Hello there readers, name's AlwaysCautious and I'm the creator of this Webnovel. This is not an official chapter so I'm just here to give you a quick heads-up about that. If you want to skip it you can go right ahead ;)
I created this to give a brief rundown of the cosmology, worldbuilding and power system so it will be easier to grasp when reading the story. There are no spoilers here and also no unique information that you'll miss out on so you'll be good either way if you decide to skip this.
Okay, that's all, bye!!
Cosmology:
At the heart of creation lay reality (Einar). This singular world stands in solitude as a disc placed flat and six continents (Prussia, Parashumara, Nevin, Xander and Phuone) spread as sheets on its surface. Its diameter is somewhat larger than that of the known solar system. Surrounding it is the colorless abyss of outermost space and the constant glimmering of stars and distant nebulas.
Encircling Einar as a border, is the ring of consistency - which allows for the passage of time within Einar to flow naturally, yet remains consistent through the erasure of 'change factors'. In this way the civilizations in Einar are, in some context, prisoners in an unchanging world of medieval development. Technology to the extent (and beyond) of the steam engine is - and will not be discovered as long as the ring of consistency stands.
Beyond the ring of consistency are seven realms, capsulated in a spherical form. Together with Einar (the ring of consistency included) they form a macrocosm that is in many ways similar to the solar system centered around the sun (in this case Einar completes that function). Each of these realms are referenced by the term "well". There are thus eight wells is total, counting Einar (Einar the well, includes the ring of consistency. Einar the world, does not).
The first to orbit Einar is the Dreamscape. It is a corporeal reality formed from a vast population of nomads from the other wells, constantly entering and exiting at each transition from consciousness into unconsciouseness and reversed. This ethereal space celebrates a full circulation around Einar every two millennia, which is the shortest circulation span among the remaining wells.
The third well into this macro-system is Fel, a perpetually expansive collection of warped daughter universes of Einar had the ring of consistency been removed. Fel celebrates a full circulation every three thousand and two hundred years and is composed of countless realms each of equal size to Einar.
Life itself is a well (heart of the wells), and beats as a heart the life into the remaining wells. It's relationship with the well of magic is somewhat paradoxical in the sense that is unknown which came first or which supports the other. It is vastly larger than the Dreamscape, roughly a million times more, and is regarded as the most important of the eight wells.
If the heart of the wells is life, it would be only natural for there to exist its polar, the well of death. All whom have died since the genesis of the eight wells continue to exist within the well of death. Roughly equal in size to the heart of the wells, the well of death completes a full circulation only 800 years after the well of life (four thousand years).
Yet another ethereal space, regarded as the "brain" of the eight wells, would be the well of magic. It is an immaterial forge of primordial energies that formed each of the individual and necessary components for the wells to be maintained (order, time, space, disorder, nature, fate and the like). All forms of magic (technology included, as any form of technology advanced enough would be indistinguishable from magic) are merely shared with by the well of magic.
At last a well smaller than the Dreamscape, yet larger than Einar, Eden - garden of the wild gods known as the leviathans. It is unsure whether they represent the purity and nature of the eight wells or if they are simply animals.
The final addition to the eight wells, the Void. Nothingness itself. Not a blanc space, but rather the only addition that existed before the wells of life and magic and the only component that is not part of the well of magic. Nothing itself.
Worldbuilding:
Einar has undergone a drastic change during the second and third cycle of the second calendar (a time period in the distant past of Einar). One of these changes is the accessibility of magic, which was not equal. In the first cycle of the third calendar (current time period of Einar) this was altered by the goddess Grainne, making is accessable for all species equally.
The six continents are each divided in a number of countries (kingdoms/empires). There are fourteen different countries that within Einar. Some are strict followers of the unwritten rule of establishing a society containing only their respective species, whilst others allow for unity and equality among species.
Each continent has a ruling bloodline of royals (or individuals of incredible wealth and influence). The Prussian continent for example has five noble families (or noble houses, or great houses). The Parashumara continent has three noble families. The continent of Nevin has six noble families. The Xander continent has three noble families, similar to the Parashumara continent and lastly the Phuone continent has but one ruling family of noble lineage.
In the world of Einar exist many species, too many to list all. This is because crossbreeding between most species is both allowed and possible. Thus for every crossbreed between two primary species there is a new species. Same can be said for crossbreeds between a primary species and a crossbreed or a crossbreed between two crossbreeds (the two crossbreeds cannot be the same species of crossbreed otherwise the offspring will not be considered a new species, but the same species of crossbreed as its parents.)
Power system:
Magic is accessable only in two formats, a gift or a relic. Gift are obtained from the Odom apples (which coincidentally can be considered a relic) grown on the Odom trees, which are very rare - only three Odom trees exist in all of Einar. The Odom apples grant those that consume them (regardless of what species they may be) a gift. This gift can either be an authority, which are abilities that bend the laws of the world to achieve the unachievable — or an inheritance, which is an ability that transforms the consumer at will (among various other small scale effects).
Any individual that has consumed an Odom apple is referred to as a celestine worthy. The reason is simple , they have attained the worthiness (potential) to become a celestial entity. Whenever a celestine worthy has attained a gift, the gift is at its absolute lowest capabilities. This is known as rank 15. The most powerful stage would be known as rank zero (0). Currently, only one rank zero exists and only one rank zero has ever existed. A celestine worthy must cultivate their gift in order to grow in power and achieve the next rank, but it will become progressively more difficult with each rank, until it will become almost unattainable. Which is why none have have been able to achieve rank 0 apart from Grainne.