Hiatus
To the north of Bellyem, where the horizons merge into icy mists and grey skies, lies the land of Hiatus. This territory extends eastwards from the implacable coldness of the Deserted Tundra and the extinguished flames of the Zoavyndorth Volcano. To the west, the devastated expanses of Lands of the Burning Roar mark the border with Hiatus. The Gethryom volcano, which is still active, spews incandescent lava directly into the Bay of Hiatus, a place dreaded by fishermen. There is a forest, said to be the largest in Bellyem, where no human or Chayatiem has soiled his heart.
The ills of Hiatus
In the forest of Hiatus, a curse spreads like an insidious poison. An affliction that afflicts those who dare venture too close to this sylvan hell known as "The ills of Hiatus". Many explorers have braved the fear, lured by the legends of this cursed land. But many turned back, fleeing the forest as one flees the night itself, when the glimmer of hope seems to fade in the darkness. And those who did make it back... they never return entirely intact.
The evil that eats away at those who approach it is insidious. Like a poison that slowly creeps into the veins, the forest takes possession of their minds, insinuating itself into every thought, every breath. The atmosphere that envelops this place is heavy, saturated with an invisible, oppressive terror. A thick mist, like a veil of death, floats permanently between the black trunks, covering the ground with black moss, enveloping the air in an icy chill. All of a sudden, the noises become strange and distorted, a distorted cacophony of nature itself, as if the world around were being twisted by an ancient curse.
The closer you get to this cursed forest, the more the evil intensifies. Their hearts clench, their breath becomes short, and an irrational panic takes possession of the travellers. Their instinct is to flee, but the earth itself seems to be holding them back. And that's when the real nightmare begins: it's not the fear of facing a hideous creature, nor the fear of encountering a shadowy figure. No, the real torment lies in the emptiness. This forest does not aspire to external violence, but to internal devouring. What chills the soul of the living is not what might emerge from the darkness, but the simple fact of being alone, lost in an immensity of silence and oblivion. Nothingness has never been so frightening.
The wisest and sanest, those who managed to escape from this cursed place, speak of this strange sensation. It's not a fear you can touch, or a beast you can fight. It is a dull presence, an unbearable emptiness that engulfs all that remains of light and hope. Those who venture there for too long feel their own existence suspended, as if obliterated by this darkness that seeks only to absorb them. It is said that this forest is but an echo of the world before, a vestige of a bygone age, when Bellyem begged the Light to give him children: the Living. Anyone who seeks to unravel the mysteries of Hiatus faces a danger far greater than death: that of being wiped out, of having their name wiped from existence.
Known places :
Bay of Hiatus
Deserted tundra
Zoavyndorth Volcano
Gethryom Volcano
The Sleeping Mountain
Bay of Hiatus
Deserted tundra
Zoavyndorth Volcano
Gethryom Volcano
The Sleeping Mountain
Myths and Legends
In Voyda, people listen to this tale, a dark legend whispered through the ages. It's the story of a young girl and her wolf, two lost souls, wandering through the world like shooting stars, guided by a destiny beyond them. The young girl and her wolf roamed the world, inseparable and fearless. But one day, they were drawn to the forest of Hiatus, like a silent abyss. The girl, hypnotised, walked alone into the shadows of the trees and disappeared forever. Shattered by his loss, the wolf grew, metamorphosing into a gigantic beast eager for vengeance. But when he heard the whispers of the girl's voice, he realised that he had become a monster, engulfed by his rage. In a final act of redemption, he threw himself into the ocean of Aenigma, drowning his body in a deluge of black water, taking his pain and madness with him.
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