world.
Holocene is an old world, filled with magic and myth.
Much of its history has been lost to time, but all across the world are remnants and echoes of the people and stories that were once there. Though the people that built them are long gone, ruins of ancient civilizations dot the land, often integrated into the landscape. These ruins come in many shapes and can be found everywhere, from the highest peaks to the bottoms of the oceans. There are many folktales about where they come from and what their purpose is, but no one can say for certain where history ends and myth begins.
The land itself is lush. There are mountains that scrape the clouds, grasslands that stretch for miles, and big blue skies. In each of these places are beings who live in harmony with their surroundings, mortals, gods, and angels alike. They have each adapted to and celebrate the land they live on, and have their own unique ways of life. Magic is a part of daily life and is stitched into the fabric of the world, and is a cornerstone in every culture. The ways magic is practiced is as diverse as the languages they speak and the traditions they keep.
Holocene isn’t so much about balance as much as it is about harmony: the universe changes with the people who live in it, and even if things never go back to the way they were, they can grow into something beautiful in its own way.
— cycles and harmony
In Holocene, the universe itself is alive. It’s not something that is ruled by any single god. Instead, it’s made of the sum of its parts: it’s ever-growing and changing alongside the people that live in it.
Key to Holocene is the idea of cycles, but not stagnation. Even though years cycle by, each one is different from the last. Even if we know the sun will set at the end of the day, we still don’t know what the day will bring when it begins.
All living beings go through the cycle of reincarnation. When they die, they return back to the earth, and from that same life force, they are born again. The length of the life of a mortal or an “immortal” may differ, but in the end, they all return to the cycle. Often, they don’t have memories of their past lives, but sometimes the past lingers: a new tune they heard might sound familiar, or you get the feeling that you’ve met someone before, even though you know you haven’t. Rarely, if ever, are these memories more than a feeling, and only under exceptional circumstances are they concrete.
The souls of individuals are not stagnant, either: humans can be reborn as gods, and gods can be reborn as humans. There are many philosophies as to what may determine what your next life is: some think it’s karma, some think it’s pure random chance. Like many things in Holocene, there is no absolute known truth.
What is true is that no matter if you are a mortal, god, or angel, you have a place in Holocene. These three groups live in harmony, each with their own important role to play. Together, they make up a vibrant world.
mortals, angels, and gods —
Most of the world is populated by mortals. They are as diverse in appearance and culture as can be imagined. Although they don’t have a fancy name like angel or god, they are no less powerful and no less important. Mortals can be just as adept at magic as an angel or god, and their rich cultures and lives define the world. From the necromantic dragons of the far north to the eastern sun elves, each has their own traditions and myths and ways they see the world, and each has a unique relationship with the so-called immortals. Magic is an integral part of daily life and is woven intimately with culture, and basic magic is as instrumental as language.
Gods’ lives are tied to their domains. There are gods of rivers and mountains, whose power and life are linked to the health of their land. When a river dries up, the river god dies, and is returned to the reincarnation cycle. There are gods of phenomenon, who aren’t tied to one place, like gods of the sun or of the wind. There are gods of more abstract concepts, too: gods of willpower or gods of celebration. For these latter two types of god, their lives can be much longer, almost immortal - so long as people believe in them and their domain, they don’t fade. However, they can be killed, by other gods, angels, or even mortals who know the leylines of magic well. They can masquerade as mortals or distance themselves from them, living as spirits of the forest or ocean.
Angels are sentries, guardians, and healers. Unlike gods, angels don’t have a specific domain. In fact, for the most part, angels are mortal. They live and die like mortals and are born among them, often living their entire lives undetected. The main difference is that they act as safekeepers of the universe, and are deeply in tune with the pulse of the world. They guard basic tenants; they ensure time flows forward and fix spatial rifts when they tear open. They are born rarely and through great cataclysms, such as sweeping wildfires or catastrophic floods. It’s a sign that the universe’s harmony is disrupted, and in response, an angel is born to help restore it. Their bodies are mortal, and they live normal human lifespans. Killing an angel merely sends them on to the next life - unless, that is, you have knowledge of the ancient, powerful, and volatile magic required to take and harness their divinity and return them to the cycle as a mortal - or even destroy them completely. It’s for this reason angels keep their identity hidden, and live among the mortals as one of them.
—history, myth, and ruins
The line between history and myth in Holocene is blurry. What is myth to one person can be history to another. Each culture has their own mythology about how the world was created, what local gods watch over them, and what the purpose of the ruins are.
What’s commonly agreed upon is this: the ruins were left behind by an ancient civilization, that many, many centuries ago, disappeared. What caused their disappearance is subject to speculation, but most suspect that the volatile, dangerous magic they dealt with was involved.
That magic is especially concentrated around certain ruins, and their disturbance can cause strange and unpredictable phenomenon around them. Unchecked, it can cause disease, famine, and natural disasters. These ruins are marked by ancient sigil circles that act as both conduits and seals to that magic. Destroying them could have devastating effects. Knowledge of how to interpret and use these circles has largely been lost, and is, moreover, extremely taboo because of just how dangerous this type of magic is. It’s said that the reason this magic is so dangerous is because it was mortals’ reckless attempt to control spatial and temporal magic - types of magic that even the gods and angels barely understand.
Because of this, many of the most dangerous ruins are in remote places. However, when the seals that mediate those ruins begin to weather, previously dormant ruins can become active. In recent times, this has been happening more and more frequently as these seals grow old, causing grief and hardship among mortals and gods alike.