Geography
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Even from this far distance, the light of the Temple shone brightly upon us, bathing us in its radiance. The missionary priest did not pause, but the rest of the party was obviously overwhelmed by the sight. Nothing in all the Outlands could compare with it. Almost as beautiful was the city laid out around it, its avenues broad and straight, its churches magnificent and gleaming. Once I had recovered, I hurried to catch up, my resolve to become a templar strengthened all the more.
- the journal of Sergeant-Brother Artikin
Contents |
The See of Light
By any account, the See is the first and the largest realm in existence. Even those who speculate on there being others do not think to presume that they might be quite so grand as the one founded by the only Avatar known by name in recorded history.
The Temple
"The Lightbringer stood upon the hill and placed the light he had brought there to shine over all the lands and the darkness was banished. Those he had gathered began by building a great temple out of pure white stone, untouched by impurity or decay, to reflect the light of Him even further."
- A Discourse on the Geography of the Holy See
At the very center of the See, its immortal heart and foundation, lies the Temple, the first structure raised by the will of the Bringer of Dawn to house his people. Now, it is residence only to the highest-ranking priests, the Cardinals, who interpret the Law, command the templars, and lead the priesthood in its duties. Hidden deep within it is believed to lie the inner sanctum where the creator now rests, attended by his most trusted priests and templars. The Temple itself is a huge cathedral, stretching almost a quarter mile into the air, made of the purest white marble which shines brightly, lighting the lands around it perpetually. The temple grounds stretch for half a mile in all directions and are never touched by the dark of night. Everything here is a relic, impenetrable and virtually immune to all magic (except for that of an avatar). Nothing is touched by dirt or decay, nobody ever hungers, and death (so it is rumored) does not exist.
The City of Light
"Once the temple was risen to house his divine radiance, the people set to building a great city around it, wherein to dwell for all eternity. This was the first city and the grandest, the City of Light, and its plan was laid out with great precision according to His plans. Those who were chosen to tend the Temple were named Cardinals, who rule the City in His name."
- A Discourse on the Geography of the Holy See
The city surrounding the Temple is the very model of order and cleanliness. Its streets laid out in a perfect grid pattern, its buildings symmetrical, and its lawns immaculate, it is considered by many citizens of the See (and some beyond) to be paradise. Constructed around the very seat of the Bringer himself, it is bathed constantly in his holy radiance. Those dwelling in the city are the See's most blessed citizens: priests, templars, trusted servants, and their families, only those who have faithfully served the See and vowed their lives to upholding its virtues are allowed to even step foot within its walls, much less settle there. Practically no magic is possible here and night does not exist. The inhabitants of the city are also particularly long-lived and healthy, as disease and hunger are unknown. However, reproduction is similarly impossible, as the creation of new life is due only to the influence of the Void, which has been banished. Due to this, some residents of the city spend part of their life in the Inner or Outer See, doing missionary work and establishing a family. However, for the most part, those who dwell in the city come here later in life, allowed to spend their latter years in paradise as a reward for piety and good service. Almost all of the citizens in the city are former priests and templars, due to the fact that the Cardinals must approve any petition to take up a residence in the city and priority is given to those who have served the Temple well.
The Inner See
"Even before the city was complete, He sent forth emissaries to seek out others in the darkness and bid them come forth to join in what He had done. In time, seven great tribes came out of the Void, one for each of the messengers sent, each bearing a great light which shone forth in the darkness and kept the tribe safe. These great tribes each founded a city at the base of the hill, whence stood the Temple, and this became known as the Inner See. The light they brought further extended the realm, each housed in their own cathedral in the manner of the Temple. These were the first seven Theocrats of the See, who rule in His name."
