The Source is a concentration of essence beneath Zarephon, formerly guarded by the Oracles of Eternity. Its outpouring feeds the River of Eternity and sustains the Plains of Eternity, whose expanding, essence-rich lands threaten neighboring nations.
The underground lake
The river emerges from a cavern inside Zarephon’s mountain. At its heart lies a deep lake, surrounded by glowing essence veins and elaborate inscriptions. Dense white essence gathers at the bottom and flows outward with the water. The surrounding stone has been altered by its concentration of essence, making it difficult even for experienced earth mages to shape.
Reaching the lakebed requires strong protection against the water’s weight and pressure. Thamrielle descended inside an enchanted stone enclosure, using the lakebed to sense what lay beyond her shields. Eira also explored the depths during her journeys in ancient Valrindor. She increased the outpouring of essence and heard fragmented words concerning Barachiel, a destroyer and home.
The Oracles and their rivals
Abraxas, the Keeper of Prophecies, protected the Source from those he believed would misuse it. He told visitors that the Oracles guarded it rather than controlled it, and refused demands to stop its flow. The Oracles received fragments they interpreted as prophecies and associated the Source with their unusual magic.
Aurelia visited the lake as a child and later trained under Abraxas. Her parents hoped its water could strengthen the mages of Myrravel, and she secretly brought them a flask. Her belief that drinking from the lake had caused her copying ability remained her own explanation.
Rahmavir repeatedly sought the Source’s power. With Raphael, Azarion and Eliona, it eventually defeated the Oracles and claimed Zarephon. Occupation gave the victors access, but Raphael, Azarion and Eliona could not harness the unusual magic they found there.
The stolen crystal
Thamrielle took a brilliant crystal from the lake, believing it to be the Source. Abraxas later revealed to Thalion that it was a powerful essence core planted so its taker would lead the Oracles to Thalion. The object she carried away was a decoy.
The Source is a breach beneath Zarephon through which dense white essence entered Valrindor. Its flow fed the River of Eternity and the expanding Plains of Eternity. The other side opens into the Valrindor of the Malverand Intergalactic Empire, where the removal of essence helped technology function.
The lake and its flow
The Source lay at the bottom of a deep underground lake inside Zarephon’s mountain. White essence poured through the opening, pooled on the lakebed and flowed outward with the river. The surrounding rock and water held extraordinary concentrations of essence. Even powerful mages struggled to descend: the water’s weight, immense pressure and difficulty shaping the altered rock made the journey dangerous.
The breach also carried particles used by the empire’s technology. In Valrindor, these became the basis of origin magic, granting abilities that could develop far beyond their original purposes. The empire’s machinery needed protection from essence, while people with little essence could use the technological particles more readily.
Origins and guardianship
Ozaith identified the original tear as the crossing he had made when he left his birthworld. He had collapsed gravity at a single point until the veil broke, exhausting himself for centuries. Much later, during her journeys in ancient Valrindor, Eira descended beneath Zarephon and widened the opening. More essence surged into the lake, and she heard fragmented words about Barachiel and a destroyer.
The Oracles of Eternity protected the Source and allowed its essence to flow freely. Abraxas, their Keeper of Prophecies, refused demands to stop its flow. He distinguished guarding the Source from controlling it. The growing plains threatened neighboring lands, and Rahmavir fought the Oracles to control the Source’s flow and halt the plains’ expansion.
Aurelia visited the lake as a child, when Lothar rescued her from the water and gave her copying magic by touching her back. She mistook the gift for an effect of drinking from the lake. Her parents hoped its water could strengthen the mages of Myrravel, and she secretly brought them a flask. She later trained under Abraxas.
Thamrielle once took a radiant crystal from the lake, believing she had stolen the Source. Abraxas later told Thalion that it was a planted essence core, intended to make its taker lead the Oracles to Thalion. The portable crystal was separate from the breach beneath Zarephon.
Prophecies and occupation
In the imperial Valrindor, Thalena’s copy arranged for the lake’s computer system to send fragmented warnings through the rift. They included names and words concerning Barachiel, Thalion, a destroyer and home. Eira heard part of the message during her ancient visit; the Oracles treated such fragments as prophecies and acted against people they believed threatened the Source.
Rahmavir eventually occupied Zarephon with Raphael, Azarion and Eliona. Their victory gave them access to the city and lake, but did not let them master the Source or its unusual magic. They recruited mages capable of attempting the descent and studied the spells inscribed in the surrounding walls.
Severin found a young man’s body at the opening, apparently attached to it and absorbing large quantities of essence. He and Alistair concluded that it was Gabriel, whose absence from the God Realm supported their suspicion. The flow into the river had diminished, but taking power from the Source and closing the breach remained separate problems.
Attempts to close the breach
After a truce with Eliona and Azarion, Eira, Kaelion and Xarion descended to close the Source. Ozaith could change its size, while Eira tried to synchronize its spell. The mountain began collapsing before they could finish. They widened the breach to escape into the empire’s Valrindor, then reduced it to the size of a nail.
On a later inspection, Eira found essence still streaming through the opening. It had slipped out of synchronization and seemed slightly larger. She and Ozaith doubted they could seal it completely, and they had promised to leave it open while the empire depended on it during its war.
Gabriel subsequently claimed that the Source was closed and used that claim to secure support from other nations. Later, Severin questioned whether it had ever been properly sealed.