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The Ages of Lumia

The Structure of Time

Section titled “The Structure of Time”

The history of Lumia is divided into distinct Ages, each defined by the dominant cosmic force and ended by world-shaping cataclysms. These Ages represent not just the passage of time, but fundamental shifts in the nature of reality itself.

The Primordial Era

Section titled “The Primordial Era”

The Time Before Time

Nature of the Era

Section titled “Nature of the Era”
  • No physical laws as currently understood
  • Reality fluid and mutable
  • Aeons and Khadhu roam freely across all planes
  • No distinction between material and spiritual

Key Characteristics

Section titled “Key Characteristics”
  • Duration: Immeasurable
  • Dominant Force: Raw creation and destruction in balance
  • Magic Level: Infinite and unformed
  • Civilization: None - no sentient life exists

The Era Ends With

Section titled “The Era Ends With”

The Collision of Luminous and Coshek, birthing sentient life and beginning measured time.

The Age of Unity

Section titled “The Age of Unity”

The Brief Golden Moment

Nature of the Age

Section titled “Nature of the Age”
  • Newly born Luminari explore their existence
  • Free will emerges for the first time
  • Powers of creation and destruction wielded without restraint
  • No concept of individual vs. collective good

Key Characteristics

Section titled “Key Characteristics”
  • Duration: Mere moments to decades (unclear)
  • Dominant Force: Unbridled potential
  • Magic Level: Godlike and uncontrolled
  • Civilization: Proto-divine collective

The Prisoner’s Warning

Section titled “The Prisoner’s Warning”
  • Foresees the chaos that unrestrained power will bring
  • Calls for voluntary binding and unity
  • Rejected as attempted tyranny

The Age Ends With

Section titled “The Age Ends With”

The First Schism - Luminari reject unity, declare the Prisoner enemy.

The Age of the First War

Section titled “The Age of the First War”

The War That Shaped Reality

Nature of the Age

Section titled “Nature of the Age”
  • Reality itself weaponized in the conflict
  • The Prisoner grows stronger with each absorption
  • Other Luminari unite only when facing extinction
  • Physical laws begin to solidify from the conflict

Key Characteristics

Section titled “Key Characteristics”
  • Duration: Unknown centuries or millennia
  • Dominant Force: Conflict between Order (Prisoner) and Chaos (Luminari)
  • Magic Level: Reality-breaking
  • Civilization: None on Lumia yet

The Discovery of Lumia

Section titled “The Discovery of Lumia”
  • World found with unique Arcanite properties
  • Natural magical field can contain even godlike beings
  • Becomes the chosen prison site

The Age Ends With

Section titled “The Age Ends With”

The creation of the Arcanite Prison and imprisonment of the Prisoner.

The Age of Vigil

Section titled “The Age of Vigil”

The Long Watch

Nature of the Age

Section titled “Nature of the Age”
  • Luminari maintain the prison through constant effort
  • Lumia’s indigenous peoples develop independently
  • Humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, halflings evolve
  • Kingdoms rise and fall without divine interference

Key Characteristics

Section titled “Key Characteristics”
  • Duration: Several millennia
  • Dominant Force: Divine maintenance of cosmic balance
  • Magic Level: Locked away in the prison and Arcanite
  • Civilization: Bronze to Iron Age development

The Wandering

Section titled “The Wandering”
  • Some Luminari grow weary of eternal vigilance
  • Abandon posts to live among mortals
  • Teach magic to indigenous peoples
  • Begin of mortal magical traditions

The Age Ends With

Section titled “The Age Ends With”

Too few Luminari remain to maintain the prison alone.

The Age of Marking

Section titled “The Age of Marking”

The Elevation of Mortals

Nature of the Age

Section titled “Nature of the Age”
  • Mortals recruited to help maintain the prison
  • The Mark of the Luminari creates first heroes
  • Discovery of Arcanite’s properties
  • Rise of magical civilizations

Key Characteristics

Section titled “Key Characteristics”
  • Duration: 1000-2000 years
  • Dominant Force: Mortal ambition guided by divine purpose
  • Magic Level: High but controlled through Arcanite
  • Civilization: Advanced magical societies

The Arcana Golem Discovery

Section titled “The Arcana Golem Discovery”
  • Marked learn to transform bodies with Arcanite
  • Creation of living weapons of war
  • Power corrupts the Marked
  • Competition for resources begins

The Age Ends With

Section titled “The Age Ends With”

The Last War - Arcana Golems tear the world apart.

