Paragon

"Paragon is the Soul of Maèrlandäyr. It was born the moment the Galaxy ignited and cast its light onto the abyss. Through Paragon all life thrives. In its sublime grasp we live. Without Paragon all would be lost."

- The Attestation, 1.1:1

Paragon, called Demon by the Firstborn, is the omnipresent soul of the Maerlandayr Galaxy. Paragon's true nature is unknown, but has been a subject of extensive research of Seran theologians and scientists.

Paragon resides both in the centre of Maerlandayr Galaxy and at the heart of Seran culture and religiosity. This entity has been the most important point of contestation in the entirety of Seran history, being at the centre of uncountable religious, cultural and military conflicts.

Spiritual influence of the Seran soul manifests in the form of two opposing religious ideologies: The Progeny and The Covenant of the Hidden. Although long gone by now, the Progeny's teaching survive in the form of the multitude of Progenist denominations. The Covenant, on the other hand, survives to this day, but the Ilsivists are as fragmented as their rivals. Progenists despise Paragon, calling him malevolent, and the Ilsivists praise the Seran soul for its benevolence.

History
Similarly to other galactic souls, the precise date of Paragon's birth is not known. Maerlandayr's soul arose sometime in the early stages of Galaxy's formation, making it the first sentient being to exist in Maerlandayr. Paragon went dormant soon after and remained so until the rise of the Firstborn.

Campaigns led by the Firstborn against other, lesser civilizations drew Paragon's attention, awakening the soul from its slumber. Paragon actively tried to hinder the destructive growth of the Firstborn empire, but to little effect. The latter have eventually caught wind of the soul's existence and prepared to face it head-on, deep in Maerlandayr's core. The Firstborn identified an ancient quasi-star called the Heart of Maerlandayr with Paragon itself and eventually embarked to destroy it. They managed to destroy The Heart, but their fleet was annihilated in the process. Paragon, however, did not reside in it as the Firstborn suspected, but merely drew power from it. Not dead, but significantly wounded, Paragon went dormant once more.

Following Heart's destruction, life all across the Galaxy begun to fade rapidly. The Firstborn were quick to notice this and some of them begun to see the errors of their ways. These individuals called themselves Enlightened and are known to modern Seran civilizations as The Hidden. The Enlightened amassed a small fleet and begun sowing life anew using their sophisticated technologies, eventually stopping the galaxy-wide degradation and reversing it entirely. Maerlandayr, once more teeming with life, now had no eyes to witness its beauty, as the Enlightened have disappeared shortly after completing their goal and the Firstborn went exinct.

As of now, save for few unreliable reports, Paragon seems to remain dormant. The soul had made no documented attempts at communicating with the inhabitants of its realm, leaving them to their own devices.