Worlds

Without End

Jasyn Jones
1 Title
Worlds Without End
Game Design: Jasyn Jones
Editing, Layout & Graphic Design: Jasyn Jones

Copyright © 2001-2007 by Jasyn Jones. All rights reserved. (See the copyright section
for Creative Commons licensing terms.)

Produced under license from West End Games.

These are original rules, intended for use with TORG: Roleplaying the Possibility Wars.
The most recent version of these rules (and other TORG resources) can be found on the
STORM KNIGHTS website:

http://darleyconsulting.com/games/stormknights/

TORG is ®, TM, & © 2007 by Purgatory Publishing, Inc. (See the copyright section for
more information.)

Updated: June 19, 2007

Introduction
The Possibility Wars rage and Storm “Mages summon creatures
Knights find themselves fighting on battle-
fronts the world over, and beyond. There from other dimensions, deckers
are worlds other than our own and the
cosms of the High Lords: the pocket di- wander the technospiritual
mensions of our reality and theirs have GodNet, and horrors lurk within
also become battlefields.
Alternate dimensions enter into the Waiting Villages.”
Wars in many ways: mages summon crea-
tures from other dimensions, Cyberpapal The game material dealing with
deckers wander the streets of the techno- pocket dimensions and the structure and
spiritual GodNet, and nascent horrors lurk nature of cosms is scattered, contradictory
within Orrorsh’s Waiting Villages. Knowl- and only half-developed. The purpose of
edge of dimensions and dimensional travel this article is to clearly define and, where
can be a vital tool in the fight against the necessary, revise the current material.
High Lords.

1 Wo r l d s W i t h o u t E n d
Dimensions in the Cosm of Aysle
The mages of the cosm of Aysle have long that we may learn what magic is...and is
studied the nature of dimensions and di- not.
mensional travel. Though some truths re- These limitations are not merely arbi-
main undiscovered, the mages of the trary or nonsensical, they are necessary
Tower of True Knowledge are unmatched consequence of the nature of magic and
in their mastery of Dimensional Lore. the world in which we live. By studying
The following is a transcript of an ad- these limits and exclusions, we can infer a
dress to the faculty of the Four Towers in great deal about fundamental aspects of
Aysle. the universe we occupy.
It is this fundamental structure that
On Dimensional Spaces: concerns us now. Over the last fifty years,
True Knowledge of Existence Beyond the
Limit “That people can survive
Magister Phillipe duChamp, without magic is testament to
Presentation to the Faculty of the Four
Towers, the tenacity of life. Not that I’d
9th of Shali, YM 943
want to live that way.”
Archmage Kalilor, distinguished mem-
a program of directed True Knowledge re-
bers of the faculty, I thank you for the op-
search- instituted by your predecessor,
portunity to address this august assem-
Archmage Vagel- has been studying as-
blage. With your permission, I will begin.
pects of existence that had long been
It is apparent from the shortest dis-
speculated about, but whose nature had
course with even the most ignorant soul
proven impervious to even the most clever
that magic can accomplish wondrous
researcher, until now.
things. It can cause buildings to be larger

“It may gratify our egos to The Nature of Our Universe

For long ages, magicians have been
think otherwise, but such ego- summoning fantastical creatures from
other dimensions- the Demon Dimension,
centrism is the enemy of pro- the Dimension of Scholarly Spirits, and so
gress and knowledge.” forth. These other dimensions are worlds
like our own, but which are separate from
inside than out, it can allow a being to fly ours.
without wings, it can even allow a mage to In common parlance, these other
walk through walls. Many assume that worlds are referred to as “pocket dimen-
magic can therefore accomplish anything. sions”, and viewed as something funda-
However, reality is not so easily ignored. mentally different from Aysle proper. This
Magic, as any other field of sapient en- is an error of the first degree, one sadly
deavor, is subject to rules and limitations. prevalent among too many of our col-
Much of magical research involves de- leagues.
fining and pushing the limits of magic, The world we know shares fundamen-
seeking new ways to channel it, focus it; tal properties with the “pocket dimen-

