![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
I'm only one person, without a scientific background, if you're an actual science person and found something here improbable - tell me.
Summary
General
Almost two hundred million years ago, the intergalactic war between two systems raged for a millennia. This war almost lead to the complete annihilation of both systems. Realizing this path leads to extinction, the systems tied the Knot - an alliance that operates through Ost. Since then many systems from across the universe joined the Knot including the latest - our Solar. Ost is the Astral space station that is the middle ground one must go through to reach other systems. But only zippers can reach Ost. This new subclass of sorcerers brings not just connection across the universe but the magic itself that leaks from Astral space they open.
In this setting DND races and creatures are reimagined with a sci-fi take on their origins. Gods and patrons are just classed people that have achieved levels higher than 20. Modern Earth is experiencing the return of magic and its long lost inhabitants, humanity's cousins. The new sorcerer subclass, zippers, create and manage portals between systems. There are no other planes except for Astral and Ethereal, but some of the planes have been reimagined as systems.
Details on changes
Planes, Spaces and Systems.
This homebrew setting has no planes except those that make magic - Astral and Ethereal, and everything else is Material. Also they are called spaces and not planes. There are systems but they do not correspond to planes perfectly despite some of them having mostly secondary names of some planes. Or they are parts of a system. So for example T’Raxian system as a whole is sometimes named Feywild but Leonin, Satyrs and others that belong to Feywild in official settings are local to totally different systems. But Underdark is a part of T'Raxian system when it is on Material plane in official settings. And Shadowfell is a name for some regions of both Niflheim and Muspelheim.
Most system and species names are specific for Solar system perception (through human dreamwalkers) though they also have many names each as many cultures dreamwalked through the Knot and have their own names for its places and species) but here are chosen for some or other particular reason. I didn't include endonyms (except T'Rax) yet.
The Knot
Description
The Knot is the federation of systems from different galaxies of the same universe that reached zipper era so can communicate and visit with each other. Zippers can reach other systems through Ost - Astral space station.
History
Two first systems of this Knot (Niflheim and Muspelheim) did not have a guidance of zippers from previous systems because at the time of their dreamwalker era there was no one in Ost. So dreamwalkers dreamt of nothingness. As dreamwalker cannot stop dreamwalking those dreams were persistent and in many cases it lead to depression at least, which affected not just dreamwalkers individually but also system's sapient species collective subconsciousness. Even when zipper era started - for one system much earlier than for the other, zippers couldn't find anything - they were zipping into the void and were returning before any contact was made. Hundreds of years passed. When two zippers from different systems finally met, the older system, Niflheim, had extensive space program and faster than light engines. That's why general name of its species is Celestial, because they reached stars. They still wouldn't get anywhere nearer to their new aquaitances or any sentient species as most known ones live in different galaxies and their FTL couldn't reach through intergalactic space yet. Zippers are still the only way to do it.
Ost meeting and first tentative steps on each other's systems were full of conflicting emotions from each side. Tention was rising as they were finding out that there was nothing familiar about each other due to the lack of dreamwalkers vanguard. Another unexpected consequence of the meeting - magic, that was spilled from Astral space, wrecked chavoc on both systems. Many gods rose from both sides at the time of the weapon race, as there were no limits yet on hoarding magical powers. Finally the war between systems started. The lack of knowledge about how zippers operate and how to deal with gods and other near indestructible due to magic entities lead to both systems having very big losses.
To save what was left from both systems the pact was signed by a group of gods from both sides - the Knot was tied. To stop the repetition of the war it was decided to mix sapient species from two systems. As they were incompatible in their natural procreation they were mixed using magic. So instead of Fiends and Celestials Tieflings and Aasimar were born like one species Jotuns. Tiefling or Aasimar are descriptives corresponding on whose ancestry is more prominent in them, though some had both or neither.
Regulations were established on zippers and magic in general, to prevent chaos. Soon another system went into dreamwalker era and first systems saw for the first time dreamwalking astral projections of new system. As they didn't know yet that this means this system soon will have their own zippers, mistakes were made in dealing with those dreamwalkers. But as soon as the connection was made and they realised what opportunity they both were deprived of, first systems started giving guidance to new systems. Thus Project Dreamwalker was founded. Over the next millions of years dozens of systems joined the Knot. They were not forced to do the same magic ritual of mixing their species as first ones had but they were welcomed into the Knot and were provided with guidance and help.
Now, after more than 100 million years, the Knot lives in peace and harmony. Our Solar system, after some hesitance, joined in, making Earth the youngest member of the Knot, if only it was the first time for the planet. Another sapient species from Earth already joined 66 millions years ago - Atras. They are dino sapiens and had to flee Earth during the Extinction Event. Now they live in T'Raxian system with Albas who took them in.
Languages
The Knot has Common Language that is learned by everyone who needs not only intrersystem communication but communication within systems as any system has thousands of languages. There is no “human language", so there is no “elf language", every system has numerous nationalities that developed their own language. Common was once a language from one of early systems, so it wasn't created artificially. It was selected as universal naturally, as the most simple but information rich language. To gain most accuracy telepathy is used in translation from all other languages. To prevent other languages from extinction it is highly recommended to learn it only as a second language.
Ost
Description
Ost is "the place" within Astral space, or most probably it IS the Astral space itself. Currently it looks like a space station but it has no space outside of it (though you can see the illusion of it). It still has viewports that show any individual what they expect to see - space, abstract swirls, ocean etc.) There are different laws of physics in Ost, there are no space-time as we know it, and everything is a construct except what was brought to it from outside. In theory you can construct anything in here but can't get those constructs out of it. Living organisms have no need for nutrition within it so can go without food or can eat those constructs if hunger is psychosomatic.
Time is perceived in Ost individually but fail to have common perception of. So every individual will have their own time perception when isolated. Zippers (but not dreamwalkers, Astral projection functions in a dream so they're usually slightly confused because of it) who are linked to their system outside Astral space will still feel the passage of time on their system though. So everyone else can set their watches by them. Watches won't work anyway but you will know what time it is. It is recommended to not be isolated from zippers within Ost because of this and many other reasons.
There is a cult that worships Ost as sentient divine entity, with two fraction either as actual true God or regular over-magic-ed person-god, the First zipper who found Astral space and became its mind. Both are trying to listen to Ost and communicate with it. So long nothing has been scientifically confirmed, including it not be sentient.
Function
Ost makes possible to go from one system to another (to different galaxy) if either the zipper who makes a zip is from the planet of destination or such zipper is in Ost and chooses to let you through. No communication is needed with such zippers, they will assess and decide should they let you through on a subconscious level - they can even be sleeping at the time. In the case the assessing revealed suspicious behavior the zip stops in Ost, at Ost Security.
