The Universe The Universe The Universe

The Beginning


Lost in the mists of antiquity is the origin of the Abyss. Around it was a small shadow that eventually came to be known as the Courts of Chaos. Everything else was Primal Chaos and in constant flux, nothing can survive in Primal Chaos. Among the many artifacts possessed by the denizens of the Courts was the Jewel of Judgment which allowed the possessor to stabilize parts of Primal Chaos and create new worlds. These worlds fell apart once the Jewel is removed however, only the Courts remained without the influence of the Jewel.

The Logrus


In an attempt to create more permanent shadows one of the inhabitants who would become the first King of Chaos inscribed the Logrus, an attempt to mimic the 3 dimensional Pattern inside the Jewel. The Logrus is a 2 dimensional Pattern constantly in motion trying to replicate the 3 dimensional Pattern. Its creation caused the Beyond to come into existence, semi-permanent shadows of the Courts. As well the King and all his descendants control great power and the ability to move from shadow to shadow. The King and his family conquer the Courts and the Beyond and establish the Kingdom of Chaos which lasts for millennia before the next change.

The Pattern


Dworkin, a Duke of Chaos and descendant of the 1st King, stole the Jewel of Judgment and inscribed a new Pattern. Instead of trying to replicate the 3 dimensionless of the Jewel's Pattern he inscribed just a slice of it creating a static 2 dimensional Pattern. An innumerable number of new shadows came into being. The power of the Logrus was reduced and while it can be used to travel in some of the new shadows its reach is limited. The shape shifting ability of the people of Chaos was also reduced.

The descendants of Dworkin who are attuned to the new Pattern have great new powers, greater than those attuned to the Logrus at its height. The could travel to any shadows, and only in the Courts and the Beyond did they find their abilities degraded.

The first Patternwar and Ygg


War broke out between the Courts and a son of Dworkin, Oberon. With the new powers of the Pattern Oberon defeats the Courts and used the Jewel to etablish a barrier that those attuned to the Logrus can not cross called Ygg, limiting them to a small set of shadows near the Beyond. Ygg often manifests as a large sentient tree but does take other forms in the many shadows it reached across.

Amber


Dworkin and Oberon begin to experiment with their new Pattern. Their greatest achievement is to use the Jewel, and the blood of Oberon's new born son to cast a reflection of the Pattern creating the Pattern of Amber which acts as a lens causing the Tir' and Rebma Patterns to exist and "mirror" the shadow of Amber. When this happened the shadows are expanded even further and the Courts are pushed away to the very edge of the Pattern's influence, taking the boundary of Ygg with it. A new set of readily accessible shadows are created, heavily influenced by the Pattern called the Golden Circle, which Oberon and his sons soon set up trade with making his new Kingdom of Amber a center for cross-shadow trade.

The Patternfall War


As the centuries pass the children of Oberon come into contact with a newly resurgent Chaos, partially freed from the influence of the Pattern they plotted the Pattern's destruction. Some of Oberon's children conspired with these forces to capture Oberon, damage the Pattern and in conjunction with the Blood Curse of one of their members broke the Ygg boundary and opened a path for the armies of Chaos to once again assail the Pattern. The forces of Chaos were defeated in their attack partiall when some of the conspirators realize that Chaos ment to destroy the Pattern, not just turn it over to their control, partially because the family of Oberon rallied togeather to resist them, and partially due to the Blood Curse placed on Chaos by the death of Eric on of Oberon's sons. The forces of Amber marched on Chaos while Oberon attempted to repair the damage done to the Pattern. Upon his success waves of Primal Chaos reset all of the Shadows influenced by the Pattern and much of the work the family has done over several hundred years was destroyed.

Rose


Not knowing wheather Oberon had succeeded, Corwin, antoher of his son inscribed a second Pattern in an attempt to save creation just before he is overcome by the wave of Primal Chaos. This Pattern, called Rose, is much closer to the Courts and only the timely arrival of the Jewel of Judgment kept the Courts from being devastated by the two waves of Primal Chaos, one from the reinscription of the Pattern and one from Corwin's inscription. Much of the Beyond was recast under the influence of both Patterns. Travel with the Logrus towards the Patterns is virtually impossible. The Beyond that had been pushed outside the influence of the First Pattern is now oppressed by Rose. Ygg was repaired by the fist wave of Primal Chaos, only to be destroyed by the second. Many shadows where the influence of the two Patterns overlap were recast. Travel in the area where all 3 powers over lap is impossible without the Jewel and Shadow storms regularly sweep out of this area across the shadows.
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 Last modified: 01/18/2005 09:18:06.