For my own sanity, as well as for the record, I begin this journal as an accounting of what may or may not be a dream. Perhaps one day I will awaken, and I'll know it's real by the book that lies at my side. So, I begin this way:

I arrived in this place five days ago. The first day I nearly convinced myself that I had fallen unconscious and been dropped off on a movie set. The second day... I mostly hid in a nearby cave, watching the sky turn red and green and gold as the creatures that reside here went to war with one another.

On the third day, I was found by a group of people who were trying to gather berries. At first, I thought they might attack me, they looked so afraid... but then they took me here, to a nearby village. I have helped them, since then. Barricading doors, helping to mend the wounds of those who venture into the forest to find food. I've been told they are not the targets, but they take most of the damage, nonetheless. I've also been told that the fighting has been almost ceaseless for longer than anyone here has been alive. They live in a warzone where the combatants are gods and monsters.

There are a few people here who seem to have some small gift for the magic that has been tearing the world apart, but they haven't been able to refine it. I don't know anything about magic... at least not anything I didn't pick up from bad fantasy movies in college... but even so. I do know about education. I wonder... is there anything I can do to help?

— From the journal of Samar Kalil


They Call Them Outworlders...

Thrown across realities, pulled through the World-Veil and into Empirica Sin, the Aedvectis are outsiders in the truest sense of the word. For good or ill, they are a confounding variable in the balance of this world - a place that is as strange to them as they are to it. Their unusual nature makes them a chaos factor that - whether accidentally or with purpose - warps the world wherever they go.

The People

An "Aedvect" - the Diursparidi word for "outworlder", is a person pulled into Empirica Sin from another world. It is not clear whether they have all come from the same place, or if there are several different worlds somehow exporting their residents.

It is often suggested that the outsiders arrive via a tear or a portal - a hole torn in the World-Veil. The primary theory seems to be that the initial breech formed during the Caelestise-Sura War, and it has occasionally reopened since then.

This seems a reasonable theory. However, a tear - a hole, goes both ways. Which does raise the question...

Have any of ours ever fallen through that tear and into the other world?

— From a letter by Oriana Tansea

Regardless of why and where from, they arrive in Empirica Sin with a number of complicated advantages and disadvantages that can, at times, be controversial, hated, or embraced... depending on the circumstances.

Because they do not all originate from the same culture or, seemingly, even time period, they cannot be generalized easily. Some have forged technological innovations based on things that were common in their own world (e.g. The VoidEngine), while others have brought their particular sense of fashion or materials to this world. Though some simply live quiet lives, their existence nonetheless may ripple outward, leaving the Empirican people and cultures changed as a result.

They typically resemble Gaeans, but they are not exactly the same as their physical limits and access to the four Foundational Forces is inconsistent with that of native mortals.

Variants

While not a race or even an ethnicity in the truest sense, Aedvectis do have similarities to one another as a result of their shared displacement and the reaction that the world itself has to them. And the reception they encounter will vary greatly depending on what kind of Aedvect they are, however.

Samar Kalil

The first Aedvect. An educator who helped design the first Magic Systems.

Alan Beech

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An Aedvect prone to saying he was "really well known at home." Often disappointed when people didn't recognize him.

Javion Brooks

A renown Aedvecti artist, best known for the painting series, Echoes of Otherworld.

Theodora Bertrem

An Aedvect who revolutionized the transportation of Empirica Sin, especially Gaean, by designing the VoidEngine.

There are two known subcategories of Aedvect - the Standard, which accounts for most of the known Aedvectis, and the Anima Emuct. The latter is a far more complicated case than the former. To expand on this:

Standard

The standard Aedvect arrives in Empirica Sin wholly intact - bringing their body, their abilities, their skills, and often some belongings from home that happened to be on their person when they were transported.

Standard Aedvects are widely accepted and appreciated: they are interesting and full of unique and novel stories and experiences. They think differently as well, making their adjustments amusing to observe. They often brings new ideas, skills, even technological advancements either by literally carrying them into the world to reverse engineer or by having the skills necessary to "invent" things that were not previously present.

It is due to the influence of these Aedvectis that the level of technology can be inconsistent and confounding across Empirica Sin. They bring ideas from their home into Empirica Sin and, at times, those ideas are then recreated in a particularly Empirican way - such as phonographs and "trains" that run on Void energy. This helps to lend the land its unique and anachronistic "charm."

