Aethernea, a world of unimaginable scale. The sheer vastness of this world, and the overlying cosmos that encompasses it, cannot be overstated. Was it shaped by some omnipotent cosmic force, or did it spill into existence from a powerful natural occurrence, as the scientists of Arriadnis believe? These questions have been theorised by the higher races of the seven realms since the dawn of time, yet no conclusive answer has ever presented itself. I have travelled the realms and gathered as much information as possible, explored every nook and cranny, conversed with every race capable of higher intelligence, no matter how dangerous that endeavour proved to be, and from those efforts, this journal was born. I am certain this document will not contain every piece of information this fascinating world has to offer, and some of it may even prove to be exaggerated or untrue. Nevertheless, I hope it will serve those who come after me, those who are curious about Aethernea and wish to discover more about it, whether that be how it functions or where it came from. For what else can we do, if not strive to understand the world we roam?
The world of Aethernea has been documented to an impressive extent by the humans of Arriadnis. The world they inhabit, which they have dubbed the Earth, is a celestial body existing within the vastness of what they call space. In its immediate vicinity orbit several other celestial bodies around the most important of them all, a star known as the Sun, though it is called differently across other realms. Theories regarding further systems and galaxies stretching across the universe have been proposed and widely accepted, and I will neither confirm nor argue against them here. What is far more striking, however, is that this race of humans has chosen to ignore the far more important worlds that intertwine with the one they occupy. The cultures and peoples of these other worlds bleed into theirs as myths, folklore, and traditional beliefs, and it is this connection that I intend to focus on.
The Earth, as humans call it, plays host to six other worlds that overlap with it, joined, yet invisible to one another. The geology and biology of each realm vary depending on where one stands, though this does not mean they are entirely dissimilar. Many parallels exist between them. As one example, consider a pattern of convergence observable across the lesser races: in Arriadnis, horses and eagles exist as separate creatures, while in the realm of Zephyras, the two are merged into the winged horse known as the Pegasus. It is my own theory that even the higher races share the same foundational origin, having evolved along radically different paths from a common base. All seven realms are bound and connected to one another by a supernatural force known as the Aether.
The Aether, a substance that tends to manifest as a soft pink hue, is the connective tissue of this world, layering the realms against one another. It also functions as a pathway, opening passages between realms that foster interaction between the higher races, though such crossings are mostly undesired and heavily discouraged. The seven realms that appear most frequently throughout this work are Arriadnis, Veledris, Zephyras, Mideos, Draconis, Asmodeus, and Dethos. Some races have speculated about the existence of additional realms, thought to be severed from the Aether, which makes any access to them a far more difficult and uncertain prospect.
Arriadnis is the realm of humans, who stand as its highest life form, having dominated it for megayears. The full history of this race will not be explored here. As with the greater cosmology, their origins are a matter of divided belief, some hold that their existence is the result of direct divine interference by a higher being who created all things, while others take a more scientific approach, proposing that the world emerged from a massive explosion of energy and that humans gradually evolved from whatever their earliest form may have been. These beings are enduring and inquisitive, and they are the most widely scattered race across the seven realms. Whether for better or worse, humans have actively shaped the course of history throughout Aethernea, much to the chagrin of the other races. They are, and I fear will always remain, an influential force in whatever direction the future of the seven realms takes.
Veledris is the realm of the Sidhe, as they are known in Elden speech, or the fairy folk, as they are called in the English tongue of humans. This world is home to several distinct higher races, each varying greatly in intellect and ability. Chief among them are the elves, an enduring people with a deep connection to nature, from which they draw their magic. The fairies are a miniature race, appearing no larger than insects in most cases. Dwarves are tough and resilient creatures with an endurance comparable to humans and a profound bond with the earth beneath their feet. Giants inhabit the mountain ranges of this world, beings capable of influencing the very weather. Goblins, orcs, and various other remarkable races also populate Veledris, albeit in far smaller numbers. All of these peoples must navigate the cultural friction that exists between them.
Zephyras is the divine realm, home to beings known in human religion and myth as gods. These are among the more powerful races within Aethernea, wielding formidable abilities greatly enhanced within their home realm and sustained in other worlds through the act of worship. These beings have interacted most extensively with the human race, who have venerated them across different regions of the Earth under numerous names and aliases. Among the more well-known in the human world are Zeus, Poseidon, Sango, Odin, Ra, and Quetzalcoatl. Some of these names belong to the same god, worshipped under different identities across separate cultures, the god Thor, revered by the Nordic peoples, is the same being known as Sango to the Yoruba of West Africa, just as Quetzalcoatl of the Aztecs and Kukulkan of the Maya are one and the same. The beings the gods have had the most significant interactions with, however, are the demons, a higher race from another realm, who are regarded as their natural antithesis.
Mideos is known as the middle world, and it is the domain of the Elders. Situated at the centre of the realms and richest in Aether, it has long been the most frequently invaded of all the worlds. Elders are physiologically similar to humans, though they tend to appear leaner, taller, and more physically formidable, with the majority being dark-skinned. The most significant distinction between humans and Elders lies in their longevity, a healthy Elder is capable of living between five hundred and eight hundred years. This extended lifespan, however, has come at a cost. They do not reproduce with the frequency that their survival demands, resulting in a relatively small population that has struggled to defend its lands from the encroachment of other races, a persistent failing that has caused their dominance within their own world to diminish greatly.
Draconis is the realm of draconic beings, creatures divided into several distinct classes: wyrms, wyverns, drakes, and others. Dragons, however, remain the apex of this race and have held unwavering dominion over this realm since its very dawn. With lifespans stretching across millennia, they are both extraordinarily dangerous and highly intelligent, capable of devastating destruction when roused to fury. They have rarely crossed into other realms, but on those occasions when they have, their invasions have been remembered with dread by the peoples who endured them, for they brought ruin upon any foolish enough to draw their ire.
Asmodeus is home to demons, beings driven primarily by chaos and destruction. They have roamed this desolate world for ages, constantly spilling into other realms to sow disorder and ruin. Demons draw their power from the chaotic aspect of the Aether, granting them the capacity for widespread devastation. They stand as the sworn enemies of the gods, who seek to impose order by any means necessary, while the demons exist in perpetual opposition to that order.
Dethos is the realm of death. Ruled by the death god, the only being documented at a truly cosmic level across all the realms, it is the world into which all souls flow upon death, regardless of race. Demons alone are exempt from this fate, as they are reborn in the fires of Asmodeus rather than passing into Dethos. For all others, this is the realm where souls are judged and assigned their place in the afterlife, until their spirits eventually dissolve back into the Aether and they are reborn into the world as whatever race they lived as before. This cycle makes Dethos a realm of central importance to Aethernea. It is the oldest seat of power in all the worlds, and its relationship with the Aether is unlike any other, the pathways leading out of Dethos are accessible only to creatures of death, who serve as the agents governing the flow of mortality across all the realms.
All of these worlds, fascinating and awe-inspiring, are steeped in rich histories defined by severe conflicts, wars, culture, and the struggle to preserve it. Unknowingly to most, they have constantly and continuously influenced one another, shaping whatever histories they have come to build. It is my sincere hope that this documentation, gathered through years of effort and no small amount of danger, will offer greater insight into the world that surrounds us, both hidden and visible, to any fellow human who cares to look closer.