The Oracles of Eternity were an order based in Zarephon, within the Plains of Eternity. They guarded the source, received fragmented prophecies and fought to prevent other powers from seizing it. Abraxas held the office of Keeper of Prophecies, and his name became a title for his successors. Rahmavir eventually conquered the order after the original Keeper disappeared.
Duties and leadership
The Oracles believed the source should flow freely. They defended it against misuse while refusing demands that they stop the spread of the plains. Access to the cave beneath Zarephon was guarded, and the source remained the central concern of their diplomacy and warfare.
The Keeper of Prophecies held knowledge that other Oracles were not permitted to learn. Abraxas developed the spellwork on the cave walls and trained promising recruits himself. Later Keepers took his name, but none matched the original Abraxas's strength.
Prophecies
Certain people living deep within the plains received repeated words and names, sometimes from childhood. These messages arrived in fragments and required interpretation. They spoke of Barachiel, Thalion, outsiders and a destroyer, prompting the Oracles to investigate threats far beyond Zarephon.
The Oracles cooperated with Uriandel and attacked Sigvariel after hearing rumors that he sought an alliance with Ozaith. Uriandel's discoveries of vanished temporal mages, together with his knowledge of Horol'Khai, led them to suspect that a temporal god was connected to the destroyer.
Sephara acted as an envoy and was sent to determine whether Thalion was the destroyer. She reported warmly on him and advised against killing him. Abraxas nevertheless chose to attack after Thalion's display of power at Jazarel.
Thalena arranged for fragmented messages to be sent through the breach beneath Zarephon, warning of a destroyer and asking for the stranded outsiders to be brought home. The Oracles received those messages and interpreted them as prophecies.
Magic and training
Many Oracles were powerful practitioners of ordinary magic. Others used origin magic, including liquid glasslike shields and black rays. Those who pursued origin magic had to abandon standard magic because the two forms of power clashed within the body. The order also forbade its practitioners of origin magic from having children with practitioners of standard magic, because the mingled powers endangered the child.
Teachings were inscribed on walls; attempts to preserve the spellwork on paper caused the paper to fall apart. The Keeper's essence reversal spell was reserved for that office. Abraxas used his unusual powers to contain invading armies for centuries or displace them through rifts, protecting Zarephon without always destroying the attackers.
Aurelia, a princess of Myrravel, trained under Abraxas and was assigned to guard the source. Her parents hoped she would learn the order's secrets and steal source water for their own mages. She smuggled a flask home, and her parents gave the water to Ranan. She continued practising divine magic against Abraxas's instructions, copied part of the forbidden reversal spell and fled Zarephon.
History
Early Zarephon
During Eira's visit to ancient Zarephon, Moranna brought her before the elders who oversaw the settlement. Some people already received prophecies, and access to the cave was guarded. As the essence leaking from the source intensified and the plains grew stranger, the Oracles developed into a more organized and influential faction.
War over the source
The Oracles maintained trade and diplomatic relations with Myrravel. Abraxas visited its rulers, but refused to let them misuse the source. Myrravel's outward friendship concealed ambitions to obtain the same power for itself.
Rahmavir repeatedly attacked Zarephon to seize the source, seeking to halt the plains' expansion. Myrravel joined its side of the conflict, and forces from Ulzathir were drawn into the struggle.
An Oracle envoy warned Malverand that the prophesied destroyer was coming for Barachiel. Thamrielle treated the warning as a threat and killed him. During a later joint attack by Malverand and Rahmavir, Abraxas killed Phariel and spoke of exchanging one life for another. Thamrielle understood this as retaliation for the envoy's death.
Abraxas's defenses repeatedly held attackers away from the city. When Thamrielle finally reached the cave, the object she carried away was an essence core planted to lead the Oracles to Thalion, rather than the source itself.
Fall of the order
Thalion, aided by Ozaith, forced the original Abraxas through a rift beyond Valrindor. Later Keepers could not sustain the same defenses. Raphael, Eliona and Azarion helped Rahmavir conquer the Oracles and claim the source.
The Oracles of Eternity were an order based in Zarephon, within the Plains of Eternity. They guarded the source, received fragmented prophecies and fought to prevent other powers from seizing it. Abraxas held the office of Keeper of Prophecies, and his name became a title for his successors. Rahmavir eventually conquered the order after the original Keeper disappeared.
