Overview of World and Gods

The History of the Worlds and the Pantheon of the Shattered Realms

The Age Before the Shattering

Long ago, the cosmos was whole, a unified realm of potential where both magic and technology intertwined under the watchful eyes of the divine. It was ruled jointly by the twin gods Abraxas, master of Elements, Chaos, and Passion, and Agathodika, goddess of Justice, Order, and Purity. These divine siblings maintained balance—until their philosophies diverged irreparably.

Abraxas, driven by chaotic passion, unleashed a cosmic cataclysm known as The Shattering, sundering the unified realm into two distinct worlds: Valdarian, the realm of magic, and Orthyian, the realm of technology. In doing so, Abraxas fragmented not only the material world but the shared destiny of its inhabitants. Agathodika has since toiled to mend the rift, her every effort undermined by her brother's capricious meddling.

Abraxas, god of Elements, Chaos, and Passion, is impulsive, vibrant, and unpredictable.
Agathodika, goddess of Justice, Order, and Purity, sought structure, clarity, and purpose.

Together, they governed the world and the rest of the Pantheon kept the cosmic balance. But tensions grew.
Where Abraxas saw creativity in disorder, Agathodika saw danger. Where Agathodika sought to refine the universe into a perfect system, Abraxas saw stagnation. Their divine feud escalated—each gathering followers among the gods—and eventually culminated in a catastrophic event known as The Shattering.

The Shattering

The Shattering was not a war or battle—it was an existential rupture, a divine schism that split the one world into two realms:

Valdarian, a high-fantasy realm dominated by magic.
Orthyian, a clockwork steampunk realm powered by technology.

This act tore the fabric of reality, sending shockwaves through both mortal and divine planes. The gods, now fractured in allegiance, were either drawn toward one world or kept shifting between both, depending on their domains.

The Worlds After the Shattering

Valdarian – Realm of Magic

A tapestry of magical city-states reminiscent of ancient Greece, Valdarian is a place where dragons roost in treetop cities, griffins and owlbears help to plow fields, and unicorns and other fey creatures illuminate sacred groves. Magic is part of every breath, every task, and every corner of life.

A high fantasy realm of breathtaking enchantment, Valdarian evolved into a land of city-states much like the ancient Greek poleis. Leadership is based on personal power—magical prowess or unique abilities—and societal functions are deeply interwoven with magic. Cities built into vast forest trees, carved into mountainsides, or grown from sandstone in arid deserts, reflect a society harmonized with its environment.

Dragons, griffins, and unicorns are companions and laborers alike. Magic powers nearly all facets of life, from transportation to agriculture, rendering technology nearly useless and unreliable. Valdarian's legal system is city-state dependent, where guilt can lead even nobles into indentured servitude, auctioned off as repayment to society. Investigators and indent hunters enforce this often-abused system.

Despite its enchantment, Valdarian is rooted in a rigid caste system, its rural society structured around agriculture and regional power struggles.

Governance is localized and power is earned through magical prowess or unique abilities.
A caste system and indentured servitude define much of its legal and labor systems.
Technology malfunctions here, unreliable at best.

Orthyian – Realm of Industry

In stark contrast, A realm of sprawling empires, clockwork steam-powered constructs, and scientific rigor. Here, magic is reduced to myth, explained away through technological means or dismissed entirely.

Orthyian is an industrialized, clockwork steampunk world dominated by empires. Though these empires war over resources and territory, all share a guiding principle: the greater good over the individual. Their wars are bloodless for mortals, fought instead by engineered constructs—robots powered by cold fusion and intricate clockwork.

Magic in Orthyian is all but myth, its rare occurrences explained through science and temporary alchemical enhancements. Even fantastical beasts like griffins or trolls are understood through biological or mechanical rationale.

Society is highly bureaucratic and urban, driven by mining and resource extraction. Labor is mechanized, freeing mortals for intellectual pursuits. Like Valdarian, Orthyian also upholds a caste system. Lawbreakers may disappear or be turned into constructs, victims of a system prioritizing utility and conformity.