Structure
Ost looks like a space station. It is divided into modules. Zippers in person and dreamwalkers in astral projection can move between them just by thinking, others need some visual representation, so they transport through an adapter module - a small elevator-like room with a touch-screen interactive kiosk on which the list of possible modules is stated. By selecting a module you are "transported" there. As there is no actual space in Astral space you cannot map Ost so instead it's a searchable list. There are several lists with different access levels. All living quarters though are modules with a corridor that leads to apartments, you won't be transported directly into the apartment so to not intrude on inhabitants privacy. Zippers use an adapter module if they are tired, never been in a module of destination or want to accompany guests.
General list of modules opened for everyone:
Every guest starts with the Airlock and ends with the Docking Port of a system of destination (each has its own docking port). Most never go anywhere else being in Ost in transit.
You can't go back into Airlock (if you're going to the system where you came from you go to its Docking Port) so it isn't listed.
Deck - large open public space with lounge area where people can meet. Can be any size and have any design that is constructed by stewards.
Habitation module #1 - contains living quarters of guests of general security level (with the access from the corridor only to each own apartment).
Library - public area for study. You can order anything of any media in there, it is all considered fiction as there is no process of verification and even if someone put something factual in there you can't verify it, and can't be taken out from it, only remembered or copied by hand on paper that was brought from outside the Ost. No analogue or digital devices work on them (they can record only people and things that were brought from outside the Ost). So it's not a Library of knowledge, it's a Library of imagination. Some call it Entertainment module but officially it's called the Library despite it having a gallery, cinema as well as reading and a gaming room. Works are collected from all over the Knot but the main thing here is that you can also imagine a work and have it full-made (the quality of it though depends on how detailed the work is in your subconscious) instantly, like in a dream, but you actually can remember things from it after leaving. Or copy it to get it out of Ost. Those works are also collected (and be automatically updated when you come back with updated version in your head) so can be viewed by other people if they can order them. It is not too scandalous for an author to cheat by peaking into their own creation before it is actually created using Ost's Library. It's still their creation, the draft of it. It's invaluable source for fans of dead authors or for teasers of future works of live authors. Library attracts big amount of tourism to Ost.
List for service personnel:
All the above plus:
Security module where all disputes of arrested transfers take place. Brig where all arrested people are kept is adjacent to security module and can be accessed only by security personnel.
Habitation module #1 with an access to all apartments (same system as in a hotel).
Habitation module #2 for service personnel (with access only to each own apartment.).
Galley - meeting and working room for service personnel.
Magic
How magic works
Material space have set of laws of physics we know and experience now. But there is a space that has totally different set of laws of physics, Astral space. Astral space is outside of spacetime continuum due to its laws and its dimensions are called information grid as we, as sapient beings, can in it perceive and interact with only through information. That's actually how sapient species of the Universe find the path to it - through being sapient and having ability of the mind to perceive (dreamwalkers) and then interact (zippers) with it. Zipper "magic" is called unclosing one because it's what it does - it is unclosing Astral space to everyone else. Zippers unclose the Astral space to Material space and enough interaction between the two makes Ethereal spill into Material space (Astral spill essentually but the resulting layer on Material space is called Ethereal space) . Ethereal space then becomes a thin layer between the two, in a slowly widening sphere, from spacetime perspective, from the unclosing point. All "magic" comes from interaction with it. It's called "magic" by humans because it looks like the depiction of magic (with a simple explanation that human dreamwalkers actually saw it, same as many species of the Knot) but it's not mysterious, it is explained by science of the Knot and this research is freely shared with human scientists to confirm by themselves.
Ethereal spill can't interact directly with Material space without a perceiving mind, same as Astral one. People who can interact with it on substantial levels are called classed ones. As dreamwalkers perceive Astral space and zippers can interact with it, other classes (same as zippers in addition to being unclosing sorcerers) can manipulate Ethereal space it brought. Things they can do with it are not always called magic but every class still does it, in its own way, bends Material space laws of physics to more match Astral ones. Magical spells are essentially programs that manipulate Ethereal space to have effect on Material space. It is not the only way to draw "magic" from Ethereal space. Monks use ki for example.
But indirect changes Ethereal spill brings change the Material space according to the collective subconsciousness. So no matter do you have a class or not your thoughts will affect Material space around you as you interact with Ethereal space subconsciously. Whole planets are being "magic-formed" this way. Most systems have so big spills that they are called systems because it spread to their whole solar systems. Usually collective subconsciousness of a species makes a planet or a moon habitable for them, corresponding with collective hopes. Rarely it make changes that are corresponding with collective fears - some Nifl and Muspel planets still have such scars despite the time that passed, Shadowfell landscapes that remind of the War.
Changing a being by magic is called magical mutation. Many spells make temporal changes, but higher ones make mutations permanent (not just transmutation spells but necromantic too, like creating a sapient undead which means not making dead creature alive but making alive creature mutated by necromancy). That's why most gods (and some patrons) don't look like their former selves even when in true form. But higher than that there's magical genetics, when mutation becomes not just permanent on a creature but on all generations from it. Only gods have such powers. That's how jotuns were created by merging two first species, that's why they can't procreate outside of the Ethereal spill. Same with Plasma Genasi as Plasma subspecies was a magic mutation, but they become unstable outside of a spill, as magic makes them physically stable. Atras though had their genetic changes without magic, magic only insures it works. So some Atras successfully procreated with humans even when Earth was closed from the spill.
Astral space sometimes is compared on Earth with computer simulation that is controlled by those who enter it. It has no real spacetime, only information, simulation of material space. Ethereal space lets that information become "real" in Material space. It's still simulation, and will fade out out of the Spill (though most will fade out at the end of some time or concentration). Ethereal spill is like a holographic generator with hard light. In ST terms Astral space is the holodeck and Ethereal space is holo emitters all over the ship.
Dreamwalkers
Dreamwalkers are the evolutionary step before zippers. It is non-linear, as every evolution, so when zippers start existing in a species, dreamwalkers doesn't go extinct. So despite it being required background of every zipper in addition to one another of their choice it still can be a background (but the only one if you chose it) for anyone.
Dreamwalker has an ability to go all the same places a zipper can (so Ost and other systems that are currently open, they can't do it within their own world) but only as astro-projection that usually isn't visible for anyone except zippers. That is the trait and the only benefit of this background.
Zippers
Sorcerer subclass
Main feature for a sorcerer zipper is to open and manage zippers - portals between systems. Zipper sorcerer has a zip code of a system (the code that is unique to it, necessary for a zip in to this system) if several generations before them and themselves lived in said system (no matter on what planet). The same the zip code will deteriorate in several generations if it won't be renewed by living in the system at least every other generation. So there is no way for a zipper to have a zip code for a system just by visiting it or even living in it, only by living in it for generations. Generations aren't necessary to be all zippers except the last one who would have a zip code, but them being zippers and dreamwalkers would shorten the number of generations. Usually though they are zippers and dreamwalkers because zipper/dreamwalker powers are hereditary to a point (means it's not actually in the DNA, but it seems those powers can stick to certain families but it's not a hard rule). If a zipper have no zip code for a system they want to go they can get to it through another zipper with this zip code from the Ost. Every zipper goes through Ost but in this case it includes asking the zipper for a zip code to zip to their system. The asking and answer are automatic and doesn't need face to face communication (and even zipper with a zip code be awake at the time). If the zipper in Ost feels suspicious they will redirect you to Ost security station. Again, as with all the process, zippers "feel" what is going through so they work as security without invasion of privacy as they are doing it subconsciously. All residential Ost zippers are hired by their system's governments and are vetted by the Knot.