Storm Knights 2
sions” and, as sophisticated experiments in
The “Place”
True Knowledge have verified, is in fact
indistinguishable from them. Our world is Legends about the origins of any one given
cosmverse vary. Some may speak of a giant
a dimension, just like all the others. Maelstrom, some of Eternity and Nothing (or
For ages, scholars debated the exact Apieros and the Nameless One), some of other
definition of “dimension”, and what it did deities, some of a cosmic accident, some of natu-
and did not entail. For the purposes of this ral evolution. The final authority is the gamemas-
discussion, I will use Agmar’s definition ter, who tailors the origins of his cosmverse to suit
(Agmar, YM 783): “‘Dimension’ is short for his campaign.
As for the origins of the Infiniverse as a
‘dimensional space,’ a physically contigu- whole, these truths are simply unknowable. It is
ous volume of space.” A dimension’s lim- said that the Infinivers originated in a “Place” out-
its are defined by mundane physical side of the Infiniverse, and that this “Place” is the
movement: anywhere one can travel using source of ultimate truth, the dwelling place of
purely motive means. deities, and the final resting place for eternal
It must be immediately apparent that souls.
Gamemasters can decide the truth for them-
our world, from this island to the Limit, is a selves.
volume of physically contiguous space: a
dimension! There is no substantial differ-
gather and collate information about these
ence between the world of Aysle and her
cosms. Like Aysle, they are other dimen-
pocket dimensions.
sions, volumes of space, and they also
This conclusion will likely be controver-
have their own pocket dimensions, unre-
sial among those used to thinking of Aysle
lated to ours, which dimensions cannot be
as something superior to or different than
reached from Aysle but only from that
“pocket dimensions.” Yet, it is an inexora-
other world.
ble conclusion.
Aysle and her dimensions form a cosm-
The crusades of Lady Pella Ardinay
a unique and separate cluster of dimen-
have taken the Ayslish to worlds beyond
sions. Each of these other worlds and its
even our own dimensions. These worlds,
associated dimensions form another cosm,
known as cosms, exhibit bizarre character-
equal in prominence to Aysle.
istics, the most alarming of which is the
There are an unknowable number of
apparent lack of a mature body of magical
these cosms, all of which have their own
knowledge. The fact that people can sur-
dimensions. Each cosm consists of a clus-
vive under such conditions is a testament
ter of dimensions
to the tenacity of
life. “Dimensions can be created or that cannot nor-
mally be reached
It has long been
a strongly held be-
destroyed. If all of the dimensions from other cosms.
of a cosm are destroyed, the cosm For unknown rea-
lief of many magi-
sons, the only way
cians that these
itself ceases to be.” of reaching these
other worlds are
worlds is by using
simply greatly vari-
Drakacanus (or, one presumes, some other
ant pocket dimensions, bizarre adjuncts
similar artifact, if any exist).
subordinate to Aysle’s central role in exis-
To reiterate: Our own cosm consists of
tence. This view is pernicious and false.
the dimension of Aysle, the Demon Di-
From studying the journals of mages
mension and other pocket dimensions.
who have served in the crusades, we can

3 Wo r l d s W i t h o u t E n d
There are other clusters of dimensions, ter itself is merely one of a vast number of
other cosms, and all cosms taken together such clusters. It may gratify our egos to
comprise the cosmverse. think otherwise, but such egocentrism is
These conclusions are inexorable, the enemy of progress and knowledge.
though they deprecate the prominence of Thank you for your time, gentlemen, I
our world. Aysle is simply another dimen- will now answer any questions you may
sion in a cluster of dimensions, which clus- have.

The Cosmology of Torg

In the main, Magister DuChamp is correct, means. Two dimensions can be “close” to
though there are worlds (and concepts) each other, which means that it’s generally
beyond even his understanding. easy to travel between them, or they can
The TORG universe, called a cosmverse, be “far” from each other, indicating that it
is made up an unknown number of unique may be difficult or nearly impossible to
and separate cosms. Each cosmverse cor-
responds to an individual gamemaster’s “Dimensions continue to exist
campaign, and so he has final say as to the long after the culture that
composition, origin, history, and develop-
ment of his cosmverse. All cosmverses are birthed them, as otherworldly
contained within the Infiniverse, the sum
of all possible TORG realities. remnants of dead lands or for-
A cosm is a group of dimensions, gotten peoples.”
which are created by and bound together
by the Possibility Energy that circulates be- travel between them. This distance can be
tween them (some Possibility Energy circu- metaphorical or literal and can change
lates between cosms as well, but in far over time.
smaller amounts). This Possibility Energy Dimensions can be created, modified,
also creates and sustains the realities of the or destroyed using high Axiom tools or
dimensions. There is no limit on the num- transcendent abilities. If all dimensions of
a cosm are destroyed, the cosm itself
“The Possibility Wars rage ceases to be.
and Storm Knights find them- The Possibility Energy that creates and
sustains the existence of a cosm’s dimen-
selves fighting on battlefronts sions and their realities (see next page), is
primarily concentrated in a Possibility
the world over, and beyond.” Nexus. The dimension this nexus is lo-
ber of dimensions that can belong to a sin- cated within is the core dimension of the
gle cosm and dimensions have no limit on cosm. This core dimension is usually the
their physical size. target of any High Lord invasion (as the
Travel between different dimensions of other dimensions in the cosm simply don’t
the same cosm is possible through magi- have a lot of Possibility Energy.) The other
cal, spiritual, technological, or psionic dimensions of the cosm are commonly re-
ferred to as pocket dimensions.

