A Preface for Proceeding...

Welcome to the Awakening Dream.

The Zolrassal and Associated Documents: A Preface

This is a passion project. This is a window into life, and a life. It grows and continues to grow. Days into months into years are invested here. Yet, it has no right to exist. Nobody asked for it. No contract was signed for its creation. No profit is promised for continued effort. It is art for the sake of art, alive for no other reason than it’s more entertaining to exist than not. Proceed with no greater expectations therein.

If one asks (and I am aware precious few are asking) upon what philosophical foundation this endeavor is undertaken, for years I could offer no answer. It was too young a few years ago, untempered in its own fictional themes and thus less established in its real-world inspirations. I can now say what I consider to be the underlying philosophy (in my capacity as the chief writer): This work is a product of Stoic Humanism, such that Petrarch or Seneca might find some value in it. Consider a basic definition of Stoicism, as might be found online without any difficutly whatsoever:
According to its teachings, as social beings, the path to eudaimonia (happiness, or blessedness) is found in accepting the moment as it presents itself, by not allowing oneself to be controlled by the desire for pleasure or fear of pain, by using one's mind to understand the world and to do one's part in nature's plan, and by working together and treating others fairly and justly.
I say these things not to be pretensions, and pretend to something all this is, but rather to better ground the reader’s expectations when proceeding. All this here- it is not about escapism nor an attempt to create a marketable product to make great profits. This is all a philosophical exercise, in its execution and themes, to understand the world through literature and perhaps achieve one’s part in nature’s plan through the entertainment and intellectual engagement of others. It must be done fairly and justly, and thus collaborative in its essence, as difficult as that task might be as is later written. It must not become diluted by glimmering promises of wealth, thus pursuing pleasure over truth. It must maintain an honest and straight path, until death by obscurity takes it, such that raw emotion does not lead to its destruction at the hands of busy-body businesses or followers. It must maintain the good virtues of art while rejecting the vices of art, or it is nothing. It must not glorify or proliferate evil but illuminate in its stories how evil is a product of those living within the world rather than something abstract beyond our boundaries to understand. In this manner we might therefore control the world and ourselves.
In pursuing this “nature’s plan” through literature, the concept of humanism enters the scene. The core of the narrative is about deities and their machinations, as shall doubtless be witnessed in reading. However, this is not a “religious” text in any manner, pushing any dogmatic philosophies or supporting/rejecting any established religious canon. It is not a critique of religion. Instead, it uses the frame of religion and deities in an utterly over-powered yet disunified state to illustrate that ultimate virtue does not come from ultimate power. The best qualities of life are found in contemplation and peace, which any individual might attain, such that the mortals caught in the midst of these divine narratives can achieve greater eudaimonia or intellectual greatness than the deities themselves. Consider this definition of Humanism, as gathered from the same universal source as the previous:
Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the value and agency of human beings, individually and collectively. The meaning of the term humanism has fluctuated according to the successive intellectual movements which have identified with it. Generally, however, humanism refers to a perspective that affirms some notion of human freedom and progress. It views humans as solely responsible for the promotion and development of individuals and emphasizes a concern for humans in relation to the world.
Now, in a fictional context the term “human” is somewhat inaccurate, but that discrepancy is semantic at best and unworthy of further discussion. Let us suffice to say mortals- the multitude of us without extraordinary powers of omnipotency or the insight of omniscience. We in our limited state can achieve equal or greater feats as those with divine power, for virtue and vice are not attached to power, but the individual beneath the title. We can achieve infinite good and evil in this way but drive along the middle road between extreme good and evil given the innumerable perspectives forever clashing with one another in time and space. Humanism highlighted against the backdrop of divinity therefore underlies the inner work, with a consistent Stoicism as the guiding force of the meta-work (meaning writing, recording, running, and selling of the Awakening Dream). Two layers, inner and outer, and thus accounted for with the label of Stoic Humanism, such that it describes everything which needs to be know philosophically.