Zipper powers evolve from dreamwalking powers. Every zipper will learn to use their zipper powers gradually. Plane shift, same as any teleportation spells that would let you go beyond the "Material plane" (teleportation within each system exists as usual) doesn't exist in this setting except zipper feature. Though there are no "planes" in this settings, except Astral space and Ethereal space. All systems are Material space.
Your First Zipper
You get your first zipper on first level. It is your default zipper, everything else will cost sorcery points for each upgrade you would like to add, from levels they will be available. Your default zipper casts in a minute and lasts for 6 seconds. If you lead to not your system and zip code keeper doesn't help you with it explicitly (meaning it needs communication with them) zipper leads to a random location in that system (though only in Ethereal spill on planets and moons surfaces) even if you know a place you are aiming at. Otherwise you can open zipper to a location if you or a zip code keeper knows it. The default size of your zipper is your size and it can expand to any person you lead but not things - you cannot lead things without them being worn or carried. If you try to get a thing through that is bigger than any of those you lead or yourself (each one individually and not the joined size) the thing will not reach even Ost, staying in the system you are leaving. You cannot send people or things without going with them.
Postman Phase
At 6th level your zipper can be:
faster to one action (6 seconds);
more precise and lead to any location you know or accurately know of;
smaller (any size from half of your default to smallest) for sending small things without the need of going with them. You can send small creatures too but only non-sentient non-magical ones. Sentient creatures need zipper's guidance same as sapient and at this level you can't give it remotely.
Each feature costs one sorcery point.
Send Them Away!
At 14th level your zipper can be:
distant, as now you can send not only things but also people, without the need of getting yourself to that side with them. Things bigger than individuals you are sending still won't go;
longer, as it can last up to a minute;
person-aimed, as now you can open a zipper aiming at a person you know or accurately know of even if you don't know in which system that person is. Zipper will open withing 5 foot from them on the unoccupied spot so be careful if there's a crowd - zipper will open in the air above their head as it doesn't care about directions). If all space around is occupied the zip won't go. If that system the person you aim at is closed you can't open a zipper but will still feel the destination.
Each feature costs two sorcery points. All features from previous level of the feature still would need to be bought by their original cost.
Industrial Transportation
At 18th level your zipper can be:
as big as you need it to be (but not bigger than a hundred feet in any direction) without depending on people you lead so you can lead or send bigger things;
moving zipper through people or things you're leading as opposite of them moving through zipper.
even longer as now it can stay open up to an hour, even without you present if you maintain concentration. Same as you can leave it in place you can take if with you;
returning as you can now open a zipper and receive a thing (but not a person!) You can't do any other features in this case except required small sending for 1 point plus location or personal aim for 1 or 2 points.
Each feature costs three sorcery points. All features from previous levels of the feature still would need to be bought by their original costs. Also lasting time stacks - you pay 2 points for a minute and then another 3 if you want to prolong it up to an hour. So hour long zipper will cost in fact 6 points.
Example: you are 19th level zipper and have 19 sorcerer points a day. Your job today is to send a pile of raw materials as the help in rebuilding efforts to a system that had a disastrous event. You need to do it on exact location and you don't want to go with it. That will cost you: 1 sorcerer point for location; 3 points for bigger zipper; 3 points for moving it on the pile instead of moving it in vehicles through the zipper. That also will cost you only 1 point for sending only materials instead 2 for sending people, as nobody is moving them. It will cost 2 points if you manage to do it in a minute. If not it will cost 3 points in addition to that. You can do 6 seconds casting and spend another point or do it in a minute. So 10 to 14 sorcery points. After that you can still have just enough (you can always convert spellslots into sorcery points) to send a report to the person over-viewing it from the other side - 1 point for sending a thing and 2 for aiming at a person (so 3 in total) and take an answer back for 3 for receiving, 1 for sending a thing (in reverse it's still your sending if on the other end is not a zipper), 2 for personal aim (6 in total). Or just do the second part without sending a report first.
Additionally technically you can try (for a cost that is one point more than its usual cost) any of add-on features above your level with just a straight roll (no modifiers, no luck, no advantage, no take backsies, no anything) with this Table of Consequences:
20 - you succeed and now you know this feature before the schedule but it will always cost you one more point than it should have been even after you'll reach the level at which you would have got it anyway.
19 - nothing happens.
17-18 - everything that was involved is lost. Same for every case below (yes you and everyone are naked, all possessions including magic items and components are gone).
15-16 - only you but not anybody else involved are at zero HP and can bleed out. Roll an injury table. If you die Gentle Repose doesn't work for you. Revivify and all resurrection spells can work.
13-14 - everyone involved except you are at zero HP and unconscious and can bleed out. Roll an injury table. If they die Gentle Repose doesn't work for them. Revivify and all resurrection spells can work.
11-12 - you and everyone involved are at zero HP and unconscious so can bleed out. Roll an injury table. If you die Gentle Repose doesn't work for you. Revivify and all resurrection spells can work.
9-10 - you and everyone involved are instadead but can be brought back by Revivify and all resurrection spells. Gentle Repose doesn't work for you. Roll an injury table.
7-8 you and everyone involved are instadead, leaving body, so you can be brought back by Raise Dead (but not Revivify). Gentle Repose doesn't work for you. Roll an injury table.
5-6 - you and everyone involved are instadead, leaving some parts, so Resurrection or Reincarnate can bring you back. Gentle Repose doesn't work for you. Roll an injury table as regeneration of body parts doesn't work even for Reincarnate for you.
3-4 - you and everyone involved are disintegrated, only True Resurrection can bring you back. Roll an injury table as regeneration of body parts doesn't work for you.
1-2 - you, everyone and everything involved are disintegrated, no resurrection spell can bring you all back as you're lost in the vastness of the universe.
Classed
1-20 levels
Class system exists to regulate use of magic. Even seemingly non-magical classes in fact use magic but more subtly. There are innate abilities, learned ones and borrowed ones. You have to have some talent of manipulating magic to become a classed person. Particular class would signal what is the method you are using. It doesn't have to be only one, and statistically speaking there are more multiclass people because it is more straining to focus on only one. Regulation-wise you have to retire a class after 20th level of it. You can be classed in several classes simultaneously or one after the other. Gods seal class after 20th level either personally - so you can't practice this class anymore at all - or by domain when you can practice only inside your domain which can be any size. For example gods themselves and many patrons have dimension pockets as their domains and some are the size of a planet.
