In this setting, existence is framed by a concept known simply as the Beyond. The Beyond is not a single place, but the totality of the universe: a vast system of worlds, each surrounded by a fragile atmospheric and metaphysical shell called the Veil. The Veil shields worlds from external annihilation – but it is not eternal.
Two great cosmic forces govern the fate of all worlds:
A Cycle is a planetary extinction event spanning several thousand years. Its exact length depends on the world’s position within the Beyond, but its end is always the same: the annihilation of all life.
Each Cycle unfolds in phases – subtle at first, then unmistakable. Magic warps. Nature rebels. Reality fractures. Eventually, the Veil collapses, and the world is consumed by either Wither or Bright.
The primary story of this setting unfolds on Ternovis, a distant world unlike any other.
As world after world fell, refugees escaped their dying homes through desperate magic, forgotten technology, or sheer coincidence. Against all probability, they arrived on Ternovis – the only known place touched by both cosmic forces, yet not fully consumed by either.
As a result, Ternovis became a crucible of cultures and species:
Before refugees ever arrived, Ternovis was home to the Ternovians – a people now remembered only in fragments, often described as half–elf–like in nature. When the First Cycle struck Ternovis, most of them perished.
The ruling Magisterium, foreseeing extinction and unable to flee, chose defiance. Through forbidden ritual, they transcended death itself. Thus were born the first true Undead.
In grim irony, the Undead are the original inhabitants of Ternovis – ancient, patient, and very much aware that all others are merely guests.
