The Chronicles of Utopia, Volume III

As penned by Michael Landrum,

Radiant Servant of Pelor and Steward of the Great Father

He Who Is Lord Prometheus,

God of Technology

Luminary of Innovation

And Immortal God-Emperor of the Imperium of Light

This volume is a continuation of the previous work in which I, Michael Landrum, in my capacity as Steward to the Great Father, continue my official record of the works and deeds done by our Lord and His servants as they continued to expand the fledgling Imperium of Light. For the sake of brevity, the most important matters will be described in as much detail as is necessary to convey their significance without becoming overly descriptive on every matter to the point of uselessness. This volume will concern itself with matters that occurred on Oerth, the worlds within its sphere of influence, and on Earth following the end of what is now called the Demon War as well as matters of more recent concern that have only just become resolved within the past several decades. Before these matters are discussed, however, I wish to provide a short introduction on certain celestial matters that most would not be aware of, in order to give context for what is to come...

Prologue: An Introduction to the Nature of Reality

Beyond the bounds of normal reality where aether is the foundation of existence, restrictions of three-dimensional space and matter a quaint notion belonging to lesser beings, and time is measured in comparison to eternity, there exists a myriad different realms maintained by the various gods. These gods watch over and maintain a region of space-time colloquially known to themselves as Greyspace, of which our planet, known as Oerth, is the center.

(Why it is called Greyspace the gods have not seen fit to say, though apparently they find some private amusement in it which I am not privy to)

I am told by the Great Father that in the universe he once hailed from, where science and Law reign supreme with no possibility of true magic, planets naturally orbit around a nearby star due to gravitational forces that remain constant. These forces remain constant due to natural universal laws that came into being at the very beginning of time and space. In realms such as Greyspace however, given the reality of magic and the gods, both of which have the power to significantly alter reality, nature and matter itself is much more malleable to the will of others. In our case Oerth is the center of all things in our region of space with the sun orbiting us despite differences in size and mass which would apparently confound the scientific-minded. Yet on Oerth such things are rarely considered except for a handful of sages who study the stars and their ilk, and virtually all take this state of affairs as being natural and normal.

To continue with my earlier narrative, the gods of this region of reality exist not as a result of a Creator's whim or due to intelligent beings praying them into existence. Rather they are the embodiment of the natural forces and powers within the universe. Ideas made manifest, necessities made flesh, they each exist to command and control a specific aspect of existence in all its forms. Theirs is the responsibility to maintain the delicate balance of all aspects of reality that allow life in all its forms to exist and flourish. For countless millennia the gods worked in concert with each other. Pelor, god of the Sun and bringer of Life, worked in harmony with Beory, the embodiment of the planet itself, as well as His kindred beings of power, Istus, Mistress of Fate, Boccob, the Lord of Magic, and Nerull, the Lord of Death. As intelligent life arose and men came to believe in such matters as Judgement, Punishment, and Law, in both the physical realm and the realms beyond, new gods came into existence to fill and officiate over these needs. To represent the more negative side of such matters the Nine Hells of Baator and their demonic denizens came into existence as well. More concepts became integral to common life and thus the pantheon of the gods expanded to include more members until at last things became stable. Each god forged their own realms out of the aether in order to create a place for themselves to exist as well as those who worshipped them to live when their physical forms expired in the fullness of time. Since that time uncountable centuries ago empires have risen and fallen on Oerth and life has gone on as it has a tendency to do with the common man living out their lives as best they are able. In all that time little has occurred to dramatically change the makeup of the pantheons of gods and its members.

That changed with the arrival of our Lord and his aide upon Oerth and my previous two volumes detail that eventual change. For now, however, let us return to matters that occurred shortly after the conclusion of the Demon War and my prior work.

In the days and weeks that followed the Demons' return to the Nine Hells, our Lord spent a great deal of time moving back and forth between Earth and Oerth to help ensure the stability of his material holdings in both worlds. Under His guidance man and machine worked tirelessly to rebuild what had been broken, the quality of the work such that, after a short time, one could not tell that the city had even been damaged. For those scars that lied beneath the surface in the hearts and minds of his people, our Lord moved about them constantly along with clerics of Pelor and Rao to heal them in mind and spirit until they were, at the very least, on the road to recovery. To the other kingdoms of the world that had been far more injured by the tragic events of recent history He would, in the coming months, give counsel and aid to help in the healing and rebuilding process. This would become the precursor for the technological revolution He had envisioned for Oerth so long ago and would lay the foundations for his acquisition of more than one world.

In this way, his Imperium would truly expand to the stars themselves and the dimensions that lay beyond them...