The Grand Archive is an ancient and mystical megastructure built at the focal point of a multitude of universes eons ago, its creator forgotten to time. As if it were alive, this entity monitors worlds and protects them from calamity, preserving natural order through its agents, the Champions. The Archive selects champions from promising inhabitants of The Homeworld and intersecting realms. From the chosen, those that climb the ranks and accrue enough divine power have the chance to ascend to godhood. As envoys of The Grand Archive, these champions are assigned missions to various worlds on the brink of collapse in the hope that they may stop whatever sinister plot that may be brewing and save that world.

The Homeworld

Eons ago, a cosmic fissure appeared in a universe. Slowly, energy known as Aether flowed from that universe through this fissure into the gap between realms. The Aether steadily coalesced and weakened the boundaries between adjoined realms, fracturing the borders and creating new fissures, opening the floodgates of Aether into the gap. From this energy, The Homeworld was born within the small gap.

The energy of the Aether pouring in from many fissures fueled the growth of The Homeworld and allowed it to develop into a robust and flourishing world, ever-growing with fauna and flora that arise from the incredible energy of the realm. It is thought that, at some point in the distant past, a lone cosmic entity known as The Architect found The Homeworld through one of these fissures and saw great potential in this anomalous realm. There, they created The Grand Archive, setting in motion events that would change the destiny of many ill-fated worlds.

The Grand Archive

Powered by Aether and the energy it contains, The Grand Archive behaves almost as if it were alive. To maintain the stability of these connections, it assembles potential Champions from The Homeworld and across many realms, each world having a Guide that surveys for those who show promise. These champions serve as agents and envoys and are assigned on missions to save worlds from ruination.

The Grand Archive holds mystical scrolls, books, and other objects that share a bond with each fissure-connected realm. Each object is carefully procured by the first champions and guides that visit a realm and are then enchanted by fate magics. Archivists curate this collection and monitor each of the objects for degradation - a sign of impending doom for the world from which that object came. To prevent catastrophes of the worlds and, by extension, instability to the influx of Aether to The Homeworld and The Grand Archive, champions are tasked with the prevention of their Apocalypses.

Champions

The champions themselves are powerful beings in their own right, each having achieved extraordinary skill and power under the study of legendary figures within The Grand Archive. Individuals talented - and worthy enough - to become champions are exceptionally rare. Even so, The Grand Archive has been able to cultivate hundreds of thousands of champions, few of which have attained recognition as Gods.

Champions are ranked according to their accomplishments and are dealt missions according to their abilities. As they accomplish their missions and hone their skills, champions accrue power and status within The Archive. Before becoming officially part of The Grand Archive, each prospective champion is given a trial mission - usually a straightforward and simple Apocalypse.

Once transported to another world, a champion’s power is heavily constrained; passing from the mana-rich Homeworld into a comparatively mana-barren world temporarily constricts their flow of mana. Thus, champions must acclimate and attune to the leylines of their new world, steadily building up their powers again. In some circumstances, the champions may gain deep insights into the mana and the magical foundations of the world, temporarily obtaining powers native to that realm.

Worlds

Not every world is connected to The Homeworld. There are a plethora of worlds that, though rich in life, are otherwise ordinary and possess no leylines. Only a world that possesses a World Seed can generate mana, manifesting as concentrated leylines that branch like roots throughout the world. These world seeds are the hearts of these mana-rich worlds and may be corrupted because of an Apocalypse, after which they cease generating natural mana and begin to collapse the stable cosmic fissures connecting that world to others. With the demise of each world and the corruption of the world seeds within them, there is less and less mana to maintain the stability of The Homeworld and The Grand Archive.

Dawn of Ashes: Cambria