A Lecture on the Birth of Universes

[Tsillanabor]

From the Collegia Corylak Great Travellers Lecture Series

Presenting Versi, author of Versi's Guide to Unusual Places in the Prime Material Plane and Versi's Guide to Planar Systems, the authoritative work on the subject.

All is chaos. The multiverse consists mostly of the Immaterium. A new universe begins with an intrusion of matter into the Immaterium. The Immaterium reacts to the intrusion of matter by attempting to change (not destroy, simply change) the matter. Like a chemical reaction, this interaction of the Immaterium trying to change the matter and the matter trying to maintain its shape produces energy in the form of pure positive and negative energy. If the positive energy feeding the nascent Materium is stronger than the negative energy trying to destroy it, a stable system of Source Planes may form. This system consists of four planes if the Immaterium is included.

The Immaterium is the source of change. It is a realm of pure chaos, dangerous to material life. Creatures inhabit this plane, but they have little resemblance to terrestrial life. Their forms constantly shift and their minds are beyond human comprehension. Some are so powerful that the mightiest of gods tremble to think of them.

The Materium is the source of stability, it is the raw potential of Matter. The Elemental Planes and their sub-planes exist here. Creatures in habit these planes, creatures that exemplify the raw elements in their natural states.

The Positive Energy plane is the impetus to development. It is the creative urge and the spark of life. We mortals consider such things to be ‘good’, but make no mistake- the inhabitants and very nature of this plane can be extremely hazardous to our life forms.

The Negative Material plane is the source of entropy- not in the form of disorder, but of dissolution decay and death. To our feeble minds this plane is the source of evil, but the inhabitants and nature of the plane are beyond such concepts.

The interaction of the Source Planes creates the Transitive Plane known as the Astral Plane. While some use the Astral Plane merely to traverse the planes, as it connects to all of them, it is a Transitive Plane in more way than that. It is the plane of potentia, the halfway point between a Source Plane and a Prime Material Plane. It is my theory that when the natural ebb and flow of Immaterium, Matter, and Negative and Positive Energy that makes up the Astral Plane forms a stable whirlpool of sorts, a Prime Material Plane can come into being.

We all know what the Prime Material plane is like, as it is the plane that we inhabit. What many do not know is that the Prime Material plane consists of four planes that inhabit the same space and mirror each other in many ways.

The Terrestrial Plane is where we live. It is the section of the Prime closest to the Materium, which is reflected in its relative stability.

The Ethereal Plane is the section of the Prime closest to the Immaterium, which is reflected in its intangible nature. The ‘laws’ of nature that govern our own plane are considerably more malleable here, making it an excellent place for experimentation, travel, etc. Many souls from the Terrestrial Plane make their way here as ghosts.

The Plane of Shadow is the section of the Prime closest to the Negative Energy plane. It is a shadowy place of eternal night; a dark reflection of our own reality. Shadowcasters and other users of Shadow Magic tap into this plane as the source of their power.

The Plane of Faerie is the section of the Prime closest to the Positive Energy plane. It is a plane of life abundant, filled with magical creatures of great power.

The Prime Material planes introduce the final piece of the puzzle in creating a universe. The living creatures of the Source Planes are not dualistic in nature, but intelligent creatures of the Prime have souls separate from their physical bodies. The energy of Spirit creates a new type of plane-the Spirit Planes.

The first of the Spirit Planes is Limbo. It is the plane of Neutrality, existing before the other Spirit Planes. The Spirit Planes are extremely mutable, and are typically controlled by the most powerful beings on the plane. You might even call them ‘gods.’

Another plane is Celestia. It draws power from the Positive Energy Plane. It is the residence and destination of Good souls. The plane, though infinite, is divided into layers known as ‘Heavens,’ some of which tend towards Law or Chaos.

The opposite of Celestia is the Abyss, which draws power from the Negative Energy Plane. Like Celestia, it is divided into layers. These are known as Hells. Those tending towards Law are inhabited by Devils, while those tending towards Chaos are the abode of Demons.

The other axis is Law-Chaos. The plane of Law is known as Nirvana. While some layers tend towards Good or Evil, this plane is for the predominantly Lawful.

The opposing plane is Pandemonium, realm of those who tend to Chaos. While the plane can tend towards the sanity-bending, it doesn’t approach the alien otherness of the Immaterium. It remains a chaos that the mortal mind can comprehend.

I will now open the lecture to your questions.

 

[The Shaman]

Will this be on the final?

