The Oracle Sphere

The Spheres are mysterious places and haven’t always been as easy to reach as they currently are. Subjects of stories and legends to the people of Elandra there is little known and confirmed about them and their inhabitants and so the known information is varied. Discovering secrets of the Sphere and interacting with their inhabitants is designed to have an exploration element.

The Realm of Divination and the subconscious

The Oracular Sphere is a constantly changing, ethereal place. Its occupants hold no memory, or more accurately, there is no order to the memories of this plane and time simply does not exist there. All things happen all at once, or in no particular order. The past is irrelevant and the future is infinite and often happened long ago. Oracle’s only evidence of time lies in the air streams where events take on more of a flow than elsewhere.

Oracle is also a littered junk yard of passing thoughts, hopes and dreams. It does not mirror the mortal plane but instead, twists it into a fantastical world of metaphoric illusion. Everything on Oracle has a meaning and a purpose, including its many denizens, the tricky part however is learning who, what, where and when that meaning is for.

How does Oracle magic work?

The magic of Oracle is primarily used to gain knowledge. This could be; knowledge of the past, insight into possible futures, or a present view of other realms, planes and places.  However, those who train in such magic must learn to interpret their visions which are often steeped in symbolism and metaphor. 

These magics can be defined by the following disciplines

• Divination 
• Farsight
• Foresight
• Illusion 

Denizens of Oracle

While this is by no means an exhaustive list, below are some of the more commonly known creatures that dwell on Oracle

Ethea

Ethea are semi-sentient creatures of the Oracular plane. Although they do have thought and some are even capable of conversation, they are greatly limited to their purpose and are unlikely to be able to be reasoned with in any meaningful way. Different Ethea are born to every age of mortals and they are the creations of mortal fears and hopes. They can take a vast variety of forms from friendly humanoid archetypes, to twisted shadows to common lore omen symbols or even static objects. They are, however, not what they seem. All Ethea have a purpose. They are messengers of sorts, and the only way to rid yourself of one is to understand its meaning. Ethea often travel to the mortals’ plane in times of great trouble delivering omens and warnings. Although they themselves are not evil, they can be very dangerous, especially if their message is left unheard.

Memora

Memora are highly intelligent and sensitive, sentient creatures that live on the air streams of time that course through the Oracular plane and as such are the only creatures of this plane that hold any understanding of the order of time. They often spend years gazing into the streams and pools of Oracle, watching the world pass them by in no particular order.

They are most often humanoid in form where they choose form at all, though they rarely hold the same form for long. As readers of the streams, these are the creatures most often communed with by the mortals as they cast scrying and dowsing’s, Memora are usually those that answer their call. On occasion, the Memora get lost in the air streams and find their way onto the mortal plane. Although Memora are benign in nature, they can often cause great trouble if they are here for too long. Away from their plane, they begin completely confused but as they begin to understand the order of time as it passes, they can create great danger, convincing people of fates to come that then prove to be self fulfilling prophecies. It is rumoured that one got trapped here just before the corruption troubles began, and that perhaps they are the cause! In any case, the story holds no evidence. 

Ephialtes

Or as you may more commonly understand them; nightmares. Unlike the other residents of Oracle, Ephialtes are most certainly and definitely dangerous. Just as all creatures of this plane, the Ephialtes come in many changing shapes and forms and in varying realms of power from the merely worrying to the outright terrifyingly hard to kill.  What is common among them however is that the longer they live, the more powerful they become. In appearance they can manifest in simple shadow forms, gaunt and grotesque figures or at their most powerful take on a giant and monstrous form. Ephialtes feed on the fear of mortals and are drawn to areas of great strife to feed on the ambient fears of the area. On Oracle, there is little sustenance for them and they rarely become powerful enough to cause issues with its other denizens. The mortal plane however…is a seeming smorgasbord and if the opportunity arises they will come here to feast. The one and only good thing about Ephiltes is that they can only prey on mortals at night when waking minds tire and the shadows begin to creep. For such terrifying creatures, they are confined by mystery and the unknown. 

Dreamere

Where Ephialtes are evil, Dreamere are very good. They are the physical embodiment of ideas and inspiration. They are sentient creatures with absolutely no memory whatsoever. Impulsive and often jubilant in nature, Dreamere are greatly attracted to learning, creativity, and adventure. They are creatures of joy and passion, but they are also fickle and fleeting. Their visits to the mortal plane are rare these days. Once they travelled here often, but greedy opportunists would try to catch them and sell them. Many Dreamere died this way, as, unable to roam free, they withered and sickened. Now , very few choose to visit and they are wary around crowds, often only appearing to one person at a time and quickly vanishing. Most visitations by Dreamere are thought of as moments of fancy or perhaps daydreams and mortals rarely get visited by the Dreamere more than once.

Quick Reference Guide

• Oracle Plane Themes: Dreams, subconscious thought, illusions, scrying, instinct.
• Ethereal Nature: A constantly changing, ethereal realm without linear time or ordered memories; past, present, and future blend.
• Symbolic Landscape: Oracle is a junkyard of thoughts and dreams, twisting the mortal plane into a metaphorical, illusionary world where everything has a hidden meaning.
• Oracular Magic Focus: Primarily used for gaining knowledge: past, future, or distant present, requiring interpretation of symbolism and metaphor.
• Magic Disciplines: Oracular magic includes Divination, Farsight, Foresight, and Illusion.
• Ethea: Semi-sentient messengers born from mortal fears and hopes, delivering omens and warnings; understanding their purpose is key.
• Memora: Highly intelligent beings living in time streams, possessing temporal awareness, often communed with for scrying, but dangerous if lost on the mortal plane, potentially causing self-fulfilling prophecies.
• Ephialtes (Nightmares): Malevolent entities feeding on mortal fear, growing stronger over time, typically confined by darkness and mystery, rarely powerful on Oracle but a significant threat on the mortal plane.
• Dreamere: Embodiments of ideas and inspiration, sentient but without memory, attracted to creativity and adventure, wary of mortals after being exploited, now rare visitors to the mortal realm.