The World — Cosmology & Mythology
The world of The Black Lake of Osgog is built on layers of myth, forgotten theology, and living landscape. Below is a working map of what is known.
The Three Siblings
The foundational mythology centres on three siblings who overthrew Darkness:
| Name | Domain | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Torval | Fire | One of the three; craftsman’s patron |
| Ceridwen | Naming / Song | One of the three; language and magic |
| Mons | The Wheel | One of the three; fate and cycles |
Their sons — Osgog and Bremphyr (“One Eye”), twin artificers — forged weapons for the siblings.
The Crone, Woman, Child
The tripartite feminine principle that recurs throughout the campaign. See: Crone, Woman, Child Stone, Sea, and Storm
The God King & The Sun King
A force of domination operating through The Red Blade (NPC) and the Red Guard. Balthazar was experimented on by his agents.
- The God King — the entity; distant, commanding
- The Red Blade (NPC) — instrument of The God King’s will
- See The Red Guard and the Red Blade (Battle) for first encounter
Counterforce: Mother Night (referenced in Balthazar’s backstory; possibly Rhiannon or another aspect)
The Boatman
A figure who ferries travellers and asks impossible questions. Not simply a metaphor. → The Boatman
The party made a significant choice after meeting him: see 2023-12-07 The one where we talk with The Boatman and make our choice
Sacred Landscape
The world’s geography IS its theology:
- Circles, Sacred Groves, and Wells — recurring holy sites
- The Trilithon — standing stones with active power
- Ancient Tree — the great tree and kinship with wood
- The Cradle — the world’s living core
The Black Water
The campaign’s central mystery. Origin unknown. See:
- The Black Water
- Osgog (the lake itself)
- Big Overarching Questions
Religions & Traditions
- Religions — overview of known faiths
- Traditions we know about and how they might interpret various stories, poems, etc..
- Constellations — star-lore and navigation
Cosmological Entities
- Gorgomog — encountered entity
- Kosoleth — mysterious being
- The Mornaswydh — something dark and old
- Elementals — elemental forces in the world
- Bears — recurring; more than animals
Stories That Encode History
- How Old Brother Found Fire
- Osgog and the Dragon
- The Red Blade (Illuminated Manuscript Story)
- Poems from the Dark Tower
- Illuminated Manuscript
→ Stories Hub for the full index of in-world writing