Storm Knights 4
Reality
A reality is a given set of World Laws, Axi-
oms, and an Action Cant (see sidebar). All Action Cant
dimensions have attached realities. Most An Action Cant is a third part of a reality, after
Axioms and World Laws. It measures how action-
dimensions have realities which are at
oriented the reality is on a five point scale, from
least a little different from other dimen- “Gritty” to “Superheroic.”
sions; some are drastically different. Two The Cant modifies natural roll-agains, card
or more dimensions can have identical re- play, and other game mechanics, making some
alities. When the reality of a dimension is realities more “fast-and-furious” than others.
removed, the dimension is destroyed. The Action Cant rules can be found on the
Storm Knights web site:
Most cosms contain multiple realities
http://darleyconsulting.com/games/stormknights/
but some possess only one. The predomi-
nant reality in a cosm is called the primary
reality. Other realities are called alternate A realm is an part of a dimension
realities. A primary reality is nearly always where another reality is attached, either
attached to a cosm’s core dimension, and naturally or artificially. The areas of the
alternate realities are nearly always at- Earth that have been invaded by the Possi-
tached to pocket dimensions. bility Raiders are realms, areas where the
A given reality may be attached to a reality of the invading cosm has replaced
dimension (most are), but it doesn’t neces- the native reality.
Most such realms are unstable- reality
“The Everlaw of Three cre- storms form at the juncture between the
ates Storm Knights to defend realm and the dimension’s native reality. If
the phenomenon that imposes the reality is
the cosm’s Possibility Nexus.” destroyed or removed, the realm collapses.
Alternate realities can exist in the core
sarily have to be. In other words, all di- dimension as a realm. Such realms are
mensions are attached to a reality, but not usually stable, almost never causing reality
all realities are attached to a dimension. storms. Over time, they space they oc-
The link between a dimension and its cupy may split off, forming a new pocket
reality can be disrupted through various dimension.
means, including stelae and hardpoints, Scholars have speculated that it is the
allowing two or more realities to attach “unnatural” nature of the realms imposed
themselves to different parts of the same by High Lords which make them unstable.
dimension. When this occurs, a realm is Proof is hard to come by and the issue is
formed. still undecided.

Possibility Nexuses
A Possibility Nexus is the central juncture cosm’s core dimension.
of Possibility Energy for an entire cosm. It A cosm’s Possibility Nexus is almost
is where most of the cosm’s Possibility En- always the primary target for Possibility
ergy is created and concentrated. The di- Raiders, unless some unusual tactical con-
mension the Nexus is located in is the sideration were to apply. In comparison to

