"I curse them! That moon of blood, and the false moon too! Listen well, my apprentice, for I shall regale you with the tale of Primordial folly!"-The Great and Mighty Kevin The Pinball Wizard, to one of his students on Dimensional Magic.
And so the Primordials moved, enacting their Will to transform their ideas into reality and bringing forth the first dawn of existence.
Dimensional Magic
The Primordial focus their power in such a way to establish the existence of a form of supernatural power etched into the very foundations of existence, allowing for the travel between realms both real and imaginary. The secrets of obtaining this empyrean art can be found in nature itself if one looks for it, and once learned, a Dimensional Mage will be able to warp the fabric of reality itself to open a gateway to anywhere they desire, from the Isles of Order, to the Dream Plane, to the Void or Chaos, and even into very structure of the Hedge. But for those seeking to travel to realms formed in their minds, far greater possibilities await, such as the throne of a Domain Lord.
By establishing a clear mental image of a place of their own design and concentrating on it, the Dimensional Mage can open a path to enter their own imagined reality and obtain godlike power over it. Similar to a lucid dream, the Dimensional Mage can control this imagined realm and even form imaginary entities within it. Reshaping the landscape, altering the weather, and even bending the flow of time within their imagined worlds. By taking the substance of the Dream Plane and the order enforcing light of the Stellavita and adding it to these imagined worlds, the Dimensional Mage can create a Domain. By populating it with other individuals, their observation of the world will strengthen the stability of it thanks to the essence of the Dream Plane added to it.
These Domains can become their very own worlds, entire planets crafted through the collective observation guided by the hand of a Domain Lord. So long as the observation is maintained and Stellavita fill the sky, the Domain Lord does not need to constantly remain within the Domain to keep it existent.
The first wielders of this powerful magic would be the All-Mother and Ada so they may access the Dream Plane, experimenting with various life forms and ecosystems in a myriad configurations, running through hundreds of thousands of iterations before enacting them on the real world. Next was the Pinball Wizard, using the portals to travel and see what all the nascent creation had to offer and to more closely examine the Chitinous Moon to uncover its secret.
It was only during the Great Exodus that the first Domain Lords would craft their realms and begin the age of their rule as God-Kings and God-Queens of Toons.
Dream Plane & Fluxies
The Primordials would create an entire new plane of existence. The Dream Plane exists on a different layer compared to the one, parallel to the one the Isles and Mound were in. It resembled a calmer Sea of Chaos, existing in a constant state of flux while remaining stable. Through an external influence, this Dream Essence can be shaped into whatever someone wishes, a way to bring one's mental image into physicality without wasting resources, even if it couldn't be taken out into a physical world. It allows for multiple iterations to be made and refining the designs of both Gods and Mortals alike.
It would prove vital in the formation of Domains.
Several pieces of the Dream Plane flux would be affected by the All-Mother and Ada's experiment, filled with the essence of Life and shifting between different forms, each shifting between all manner of different beings, becoming protean entities with no singular unified form as they could not decide on what to be. The Fluxies as they would become known, sought out the All-Mother, asking for her own input on what they should become.
"You May Be Anything You Dream Of, But Once You Leave This Place, The Last Form You Take Shall Be Until You Return."
And so it was, that within the Dream Plane, the Fluxies could be whatever species they could want, but the moment they left it, they would become trapped in the last form they were in and could not change until they returned to the Dream Plane.
As Domains were built with the essence of the Dream, it was perhaps inevitable that some would be dragged into the world building of the Dimensional Mages, adding some unexpected elements to their Domains with monsters, animals, and other creatures that did not match the designs of the Domain Lord.
The All-Mother & Ada
From Will and desire to fill the world they created with Life and for that life to thrive, the first true Gods to be created were then All-Mother and Shifting Ada. The All-Mother took the form of a titanic deer with a human face with all sorts of flora springing from her flesh. Ada meanwhile was constantly shifting in form, adapting to whatever environment they resided, though they could assume into any form he needed.
Where the All-Mother created and spread life through the cosmos, while Ada would act so that all races to come keep changing and don't go completely stagnant, that they evolve and adapt to survive, he also makes sure no race evolves too much and destroys the ecosystem that sustains them. Working together, the two Gods would create fauna, flora, and the environments that would be placed throughout the Isles of Order and on the Mound.
Though the work would be set back during the first Full Moon of the Blood Sugar Moon that transformed their creations into candy variants. The pair of deities would retreat into their own Domain, planning on how to adjust their planes as creation was divided and expanded further.
Hedge Wall & Yoggn'th The Hedge Guardian
A great metaphysical wall of brambles, thistles, briars, and thorny vines was being raised by The Primordial who called itself the Gardner, seeds planted in the borders where Void and Chaos were closest to encroaching upon the young creation. A great sphere of intertwining vines and branches formed around the Isles of Order, Mound, Dream Plane, and even the Domains that would come at the end of the First Dawn of Creation.
