Song of Creation

The Song of Creation is a theoretical model that explains magic, the planes of existence, and the universe. It is considered orthodox thought by the Church of Eighteen Eyes and the Vekhen Empire, and is largely accepted across Glüm as either "truth" or "near-truth." Enough aspects of the model have been empirically proven for the model to be considered established scientific "fact," though even the most arrogant wizard-scholar will admit that much is still unclear.
The Song of Creation is a magically ressonant metaphysical frequency that underpins and exists within all things — living, dead, animate, inanimate, physical, and ephemeral. Even thoughts and emotions exist as manifestations of the Song. It is believed that the Song doesn't reside within these things, but rather the tone and particular twists of the Song manifest as things within the universe. I.e. there is only the Song, and everything we experience as existence is merely the byproduct of its sound.

Manifestation

Though many believe that "magic" is a supernatural force, in truth, all forms of magic exist as expressions and manipulations of the Song of Creation. However, the Song is able to be manipulated in many ways, ultimately meaning that whilst magic as a whole isn't necessarily supernatural, some of its expressions are certainly unnatural:

• Arcane magic is distilled from individual words and phrases that can be "heard" within the Song of Creation, transcribed into a language known as Chorric. Wizards and other users of this form of magic are able to codify and manipulate these words on a very exacting level, more like a series of passwords and cyphers towards power.
• Divine magic is that which is channelled through a being steeped in the Song, such as a spirit, God, or demon, which is able to impart its own resonance to another via belief, fealty, or contract. Often these relationships are conducted via Chorric or Discordant, though the magic in them is not dependant on the language being used, but rather the alignment of ones resonance with that of their patron.
• Occult magic is a form of bastardised arcane magic, in that — by trial and error, intuition, or mere co-incidence — various rituals and practices are imbued with powerful phrases or tones within the Song. For example, a Bard's music may cause the Song to play differently, interrupt it, or cresendo for some apparently supernatural effect. Occult magic is, therefore, the most prone to contradiction and waste, though is able to grasp concepts wholly bigger than those captured in Arcane magic.
• Primal magic is the manipulation of the natural Song as it exists in everything, whether by listening to the natural world and nurturing it, or by expressing one's own natural wellspring of Song and manipulating it. Primal magic has the capacity to be the most powerful, but it also the most tied to the natural world, and therefore resistant to the whims of its users. Some dialects of Borachi, collectively known as Druidic, are as close to the raw sound of the Song as it exists on Harmony as is possible.

Localization

The Song of Creation manifests differently as it permeats the planes of existence (indeed as it pushes beyond its origin point it creates these planes). The planes of existence are as below:

1. The Song of Creation: Beyond all existence is the origins of the Song itself. This is a plane of existence above all Creation and is — so far — unreachable. It is believed that the Song itself cannot be experienced directly because all of the universe is the Song directly, and one cannot perceive the whole whilst being a part of it. Despite this, many Monks attempt to achieve a level of Enlightenment where their souls encompass the Song directly, though there has not yet been a verifiable instance of this occuring (despite anecdotal evidence).
2. The Cacophony: A realm of intense, roiling Creation wherein all raw uncontrollable magic and possibility exists. The Cacophony spills out from a pinprick in the Skein of Night, a dark shroud that appears to enclose the origins of the Song. The souls of mortals cannot contend with the raw forces that scream within the Cacophony, and thus all souls return here upon death to be torn apart and remade.
3. The Symphony: A realm of consciousness and power far beyond mortal comprehension. Here, spirits (some of which style themselves as "Gods") have learned to weave the raw power of the Song into overwhelmingly powerful magical forces. These Gods act as the custodians of the lesser planes, shaping, directing, and sheparding the Song into creative forces. Or, at least, they are supposed to. It is of note that the Gods themselves cannot survive within the Cacophony for more than a brief moment, and it is a certainty — even among the most fanatical of Cultists — that the Gods did not create the Song nor the Skein of Night which appears to make reality possible.
4. The Harmony: The mortal realm, also known as Glüm, where the Song is orchestrated into a pattern stable enough to allow for life as we know it. Here the raw sounds of Chorric are instilled in the earth as Druidic. Though the Gods did not create the Song, it is strongly believed that they did create the Harmony. It is certain that they at least maintain it, and without their control, reality would revert to a more primal state.
   • The Refrain: A "counterweight" demiplane, created by Madam Midnight as a siphon of excess Creation spilling into the Harmony, enabling the world to "make sense." Here, magic is richer, and the creatures native to the plane are strange and ephemeral. Often called "fey," these beings are gluttons for magic and cannot slake their inexhaustible thirst.
   • The Sustain: Another "counterweight" demiplane, likewise created by Madam Midnight, the Sustain is bereft of the Song and exists to leech what little reserves are there into the Harmony to get its balance perfectly right. The Sustain is filled with shades and other listless spirits who seek vengeance on the Harmony and its denizens for their suffering unlives.
5. The Echoing: The realm below, said to be created by the interferrance of the Harmony and the meddling of the Gods, is the haven and origin of Demons. Said to be a twisting nether of tunnels through which the Song bounces and echos forever, creating discordant tones that contradict itself. Demons are the lifeforms born out of this hellish realm, and though they are not intrinsically "evil" they are inimical to life as we know it, and strive to invert the Song of Creation to end their ceaseless torment.
6. The Silence: Lastly is the Silence, beyond the furthest reaches of the Echoing. The Silence is less a plane and more an absense of the Song, so far from its origin that it cannot be heard any more. However, the very few mad Wizards who have travelled here claim that, if one listens very closely, far off in the distance, one can hear a different Song filled with unknown notes...

It is important to remember that the planes of existence are at once physical places as well as ephemeral realities. They cannot truly be accessed by physically "going" to a place — though some planes may have physical gateways upon Harmony — they are more reached through magical means. Travel between the planes is strictly controlled by the Gods, and angels are usually dispatched to bring wayward adventurers to heel, though the Lord of Bridges & Baubles is known to flaunt these rules often, and encourages mortals to do the same.

Type

Natural