Bleed

Marie looked down over the wooden railing in disbelief at the two levels below her in the circular atrium, each ringed with the same golden-brown balustrade. The library sat at the bottom, a cozy cylinder of books beneath the column of space and the impossible crystal dome high above, the shimmering alchemical glow-orbs and faerie-fire crystals hovering in the air. Gwae's apartments always were disorienting, even though she had been in them often, most often the lower two floors. She had her own rooms in the the Ash and Hazel, a small suite on the 2nd floor, which, while comfortably large, at least seemed to fit within the building's confines. Gwae's door was at the top of a narrow staircase in the attic, where the roof reached its peak. The room beyond the door, by Marie's reckoning, could barely fit a bed based on its position in the building. And yet, her friends apartments somehow supported 2 large libraries, a full kitchen and dedicated dining room, and numerous other rooms, all spreading out from the three-storied atrium underneath the dome, the blue sky above filling the room with light, despite the overcast clouds that had been present when Marie entered the building mere minutes earlier.
She also didn't remember there being a third floor. Or how she had gotten there.
She turned and found the door, one of four, with the intricate floral patterns of a green man carved into the dark wood. The knob was warm to the touch and the heavy wood panel opened effortlessly. A corridor opened up before the bard, a delicate pattern of wooden tiles extending down the hallway, flanked by golden-wood columns decorated by carved vines. Another door stood at the far end. Marie began to walk. The carved vines seemed to twist and grow as she moved past them, an optical illusion as the columns seemed to spread upwards along the norman arches, the arches becoming more like a tunnel of old trees, branches intertwining above her. Light filtered down, diffused as if passing through leaves. Marie stopped and turned around. The hallway of gothic arches and wood stretched out behind her, much longer than she had assumed. The hallway beyond, continuing to stretch out to a door no closer than when she started, now seemed to resemble a hedgerow, complete with leaves and patches of dirt and grass among the tiled floor. Birds sang and Marie felt the warm wind blow across her face.
"I think ye took a wrong turn." A voice broke Marie out of her dreamlike trance. Gwae was next to her, sitting on a bench of white wood against the trellace of interwoven branches. "How... What is this place?" Marie, startled by the sudden appearance, looked around. "Dark Hedge road." Gwae responded with the nonchalance of describing a spare bedroom. "We should probably get back. Don't recall where this one ends up." "But... where are we?" "What de ye mean?" the silver-haired Eladan tilted her head. "We're in the Ash and Hazel. See. Ash trees on the left, Hazel on the right." "Why is there a... dark hedge road... in your apartment?" "To get from here to there, I'd imagine." Gwae shrugged. "The tea is ready in the library. Probably better to take it there." Without any further comment, Gwae gestured to the door, now a mere few steps away and smiled. Marie stepped through the door, finding herself in the library at the bast of the atrium. She shook her head, decided it was best to not think about and followed her host.

Manifestation

The Bleed is a magical phenomena that permeates Alvez, a direct result of the Tear that resulted from the collision of the parallel realities of Bedouar and Old Elfriche. The Bleed is a metaphysical space between these worlds, where the conflicting realities dramatically warp each other, transforming the affected area and its inhabitants with its presence.
While typically used to describe the effect itself, the term is also used as a descriptor of areas and locations influenced by the effect. Driven by the Hud, the Bleed generally ebbs and flows like a tide, with periods of greater or weaker magical activity. Some areas and effects of Bleed appear and disappear, while others remain as permanent fixtures.

History

It is generally accepted, but difficult to prove outright, that prior to The Tear that created Alvez, there were two separate, parallel realities; the Earthly realm of Bedouar and the Magical realm of Faerie, also called Old Elfriche. These existed on separate courses, separated by The Veil, a metaphysical barrier, through which the other world could be occasionally glanced in certain places and times, blurry shadows in the corner of the eye, and dismissed just as quickly. Tales of people or things stumbling through to the other world were dismissed as faerie tales created by charlatans and overactive imaginations.
Then something happened. The Veil was destroyed, magic flooding into Bedouar in the form of great banks of Feth Fiada, warping the landscape and the people as reality itself was torn asunder, history rewritten and geography forever altered. With the fog came creatures of magic, the Fair Folk, shadowy figures only spoken of in hushed whispers. For an indeterminate amount of time, known as the Misty Times, the entire world was a Bleed, humanity cowering in isolated enclaves.
Then, like floodwaters from a breached dam, the mists retreated, replaced by the Hud, a magical flow of power that permeates all of Alvez from the other side of the tattered veil. Pockets of concentrated magic remained, pooling in sensitive areas, occasionally flooding the surroundings with magic once again.

