Part Two: Beyond the Mortal Realm
The mortal races of Conclave inhabit the realm between Chaos and Concordance, but the universe extends beyond this. What lies beyond, and how it is arranged is a matter of debate, but according to Teshnuvar:
'The world is surrounded by the Sphere of the Firmament, upon which ride the Sun, Moon and Stars. One half of the Firmament is Day, the other Night, and as the Firmament revolves around the mortal realm so do Day and Night follow one after the other.'
There are other heavenly bodies besides the sun, moon and stars which are not connected to the Firmament. Four of these, Teshnuvar termed the Wanderers with the colours Jade, Gold, Silver and Bronze. Legends tell of an Iron Wanderer but the fate of that is discussed elsewhere. The Wanderers are also known by other names - the Jade Wanderer is also known as the Bringer of Plenty and when it is bright in the sky it is considered an auspicious time for sowing or harvest. The Bronze Wanderer is also known as the Baleful Wanderer or Dragon's Eye, and it is considered an omen of war if it is bright in the sky.
It is said that the mortal realms of the World of Conclave are like a drop of water on a mirror. The reflected world exists beneath the mortal realm and is known variously as the Mirror Realm, the Netherworld or the Underwater Darkness World. It is believed to be home to spirits of darkness and destruction, inimicable to life on the mortal realm by their very nature, since everything in the Underwater Darkness World is the opposite of the world above. Creatures from the Underwater Darkness World can travel to the mortal realm by riding upon the night sky, or through places where the two realms are close, such as deep chasms, dark water or reflective surfaces. And, of course, they can be brought across by magicians wicked or foolish enough to contact them.
Interwoven throughout the World of Conclave is the Spirit Realm, contiguous with all things, where the spirits that drive the apparatus of the world live. There are spirits of all sizes and levels of power, from the tiny spirits that make a flower blossom and change the colour of the leaves in autumn, through to the larger spirits that make the rivers flow and move the glaciers, up to powerful godlike spirits who move the weather, turn the Firmament, make the earth fertile and generally govern the activities of the lesser spirits in their domain. All these entities, however, are as bound by the forces of Chaos and Concordance as the mortals. Some people believe in a powerful Creator beyond even these two mighty cosmic forces.
(c) 2006 The Creative Conclave.
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