Hitpoints are regeneration pool (how many health you can regenerate in a day) so with levelling up your regeneration becomes longer as it's also manipulation of magic. Unclassed people usually have less than ten hit points which is still more than regular human outside the Ethereal spill. It won't grow a limb back but will close the wound if you lose one. Most diseases became obsolete because of that, magical regeneration working as healing and and preventing diseases, working as immune system too. Though there is new type of magical diseases emerged when magical regeneration, cancer where magical regeneration becomes uncontrollable, lupus where magical regeneration attack organism sells instead of foreign, allergy on magic and so on. Percentage of those diseases though is not high enough to be considered higher than benefits of magic than eliminated mostly every disease or rather their symptoms and prolong human life to almost 200 years. Classed people live even longer.
Levelling up is also a magic process. It's not that jagged as in rules, so it's more smooth progress but it's identifiable which level anyone is with a magic vision and knowledge of the class or with a simple magic tool.
Patrons
20-100 levels
After 20th level classed people are forced to retire. They can't use their powers themselves but can borrow them to warlocks - class that was made specifically for that.
Gods
100+ level
Most gods became gods when first systems went to war with each other barely knowing how magic works, so many in the weapon race reached levels over 100 which made them god-like. Since then this mistake was prevented from happening on later systems but there are still some that for some reason or another reach "godhood".
After tying the Knot most gods agreed directly not to meddle with affairs of less powered but can lend their essence and powers to clerics and paladins, classes made specifically for that.
Resurrection and undead
There is no "soul" in the setting, instead it's echo of a personality, the buffer of their mind. Every time someone uses magic, drawing it from Ethereal space, they leave their own echo of that particular moment of their mind in it. Zippers do more strong echoes of themselves and others when they are zipping, as in fact only the personality go through, and then on the other end it recreates the body. So they leave the buffer in Astral space after every zip, and both it being more strong original Astral space, and innate specialisation of a zipper, they make those echoes the strongest ones. Still all echoes exist in a stasis of that particular moment they were made. They rarely manifest themselves and only clerics and paladins can see them, through borrowed god's eyes. Zippers also can see echoes they made and assist during resurrection but they are not required. Zippers themselves cannot resurrect except with Wish, but bards and druids have their own kinds of resurrection that do not require a god. Druids chose the species they know best (usually their own) for the Reincarnation, not the random, if they want to avoid rolling the table of competence on it.
All resurrection spells' (Revivify, Raise Dead, Resurrection, True Resurrection) purpose is to catch an echo and "jump start" it, get it out of the stasis, make a living person again. Reunification with its body is a requirement. But everything can go wrong. When something goes wrong during a resurrection spell, undead are created. Some people prefer to do it wrong, those people are called necromancers.
But first, how to make it right? The best echo for resurrection is the latest one but Astral one would be preferred before Ethereal one, as they are stronger ones, and day-old Ethereal one is weaker than year-old Astral one. So despite wanting to keep memory to the date, year-old Astral echo have more chances to go right. Even Revivify is not exception, though some adventurers specify to their clerics or paladins that they would prefer the risk of Ethereal echo as they don't want to lose so much memory. Mechanic-wise any resurrection spell has to be rolled, and Ethereal echo always rolls with disadvantage, whereas Astral one - with advantage. Same you need fresh body. That's why Revivify is so easy - it has a body that didn't have a time to actually die, and enough regeneration jump starts it easily. You roll +5 with it. Raise Dead gets +1, Resurrection have no modifier and True Resurrection is -5. Crit fail doesn't count, but 1 and lower (in True Resurrection case) count as everything went wrong. If echo was too weak the mind and personality will be wrong, if body was non-recoverable (True Resurrection lets create new body from scratch but it's a facsimile and during its creation anything can go wrong too) - the body will be wrong. Sometimes both go wrong. Thus zombies are created and it is illegal to create them purposefully and when it happens by accident they should be declared for proper care. Other numbers will tell how bad situation is with the resurrected person (so the table includes usual consequences and worse but can be reduced by good roll).
Multiplying is another illegal form of resurrection but all resurrection spells prevent it from happening first seeking live mind and only then on the case of not finding one going for an echo. The whole process is to go for the strongest one first, and nothing is stronger than live personality. So as you cannot do it by accident it can only be a purpose, the use of illegal alternated spells.
There are two other resurrection spells of levels higher than True Resurrection - 15 and 30. 30th level one is Immortality (or constant resurrection), and 15th one is a Spare. You know its description from how creatures from other planes can't be actually killed if they are not at their own plane. As there are no planes in The Knot, here it's just a resurrection spell mostly patrons use (with the exception of some people who can be even non-classed but have dangerous professions or style of life, as a security measure. It is provided freely. It cannot be bought legally.) You create a spare capsule with a clone embryo of your body and a strong echo that is constantly refilled with new memories. Clone body will have to grow with magic regeneration (it is better than creating a facsimile) but both echo and body are in guaranteed quality and are readied without hurry, so there is no need of a roll. It automatically starts when the original person dies. Immortality also doesn't need a roll, isn't a concentration and is maintained forever if casted only once and cannot be broken. That's a spell for gods. Most gods are so tired from their own immortality that they even can't break, they went through several mind deaths, when they die as a personality and their mind is being reborn. Sometimes such process is a trouble because a child in a god's body but mostly new personality is much more stable as it never knew anything else and can adapt to their life more easily.
Systems
Niflheim and Muspelheim (Jotunheim)
First and second systems of the Knot that sometimes mention as one system because they have now one common society. Locals are called Celestial and Fiends. Now the magically merged common sapient species on both systems are Jotuns that also descriptively are called Aasimar and Tieflings in correspondence of which ancestry is more prominent.
Pre-zipper era
Nobody was in Ost at the time so dreamwalkers were dreaming of nothingness which resulted in deep scars on cultural psyche for both species.
Zipper era
So much time went after first zippers were born till zippers from two systems finally met at Ost and realized what it means, so the Nifl system had FTL drive and reached neighbouring stars. This extensive space program is why they are called Celestial. They have non-magical colonies in other solar systems, so technically they are the group of solar systems, not one as every other system in the Knot. Some day magic will reach them, but for now Ethereal spill is only on original solar system. Nobody knows how fast magic can go through interstellar distances (the theory is it is substantially slower within solar systems because it takes time to engulf a planet, as it's a curved space over everything, but between space is quicker to consume as it's a straight space). Atras, before humans reached pre-zipper era, were trying to enhance this FTL to reach other galaxies, specifically their own. Research didn't go far.
Muspell also has all their original system magic-ed and colonized but they didn't go interstellar.
The war
Muspelheim could be named as the driving force of the war with Niflheim but Niflheim also was at fault when they decided that Muspelheim paranoia is a sign that they are evil.