Where the Hedge manifested into physical space, it formed Demi-Planes filled with labyrinthine mazes of fractal designs, home to wondrous fields of iridescent flowers under a sky made of shifting vines covered in thorns.
The Sea of Chaos crashes waves against the edges of the Hedge, leaving behind protean creature, embodied concepts, and eldritch items were left entangled upon the thorns vines and bramble branches while the Void silently brushed against the other side, nothingness decaying the border even as the Hedge regrew and replace what was lost.
As the spawn of Chaos try to break from their entanglement and burrow deeper past the Hedge into creation, a vast shadow falls upon them before to they are picked from the thistle and briars to be tossed into the semi-corporeal gullet of Yoggn'th, Guardian of The Hedge. Its body is longer than the width of many an isle and wide enough to carry a village upon its back. Its sides host thousands of flexible, hook-tipped limbs. Its mouth is lined with countless teeth, ever shifting and growing. In its stomach all is reduced to nothing. A monster made to devour monsters, yet even the inhabitants of creation are not safe from its gaze and hunger if they should move too close to its territory.
The Silent Void takes notice, sensing familiarity within the gut of Yoggn'th, like calling to like, even with the differences between the Infinite Nothingness and the Horror of The Hedge.
Mound of Dirt
Among the islands, a mound of dirt, 10,000 miles from one end to the other, is crafted by the Primordials. With an endless spring at its center that feeds 4 massive rivers that go straight to the edges of the mound, dividing it into four even sections, before the waters all "fall" into the sky, forming a reverse waterfall. Though it reached for the Void, the Hedge catches it before it passes the final boundary and redirects part of it to water its pocket realms while Yoggn'th drinks the rest.
Upon the Mound is where the Toons are made, where the All-Mother and Ada would do their first great works of creating four different biomes of tundra, plains, jungle, and desert. It is upon the Mound that civilization first forms, where chieftains rise to prominence and unite their people, where the Pinball Wizard begins his journey and adventures.
It is the Mound that suffers the most under the Full Moon of the Blood Sugar Moon.
Pinball Wizard
A magical immortal man with blue skin and a purple robe covered in lighter purple lightning bolts, needless like the Toons yet not counted among their tribes. Crafted by the hands of the Primordials, the Great and Mighty Pinball Wizard, Kevin to his friends, would emerge unto creation and begin on an adventure to explore all the newborn existence had to offer, soon discovering the art of Dimensional Magic etched into the foundation of all things, which he swiftly added to his arsenal of supernatural powers. His actions would set in motions many things, his ability to create metal balls would leave plentiful resources for primitive Toon smiths to discover the arts of metallurgy, his ability to make things bouncy extended to even the air itself, creating barriers that would send even a charging Vashgorith (a animal that resembled a mix between an Auroch, a Rhinoceros, and a Spider) flying, and the ability to control the trajectory of moving objects allowed him to alter the course of thrown spears and launched arrows back at those who tried to stop him.
Combining all three innate powers with Dimensional Magic simply cemented his dominance in the young world, a fact that he would cackle about to any who would listen, though in truth he was nice and kind individual, once even helping to unite the northern tribes of Toons into a single civilization during his journeys.
He, like so many others, would be horrified by the changes brought by the Blood Sugar Moon, and upon learning the truth of the Chitinous Moon, quickly went to share his knowledge of Dimensional Magic with the surviving Toons so they might flee from the danger of the Twin Moons and thrive elsewhere.
He would join the survivors of the united civilization he had helped make in their Domain, creating a vault for rare relics that he acquired during the Great Exodus, and was appointed as Court Wizard by the Domain Lord.
Air Trees
A peculiar species of trees that feed off of gravitational forces to sustain themselves and produce a breathable atmosphere when enough of them are present. This would be helpful in allowing the All-Mother and Ada to continue their work with less straining of their Divine Powers.
They are self-fertilizing, creating their own offspring without the need for others of their kind or the aid of animals. Their metabolization of gravity mainly causes matter near them to reduce in weight as they increase in number, though their root system prevents the worst of the terrain degradation.
Their fruit are fully separate organisms capable of living independent lives, being oddly avian in appearance, designed for survival both in the Weightless Forests that the trees make up and outside them. They bathe regularly in the light of the Twin Moons to feed the chlorophyll that allows them to photosynthesis, though the transition into feeding off of sunlight in those Domains that have it has shown to be much more effective. Their intestines deposit fertilized seeds in the droppings of the creature, which is mostly detritivorous. It has the instinct to bury the seeds underground so they won't float off, as well as a simplified 'flocking' system. The tree itself has a covering of bark and a tap root that allows the tree to pierce deep into the soil faster.
