The Cosmic Encyclopedia

The Core Media Forum
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Index

Preface

Part I - List and Brief History of Known Universes
Part II - Compendium of Entities
Part III - Compendium of Worlds
Part IV A - Races and History of Civilization
Part IV B - What If?
Part V - Supernatural and the Divine
Part VI - Fundamental Good and Evil
Part VII - Ascension and Transcendence
Part VIII - Where do We Go From Here?

Preface

In its infinity, the cosmos is an eternal wonder, revealing new mysteries and promising new answers and possibilities with each dawn. To understand existence is to embrace it, and to embrace it is to gain insights into one’s true nature. Just as you can learn much about yourself by gazing into the cosmos, so can you learn much about the cosmos by gazing into yourself, for as long as you exist, you belong in the cosmos, and as long as you think, you possess the potential for enlightenment. But existence has many paths, and each of us must follow their own. Some find truth in contemplation, while others seek a life of adventure. Some seek to understand the fundaments of existence while others believe in harnessing the primal forces for the betterment of civilization. Some find everything they need to achieve fulfillment in their own house, while others need to go to the ends of the cosmos to understand themselves. Overall, there is one universal truth: all sentient beings seek a purpose to their existence, and in that search they discover who they truly are and what they will become. But one’s path can take many twists and turns, and nothing is truly set in stone. That is the blessing that all sentient life has. The blessing of free will.

In my journey I have seen many things. I have plumbed the depths of the mind and soul. I have held the power of the very stars in the palm of my hands. I have seen the best and the worst that sentient beings are capable of. I have beheld wonders and horrors, life and death, and on occasion I was even called upon to pass judgement over entire universes. I searched for an eternity for the meaning of life, left no stone unturned, but only when I had resigned myself to a cold, emotionless existence did I find the answer that eluded me. The meaning of life is to live, not simply to contemplate or experiment from afar, but to connect to life around you, embrace it, and by presence, thoughts, actions and example bring about harmony and fulfillment. Now that there is a lasting peace, the great evils have been punished and we can catch our breath, we have turned our attention to scholarly matters. Through our travels we have seen and learned much, made new connections and gained a unique awareness of life and all its nuances. It is our hope that future generations will grow with the same curiosity that has burned inside us, and that through this and other works they will taste the sweet nectar of knowledge.

On the 340th year after the Reclamation War,
Justicar Lunarion
Elyjal, the City of Wonders,
Serim, the Eternal Moon

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Manus: Is this going to be a description of your own Fanfic Universe? Or will it include references to other existing cosmologies (the way Galloway’s do, for example?)

In either case, that was an impressive start. Good luck! :wink:

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Well, I intend to start with my own, but will probably branch out. Incidentally, I really have to actually finish something for a change. The ideas are all in my head but I keep starting new stuff.

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Part I - List and Brief History of Known Universes

Naming System

While some scholars have taken to giving each universe a simple number, usually based on comparisons to Earth, (as an example, Earth-616) we believe that such a system fails to acknowledge the simple fact that there is an infinite number of universes, and that Earth’s existence in them is by no means guaranteed. Also, one should keep in mind that, as postulated by scientists for centuries and confirmed by several experiments, the flow of time itself may be different between universes, therefore allowing completely different timelines and variations thereof to coexist. Bear in mind as well that no guide can ever hope to catalog the infinite possible variations of reality. What is documented here is what we know at this point in time, with emphasis on what we consider the most relevant.

Because each universe has a life of its own, a simple number would not suffice to convey its character. Therefore, we have established the practice of borrowing part of the names of defining persons, organizations or events for easier reference. Our own universe is designated by many informal names, such as Centerpoint, Home Base and Core, but, of course, those terms are due to our bias. Still, we are not going into the trend of political correctness that made everyone on 20th - 21st century Earth afraid of speaking their mind out of fear of accidentally offending someone. We will refer to our universe as Reference Point and move on to more productive discussions.

Reference Point

This universe, for obvious reasons, the most well documented. Its history could fill endless tomes, mostly because life has a way of appearing everywhere, in a multitude of forms, and spreading even across the void of space and in all environments, no matter how hostile. Many civilizations with rich histories developed early on. Most ended up being assimilated or destroyed in bloody conflicts for petty reasons but a few rose to prominence. The Extropian civilization, started by a community of ancient humans guided by a visionary (probably the first immortal since the Age of Gods), developed in a remote corner of the galaxy. While the backwards cultures of Earth spent over four thousand years fighting over land, loot and women and never really came close to Extropian levels of progress (or decency, some would add), their cousins enjoyed a quiet, albeit secluded existence. By the early 21st century Extropia had achieved a level of social, techological and philosophical development unparalelled in the universe. Earth dragged on, divided by constant internal conflicts and remained a backwater world. A few agricultural communities already existed on remote worlds by the time the Extropians began their development. A few such worlds included Sonor, the birthplace of the legendary Prime Guardian; Hymn, a land that eventually came under Tanzra’s sight, setting the stage for several confrontations with the Master; Kiravar, one of the first worlds with animal empaths and primitive druids.

