The Convergence

The Convergence: The Creation of Avanté

The Convergence is an ancient event, shrouded in both mystery and legend, that led to the creation of the world of Avanté as it exists today. It is a cornerstone of the world's mythos and history, a cataclysmic moment that tore through the fabric of reality itself, merging fragments of countless worlds, realms, and dimensions into one. Though much of the knowledge surrounding this event has been lost or mythologized, the Convergence remains a crucial element in the cultural, religious, and historical understanding of the inhabitants of Avanté.

Origins of the Convergence

The Convergence is believed to have occurred eons ago, during an age when the boundaries between realities were fragile and unstable. Small, invisible rifts formed across multiple worlds and realms, opening brief but potent tears in the fabric of space and time. Through these rifts, fragments of countless universes spilled into the void—ranging from entire continents to tiny specks of life, energy, and matter.

These worlds collided in a chaotic fusion, forming the new and unique universe known as Avanté. The energies that flowed from these rifts warped and reshaped the landscape, mingling not just the physical elements of different realms but also their magical and spiritual energies. In this process, Avanté was imbued with a rich tapestry of magical power and diversity.

The sheer scale of the Convergence—and the number of worlds involved—has made it impossible to trace the origin of the pieces that make up Avanté today. For the inhabitants of those original realms, the fragments that fell into the rift were so small and distant that their disappearance went unrecorded. Thus, the true origins of the different regions and people of Avanté have been obscured by time and legend.

The Myth and Memory of the Convergence

Though the details of the Convergence have been lost to the people of Avanté, its legacy is widely known. Nearly every culture and region within the world holds some understanding of this primordial event, though the interpretations vary.

In the minds of the people, the Convergence is remembered as both a destructive and creative force, one that marked the end of many old worlds but also the beginning of a vibrant new one. It is viewed with a mixture of reverence, awe, and fear, as the idea that entire worlds were pulled together by a force so vast and incomprehensible humbles even the mightiest of sages.

In the current era, the Convergence is often spoken of in religious and philosophical contexts. Many believe it was a divine act, a grand weaving of the cosmos by higher powers, though who or what caused the event remains a topic of debate. Some scholars claim it was a natural, cosmic phenomenon, while others insist it was the work of a celestial architect or even the result of a forgotten war between gods.

The People of Tir Volen and Their Understanding

In Tir Volen, the Convergence is not only part of ancient lore but also serves as a moral and philosophical anchor for many cultures, especially in the Seat, the largest and most influential center of learning. The scholars of Tir Volen view the Convergence as a reminder of the fragility and interconnectedness of existence. The common folk often refer to the event during significant life changes, births, or deaths, symbolizing the idea that life itself is a convergence of forces and fates, just as their world is.

Many cultures in Tir Volen regard the Convergence as the beginning of time, with eras and ages often measured in relation to this event. For instance, their calendar might refer to years as being “Post-Convergence Era” or “Second Era After the Convergence.”

Furthermore, Tir Volen's Druids and spiritual leaders often speak of the Convergence in their teachings. They argue that the merging of realms led to the intricate and delicate balance of magic and nature that exists today. This balance between different realms' forces is seen as something that must be maintained. The Druids believe the natural magic of the world is deeply entwined with the ancient energies released during the Convergence, giving them a connection to the primal power that first shaped the land.

Localized Phenomena: Rifts and Convergence Ruins

While the Convergence is a distant memory, there are still physical remnants of the event scattered across Avanté. Certain places in the world are known as Convergence Ruins, where the merging of realms left strange and unexplained phenomena.

Rift Zones: There are locations where Convergence Rifts still occasionally appear, though they are rare. These rifts are unstable and often dangerous, emitting energies from long-forgotten realms. In some cases, they release creatures or magical anomalies that were trapped during the original event. Such areas are avoided by most, but they are magnets for scholars, adventurers, and treasure hunters seeking to uncover lost relics of the event.

Convergence Artifacts: Some objects found across Avanté are believed to be relics from the worlds that were merged in the Convergence. These artifacts are often imbued with strange, otherworldly magic that defies the laws of the current world. Scholars in places like The Seat study these items intensely, hoping to unlock their secrets and understand more about the nature of the event.