Beneath the philosophical layer, the Awakening Dream is fiction, unhinged from reality in various novel ways, as might be expected. Its chief element is this document, the Zolrassal, into which various histories, nations, and peoples are accounted. Everything is broken into various layers- codexes, books, etc. Other documents exist to support it, such as the Qadasmal into which all campaigns played in the setting are recorded. Over years of work, the various components of the work evolve into something we might entitle a “mythos” with its own identity and canon. The more it grows, and the more complex it becomes, the more rich the overall experience becomes- stripping away the stale trappings of the generic to mature into something we might entitle “original”- though near nothing in fiction is honestly original. Let us simply say that the product itself becomes unique from other fiction, even if its internal components might not all be original in themselves. Indeed, it is more than the sum of its parts, as the saying goes, and that spirit grows whilst more parts are added to the sum.
It is important to note that nothing in this mythos exists within a vacuum but is painstakingly inter-woven into complex narratives or themes. Several of these common threads which bind the campaigns and world building together into a cohesive entity. Foremost, Esha is a fantastical world with aspects weighing upon traditional fantasy narratives of religion, race, morality, and power. While they are the same questions to approach, the outcomes are purposefully different. The level of technology is most easily comparable to the late middle ages (with expections). The architecture is ornate, and there is common access to advanced weapons and armor such as polearms and plate. Gunpowder, however, has not been invented, nor will it ever be invented in this universe. In the same vein, periods of explored history might be closer to the bronze age before most recognizable items of the medieval world were conceived. This is because the potency and ramifications of gunpowder are so significant that to accurately include it would require broad integration. It would single-handedly guide aspects of the mythos in unfavorable directions. Socially, the world isn't universally locked into the historical mores that defined the medieval period. Several places possess rigid structures, but others are open and free to all. In this way, individual cultures in the mythos can boast a unique identity. Finally, unnatural and divine powers are present in Esha. They are not ubiquitous energies, found in the hands of every man and beast, but limited by laws both mortal and divine in origin. Find where the mythos falls in these categories is a significant part of the experience.
The name of this document, the Zolrassal, is a compound word from the Etûletal dialect of Etayen. This is an in-lore origin, just as other words originate. The first portion is 'zol', which means end, or death in certain contexts. The second part is rassus, which means 'less' or and is attached to another fragments to form the complete word. For example, derassus is the word for useless, and zolrassus by itself is the word for endless. The third part is 'dal', which is the common word for world in that dialect. Qadal is a prime example of that suffix in combination with another word to form a compound word. Qadal is how that world is known by its inhabitants, and it means first or greater world in ancient Etayen. Forging all these together, the word Zolrassal means 'Endless World'. The name, in a wider sense, is more than a mere title, but a letter of intent and philosophical phrase as well. Indeed, the contrivances of fiction, ever elastic, allow me to make such declarations with a profound ease.
For the sake of coherence, the Zolrassal is not a single flow-of-conciousness narrative which rambles for n-hundred pages. It is meticulously divided into separate books, and each book is sub-divided into parts which are themselves divided accordingly. Exploring the mythos should therefore be a trivial process, more engaging in what is learned rather than the pursuit of fragmented information. Perhaps a measure of the mystery is lost in this endeavor. This concern is a chief critique of the mythos for which there is no remedy nor forthcoming apology. Concessions must be made to optimize readability and literary mystique. The greater a beast becomes, so must the size of its cage increase.
In the context of the world itself, the Zolrassal is a physical collection of histories which is reflected in its current entirely within these pages. It is crafted by in-world characters. Tellas, who numbers among the Eshan or deities of the world, is the author. Her motivation was fear. Everything about the document, in-lore, and in-life, is characterized by the feverish desire to gather information and the fear of knowledge lost. The Zolrassal is organic- an eternal slab clear of permanent etchings but darkened by the shadows of what presently exists. Additions are included based on inspiration rather than mechanical efficieny. Concepts might linger as abstract thoughts for months before inclusion. Brilliant ideas are often discovered at odd times without request. In creating this record, the authors and Tellas as a character are discovering and evaluating the world before them. In just the same way we “real” writers are equally imperfect. Behind the screen we learn more about this world by lingering with it, in a literary sense, going back and forth between sections and stories seeking that elusive thread to pull. The fictional and real creators operate much the same as one another, creating a pleasing parallel. For this reason, the product itself is justifiably fallible in its omission or scarcity of information. Sections are left blank; others possess a mere sentence to explain themselves. Nothing is yet final.

