Welcome to the Empyrean Universe and the world of Ora, where the Outer Planes are just past the ethereal veil, on the other side of a blink, or just below the surface of a pool. For the inhabitants of Ora, magic is a boundless resource that affects and improves their daily lives, powering their esoteric technologies and separating their towering cityscapes from the wild frontiers beyond.
An important inflection point in The Empyrean Universe’s history is the Coming of the New Gods, over 2000 years ago. Before their arrival, the Empyrean Universe existed in a raw, primal state. Only a single star system existed in the whole of it. This was clearly a divine creation, perhaps finished, but with no gods in sight. The primary populated planet, Ora, was choked with extraplanar beings: Demons and Devils battled ceaselessly across mortal battlegrounds, angels wielded unchecked power, and elemental lords reshaped the land at will. There was no sign of its creator, or any divinity as mortals now understand it, only chaos and ancient powers without oversight, purpose, or mercy.
The New Gods of Empyrean arrived suddenly, discovering the material world in situ, an abandoned marvel adrift in a multiversal tide. They did not create Ora, but they claimed it, filling the spiritual void with their presence and rewriting the boundaries of reality. They forged the Outer Planes, realms of belief and meaning, and exiled the extraplanar hordes to them. The New Gods then went on to Reshape the Empyrean Universe to their liking, laying claim to the creation of a mysterious and forgotten demiurge that may or may not ever return.
Since this reshaping, the world of Ora and the wider Empyrean Universe have changed considerably. The world is still healing, and the barrier between planes remains thin and unpredictable in many places. As a result, hidden portals dot the land, and one should always watch where they step.
Ora is a wonderous and dangerous place. Magic is powerful, the New Gods are very active, and the echoes of the old world still lurk in the corners of existence. Ora is a world that remembers what it once was, even as it becomes something new.