- A Discourse on the Geography of the Holy See
The lands immediately around the City of Light are known as the Inner See. It is here that the first seven tribes of people to answer the Dawn Bringer's call settled and founded its seven cities. While it lacks the perfection of the City, it is still much preferred to the chaos and uncertainty of the outlands by its inhabitants. These lands are patrolled regularly by the templars and administered by the Theocrats and their priests, who see to it that no wizard or abomination of the outer lands stumbles in. Each city also has its own cathedral, where the Law is taught and the will of the Bringer reinforced by the wills of his priests. The people of the Inner See are, thus, a pious and even-tempered lot, comfortable in the routine of their existence and the security which it provides them. The nights here are short but many of the citizens of the Inner See have an almost neurotic fear of them. Disease is rare, but so is childbirth, so families tend to be small. This suits the inhabitants, however, given the urban environment, and has led to the creation of castes based on lineage. A merchant nobility has descended from the first settlers, whose contacts and wealth is passed down narrow family trees. Free artisans and laborers make up the bulk of what is left, with priests and templars existing in their own class and providing a means of social mobility for the willful and ambitious. Some slavery exists, most of it based on debt or criminality rather than inheritance, but it is relatively uncommon.
The Outer See
"As word of the glory of the See spread, others came out of the darkness to settle within His light. Smaller cities sprang up, the largest of whom had churches of their own. Most, however, were communities of farmers, herders, and traders who lived peacefully in the lands outside of the seven cities of the Inner See. This became known as the Outer See, ruled by the priests and the bishops. In order to better enforce His law, some of these new citizens were recruited to form the templars, warriors who patrol the borders of the See and repel the influence of the Void."
- A Discourse on the Geography of the Holy See
Thought by denizens of the inner realm to be the hinterlands, the Outer See is still much more stable than the outlands. In fact, most of the Outer See was originally outland territory that has been brought into the fold by the bishops and their priests. Few remember those days, though. Now, the Outer See is home to many towns and villages, usually built around a church or chapel. Life in these lands is not quite so regimented as it is in those closer to the Temple with its rigid castes, but it is also not as secure. Bandits and criminals are not unknown here and the templars do not perform regular patrols outside of the larger cities, only coming out to deal with specific threats. While life is less secure, citizens of the Outer See prefer the greater freedom which they can find there without having to give themselves to the perceived chaos of the wildlands.
The nights here last as long as the day, providing cover of darkness for wizards and criminals who brave these lands. Slavery is common in many areas, with criminals, debtors, and blasphemers making up a significant portion of the enslaved. The rest tend to be outlanders or those born to slavery, the latter particularly common on large farmsteads and plantations. Families tend to be larger than in the Inner See, with the higher rate of disease and generally shorter lifespan balancing it out. Also, due to the closer proximity of the Void, birth defects and complications (which are virtually unknown within the Inner See) are possible. Those born with the former are referred to as changelings and are often considered a sign of sin in the parents or the product of a liaison with a faerie or outlander. The stigma attached to both child and family has driven more than one into the outlands in search of acceptance.
Bishoprics and Archbishoprics
"Some priests, whose Will was strong, chose to go out into the Outlands and bring His light to those who dwell without. With each bishop and archbishop that went into the shadows, the realm grew, and the first bishoprics and archbishoprics were established. Though the superstitous and blasphemous residents of these lands often resisted the light, the might of the templars helped aid its coming."
- A Discourse on the Geography of the Holy See
There exist on the very edges of the Outer See those domains which were carved by a saintly bishop out of the Void itself, conquering the Darkness in the name of his church. These domains add to the realm of the See but are more similar to duchies and baronies, and often reflect the deviant or outright blasphemous beliefs of the local bishop more than the unsullied Law. The priests of the inner realm look down upon these domains, but generally do not openly oppose them so long as the tithes are paid and the bishop does not openly blaspheme or indulge in vulger uses of magic. The social order of these places is highly variable. Some are strict hierarchies, like the church itself. Others have a caste system similar to the Inner See. Many have resemble no portion of the See, as varied and unique as any barony. A number of these are even experiments in democracy or republican systems of government by liberal priests who frown upon the dictatorial tendencies of the Cardinals and their hierarchy. Night tends to last as long as or less than the day, depending on the will of the local archon.
The Outlands
"Upon the farthest reaches of the See, a great shadow lies, which is the darkness of the Void. In these lands, far from the light of the Temple, a people dwell who do not recognize His glory and choose, instead, to live in superstition on the edge of oblivion. Gypsies, brigands, and barbarians they are, and it is only through the strength and diligence of the templars that they do not trouble those of the See."
