The Void (ðə vɔɪd)
"The title of Empress of the Void is a lie. If the Void ever had a golden age, it was long before our time." Oreithyia Madralon, Empress of the Void (10th Era)
Overview
The Void, sometimes referred to as The Crossroads or The Bridge, is the framework of reality which every dimension resides in or is connected to. It is an infinite plane of decaying floating islands of barren rock and plasma with a lightless abyss residing below.
It is a cold, lifeless place flooded with power unimaginable. Through the Void flows currents of Primordial Mana, magical energies in its purest most violent form. There is no true north or south, east or west, up or down, for there is only the Void and the countless dimensions it connects. Great power and wealth awaits those brave enough to venture through the barren crossroads, but it is fraught with perils unimaginable and death aplenty. There is no air, water or food for those brave or foolish enough to tread upon the Void's islands, and should one be lost in the endless darkness they may never return.
Accessing the Void is a difficult task in and of itself; it is not common knowledge, despite many accessing it on a regular basis. Whenever you teleport, whenever you open a portal, or when you use a teleportation spell or magical item, you are breaking through the Veil (The boundary between the Void and the dimension you are in) and moving from one plane to another. The Veil is a very thin and difficult to penetrate barrier, and requires great skill to pass through. Without the Veil, all dimensions would be disintegrated in a sea of torrential Mana. Who created the Veil and who maintains it is unknown, as even a Voidlord finds it considerably difficult to repair it.
History
The history of the Void is a troubling and poorly documented one, with most tomes from its earliest era being so incredibly fragile that the lightest physical contact would permanently damage them. As such, scholars who study the Void are most often telekinetic or psychic so as to avoid physically touching the tomes. History in the Void is split up into Void Eras, the length of which are often in the billions of years. As of right now, the universe is estimated to be in its tenth Void Era, nicknamed "The End of the Empire". History is only properly recorded starting in the 6th Void Era, in which the Voidic Empire was formed by First Empress Ariqoia Dinaea and records were first being kept. During this Void Era, a great war took place between two opposing forces - the Brother Gods (now known as the Wounded God and the Broken God, worshipped by the Order of the Custos Infirma) and an as of yet unidentified dark entity. From the remains of this war grew the Voidic Empire, which was ultimately destroyed in the 9th Void Era following the destruction of Oreithyia Madralon's Palace at the hands of Anaxias, the Puppetmaster. At the end of the 9th Void Era, the interdimensional Juno War occurred. Juno, having created a pocket dimension within the Void, had an entropic reactor powering their headquarters. The destruction of this entropic reactor resulted in an extinction event for all Voidspawn, leaving the Void shattered beyond measure and barely clinging to existence. Following the destruction, the Void went from mostly controlled to a hellscape of violent mana storms and entities coalesced from the Void's pain. However, it did also uncover valuable minerals never before seen.Sub-Locations
While the Void contains all dimensions, it also has a large number of more minor sub-locations in varying levels of danger.- The Wastes: The largest surviving section of land choked in a supernatural darkness that even lanterns struggle to pierce very far. The only visible source of light is the beacon of Oreithyia's Palace in the distance.
- Labyrinthium: Once a sprawling complex in which many Voidspawn lived, now a shifting labyrinthian hellscape overrun with Spectres.
- The Ruins: A collection of ancient, decayed structures that once stood tall, believed to be the capital of the Voidic Empire in its prime. Completely overrun with Spectres.
- Oreithyia's Palace: Once the epicenter of the Void's unfathomable power, ripped asunder in beautiful fragments following the destruction of it and the Void Throne in the 9th Void Era. Its floating halls and disjointed chambers still retain their powerful seals and are still partially intact, filled with a wealth of powerful artifacts, knowledge and riches. However, the danger of this location is immense, for the ancient defenses are still active, and many of Oreithyia's royal guards still defend the palace with almost robotic autonomy to atone for their failure. The stabilising presence of the palace is so intense that most Voidspawn struggle to breathe within its walls.
- Undercroft: Venturing into caves on the many floating islands of the Void reveals a vast network of tunnels filled with portals connecting to every other shard of the once stable landscape. Filled with incredibly rare and valuable ores, but incredibly easy to get lost in. Travelling with a Voidspawn is essential for survival in the depths.
Oreithyia's Palace after its destruction.
The Void
Location: The Void
Size: Infinite
Habitable: NO
Danger: Extreme
