Berionas: Sins of Creation

Prologue

Before there was time, or anything for that matter, there was nothingness. Then, in one sudden bang, a flash pierced the void, giving birth to a being beyond comprehension—The Author. Gazing upon the boundless emptiness surrounding them, The Author, a cosmic entity of unimaginable power, decided what the Multiverse would soon become. They wanted to create a thriving, balanced string of universes, each dimension uniquely different. To help with this task, The Author decided to extract fragments of their own essence to mold new life. From this essence, they created a woman bathed in light, with long, flowing hair and eyes so brilliant they looked like stars. "Celista," The Author proclaimed, "The Constructor Goddess."

Celista was given free will to create magical artifacts of her choosing to spread across the dimensions. However, she was first tasked with a very important job: to create a series of seven indestructible jewels intended to keep time balanced throughout all dimensions. These stones acted as memory banks for every universe's events. By keeping track of every event across history, the jewels ensured that each universe followed a single, straight timeline. These gems, known as the "Anchor Jewels," had the ability to travel through time and space, bend reality at the user's will, and even alter other beings' perception of reality. But this power was never to be used. If the gems were used, they would create "split timelines" in the universes in which they were activated, causing dozens of parallel timelines to emerge. These timelines would continue to multiply until they collided, causing that universe to collapse in on itself. This is why The Author created seven guardians and hid the jewels across the Multiverse to protect them. Over time, the guardians were defeated by those seeking the power of the Anchor Jewels, and the jewels fell into legend.

With loyal helpers now at their side, The Author repeated the process, birthing even more divine entities. When they were done, seven powerful deities existed among them, ready to aid in the creation of everything to come. These beings could outlive universes, shapeshift, and travel through the Multiverse; they were limitless. At the beginning of time, each god had the same job: to create life across the Multiverse. After the job was completed and the universes were fully inhabited, The Author decided to give them all unique purposes—or rather, a theme to follow. After stripping them of their life-creating abilities, The Author assigned each their position.

A horned god with long, twisted hair and red, leathery skin, Ven, would become the God of Death. He was tasked with guiding souls to the afterlife and also possessed the unique ability to inflict hallucinations on others, in addition to his command over fire. The God of Life, Goofy, was tasked with sending souls into the next life and had incredible healing abilities. The next goddess, Lysandra, with long, wavy hair that seemed to be made of leaves, had the power to feel what others were feeling and impact their emotions telepathically. Kapa, the God of War, wore a pattern of deep scars across his large, tanned build. He was the strongest of the gods, able to enter a fit of rage to gain strength and summon any weapon throughout the universes. Cataclysm, the God of Chaos, was the only god who needed sustenance to survive. He consumed the souls of entire planets and gained strength from doing so. The God of Order, Kamel (who looked like your average office worker), could rewind time to any safe point in any universe. Finally, the last god, Voorticon, the God of Justice, had the power to grant any wish to those who could find a way to summon him, with some obvious exceptions.

This was the intended order for the Multiverse The Author created, with all things working together to create what we call life. The gods were sealed away from interacting with the physical, mortal plane by free will; however, they still found ways to interact with mortals by being summoned or through other means. A few centuries after the Multiverse's creation, Ven, the God of Death, began to develop a taste for more power, believing he had a better vision for the Multiverse. In a desperate attempt to satiate his lust for strength, Ven attempted to overthrow and slay The Author. As punishment, Ven was banished to the second layer of the afterlife, Krosigo, for all eternity. His new job was to govern those who were born there, never to leave again.

Krosigo, also known as Hell, is a bridge between the land(s) of the living and the afterlife throughout the whole Multiverse. It is a multi-planed dimension, not merely confined to being an afterlife but its own world as well. Krosigo has two unique layers, with the first layer being a personalized reflection of one's mind, crafted based on the subconscious of their previous life. This initial stage, akin to a customized "heaven" or "hell," serves a unique purpose: preparing souls for the cycle of reincarnation. However, an individual's afterlife experience is not decided solely by their actions in their previous life but is designed to make their next life their best possible self. For instance, someone with a history of anger might find solace on a calming island, gaining a more peaceful outlook for their future life, despite being negative in their past life. Meanwhile, those deemed completely irredeemable are sent to the second layer of Krosigo, to wander the hellish land for all eternity.

Ven and the God of Life, Goofy, stand as the heads of the cycle of life, death, and reincarnation. Ven Morningstar watches over the second layer of Krosigo, while Goofy watches over the first. Upon death, individuals witness a flash of the cosmic beings, offering a glimpse into the forces guiding their destiny. However, should someone be revived, this revelation is erased from their memory.

Mortals or semi-mortals may willingly offer their souls to become guides between the realms of life and death. This eternal commitment entails living as glorified tour guides, pushing souls to their respective afterlives. These guides, chosen from various dimensions, play a crucial role in maintaining the delicate order of the Multiverse. Each universe has its own designated afterlife guide.

Now, to the second layer of Krosigo. Although Krosigo exists for the purpose of the life cycle, the second layer is something else entirely. After so many years in solitude, Ven began to create species of his own—demons, shadow creatures, and more—along with souls deemed unfit for reincarnation. Over time, civilizations began to rise in the second layer of Krosigo. The second layer is now a dark, nether-like dimension, with many people being born there.

The origin of Krosigo traces back to the silence that preceded time. After The Author began extracting fragments of their essence to mold new life, they realized they would need a dimension to house mortals after death. All was functional and organized within the Multiverse.

However, the harmony faced grave danger when Ven Morningstar, driven by a lust for power, attempted to overthrow and kill The Author. As punishment, Ven was banished to Krosigo's second layer for eternity, where his new job was to watch over the realm of the damned.