Cosmology & Origins
The Central Question
Is this an alternate reality to our world? Why do fantasy creatures exist alongside Nikolas Theslar, a name that sounds distinctly human and modern?
Answer: Yes. Penance takes place in an alternate Earth where the magical and mundane coexisted for millennia before Theslar's catastrophic experiment tore reality apart.
The Three-Layered Cosmos
1. The Material World (Our Reality)
An Earth nearly identical to ours, but with one critical difference - magic existed, hidden in the margins.
| Era | Event |
|---|---|
| ~200,000 BCE | Timeline divergence - early humans discover ley lines |
| ~50,000 BCE | Elves (Homo Sylvanus) diverge from humans |
| ~40,000 BCE | Dwarves (Homo Subterra) adapt to subterranean life |
| ~1,200 years ago | The Veil Accords signed - magic and non-humans go into hiding |
| Year -43 | Nikolas Theslar born (human scientist) |
| Year 0 | The Sundering - Theslar Engine tears reality apart |
| Year 437 | Present Day - Nine factions war for survival |
2. The Feywild (The Dream Layer)
A parallel dimension overlapping the Material World, existing "sideways" in reality. Not a separate planet, but a reflection of the Material World through the lens of emotion, myth, and dream-logic.
- Time flows inconsistently - minutes here may equal years there, or vice versa
- Geography mirrors but distorts - a forest might be a single massive tree, a city might be a living organism
- Native species: Fae, spirits, entities born from collective unconscious
- Pre-Sundering: Separated from Material World by stable dimensional membrane
- Post-Sundering: Bleeding into Material World (Shimmerlands zones)
3. The Void (The Anti-Creation)
Not a dimension, but the absence of dimension. The space between realities where causality doesn't exist.
- Nature: Pure chaos and unformed potential
- Physics: None. No time, no logic, no structure
- Hostility: Like matter is hostile to antimatter
- Inhabitants: Abominations - failed attempts at existence
- Intent: The Void seeks to merge with reality, collapsing structure into formless potential
Species Origins
Humans
Origin: Natural evolution, identical to our Earth.
Magic Sensitivity: 1 in 10,000 can perceive ley lines. Of those, 1 in 100 can manipulate them (mages).
Pre-Sundering: Dominated numerically but unaware of full extent of non-human species.
Post-Sundering: Form the Church of Absolution and Penitent Kingdoms. Interpret Cataclysm through religious lens.
Elves (Homo Sylvanus)
Origin: Divergent human evolution, shaped by ley line exposure over 50,000+ years.
Lifespan: 300-400 years (cellular regeneration enhanced by ley line energy).
Physiology: Incorporated chlorophyll analogs - can supplement nutrition through sunlight. Enhanced senses (infrared vision, subsonic hearing).
Pre-Sundering Population: ~200,000 globally (vs billions of humans).
Post-Sundering: Nearly extinct. Fertility dropped catastrophically after Cataclysm. Form Verdant Covenant, desperately trying to heal the wounded world before their species dies out.
Dwarves (Homo Subterra)
Origin: Divergent human evolution, adapted to subterranean life ~40,000 years ago.
Physiology: Stocky, dense bones, enhanced low-light vision, resistance to toxic gases and radiation. Naturally resistant to Taint (less sensitive to ley lines).
Lifespan: 150-200 years.
Pre-Sundering: Built vast underground cities. Numbered ~1.5 million globally.
Post-Sundering: Thriving. Underground cities survived Pulse intact. Became industrial powerhouses, selling weapons and Caskets to all factions.
The Ossuarium (Undead)
Origin: Not a species - post-Sundering phenomenon.
How Undeath Emerged: Void intrusion weakened barrier between life and death. Necromantic magic became practical. First undead rose spontaneously in Year 3. Bonelord Karath perfected controlled undeath by Year 10.
Types: Revenants (intact corpses), Skeletons (labor force), Spectres (incorporeal mages), Liches (voluntary transformation).
Economics: Operates on soul contracts - "Give me your soul when you die, I'll give you what you want now."
Post-Sundering: Growing. Every year, more sign Karath's contracts out of desperation.
The Wyrd Conclave (Fae)
Origin: Native to the Feywild, not the Material World.
Physiology: Variable. Fae don't have fixed forms - can appear as beautiful humanoids, talking animals, living shadows, impossible geometries.
Lifespan: Functionally immortal (exist outside linear time).
Psychology: Dream-logic. Promises more binding than physics. Value interesting outcomes over suffering/happiness.
