Living Gate

The Living Gate is an ancient and enigmatic construct that existed long before the gods and primordials reshaped the multiverse. It served as a barrier between reality and the Dark Tapestry, a dimension of chaos, madness, and alien horrors. The gate’s destruction marked a turning point in cosmic history, allowing the corrupting influence of the Dark Tapestry to seep into existence, forever altering the balance of the planes.  

Origins

The Living Gate’s origins are shrouded in mystery, predating even the formation of the Material Plane. It was guarded by a being described as neither god nor primordial but kin to both, ensuring that none could access or peer through the gate into the Dark Tapestry beyond Creation. This guardian represented the last line of defense between the multiverse and the unknowable chaos beyond.  

Discovery by the Gods

During the earliest days of creation, Sarenrae, goddess of the sun and redemption, and Asmodeus, lord of Hell and order, discovered the Living Gate. Sarenrae, drawn by its light and potential, sought to protect it, while Asmodeus, intrigued by its power, sought to understand and control it. Together, they swore to never return to the gate or reveal its secrets.  

The Betrayal and the Opening

Tharzduun, driven by his philosophy of absolute entropy and unmaking, shattered the Living Gate. He slew its guardian and broke its seals, unleashing a torrent of alien energy and horrors from the Dark Tapestry into the multiverse. Aberrant creatures spilled into the planes, and the gods were forced to turn their attention away from their creation to combat the incursion.   This event left scars on reality itself, thinning the barriers between the Material Plane and the Dark Tapestry. Tears began to appear sporadically, allowing monstrosities to seep through and wreak havoc on creation.  

The Shattering of the Living Gate

The destruction of the Living Gate scattered its fragments, known as Godshards, across the planes. These shards retain a fraction of the gate’s power, weakening planar boundaries and serving as both a threat and a source of immense power. Though the gate itself was destroyed, Sarenrae and other gods sealed the breach, cutting off the Dark Tapestry from directly overwhelming reality.   However, the damage was done. Tears between the Material Plane and the Dark Tapestry continued to manifest, creating opportunities for aberrant incursions. The gods could only limit the spread, not eliminate the threat entirely.  

Blackness. You enter the shadows. It feels like a physical thing, the shadows pressing against you. With every step, you feel less and less like walking and more like swimming, your arms propelling you as much as your feet are. You’re no longer moving forward. You’re moving up, up to the surface. You look up and see the darkness slowly giving way to specks of light, and now you no longer swim through shadows. You seem to swim through the vastness of space, surrounded by stars. Comets, planets, and it all seems vast and endless.   In the distance, a large star sparkles brightly. You turn toward it and feel it call out to you. Space bends around you, stars stretch into long streaks of light. The star grows bigger, and you feel like you’re falling to the ground as it rushes up to you. It is huge, with uneven edges and a flat surface. When you finally stop moving, you seem to be mere feet from it. The star fills your vision, yet the light is somehow tolerable.   This is the Living Gate.   There is a presence with the gate. Or maybe it is the gate itself, you can’t be sure. You feel drawn to it and reach out to touch the flat surface. A giant shadow moves on the other side of the gate, something in the Dark Tapestry. A realm, a dimension, of nightmares.   Your head starts spinning. You hear voices in your mind, voices that seem to be arguing with each other. Some say to destroy the gate to keep the monsters out. Others say that the gate is the only thing keeping them out now. Then you hear a third voice. A child’s voice. The voice of the Living Gate. “Don’t kill me.”   You’re pushed back, faster and faster. The stars blur again, and the Living Gate is but a tiny speck in the night sky. You feel the voice this time, the words feeling cold and evil against your skin. If evil could be felt as a physical sensation, this voice bore that feeling. The voice said, “It is decided.”   Then a scream that hurts your mind so badly that you go blind. There is only blackness.   Then a blinding light. An explosion.   The destruction of something of unimagined power.   Your vision returns and the stars ripple under a shockwave so intense, the ones nearest the white light blink out. Glowing debris scatter across the cosmos, and you see one of these pieces, one about the size of a small moon, fly by you. You feel a sensation of fear and uncertainty coming from the rock, and you end up being caught up in the mighty comet’s tail.   Time passes but you have no way of knowing how much. Centuries pass by in seconds. You can still feel the comet, but that feeling of fear becomes something else. Acceptance. The excitement of the unknown. New challenges ahead, while still a feeling of dread somewhere deep down that the Dark Tapestry was not locked away like They thought it would be.   The Living Gate’s purpose hadn’t changed. Protect. Keep the darkness out. Maintain the balance of the cosmos.   You’ve lost track of time now. It feels like you and the comet have been flying through space and time forever. Planets, galaxies, all passed by in the blink of an eye. The comet starts turning and begins flying in another direction. The comet doesn’t like this. This is not a choice. Or chance. Something is guiding its path. You feel it start to struggle, then it hits something and you feel the impact tear the comet apart. Tear you apart. Not enough to stop whatever force was pulling on the comet, pulling on you. Parts of you now, parts of the comet – you are the comet – rush toward a planet. Fire surrounds you as you burn through the atmosphere. You just want to stop, but you punch through the clouds towards a land mass below. You get closer and now you can see things. Buildings. You feel the terror of the people below as you rush toward them. You hear a roaring, the voices of thousands of screams of people who know their time has come. You feel their fear. They know they are going to die. Because of you.   Impact.   Everything is dark now. Dark and quiet. You hear the soft cries of those still dying, and they trickle down like raindrops against your skin. Innocent people dead and dying. Someone did this to them. To you. But that doesn’t help keep back the sadness inside you. “I’m sorry,” you hear a voice say.

 

Modern Implications

The destruction of the Living Gate forever altered the multiverse. Cults dedicated to Tharzduun seek to locate and use the Godshards to break his chains and restore the Living Gate, believing this will herald the Epoch of Ends. Meanwhile, scholars and planar defenders strive to safeguard the Godshards, fearing their misuse.   Among the fragments, the Starstone stands as one of the most significant. Though its connection to the Living Gate has been obscured by time, scholars theorize that it is a powerful Godshard. Its lingering influence continues to shape Golarion’s history.  

Abilities of the Living Gate

While its primary purpose was to connect the multiverse with the Dark Tapestry, the Living Gate could be ritually tuned to open portals to other locations within the multiverse. Even a single shard of the gate could thin planar boundaries, allowing dangerous incursions. The gate’s full capabilities remain unknown, as its destruction ensured that its secrets were lost to time.