The war was continuing for millennia and resulted in near destruction of both systems. There was a time when Niflheim's outer non-magical colonies in other solar systems were the only non-classed survivors on Niflheim side. Muspelheim population survived going deep underground. Most myths about "land of the dead" dreamwalkers spread on other systems were because of that devastation.
As magic was new to both systems magic users from both sides were allowed to grow to more than 100th levels in the constant arms race making them in all definition gods. Some of them also became crucial in the ending of the conflict and tying the Knot. Seeing how both sides are dying out, the truce was called, and later the peace was reached by tying the Knot which included magical merging of what was left from sapient species of both system (so little survived they probably couldn't survive by natural means as species any other way anyway). Now they are one species, Jotuns, that populate both systems. More than thousand years passed since the tying of the Knot.
Devastation of The War was so great some planets and moons of both systems became magic-formed backwards, into harsh and depressive environment becoming the monument for victims. Such regions are called Shadowfell.
Jotuns (Tieflings and Aasimar)
Locals of Niflheim and Muspelheim, do not confuse with Giants.
When first systems Niflheim and Muspelheim tied the Knot after devastating war between them they mixed their species through magical means, creating Jotuns. So Tieflings and Aasimar are one species with two different origins. Tieflings have more prominent Fiend ancestry, and Aasimar - more Celestial ancestry. There are those who have both or neither features. It is not hereditory, set of features can't be predicted. Thus both Tieflings and Aasimar live in both systems in same proportions. Both terms 'Tiefling' and 'Aasimar' are considered rude as they don't inform of their heritage but only their appearance. It's like calling someone a red head (probably even worse as it doesn't inform even does any of their parents are red head or would their children be) - it's used as descriptive, but deemed unnecessary talking to their face. Tieflings of more than 20th level are called Demons, Devils, etc., aasimar - Angels, Planetars, etc.
Ancient Tieflings and Aasimar were crustacean-like and mollusk-like accordingly and only vaguely humanoid in their original forms. Usual Tiefling features include Chitin morphoses that resemble "horns", "tail" and "hooves". Aasimar can have bioluminiscence and mantle flaps that resemble wings. Also warm coloration is considered to be Tiefling trait and that of cold tones - Aasimar one. Common humanoid body also includes pupilless eyes and high sensitivity to magic as their entire form is managed by it so even classless people of this species has some inherent magic.
Tír na nÓg / T'Rax
T'Raxian system started from original planet as any system and with the Ethereal spill went to its moon/sibling planet Underdark and from there to all seven planets of its Solar system. Now Underdark is fully magicformed planet when actual underdark is on outer rim planets when magic didn't form them yet enough.
T'Raxian system is so close to the centre of its galaxy it's causing time dilation. So time passes in it slower than in most of the Knot. All systems time moves differently but T'Rax is distinctly slower. Short time on T'Rax will mean longer on any other system.
Endonym T'Rax means "root; dragon; zipper (as portal)" and is a first contact communication mistake when Jotuns were trying to ask how they home is named and were answered "portal" as it was what lead them to Jotuns.
Locals are called Fey. Sapient species of the system are Albas (local) and Atras (from Earth).
Pre-zipper era
It was a third system to join in the Knot. Albas dreamwalkers were first dreamwalkers new alliance has seen, except their own, so time passed before they were recognized as a potential new member of the Knot. Not until the zipper era started. There were reports of Albas dreamwalkers during the War, so dreamwalker era for T'Rax started about then. As time passes slower on T'Rax it must have been traumatic for Albas too.
Zipper era
It started 82 millions years ago in Earth calendar. The Knot made more flexible rules for new members and thus all alliance so it wasn't required to merge their species with Jotuns. Nevertheless when 66 millions of Earth years ago T'Rax took refugees from Earth, that are known as Atras now, they did merge their species with them, in a way. Since then Atras are integrated in all aspects of T'Raxian society and thriving along Albas.
Limited number of creatures from late Cretaceous period of Earth survived through being transported (some alive, others only in DNA form through things made out of them) to other systems before the catastrophe and since then they were collected in reservations on T'Rax as Atras attempt to preserve the memory of their lost home. Creatures are artificially limited in evolution so look pretty much as they were on the day of a catastrophe.
Albas
Local sapient species of T'Rax system. Four subspecies of one humanoid species that is called collectively Albas: Elves, Drow, Orcs and Dragonborn.
They are symbiotic creatures. They have no digestive system as well as kidneys, liver and some other due to hosting autotrophic microbes in trophosomes that convert light or inorganic molecules into energy for them, as well as perform other essential functions. Bones and teeth have more shell-like structure despite being endoskeleton but are reinforced with carbon-filled fiber close to cellulose instead of calcium carbonate. Albas are direct descendants (as it can be direct in evolution) of dragons - big snake-like creatures that they call "Roots".
First two subspecies that reached sapient stage were Orcs and Dragonborn.
Orcs were living on lush wet planes, in most favourable conditions for photosynthesis. Their protozoa is mostly algae and don't use other pigments than chlorophyll for it, so Orcs are of green colors. Also they are relatively bigger than other subspecies for two reasons - because the more surface the more light can be absorbed and because they are hosting the universal bacteria inside that is less effective than those of more specific fuels. And they are rigid in hosting - can't requalify for other species of protozoa.
Dragonborn were evolving in any other, more difficult climate conditions - deserts, deep ocean and so on, and retained most of dragon traits. Their protozoa are very specific for each group so even having more effective and diverse variety they are still rigid in their hosting and environment as have to have the source of nutrition for their particular set of bacteria. Each line uses its own mix of photo- as well as chemotrophs for outside and inside feeding. Due to different condition even photoautotrophs are using different pigments, so each group of dragonborn has its own color.
After the start of zipper era one new subspecies split from Orcs - Drow. They went into the hard environment of freshly magic-ed, due to opening a planet to Ost, moons. Dragonborn, who would fit better, had reservations on zipper era and magic, so didn't claim new lands in mass. There was no actual atmosphere on the moon at the time, so Orcs first lived in domes and then expanded under ground using Roots they imported for digging tunnels. Thus new subspecies was born. The lack of sunlight shifted their hosted variety of protozoa from photoatotrophy exclusively to chemoautotrohy (plus bio-luminescent bacteria). They became smaller, adapting to small tunnels. They didn't lose their sight, relying on bio-luminescence. They lost most of epidermis bacteriocytes gaining some bio-luminescent ones, because this layer was used for photosynthesis and now it wasn't needed. So Drow skin is almost translucent. The main color goes from trophosomes underneath and depends on a local mix of bacteria but it's mostly creamy white. Drow became flexible in individual collection of bacteria using many sources of nutrition unlike one specified as dragonborn or orcs, as there was a lack of any one specific source so they had to rely on ability to be as omnivorous as possible.
