Sea of Souls

The Warp.

Also known as: the Sea of Souls, the Empyrean.

It is the mirror of the material universe, the destination where the souls of cosmic beings return after death, a heaven of slumber and a place of rest for the spirit.

It reflects the "emotions" of sentient beings in the material universe—that abstract, intangible state. Every emotion in the Warp is transparent, pure, and searingly intense.

Violent emotions collide within the vast, boundless Warp, compressing and twisting into vortices. Storms laden with fragments of thought rage, and ultimately, everything transforms into the source of power for the Sea of Souls.

The emotions of biological entities in the material universe ripple out into the Warp, eventually converging into its endless waves.

In the Sea of Souls, an energy world formed by various extreme emotions, time and space lose all meaning.

Once, the Sea of Souls was without a single ripple; the souls of sentient beings could rest there, enjoying eternal peace.

A cataclysmic event originating from the material universe changed it forever.

A terrifying war between two hegemon races spanned the entire galaxy, shattering the stars and causing life to wither.

The resentment and agony within the souls of the trillions who perished in that war polluted the Sea of Souls.

Any soul entering the Warp is twisted by those filthy emotions, stripped of its original essence, and utterly corrupted.

Countless souls and intense emotions churn ceaselessly within the unpredictable, treacherous waves of the Warp, separating and aggregating until they converge into pure, extreme ideologies, returning to a singular existence.

A god is born!

Standing tall amidst the endless waves of the Warp, an eternal, immortal, and truly existing deity!

Contrary to the holiness and purity possessed by gods of faith, the true gods of the Warp are born from the various extreme emotions within it:

Corrupted thoughts, insane emotions, twisted souls, and the most blasphemous of extremes.

"Gods" born of extreme ideologies—true Dark Gods!

More blasphemous than blasphemy, more corrupt than corruption, their evil power exceeds the imagination of any sentient being in the material universe.

What they pursue are the intense, searing, pure, and extreme emotions of the material universe.

When extreme emotions manifest in the material universe, the Warp responds, and surging power tears open a Warp rift in reality.

The minions of the Dark Gods pour out, breaking through the barriers of reality to descend upon the material universe, seeking those souls that have fallen into extremism.

The extreme emotions of biological entities in the material universe are the best sustenance for the Dark Gods; all the chaos and suffering, beauty and happiness of the mortal realm become their nourishment.

The Warp encompasses all emotions and evil thoughts, and the Dark Gods, formed by the convergence of several mainstream emotions, have become the supreme masters of the Sea of Souls.

Khorne, legend says he is the god of war and slaughter.

Every war in the material universe, even a dispute between two individuals, and every drop of blood shed in conflict eventually flows toward the Brass Throne.

He wears brass armor, sits upon the Brass Throne, enjoys the beauty of war and slaughter, and bestows blessings upon valiant warriors.

Within his divine realm flow rivers of magma formed from boiling blood, and the smoke of sulfur never dissipates. Under a dim, yellow sun, demons engage in endless combat, hoping to please their master.

Before the throne, countless "demons" formed from fragments of the Dark God's consciousness frolic and play, keeping a close watch on the unstable waves of the Warp for their master, ready at any moment to invade the material universe.

Khorne sits upon the Skull Throne, sensing every war in the material universe, laughing heartily at the battles between his demons, and occasionally looking warily into the distance.

In the endless chaos of the Warp, there is more than one god.

The powerful Dark Gods who possess their own domains within the Chaos realm are collectively known as: the Chaos Four Gods!

Because of their differing domains of power, they are mutually hostile. The gods rarely keep their gaze within their own realms, instead remaining constantly vigilant against the other Chaos Dark Gods.

The four gods are forever wary of one another, maintaining a delicate balance under various chains of suspicion. Yet, there is one Dark God among them whom the other three forever guard against.

Tzeentch, also known as: the Master of Change, Slaanesh.

He is the embodiment of all conspiracy and wisdom, orchestrating a never-ending "Great Game" amidst the surging waves of the Warp.

Tzeentch was once the strongest Dark God in the Empyrean, but because he was too powerful, the other three Dark Gods attacked him in unison. Forced to abandon a portion of his essence, his strength was greatly diminished, placing him second among the gods, behind Khorne.

The sword in Khorne's hand was snatched from Tzeentch, and Khorne once swore an oath never to let it leave his grasp. He constantly monitors the movements within Tzeentch's domain, preventing the Master of Change from suddenly launching an attack to reclaim the weapon that originally belonged to him.

Unlike the thunderous sounds of slaughter in Khorne's domain, Tzeentch's domain is as quiet as a library in the mortal world.

The Crystal Labyrinth stands within Tzeentch's domain, an unpredictable maze composed of countless corridors and rooms, as well as books recording every truth of the universe.

It has no defensive structures on its perimeter; it welcomes scholars to visit.

