Sustain

The Sustain is one of two "counter-weight" demiplanes of Harmony that were created by Madam Midnight millennia ago to pacify Harmony so that mortals could flourish. The Sustain is a demiplane from which the Song of Creation has been leeched, siphoned off to balance out the Song within Harmony. This has left the demiplane barren and desolate, with little life and light.

Geography

The Sustain is — or at least was — a mirror of Harmony, but it was created so long ago now that it is barely recognisable as such. When the Sustain was created, it was a perfect replica of Harmony in every single way, but was instead depleted of its magic. Over time, this absence warped the demiplane into a barren, inhospitable, hollow realm of stillness and suffering. Additionally, the continued "leak" of magic out of the Sustain into Harmony has resulted in further stagnation of the demiplane. Now, the realm is tiny — smaller in scale than the continent of Syvat itself, and ever shrinking, with its edges crumbling into a nothingness. No one is sure what would happen if the demiplane was destroyed entirely, though it would certainly spell doom for its inhabitants.

Ecosystem

Much as everything within the Sustain, the creatures native to it began as mirrors of those found in Harmony when the demiplane was created. However, the siphoning of the Song led to the extinction of most of its lifeforms, with only the very hardiest surviving, and only in a dramatically altered state. Those few species that survived learned to harness the scraps of magic left behind, which means that if they ever visit Harmony, they are unbelievably powerful given the relative glut of the Song. One very notable species that has clung to existence within the Sustain are Hobgoblins, some of which have made their way to Harmony and founded the Vekhen Empire. The vast majority of their dwindling species is still trapped in the Sustain, enslaved by their kin that now reside on Glüm.

Type

Plane of Existence

Location under

Harmony

Owner/Ruler

Yordenka I Vekhen

Ruling/Owning Rank

Emperor

Owning Organization

Vekhen Empire