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The Four Spheres of Entropy

by Rodger Burns

Well, since the earlier bit of metaphilosophising went over so well, I suppose I'll try again. This time I'm working to nail down exactly what the four 'subspheres' of Entropy (as first alluded to in PC1) might encompass. Material could be useful for fleshing out the deep history of a standard campaign, building back story for conflicts within Entropy, or as direct background in a wild dimension-shift or time-shift to a setting in which Entropy dominates.

First among the Entropic Spheres is that of Stasis, which seeks to entrap all things, snuffing out energy and ending motion, change and growth. While Stasis can prevent death and so is sometimes seen as beneficial, it also blocks healing, new discovery and activity, and can suffocate new life before it arrives. Stasis is most closely aligned with the alignment of Law, though in a definitely dark fashion; it prevents the spread of Negation, is torn asunder by Ravening, and seeks to freeze the conflicts created by Discord.

The Sphere of Ravening, meanwhile, is an engine of destruction, seeking to consume and break down all it comes across, eliminating any semblance of definition, uniqueness or distinctiveness. Anything in Ravening's path is left not annihilated, but thrown into ultimate disorder and disunity - even the very structure of space and time is disassociated, leaving behind ultimate chaos. Ravening prevents the establishment of Stasis, is redirected by Discord, and seeks to lay waste to existence before Negation can eliminate it.

Next is the Sphere of Discord, which seeks to poison thought, words, ideas, relationships and philosophies. Conflict, dissent, distrust, lies and hatred are all Discord's tools, though the ambition and envy it fosters can sometimes be turned towards beneficial ends. Discord spreads concepts and strife before Ravening can consume their creators, is rendered meaningless by the spread of Negation, and works to foster conflicts that cause Stasis to crumble. As the most ambivalent of the Entropic Spheres, Discord is arguably Neutral in alignment.

Finally is the Sphere of Negation, what many would see as the classical 'goal' of Entropy - the destruction of existence and that which defines it. That which has been touched by Negation is no longer matter - not antimatter, which is matter according to different rules, nor empty space, for such is defined by the absence of matter and could once again be filled by matter, but nothingness, an absolute refutation of being. Even for the Entropic spheres, Negation is seen as evil. It eliminates sources of Discord, is blocked in its advance by Stasis, and works to eliminate the space that Ravening tears asunder.

The final Sphere, that of Life, seeks to encourage growth, health, the continuation of old things and the creation of new ones. Many right-thinking Immortals consider its ways dangerously radical, opposing the proper elimination of things unfit to face the natural order and potentially filling the entire multiverse with stifling, hungry life. Fragments of history and prophecy suggest that Life has four separate aspects which mirror the four Entropic Spheres, and that at some time in the distant future may be in the ascendant and exist as separate focuses of Immortal power. No Immortal currently in existence can say whether these rumours have any truth.