Toon Life
From an inky substance, the Primordials would shape the Toons into being. At the beginning of a Toon's life they will typically resemble a black and/or white blob by default, although they can also inherit traits from their progenitor if they have one, for Toons can reproduce either through mitosis and splitting into two new Toons, by mating with another of its kind to produce offspring, or just manifest over time if there is enough unused ink in an area where Toons congregate.
As a Toon experiences life and learns they can develop color, body features, personality quirks, and more as part of the maturation process. They have a tendency to be impulsive and take act on whims without putting much thought into the consequences of their actions, often relying on their incredible durability provided by their somewhat malleable bodies until they learn to use their minds and consider their actions. They can live, theoretically, forever as they were blessed with an ageless form of immortality yet they can still be killed through violent means and other unnatural causes, and though they do not require sustenance as other forms of life might need, a Toon can enjoy eating, drinking, and breathing in fresh air.
The first Toons would be spread across the Mound and form a number of tribes led by chieftains. Living so close to the Primordials, they would be the first worshippers of the Ur-Gods, adding the All-Mother and Ada to the forming pantheon. The Pinball Wizard would help unite some of the tribes under one leader in the northern quarter while others quarters would settle and fight amongst themselves until the time of the first Full Moon phase of the Blood Sugar Moon after its creation, many of them being transformed into Candied Toon that would soon be conquered by the Queen of Sugar and Sweets.
The other uncharged Toons would begin the Great Exodus after the Pinball Wizard went and warned them that the other Moon was potentially an even greater threat, giving them access to the secrets of Dimensional Magic to facilitate the creation of new realms and the founding of the Domain Lords and their Planes.
Begin The Song
From the start of existence, a faint tune would appear, acting as a background music to the acts of the Primordials and life's of all those who come to live inside the Hedge. An anthem of creation that was heard and studied, it's symphony being present even in the Planes where its inclusion was not intended. Only the Void and Chaos would be beyond its reach.
The Song of Existence, as it would be called, was not a static tune, instead it altered its tempo and rhythm based on the events that were happening, heard differently by all who could hear it based on the context of the situation. From heart pounding action tracks in the middle of battle to melancholy violins at funerals, the Song would, alongside the Movies provided by the projector, would inspire the creation of musical instruments and singing to try and replicate it.
The Blade Unconquerable
The First True Weapon, The Sovereign Sword, The Blade Unconquerable. A sword forged by the Primordials and brought to the level of Gods. Beyond possessing an eternal edge that carries with it an supernatural level of sharpness that lets it cleave through stone, wood, and metal with the same ease as splitting flesh. It possesses durability that would let it withstand the wrath of Greater Gods, along with an intelligence and charming mind and will of its own that can communicate with its wielder that seeks to help the wielder fulfill their ambitions, even granting them prophetic dreams that warn of dangers. These dreams are surprisingly clear and easy to understand while providing hints at how to overcome or avoid the danger.
This was how the First Domain Lord would be warned by the Blade of the danger of the Full Moon phase of the Blood Sugar Moon, a Mouse Toon that would use the hints provided by the dream to cut down a number of trees and build a shelter to hide away in as tries to figure out the secrets of Dimensional Magic and create his own kingdom of magic and fantasy using parts of the Dream Plane and resources from the Mound and even taking some Stellavita into his realm.
The Two Moons & The Queen Ascendent
Orbiting around the Isles of Order and The Mound, two moons would shine their red and blue light upon them, creating the nights of crimson and azure. The first moon was fashioned from the sugary blood of one of the Primordials and held great power, its light alone blessing those born under it with great skill in the baking of sweets as much as it cursed them with a greater hunger for them. However, its most terrifying power came when it was a full moon and transmuted the living into beings of candy and sweets. The Gods and singular beings of great power could resist the change, and of course the Primordials were immune completely. But the Toons, animals, and plants were transformed overnight, only protected by the shade and other shelters against the red light of the Blood Sugar Moon.
The other moon was by comparison more subdued, the Chitinous Moon seemingly only improving and bettering the lives of arthropods. In truth however, combined with a hidden aspect of the Blood Sugar Moon, held the potential to unleash an apocalypse. For the Chitinous Moon was in truth a titanic divine pillbug, a secret that would be discovered by the All-Mother herself and shared with Ada and the Pinball Wizard, the latter sharing the information with the surviving unchanged Toons of the Isles and Mound, and setting off the Great Exodus into the Planes of the of the Dimensional Mages that would become the Domain Lords.
And while the unchanged fled into the Planes, the Candied Lifeforms would battle and wage war with each others, but soon enough one would emerge as the supreme winner and declare themselves as the sovereign of this new Candy Kingdom. The Queen of Sugar and Sweets was a shapeshifter who once was a Toon, but had become a massive blob of pink taffy with numerous red eyes but took on the visage of a beautiful and kindly maiden dressed in royal garb. She would seek out the power of Dimensional Magic so that she could acquire subjects to transform into Candy Folk, and experiment on them to satisfy her own curiosity, with no concern for morality.
