Eschaton

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Astolat lay in flames. After the events of the past two days, another civil war must surely impend. But Rudra couldn't bring himself to care. The sea of time cascaded through his mind, the tide of visions almost ceaseless. "I've seen terrible things." He spoke without turning, without facing Prometheus. "The end of the world."

"Even time ends. The world ends in fire or flood, in war and darkness. It is the eschaton."

He could have walked away. He turned, tried to. But Prometheus still had the child cradled in his arms. The last person that truly mattered had died giving birth to that child. Rudra couldn't abandon him. "How do I stop it?"

"Stop it? You are the catalyst that ignites it. History will not be denied."

Rudra felt the hands of fate at his throat. Every step had brought him here. "Oh yes. History is merciless."

What is Eschaton?

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Eschaton means the end of time. The setting tells the story of the end of the world, an ending which repeats in a cycle of destruction and recreation.

Things to Know

  • Eschaton is an alternate history/historical fantasy set around 45 BCE. It is a dark fantasy setting where everyone has an agenda. Except for specific changes, the Earth is much like historic Earth in antiquity. Humanity dominates Earth, while supernatural creatures live in the underworld.
  • The characters in the setting are characters from mythology, reinterpreted, their stories becoming part of the history of this Earth. Many locations are also named after mythical places. Other place names are derived from historic names.
  • Twenty-two supercultures exist, each tracing its cultural ancestry back to a messiah. These god-like messiahs are said to have lived over four thousand years ago. The supercultures have rough analogs in historical Earth.
  • Alexander the Great and King Arthur are the same historical figure, Arcturus. He lived in Logres and built the greatest empire in recorded history. His empire did not survive his death, a death blamed on the Myrddyn the Betrayer.
  • Some bloodlines carry the blood of the fae. These people, siddha, have access to magical abilities called siddhi. Whether they are hunted and exterminated or placed in positions of reverence, they are people to be feared.
  • Fate is relentless, driving men towards a fixed and often cruel future. History follows a cycle of ages. The specifics change, but the pattern remains the same.
  • Souls are eternal, uncreated. Individual lives are easily snuffed out, but souls play out a never-ending cycle of death and rebirth.

Themes

Fate vs. Free Will

Fate drives the Wheel of History, but if the future is written, heroes still struggle to assert their free will.

Humanity vs. Divinity

Many creatures claim divinity, but the nature of the divine is open to interpretation. As one's power grows, one's humanity tends to falter.

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