The Abyss
The Abyss is anything and everything and nothing at all. It is a swirling mass of dreams and nightmares just across the veil separating illusion from reality.
The Abyss is a vast otherworldly force that exists outside of Leitoria. Its influence occasionally bleeds over into reality through the magic of witches or the birth of demons.
Abyssal Aberrations
An aberration is anything originating from the Abyss that has somehow been pulled over into Leitoria. Aberrations can take the form of nightmarish monsters or physical locations infused with the alien geometries of a dream.
Aberrations are usually caused by disastrous miscalculations during a symbolic ritual. Instead of pulling the desired dream into reality, incorrectly performed symbolic magic will pull something unknown and unpredictable from the Abyss, and the results are usually messy.
The Nature of the Abyss
No one is entirely certain about what the Abyss truly is. It is commonly viewed as an alternate plane of existence separated from Leitoria, while others believe it is a deity who gifts or curses mortals with magic. Most people believe that the truth is somewhere in between the two.
Whatever it is, it is not a force to be taken lightly.
Afterlife of the Fallen
According to Trivirtuous Faith, one of the most widespread religions in Pelatoria, the Abyss is the final destination for souls unworthy of reincarnation.
Those who do evil and spread suffering will be dragged to the Abyss after death where their souls will be torn apart. Some fragments of these evil souls return as demons to torment the living.
As the essence of the horrors of the darkest afterlife, abyssal magic is considered abhorrent by the Trivirtuous Faith, and abyssal corruption is believed to be an external sign of the deterioration of a witch's soul.
Outer Void of the Stars
According to the Celestial Church, the Abyss is actually another name for the infinite void of the night sky. When witches dream of the Abyss, they are actually seeing visions of the galaxy.
Just like all parts of nature, the Abyss is neither good nor evil. Only the actions of those who wield its power should be judged, not the magic itself.
Elder God of Demons
A common belief is that the Abyss is a sentient dark god who hungers for mortal souls and created the demons, Archdemons, and nightmarish aberrations to do its bidding.
A few minor cults of witches actually worship the Abyss as a dark god. They believe that the true power of magic was lost after the fall of the Ivory Empire, and that the Abyss will favor them if they return the Archdemons to their thrones.