- A Discourse on the Geography of the Holy See
Beyond the influence of the bishops, archbishops, and priests lie the outlands, places where the light of the Temple is diffuse and night rules supreme. Within these lands dwell faeries and skinchangers, ghosts and witches. Even the templars do not often enter into this part of the realm, except when marching to war against some baron. The people of the outlands are a hardy lot, relying on themselves, their own skills and determination, to survive in such an uncertain and often inhospitable place. Those who do choose to live here are often outcasts, criminals, witches, or revolutionaries, but they are not, by far, the sum of its inhabitants. Rather, most who dwell here do so because they were born to its customs and eccentricities and find the ways of the See stifling and unnatural. Some gather in bands to raid nearby bishoprics and baronies, while others settle into small towns and try to live simple, normal lives, possibly according to beliefs which the church and its priests frown upon. Those born here often prefer this life to that in the See, when exposed to it, because of an inbred aversion to rules and laws.
The nights here are long, often longer than the day, which makes agriculture difficult. This is why most of the inhabitants remain hunter-gatherers or sell wares to citizens of the Outer See in exchange for food and cloth. The latter are often referred to as gypsies and tend to be mistrusted by those they barter with due to the prejudice against the outlands within the See and the propaganda of the merchant-princes of the Inner See, who dislike the competition. Also, due to their lower Permanence, goods from the outlands tend not to last as long, causing many to refer to them derisively as dross.
Families in the outlands tend to be large, due to the close proximity of the Void, which also introduces many odd gifts and flaws into children born here. Many more children born in the outlands have magical talent than in the See and some have other strange powers and abilities. However, deformity and defect are also quite common, and many children and their mothers die in childbirth due to the high occurance of illness and disease. Given the variance, diversity of both appearance and psychology are much more easily accepted by these people than by the citizens of the See.
The Wasteland
"Past the outlands is a place where the light cannot reach, which dwells forever in the shadow of the Void. This place is home to horrors and monsters beyond any sane man's imagination, where the land itself is possessed of a malevolent spite that causes it to change and shift like sand in the wind. This is the land of the fae, where sorcerers dwell, practicing their blasphemous magic where even the priests and the templars will not go."
- A Discourse on the Geography of the Holy See
This is where the outlands border on the Void itself. Practically nobody settles here except for shamans and wizards. The primary inhabitants are chimera, leading to many superstitious outlanders referring to this place as the 'faerie realm' or 'shadowlands'. The land here is ever-changing and eternally night, making it navigable only by sorcerers and priests, or those accompanied by such. Many shamans make a living leading parties through the wastelands, from one barony to another. The unpredictable nature of the land and its inhabitants makes it dangerous even for the experienced, though, and few travel the wastes if they can help it. On the rare occurance of childbirth within the Wastes, the child is almost always a changeling and many are abandoned to the inhabitants of the realm to raise. Some outlanders and witches, however, specifically journey into the wastelands to give birth, hoping that the proximity of the Void might imbue the child with rare gifts and magical ability.
Fiefs
"On occasion, one of the petty lords of the Void will repent his blasphemous ways and swear fealty to the Temple. Unwilling to leave his domain and become a priest, he retains his lordship and declares his land a fief of the See, ruled by its Laws and subject to the will of the Cardinals. Often, a priestly Regent is sent to advise and assist the ruler, particular where the oath of loyalty is the result of military pressure."
- A Discourse on the Geography of the Holy See
Occasionally, a baron or duke will declare his loyalty to the See of Light and become a fief. These domains are usually distant from the See itself, reachable only by crossing vast expanses of the Wasteland or the Void itself. Because of this distance, the priests are rarely able to force perfect compliance with the Law in these domains, and they are more prone to heresies and deviations than even the bishoprics, particularly if the baron's opinions clash with those of the church. Should the outrages of the archon become too severe, however, the Cardinals may opt to send a Regent to 'advise' him, backed by a force of templars and a mandate from the Temple to do whatever necessary to force compliance. This is often the case when a barony is conquered militarily and leads to tremendous intrigue, as the Regent rarely has the strength of will to maintain the barony and, thus, must at least attempt to work with the archon.
Anchorages
When a barony declares its loyalty to the See and becomes a fief, the priests of light build an anchorage to connect the domain to the Outer See or one of the bishoprics. These roads are lined with lanterns and provide a safe passage through the Wasteland and the Void. Every month, a priest must walk the length of the anchorage and refill the lanterns' oil, relighting those which have gone. If too many of the flames are extinguished, the anchorage will begin to fail and leave travellers stranded in the wastes (or, worse yet, the Void). It is hardly surprising, then, that anchorages are popular targets for revolutionaries, bandits, and enemy barons, as well as the occasional chimera. Faeries, in particular, like to use glamour to mislead travellers on the anchorage, tricking them into leaving its safety.
