🌌🌑 Corestones of Reality - Lore 🌑🌌

Something a little different today! we're really looking forward to this one - still super (super!) relevant in our current campaign, the Corestones of Reality in Athana are right at the heart of what can make Athana special, this post is to get you a little more acquainted with the idea of them, what they are, how they work (more to come!) and why they exist!

One of our Player Characters - an Air Ashari 'Nevine' with the Corestone of Air.

Overview of Corestones

Corestones are legendary artifacts in Athana, integral to the balance and structure of the universe. These artifacts exist for every plane of existence, including the Elemental Planes, the Feywild, the Shadowfell and less solid outer planes such as the Dreamplane, and the Nightmare Plane, among others. Formed during the cosmic birth of Athana, they are as natural and essential as stars and planets. These artifacts are intertwined with the fabric of reality, acting as linchpins that maintain the balance and integrity of the planes. They serve as anchors or tethers, linking their respective planes to the Material Plane. Each Corestone is bound with the power of its own plane of existence, making them both powerful and volatile, existing in both realms simultaneously.

Corestone of Fire

Attunement and Bonding

Bonding with a Corestone is a rare and arduous process, involving a series of highly challenging skill checks. This ritual of attunement is not only difficult to perform but also to initiate, as locating a Corestone is nearly impossible. They are hidden from divination magic and tend to manifest where the veil between the Material Plane and the relevant plane is thinnest, such as atop the highest mountains or in the deepest ocean trenches. In the world of Athana, no player character has successfully bonded with a Corestone, underscoring their immense power and elusiveness. They serve as pivotal narrative elements, often driving major plot points and shaping the world's history. Corestones are more than mere artifacts to be acquired; they are profound mysteries to be unravelled and respected.

Psionic Protectors

An ancient order of psionic beings known as the Draenyr once dedicated themselves to the protection and understanding of these Corestones. They had a profound knowledge of the stones' functions and locations. However, they were nearly annihilated by a world tyrant - Velshar, who perceived them as a threat. In modern times, the remnants of an offshoot of this order, known as the Ashari, protect only the elemental Corestones.

Corestone of Nightmares

Inspiration, Evolution and Characteristics

The concept of Corestones in Athana was initially inspired by the 'Orb of Annihilation' from classic fantasy lore. However, in Athana, they have evolved far beyond this inspiration, becoming unique and integral elements of the world's mythology and narrative structure. They are not mere objects of destruction but are complex and nuanced elements central to the universe's balance. Corestones are roughly the size of a basketball, with a 'True' location where their power is most potent and their presence most stable. However, a mortal who manages to bond with a Corestone can harness fragments of its power from afar. They can even, through great effort and over time, shift its 'True' location, although this process is arduous and results in minimal movement. This ability adds a dynamic aspect to the Corestones, making them not just static objects but entities with potential for change and influence.

The Calamity of Sacria and the Earth Corestone

The Calamity of Sacria was a major catastrophic event caused by the destruction of the tether between the Material Plane and the Elemental Plane of Earth. This was inadvertently triggered by an Aasimar named Isaac Ultiodi. The severance of this tether led to a violent collision of the two planes, causing massive devastation in the region of central Wigia in early 413aw. The immediate aftermath of this collision saw earth, rock, and mountains from the Elemental Plane violently entering the Material Plane through the void left by the broken tether. The longer-term effects included the emergence of mountainous earth elementals and significant political and social upheaval as nations grappled with disaster recovery and aid. This event highlights the extreme importance and power of Corestones and the catastrophic consequences that can arise from their disturbance or destruction​​. Additionally, the idea of Corestone fragments, pieces of a Corestone that retain a portion of its power, could be explored further. These fragments might be remnants from such cataclysmic events or naturally occurring splinters from the Corestones, holding significant power but also inherent risks.

Anyway, that's all for today, have a session to prep for!

- Thanks! Euphoria :)