“Everything that once was, will come to pass again. The Lord of Light wrought the seeds of the life song, melding that which he bestowed sentience in his own image, imparter of life and knowledge. Lord and master of the golden age. Passer of judgement to the destructive and the champion of the good. The First Apotheosis. Thus, the vectors of chaos and order rose. Two lights of fate struggling toward the Light. The Second Apotheosis. Thus shall it come to pass: The hidden One shall guide the hand of the First to the Home of the Light. Apotheosis.”
- - Annals of Valin'uvalyë, 2:833
Valin'uvalyë, also known by the Oikoumene as the Life Song, as well as simply, the Energy, is a mysterious power prevalent in the Cyrandia Cluster. Originally a unifying force, believed by Apolithanatár to have been originated by an unknown energy known as the true Order, the rise of the Vectors of Chaos and Darkness in the aftermath of the First Apotheosis, gave rise to twin aspects—that of the Valin, or Dark, and that of the Uvalyë, or Light. Unity between the Light and the Dark, known to the Oikoumene as the greas-nán was irrevocably sundered. All Oikoumene consisted of this energy, with individuals manifesting themselves through the Light, Dark, or, in the case of a rare few, the confluence of both. Upon the final Apotheosis, the energy which had given rise and shape to the Oikoumene spread throughout the stars, becoming ever more ubiquitous throughout the cosmos. The energy is generally considered to be unrelated to Essence, though it is not incompatible with most known schools of Essence. Indeed, Valin'uvalyë is considered by some to be synonymous with psionic energy, with the psionic god Singul'Aren once claiming to serve the same true Order associated with Valin'uvalyë. The modern age has seen a period of turbulence in the once dormant energy, with followers of the Aldárae and Phaedric Orders, both guided by the will of the Light and the Dark, respectively.
Description
“I myself am adept in psionic energy, though the fabrics of this galaxy are such that I am also attune with the unique energies of light unique to this Cluster. I sense in you a certain... attunement to this power.”
- - Master Ryen, speaking with Aoirtae Valaeris
The origins of the energy are unknown, as they have been even in the days of the Oikoumene. Nevertheless, the seemingly omniscient Annals of Valin'uvalyë claim that the energy originated with a being, or a force, known as the true Orders, messengers of whom have been known to manifest themselves to important figures throughout history, guiding them along certain necessary paths. In the days prior to the rise of the Vectors of Chaos and Order, the energy was known solely as Uvalyë, translated to modern galactic basic as Light, and associated heavily with the Lord of Light, Apolithanatár. The teachings of Apolithanatár represent the old ways of the Oikoumene, and have since been passed down to the Masters and students of both the old and the new Aldárae Order. Similarly, in the aftermath of the Sundering of the Life-Song, the dark aspect of Valin grew in power under the Dark Lord Tyrómairon. A corrupted marriage of the two emerged under the Primercer, who led figures such as his fellow Oikoumene, Qulmé, and the Cogsangui known as the Blade of the Primercer, by infusing within them his own energies. This aspect of the Valin'uvalyë dissipated in 05 NE, when Tyrómairon banished its creator for corporeality.
Apolithanatár and Thaurlathrón, the Lord of Light and a follower of Darkness, face off against one another during the Battle of Ambar.
Non-Oikoumene such as Venatorius, Aoirtae Valaeris and Kara Inviá are, while not manifestations of Valin'uvalyë as the Oikoumene are, have been born with sensitivity to the Energy, allowing them to tap into reservoirs of potential force. This manifests in various ways. Like the Oikoumene Lords of Mornûnendur, Lords of the Phaedric Order, as well as Zillum and certain members of the Imperial Inquisition can manipulate their surroundings through harnessing the power of the Darkness, telekinetically crushing their foes or burning them through dark lightning. Similarly, those attuned to the Light can influence their surroundings, becoming one with the natural world around them, and bathed in the warmth of Starlight. However, the traditions of the Aldárae and Phaedric Orders do not represent the totality of teachings about the Energy. Indeed, the witches of Pythonissam have harnessed their own brand of Dark "magic", tapping into abilities alien to the Phaedric Lords.
Erroneously believed by some to be unique to the Cyrannus Galaxy, in actuality, the power of the Energy can be felt throughout the cosmos, even in galaxies dominated by Essence. Figures such as Kamaris and Lucius Varius of the Talven Empire have become students of the way of the Light, travelling to the mystical world of Aldár to learn from the masters of the Aldárae Order. Indeed, the power of Valin'uvalyë is particularly strong in the Quadrant Galaxies, where it is often used interchangeably with the magics of the Atlantica. In the Mirus Galaxy, the Light and Dark aspects of the Energy are used by the Order of Zaraturai and the Brotherhood of Darklings, respectively. Both guard their secrets zealously, and so within the Mirus Galaxy the purestain use of the Energy is generally restricted to those two organisations. This is not to say that there is no widespread accessibility to the Energy within Mirus, but rather that is is more often than not wielded together with Elemental energy by beings known as Koatria. Most Koatria are affiliated with the Light, though some rare Koatria have, over the course of history, fallen to the Dark with their powers greatly amplified. Within Cyrannus and Mirus, entire worlds can often be characterised by connections with either the Light or the Dark, with Aldár and Phaedron representing the powers of both, respectively. In a mirror image to their Oikoumene creatures, the Miluiel are creatures consisting of pure Light, as is the mysterious Master Du'utahrovin. Corrupting the benevolence of such creations, Tyrómairon delved into the dark arts to create a being known as Agonânghâsh—a being within whom festers the Dark Lord's malice.
Trivia
- Primarily based on The Force in Star Wars.
