1. Objects

Worldstones

The Worldstones are ancient, primordial artifacts imbued with the raw elemental essence of the Eldari. These sacred stones are the linchpins of the Riftways, tethering the elemental planes of existence to the Prime Plane and maintaining the continuum crystal cosmology's delicate balance. Their creation, purpose, and influence are deeply intertwined with the fabric of the universe itself, acting as both a blessing and a burden for the mortal realm. It is believed that each and every worldstone is inexorably connected to the Primus deity that embodies the remnant essence of the Eldari whose cosmic form initially formed their plane of existence. 

Origins of the Worldstones

In Ael's vision of the Continuum Crystal Cosmology, he envisioned a ordered cosmos where the elements could coexist with one another. To achieve this vision, the Primus deities - whom would succeed the Eldari as their remnant essence was forged into the planes - needed to be constrained by this ordered structure. Though divine in power, Pantheon of Primus was constrained by its own design. To prevent catastrophic disruptions to the material and mortal realms, the gods could not directly manifest their true forms upon the Prime Plane. Instead, their influence flowed through their elemental planes of Energy, Earth, Water, Air, Life, and Death.

To anchor these elemental planes and ensure their connection to the Prime Plane, Ael forged the Worldstones during the Solis Singularity:

These Worldstones, in turn, were connected by Riftways to The Continuum Crystal, the argent heart of the cosmos and the ultimate nexus of universal order. Notably

Purpose and Function

The Worldstones serve two primary purposes:

  • Elemental Harmony: By regulating the flow of elemental energy, the Worldstones ensure the sustainable balance of life on the Prime Plane. This balance shapes the geography, climate, and life forms of the Elemental Realms, such as The Sun Realm, The Earth Realm, The Sea Realm, and The Air Realm.
  • Cosmic Stability: The Worldstones anchor the Riftways, the cosmic pathways that bind the planes together, preventing them from collapsing into Khaos.

To gaze into a Worldstone is to witness the eons of elemental history—an experience so overwhelming that most mortals would be driven to madness. Thus, the protection and stewardship of the Worldstones were entrusted to the Archons and their chosen Avatars.

Of Archons and Avatars

The Archons are primordial wardens of the elemental forces, existing as the first beings on the Prime Plane alongside the Elementari. Manifested by the gods, the Archons are tasked with guarding the Worldstones and enforcing the elemental balance. The Archons were originally created by the elemental deities - Pyros, Theia, Hydrus, and Aether - whom enacted their will through these primordial guardians.

Every ~3,000 years, the Archons choose an Avatar, a mortal champion imbued with a fraction of their elemental essence, to act as their steward. These Avatars serve as protectors of the realms, masters of the elements, and arbiters of the Archons' will. Each Avatar undertakes a divine trial to prove their worth, often requiring them to journey into the Riftways and to the elemental plane of existence that is bound to their respective realm. Here they are forced to confront their deepest fears.

Shaping the Prime Plane

Each Worldstone profoundly influences its surrounding geography and inhabitants:

  • Sunstone: The Sun Realm is a warm yet vibrant landscape of deserts and plateaus, where light and heat sustain life in harsh conditions.
  • Earthstone: The Earth Realm features towering mountains, lush forests, and deep caverns, its inhabitants molded by resilience and fortitude.
  • Seastone: The Sea Realm is a vast aquatic expanse, home to the Unknown and other marine life, flourishing in an environment of ceaseless currents and tides.
  • Etherstone: The Air Realm is a domain of floating islands and boundless skies, populated by the Vanir and imbued with arcane energies.

During The Planar Rapture, a cosmic war between the Pantheon of Primus and the Elementari, the Worldstones became crucial to the gods’ efforts to preserve order. Helios sculpted the True Dragon from the Archons image, empowering these majestic beings to serve as protectors of the Prime Plane and its elemental harmony.

The Worldstones are not impervious to danger. The shattering of the Continuum Crystal during the First Continuum Crisis destabilized the elemental balance, leading to the emergence of Revenant Titan like the World Eater Serpent and The Great Serpent. Moreover, mortal ambition, particularly during events like The Riftfire Rebellion, has repeatedly placed the Worldstones at risk.

The Worldstones' importance cannot be overstated. Should any of them be destroyed or corrupted, the elemental chaos unleashed would devastate the Prime Plane and ripple across the entire cosmos.

Legacy

The Worldstones are not just artifacts; they are symbols of creation, balance, and the enduring struggle to maintain harmony amidst chaos. Their influence resonates through history, mythology, and the lives of every being on the Prime Plane. Whether revered by the Aesir of the Sea Realm, the Solir of the Sun Realm, the Njordir of the Earth Realm, or the Vanir of the Air Realm, the Worldstones stand as a testament to the fragile yet resilient nature of existence.

Epoch of Elemental Elysium

Prime Plane

The events of the Path of the Four Elements marked the final turning point in the long and mythic saga of the Worldstones. When the Imperial fleet, under the command of Immortal Emperor Caeus, shattered the Worldstones in an effort to seize control of elemental power, the very anchors of cosmic balance fractured. The Archons, once stewards of stability, were thrown into titanic fury, unleashing their true forms upon the Prime Plane and threatening to rend the world asunder.

But from the heart of devastation rose Talyen, Avatar of the Four Elements—unifier of sun, earth, water, and air. Channeling the dying essences of the sundered Worldstones and the elemental Archons themselves, Talyen rifted each elemental force into a singular argent spiral of Rift Energy: the Infinity Helix. In doing so, he became the living vessel of balance and sealed The Continuum Crystal once and for all, not with warded bindings, but with harmony formed of interwoven unity.

From that moment forward, the Worldstones were no longer needed.

Their dissolution did not herald the end of elemental stability, but the evolution of it. The elemental forces once funneled rigidly through these titanic relics now flowed freely through the reformed Riftways, guided by the new cosmic principle forged by Talyen’s sacrifice—elemental harmony without domination.

The Riftways, cosmic corridors between realms, are kept in delicate tune by Symetrius, the Primus deity of order. Where the Worldstones once served as firm anchors, Symetrius now tends the living weave of the elemental planes, ensuring the balanced convergence of energies without the need for confinement.

In this new age—the Era of Elemental Elysium—the elemental forces no longer compete, but coexist. Storms form not in wrath, but in rhythm. Flames dance not in rage, but in renewal. The boundaries between the Elemental Planes and the Prime Plane have become permeable, symbiotic, and ever-changing—no longer bound by artifacts of stone, but by a continuum of conscious balance.


Will of the Worldstones

Though their physical forms are gone, the mythos of the Worldstones endures. Across the Prime Plane, their names are etched in monuments, spoken in prayer, and remembered in elemental rites.

  • The Sunstone is honored in the reverent prayers of flamekin and Solir descendants (especially in the Serrakhan Sultanate).
  • The Earthstone is revered in the deepstone shrines of the Njordir, where geomancers whisper to the still-lingering voice of mountains.
  • The Seastone is invoked in tidal sea-songs by the Unknown, whose sages sing of its currents and the wisdom of Mythia.
  • The Etherstone is studied in the arcane sanctums of Aerenal, where scholars, arcanists, and sages trace its spirals through the aetherwinds of Ether which permeate all things.

What remains is not a relic—but a truth: the Worldstones were always meant to fade. In their sacrifice, they gave rise to a more perfect form of balance—one not dictated by rigid boundaries, but by the resonant breath of the cosmos.

The mortal realm now bears that responsibility. Elemental harmony, once a divine mandate, has become a living legacy.