Classification of the Bleed

The reality warping nature of the Tear and the Hud makes accurate and objective study of the Bleed, but similherez and scholars both Bediz and Fae have attempted to do so, with the former generally categorizing different types of Bleed in broad categories. These can be permanent or temporary, natural or artificial, and vary greatly in terms of strength and scale, but generally fall into the following:

Hengoad

Hengoad bleed are marked by the sudden manifestation of thick vegetation, typically a wooded forest. During a Hengoad, Vines, plants and old-growth trees will appear and quickly grow, overtaking the existing landscape at great speed, ranging from over the course of a few hours to several months. The Goat Broceliande and the Forest of the Erlking are both significant examples of this, with developed and barren regions overtaken by dense forests teeming with flora and fauna. While typically associated with wooded forests, other varieties have also been reported, including giant mushroom forests, grassy pastures and stranger things, like the precious metal forest beneath the waves of Lyonesse. This effect is seemingly unrelated to the underlying region, with the effect being observed in cities, fields and even sandy deserts, with a northern forest being found in the Shifting Sands.
This explosive forestation is typically manifested by vegetative overgrowth, but in extreme occurrences, these can be even more dramatic, transforming artificial structures into trees, cliffs and caves and rewriting reality to revert the area and those within to a more natural state. The Drez of the Bloodmoon is often described as a magically corruptive example of Hengoad Bleed.

Krenadenn

A rare, but typically dramatic type of bleed, in which the warping creates a sudden pit, fissure or mountain, dramatically altering the landscape. The Shatterlands, the maze of twisting, water filled canyons to the South, and the Meneziou Are, a mountain range in the Ar Goat Breizh, are two significant examples of this. More commonly, the effects are more localized.
A disruption of gravity is often described in these localized disruptions, with large chunks of rock or earth floating suspended in the Feth Fiada. Phantom Islands, floating high in the sky, such as Magonia, Tír na nÓg and Hy-Brasil, are viewed as examples of Krenadenn bleed.

Tomhaidhm

Tomhaidhm or "Lake-Burst" is one of the most dramatic, yet common occurrences of bleed in Alvez. These occur when a body of water, typically a lake, spring or river, suddenly manifests in the world. The flow of the Hud is often likened to a river, with currents, branching paths and pooling valleys, and nowhere is that description more apt than with lake-bursts, as this manifesting water will often follow the ley-lines of the Hud or gather in locus points. In most cases, these are typically small and remote, little pools and brooks that flood and vanish. In other circumstances, they can be large, permanent and destructive, such as when one manifest in a settlement or in conjunction with a powerful Wyldstorm.
One of the most notable examples of Tomhaidhm occurred during Cadfan's Tempest, which struck the Armorican Peninsula in 249 SI. The superstorm permanently changed the coastline of Northwestern Kornôgel and the Fortunate Isles, as well as the course of history. Much of the Kingdom of Great Kernev, including its capital Ker-Ys and the Glenan Archipelago was submerged beneath the surging tide. Douarnenez Bay, the Mor Bihan and Lyonesse in the Fortunate Isles are all direct results of this seismic disaster, reaching as far as the Ar Briwer wetlands. While the most dramatic magical effects are now localized, the mundane floodwaters remain to this day in much of Southwestern Letha. A similar, even larger event is theorized, but has not been proven. to have struck the Mor Marv during the Misty Times.
Of particular note are the Eyes of the Sea. These are small, inland pools formed during Tomhaidhm, linked to a similar occurrence in another body of water, typically at sea. When entered and a threshold crossed, these occurrences act as portals between the two locations. They are often seen as unpredictable and dangerous, leading to drownings and disappearances even deep inland. Oceanic fish and other creatures can appear in these pools, and merfolk, such as the Marie-Morgane have sometimes used them to access areas normally far removed from their reach. Some rare, but magically potent eyes of the sea possess a transformative quality similar to the Oceansong, which is of great interest and concern to the Daughters of Ys

Gagneg

One of rarest, but most destructive Bleeds, the gagneg is a bleed of death and decay rather than creation, a circle of barren earth that drains the lifeforce of anything that enters. Nothing grows or thrives within these desolate places, save for the Fear Gorta, which is thought to have originated from such a place. Other Sluagh are drawn to these places as well. The Hall of Lost Footsteps, a well known-urban legend, is one of these, manifesting within dark castle hallways. It is not clear if this event draws from Faerie or somewhere else, leading some to argue they may be a form of Oristal, rather than their own classification.