Beyond being charming, these changes have also led to massive cultural shifts as well. With the invention of the VoidEngine, for example, the mortals of Gaean's entire world opened up and long-distance travel became faster, safer and, in some cases, possible at all.

Aedvectis are also often influential in fashion and generally in culture as well. Though the particulars of Otherworld fashion are rarely (but not "never") adopted wholesale into the fashion of the Realms, it is nonetheless impossible to deny the influence... particularly in the use of materials like denim, even when creating more traditional clothering.

Aedvecti Anima Emuct

The second variety of Aedvect is the Soul-extinguisher - the Anima Emunct. These Advectis arrive without their physical bodies, with their souls instead taking over the body of a pre-existing Empirican. It is unknown what happens to the soul that previously inhabited the body - it is assumed to be destroyed, thus the title given to this variety of outworlder. That said, there is no real way to tell what happened to the original Anima, or whether it may still exist either buried within the body or else

This variety of Aedvectis consist of the Animas of individuals from beyond the World-Veil. However, because they arrive without their physical body - which has been abandoned in the Otherworld - they instead possess the body of another person, taking over the body and claiming it as their own.

Anima Emucts are generally regarded with some discomfort - their nature is a reminder that there are yet mysteries beyond the capacity of others to understand, at least so far.

Regardless, when an Anima Emuct enters a body, they gain access to all of the body's memories and some of their skills - particularly the ones that are the most heavily ingrained, .e.g .language skills.

Fear of retribution often leads these Aedvectis to hide by continuing to live out the lives of the person they replaced. As such, it is impossible to know how many there are, or even whether they are more or less common than the standard Aedvect.

Society and Aedvectis

Standard Aedvectis arrive in Empirica Sin without any special knowledge of the world - which means they need to learn how to communicate. Typically, an Aedvect will first focus on the Common tongue - a universal language that can allow them free communication with most people and groups.

Isaiah Guillen

An Aedvect, and a key figure in the development of music recordings; co-creator of the Void Echo.

Elsa Drake

An Aedvect and "gaming enthusiast" who helped to design the Magic Schools framework for void-dancing.

This has resulted in Common carrying a strong Aedvecti influence as the old Common has merged and incorporated many aspects of Otherworld languages.

Anima Emuctis, on the other hand, have full access to the memories of the body they inhabit and, thus, will generally have native-level fluency in at least one or two languages (generally Diursparid, Zozun or Clearish plus Common). That said, perfect knowledge is not necessarily a guaranteed cover for their changed identity...

Specifically, Aedvectis have a reputation for having odd speech patterns. Even having access to the previous "inhabitant" of the body's memories, they still have the same basic instincts they have always had, and so they may be more or less formal than would be called for in a situation if they were fully acquainted with the culture they live in. They may also say odd things and use overly literal translations.

This is often considered a red flag for detecting an Aedvecti Anima Emuct.

Social Hierarchy

Due to the unpredictability and rarity of Aedvectis in society, it can't be said that they have any particular culture to themselves under most circumstances. From time to time, if there are multiple known Aedvectis active in a short time, they may form friendships either in person or through the use of Living Books or other such things. However, if there has ever been a formal alliance or network of Aedvectis, the world does not know about it.

Predictably, Anima Emuctis are less prone to socializing with others, even if others are available; they generally prefer to remain anonymous to avoid fallout from their unusual nature.


 

Theories & Controversies

Perhaps it's unavoidable that a mysterious people can inspire a number of mysteries... some of which are honestly just made up. People begin to wonder, and so stories begin to form in their minds, whether accurate or inaccurate, valid or wholly imaginary. What follows are a few of the most popular (not necessarily the most well-supported!) theories and questions that have been raised around the Outworlders.

Gabriel's Notebook

I've been reading a book about "us." The Aedvect...is? (I'm never going to get used to the weird grammar here.) It's a lot to process. There's an artist I remember from Art History and I think one of them was a movie star like forty years ago? Someone made trains... Meanwhile, here I am still trying to figure out how to eat that thing that's cooked in moonlight. Jellyfish Salad?

It's starting to make me feel pressured!