Baronies
Nobody knows how many domains exist within the Void, any more than they know how large the Void actually is. Most believe that the Darkness is infinite and, thus, there are an endless number of domains scattered within it. The priests of the See, however, claim that the Temple is the center of human civilization and that only a few arrogant barons and wizards have struck out into the Void to found their own domains. However, even the most foolhardy of mages is unwilling to strike out into the unknown (and, some claim, unknowable) vastness of the Void in search of proof to either theory. Those mad enough to try have never returned. Stories are told of their hideous fates in alien realms where they do not know of the See or of their slow descent into oblivion as the Void reduces them to wraiths.
The most common type of domain is the barony, a small territory formed out of the Nocturne by an Archon of intermediate power. Usually, these consist of little more than a magnificent dwelling surrounded by some farmlands, a village or two, and then a short stretch of wildlands and wastes. The nights in such domains are long and the landscape mutable, often changing to fit the mood of the local lord. Sometimes, odd physical or mystical laws will exist, and rumors exist of baronies founded by people born of the Void which resemble the See not at all. Most, however, are consistant with the basic Laws of the Bringer of Dawn because that is what the Archon is used to.
Stygia
"It has been three weeks, I think, since we came upon the realm of Baron Kardak, and not a day goes by that I do not curse the memory of the battle which led us here. None of us, in our arrogance, expected to meet resistance prior to reaching the fief of Duke Oryn, where we were to quell to a small revolt. Thus, we were completely unprepared for the ambush they laid upon the anchorage. One light after another went out, leaving us lost in the darkness. The worst was still to come, though. We thought ourselves lucky to find a domain so quickly until we looked closely at the men toiling the fields and saw their rotting flesh and hideous wounds. For three weeks we have fought, watching comrades fall to the undead legions, only to rise again and turn on us. I pray to the Bringer of Dawn to save them from their fate, but I am beginning to believe that He has no power here."
- the journal of Sergeant-Brother Artikin
The nightmare realm of Baron Kardak, this domain is as warped as the twisted necromantic sensibilities of its lord. Formerly a priest of the See, Kardak's lack of devotion banished him to the Outer See, where he became obsessed with his own mortality. Dabbling in magic, he began to devise strange necromantic rituals to extend his life. When his practices were finally revealed, he fled before the templars could arrest him, straight into the Void. His judges presumed that he would not survive, but were forced to reassess when rumours of a new domain began to spread throughout the See. The stories were familiar to those who had discovered Kardak's blasphemy, telling of rotting corpses returned to a semblance of life and a strange wasting disease which afflicted those who stayed too long in the outlands of the domain. From his castle atop a mountain, the Baron watches over his undead realm, secure at last that he will live forever, fed by the lifeforce of all who stumble within.
Arcadia
Baroness Filania was born in the wildlands of the See and spent many a childhood hour playing with the faeries there, learning their magical arts and playing tricks with them on the other inhabitants of the village. Her parents scorned such companionship, but Filania was a capable little mage and had learned well of glamour. She would sneak away, leaving a shade of herself to trick her parents into thinking she was studying, or doing her chores, and continue her friendship with the fey folk. When she grew older, she ran away with a faerie prince, the two of them dwelling for a time in the shadowlands before deciding to set out on their own. They now live in a small pastoral domain crafted by Filania's will and populated with their faerie kin and other chimera which she was able to call forth from the void. It is a whimsical and childlike place, verging on malicious only when visitors lack good humour or anger its somewhat spoiled ruler. Still, many witches and shamans find it a pleasant stop on trips through the Void, though they wonder how long the glamour of the Baroness will be able to hide it from the See.
