A Conversation with the Void-God

Nightbane

I have studied the arcane arts of the Void for many years. Through passion and borderline insanity, I found the Fringe Athenaeum. The infamous--and legendary plane the Void-God inhabits. Seldom few have written treatise of such a magnificent place, let alone listen to abyssal voice of the Void-God himself. However, I postulate none have returned from his realm, for many reasons. It may be rumor, but rumors start somewhere and I am not one to ignore information despite how it circulates, lest it hide the truth. My fail-safe for this is woven into my ritual. I will have an hour before I am pulled back to into my physical body. After practicing my projection techniques, I am confident nothing can interfere with my fail-safe.

The Andeamer believe Mariax Stygal entices passionate scholars to his realm and quickly the descent into madness begins in the feverish search of answers. I, however, am willing to take that chance as I have reason to believe none have my gifts. I also was not intentionally drawing the attention of the Void-God.

“We have a visitor.”

His voice echoed through the Void. I searched for its origins, yet it came from everywhere… In my feverish and circling search, I found the Void-God himself stood behind me. I did not recognize this being to be him at first, no I thought it simply one of his minions.

It was a macabre creature. Imitating the form of a man veiled in black yet twisted by its own nature. It’s eyes… Its hollow eyes bore through me and I only admit to my fear now. I dealt with these beings before, simple ones as I have learned, nothing like the behemoths that lurk abyssal plane. I pulled the energy of the Void around me so easily. I was not bound by a veil that obscured the worlds. It was invigorating, to suddenly come from walking in water to walking on land and such ease of manipulation may have inflated my confidence at this encounter.

“Begone or I will destroy you.”

The stoic face like a mask twitched. A smile tugged the Chelsea grin across its face. He laughed.... Deep, carving, and tapping into some auxiliary fear hidden deep within me. “I know what you seek.”

“I seek nothing from you.” I so wisely stated he began to circle around me. Steps echoed through walls. Walls that had changed since I last observed them. New walls, shelves lined with books that organized themselves. Other void creatures wandered at a distance. The colors of the skies had changed their tones.

He paused. Eyes locked onto mine, or at least that is what I felt. “Are you sure of that?” A vicious chill raced down my spine. It was in that moment, I recognized who was before me. “You are him...” I managed to say and state the obvious in the presence of the Lord of shadows.

“And you are , but you call yourself ‘Nightbane’ among your… peers.” Perhaps it was my own projection, but I felt a sting of judgement... One could never use their true name in my field of study.

“Surely, you know—”

“Naturally.” My defense of my pseudonym had become reflexive, but I sensed the Void-God would have none of it. He turned away. Hands clasped each other behind his back as he walked to the edge of the island we stood upon. His realm was ever changing… Perhaps at his will? “You have questions,” he said.

“Many.” I attempted to gather whatever sense I could, but it was difficult in such a beings presence. I knew my risks coming here, yet… I never believed I would be in the presence of the Void-God.

“Ask and you shall receive.”

“I must know more about what your kind is—Voids and their nature.”

He looked over his shoulder. Another humored smile twitched. “My kind?” He laughed, a gentle laugh, yet it still unnerved me to my core. “You dive into depths one never surfaces from when it comes to my kind and I do not speak of the inhabitants of the Void.”

“You are not a being of the Void?”

He turned to me, “No.”

“Then what are you?”

“Our topic is: 'what are Voids'." I simply nodded. Finally, I saw the realm around me shape to him. From the stone we stood on, it built upon itself a throne of sorts for him and he sat. “I do love these chats with your kind,” a slow hand rose and a blackened finger pointed to me. Behind me a throne like his had come from the ground when I wasn’t looking. “Do not mistake me however; I lack tone and the nuance of speech so know that everything I say, I say literally. I have no sleight of hand reserved and no mirror to my words.”

“Ah,” I nodded, somewhat relieved. If he was telling the truth anyhow…

What are the Voids?

Your curiosity of the Void is shared by many, but seldom few have sought their answers at the source. These creatures are not unlike you, but know that you are more [pause] special than they. They come in a variety, you have dealt with those that are but the equivalent of children; weak, blunt, small. They are not dangerous, because they are small things. It is the intelligent ones you ought to fear and avoid. The Greater Voids were not given their positions. They took them. They are the most willful and intelligent Voidlings you will find and that is what makes them dangerous.
Where did they come from?

From the Void. This is their genesis. They are not born and do not die. They can be created from other Voids. Recycled by defeat or devoured. Some are merely contained, shackled by their foes.
What are their goals?