Legacy of the Convergence in Magic and Religion

The Convergence fundamentally reshaped the fabric of magic in Avanté. The merging of different worlds brought together disparate magical energies, creating the unique magical ecology present today. Many of the magical traditions and schools of thought across Avanté are thought to have their roots in the Convergence, as the blending of different magical systems resulted in new disciplines and powers.

Celestial Magic: Some believe that the stars and constellations in the night sky are remnants of the many worlds torn apart during the Convergence, and that celestial magic draws power from these distant places. Stargazers and seers often reference the Convergence as the source of their divinatory powers.

Spirituality: For many, the Convergence is not just a physical event but a spiritual one as well. The merging of realms is seen as the merging of souls and fates, and many religious beliefs center on the idea that life itself is a convergence of different forces. In some sects, the Convergence is viewed as the act of divine beings knitting the universe together into one unified whole.

Myths and Legends of the Convergence

The Convergence is not just a historical event but a well of mythology. Some stories claim that during the event, entire kingdoms vanished into the ether, leaving behind ghost cities and lost civilizations. These legends speak of heroes and adventurers who fell into the rifts and now reside in forgotten realms, waiting to return to Avanté in a future time of need.
Others claim that dragons, gods, and titanic creatures were once native to worlds beyond, and that some still slumber deep beneath Avanté, waiting to rise again. Myths also persist of cults and secret orders that worship the Convergence as a holy event, seeking to reopen the rifts to unleash the powers of the ancient realms.

Avanté's Global Perspective on the Convergence

Across Avanté, the Convergence is treated with different degrees of reverence and myth. Some nations view it as a mere historical event, while others have built entire religions around it.

Annukhen: In the arid lands of Annukhen, south of Tir Volen, the Convergence is seen as a cataclysmic birth of the desert. Their myths suggest that the shifting sands were born from the chaos of the merging worlds, with the desert itself acting as a memory of the scorched, ancient lands consumed by the event. Some even worship the winds and storms of the desert as remnants of the primal forces released during the Convergence.

Bravøllr: To the north, in Bravøllr, the event is regarded with warlike reverence, with sagas speaking of entire battlefields and warrior legacies being torn from their homelands and cast into the new world of Avanté. Their ancient warriors are often described as being born of this convergence of worlds, giving them their renowned strength and fury.

The Sabrasi: The nomadic Sabrasi, scattered across Avanté, see the Convergence as the ultimate act of wanderlust. They believe that their people were among those swept up in the rifts, and they view their constant roaming as a reflection of the wandering nature of the universe itself. For the Sabrasi, the Convergence is a sign that the world is ever-changing, and they celebrate this by refusing to settle permanently, always seeking new horizons.

The Convergence in the Eyes of Tir Volen’s Races

The Convergence, as a cosmic and foundational event, left a profound mark not only on the land of Avanté but also on the consciousness of the races that now populate it. Each race in Tir Volen has developed its own interpretation of this momentous event, shaped by its cultural values, history, and worldview. Some races see the Convergence as an act of divine creation, while others view it as a disaster or a source of mystery and untapped power.

Humans
For Humans, the Convergence is often seen as an event of both creation and destruction, interpreted in diverse ways across their many cultures and regions. In the cosmopolitan Seat of Tir Volen, the Convergence is considered the ultimate reset button, a time of divine intervention that formed a new world out of the ashes of many old ones. This has led to a common human belief that the event represents opportunity and rebirth—a reflection of humanity's adaptability and potential to grow.

Many human scholars in the Seat have devoted their lives to studying the Convergence and its aftereffects, seeing it as a key to understanding the universe’s greater mysteries. Religiously, humans often associate the event with the actions of divine beings or a celestial will, believing the Convergence was an act of cosmic unification.

In more rural or tribal human societies, the Convergence is sometimes viewed with greater fear or reverence. It is said that ancestral spirits were thrown into disarray during the event, resulting in hauntings or mystical phenomena that persist to this day.

Dwarves
The Dwarves, who value stability, craftsmanship, and tradition, view the Convergence with a mixture of awe and unease. In their legends, it is said that the mountains themselves were shaken to their cores, with ancient strongholds and ancestral halls being drawn from other realms into Avanté. Many of the great Dwarven mountain ranges are believed to have been shaped during the Convergence, and their subterranean tunnels often lead to places that defy explanation.