Elves, newest subspecies, branched after some Drow stayed on moons after their full magic-formng and went out on a surface that now had atmosphere, partially restoring their photosynthesis, but keeping all benefits of flexible chemoautotrophy too. Other Drow moved on to other planets of the system, now in the same half-magic-formed condition than moons were. Elves became most common in T'Rax system and especially out of the system as they can individually survive in any conditions, due to perfected ability to host any species of microbes effectively. Same as dragonborn elves are of many colors, but that color does not depend on a particular group but on individual preferred mix of hosted microbes, especially photoautotrophic ones that determine their outer colors. It's still somewhat hereditary but instead of inheriting genes that form rigid hosting they inherit only the mix itself that can be changed any time they want to change the diet.
Reproduction of Albas is the same as of dragons, special asexual. They have no sex cells in their own DNA, but they have four morphological variations, with out-genitalia, in-genitalia, both and neither. They have no sexual dimorphism except that, and out-genitalia are inside while in rest, so you can't actually determine their "sex" from their usual look, only in the mating process. Beside obvious reproduction with Atras they are incompatible with any other species of Knot system. All subspecies can reproduce with each other.
Sexually though Albas are compatible with many species including humans. Just beware of bacteria they excrete during mating rituals (you always should beware of exchanging fluids with other species) - exchanging microbes is their way of strengthening the unit as microbes would exchange through horizontal gene transfer their resistances strengthening both individuals' immunity. Some types of bacteria can be extremely toxic for humans. Consult your doctor before and after intimate activity. Most Elves though, being the most adaptable subspecies, perfected their microbe managing to the point they won't expose anyone unwantedly to it.
Albas of more than 20th level are called Archfey.
Atras
Atras were the only sapient species on Earth over 66 million years ago that very quckly reached zipper era. Then Earth suffered the cataclysm and there was so few Atras survivors they wouldn't survive further as a species in their current form so they had to artificially change how they procreate. Now they have asexual horizontal gene transfer that is implemented through magic but is sustainable without it - some Atras got pregnant from humans on Earth that was still closed. On T'Rax they were procreating like that with Albas who gave them refuge on T'Raxian system for 66 million years (or about 6 in local time) so now they have common features with each of four subspecies of Albas but they still are separate species from them. However, when they finally returned to Earth (they lost the zip-code of it, so it happened only when humans reached their own zipper era) they started procreating with humans and noticed that each generation after that they are slowly becoming humans. It's happening because they are too close relatives, being from one evolution, so human DNA mixes with their one too good when totally different species as Albas stay separate. In Atras society now there is a rift between those who accept it as their new evolutional path and those who don't. Most probable there will be no unified decision on that.
All Atras are small, from one meter to one and a half, humanoids that originate from Earth clade Dinosauria and have similar traits to them. Unlike Albas they have digestive system and full set of organs usual for their clade. But they also, due to hybridisation with Albas, have bacteriocytes though they don't have specialized organs for hosting them. Usually they are concentrated in epidermis giving them small percentage of supplementary nutrition through photosynthesis.
Atras, unlike Albas, lay eggs (Albas also have eggs, much smaller ones, but they don't leave their bodies, if it's outside it is a miscarriage). The egg has same structure and formation as earth dinosaur egg except the zygote is formed from the parent's cell and other parent's (or parents') cells using horizontal gene transfer before formation of the egg.
Albas - Atras bonds:
Elves - Gnomes
Drow - Dwarves
Orcs - Goblins
Dragonborn - Kobolds
Humans - Halflings
Atras lost all sexual dimorphism on genetic level due to it being unnecessary to reproduction. Only Hobbits, especially of second and more generations returned some of it.
Atras can procreate with any sapient species, not only these two, but other combinations are much rarer.
Atras of more than 20th level are called Archfey, same as Albas.
Half-elves and half-orcs are biologically Albas but other parent(s) is of another species so they have the mixed upbringing. Usually the issue of calling them like that goes from humans for Albas who live in Solar.
Dragons
or roots, or "t'rax" in one of T'Raxian languages that became official word for their system.
Big snake-like (worm-like) native T'Raxian creatures that, as most of T'Raxian animals, are symbiotic and host colonies of microbes that function as factories instead of developing most organs like digestive system, kidneys, liver and some other, in organs called trophosomes. They can host a variety of microbes and doesn't have to have a genetic specialisation to host different types of microbes despite having fundamental differences with that change. The original dragons are underground dwellers so they host mostly various chemoautotrophs but some came out of the ground (and some went to the sea) and now host photoautotrophs, but they are still one species. Same as Albas and many Fey their endoskeleton (including teeth) have more shell-like structure that is reinforced with carbon fiber instead of calcium carbonate, and teeth grow into diamond crystals with time. Dragons are growing as they live and they live for thousands of years.
Reproduction of dragons, same as whole class of T'Raxian fauna they belong to, is asexual but with a twist. Dragons have no sex cells themselves, but a special microbe that they host in a reproductive trophosome does use sexual reproduction during conceiving. They don't have host's DNA in full so can't be considered its sex cells but they have enough as a matrix to use it for constructing host cells from strands of its DNA. Hosts have two types of reproductive organs but their presence or absence is not DNA related, and big percentage of individuals have both types (single-sexed are called dioecious, two-sexed - monoecious) - in-genitalia and out-genitalia. Each buds, and only if both buds are ready, conception happens. Out-genitalia bud falls off, getting inside the in-genitalia where the egg is formed, encapsulating both buds. The reproductive microbe dissolves all host cells inside it, and all microbes themselves reform into gamets of both types that make fusion into zygotes forming a germinal disc that takes strings of host DNA from the "soup" and weaves embryo cells out of them. Embryos usually have chimeric structure as a result of having several different "assembling lines" that not always form different embryos. When no viable soup left, the egg shell dissolves and embryo attaches itself to the parent to get nutrition and parent's microbes. After it grew and formed fully it is birthed. Dragon's egg outside of a dragon is its miscarriage though it is still viable for quite awhile and can be reinstalled, in any dragon, it doesn't have to have a genetic match. Eggshell is also formed from the same material as bones, so can crystallize into diamond with time, though losing vitality, but it's not a rare fossil.
Subspecies of dragons:
There are two magic subspecies that evolved after the spill - fire (red) and air dragons. Red dragons have magic weapon that produces heat, and air dragons can magically fly (T'Raxian dragons don't have wings).
Brown dragons are the original subspecies, the sand worms, live off minerals they filter from sand.
They were taken to Underdark regions by Albas and evolved into white and black dragons. Those are the least magical as live on the cusp of the spill.
White dragons can live in cold environment including ice. They can't generate cold, but they have nucleating proteins that prevent their cells from damage during freezing. Sometimes they are called crystal dragons as they are translucent.
Black dragons are mining ones, they can dig into hardest of stone using diamond teeth and acid they produce. They live off minerals they mine and versatile in types of them. Sometimes they are called rock or gem dragons.
Green dragons or treants look like trees, mostly immobile, live on planes off photosynthesis. Are poisonous as defence mechanism.
