Plane of Probability

The Plane of Probability is a chthonic realm where shadow and starlight are the building blocks of reality. It is the source of Moon Mage's prophetic insight as well as the insight into enlightened geometry that is necessary to use teleportation magic . Their access to this ability seems to be linked to several Obelisks, although at least two of the four known obelisks have been destroyed. The exact nature of these artifacts is something of a mystery, although the obelisk on Taisgath has been used to sever the connection to the Plane of Probability in the past.

While Moon Mages derive power and knowledge from the Plane of Probability, the alien intelligences of that plane seek to kill them and wage a war against Lunar Mages. The powers of the Plane of Probability call Moon Mages the Children of Grazhir, and under that name see all the justification they need to wipe Lunar magic off the face of the Plane of Abiding. The actual meaning of that term remains ambiguous, although it certainly refers to some members of the Moon Mage guild

Cosmology of the Plane of Probability

The Plane of Probability was at one point believed to be synonymous with the Planar Void but it is now understood to be a distinct realm. It borders the Plane of Abiding and the Astral Plane. In at least one instance, in the strata beneath Taisgath, a planar breach has been open for millennia and the laws of the plane of probability have seeped across the Planar Void and altered what it means to be a shadow.

From the Planar Observatory the Plane of Probability is seen as a wire-frame pyramid of shadow and light:
'Strands of manifest darkness and blazing white light rope around each other, creating the frame for a pyramid. Each of the lattice-work sides curves inward towards the center. The light pulses and the darkness twists with every second, but a uniform pattern emerges from the movement, like the beating of an inhuman heart.

Conceptual Life - Denizens of the Plane of Probability

Natural inhabitants of the plane are beings of living shadow, living starlight, or concepts made manifest. The distinction between these three forms of extra-planar life is unclear, as many scholars consider Shadow Creatures to be manifestations of concepts of darkness and shadow and Light Creatures to be manifestations of the concepts of light and starlight. Others cleave to the belief that they represent three separate forms of life . More practical scholars emphasize the categorization without concerning themselves with these distinctions. For our purposes, we will assume the former belief.

Conceptual creatures take the form of a facet of the Plane of Abiding, usually an abstract or non-physical concept, and exaggerate it into an animistic nightmare. Most concepts have at least human intelligence and many have violent and destructive personalities. The lesser forms often have chthonic forms which can easily lead to confusion with demonic life or the undead which has lead to them at times being incorrectly referred to as demons or spirits.. Conceptual creatures do not have a free will in the sense that mortals understand it, as their sentience is directly linked to the concept that defines them; they cannot choose to be anything but what they are.. Furthemore, conceptual life is rooted in the Plane of Abiding in ways that other extra-planar life is not. After all, if mortals did not create concepts they would have no basis to exist at all. One further trait of conceptual life is the fact that they seem to have a greater degree of difficulty manifesting the the Plane of Abiding that other extra planar creatures and therefore most have been brought into being by a summoner. For their part concepts, when summoned, first goal in life appears to be to murder the people that summoned it unless they are magically restrained.

Shadow Creatures

Shadow creatures are almost always incredibly violent, and research concerning their nature, strength, number, purpose, and possible usefulness is scarce. Shadow creatures resist magic, are harmed or weakened by light-based spells (including those produced by non-Lunar magic), and grow stronger when shadow spells are used on them. To further confuse the issue, the Plane of Shadows seems to have an unclear relationship with the Plane of Probability and, more specifically, Shadow Creatures themselves. It is inhabited by shadow creatures that have not been seen elsewhere (Abominable Umbral <Race>, <Race> Shadow, Ghastly Behemoth, Cadaverous Fiend, Ghastly <Race>, Shadowy <Race>, Inky <Race>, Moaning Figure, Fiendish Creature, Wraithlike Race, Gloomy <Race>, Skeletal Mass).

Known Forms:

• Shaderalds,Shadowlings and Shadow Servants are exceptions to the general rule of hostility towards mortals:they are useful and mostly pacifistic.
• Devourers are less useful and, in general, harmless excepting their tendency to meld together into more powerful forms.
• Tenebraelings were one of the first shadow creatures encountered and are generally weak compared to other forms. They make of for this, somewhat, through their tendency to attack en-masse. They are believed to be a minor manifestation of the concept of fury.
• Voidspawn are of animalistic intelligence but are frequently found in the service of the much more powerful Shadow Masters. Voidspawn are believed to be a minor manifestation of the concept of anger. Interestingly, Voidspawn can shatter into Tenebraelings which brings into question the relationship between the two creatures.
• Shadefield Eviscerators are violant shadow creatures that are capable of using lunar magic. They are also capable of summoning more Shadefield Eviscerators.
• Umbramagi appear to be capable of true conversation and possess the power of prophecy and the capacity to use lunar magic. To date, observers have never seen these abilities used outside of combat.
• Umbral Colossi are newly discovered but terrifying beings that are second only to the Shadow Masters in pure power.
• Shadow Masters appear to be the leaders of the other types of shadow creatures, as they are able to summon Voidspawn, Shadefield Eviscerators and Umbramagi. Unlike lesser forms, they are able to speak but have this far restricted themselves to making threats and attempting to demoralize mortal foes.

Despite their name, Shadow Hounds are corrupted creatures, rather than extraplanar shadow creatures.

Light Creatures

Although they are known to exist, light creatures have very rarely been manifest on the Plane of Abiding. Consequently very little is known aside from the fact that they embody concepts of starlight.

The only known Light Creatures are the Nimbus.

Lesser Concepts

Lesser concepts are physical manifestations of emotions and ideas. Currently known lesser concepts include Starcrashers, Zenzics, Zenzizenzics and Starlight harbingers.

Greater Concepts

Greater concepts are nearly god-like beings that walk the Plane of Probability and occasionally interact with mortal kind. The manifestation of a greater concept is the stuff of legends, said to require rare stellar alignments or incredible examples of symbolic sympathy..

Five Greater Concepts have been described:

• Abyssal Child
• The Arbiter in Darkness is an embodiment of starlight.
• Pelag ai Aldam, the Servant of Fate, is an embodiment of determinism
• Cashek gand Aldam opposes Pelag ai Aldam and is a manifestation of human agency
• The Emperor of the Line, a greater concept of math was summoned by Jon Ilbani during his attempt to create formula to stabilize teleportation magic.

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