The Convergence is thought to have given rise to the deep, hidden places of the earth, such as The Delve and other underground wonders. Many Dwarves see it as a divine upheaval, ordained by the gods to create new veins of metal, minerals, and treasures for their people to uncover. It is also said that some lost Dwarven kingdoms vanished in the event, waiting to be found beneath the surface.

Religiously, Dwarves regard the Convergence as a testing ground, a cosmic forge that tempered the world itself. Some clans celebrate the event as the beginning of the Great Unification, where the realms of stone, fire, and earth merged to give them dominion over the treasures of the underground.

Elves
For Elves, the Convergence is deeply tied to their ancient fey ancestry. They believe the event disrupted the Feywild, splintering their original home and sending its fragments into Avanté. As such, many Elves see the Convergence as a source of painful loss, having severed them from the mystical realm that gave them their long lives and deep connection to magic. Elven scholars describe it as a time of great upheaval when many Elven kingdoms were ripped from their former planes and deposited in the unfamiliar lands of Avanté.

The Aether Elves in particular, who are fascinated with the celestial and arcane, view the Convergence in a more philosophical light. They see it as the merging of cosmic forces, a celestial alignment that brought the heavens closer to the material world. For them, the event was not merely a chaotic rift but a destined convergence of fate and stars, giving them their inherent connection to the cosmos and gravity.

Among other Elven subraces, the Convergence is sometimes seen as a cosmic wound—one that brought both opportunity and sorrow. The Wood Elves and Wild Elves of Tir Volen see it as a natural disruption, an intrusion of unnatural realms into their pristine forests, causing untold damage to the balance of nature.

Genasi
As beings whose very existence embodies the elemental forces, the Genasi see the Convergence as their birthright. Their legends speak of a time when the Elemental Planes collided with the material world, allowing their ancestors to step through the rifts. The Convergence is regarded as the moment when the elements themselves became a living part of Avanté, blending with the world’s very essence.

Each of the four Genasi subraces—Air, Earth, Fire, and Water—views the Convergence as a different aspect of their creation. The Fire Genasi believe the event brought forth the flames that now burn within them, while the Water Genasi claim the oceans swelled with the convergence of new seas from different realms. For the Earth Genasi, the Convergence solidified their connection to the land, bringing with it ancient mountains and elemental caverns. Air Genasi speak of the Convergence winds, powerful gusts that tore open the skies and infused them with the freedom of the open air.

Halflings
For the Halflings of Tir Volen, the Convergence is regarded with a sense of whimsical curiosity. They don’t see it as a time of destruction but rather as the origin of adventure, a moment that introduced countless wonders to the world. Halfling folklore often portrays the Convergence as a cosmic game, where gods and spirits played with the realms like pieces on a board, and out of this game, the Halflings found themselves in a new world full of excitement.

Many Halflings believe that their people were given the gift of wanderlust by the Convergence, leading them to be natural travelers and explorers. In their stories, the Convergence opened roads to other lands and presented them with endless opportunities for trade, discovery, and friendship.

Orcs
The Orcs have a more tumultuous relationship with the Convergence. In Orcish tradition, it is said that the Convergence was a time of great strife and war, when ancient Orcish warlords fought to claim territory that emerged from the rifts. For many Orcs, the event is remembered as a test of their strength and survival. It is believed that those who emerged victorious from the chaos of the Convergence became the first true leaders of the Orcish tribes.

The Convergence is also seen as the origin of their wild strength, with some Orcish shamans claiming that the event infused their people with raw primal energy from other planes. Orc warriors see themselves as inheritors of this strength, viewing the Convergence as a battlefield of the cosmos that forged them into the powerful people they are today.

Gnolls
The Gnolls have one of the most unique perspectives on the Convergence. They believe that, before the event, they were a more primitive and feral race, driven purely by hunger and primal instincts. According to Gnollish myth, the Convergence brought forth a divine force—perhaps a celestial or primal spirit—that granted them their current intelligence and ability to form structured societies.

Gnoll shamanistic leaders teach that the Convergence was an act of ascension, elevating their people from mere beasts to sentient beings capable of reason and cunning. However, this transformation did not completely erase their wild nature, and many Gnolls still struggle with the dual aspects of their identity—civilized but untamed, intelligent yet ferocious.