Duties and leadership
The Oracles believed the source should flow freely. They defended it against misuse while refusing demands that they stop the spread of the plains. Access to the cave beneath Zarephon was guarded, and the source remained the central concern of their diplomacy and warfare.
The Keeper of Prophecies held knowledge that other Oracles were not permitted to learn. Abraxas developed the spellwork on the cave walls and trained promising recruits himself. Later Keepers took his name, but none matched the original Abraxas's strength.
Prophecies
Certain people living deep within the plains received repeated words and names, sometimes from childhood. These messages arrived in fragments and required interpretation. They spoke of Barachiel, Thalion, outsiders and a destroyer, prompting the Oracles to investigate threats far beyond Zarephon.
The Oracles cooperated with Uriandel and attacked Sigvariel after hearing rumors that he sought an alliance with Ozaith. Uriandel's discoveries of vanished temporal mages, together with his knowledge of Horol'Khai, led them to suspect that a temporal god was connected to the destroyer.
Sephara acted as an envoy and was sent to determine whether Thalion was the destroyer. She reported warmly on him and advised against killing him. Abraxas nevertheless chose to attack after Thalion's display of power at Jazarel.
A copy of Thalena in the Malverand Intergalactic Empire arranged for fragmented messages to be sent through the breach beneath Zarephon, warning of a destroyer and asking for the stranded outsiders to be brought home. The Oracles received those messages and interpreted them as prophecies.
Magic and training
Many Oracles were powerful practitioners of ordinary magic. Others used origin magic, including liquid glasslike shields and black rays. Those who pursued origin magic had to abandon standard magic because the two forms of power clashed within the body. The order also forbade its practitioners of origin magic from having children with practitioners of standard magic, because the mingled powers endangered the child.
Teachings were inscribed on walls; attempts to preserve the spellwork on paper caused the paper to fall apart. The Keeper's essence reversal spell was reserved for that office. Abraxas used his unusual powers to contain invading armies for centuries or displace them through rifts, protecting Zarephon without always destroying the attackers.
Aurelia, a princess of Myrravel, trained under Abraxas and was assigned to guard the source. Her parents hoped she would learn the order's secrets and steal source water for their own mages. She smuggled a flask home, and her parents gave the water to Ranan. She continued practising divine magic against Abraxas's instructions, copied part of the forbidden reversal spell and fled Zarephon.
History
Early Zarephon
During Eira's visit to ancient Zarephon, Moranna brought her before the elders who oversaw the settlement. Some people already received prophecies, and access to the cave was guarded. As the essence leaking from the source intensified and the plains grew stranger, the Oracles developed into a more organized and influential faction.
War over the source
The Oracles maintained trade and diplomatic relations with Myrravel. Abraxas visited its rulers, but refused to let them misuse the source. Myrravel's outward friendship concealed ambitions to obtain the same power for itself.
After early negotiations with Rahmavir, the Oracles refused to control the source. A Rahmavir army attacked and vanished. Periods of renewed diplomacy and skirmishing followed as Rahmavir tested the defenses and cultivated stronger mages for another assault.
Rahmavir repeatedly attacked Zarephon to seize the source, seeking to halt the plains' expansion. Myrravel joined its side of the conflict, and forces from Ulzathir were drawn into the struggle.
An Oracle envoy warned Malverand that the prophesied destroyer was coming for Barachiel. Thamrielle treated the warning as a threat and killed him. During a later joint attack by Malverand and Rahmavir, Abraxas killed Phariel and spoke of exchanging one life for another. Thamrielle understood this as retaliation for the envoy's death.
Abraxas's defenses repeatedly held attackers away from the city. When Thamrielle finally reached the cave, the object she carried away was an essence core planted to lead the Oracles to Thalion, rather than the source itself.
Fall of the order
Thalion, aided by Ozaith, forced the original Abraxas through a rift beyond Valrindor. Later Keepers could not sustain the same defenses. Raphael, Eliona and Azarion helped Rahmavir conquer the Oracles and claim the source.
Zarephon was captured largely intact, and the surviving Oracles were incorporated into Rahmavir's ranks. They shared their teachings with the occupiers, who studied the source and its murals. The former receivers found that the prophecies had dwindled to static and an itching sensation.
Alistair later destroyed Zarephon by planting devices in the source cave and triggering them with a cosmic beam. The explosion destroyed the city and its inscribed teachings.