03- The Apostles of Doom

by J. Langland

There is some speculation that this is how some “deceased” individuals in a particular material plane/timeline manage to return from “hell.” The idea is that an alternate, non-deceased version of them travels to the Abyss and then returns to their timeline. A glitch in their re-merge could cause the previously deceased timeline version to return to their original timeline, once more alive after having been in the Abyss.

  In any event, back to time.

  Most material planes of existence have a single primary timeline. This timeline may temporarily bifurcate when individuals make different actions in the same circumstance; however, if these differences (such as what one ate for breakfast) are minor and make no major impact on the timeline, they are quickly collapsed back to the main timeline.

  However, there are times when a confluence of events is so extreme that the timeline will bifurcate more severely, and there may be multiple independent timelines for years, centuries or millennia before they collapse and merge back; and if the course of events compounds, the multiple timelines may end up being completely different planes of existence.

  Time Travel

  It is possible to travel purely in time, or nearly purely. To travel in time, one must also travel in space, unless one wants to end up in “outer space” (whatever that is in one’s universe) due to one’s planet moving. Thus, true time travel, except for very short jumps, is quite tricky, complex and energy-intensive.

  This is one reason it is not done that often, other than by inexperienced individuals. Given that temporal bifurcations generally collapse back to the main timeline, there is little point in traveling back in time, unless one is planning to stomp on a large number of butterflies and thus force a permanent bifurcation of one’s material plane.

  Now, clearly, lesser bifurcations can exist for years or centuries; however, for someone within the timeline who is time traveling, all they are really doing is shifting their perceived consciousness to another version of themselves. The old version in the old timeline may still exist or may be ended, depending on events.

  This of course, applies only to individuals within a timeline using time travel. For individuals from outside the local timeline, manipulating the timeline of other planes of existence is a very, very different issue and as mentioned, the Rules of Temporal Manipulation are quite firm, and violation of them may result in very serious sanctions.

  Local Universes

  Mortal scholars often refer to the material plane/timeline they reside in as their local universe, or localverse. A localverse is a single timeline, a single plane of existence. The alternate worlds in a localverse are not on other planes of existence, they are simply other planets orbiting other stars in the same universe.

  Further, because the further one must travel in space within one’s localverse, the more energy is required, the categorized or known worlds in that localverse are often the worlds closest in space to one’s own planet. The power requirement for contacting worlds within one’s localverse that are in other galaxies, for example, is often larger than that required to go to a completely different universe.

  Appendix III: Introduction to Animus and Mana Polarization

  Excerpt from Principia Haatelis by Eibon of Cykranosh

  Library of Doom Catalog Number: ßéÅçþ-69454-AD-¥ç-CXXXIVCLXIX

  Perhaps one of the first principles taught to me by my first master, Zylac, was that of polarization. Now, of course, most of my learned readers will assume I mean ferromagnetic polarization; however, that is but an analogue to that of which I speak. I refer here to the central concept of life, animus.

  Animus, as we all know, is the manifestation of the elemental Plane of Spirit upon the physical planes of existence. It is that which, when assembled according to the rules of Law, produces the Soul—that which we consider our primary life force, the true essence of who we are, and that which allows us to transcend the limitations of the physical world and return to the Outer Realms upon death, or to be reincarnated in new flesh, depending on our contracts with the deities of the multiverse under the covenant established by Adam and Eve, from whom mortal kind is derived.

  In the realms in which the majority of us live, animus is a positive force; it is life and living and is the key to immortality. However, what most will not tell you is that the multiverse is bounded by more realms than those we think of. In addition to the standardly taught multitude of physical planes, Elemental Planes, Outer Planes, the singular Astral Plane and the truly hellish Abyss, there are four other quasi-planes.

  I refer to them as quasi-planes because no one or thing may dwell upon them. No animus may ever reach them. Rather, they are more like ”forces” that shape and bend the other planes, particularly the physical planes and Outer Planes. So while many conveniently refer to them as planes, this is simply because of the way people on many worlds confuse the notion of four-dimensional intersections of quantum strings with “planes” or “multiversal energy states.”

  These four “planes”, or “forces”, or whatever you call them, are what I prefer to think of as meta-forces in that they work to shape the topology of the 4D quantum strings and their intersections (e.g., the planes), particularly with respect to animus and mana. However, they do so in different ways. I will eventually get to some of the details, as I understand them in my limited manner, later in this tome; however, a full discussion is beyond a single volume.

  These four meta-forces—I think that is probably the best word to describe them in simple mortal language—consist of Law, Chaos, Positive and Negative, for want of better words. These words are not at all accurate; they are but poor mortal substitutes for what the gods know intrinsically. Now actually, Law and Chaos are a pair and Positive and Negative are a pair. So in truth, what I just told you were four meta-forces are actually but two, each antipodal aspects of the other. Law/Chaos and Positive/Negative, as one would expect due to the Laws of Bifurcation, but I digress.