Diforjañ

This variation defies easy classification, instead referring to a general "warping" of time and space. Distorted perspectives, temporal experience and suspended physics are found in these, typically occurring in conjunction with a more dramatic Bleed. The Diforjañ effects are often in play in these other bleeds, and the term is only used when the effect stands alone.

Oristal

Oristals are the least understood of the Bleeds, as they do not appear to draw from Faerie, but from somewhere else entirely. They are typically short-lived and unstable, occasionally leaving behind strange artifacts and individuals, but rarely making a lasting impact on the surroundings. Tales of strange places, machines and events not seen in Faerie or Bedouar accompany these occurrences, treated more as folklore or urban legend than fact. Relics from Oristals typically deteriorate quickly or gradually assume forms and functions more in keeping with the baseline realities of Alvez, while individuals appear in a bewildered, disoriented state, losing memories of the other side of these events.
In rare cases, these can retain some permanence. The Shifting Sands, a vast desert housing Iram of the Pillars is considered the largest and most stable Oristal, having brought the Djinn to Alvez.
Artificiers are heavily involved in the investigation of these to revere engineer what they can before the objects are rendered worthless. The Brassgaurd and Windships are influenced by Oristal research.

The Bloodmoon

See: https://www.worldanvil.com/w/alvez-kroashent/a/bloodmoon-article

Fisher Kingdoms

Fisher Kingdoms are a specific type of Bleed connected to the metaphysical concept of Sovereignty. In these, the state of the Sovereign of a region influences the physical area and its inhabitants. This can be subtle, and is often written of as a mundane result of good or poor governance, but in some cases, it can manifest more dramatically. In the Dark Kingdom of Arle, King Louis Blindeye remains on the throne, blinded and suspended between life and death, plunging the region into perpetual twilight and civil war until a new sovereign takes control. Many Fair regions in the Bleed are Fisher Kingdoms.

Silverkey Spaces

See: Silverkey. Silverkey spaces and their equivalents are directed sculptings of the Bleed within a particular area, such as the interior of a building.

Localization

Occurence

Bleed typically occurs in physical and conceptually "liminal spaces" between two aspects of being. Islands (between sea and land), mountains (between land and sky) and mounds (between the surface and a subterranean underworld) are the most common, but other variations exist. Even in urban and developed areas, these can still manifest, to a lesser extent, overtaking alleyways, unused hallways, underground sewers and even individual doorways.
Bleed often ebbs and flows, the effects more pronounced or restrained at different times, vanishing altogether or becoming permanent. A strong presence of leylines, arkane activity or Wyldstorms increases the likelihood of creation, presence and potency of the Bleed, which in turn often strengthens the power of these. Wyldstorms provide the most dramatic and likely creation of a bleed.
Feth Fiada is typically prevalent in Bleed, announcing its borders and filling the space itself to a lesser extent.

Effect of Living Entities

The effect on living creatures in a Bleed is considerably more varied. Some can move through Bleed regularly with no effect, while others may be gradually altered while under its influence. Mundane creatures within an area during the creation of a new bleed, an event typified by the release of massive amounts of chaotic magical energies, have an increased chance of becoming Milliget, Sluagh, Boermerzh, or changed in other dramatic ways. Ascended animals, having gained higher levels of intelligence and the powers of speech, are often found in Bleed. Fatalities are also common, leaving behind Envorad.
Non-magical bediz have difficulty navigating the often dream-like state of Bleed, often falling further into the Faewylde or into a state of madness. The flow of time, in particular, is a great danger to the unprepared, who may emerge from a short trip decades or centuries later, finding themselves in a new time or crumbling to dust upon returning.
Milliget and Boermerzh are more adept at this, and are able to navigate and exploit the event's nuanced eccentricities to greater effect, allowing them to avoid the more dramatic and often fatal missteps resulting in severe time dilation, instead taking advantage of the truncated distances and inconsistent space for faster travel or storage. The Korrigan and Tuatha are able to exist in the Bleed without any such issues, although those with Time Madness sometimes have more difficulty than their unaffected peers.

The Bleed in Faerie

It has been argued that while Faerie's physical effect on Bedouar constitutes bleed, scholars argue that Bleed is also present in Faerie, with the discrete existence of locations such as Tevenn Du and Kameled standing in opposition to the more nebulous Faewylde. Some have even argued that Time Madness is an effect of Bedouar's influence on the magical world.

Type

Metaphysical, Arcane