Elysium
Somewhat legendary, the domain of Baroness Amia is a place of rest and healing. Rather than being built around a castle or similar structure, the barony consists of a collection of smaller buildings which compose the hospital. The lands surrounding it are pastoral and populated by birds and small, friendly animals. Babbling brooks wind through beautiful lawns and small hillocks, while gardens and orchards punctuate the landscape with brightly colored flowers and luscious fruits. The Baroness herself tends to the sick and injured with her staff of nurses and doctors. The patients here suffer not only from physical ailments, though. The insane or the melancholy are often brought here to gain peace from the quiet and soothing aura of the domain. Unfortunately, in order to not be found by the templars, Elysium is shrouded by magic, making it very difficult to find, to the woe of the sick and weary who wish to benefit from its bounties.
The River of Night
The River is a unique Barony in that it is not the projection of a single archons will, but that of an entire society of mages who call themselves the Travellers. They forged the river as a means to move safely between the domains of the Void in much the same way as an anchorage provides a passage through the Darkness. That is where the similarity ends, though, for while an anchorage is a river of light, the aptly named River of Night is a dark and treacherous place. Because of its size and its tendency to border on other baronies, its laws are not always as stable as boatmen would like. Often, the laws of individual domains 'leak out' into the river, so that the portion that touches Stygia is plagued by water-logged zombies while the docks nearest Arcadia are often home to the forgotten vessels of those men lured by the faeries into the depths of their domain. The River touches most known domains, including the See, and is used by priests and witches alike. So far, none have dared to try and wrest control of it away from the boatmen because of the reactions of the often powerful denizens of the Void who rely upon it.
The Great Bazaar
This domain is ruled by Baroness Fecand, a greedy woman with a love of fine wine, clothes, and art. She founded this barony as a place where merchants and traders could come and ply their goods, but more importantly, she would have first choice of any item to go through the market. This one rule persists to this day, even though the lady of the market has grown old and disinterested in most of the day to day affairs of the domain. Rather than reveiwing things personally, she sends out her buyers into the streets of the bazaar with the authority to take any item from anybody which they feel might match her fancy. Of course, this has led to some corruption, as buyers abuse this power or sell 'protection' to merchants who do not wish to lose their best wares to the ruler of the domain. The entire realm resembles a vast market, the booths and mats only tapering out towards the wastes. Of course, the best spaces are closest to the palace, but these are also the ones most likely to be perused by the buyers or visited by tax collectors, so it is not uncommon to find fine goods and exotic items on the far reaches of the bazaar, sold by those who want no part in the bureaucracy of the domain.
Duchies
These are the domains of extremely strong-willed Archons and tend to be much larger and more magnificent than baronies. Otherwise, they very much resemble them. Usually based around a city, rather than a mansion or keep, they have broader lands and a more distinct outland. Some are centers of trade, others are aggressive and warlike, raising armies to conquer surrounding baronies or wage wars against the See. They are also far less apt to have odd physical laws or mystical properties, although there exceptions. Nights here are not quite as long as in baronies, and the color of daylight is an easy way to distinguish between one duchy and another. Duchies are extremely rare. The two below are the only ones commonly known to exist.
Orynia
The egotistical Duke Oryn has recently had to concede victory to the See after a protracted and expensive war. His domain is now officially a fief and an anchorage has been constructed to allow templars safe passage to it from the Outer See. However, the Duke is not willing to give up just yet. While he slowly rebuilds his city, he is also making secret agreements with other barons and trading for weapons and armor from less war-torn realms. As his people regain their former strength, he has begun to orchestrate a guerilla campaign against the priests and templars, arranging ambushes along the anchorage and lynchings in the outland villages. Meanwhile, the cardinals are beginning to suspect that he is behind it all and are making secret plans for a full-scale invasion of the domain, to establish martial law and force the Duke to accept a regent.
Lamar
The people of Lamar consider their lord to be a wise and just ruler. Although the occasional missionary from the See can find some sympathy for his cause, there isn't any widespread support for it. These missionary attempts are the only avenue that is available, however, because Duke Gareth has constructed powerful sorceries to protect his domain from invasion. While his people may think themselves free, there are actually insidious spells woven into their very being by the magic of this land that makes it possible for the Duke to take control of them, should the need arise, turning them into soldiers to fight for his cause. No memory exists of these 'episodes' in the host. Indeed, nobody recalls the last time he was forced to do this en masse, during an invasion by templars fifty years ago. His people simply awoke after the battle was done and the dead buried, convinced that there had been a famine which had claimed the lives of the dead.
