The Cosmos and the Planes of Enzada
Enzada is a world that appears to be
grounded in the universe as we know it, with a few unusual physical laws that
appear to be breached by some higher power or force of magic. This magic is
called The Pattern, and it is the force through which reality is manipulated by
all beings.
In Enzada, there is no real distinction
between divine and arcane magic, save that divine magic requires the
supplication of the caster before the gods or their blessing (supposedly) will
not be granted to insure the magic works. Arcane magic is clearly drawn from
within the spirit of the caster. All spell casters in Enzada pull magic from
their envisioning, drawing, or uttering the words that invoke the Patterns, and
all magic is accompanied by a subtle effect, such as a dampening or enhancing
of light and sound, a distortion of vision, or a change in natural colors
during the length of the effect. Magic is a warping of reality, and that
warping can leave a “rubber-band” like effect on things around it.
There is at least one “other dimension” and
any alchemical or magical reference to the astral, ethereal or beyond seems to
refer to this plane, called the Spaces Between or simply the In-Between. A
common theme of belief throughout all Enzada is that the fabric of reality is
woven from some cosmic cloth, and that the world as we know it comes from these
woven strands. The Spaces Between are the mysterious nether-realms of the
otherworld, wherein the gods and spirits tend to reside, and some believe that
the very depths of space allow one to peer in to the deep infinity of the
Spaces Between. Most extra planar beings emerge from this other-realm, and some
mages devote their lives to trying to explore its mysteries.
Curiously, Enzada’s people are well-grounded
with regards to places of heaven, hell (the Outer Darkness) and other godly
realms. Though some believe in the Outer Darkness of the Dasami Patheon, and
others believe in the starry sky realms of the Faddasari, none particularly
believe in an afterlife, or at least a specific underworld to which all
descend. Instead, the Merillian faith suggests that the souls of the dead
assemble at the In-Between, an army to stand against or for the tide of the Sun
when the end times come, while the Dasam believe that all men are reborn
countless times as new entities, not always other men in a perpetual cycle of
reincarnation (though the demons of the Outer Darkness always seek to steal
these souls to grow their own numbers), and the Faddasar are transfixed with
the belief that if one can just attain perfect enlightenment, then you can
become immortal and enter the great dance of the stars, but to do so requires a
perfectly lived life, and no one seems to have a consistent idea of how to lead
the perfect life.
Moral Relativity
Enzada
is a world where there are no absolutes; the morality of the world is dictated
arbitrarily by the gods and their followers, but no universal path dictates
absolute good or evil, though the many followers of Enzada’s gods might disagree.
Individual PCs of Enzada likely believe there is an absolute path of morality,
even if the exact nature of that belief varies dramatically from one person to
another.
Alignment
Alignment is a suggestion, not a rule. As a
result of this, if you deploy spells which detect alignment, they will detect intent, instead. If
an evil individual has no evil intent with regards to the caster, the spell
will indicate such, but will not indicate that the man intends evil. There are
spells which can detect a person’s nature, but all such spells are regarded as
a heresy; liberation and personal freedom are highly regarded in Enzada, and to
know one is attempting to “read” you is seen as a revolting concept.
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