[Current Zolrassal Page Count: 1339]

The intention is to update the World Anvil page here semi-regularly with the latest additions of the Zolrassal and the associated campaigns. We will maintain that promise as best as we are able for as long as possible. Leave comments, notes, anything else if you're interested in engaging with the work. Much love, best.

GIVEN THE LIMITED NATURE OF WORLD ANVIL, CERTAIN BOOKS MIGHT BE OUT OF ORDER ON THE FRONT PAGE. WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO FIX THIS ERROR MULTIPLE TIMES. READ THE BOOKS ACCORDING TO THEIR NUMBERING, EVEN IF THEY APPEAR OUT OF ORDER AT A GLANCE.
Books 1 to 12 are the Zolrassal proper, being where everything about Esha has been recorded by the Eshan Tellas. It can be difficult to ascertain where and what to read. Exploring the world, however, is possible with a measure of proper direction. Here are certain notes or methods to better grapple with the material.

• Read both categories and articles. The nature of the medium requires both to be used for content. This is particularly important for the ages, where the categories are the ages and the articles are important concepts within those ages.

• Read the books according to narrative progression. Book 1 and 2 regard the Awakening Dream- the infantile beginnings of the universe until the devastating First Feud, and should thus go first. Afterward, Books 3 to 5 touch on Qadal, the Greater Half, specifically and can thus be read together. Books 6 and 7 touch on Voryndal, the Lesser Half, and can thus be read together. Book 8 regards the Second Feud, bring the great turning of time and ages. Book 9 in three parts address many futures, including the Withering Dream, and thus be read as a prophecy to the later books. Book 10 is the Zolrassal Ahanti, being the Endless World born from the ashes of the Second Feud. Last, books 11 and 12 are about the latest eras of the world- post what we may call the Second Feud. A reader can skip around a bit, reading Qadal but not Voryndal, vise versa, so long as the Awakening Dream is first and Zolrassal Ahanti last.

• Read by continent or section. Each continent has its own timeline written thereabout, meaning that the reader might focus on specific areas. Esha is divided between Qadal and Voryndal, two halves of the same physical world. Their "middle-aged" histories are largely separate, but they are conjoined during earlier and later eras. Reading about one world, then the other, is a logical approach. Concepts are divided by eras for ease, rather than dumping everything of importance in one section. Concepts can be processed as they become important. Feel free to cross and deviate if desired.

Books 13 to 16 are more general collections of individuals, beasts, and materials which might be found in Esha. They possess no narrative and might be read however, whenever, to support the other books.

Book 1 and 2 of Philosophies are more "meta" collections of ideas, philosophies, objectives, and assertions that provide direction for the mythos. These might truly be explored in any order, as they seek to articulate no particular time nor narrative. If anything, save them for a later point if sufficiently interested, rather than engaging with them immediately- gain your own impressions first, then see how they stack against the original intentions.

Beyond the Books, there are campaign and character records. These are meticulous (but imperfect) records of all the campaigns played and their players over the previous 5 years. Their purpose is historical, so certain content in them is outdated or inaccurate, but also entertainment- watching how the narrative has progressed. Any of these can be explored in any order without damaging the experience.

A final disclaimer: This is an adaptation of a written document, and thus its appearance is closer to a book than flashy website. While I'd love to make the page shine and whistle, that's more expensive than I can handle. Be patient, please, to read this book online as if it were a book.