5 Wo r l d s W i t h o u t E n d
the core dimension, pocket dimensions
Types of Cosms and Realities
don’t provide much Possibility Energy at
all. By invading and capturing the core The Infiniverse is vast, and many exceptions
to the general rules exist. These are some of the
dimension, they drain the Nexus and the most common types of cosms, realities, and di-
cosm of Possibility Energy. Without Possi- mensions, along with a few of the weirder vari-
bility Energy, the cosm slowly decays and ants, to spark the imagination.
eventually collapses. Standard cosm: A standard cosm consists of
The Everlaw of Three seeks to prevent one core dimension with a primary reality. This
this, which is why it empowers Storm cosm may have pocket dimensions or realms.
Granular cosm: A cosm whose Possibility
Knights to defend the cosm’s Nexus (and Nexus is focused on all dimensions equally, and
possibility-rated individuals are created far thus has no core dimension. Possibility Energy is
more often in the core dimension than in evenly distributed through all dimensions.
pocket dimensions). The Nexus also draws Homogeneous cosm: A cosm whose dimen-
Storm Knights to it from throughout the sions all share the same reality.
cosm. Blended reality: A reality that has been cre-
ated by mixing portions of multiple realities to-
The core dimension tends to be the gether to create a new reality. A blended reality
most important, most “real” part of a might have the axioms from one reality and the
cosm. When outsiders think of the cosm, World Laws from another. Can be deliberate or
they tend to identify it with the core di- the result of a very strong reality storm in a mixed
mension, and see the cosm’s other dimen- zone.
sions as secondary to or adjunct to the Macrodimension: A pocket dimension that is
in conjunction with more than one cosm. Char-
core dimension. In fact, the entire cosm is acters who travel to a macrodimension can then
likely named after the core dimension. travel to another cosm without transcendent tools.
Core Dimensions tend to be far more Monodimensional cosm: A cosm with no
dynamic than pocket dimensions, exhibit- pocket dimensions, only the core dimension.
ing more and more rapid changes in Axi- Paired reality: A cosm where the Possibility
Nexus is centered on two or more dimensions. In
“The pocket dimension of At- effect, a cosm with two core dimensions.
Enjambed reality: A reality that shares the
lantis was probably created same dimension with a different reality.
Nomadic reality: A reality with no “home
when a massive volcanic erup- cosm.”
Transient reality: A reality created within the
tion created a dimensional rift bounds of a reality storm. It may form a realm,
though this is rare. Unless a character is trans-
and flung the island into the di- formed to the new reality or a hardpoint is ener-
gized, it will probably cease to exist after an inde-
mensional void.” terminate length of time.
oms and World Laws. This dynamism is
also seen in the development of cultures, of the Romance era Camelot (though in-
languages, religions, and so on. fluences from other sources have recently
Pocket dimensions tend to be far more begun to manifest).
static, changing very little even over the The existence of the core dimension is
course of hundreds or thousands of years. independent of all other dimensions, while
For example, the Earth pocket dimension the existence of pocket dimensions is often
of Avalon has remained mostly unchanged dependent on and reflective of the cul-
for at least 500 years- it is still a reflection tures, religions, myths, imaginations, and
legends of the core dimension. In fact, the

Storm Knights 6
 ples.
Earth’s Possibility Nexus Some pocket dimensions are believed
In rare cases, the Possibility Nexus might not to have originated as a part of the core di-
be centered within an entire dimension, but only
mension that split off into its own pocket
part of that dimension. Earth is one such case.
The Possibility Nexus of our whole cosm is cen- dimension, as the result of a natural catas-
tered on our planet. This explains why the pocket trophe, unfortunate accident, or deliberate
dimensions of our cosm are all centered around choice.
Earth cultures, and why, if galaxy spanning em- Legends in a core dimension may
pires do exist out in space somewhere, this world prove to half-remembered stories about a
is the defining battleground of the Wars.
part of the dimension that somehow sepa-
Earth’s Possibility Nexus is unusually power-
ful, due to the vast amount of Possibility Energy rated into a pocket dimension. Earth has a
coursing through the cosm (and due to Earth’s number of such legends that may reflect
unique World Laws, found elsewhere on the pocket dimensions, such as stories about
Storm Knights site). Our Nexus draws Storm the ancient civilization of Atlantis.
Knights to it not only from Earth’s pocket dimen- It is often difficult to judge the origin of
sions, but from other cosms as well.
a pocket dimension; stories and legends in
the core dimension may have originated
very reality- Axiom, World Laws, and Ac- from exposure to the pocket dimension
tion Cant- of many pocket dimensions is rather than reflecting the origin of the
shaped by the cultures of the core dimen- pocket dimension.
sion. For example, did Atlantis really exist in
Many times, pocket dimensions are Earth’s historical past, ultimately leading to
created, altered, or destroyed when cul- the creation of the Atlantis pocket dimen-
tures, myths, or religions of the core di- sion? Were those stories brought to Earth
mension emerge, change, or decline. At by people from or who had visited the al-
other times, pocket dimensions may con- ready existing pocket dimension of Atlan-
tinue to exist long after the culture that tis? Or was the dimension of Atlantis cre-
birthed them has fallen, as otherworldly ated by the stories and legends told of it?
remnants of dead lands or forgotten peo- The truth is hard to tell.