Of note is also the world of Sikharon, which started out as a home of thinkers and artisans, but degenerated into a polluted industrialized planet whose people started dabbling in obscene magic. Their reckless experimentation resulted not only in the transformation of some members of the royal bloodline into powerful aberrations, but eventually led to the occurence of a huge ripple in space that obliterated the rest of the star system and sent Sikharon hurtling into the Cleft of Dimensions, a chaotic realm at the crossroads of reality.

Five centuries later, the proud world of Thezaria’s first kingdoms were formed. Magic was a fundamental part of life, and people guided their lives by their theory of the Five Aspects. Civilization took an interesting form there, combining scientific principles with magical power sources. Unfortunately the most destructive and manipulative aspects of mana had their share of followers, and a struggle for power was inevitable. Thezaria was torn apart by an eruption of magical energies that left its mana rich core exposed and the remaining landmasses floating in the sky. Civilization was set back two hundred years, but eventually the people learned from the mistakes of the past and forged a new path.

For seven thousand years, the Kumvari, an offshot of humanity produced by the union of primitive humans with an unknown race of extraterrestrial explorers, colonized worlds along the outer rim of the Milky Way. Inventive traders, they soon reached out across the stars thanks to their progenitors’ technology. They became famous in the galaxy for their resourcefulness and quick wit, and established longstanding bonds with the Sakkhra, Psion and Alkari races, ingratiating themselves with them to the point of causing significant changes to the gene pools of all the involved parties.

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Good to see you continue this, Manus. Your ideas are nice. I especially agree with the point about the practical naming of extradimensional worlds.

Hey, I learned a new word too! (Extropian- look it up, kids!) See, you learn new things every day! :wink:

Btw I’m sure you’ll notice and correct this, but anyway: you repeated a paragraph. Meh, happens to me too. Otherwise perfect work.

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Aleph

This universe was rife with manifestations of the supernatural. The Master played a very active role in its affairs during the first six millennia, first seeding the worlds with life and then coming to their defense in the wake of Tanzra’s demonic invasions. It is important to note that the Master was severely weakened during those dark times, having poured most of his energy into those worlds. He would never completely recover until the very end of the Reclamation War. The angel Blazer distinguished himself among many others by taking on the vile Deathtoll while the Master fought against Tanzra in another world. At the same time, this universe had its own version of Earth, which was influenced by the twin aspects Lightside and Darkside, also known as Gaia and Dark Gaia. This world, trapped in an endless cycle of growth and decline, was finally devastated by the Asmodeus virus. Somehow, Gaia managed to seal the continents and the souls of all living creatures, and the hero Ark later singlehandedly rebuilt the world and beat back Dark Gaia when it attempted to cause yet another apocalypse. Though the half of his being that was created by Dark Gaia disappeared along with Dark Gaia and the underworld, the original half remained and lived on. It’s said that the two will be reunited once again in the universe’s darkest hour.

After saving countless worlds, the Master was severely weakened by the constant battles against Tanzra and suffered greatly due to the loss of his angel companions, which selflessly but foolishly crashed the Sky Palace upon Death Heim in an attempt to break through Tanzra’s barriers before the final showdown. After that, the Master disappeared and was nearly forgotten. As Valorian Ankar would later remark, it would seem that people only remember the divine when they want something.

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Hey, that stuff with Dark Gaia is from Soul Blazer/Terranigma, right? Great stuff, I’ve read about it but not played the games. Very interesting to see how you integrated it into your universe. I may use it myself someday, but I’ll have to research it more first.

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Chronos

This universe is notable for the existence of an Earth that seems to have a condensed timeline compared to that of other parallel universes. It is also notable for the existence of a dreaded cosmic parasite, a devourer of worlds known as Lavos. This creature destroyed a still undetermined number of worlds before making its way to Earth, crashing there during its prehistoric era and causing a great climate change that resulted in a steep drop in temperature and the extinction of the Reptites, a race of intelligent humanoid saurians who disputed control of Earth with the first humans. Millions of years later the Kingdom of Zeal emerged, fueled by the emergent power of magic. Cold, emotionless and hungry for more power, Queen Zeal was soon corrupted by Lavos and attempted to siphon energy from the beast through the construction of a device - the infamous Mammon Machine.
Thus Lavos awakened for the first time, destroying the Kingdom of Zeal and nearly tearing the world apart in one swoop. The violent release of energy reshaped the land and caused the long ice age to end, allowing a new form of civilization to take root. Though the people of Zeal lost most of their magic, they regained their humanity and were reunited with the rest of humanity.