  Law/Chaos works to bind/unbind mana. Briefly, for this is not what I want to speak of in this text, the relative balance or proportion of Law/Chaos in a region of the multiverse determines the balance of magic or technology available to planes within that realm. Where there is more Law, there is less magic and one must use technology to unleash the equivalent effects that one gets from magic. Where there is more Chaos, mana is less bound, more available for use by individuals. With such chaos, the repeatability of science and technology degrades and randomness and uncertainty creep in. Clearly, things become quite untenable at either end of this spectrum.

  Similarly, in life-forms (and this is what is important and why I discuss Law/Chaos in this text), e.g., for mortal creatures, the balance of Law/Chaos determines how tightly mana is bound to flesh. What we call the elder races, such as the Sidhe, are less tightly bound to flesh and thus reflect a higher degree of Chaos. Younger races, such as humans and dwarves, tend to be more tightly bound and reflect a higher degree of Law. Incidentally, the lifespan of a race tends to be (but is not exclusively) represented by how tightly they are bound to flesh. Meaning that the more tightly bound races tend to have shorter life spans than the less tightly bound. However, those lives tend to be more stable and in some ways, harder to terminate.

  There are many reasons for this, and we will go into this in later tomes; but for now, as you might imagine, those that are the least tightly bound can live a very long time. However, even they are subject to the Phoenix Cycle.

  So, after this long digression I come to Positive/Negative, and we use these words emotionally, not so much scholarly. Animus is subject to Positive and Negative polarization. In this part of the multiverse, we mainly see positively charged animus. In other regions, there is much more negative polarization.

  Now, because both negative and positive polarizations are animus, on the physical planes, both can support life; however, within a polarized section of the multiverse, they are very different sorts of life, and in the later course on necromancy we shall cover this. The short answer is that on
this side of the multiverse, where organic life is grown with positive animus, the binding between flesh and spirit is much more integrated and thus has a higher degree of Law, and thus lower Chaos. Negative life on the positive side of the multiverse will be bound at a higher Chaotic state than positive life, meaning positively charged animus is more tightly bound to matter (over here) than negatively charged animus.

  The key here, the crux of our discussion, is that positively charged animus, or animus, and negatively charged animus, or antimus, as it is colloquially called, attract each other, even as Chaos and Law are attracted. Chaos seeks to unbind Law, and Law seeks to bind Chaos. So life based on antimus, which I will call Unlife, seeks out and tries to cancel out life based on animus, or Life. Of course, this is a very simplistic explanation.

  Realizing that these designations are arbitrary, I seek only to cast that which is least familiar within the most familiar of terms.

  That all being said, because antimus binds to flesh, but on this “side” of the multiverse it must be much more loosely bound, when attempting to reattach animus to flesh, it is generally far easier to first polarize the animus into antimus and then attach it to the flesh. Of course, this is a very loose binding, as discussed, and the flesh itself was grown using animus and not antimus and… well, quite frankly, the Unlife inhabiting the body needs to replenish the body with positively charged animus, or the body will eventually fall apart. However, if one can acquire fresh animus to repair the body, having a Chaotic binding, one could live for a very long time.

  I will also take this opportunity to note that on the other “side” of the multiverse (or wherever it is) flesh that is grown naturally with Unlife is perfectly stable, and over there, positively charged animus animating a body requires infusions of antimus to keep it functional. I think this is important to note. Despite popular misconception, there is nothing intrinsically “evil” in antimus or “good” in animus. Such terms are completely relative to where one resides in the multiverse. Over here, antimus is seen as evil; on the Negative “side” of the multiverse, animus is seen as evil.

  Where the questions of good and evil come into play is in the methods needed for sustaining a decaying body. Such methods are typically seen as unethical, and thus referred to as “evil”; a concept which, I am sure we can agree, is quite amusing and useless.

  Appendix IV: Orc Social Structure

  By Oskavus Tiratus, Scholar of Orkthropology

  Mount Doom Shamanic Studies Program: Cultural Studies

  Orc social structure is often quite confusing to outsiders. At the highest level, it is relatively straightforward. However, at the daily level it all comes down to interpersonal bonds of family, friends and allies. From a scholarly point of view, it comes down to trust networks. The social structure all comes down to whom can one trust.

  One thing that makes things difficult for travelers is that in different places, in particular upon different worlds, not all levels of the social structure are in place. This is typically due to historical reasons.

  The principal social units are described below (the larger the organization, the lower level of trust between groups):

  Nation: A nation is the largest social structure and it represents a collection of hordes that have sworn to work together under an agreed-upon command structure. Binding agreements are usually formal.

  Horde: A horde is a collection of tribes that are sworn to work together under an agreed-upon command structure. Binding agreements are often formal, at least initially. Over time, on some worlds, large, long-surviving hordes behave more like giant tribes.

  Tribe: A tribe is a collection of families that are closely joined based on where they live and their joint history. There is a well-established command structure under the tribal chief and a council of elders.

  Clan: A clan is a family of orcs with well-known/established genealogical inks.

  Family: An orc's family consists of his or her immediate family members out to one degree. Beyond this they are clan mates.