Homesteads
The domains of wizards are solitary affairs, often no more than a cottage or a small tower in the midst of the Void, whose stability only extends a handful of yards beyond the front door. On occasion, though, a group of wizards will band together and form a college or guild, each contributing a building until the realm approaches the size of a small barony. Usually dedicated to mystical research and learning, nobody is entirely sure of how common these are. Wizards are very tight-lipped about their location and size, and few wizards belong to more than one, so comparisons are lacking, even among that body. While cloaked in eternal night, they offer solace and refuge to those who are often not welcomed in any other domain.
The College of the Seven Mystics
Presumably one of the oldest of such establishments, the College is home to seven master wizards and a number of apprentices determined by trading of favors, potential, and status. Highly competitive, a position of apprenticeship in the College is highly sought by sorcerers throughout the domains. Some of the most powerful archmages of legend are said to have attended here as apprentices. The masters who teach here are also said to be old and powerful, practically immortal due to their alchemical knowledge. The common conception among the students is that these are the same seven mystics who founded the college in the first place, but others find such a concept ludicrous. The College itself consists of seven great halls, one in the center and the other six forming a closed hexagram around it. The courtyard is filled with exotic plants, fountains, and statues in an immense garden which the students are encouraged to take a hand in tending.
The Tower of Zot
The Tower is not a realm, per se, as it is the abode of only a single wizard. However, it is so large and houses so many guests, that it might as well be a guildhall. The proprietor, an eccentric wizard named Zot, built the Tower after being driven out of one too many outland villages, but quickly grew lonely left entirely to his studies. After many failed attempts to find companionship in the arms of conjured chimera, he began to pass the word to shamans and witches he knew, offering invitation to come visit him on their way through the wastes and the Void. Many took up the offer, aware of Zot's friendly nature and hospitality, and these visits became routine. Now, many guides make a point to stop at the Tower en route to their destination to enjoy the fine wine, ale, and food offered by the gregarious host.
Shaman Camps
While not considered by many to be true domains, shaman camps were the very first attempt to force stability on the shifting chaos of the Void. A camp is centered on a single large bonfire and the range of its stability extends only as far as the light. While the protection offered isn't great, it is still better than sleeping in the Void. Few camps are permanent. Usually, they are made as needed on trips through the Void, but sometimes a shaman will set up a base camp somewhere as a sanctuary or merely as a place to leave his belongings while he travels.
Fading Lands
Since domains are held together by the will of the local archon, their demise can be devestating. Unless there is someone else with sufficient power to sustain it, the land slowly begins to fade back into the Void, in much the same way as things left in the Void slowly lose permanence. Such places are known as fading lands. On occasion, even a part of the See will turn into a fading land when a local bishop dies and is not immediately replaced. Often, the complete dissolution of the domain is halted by a priest or merely proximity to the Temple of Light, but the loss of any permanence is traumatic to the citizens of the domain who, particularly in the See, have come to rely upon the stability of the realm. Any loss is a reminder of just how close the Void remains.
Lost Realms
Some myths tell of civilizations which existed (or still exist) before the coming of the Bringer of Dawn and the See of Light. Most tales speak of realms founded by strange races, alien to humanity, while the rest tell of ancient human races which have either disappeared into the Void or were the ancestors of modern man. Sometimes, a group of sorcerers will go off in search of one of these lands, to plunder their riches or learn their reputed lores, but few return and those who do tell of finding nothing. The stories persist, however, aided by the occasional relic which comes out of the wastes which is not of Temple origins and the strange, alien shadows which are sighted in the deepest regions of the Darkness.
The Void
"It is nothing to fear, son. The Nocturne is the womb of all creation. Everything you see has sprung forth from the fertile Darkness and to its embrace we will all one day return."
- a lecture at the College of the Seven Mystics
Those that fear it, like the citizens of the Inner See, think of the Void as a place of oblivion and desolation, where all things decay and are destroyed. This is not the case, however, as any wizard will tell you. The Void is actually the realm of pure possibility. Certainly, this means that nothing there is certain or lasting, and this is frightening to any sentient mind with its reliance on permanence. However, just because it if fearful does not mean it is not important. While the See represents security and stability, it also embodies stagnancy and stasis. Imagination is limited, change is resisted, and dogma is enforced. Those who dwell nearest to the center of the See have sacrificed freedom and diversity for the security of a single vision, that of the Bringer of Dawn.
