The Cosmic Astrotiar

In the beginning...

Sep 14, 2024

Welcome to the Glyph and Grok - A “weekly” blog-letter exploring topics in the tabletop gaming arena. We explore design, execution, and culture relating to anything played on a tabletop.

Here we are turning ideas into canon.

The Gods are manifestation of primal forces. Their mingling, their creative or destructive forces, effect the very threads of our existence. Power levels amongst them is immeasurable by the perceptions of mortals and yet our compulsion to organize all things drives us to try.

Balance of the Tetrarchy

The first being, the eldest, was The Great Genesi. A single entity consisting of all the potential of a universe. They spent millennia traveling amongst the stars to discover the breadth of their immense ability. Eventually they tired of absolute dominion over nothing, and spent of their vital essence to become a raw force of creation. Collecting massive quantities of raw material from celestial bodies, Genesi slowly built our world. They imbued the massive but lifeless ball of basic elements with more of their life essence, which churned the core of the world and lit a molten fire in its heart. With a mighty exertion, the world was set spinning on its axis. Over time, the building blocks for a vast fertile landscape were in place. Seeing this work done, Genesi examined and loved their creation, and soon found want of other conscious beings to share it.

Reaching into their divine celestial spirit yet again, four beings were born forth that could rival The Great Genesi within their own spheres of power. As each being was brought forth into existence, Genesi diminished themselves to gift their children great power. These children were not given names that are remembered, but the aspects they were imbued with are still worshiped to this day by their titles. These were the first Protarchs of Chaos, Order, Nature, and Knowledge.

From these primary aspects, many progeny were issued forth in the form of other gods, demi-gods, and beings beyond our understanding. The influence between the Protarchs shifted constantly as they built factions against each other. The Great Genesi took it upon themselves to wield their remaining, still yet substantial, power in pursuit of balance between the aspects of their children. For a millennia, they were able to keep harmony between the Protarchs. In this first age of our world, mountains moved, vast landmasses were created and destroyed, and the Protarchs learned dominion over their spheres of influence.

Sustaining the world and a tentative peace between their offspring was a great work. After an age, when Genesi's spirit was sapped and their essence waned, Chaos struck at their heart intending to break the great balance and take dominion over all others. In an unforgivable act of betrayal, Chaos shattered The Great Genesi. Unwittingly, this act destroyed the anchor that kept the Protarchs corporeal on the material plane. In desperation, in the face of an ultimate and final destruction of all things, they split into infinite facets of themselves. In but a moment, thousands of aspects were born and expired to extend the moment and stave off final death. The Genesi’s power became unstable and threatened to end all of existence. Through the combined efforts of Nature, Order, and Knowledge, the power was funneled and dispersed and a single aspect was saved. The matronly Grandmother Giathos now held all that remained of Genesi’s power, but the Protarchs were all lost.

Giathos took up the mantle of protector of the Cosmic Astrotiar. To this day, she keeps vigil over the balance between the gods and creatures of this world we have named after her. She is the anchor, the tether, and the shield of existence as we know it.

Now a title bestowed by Giathos, the deified entities within their spheres of power vie for the title of Protarch. The primary aspects of Order, Nature, Knowledge, and Chaos are burdened with immense power and responsibility and are held to account by Giathos herself. Our world sits at the center of all things, wrought from and effected by the grand direction of the four, kept in balance by The Grandmother.

Always has there been four seats, and always will there be four aspects in great harmony until the coming of the end of days.

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I run a regular “weekly” Shadowdark game on my personal Foundry server and playing a character in a 5E campaign in the newest starter set on Roll20.

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