Cosmology of Aethervale

The Myth of Creation

In the beginning, there was only the Aether—a swirling, chaotic maelstrom of raw magical potential. From this primordial soup emerged the First Brood, the ancient dragons of myth. They were not mere beasts, but cosmic architects. Through their breath, they cooled the Aether into the continents; through their flight, they carved the oceans; and through their blood, they seeded the world with magic.

The Secret Masters: The Ancient Dragons

Most believe the ancient dragons went extinct or left Aethervale millennia ago during the mythical 'Sundering'. This is the greatest lie ever told.

The ancient dragons are still here. They realized that ruling openly invited rebellion and the combined wrath of lesser races. Instead, they adopted guises, becoming the hidden puppet masters of Aethervale. They manipulate economies, start wars, and hoard magical artifacts not in cavernous lairs, but in bank vaults and secure arcane repositories.

Notable Ancients (Hidden):

• Aurelius the Golden (The Weaver of Coin): An ancient Gold Dragon who secretly controls the central banking guild of Kigum. He ensures the world remains stable enough for commerce, hoarding wealth through interest rates rather than plundering.
• Ignis-Kaan the Cinder King: An ancient Red Dragon slumbering beneath the volcanic peaks of the North-East. He manipulates the Giantfolk tribes through fiery omens, seeking to plunge the world into a chaotic war so he can rule the ashes.
• Xylira the Emerald Dreamer: An ancient Green Dragon who subtly guides the Elven conclaves of Lemmion and Wyn_Dor, twisting their isolationism into xenophobia to keep the forests untamed and under her sway.

The Divine Order: The Seven Saints

While the dragons are the architects of the physical world, the Seven Saints are the architects of its soul. Each Saint represents a pillar of civilization and governs a domain in the Upper Aether. They are the primary deities worshipped in the modern era, forming the Aetheric Accord that maintains the balance of the currents.

The Primordial Shadows: Forbidden Deities

Before the ascension of the Saints, Aethervale was the playground of raw conceptual entities known as the Forbidden Deities. These primordial voices, such as Ythul and Nyxara, represent the untamed, chaotic aspects of the Aether. Their worship is banned in most lands, yet they still whisper to the desperate from beyond the Aetheric Shell.

The Nature of Magic

Magic in Aethervale is drawn from the Aether Currents, invisible rivers of energy that crisscross the globe. The cities of Kigum and Steamfort were deliberately built on major 'Aether Nodes', giving them immense power.