Residents of the outlands, however, understand that while the influence of the Void brings danger and uncertainty, it is just these things which make life interesting and wonderful. While the citizens of the Inner See may call them superstitious, they see their rich mystical world as a boon, not a hinderance. They much prefer their world of faeries, ghosts, and shapechangers to the sterile existence of the See. This is not to say that they do not appreciate the small stability that the See's influence lends them, but that they understand that it is not everything. Still, last minute conversions are not uncommon, particularly when death knocks at the door of the outlander or rampaging packs of werewolves howl in the distance.
The Nocturne
"We stayed close to the priest as we trekked through the darkness, search desperately for the remains of the anchorage. Those furthest from the light complained of strange pains and sensations. Once, when I glanced at one of them, I imagined I saw that they'd changed somewhat, their features twisted as if by some horrific ailment, and grown somehow less real, more akin to the apparitions which wheeled about as an endless distraction within the Void. After that, I looked no more, my eyes locked on the saving grace of the torch, praying that its light might save me the same fate."
- the journal of Sergeant-Brother Artikin
The most direct and pure manifestation of the Void is the Nocturne itself, lurking beyond the wasteland, and navigable only with the assistance of shaman or anchorage. The primary characteristic of the Nocturne is that it is dark -- utterly, impenetrably dark. This is primal darkness, not the degraded form found in most domains, in that it is complete. Not only a matter of light, but a metaphysical darkness. Nothing is certain in the Nocturne. It is pure Void, without laws, without boundaries. Only the light of a sorcerer's will can make it at all comprehensible, and even this understanding is doomed to be forever incomplete, often dangerously so.
The Nocturne is thought by many in the Inner See to be a place of emptiness, thus the reference to it as The Void. This is also a misnomer, as any traveller of the wastes can tell you. The Nocturne is practically teeming with activity. Ephemera are created and destroyed in a heartbeat and the landscape shifts and alters itself without warning. To most travellers, these things are harmless, too impermanent to effect anything more solid than a chimera. However, they can still be dangerous in an illusory capacity. Many travellers in the Void have disappeared in pursuit of a shade which resembled a dead loved one, or upon sighting a shadow of a lost item. More than one shaman has been led astray by the landscape, whose changes are not always drastic, often subtly shifting such that the tired or unperceptive might lose track of where they are. Finally, the lack of stable laws can drive many who are not used to the Void insane, or frighten them into flight. It is easy to be told by your shaman that the monsters you may see are not real, and quite another not to jump out of the way when a terrifying beast leaps at your throat.
The most insidious aspect of the Void, however, is its ability to wear on the permanence of things brought into it. When not in a camp or within the light of a shaman's torch, all things degrade, losing permanence. Or worse, they are twisted and deformed by the irrational whim of the Nocturne, transformed into monsters or inanimate objects. Those with strong wills are able to stave off this effect longer than most, but even the most powerful sorcerer, if he does not find shelter soon, will be stripped of his permanence and transformed into a wraith, an ephemeral echo of the being they once were. The nature of such beings is not entirely known. Some think they retain their will, others do not. Some believe they can even work magic. The wraiths of mages, in particular, are thought to possess great power.
Wraith, Shadow, Shade, or Ghost?
There are many terms which refer to insubstantial humanoid forms and it is easy for one not native to the shadow realms to confuse them. However, each term has a very specific definition which becomes natural with use. A wraith is what remains of a person whose permanence was stolen away by the corrosive effects of the Void. A shadow, on the other hand, is merely an ephemera, a product of the Void which only resembles a human being. A ghost is the remanent of a strong-willed person who has died, which manages to persist as an ephemera for a length of time by will alone. Lastly, a shade is a chimera, a being which has some permanence, but little substance. One might notice a similarity between wraiths and ghosts, and shades and shadows. There is quite a bit of speculation on this within wizardly colleges and some have suggested possible links between them.
Night
"After a full day's march, we were finally ordered to rest in a small town on the border of the outlands. Many of the young templars, who had been growing steadily more nervous as dusk progressed, were approaching the level of panic as night fell fully. The priest moved among them with his lamp, speaking soft but firm words urging them towards fortitude, but the fear remained throughout that first night, almost tangible in the air, drawing the derision of those of us who had been recruited from the Outer See."