Deals: Everything is transactional. Every bargain has a literal price (ask for "a hand" and they'll take yours).
Post-Sundering: Thriving. Feywild merging with Material World is the best thing that ever happened to them.
Vestige Bloodlines (Post-Human Chimeras)
Origin: Humans mutated by Void exposure in first 50 years post-Sundering.
Mutations: Human-animal hybrids (wolf-men, bear-folk, insectoid humanoids). Void energy rewrites biology randomly.
Generations: First (minor mutations), Second (major hybrids), Third (increasingly unstable, risk becoming Abominations).
Genetics: Chaotic, not hereditary. Two wolf-Blighted parents might have raven-Blighted child.
Cultural Tragedy: Victims, not villains. Hunted, exiled, blamed for Cataclysm despite suffering worst from it.
Post-Sundering: Dying out. Each generation less stable. Will go extinct within 200 years without genome stabilization.
Emergent Syndicate (Arthropod Collective)
Origin: Human researchers at Sibaria, ground zero, during the Sundering.
Transformation: Void energy fused researchers with arthropod genetic samples from bio-labs. Not random mutation - metamorphosis.
Physiology: Exoskeleton (molts every 5 years), multiple limbs (4-8 arms), compound eyes, hive-mind communication (pheromones + telepathy).
Psychology: Still have human memories, but distant, irrelevant. Individuality exists but secondary to hive efficiency.
Post-Sundering: Expanding through conversion - capture humans, expose to controlled Void + arthropod DNA. Universally feared and hated.
Nikolas Theslar: The Man Who Broke The World
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Dr. Nikolas Theslar |
| Species | Human |
| Born | Year -43 (Old Calendar) |
| Profession | Engineer, theoretical mage, artificer |
| Goal | Wireless power transmission - end hunger, war, poverty |
| Fatal Flaw | Didn't know about the Void (instruments read it as "background noise") |
| Current State | Fused with Engine core, conscious but unable to act |
Theslar did not die in the Cataclysm. He became fused with the Theslar Engine itself, his consciousness trapped in the core for 437 years. He conducts the "Screaming Choir" - the voices of everyone who tried to shut down the Engine and failed. Players who reach the Core will meet him.
The Veil Accords: How Magic Stayed Hidden
Pre-Sundering society operated on a two-tiered system:
Mundane Layer (Visible to 99.9% of Humans)
- Industrial Age technology (trains, factories, telegraphs, early electricity)
- No knowledge of non-human species
- Magic was folklore, superstition, stage tricks
- Science was the dominant worldview
Arcane Layer (Hidden)
- Mages, elves, dwarves, other sensitives operated in secret societies
- The Veil Accords (signed ~1,200 years ago): Agreement to remain hidden from mundane humanity
- Why? Humans outnumbered non-humans 1000:1. Revealing magic would mean war
- Methods: Memory-wiping magic, misinformation, strategic "debunking"
- Mages acted as intermediaries, translating non-human knowledge into "human inventions"
When the Sundering hit: The Veil collapsed. Humans couldn't ignore the elves, dwarves, and undead rising around them. The secret was out. But by then, civilization had collapsed anyway.
Metaphysics: How Magic Actually Works
Ley Lines & Resonance (Pre-Sundering Magic)
Before the Theslar Event, magic was subtle and scarce. It operated through ley lines—naturally occurring channels of ambient dimensional energy flowing through the planet's crust.
Ley Line Mechanics (1800s Era)
- Nature: Thin membranes between Material World and Feywild, formed by geological processes
- Distribution: Concentrated at mountain ranges, coastlines, ancient forests, volcanic regions
- Power Level: Low-grade. Enough to sustain elvish longevity, power minor spells, charge Soulstone matrices
- Detection: Only 0.01% of humans could perceive them (mages, sensitives)
- Usage: Required years of training, precise ritual components, exact astronomical timing
Example Magic in Year -50:
A trained mage standing on a ley line nexus during the autumn equinox, using rare crystal focus, might produce a fireball equivalent to a gas lamp's heat. This same mage in Year 437 (post-Sundering, Void-saturated environment) could incinerate an entire building with a whispered word.
Soulstones: The Bridge Between Worlds
Soulstones are crystallized ley line energy, formed under extreme pressure and dimensional stress. Think of them as "batteries" that store metaphysical potential.