7 Wo r l d s W i t h o u t E n d
Glossary
This is a short list of the definitions in- cosm other than the core dimension. Of-
volved in the cosmology of TORG. ten used synonymously with alternate real-
ity, since pocket dimensions often have
Alternate reality: Any reality in a cosm realities different from the core dimen-
other than the primary reality. Often syn- sion’s. Not all pocket dimensions have al-
onymous with pocket dimension, since ternate realities- some have the same real-
alternate realities are usually attached to ity as the core dimension.
pocket dimensions. An alternate reality Possibility nexus: The primary source
may also manifest as a realm. for Possibility Energy within a cosm, and
Core dimension: The main dimension hence the place with the highest concen-
of a cosm, the focus of the cosm’s Possibil- tration of Possibility Energy.
ity Nexus. Often conflated with the cosm Primary reality: The main reality of a
itself and the primary reality. cosm. Usually the reality of the core di-
Cosm: A cluster of mension. For most
dimensions, one of cosms, the primary
an unknown number reality, core dimen-
of similar clusters. sion, and cosm are
Cosmverse: All treated interchangea-
cosms there are form bly and share a
the cosmverse. Each common name.
cosmverse corre- Reality: A given
sponds to an individ- set of axioms, World
ual gamemaster’s Laws, and an Action
campaign. Cant. All dimensions
Dimension: A have attached reali-
“space”. A dimen- ties, but not all reali-
sion’s limits are de- ties are attached to a
fined by normal dimension.
physical movement (assisted or unas- ! Realm: An area of a dimension where
sisted). Reality as we know it, from Earth the dimension’s main reality has been dis-
to the edge of the universe, is one dimen- placed by another reality. Realms may be
sion. artificially imposed (through reality trees
Extradimensional space: A space with- and created hardpoints, among others) or
out any dimensions, essentially a point. may result from the reality of one dimen-
Usually, such a space would immediately sion extruding into another.
destroy anything placed within, but high Wormhole: A natural conduit between
Axiom tools can take advantage of their dimensions or between different points
unique properties. within within the same dimension. May
Infiniverse: All cosmverses there are be naturally accessible, or may require
form the Infiniverse. The sum total of all magical, miraculous, psionic, or techno-
possible TORG realities. logical tools to traverse.
Pocket dimension: Any dimension in a

Storm Knights 8
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Copyright
This electronic document (and all other contents of the STORM KNIGHTS website) is copy-
right © 2001-2007 by Jasyn Jones. All Rights Reserved (except as noted below).

This electronic document is released under a Creative Commons

Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 license. The terms of this
license can be found at:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/

West End Games and Purgatory Publishing are hereby granted a license
to this electronic document under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution license. The terms of this license can be found at:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/

In all cases, full attribution must be included in any derivative works, the text of which
must read:
Based on “Worlds Without End” by Jasyn Jones, copyright © 2001-2007. Original ar-
ticle can be found at:
http://darleyconsulting.com/games/stormknights/reality/worldswithoutend.html

These rules are based (in part) on material published in the following TORG rulebook(s):

TORG Boxed Set

Original Mythos and Game Design: Greg Gorden
Mythos/System Development: Douglas Kaufman, Bill Slavicek
Additional Mythos/System Work: Christopher Kubasik, Ray Winninger, Paul Murphy

The Revised and Expanded TORG Rulebook, v. 1.5

Rule Book Design: Jim Ogle
Editing: Gareth Michael Skarka and Steven Marsh
 Cloud tile, eternium pattern, and stone tablet background produced by Garrett Taylor:
http://www.db.erau.edu/~taylorg/torg/

TORG is ®, TM, & © 2007 by Purgatory Publishing, Inc.

Angar Uthorion, Aysle, Baruk Kaah, Core Earth, Cosm, Cosmverse, Cyberpapacy,
Darkness Device, Dr. Mobius, Gaunt Man, Gospog, Heart of the Coyote, High Lord, In-
finiverse, Kanawa, Living Land, Maelstrom, Maelstrom Bridge, Nile Empire, Nippon Tech,
Orrorsh, Occultech, Pella Ardinay, Possibility Raiders, Possibility Storm, Possibility Wars,
Ravagon, Stormers, Storm Knights, Tharkold, TORG and the TORG Logo are trademarks of
Purgatory Publishing, Inc.