The First Age was a time before time, when all things were one.
Overview[]
The various supernatural cultures of the Middle Kingdom have different names for this age. To the Kuei-jin, it was the First Age of the Great Cycle or Age of Heaven. To the Hengeyokai, it was the Age of Dawning. The Chi'n Ta see it the state before time, explained through human myths like Pangu or the Brahman. The Hsien speak of the Age of Perfection. The First Age is generally taken to be the period before the creation of the world. It marks the era when Yin and Yang had not separated, when all things were One with the August Personage of Jade (or Gaia). It is regarded as a period of ultimate harmony, the first point of interconnectedness among all things.
Many Kuei-jin believe that the fulfillment of their Dharmas allows them to return to this state of being; of course, many others discount the First Age as pure myth, and they prefer to think of Dharmic fulfillment as simply bringing an end to their earthly imprisonment. Mages like those of the Akashic Brotherhood likewise believe that only a return to the First Age can heal the wounded cosmos and enable Ascension.
References[]
- KOTE: Kindred of the East Rulebook, p. 14, 43
- WTA: Hengeyokai: Shapeshifters of the East, p. 26
- MTAs: Dragons of the East, p. 39
- CTD: Land of Eight Million Dreams, p. 19