Thalmaris exists within a layered cosmological structure known as The Threefold Sphere, a metaphysical model describing reality as three interwoven domains: The Above, The Middle, and The Below. These are not planes in the traditional sense but overlapping states of being, each influencing the others through tides of magic, storms of energy, and deep currents of consciousness.
The Threefold Sphere is not static. It pulses, shifts, and breathes. Its layers expand and contract like lungs, creating cycles of magical intensity that shape the world’s history. Every culture interprets these layers differently, but all agree on their existence.
The cosmology of Thalmaris is defined by motion, cycles, and interdependence. Nothing is isolated. Every force has a counterforce. Every creation has a shadow. Every storm has a calm. Every tide has a pull.
The Above is the realm of sky, stars, moons, and storms. It is a domain of raw energy, constant motion, and celestial consciousness. The Above is not inhabited by gods in the traditional sense; instead, it is home to Storm‑Spirits, Sky‑Titans, and Moon‑Echoes, entities formed from pure elemental force.
The Above influences:
Weather
Storm magic
Celestial cycles
Navigation
Prophecy
The emotional tides of mortals
Stormforged warriors draw their power from The Above, channeling lightning, wind, and pressure through their bodies. Tidecallers read the moon‑echoes to predict magical surges. Skyfarers build cliff‑cities to be closer to the celestial realm.
The Above is always watching, always shifting, always hungry.
The Middle is the physical world of Thalmaris: its oceans, continents, drifting islands, jungles, cliffs, deserts, and trenches. It is the realm where mortals live, die, build, destroy, and dream. The Middle is the battleground where the forces of The Above and The Below collide.
The Middle is defined by:
Constant geographic motion
Magical tides
Storm cycles
Deep currents
Mortal ambition
The Middle is the most unstable of the three realms. Landmasses drift. Oceans rise and fall. Storms carve new coastlines. Deep magic pulls islands downward. Tide magic pushes them upward. The Middle is a world in flux, shaped by forces beyond mortal control.
Mortals are the only beings capable of influencing all three realms simultaneously, which makes them both powerful and vulnerable.
The Below is the realm beneath the ocean floor, beneath the trenches, beneath the bones of leviathans. It is a domain of ancient consciousness, slow time, and unfathomable depth. The Below is home to Deep‑Entities, Abyssal Leviathans, and Memory‑Currents, all remnants of a primordial age before The Shattering.
The Below influences:
Deep magic
Ancient ruins
Forbidden knowledge
Leviathan behavior
The movement of continents
The dreams of mortals
The Below is not evil, but it is indifferent. It does not care for mortal life. It does not seek worship. It simply exists, vast and patient, shaping the world through slow, deliberate pressure.
Deep‑Priests commune with The Below through ritual, sacrifice, and trance. Leviathan cults believe the abyss will one day rise and reclaim the world.
The Tidal Cycle is the cosmological heartbeat of Thalmaris. It is a repeating pattern of magical expansion and contraction that affects all three realms. The cycle has four phases:
Magic surges. Storms intensify. Deep currents rise. Landmasses shift more rapidly. Tidecallers gain immense power. Stormforged warriors become nearly unstoppable. Deep‑Priests hear the abyss whisper.
Magic recedes. Storms calm. The ocean becomes navigable. Trade flourishes. Exploration increases. Cultures expand their influence.
Magic flows backward. Spells behave unpredictably. Storms move in unnatural patterns. Deep magic becomes volatile. Ancient ruins awaken. Leviathans migrate.
Magic becomes dormant. Storms vanish. The ocean becomes eerily calm. Mortals experience prophetic dreams. The Below becomes silent.
The Tidal Cycle lasts approximately 120 years, though its exact duration varies. The current age is in Late High Tide, meaning magic is strong, storms are violent, and the world is shifting rapidly.
Thalmaris has three moons, each influencing magic and culture.
Soft glow, gentle pull. Governs tide magic, healing, transformation, and prophecy.
Harsh glow, jagged orbit. Governs storm magic, battle, courage, and destruction.
Dim glow, slow orbit. Governs deep magic, memory, ritual, and forbidden knowledge.
The alignment of the moons creates celestial events that shape history:
Tri‑Moon Convergence — All three moons align; magic becomes unstable.
Storm Eclipse — Varkuun blocks Aeluna; storms intensify.
Deep Shadow — Xalathuun eclipses both moons; abyssal entities awaken.
These events are rare but world‑changing.
Before mortals existed, Thalmaris was shaped by three primordial beings known as The First Currents.
A vast, fluid consciousness representing creation, change, and rebirth. The world is named after him.
A violent, passionate entity representing destruction, strength, and transformation.
A silent, ancient entity representing knowledge, patience, and inevitability.
These beings are not worshipped directly, but their influence permeates every culture.
The Shattering fractured the Threefold Sphere, causing:
The Above to become unstable
The Middle to become mobile
The Below to become restless
It also created:
Drifting continents
Magical storms
Abyssal trenches
Celestial anomalies
Deep‑magic surges
Tide‑magic mutations
The Shattering is the single most important event in Thalmaris’s cosmology.
Mortals believe souls travel through the Threefold Sphere after death.
No belief is proven true. All may be true.
The Threefold Sphere is not harmonious. Its realms clash constantly.
Storms tear open Deep fissures.
Deep currents pull celestial energy downward.
Tide surges push storms upward.
Mortal magic disrupts all three realms.
These conflicts create magical anomalies, supernatural events, and world‑changing phenomena.
Scholars believe the Threefold Sphere is approaching a critical point. The current Late High Tide is unusually intense. Storms are growing stronger. Deep magic is rising. Celestial anomalies are increasing.
Some believe a Second Shattering is coming.
Others believe the realms will merge.
Others believe mortals will ascend.
Others believe the abyss will rise.
Whatever the truth, Thalmaris stands at the edge of a new cosmological era.