Blue dragons are sea dragons. They are the biggest of dragons and live off minerals they filter from water, but younglings prey on other living creatures. They have electric glands like electric eel which younglings use to stun and control their prey and as a defence mechanism. Adult ones do not have predators, but use it as a communication and controlling tool.
Most younglings of all subspecies are opportunistic predators, but only blue ones are persistent in this, they are the most dangerous predators in the sea.
Lintukoto
Has three subspecies - flying ones aarakocras and harpies and flightless ones kenku. They resemble Earth birds but not in detail, only as the result of parallel evolution.
Xibalba
Locals of Xibalba system have similarities to earth felines but it is coincidental due some parallel evolution and not that accurate. The species is called wayob (plural) and have three subspecies - tabaxi, leonin and rakshasa. Despite looking like an Earth mammalians there are not.
Atlantis
Warforged world. Warforged never talk about their creators (claiming the knowledge was erased from their collective memory), all we know they died out. Warforged were made mostly for war so everybody guessed they killed their creators or they helped - unwillingly, as programmed - their creators kill each other. But they became zipper species - they had dreamwalkers and then zippers, which proves that those powers are not biological despite being hereditory but only require the mind, no matter the origin. Now Atlantis have prosperous though very alien for everybody else society.
Nobody knows for sure were warforged creators non-zipper species or belonged to previous Knot. If the latter, the mystery of their disappearance could be linked to the mystery of previous Knot's end.
Warforged
Warforged were created by unknown species in the Atlantis system. Nobody including warforged who erased it from their collective memory knows the fate of their creators.
Pre-zipper era.
When dreamwalker warforged were starting visiting Ost Dreamwalker Project didn't percieve them as artificial life.
The technology of warforged is unique in the Knot, they are non-magically sapient. All other attempts at creating true AI by other systems of it failed, the most they got are automatons (constructs) that can be sentient through magic (Steel Defenders for example) but not sapient. They still, as any sentient species, can be 'awaken' to sapient state but it works only in Ethereal spill.
There is a number of new generations of warforged that were created in other systems. Warforged procreate as any biological species, but with more control on the result. Nobody but them can replicate their uniqueness though, reversed engineering doesn't work. But some of Warforged procreated outside of Atlantis and those offspring were catered to those systems, so you can meet warforged on many systems with many unique functions and looks. For example jotuns partnered with them for their interstellar exploration as warforged don't have biological needs so don't need such supplies and can operate outside of Ethereal spill. Jotuns can't procreate outside Ethereal spill due to being too magically dependent, and their constructs are too dependent on outside orders, so Niflheim's stations outside of its Ethereal spill are operated by volunteers on non-magical technology in the hope that magic will reach them soon enough.
Warforged also are a source of new research into zipper technology. Still after 10 million years they didn't give an answer on how to make an artificial zipper. Despite warforged being artificial species their zippers are natural and have exactly the same functions and rules as those of biological species including inability to copy it or controllably repeat except procreation (also without 100% guarantee). The main goal of the research is to determine what exactly all zipper species have in common, and such different species was a big hope to see it as obvious but it still eludes even gods. It is clear that something that is in common with all other, natural species, would be what warforged are different from other constructs, but it's still a mystery. The current theory is research has to be conducted putside of Ethereal spill and by people who know unmagic-ed space better than systems who lived in a spill for millenia. There are hopes now that humans can do it, so there are some invitations are happening for organizing such laboratory somewhere either on one of jotun's interstellar station or on outer planets of Solar system.
Mahabhuta
Locals are called Elementals. Sapient species is Genasi with four main subspecies (Solid, Liquid, Gas, Plasma).
Genasi
Genasi is a sapient species of Mahabhuta system. As most of Mahabhuta system evolution they are carbon-silicone based. Subspecies differentiate by default state of matter inside their silicone frustules - Solid (Earth), Liquid (Water), Gas (Air) and Plasma (Fire).
For example Gas Genasi can convert water into hydrogen and oxygen so they can breath under water. They also can use oxygen from those containers for a while while air is not breathable.
Plasma Genasi is a magic-ed subspecies and outside of the Ethereal spill they would be rather unstable. Bose-Einstein Condensate (Ice) Genasi are very rare and cannot be born as such, but Gas Genasi can mutate into one. Four main ones are born this way (there are no merged Genasi, in mixed couples all children either one or another, though there are cases of chimerism) or magically mutated (rarely voluntarily, mostly due to magical trauma) from another but only from Solid to Liquid to Gas to Plazma or in the opposite direction.
Genasi of more than 20th level are called Genie.
Elementals
Elementals are a system natives. Diatom-like cabon-silicone based evolution produced various forms of life, from Elemenals that are colonies of microbes to sapient Genasi. Every cell, unicellular or in a multicellular organism has silicone shell-container called frustule that can contain any storage. Subspecies store molecules in one of the state of the matter: Solid (Earth), Liquid (Water), Gas (Air) and Plasma (Fire). Plasma Elementals are magically mutated so will be unstable in non-magic-ed environment but them and Fire genasi are equally common now. There are also rare Bose-Einstein Condensate Elementals (or Ice Elementals) that are also, like Plasma ones, magical mutation from Gas Elementals. Ice Genasi too can be made from Air Genasi with magic manipulation but such experiments are also rare.
Hyperborea
Locals are called Giants (do not confused with Jotuns), sapient species is Goliaths. It has small original planet with almost half of Earth gravity that has mostly cold climate so most its animals are huge - because they can move with big masses and it's better to be big in cold climate.
On bigger gravity worlds giants tend to be weaker despite expectations.
Goliaths
Do not confuse with Jotuns.
Origin planet of Hyperborea is smaller than Earth and also have very oxygen rich atmosphere so most animals including sapient are huge comparing to most species of the Knot.
Solar
The only known inhabited system in Milky Way.
Previously populated by Atras, currently populated by Humans.
First Pre-zipper era
First Zipper era
First time Earth had zipper era over 66 millions years ago. It was populated by Atras at the time. The cataclysm brought them to the brink of extinction with only a handful individuals remaining. They took refuge on T'Rax where they were invited to. Zip code from Earth was lost with generations that never stepped foot on Earth so when they finally decided that it could be again livable, they couldn't go back on it.
Second pre-zipper era
In time Atras found out that new, human, dreamwalkers are from the same planet they originated, so they personally were curating the planet.
Second Zipper era
It started and ended for several times since first zipper wave in .... Humans were shutting down the planet every time. Will they this time, after globalization made it clear they can't put the genie back in the bottle? Usually zipper era starts early in the sapient species history. Humans weren't the exception, but they are the first after first systems to shut down their system numerous times so consistently. And first system that progressed through industrial evolution since first systems. Usually systems that join the Knot before that don't progress into it after because magic makes it unnecessary.
