Cosmic Homeostasis[]
The world of Arda is created, sustained and renewed through a continual ebbing and flowing of various cosmic forces. Arda typically exists in a state of homeostasis with opposing cosmic forces tending toward equilibrium. When the tide of one cosmic force rises it's counterpart forces inevitably rise to counterbalance it. Occasionally, there are cataclysmic events that cause a preternatural shift, surge or misalignment between these forces that sets off a violent reaction as opposing forces flood in to restore balance. These shifts often manifest themselves as intervention by the divine, aberrant, outsider, eldritch or arcane. They also often serve as the organizing principles for the pantheons and religions of many cultures and races. Cosmic homeostatic relationships are thought to be emanations or manifestations of this deeper esoteric truth. Cosmic homeostatic relations tend to manifest as cosmic counterparts, complements, spectra, phases or cycles.
Example Cosmic Counterparts[]
These cosmic forces are often dualistic, existing either as counterparts or in tension with each other.
- Chaos and Order
- Good (Divine) and Evil (Infernal)
- Destiny and Will
- Fate and Fortune
- Creation and Destruction
- Life and Death
- This World and Other World
- Yin and Yang
- Dreaming and Wakening
- Light and Shadow
- Void and Matter
- Flow and Stasis
Example Cosmic Complements[]
Cosmic forces may exist as complements with several elements working together in a system.
- Prime material, Feywild and Shadowfell
- Elements such as wind, water, air, earth, and aether
- Mind, Body, Soul
- Spirit (Ka), Soul (Ba), Body (Ra)
- Atomic forces: weak, strong, electromagnetic, gravity, universal
Example Cosmic Spectra[]
Cosmic forces may also exist somewhere between several extremes on a spectrum.
- Wavelengths of light
- Time, Space, Matter and Energy
Example Cosmic Phases[]
Cosmic forces may also be the same cosmic principle that exists in a different state or phase.
- States of matter: liquid, solid, gas, plasma
- Phases of aether: void (destruction), material (decay), arcana (restoration), aether (creation)
- States of being: mortal, lesser immortal, greater immortal, demigod, deity,
- Spiritual states: damned, lost, saved, sanctified, beatified, sainted
- States of consciousness: enlightened, bodhisattva, nirvana, avatar
Example Cosmic Cycles[]
Cosmic forces may work in cycles with each leading to the next in a predictable or rhythmic way.
- Ancestor, Family, Descendant
- Solar, lunar and celestial cycles
- Seasonal cycles
- Life and death cycles
- Measured time, eons, epochs and age
Cosmic Tides[]
Cosmic counterparts, complements and cycles tend to ebb and flow. As one retreats, the other rises. For example, an empire's fortune might experience a meteoric rise. Or the lay lines of a particular geography may experience an ebbing as the local connection to the fey realm fades. Or as a new age dawns, the element of water becomes more potent against its complementary elements, such as fire and air.
Cosmic Junctions[]
Cosmic forces as they ebb and flow, shift and break, mix and mingle. This creates cosmic fault lines, frontier zones and points of intersection. It is at these boundaries where cataclysms happen, gods are born, deep magic is unleashed, and thresholds between realms are opened. Across Arda, cosmic junctions are to be feared as momentous occurrences, contained as existential inflections, explored as wonderous possibilities, and mastered as revolutionary events of cosmic scale and importance.
Cosmic Children[]
Cosmic forces mold, affect and influence the Children of Arda. For most, it is a subtle interplay that influences their life through their religion, culture or the natural, environmental and historic events of their time. For some, the influence is far more direct.
Cosmic Born[]
Some Children of Arda are naturally born under a strong cosmic influence. This means that they have strong racial or biological traits that are associated with a cosmic power. These traits are often inherited from their parents, ancestors or kind. These cosmic children are often given epithets that describe them as being "born" of their associated cosmic power. For instance, many Genasi are referred to as "Fireborn" or "Stormborn" due to their elemental ancestry. Humanoids born in the Feywild or Shadowfell may be known as "Feyborn" or "Shadowborn." Eladrin born into a given season might be thought of as "Winterborn." Those with draconic, infernal or divine ancestry might be known as dragonborn, cambion, or aasimir.
Cosmic Touched[]
Other Children of Arda are exposed to places, beings, phenomena or events of cosmic power and are said to be "cursed," "blessed," "kissed" or "touched" if they take on or begin expressing traits. Lawful beings who traverse the Abyss may immerge "Chaos-touched." A cleric who encounters their tempest god may become "tempest blessed." A cultist who summons a morgul creature or claims an ancient artifact may become "shadow cursed." An adventurer who is present at the creation of a fey crossing might become "fey touched."
Cosmic Raised[]
Some orders teach cosmic principles to their disciples, some religions instill cosmic character into their devote, and some societies passively bequeath a legacy of cosmic power to their members as part of their cultural inheritance. For instance, the Ashari are attuned to the given element of their tribe by the fact that they grew up surrounded by it and immersed in it. The lost empire of Khyros were able to harness the power of their spirit (Ka) and soul (Ba) do to their cultural connections to the Valar of the Dead, Mandhos. The civic priesthood of the Lucents in Amyran society seem to take on aspects of their Lucent masters because they are raised up in their veneration this cuts across race and caste.