Floating Chrysalis
Above the Isles of Order and the Mound, floating among the myriad Stellavita and the Twin Moons, the Primordials would fashion a great chrysalis was made, a Greater God Yet Born, a being equal to Ada in power that would remain dormant until they would emerge from the chrysalis, raw Potential laying within.
The All-Mother and Ada would sequester the Chrysalis into a Demi-Plane where it would be undisturbed, hidden away in a place where the Hedge and The Dream bordered each other.
Beyond Creation's borders, Chaos stirs as it senses life yet unformed.
Stellavita & Living Crystal
A pair of crystalline life forms are created,though they were of differing natures.
The Living Crystal is more like an invasive terraforming pseudo-hivemind. Starting out as a cloud of lumpy crystalline dust that seeds a location, it will spread and convert more of the surrounding into more of itself, increasing in both size and intelligence as it grows. As the terraforming mass spreads and grows in intelligence, it also begins to mimic organic ecosystems including the entire food chain, instinctively hiding its conversion.
This proved to be somewhat odd as it would start out on the Isles of Order, and Ada would soon notice the slowly forming ecosystems and bring it to the All-Mother's attention. The Two Gods would usurp and make use of the Living Crystal, modifying it to serve their own purposes to rapidly fashion whole ecosystems using a pre-programmed seed of Living Crystal.
As for the Stellavita, they were created from shards of the Isles of Order themselves, and contained within them some small measure of the Primordial Cradles own resistance to Chaos' churning tides. Pointed and jagged tiny shapes, once enough of them were made and spun into the vast space around the Isles of Order and the Mound and becoming points of light amidst the dark heavens. The many Stellavita would form into groups of constellations that would strengthen the Hedge where they formed as their Power of Order would reinforce the Hedge Wall.
Eva the "Dream" Tiger
From the Dream Stuff of the Dream Plane, a Tiger with a striped coat of gold and green was fashioned by Primordial Will. It would be gifted the gift of Undivided Language, understandable by all. She will deal in secrets and curiosities, trading information for information. She was given the title of The Celestial Minister of Tax Evasion, which would be shortened into the name Eva.
Distant kin to the Fluxies, Eva would be confused with some sort of divine middle management for "Tax Evasion"…which, given Taxes didn't initially exist, left both the All-Mother and Ada somewhat confused. Eva would use this opportunity to declare that, clearly, Tax Evasion was the dealing of secrets, and as the Primordial appointed Celestial Minister of Tax Evasion, she was the holder of all the secrets of the Gods.
Self Ordering Mycelium
Across the Isles of Order, a fungal life form that was crafted based on the Chaos resistant crystalline landmasses. It was able to feed off the minute amounts of Chaos that might leak through the Hedge and spread a thin layer of its biomass, using the inherent ordered nature of the Isles to latch on and anchor itself for safety.
It would serve as a good food source for the beginning stages of life that the All-Mother and Ada would begin to develop on the Isles using the Living Crystal, with the candied version caused by the light of the Blood Sugar Moon being harvested and made into various sweets by Toons.
1-by-1 Foot Long Grey Cube
The Primordials creates a 1-by-1 foot long and wide grey cube, fashioned from an unknown substance that possessed a lot of friction despite its smooth appearance. Cold to the touch and lightweight, it doesn't reflect light, it's edges are somehow not actually sharp, has a bit of drag whenever it moves, but when thrown through the air doesn't actually tip or turn but just stays in the same position that it had when it left the ground. It also seems to be indestructible to all known mortal means…not that most mortals could get to it as it was floating in the space between the Isles of Order for most of the Age until the Pinball Wizard would discover it and claim it along with the Movie Screen Projector for his vault of relics.
Movie Screen Projector
A Primordial creates an odd device that constantly plays epic movies by projecting them into a surface, from lurid romances to high fantasy stories; any movie may be played on this, but only once. It would serve as a source of inspiration for the Toons to base themselves on, even as debates on where the source of the films displayed by the projector ran hot on occasion as much along with discussions on the qualities and potential messages in the films from primitive theologians who wished to understand the divine.
When the first Domain Lords emerged and crafted their Planes, they did so with the inspiration of the worlds depicted by the Movie Screen Projector as best they could, their imagination supplemented by memories of what was shown to them in their youth. The Projector itself would be claimed by the Pinball Wizard during the Great Exodus into the Planes of the Domain Lords, and held within his vault of relics from the Isles of Order and the Mound.
The First Dawn is Over, Yet The Era of Foundation has only just begun. For Turns 2 Through 5, all Acts that Create something New AND/OR increase the stability of Creation will be Boosted.
QM Note: Had to completely redo the whole thing, but I think I got everything.