 

[Tsillanabor]

Will this be on the final?

I suppose that will be up to your regular instructor. I believe that my Guide to Planar Systems is on your required reading list.

 

[Ciaran]

I see no reference to the Elemental Planes in your schema, sir. How do they originate, and to which of the Source Planes is each element aligned? Most scholars agree that the Earth Plane is associated with the Materium and the Air Plane with the Negative Material plane; however, Ferramentum the Elder links Fire to the Positive Material and Water to the Immaterium, while Argorissa of Nov Clemen argues the reverse. Which is correct?

 

[jgbrowning]

Hooey. It's turtles all the way down.

joe b.

 

[Tsillanabor]

I see no reference to the Elemental Planes in your schema, sir. How do they originate, and to which of the Source Planes is each element aligned? Most scholars agree that the Earth Plane is associated with the Materium and the Air Plane with the Negative Material plane; however, Ferramentum the Elder links Fire to the Positive Material and Water to the Immaterium, while Argorissa of Nov Clemen argues the reverse. Which is correct?

Neither-the Elemental planes are the raw stuff of Matter-they ARE the Materium, as stated here:

The Materium is the source of stability, it is the raw potential of Matter. The Elemental Planes and their sub-planes exist here. Creatures in habit these planes, creatures that exemplify the raw elements in their natural states.

It is my belief that when Matter encounters the Immaterium, over enough time it will break into its constituent elements. Since ALL matter has at least some Earth, Air, Fire, and Water these become the nucleii of the Elemental Planes. Without enough of each element, the nascent Materium will not have the strength to hold its form and will be changed by the Immaterium.

 

[Tsillanabor]

Hooey. It's turtles all the way down.

joe b.

I have seen Prime planes that fit this description, but never an entire cosmology. Are you from such a plane?

 

[Goblyn]

I've a two-part question.

First: May more than one Prime material plane exist at any given time.

and second: If so, would it be supposable that more than one plane may 'share' one or more parts?

For example: suppose more than one Prime material exists. each would consist of Ethereal, Terrestrial, Astral, and Shadow; thus two 'quartet' planes would have a total of eight parts. Could it be that these two Prime Materials could share, say, an Astal Plane, making still two distinct Prime Materials, but with only seven planar 'parts' between them?

This line of thinking brings me to a new query, one which I must apologise for not introducing earlier: Would they necessarily have to share a plane, supposing that there could only be one astral plane, but any number of prime material planes?

Thank you for any clarifications.

 

[Tsillanabor]

I've a two-part question.

First: May more than one Prime material plane exist at any given time.

Yes, there are several in our own universe. I believe that there are other universes with their own Prime Material Planes as well, but due to the hostile nature of the Immaterium it is difficult to observe other universes. One such universe I like to call the Great Wheel universe because of its shape. I hope one day to gather the power to travel there.

and second: If so, would it be supposable that more than one plane may 'share' one or more parts?

For example: suppose more than one Prime material exists. each would consist of Ethereal, Terrestrial, Astral, and Shadow; thus two 'quartet' planes would have a total of eight parts. Could it be that these two Prime Materials could share, say, an Astal Plane, making still two distinct Prime Materials, but with only seven planar 'parts' between them?

The Astral Plane is not part of the Prime Material-I believe you meant to say the Plane of Faerie. Although three-dimensional geometry is sadly limited in describing groupings of individual infinite spaces, I believe each prime to be disc-like in shape, with individual Primes stacked atop each other. It is conceiveable that a disc that was 'lopsided' for some reason could intrude upon another Prime.

This line of thinking brings me to a new query, one which I must apologise for not introducing earlier: Would they necessarily have to share a plane, supposing that there could only be one astral plane, but any number of prime material planes?

Thank you for any clarifications.

There is indeed only one Astral Plane, surrounded by the Source Planes, in which the Prime and Spirit Planes can be said to float like apples in a barrel. The individual Primes typically do not share planes, but as I said before it is theoretically possible. Excellent questions.

 

[Goblyn]

There is indeed only one Astral Plane, surrounded by the Source Planes, in which the Prime and Spirit Planes can be said to float like apples in a barrel. The individual Primes typically do not share planes, but as I said before it is theoretically possible. Excellent questions.

Okay, in that line of thinking, if I follow it correctly(caveat) could then more than one prime be congruent in the astral(as apparently they must be), and share, say, shadow planes as well? At this point it may become clear whether I correctly understood the lecture or not.