The Eldritch Realms
The Setting of Ainerêve
All beings in Ainerêve arise from the Meterea — the primordial medium of thought, emotion, belief, and imagination.
Map of the Eldritch Realms
The principal regions of Ainerêve — from the Northern Reaches through Meath Forest to the Gulf of Azure. Crossroads sits at the nexus, where the gates connect to worlds far and near.
Major regions: Northern Reaches · Dalmavand · Maedoen · Meath Forest · Crossroads · Psarmorum · Avinoble · Aigypt · Elden Heights
Ontology of Dream-Born Entities
Metereic Manifestation in the Eldritch Realms
What differentiates entities is not substance, but the stabilizing vector that shapes them. The following taxonomy classifies dream-born entities by origin, stability, and cosmological function.
Ontological Table of Manifestation
| Type | Source of Form | Stability | Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| InklingWhisperkin, Shades | Ambient narrative imbalance; subconscious psychic pressure; fleeting thought or emotion | ✧Ephemeral | Subtle influence; emotional echo; predatory drift |
| Extantar | Observer perception and sustained attention | ⚖︎Mutable | Adaptive mirrors; transformation catalysts |
| Tulpa | Collective belief and sustained narrative | ✶Variable | Manifest icons of faith and symbol |
| Aethelborn | Externalized will (divine command, oath-binding, relic-anchor) | ☑Semi-Stable | Guardians, anchors, executors of singular purpose |
| Reifiant | Mythic reification from the Meterea | ✅Persistent (while believed) | Domain-shapers; cosmological architects |
▸Inkling — Notes
Flickering, shadow-like manifestations. Reflect local emotional tone. Often serve higher entities as subconscious scouts or enforcers. The rawest form of dream-spirit.
▸Extantar — Notes
Forms shift between observers. Stable enough for interaction but incoherent across viewpoints. May seed future myths.
▸Tulpa — Notes
Embodiments of saints, spirits, archetypal icons. Power scales with worship, fear, or ritual reinforcement. Often indistinguishable from minor gods.
▸Aethelborn — Notes
Fixed in form and function. Often born from Extantars but stabilized through imposed intent. Examples include Radiants and Oath-Forged entities.
▸Reifiant — Notes
Fully realized archetypes — gods, titans, dragons. Sustain realms and alter metaphysical law. Anchored in collective myth.
Hierarchical Clarification
This table is not merely classificatory — it represents ontological escalation.
- ✦Inklings are unformed emotional tremors.
- ✦Extantars gain shape through perception.
- ✦Aethelborn gain permanence through imposed will.
- ✦Reifiants gain sovereignty through enduring collective belief.
Tulpas occupy a lateral category: they may evolve upward into Reifiants if belief consolidates sufficiently, or dissipate if narrative weakens.
Metereic Stability Spectrum
The determining factor in stability is reinforcement:
Produces instability
Produces conditional form
Produces directed persistence
Produces mythic permanence
The stronger and more consistent the narrative reinforcement, the more persistent the entity.
Canonical Notes for Eldritch 2E
- Meterea
- The sole primordial substrate from which all beings in Ainerêve arise.
- Chaosance
- Deprecated. No longer used in 2E cosmology.
- Reifiants
- Not "created" by mortals, but condensed through accumulated mythic pressure.
- Aethelborn
- Do not require worship — only sustained purpose.
- Tulpas
- May operate regionally within specific cultic or ritual domains.
Cosmological Implications for Play
This structure allows GMs to scale encounters metaphysically without introducing arbitrary monster hierarchies. Ontology replaces CR as narrative weight.
- ⚡Regions of weakened narrative cohesion will see increased Inkling and Extantar activity.
- ⚡Oath-breaking may destabilize Aethelborn entities.
- ⚡Cultural collapse can diminish or transform Tulpas.
- ⚡Erasure of myth weakens Reifiants.