Their goals? Every creature has its goals and those are known only to them. Many know but a fraction of the Greater Voids. Hismael Hamariel does not have compulsion to corrupt the hearts of men. Valac Vetis is not forced to create dreams in the sleeping mind. I see their symptoms, not their illness.
Why do they harm the living?

What makes you think they are not alive themselves? They are but another form of life. I do not know the minds of ants; however, I can speculate. As I stated before they come in a variety same as humans. The dichotomy of man is not unique. Voids may attack because they are an animal defending its territory the same as nations defend their borders. …Or they attack because they are like a man, fearful and frightened seeking to end whatever perceived threat is near. And then there are those who attack simply because they enjoy it. That variety, Void and man, are the closest I can confirm to be purely malevolent. They are always the intelligent kind of being. They know what they inflict on others.
Are there any who possibly help? In some way or have… traits we may consider “good”?

Yes, but you would not call them “Void” do you? The Andeamer call them ätherä. But not all ätherä are benevolent Voids; they are something else.
I feel as though you’re trying to imply something—

I illustrate parallels simply because I find it the easiest means for you to comprehend. The beings of your worlds and Voids are not the same. One does not become the other.
What of the creatures called Void-turned? Many are under the assumption they’re possessed or become Void things leading many in my field to believe that we can become them.

I applaud the demonstrated will to learn in any subject, it was I admire most of you. It is what separates you from Void-borne; you can learn and change. But to answer your question, I will be blunt: they are wrong. What you see is akin to a disease. They are not possessed in the way you think. Corrupted? Yes. Corrupted to the core of their DNA. This engineered disease does not “turn” a man into a void creature. It rots the mind like many natural diseases that deteriorate the fragile neural networks, but the difference is that whomever infected the individual can control the deterioration effectively making them a slave.
It’s a disease? Engineered? Your statement has so many implications…

Extract what you will from it then. Yes, it means you can create a vaccine to defend yourselves, but this disease functions more like cancer, and there will never be a cure for such an ailment.
There wouldn’t’ be a cure? How?

I know you’ve no background in biology, [sighs] so, I must abridge this to an extreme. The disease of the Void-turned is based off their own generic makeup. Once infected, the virus morphs to control them. However, death is never intended, common, but seldom have I seen an infector’s virus truly meld into the victims as to not kill them. Hypothetically, a cure is possible. However, to cure every infected individual, one would need just as many panaceas.
You mention earlier how we differ from Voids, and it is what makes us special, as you say.

Humans can learn and change. You are dependent on it. Adaptability is very important for organisms from your worlds. Voids do not possess that. They do not “learn” exactly, few do, and it is a complex subject matter I still observe. They appear to absorb information, but never truly use it. You know of the Greater Voids, at least those the Andeamer fear. Of all them, the only one I have truly witnessed to “learn”, that is to absorb information and then use it to change outcomes would be Hismael Hamariel. The great heart-stealer is one those whose meddling is merely fun. She learned how to make her victims suffer more.
Can you learn?

[laughs] I want you to revisit that question and think just a bit harder. I am not of the Void. Yes I can learn, adapt, change, just as you. It is how I sit here, upon a throne in my world with hundreds of legions of servants beneath me.
Those Voids loyal to you, can they learn?

Some. My second, Ronove, is just one. The first. It took centuries, perhaps longer, but he can. He is my favorite lieutenant. I took him from being a scuttling little insect rushing away from being crushed under the sabatons of another and I showed him how to walk, now he is a god in every sense. I’ve seen his name before, rarely. He is often attributed to being a servant of Mïzäirn.

You rarely see the names of those who have not cause suffering. And you often see my and Mïzäirn’s spheres overlapping.
You’re supposed to be the Greater Void of the shadows and secrecy, yet you’re forthcoming.

I know what you think, but don’t say: only if I am telling the truth. No, I cannot read minds; I have existed a very long time. The sphere of the encroaching darkness was assigned to me by the Andeamer who just as I, sees only the methods and not the goals. I do not blame them, and I won’t bother to correct them.
Why would you not correct them when you’ve already shown me so much?

That is how I fit into their mythology. It is their interpretation to events, who am I to say they are wrong?
Well, given that you are very real and witnessed what they believe to be true why not tell them exactly what happened?

What makes you think I am an unbiased source? Do you know what else the Andeamer think of me? They also know of my wrathful nature. There is not one voice in existence that ever tells the truth.
You said every creature has its goals and those are known only to them. What is your goal then?

You will live to see it, but now it’s time for you to wake up.