Demons flap their wings, acting like scholars, clutching books filled with secrets as they traverse the Crystal Labyrinth. They wander through endless corridors of knowledge and secrets, whispering to one another, weaving one conspiracy after another.

Demons resemble their masters; the more powerful the existence, the closer its visible form is to the Dark God.

Tzeentch demons resemble great birds with two claws, their upper limbs slender and their bodies a mysterious, deep blue. They have wings on their backs, and as each colorful feather flickers, the light of wisdom flows from the gaps.

The Crystal Labyrinth, like its master, is unpredictable. In a single instant, the maze rearranges itself trillions of times, giving rise to countless variations. Even Tzeentch demons, if not careful, become lost in the endless corridors.

Deep within the labyrinth, the Master of Change sits cross-legged, suspended in the void.

Throughout the endless ages, no sentient being has ever been able to pass through the Crystal Labyrinth to reach the presence of Tzeentch and receive his infinite knowledge as a reward. Even the Dark God himself is occasionally distracted by the constant changes within the Crystal Labyrinth.

Today...

Perhaps this description based on linear time is inaccurate; there is no concept of time in the Warp, only "the now."

The Master of Change was troubled.

Countless eyes symbolizing "omniscience" emerged upon His visage, only to twist and warp into soul-snaring vortices the next instant. His slender, avian body was in a state of perpetual flux; skin decayed from smoothness into wrinkles, while several fanged maws flickered in and out of existence across His form, squawking madly as they recited insane knowledge and truths.

His dangling arms were thin and long, fingers withered like bamboo joints, resting casually upon His thighs.

Upon those desiccated palms, one, two, or perhaps countless fingers stirred, weaving the most complex of conspiracies into shape before casting them out into the material universe.

Change was eternal and ceaseless; His distress was not born of being "seen" or defined, but was a tangible, existential reality.

Tzeentch had once been the strongest of the Dark Gods, more powerful than any of His brothers.

It was precisely this power, which allowed Him to look down upon the other gods, that incited their jealousy, leading them to unite against Tzeentch and force Him to relinquish a portion of His power.

Facing the relentless encroachment of the other gods, Tzeentch had no choice but to surrender a part of His authority, the better to plot His eventual revenge.

Tzeentch took a part of Himself and the weapon He had never let go of—the source of all magic, the Staff of Change—and shattered it, buying the departure of the other gods.

With the destruction of the Staff of Change, its essence fractured into countless magical incantations that scattered across the Warp, while infinite magical knowledge was strewn throughout the universe.

The immense power contained within the staff, the very essence of the Dark God, fell deep into the Crystal Labyrinth to become a fountainhead.

Countless mysteries surged forth from it, and the moment the source landed, its true name echoed throughout the Warp: the Well of Eternity.

When the Well of Eternity appeared within His domain, the Master of Change had noticed it early on.

Although it was formed from His own power, the mysteries within the Well of Eternity were difficult even for Tzeentch Himself to fully perceive or comprehend.

When that portion of authority was surrendered and the essence of the Staff of Change crashed down, an inconceivable transformation occurred.

Tzeentch sat withered before the Well of Eternity for countless eons, yet He struggled to glimpse the profound mysteries of its changes, a fact that caused the Dark God who prided Himself as the "Master of Change" extreme distress.

Leaning over to peer inside, He saw no physical substance; what met His gaze was an endless starry sky. The Well of Eternity seemed more like a gateway, connecting to another universe entirely.

If that were truly the case, it would be a monumental boon for Tzeentch.

He could enter another reality, claim that universe for His own, and then exact revenge upon the other three Dark Gods.

Throughout the endless past, the Master of Change had attempted countless times to restore His strength and reclaim the position that had originally belonged to Him.

In the past, the Master of Change had dispatched powerful Lords of Change into the Well of Eternity, hoping to glimpse its secrets and changes, but they had always returned with nothing.

Only one Lord of Change had successfully returned, though its body had undergone a bizarre transformation.

Its neck had split, sprouting a second head.

The demon's immortal body had become hunched and aged, its speech and behavior were frantic and insane, and its memories were completely shattered, unable to recall what had transpired within the well.

It had once been named "Carlos," but now it called itself Fateweaver Carlos; its two heads had gained the respective abilities to peer into the past and the future.

Although the changes that occurred to the Fateweaver were astonishing, they could not satisfy the Master of Change, yet He dared not risk Himself by entering the Well of Eternity personally.

For endless eons, He had stared at the Well of Eternity, lost in thought, troubled by what secrets it might contain.

Within the Well of Eternity, in the void beyond the reach of the Dark God's gaze, a glimmer of light drifted through the silent darkness.

If the Dark God were to know of it, He would recognize its essence at a glance: the soul of a sentient being known as a "human."

"System, are you sure the place I'm transmigrating to has elves, dwarves, orcs, and magic?" A ripple emanated from within the soul, echoing through the void where there was neither space nor distance.

"Rest assured, Host. The target world has been locked, and arrival is imminent." Another ripple followed, cold and mechanical.