Reaching beyond immortality
by Hervé MusseauThe Immortals, once they have achieved a high level of power within their spheres (generally Hierarch), often wonder whether there is something beyond Immortality, and like a mortal questing to join the ranks of the Immortals they may quest to join the ranks of yet superior beings that they call the Old Ones. Where the mortals know that the Immortals exist, and can discover clues at higher levels as to how to become one themselves, the Immortals are not even certain that the Old Ones exist, or that it is possible for them to become an Old One, and the paths to be followed are only guesswork on their part. Some Hierarchs follow those tentative paths; some dismiss the Old Ones as a myth; some believe that the process of becoming an Old One is not one of paths but something else as alien to them as the paths of Immortality are to mortals.
Matter (Path of the Polymath):
The Immortal must reincarnate as a mortal and gain Immortality again in the other Spheres. It is unclear whether this would also include the Sphere of Entropy. The Immortal must become Reigning Hierarch in each sphere thus reached.
Time (Path of the Dynast):
The Immortal must create His or Her dynasty of Immortals, help it survive major crises, and maybe end it when completing the path. It is believed that Khoronus is following this path (in which case the rumour that he sponsored himself might be true).
Energy (Path of the Paragon):
The Immortal must be acknowledged by His or Her peers as their undisputed superior. It is unclear whether that would include only Immortals of the same sphere, or all Immortals. The Immortal must also sponsor a certain number of Immortals. Ixion is probably pursuing that path, which would explain his conflict with Rad.
Thought (Path of the Epic Hero):
The Immortal must successfully undertake an epic quest (it is unclear whether it must have to do with the Vortex Dimension or might be more generic) for which the Immortal will be renowned. It is guessed that the Immortal may also have to destroy an Entropic Immortal.
Entropy (Path of the Fiend):
The Immortal must separately betray (supposed to be at least a Major Stroke) an Immortal of each other sphere (or maybe of each sphere). The Immortal must also gain Immortality in the Sphere of Entropy using the three other paths.
Entropy (Path of the Conqueror):
The Immortal must destroy or subvert the following of a higher-level Immortal of another sphere, then renounce Immortality and abandon all of His or Her followers. The former Immortal must then regain Immortality (it is uncertain whether the path or even the sphere matters) and regain the worship of the most or all the followers (may possibly include their descendants, or their cultural descendants) abandoned earlier.
Entropy (Path of the Dungeon Keeper):
The Immortal must create a plane that stands up to the attacks of other Immortals for at least a millennium and destroy a certain number of Immortals sent to destroy the plane, but each Immortal must be of higher level than the last to count.
Entropy (Path of the Archvillain):
It is unknown what the Immortal must do in that path.