Time in Rolara progresses forward naturally but at variable rates across different planes, and even within distinct layers of a single plane. The variation is not limited to rate: the effects of time’s passage (aging, decay, entropy) differ from one plane to another in ways that are not always proportional to how quickly time flows.
Governance
The Chronomaster, a divine office held by succession, bears responsibility for maintaining continuity within Rolara’s singular timeline. The current holder is Continuum. Among the Chronomaster’s primary duties are the prevention of unauthorized time travel, the eradication of anachronistic anomalies, and the enforcement of temporal edicts established by Aion, the first Chronomaster. Chief among these edicts is the prohibition on forward time travel: no being or magic may advance beyond the present moment. Travel into the past is permitted under strict conditions, though a traveler may not occupy a period in which their own existence is already unfolding, a safeguard against paradoxes.
Time loops are an exception to the general prohibition on temporal manipulation. These phenomena, whether conjured through powerful magic or arising from precise natural conditions, affect localized areas without disrupting the broader timeline.
Divine Power
The Chronomaster has no worshippers. The office draws divine power from the fact that every being in the multiverse is subject to time, whether they acknowledge it or not. This universal subjection, rather than conscious devotion, is the source of the Time Deity’s authority.
Aeonis, a Deva who exists outside the normal flow of time, serves as the Chronomaster’s sole celestial operative. Aeonis navigates through different periods, including those of his own existence, effectively working in parallel with temporal instances of himself. Anomalies such as time loops and temporal distortions require intervention from the Chronomaster and Aeonis to maintain equilibrium; anachronisms are considered the gravest threat to Rolara’s timeline.
Magic and Time
Magic interacts with time in several documented ways. Spells exist that can halt the flow of time momentarily or accelerate the caster’s actions. Magic also provides mechanisms to observe the past or, under rare circumstances, to travel through time. However, Aion’s edicts impose hard limits: no arcane means can propel a being beyond the present moment, and Continuum upholds this restriction without exception.
Notable Time Travelers
A small number of individuals have been granted the privilege of time travel. Shen Feng Wa, a wujen from the Mythic Land of Jiao, is the most prominent example. Having mastered the balance of yin and yang sufficiently to navigate the currents of time, Shen Feng Wa earned a place among the few who traverse time with minimal oversight from the Chronomaster.
Travel to certain epochs carries particular risk. The era following the extinguishment of the Stars of Power, when magic was largely inaccessible on Rolara, is especially hazardous for time travelers who rely on arcane means of return.
Planar Variation
Time behaves differently across Rolara’s planes. These variations are not random but are rooted in each plane’s fundamental nature, influenced by historical events, the presence of powerful entities, or inherent magical properties.
The Astral Plane
The Astral Plane mirrors the temporal flow rate of the Prime Material Plane but differs dramatically in effect. Aging, hunger, thirst, and natural decay are suspended entirely. Time passes at the same speed, but its consequences are held in abeyance, making the Astral Plane a place of effective stasis for living creatures.
Moonwilde
Moonwilde, the crystal sphere domain of the Eladrin, exhibits unpredictable temporal flow. Time accelerates and decelerates without discernible pattern. This erratic behavior is believed to reflect the Eladrin’s deep connection to the cycles of nature and magic, and it shapes their culture, their arcane practice, and their perception of the world.
Ephemoria
Ephemoria presents the inverse of the Astral Plane’s condition: time flows at a normal rate, but its effects, particularly aging, are drastically accelerated. Living creatures in Ephemoria experience rapid generational turnover, and ecological cycles operate on compressed timescales. The cause of this acceleration remains disputed; theories include a divine curse, a natural anomaly, and the aftermath of an ancient magical cataclysm.
Ley Lines of Temporal Flux
Certain Ley Lines possess temporal properties, creating localized zones where time flows faster or slower than surrounding areas, or where it loops upon itself in perpetual cycles. These zones are attributed to alignments of cosmic forces, convergences of magical fields, or divine intervention.