The Gnolls believe that the event continues to guide them, and they often describe their society as "The Ascended Pack", constantly seeking balance between their feral instincts and the newfound gifts bestowed upon them by the Convergence.

The Forged
The Forged are one of the few races who can trace their creation directly to the Convergence. These mechanical humanoids are said to have been born from the merging of worlds where arcane machinery and technological marvels were commonplace. The Convergence is seen by the Forged as a birth event, a time when their people first came into existence, as machines infused with souls and given life.

They revere the Convergence as their Genesis, believing that their purpose is directly tied to the cosmic event. Many Forged seek to understand more about their origins, believing that the Convergence holds the key to unlocking their full potential. Some even see themselves as stewards of the rifts, tasked with maintaining the balance between the old realms and the new world of Avanté.

Dragonborn
For the Dragonborn, the Convergence is an event tied to their draconic ancestry. Many believe that the Convergence brought their ancestors into Avanté from far-off realms where dragons ruled as gods. The Dragonborn see the event as a blessing of their forebears, with their strength and power being the result of their ancestors crossing the cosmic divide and surviving.

In some Dragonborn cultures, the Convergence is considered a rite of passage for the dragons themselves, a test of their might and worthiness. The Dragonborn pride themselves on being the inheritors of this cosmic power, believing that their connection to dragons gives them a unique claim to the world of Avanté.

Tieflings
For Tieflings, the Convergence is a deeply personal and often troubling event. Tiefling lore holds that the Convergence allowed the realms of fiendish powers to merge with the mortal world, which in turn gave rise to their infernal bloodline. Many Tieflings view the Convergence as the moment when their cursed heritage began, a dark legacy that continues to follow them wherever they go.

At the same time, some Tieflings see the Convergence as an opportunity for redemption. In Tiefling society, there are sects that believe they can overcome the curse of their infernal ancestors by harnessing the power of the Convergence for good, seeing it as the key to reclaiming their place in the world.

Gnomes
Gnomes, being creatures of curiosity and intellect, view the Convergence as a cosmic puzzle. They are fascinated by the event and see it as an opportunity for endless discovery. Gnomes have built entire schools of thought around studying the Convergence, seeing it as a gateway to understanding the nature of reality itself.

Some gnomish legends speak of their ancestors being transported from a realm of boundless invention, and they believe that the Convergence infused them with their innate knack for invention and creativity. For gnomes, the event is often a playful mystery, something to be explored and experimented with rather than feared or worshiped.

Shifters
The Shifters, who possess a connection to primal forces and bestial ancestry, view the Convergence as the awakening of their dual nature. They believe that, during the event, their bloodlines were mixed with the powers of beasts from other realms, granting them their ability to shift between humanoid and animalistic forms.

Shifters often revere the Convergence as the moment when their people were empowered, giving them the ability to live in both worlds—man and beast. Many Shifter tribes see the event as a sign that their people were meant to be guardians of the wild, ensuring that the natural balance between worlds is maintained.

Goblins
For the Goblins, the Convergence is remembered as a chaotic and opportunistic event. Goblins, ever resourceful and cunning, tell stories of their ancestors taking advantage of the confusion caused by the Convergence to carve out places for themselves in Avanté. In Goblin culture, the event is seen as a time of great upheaval, but also one of opportunity.

Some Goblin shamans believe the Convergence released ancient spirits into the world, spirits that still watch over the Goblin tribes and grant them their trademark cleverness and resilience. Others simply view it as an event that changed the world’s playing field, giving them the chance to thrive in the chaos.

Conclusion

The Convergence shaped the very fabric of life in Avanté, and each race has its own unique interpretation of the event. Whether seen as a cataclysm, blessing, or mystery, the Convergence continues to influence the cultures, beliefs, and destinies of the races of Tir Volen. Its legacy is woven into their societies, shaping their history, religion, and understanding of the world around them.

The Convergence remains one of the most defining events in the history of Avanté, shaping not only its physical landscape but also its culture, magic, and spiritual life. Though the details of the event have faded into legend, its impact continues to reverberate through the world, reminding its people of the fragility, complexity, and interconnectedness of existence. Whether through scholarly study, religious reverence, or mythological storytelling, the Convergence will forever be a fundamental part of the world of Avanté.