- the journal of Sergeant-Brother Artikin
The most obvious manifestation of the Void in a domain is night. At the very heart of the See, there is no night, the light of the Temple illuminates the City perpetually. Further away, the Inner See only experiences a few hours a night, depending on how far it is to the wastes. The Outer See, bishoprics, and archbishoprics all have significant periods of night, which generally lasts a third to half of a day. In the outlands, nights are long, perhaps two-thirds of the day, while the areas nearest the wastes never get brighter than dusk. In the wasteland itself, there is no day. The closest approach is a time similar to the earliest hour of dawn, and even that is absent in the parts nearest the Void.
Baronies and other domains vary in how this manifests. Some exist in a constant dusk, or are suffused with impure light of some color or another (this is particularly true of duchies), but many simply have a schedule of day and night, just like the See. Stygia, for example, exists perpetually at dusk. Just enough light to see by and navigate easily, but never day. Arcadia, on the other hand, revels in its long nights, during which wild parties are thrown by torchlight.
Note that there is no sun in the Shadow Realms. Light is produced by the will of an archon and takes whatever form he or she wishes. In the See, the Temple of Light blazes forth its glory on the surrounding lands, lending its stability. In other domains, light is provided by great braziers or magic crystals. Even the simple torch or campfire of a shaman embodies magical power. Light in the Shadow Realms is a mystical thing, not merely a commonplace experience.
Darkness
"All shadows are the arms of death, reaching for us from the Void."
- a saying in the See, attributed to the Bringer of Dawn
Beyond just the fall of night, all darkness is a symtom of the Void which lies just underneath even the most solid of realms. From the shadows cast by buildings to the dark depths of dungeons, darkness (as light) has a metaphysical significance in the Shadow Realms. Inside the City of Light, no shadows are cast and no darkness exists, even in the deepest cellars. Far beyond, in the outlands, shadows have a life of their own, animated by the close proximity of the Void, and are watched carefully. The lands in between lie somewhere between these two states.
Sickness, Old Age, and Death
Just as the Void decays the form of travellers within the Nocturne, so does it also seep into the domains of man and slowly strips from them their permanence. This takes the form of illness and old age, which exist in proportion to the extent of night in a realm. In the Inner See, both are rare and slow to bring infirmity. In the outlands, they are common and quick. Many pilgrims from the outlands to the City of Light are lepers and the aged, seeking to avoid death. Unfortunately, such last minute conversions rarely impress the cardinals and templars. It is surmised that the inhabitants of the Temple itself are immortal. Death itself is just a symptom of the Void, which demands that nothing be permanent and that all things eventually change. It is further rumored that many of the archons have achieved similar states of immortality, but such speculation is considered the direst blasphemy within the See. However, it is known that particularly strong-willed individuals can persist for a time as ghosts after their physical death. Whenever the demise of a particularly powerful sorcerer or even bishop is reported, the superstitious make sure to light many candles as are on hand to disuade these apparitions from attempting to steal a new body through the use of some vile necromancy from beyond the grave.
System: The ghost of someone who has died persists for a number of days equal to their Will. While in this form, they can only effect the real world through magic and can only be seen in the dark or at night, if at all.
The table below shows the time it takes for a person to enter each stage of aging, based on the Permanence of the area in which they live. This shows that a person who has lived forty years in the wastelands will be old whereas if they lived in the City of Light, they'd have the health and youth of an adolescent. This discrepency tends to color the attitudes of citizens in different regions. Were a templar from the Inner See to find out that his outland friend (who appears to be an adult) is only thirty five years old, he might tend to condescend to him a bit if his experience doesn't override his preconceptions.
+-------------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+ | Age | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | +-------------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+ +----+--------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+ | 1 | Adolescence | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 | 30 | +----+--------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+ | 2 | Adulthood | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | +----+--------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+ | 3 | Middle Age | 30 | 45 | 60 | 75 | 90 | +----+--------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+ | 4 | Old Age | 40 | 60 | 80 | 100 | 120 | +----+--------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+ | 5 | Death | 50 | 75 | 100 | 125 | 150 | +----+--------------+-----+-----+------+------+-----+