Empires operate under a principle of the greater good, sacrificing individuals when necessary.
Labor is performed by constructs and automatons.
The society is bureaucratic, highly urbanized, and structured around industrial output.

The Divine Pantheon

Following the Shattering, the gods remained connected to both worlds, though they leaned toward one or the other based on their nature:

Central Powers

They remain in eternal conflict, their divine tug-of-war reflected in the worlds they shaped.

Abraxas (Chaos, Elements, Passion): The architect of the Shattering. Seen as a dark father of Valdarian and an enemy of structure in Orthyian.
Agathodika (Order, Justice, Purity): Now tirelessly works to repair the Shattering. Her influence is felt most in Orthyian's laws and social systems.

The Pantheon of the Shattered Realms

The gods, split in influence across both realms, continue to shape the fates of mortals:

Alastair (Strategy, Hearth): A stabilizing figure, patron of both home defenses and calculated warfare. He bridges the divide, respected in both worlds.
Desdemona (Luck, Trickery): Thrives in chaos. Favored in Valdarian for her magical gambits and in Orthyian by rogue engineers and gamblers.
Esotericus (Secrets, Hidden Wisdom): Hoards knowledge jealously. Revered in elite circles of Orthyian and arcane orders of Valdarian. Opposes Zaiyah for making knowledge public.
Isolde (Winter, Revenge): A symbol of controlled power and cold resolve. Closely aligned with Liora, Lunafreya, and Omisha, she represents nature’s harsh but necessary cycles.
Liora (Sun, Honour): Embodies light and unshakable loyalty. Strongly opposes Amartya Mazzikin, a rogue force who tries to defy death itself.
Lunafreya (Moon, Shadows, Introspection): A goddess of internal journeys. Despite being of the dark, she is no enemy of life. She stands between all sides, though her sympathies sometimes lie with the controversial Amartya.
Omisha (Death, Balance, Nature): Death as a natural rhythm. She is furious at Amartya Mazzikin, whose defiance of death is a direct threat to her domain.
Peregrine (Travelers, Underdogs): The most loved by mortals, least respected by gods. He moves unseen and champions the forgotten—his faith thrives quietly in both worlds.
Seifer (War, Peace, Love, Hate): Holds opposing forces in delicate balance. Stands with Omisha and often condemns Amartya Mazzikin's heretical quest.
Tissaia (Harvest, Bounty, Resurrection): Joyful and nurturing. Deeply tied to Valdarian’s agricultural rhythms and resents the cold rationalism of Orthyian.
Twyla (Time, Prophecy, Destiny): Sees all possible futures. Dispassionate and fatalistic, she opposes Abraxas and allies with Agathodika to maintain cosmic inevitability.
Zaiyah (Creativity, Knowledge, Innovation): Dual goddess of both Magic and Technology. Worshiped in both Valdarian (as Magic) and Orthyian (as Technology). Appears disorganized but is highly cunning, and secretly works with Twyla to shape mortal invention and insight.

Unseen War: Divine Politics

The Pantheon divided:

Agathodika, Twyla, and Zaiyah form a subtle alliance aimed at guiding mortals back toward unity and structure.
Abraxas, Desdemona, and sometimes Lunafreya represent unpredictable forces that resist fate and order.
Omisha, Seifer, and Peregrine operate independently, enforcing balance, passion, and compassion, often clashing with the others’ agendas.
Amartya Mazzikin (not listed in the core pantheon) is the wild card, a controversial mortal or demigod-like entity who seeks to undo death itself—causing rifts among the divine, especially with Omisha.

The Current Era

Mortals in both Valdarian and Orthyian live under the shadow of divine interference and ancient cosmic wounds:

Prophets dream of reunification, whispering of a third realm that may one day emerge.
Constructs malfunction under strange magical surges.
Ancient spells mutate, behaving more like machines than magic.
The gods watch, intervene, and argue from the divine realm above—ever at odds, ever entwined.

And somewhere between shadow and starlight, Peregrine walks among mortals, watching, listening, and guiding the lost.