The Nexus, flows through Creation, just beyond physical reality, providing mystical energies that underpin all that is or will ever be. It is from which Creation emerges and reality is ordered. It is the force that powers magic.
The Nexus is ever-present. It is the heart’s blood of Creation.
Without it, there is nothing.
Nexus Points
The energy of The Nexus periodically erupts geyser-like into physical reality, refueling Creation. These areas are called Nexus Points. After spewing nexial energies into Creation, Nexus Points often collapse unto themselves. That wild and raw power is absorbed by Creation and used to support what already exists or to create new formations.There are, however, a few Nexus Points that are more “stable,” if such a word can be used, like the one at the center of what has come to be called “Rhedrin.” The “world” of Rhedrin is not truly a world. It is a platform of Order. It is a quasi-dimension unto itself.
The Inn is an “expression” of The Nexus
When the Nexus bursts forth and kisses Creation, that Nexus Point can take an ordered form. The forms can be fleeting, cast free , or disappearing as The Nexus Point collapses. The expression of stable Nexus Points are robust in structure, The Inn is such an example.
When Kairee first arrived at The Inn, there was just The Inn. From its step, the town flowed. First, the courtyard and stables appeared, and over time, buildings and streets appeared. Now The Inn sits at the center of the quasi-dimensional place called “Rhedrin.”
The Inn, and the Rhedrin dimension, is at that crossroads of all places, but it is not easy to find. Once there, it is not easy to leave. You must have the will to find the way.
The bar at The Inn
Order any drink from the bar, and it will magically appear. There is no limit to the number of rooms to be rented. The barroom seems to resize depending on the number and type of beings within. There is always a free seat at the bar or a table. A drinking booth is always available.
There were innkeepers before Kairee’s arrival, but they were not mages and did not understand its nature or see the potential. She moved quickly to make it her own, and once secured, she made this her home . . . and a profitable little business.
Arcana & Magic
The Nexus powers all magic.
Being Chaos Refined, nexial energy is wild and unpredictable. Touching such raw power, even for experienced Arch-mages, can scramble the mind and overwhelm the mage in such ways as to make viable life a dream forgotten.
Fortunately for mages and other magically attuned beings, the arcane power they use has been further refined in the process of creation. Though magic can be found throughout Creation, the form it takes varies from world to world, dimension to dimension. The gods and magically capable beings born of those worlds are naturally adapted to channel the local Arcana. It flows more smoothly through them, and they draw it unto themselves like they draw breath. They shape it according to the natural flow in their world. Mages develop magical traditions and disciplines attuned to the uniqueness of that world’s Arcana. Mages with the ability to travel to other worlds and realms have to attune to the ambient magics before they can fully exploit the local arcane power.
Mages, in general, are like magical batteries. They draw power from the ambient environment and store it within themselves. They can shape that power through their casting using the disciplines they have learned. Conversely, witches and other magically capable beings whom are not mages, need to steal/leech the arcane energy from other things like wands and potions.
Not every mage is skilled or powerful enough to learn new disciplines or to taste and shape arcane energies that are not from their homeworld. Some can do such; however, there should be no expectation that all mages have that ability, and if they do, that it is easy.
The ability to master many disciplines, even from across all of Creation, is one of the attributes that differentiate an Arch-mage from other, lesser mages. That, however, is not to say it is the only requirement.
The Arcane is rich and robust. There is always something new to learn and deeper secrets to uncover.
The Celestial Accord
When Creation was young, there were no barriers between worlds and dimensions, nor between life and death. One did not have to rely on magic to traverse Creation.
One day an abomination arose. No one knew from whence The Blood King came, but It brought rage and destruction as It rampaged. A veritable force of nature, It turned against the gods.
The Blood King assaulted the heavens and brought death and destruction to the First Divine Court. After the death of one of their own, the gods flung The Blood King down to the mortal realm. Uniting with the other divinities, both Light and Dark, from across Creation, they summoned their Avatars. They set them against The Blood King and its perverse followers.
Once The Blood King was cast from Creation, the coalition of the gods shattered. The gods of Light and of Darkness turned upon each other. Factions within each turned on their brothers and sisters. All sought advantage and power. Avatars, once heroes, were seen as threats by some of the gods. Mortals, as always, were caught in the middle.
Lamenting the wanton destruction their war had wrought and having realized there was nothing to gain, sense returned, and the gods sought lasting peace. Thus, The Celestial Accord came to be.
The gods erected barriers between dimensions and worlds. The gods of Light returned to their heavens, and the dark gods and their demonic followers retreated to the hellish realms. The living and the dead were separated. Mortals kept to their realm, protected from the depredations of the demonic and the direct interference of the gods once the barriers were in place. Arcane paths remained between all places, but they were closed to all except those with the power to find them and the will to use them.
Thus the gods sought to secure peace and failing that, to limit the destruction through mystical barriers and binding treaties.