The Age of Ash

Section titled “The Age of Ash”

The Last War and Its Aftermath

Nature of the Age

Section titled “Nature of the Age”
  • World-spanning conflict between Arcana Golem factions
  • Skies darkened with ash and fire
  • Mass extinction of species and civilizations
  • Prison weakened by the devastation

Key Characteristics

Section titled “Key Characteristics”
  • Duration: 50-100 years of war, 400+ years of recovery
  • Dominant Force: Uncontrolled destruction
  • Magic Level: Catastrophic then greatly diminished
  • Civilization: Collapse then slow rebuilding

The Touch of Darkness

Section titled “The Touch of Darkness”
  • Prisoner breaches prison slightly
  • Creates first Darklings through corruption
  • Luminari sacrifice themselves to reseal
  • Only Serane remains

Major Developments

Section titled “Major Developments”
  • Crystal Dwarves seal themselves away
  • Surface world loses most knowledge
  • Magic becomes myth and legend
  • New kingdoms slowly emerge

The Age Ends With

Section titled “The Age Ends With”

Crystal Dwarves re-emerge after 500 years of isolation.

The Age of Revelation

Section titled “The Age of Revelation”

Current Age - The Veil Lifts

Nature of the Age

Section titled “Nature of the Age”
  • Hidden truths gradually revealed
  • Ancient powers stirring
  • Magic returning but Arcanite depleting
  • Heroes marked for a new conflict

Key Characteristics

Section titled “Key Characteristics”
  • Duration: 80 years so far
  • Dominant Force: Rediscovery and preparation
  • Magic Level: Moderate but growing unstable
  • Civilization: Renaissance-level with magical elements

Current Status (Year 80 of the Revelation)

Section titled “Current Status (Year 80 of the Revelation)”
  • Crystal Dwarves share pre-war knowledge
  • Darklings increasingly active
  • Serane marking new heroes
  • Titans taking interest in mortal affairs
  • The Shadowmoon approaching

Signs of Change

Section titled “Signs of Change”
  • Arcanite depletion weakening prison
  • Aggressive creatures at borders
  • Prophecies activating
  • Knight Orders reforming
  • Ancient artifacts reawakening

The Age Will End With

Section titled “The Age Will End With”

Unknown - prophecies suggest either:

  • The Second Dawn (reunification of divine nature)
  • The Final Liberation (Prisoner’s escape)
  • The Great Convergence (union of all orders)

The Prophesied Age

Section titled “The Prophesied Age”

What May Come

Possible Futures

Section titled “Possible Futures”

The Age of Oblivion

Section titled “The Age of Oblivion”
  • If the Prisoner escapes
  • Magic dies completely
  • Return to primordial chaos
  • Reality unmakes itself

The Age of Ascension

Section titled “The Age of Ascension”
  • If heroes prevent the escape
  • Mortals transcend limitations
  • New Luminari arise
  • Prison transformed or eliminated

The Age of Balance

Section titled “The Age of Balance”
  • If unity achieved between forces
  • Creation and Oblivion reconciled
  • New cosmic order established
  • Mortals and divines as equals

Cultural Perspectives on the Ages

Section titled “Cultural Perspectives on the Ages”

Crystal Dwarf Reckoning

Section titled “Crystal Dwarf Reckoning”
  • Count from “The Sealing” (when they closed their doors)
  • Year 580 After Sealing (AS)
  • Detailed records of pre-war era

Human Kingdoms

Section titled “Human Kingdoms”
  • Count from “The Phoenix Rising” (Ashenport’s founding)
  • Year 234 of the New Calendar (NC)
  • Myths and legends of earlier times

Elven Memory

Section titled “Elven Memory”
  • Remember through ancestral dreams
  • No numerical system - events marked by “Turnings”
  • Still recall the Age of Vigil dimly

The Marked

Section titled “The Marked”
  • Feel the ages through their soul-bond
  • Experience visions of past ages
  • Know time is running out

Metaphysical Notes

Section titled “Metaphysical Notes”

The Loom and Ages

Section titled “The Loom and Ages”

Each Age represents a different “weaving pattern” in the Loom of Aether:

  • Primordial: No pattern - raw threads
  • Unity: First attempt at pattern
  • First War: Pattern tears and reforms violently
  • Vigil: Careful, maintained pattern
  • Marking: Mortal threads added to divine
  • Ash: Pattern burns but doesn’t break
  • Revelation: Pattern fraying, new design emerging

The Shadowmoon’s Influence

Section titled “The Shadowmoon’s Influence”
  • Appears every 3,000-5,000 years
  • Each appearance coincides with Age transitions
  • Weakens barriers between planes
  • Makes the Loom “loose” and changeable

“Ages end not with time’s passage, but with the breaking of what was thought unbreakable.”

Part of the Lumia canon, drawn from the LuminariMUD world-lore project.