In 1999 AD of the original timeline, Lavos emerged once again, devastating the surface and bringing about the end of civilization. Three hundred years later, the creature having completely drained the world’s energy, its monstrous offspring started appearing on the planet. The devious Mother Brain of Geno Dome thought it would be possible for the world to sustain the parasite and its offspring, keeping them from spreading across the cosmos, but its plan involved eliminating the remnants of humanity, and as such, it had to be stopped. The hero Crono and his companions battled throughout history to prevent the apocalypse brought about by Lavos, altering the timeline in several ways in the process. Joined by the vengeful prince of Zeal, Janus, more known as Magus, the heroes ultimately saved the past, present and future, removing a series of threats to the world and destroying Lavos before it could commit genocide.

Through unknown means, Sikharon managed to obtain samples of Lavos and create a series of similar creatures, imbued with the abilities of other races such as the Metroid. It is important to say that Lavos not only drained the planet’s life force, but also absorbed DNA from living creatures, constantly modifying itself. These three traits, combined with the creature’s apparent ability to propel itself through space and burrow deep underground and its reproductive ability made it a serious threat to life everywhere. One can only speculate if more such creatures exist, and if they do, the devastation they must have already caused would be immesurable. Three hundred years is a relatively short span when you look at the big picture, and since one of those creatures is enough to devastate a planet, we’re looking at a potential death toll of trillions of beings and hundreds if not thousands of devastated worlds. The Extropian Expeditionary Fleet has established a strong presence in this universe through the Exploration, Recon and Hazard Prevention commands, and is actively combing every inch of space in search of more such abominations.

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Manus: Do the events of Crono Cross take place in your version? I must admit even I find them confusing. Not to mention, having Lavos go from a planet eater to a being who could eat TIME ITSELF is quite a leap, especially since it happened simply because it merged with Schala (!?)

Also, you’re very right that Lavos’ origins and previous actions have not been explored (that I know of) and make good fanfic fodder.

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Well, I haven’t played Chrono Cross much, so I’m not sure if I should include those events in the timeline. Can’t say I exactly liked the way the plot went either. It just felt weird. Plus, I don’t like what they did to Schala.

Jedi

This universe has one of the longest and most troubled histories, with countless conflicts and disasters, many of which fueled by the flow of a power known by many names in many different places, but primarily designated as the Force. Intertwined with life itself and flowing between all living creatures, the Force has unlimited potential, both for good and for ill, and one empowered individual can often influence events on a galactic scale. Unfortunately, a portion of its wielders always seem to turn it to selfish and destructive purposes, with disastrous results.

This universe seems to have had a mysterious percursor race, which went so far as to move some planets around and was responsible for creating a series of landmarks and powerful constructs before disappearing. Countless races developed, among them the Rakata, which had a strong affinity to the Force and eventually achieved an advanced level of technology that somehow integrated the Force into its workings. Cruel, vicious and warlike, they spread across the stars, conquering countless worlds and forming what became known as the Infinite Empire. It was the Rakata who turned Tatooine into an scorched wasteland through orbital bombardment, and it is suspected that they may be responsible for the lush environment of Kashyyyk, having set it up as an agricultural world.
Eventually they created what would become their downfall, a massive orbital facility they called the Star Forge, which siphoned matter and energy from the Rakata homeworld’s star, allowing the instant and constant production of a potentially unlimited amount of weapons and spaceships. With the Star Forge as the center of their empire, they laid out star maps across the conquered worlds to flaunt the extent of their empire. It seemed the Infinite Empire would live up to its name and eventually dominate the entire universe, but such was not to be.
The Rakata mysteriously began to lose their ability to use the Force, which also hampered the use of their technology. Slave revolts in the conquered worlds threw the Infinite Empire into chaos, and a strange plague swept across it, killing only Rakata. It is suspected that it was engineered by the slave races as an instrument of retribution. It is necessary to say that the conquered populations vastly outnumbered the Rakata. At its height the Infinite Empire was made up by around six billion Rakata and a trillion slaves. With their grasp on those worlds failing and their power waning, they sabotaged the star map monuments to keep the slaves from using them to follow them, and then fled to their homeworld.
The tale could have ended there, but the Rakata turned out to be the unwitting architects of their own demise, for the Star Forge was much more than a mere factory. It was very much alive, feeding off the dark side of the Force. The malignant entity had influenced the Rakata, fueling their violence and bloodlust and growing ever stronger. As the Infinite Empire disintegrated, the Rakata warlords turned on each other in a bloody civil war that decimated their population and destroyed most of what remained of their civilization. The Star Forge lurked on, awaiting the coming of another that would use its power to cover the galaxy in blood.