The The Midlands are blocked off from the rest of the world and from the passage of time by the powerful and mysterious wizard, Ninol. The spell was known as The Weaver's Veil. It took the form of impassible mists that surrounded the entire continent. While they are protected from the Yuan-Ti subjugation, they are also stuck without the flow of time, unable to do much more beyond the endless trivial activities of day-to-day life. This event ended with the death of Ninol, and the Midlands were returned to the rest of the world, where centuries had passed and the Yuan-Ti had long been repelled. Some remnants of this powerful spell remain on the southern half of the island and continues to be known as "The Veil."