First human zippers of this wave were highly controlled by various Earth governments (the term "zipper" itself is English equivalent from common but was chosen for several reasons including secretiveness as in "zip one's lip"), after very first zippers in second part of 1940th brought T'Raxians "uninvited". Only controlled visits were initiated and various spies were dispatched to other planets but Earth itself has remained zipped shut (by never leaving their zippers in Ost) and its general public was left unaware about the discovery of the Knot for 8 decades until the number of zippers became too much to control.
After zipper secret came out and the official invitation to the Knot was finally publicly available the AllEarth government was formed and officially accepted it. This decision is still, after a decade in, is controversial.
Atras/human hybrids Halflings also live now often in Solar, same as Albas and Atras who are partnered with humans - families and even friends can't live in different systems due to time dilation with T'Rax.
Acadia
Firbolgs, fawns, satyrs
Classifications
Species
Species can be non-sentient, sentient and sapient. Dolphins, apes and dogs are sentient creatures for example, humans are sapient. In DnD terms playable species are sapient.
You can magically alter an individual creature from one state to another ("awaken" them, but not further than sapient) but only from non-sentient to sentient and from sentient to sapient. It can be done only once in their life so you can't awaken non-sentient to sapient. Also spells like speak with animals, plants and dead temporarily grant pseudo-sapience to non-sapient creatures and things in order to interpret information.
Non-sentient creatures are non-magical and can't have a class. Sentient creatures if they are magic users would classify as sorcerers if they were sapient, but they can't level up like classed (though there are means like sidekick mechanics). Sapient creatures can be of any class.
Class and powers
Classless people, classed people through 1st to 20th level, patrons (over 20th level), deities (over 100th level).
Most gods are from the past of first two systems as they didn't have regulations yet and classed people could level up uncontrollably. Now regulations prevent from reaching such levels, though there were cases, and gods like having one or two gods from every new system to have a representative of it in a pantheon. So they carefully chose some people for that. Gods can give their essence through Ost as long as it's to open system, so there are no restriction on following only local deity. Same with personal lives of gods - they consider themselves one pantheon no matter the system they are from originally.
Regulation rules that everyone who reached 20th level of a class is forcibly retired in that class meaning they can't hold power of any sort (no governing office, no business head, no influencing position). They can't practice magic outside their domain (domain seal) or at all (personal seal). Gods have power of sealing but most decisions around that are made by local councils. Class, spellcasting or not, can go beyond 20th level and become patrons and gods, as all classes use magic, just in different ways, one subtler than others. Exceptions are warlocks of patrons of 21st level as they can't go beyond the level of a patron they are borrowing from. So restrictions are preventing levelling from happening.
But, to battle the boredom of retirement, retiree may lend their powers to warlocks becoming their patrons, same as gods may give their own essence to clerics and paladins. Those three classes were created specifically for this purpose, to entertain people over 20th level. But warlock's level adds to levels of their patron in proportion 20 levels of a warlock as 1 level to a patron. It is near impossible to get your first warlock to 20th level if you are also just over 20th level, last levels can literally kill you as you're transferring all your powers. But it's getting easier from this point. There are also patrons from the unregulated past (those who didn't reach 100th level before regulations started but still over 20) and illegal patrons who defy retirement. You can't be a warlock of illegal patron on any legal job - there will be a background check.
There is another way to battle boredom of retirement. 20 levels limit means 20 levels in one particular class. So if you are multiclassing you are retiring as that class you reached 20th and can go on gaining levels in another class or classes till you reach 20 in them too. So you can't benefit from a class if you reached 20th level in it, so technically you stop being multiclass if you have one ongoing class and one of 20. There are many "renaissance" people who gained 20 levels in each class, one after another. But multiclassed people are forbidden to be patrons as their 20th class has to be personally sealed to not interfere with classes that are lower than 20. And you can be a patron only through domain seal, not personal one - you have to be able practice your class and personal seal prevents it.
Levelling up is automatic due to practice, so you can stop levelling up only by stopping practicing abilities of your current level. You can practice abilities of levels below 20 but within certain limit - even this will inevitably level you up. That's why retiree is limited in all classed abilities (do not use abilities of 20th level, do not use any abilities outside your sealed domain etc.) and can be sealed personally voluntarily if they don't trust themselves or prefer multiclassing.
Sealing a person and sealing a domain differs by level of freedom of practicing. Only gods can do sealing and unsealing and it doesn't require concentration from them. Personal seal means a person can't practice anywhere, domain sealn means a person can practice only within certain location (for higher levels like patrons and gods it's usually pocket dimensions). So domain seal is "sealed everywhere except that domain". Borrowed powers go to warlocks through domain seals, but can't go through personal seals, so any lending should take place within your domain (patron should be within their sealed domain, warlock can be anywhere). If warlock's patron is travelling outside their domain, warlock lose powers until patron goes back.
Gods are retired voluntarily but in the case of one god being defiant or breaking rules many gods can punish or seal one. There were multiple civil wars inside pantheon, when one or a group of gods didn't go with all others. There are sealed gods, there are punished gods, there are dead gods, there are new gods by the will of other gods... But now the pantheon is more or less unanimous.
You can be 19th level in all classes forever, yes. It would be very hard to not lose classes by levelling to 20, but it is not impossible. However it would mean just voluntary sealing yourself on 19th level essentially.
Every class except borrowed ones - warlock, paladin and cleric, has a base talent. Subclasses have more precise ones. Most people have talents and they chose either non-magical profession or a magical class, by enhancing it with ethereal link. Some people have many talents, some have none. Borrowed classes can be taken by anyone, including people with no talent.
Examples
For example any Archfey is a sapient sorcerer local to T'Raxian system who is over 20th level. They can be a patron if they a sealed in their domain. They are classified as over-classed Albas.
Any Sprite is a sentient species from the same system that could been classified as sorcerer if they were sapient but as they are only sentient they classify as magic user Fey.
Bahamut is a sapient sorcerer from the same system who is of 143d level. They are former Archfey, former dragonborn. They classify as god with Albas origin (or as very over-classed Albas).
DM eyes only
Who built Ost?
First systems that got to it, eventually, using only their thoughts, unintentionally. That's why it looks like a typical celestial space station. Yes there were previous inhabitants but they had their own version of Ost that probably looked like something else. It is possible to change how Ost looks in whole but for now only modules were changed drastically. For example Deck is changed regularly, and many forms are beyond station limitation.
What happened to the last Knot
It is apparent that there was previous Knot but what happened to them?
As we were starting to see that next step in zipper progress is multiverse maybe it is dangerous and not every Knot survives it. Or that step means the whole Knot goes somewhere? Perhaps this secret is with Warforged.
What cataclysm was on Earth that killed off most of Atras?
Was it Chicxulub asteroid or something more?
What happened to warforged creators?
They were the species from the last Knot. Warforged deleted information about what happened to them and most of information about them at all. They don't know why. But it's pretty evident they were once a part of the similar pact of systems, but they didn't have their own zippers then, only their creators had zippers.
The information on how they died out (or where did they go) can be crucial to understanding what happened to last Knot but also may have no relation to that.