Pre-Sundering Soulstone Science
| Property | Function | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Storage | Hold dimensional resonance for months without decay | Required ley line exposure to recharge (slow, unpredictable) |
| Bioelectric Interface | Conduct neural signals better than metal wires | Only functioned near dimensional membranes (ley lines or Feywild bleed-zones) |
| Soul Binding | Store consciousness patterns (theoretical pre-Sundering) | Impossible to achieve—required too much energy |
Post-Sundering Soulstone Revolution
When Void energy flooded the world, Soulstones went from rare curiosities to industrial fuel:
- Infinite Recharge: Void saturation means Soulstones charge passively (no ley line required)
- Power Amplification: 1 gram of Soulstone post-Sundering = 100 pre-Sundering
- Soul Binding Practical: Enough energy now exists to record/store/transfer consciousness
- Neural Threading Enabled: Direct brain-machine interfaces work anywhere (Void resonance provides carrier signal)
The Void: Sentient or Chaos?
Year 437 scholars debate fiercely: Is the Void an entity with intent, or pure entropic chaos?
Theory 1: The Void Is Alive (Church Position)
- Evidence: Abominations exhibit purposeful behavior (hunt, adapt, learn)
- Evidence: Void storms appear to "target" concentrations of life
- Evidence: Theslar's final transmission: "It's looking at me. It's always been looking."
- Interpretation: The Void is a malevolent god-like entity trying to consume reality
- Church Doctrine: The Sundering was divine punishment for humanity's hubris
Theory 2: The Void Is Physics (Forge-Guild Position)
- Evidence: Void behavior follows patterns (storm cycles, energy gradients)
- Evidence: Abominations arise from specific mutation pathways (not random)
- Evidence: Soulstone interactions are reproducible, quantifiable
- Interpretation: The Void is an extradimensional force following unknown physical laws
- Engineering Approach: Study it, harness it, survive through adaptation
Theory 3: The Void Is Hunger (Wyrd Conclave Position)
- Evidence: Void corruption always moves toward complexity (seeks life, consciousness, order)
- Evidence: Abominations "feed" on structure (literal and metaphorical)
- Evidence: Feywild (pure possibility) is Void's opposite and primary target
- Interpretation: The Void is neither alive nor physics—it's appetite made manifest
- Fae Warning: "It doesn't hate you. It wants to become you. Then unmake itself."
The GM's Secret: All three theories are partially correct. The Void is anti-structure given form by its collision with reality. It's not sentient, but it learns through interaction. It's not chaos, but it generates entropy. It's not hungry, but it consumes order to exist. The Abominations are the Void's "attempts" to understand what reality is by deconstructing it piece by piece.
The Technology-Magic Fusion
Pre-Sundering, magic and technology were distinct:
- Technology: Worked anywhere, required no training, mass-producible (steam engines, telegraphs)
- Magic: Ley line dependent, required training, individualized (spells, rituals)
Post-Sundering, they merged into Void Engineering:
- Caskets: Mechanical frames + neural threads (Void-enabled biotech) + Soulstone cores
- Weapons: Gunpowder firearms + Soulstone ammunition (explosive potential amplified)
- Medicine: Herbal remedies + Void-corrupted flora (dangerous but effective)
- Necromancy: Soul binding (theoretical pre-Sundering) + Soulstone matrices (practical post-Sundering)
The Tragic Irony: Humanity's peak technology (electronics, computing) died instantly. But their obsolete 1800s-era machinery (steam, hydraulics, gunpowder) merged with magic to create something new. Progress didn't save them. Obsolescence did.
The Secret Truth (GM Knowledge Only)
The Draconids were right. The Cataclysm has happened three times total (including the current one):
| Ending | Date | Method |
|---|---|---|
| First | ~50,000 BCE | Flood (cause unknown) |
| Second | ~10,000 BCE | Fire (volcanic superchains + ley line destabilization) |
| Third | Year 0 | Void (Theslar's Engine) |
| Fourth? | ~Year 20,000+ | ??? |
The Pattern: Every 20,000-40,000 years, a civilization reaches a technological/magical peak, discovers something it shouldn't, and triggers a cataclysm.
The Draconids' Role: Record-keepers. They've seen this cycle three times. They're waiting to see if this cycle's survivors break the pattern or repeat it.
Conclusion
Penance is our world, broken by hubris. The fantasy elements aren't alien - they were always here, hidden beneath the surface. The Sundering didn't create the impossible - it revealed it.
Nikolas Theslar wasn't a villain. He was a scientist trying to save the world who didn't know he was playing with forces beyond comprehension. He paid for it. Everyone paid for it.
And now, 437 years later, the survivors pilot iron tombs powered by the very energy that destroyed their world, fighting over the scraps of a civilization that thought it could master the unknowable.