the Realm was thrown immediately into the Descent, as the structures of society collapsed following the loss of so many of the greatest leaders of the island's societies. It was in this conflict that the rule of Fate over the Realm was most solidly engraved into the collective memory of the inhabitants. Never again has such an open act of rebellion be attempted, though there are still some who attempt to break the Cycle - so far, all have failed, but none so spectacularly as those who participated in the Great Folly.