At the same time... it's interesting, you know? It's like being part of some big mysterious thing that keeps happening and changing the world. It's something to think about...

— Gabriel

The Tear
Aedvectis began appearing during the Caelestise-Sura War. Many believe that the sheer amount of Void, Od and Aether being tossed around in close areas may have caused the World-Veil to tear, creating a portal that leads between Empirica Sin and... something. This may be correct, but if so, its location has never been uncovered.
The First Outworlder
The first Aedvect, Samar Kalil, is a pivotal figure in history. She was the adopted mother of the world's first mortal archmage, Peydin Kalil; she also helped to establish the existence of Magic Systems, allowing mortals to achieve much greater strength much faster than they previously had. Some find it difficult to believe that an Outworlder with no magic of her own would be capable of this; they believe that she may have been one of the First or Third Realm in disguise... or perhaps a powerful magic-user from another world who chose to hide her strength?
The Origin Point
As previously stated, it's unclear whether all Aedvectis come from the same place. Initially, it was thought that the various words they used to describe their worlds might be a question of language... however due to the sheer number of varieties, it is beginning to stretch credulity. In addition, some report being from worlds with supranormal abilities and some do not.
The Great Beasts?
Some believe that the Great Beasts may be aedvectis themselves. If people can cross through the tear, then why not these creatures? Some believe each one may be a deity that has come through to Empirica Sin. To them, this would explain why they appear suddenly the way they do as it seems difficult to believe that beings of such power could be "born" or exist for a prolonged time without making ripples.
The Cycle of the Chosen
Some believe that the one thing that can permanently end the Cycle of the Chosen and prevent the Birth & Death of the Realms is a mortal Aedvect becoming a cycle's chosen and sacrificing themselves to save the world. It's unclear why this would end the cycle, but people think it anyway.

 

Aedvecti Contributions To...

Fashion

Aedvectis have had an outsized impact on fashion and clothing choices in Empirica Sin - an impact that can be seen thousands of years back to when the Aedvect Alan Beech arrived in denim jeans, sunglasses and a leather jacket.

Often, Empricans will not use the ideas whole, but rather will incorporate aspects of Aedvecti fashion into their more traditional garb, e.g. leather pants and a corset with billowing lace sleeves or robes made of denim.

For more information on various ways that Aedvectis have affected fashion, see Fashion in the Crimson Court - the ideas are more widely applicable than the specificity of the subject indicates.

Technology

Due to the arrival of engineer and inventor Aedvectis, Empirica has developed a train system (most prominently in Gaean ) and simple cameras.

They do not have motion pictures as yet, though Voidart & Magic can sometimes simulate some aspects of them. The idea for this, too, came from Alan Beech, who was an actor in the Otherworld.

Rare, but nonetheless available, are Void Echoes - a kind of Void-fueled phonograph capable of playing sounds recorded in Echo Vials that stand in for what the Aedvect Isiah Guillen described as "records", though he claims the Empirican versions "don't sound as good as vinyl."

Art & Culture

Aedvecti contributions to culture cannot be overstated. Several Aedvectis have been published authors writing fantastical tales of the Otherworld either openly or (primarily in the case of Anima Emuctis) using pseudonyms. Composers have created extraordinary music carrying fresh and unique sounds into their new environments. Additionally, the Aedvecti painter Javion Brooks famously created a series of wall sized canvases, Echoes of Otherworld, which depicted major figures in Empirican history against backgrounds from the Otherworld.

 

Selections from Echoes of Otherworld by Javion Brooks.


 

Theories of Abilities

Aedvectis are not often considered strong contributors to supranormal abilities - mostly because they are usually unable to access them. However, there are two major exceptions.

First, from time to time an Aedvect will arrive with an unusual ability from the Otherworld - abilities that may or may not have equivalents inside Empirica Sin, but will almost always work at least somewhat differently. These abilities can be passed on through the Aedvect's bloodline if they happen to have children. The prominent sage Oriana Tansea has attempted to study these abilities and their heritability, but they appear so uncommonly that she has had difficulty finding populations to study.

A more widespread contribution is the Magic Schools system - a popular method of approaching Voidart use, particularly for Mortals. It is said that this idea was brought into Empirica Sin by an Aedvect called Elsa Drake who described it as "nerd stuff" and "basically just thinking like I'm in a d20 game."