  Mother/father

  Brother/sister

  Aunt/uncle

  First cousins

  Band: A band is not so much a social group as a physical group of orcs that travel and live together.

  Technically/traditionally, it is a subdivision of a tribe, or in some cases a horde.

  Bands are defined by geographical location, and/or traveling and living together.

  Band members may change as individuals may choose (or be ordered) to travel with another band within the same tribe/clan/family. A band may be of a single clan or multiple clans. In the case of a horde band, there may be members of multiple tribes.

  There will be a designated band leader, often a band chief and his/her elders/commanders.

  Band loyalty is perhaps the most intense trust connection because the survival of the group depends on trusting each other.

  The loyalty of the band, or more importantly, the lack thereof, as one would expect, tends to be the area of greatest drama, as it is susceptible to treachery, particularly when loyalty to one's other social groups conflicts with loyalty to the band.

  Shield-mate: A shield-mate is a person, mutually chosen and sworn upon in front of others, who represents the most intimate bond of trust on a military/combat level.

  Shield-mates are optional. When agreed upon, formal bonds of friendship and loyalty are sworn.

  Shield-mate agreements may be terminated.

  Shield-mates, in times of combat, come before spouse and children.

  Shield-mates are expected to defend each other to the death if need be.

  Shield-mates can be of the same or opposite genders.

  Shield-mates may or may not share physical intimacy, and doing so is not considered a breach of marriage vows.

  Appendix V: Hilda’s Saint School Notes on the Undead and the Unlife

  Infected

  Dhampyr:

  A dhampyr is a living vampire. They are not that common, as they are extremely hard to create. Vampires and vampyrs cannot procreate like mortals. Vampires and vampyrs are, to all intents and purposes, dead. They have no pulse; blood travels through the body consciously via vascular contraction, not via the heart.

  In order for vampires (or in theory vampyrs, but this would be very unlikely) to procreate, they need the assistance of powerful magics. They need both a necromancer and typically an incubus or succubus. Female vampires require a succubus to bear the child, and male vampires require an incubus to sire their offspring.

  Dhampyrs are alive and they have both animus and antimus in their system (typically). They are the only known stable examples of antimus and animus coexisting in a living creature. Dhampyrs are typically not contagious; at least not in terms of creating dhampyrs. However, under some circumstances they can induce ghoulism.

  Dhampyrs have no sensitivity to light. Dhampyrs can consume animus similar to a vampire; they have the same animus-processing capabilities as a vampire. A well-fed dhampyr is effectively immortal, similar to a vampire. Further, because they can process animus, but are not as dependent upon it for survival, they are often very powerful animus and mana users. Dhampyrs do not have to immediately consume all the animus they drink from a victim. They can store excess animus beyond what they need to survive (which is much less than a vampire); this allows them to attract and retain more mana than a normal mana wielder of the same skills and experience.

  Ghast:

  A ghast is a ghoul who has control of their ghoulism. Ghasts are typically individuals who have lived with ghoulism for a very long time and have come to be able to “manage” their condition. A ghast with proper access to fresh animus can live for quite some time, and even preserve their youth. Ghasts are typically very cunning and smart. Ghasts are ghouls and are thus Unlife and extremely contagious. When not feeding—and they can often go for some time between meals—a ghast appears to be a perfectly normal mortal and would only be detected by someone using Holy Sight or a similar ritual. />
  Ghoul:

  A ghoul is a living person whose animus has been polarized into antimus. This creates considerable issues in terms of binding antimus to an animus-optimized body. In order to survive, ghouls need to consume fresh animus on a regular basis. While the individual may be quite intelligent (or not—they are just people) they are often overwhelmed by a never-ending hunger for animus. Unfortunately, unlike a vampire, vampyr or dhampyr, ghouls have no specialized mechanism to consume animus; their only option is to consume living or very recently living flesh.

  Vampire:

  Vampires are perhaps the most well-known and feared of the Unlife. Vampires are extremely intelligent, often centuries old and extremely powerful on multiple fronts. They are extremely strong, have remarkable senses, are able to leap great distances and scale walls (and ceilings). Their ability to live for a very long time allows them to accumulate great wealth and power. As they age, many acquire different skill sets associated with being a vampire; such skills may include flight and shapeshifting capabilities.

  Vampires are Unlife who consume animus by drinking the blood of a living creature (as do dhampyrs and vampyrs). They are contagious, but the nature of the contagion depends on the vampire’s actions. An individual completely drained of animus is simply dead. One who is drained almost to death, but then receives a fresh infusion of vampire blood, will become a vampire if they survive the process. A partially drained victim may contract ghoulism from the vampire. The chance of contagion depends on the amount of blood drained from the victim and the number of times the vampire feeds.

  Vampires burst into flame when exposed to daylight. Vampires can be repelled by sufficiently powerful priests and occasionally a layperson; however, this does vary from god to god. Vampires do not recoil from mirrors, and while many MISTAKENLY believe that vampires are invisible in mirrors, this is not generally true (unless the vampire is a mana user).