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Leyline of Oblivion

The all-consuming force, hungering for the arcane, as it flows through the world's veins.

The darkness which plagued this world still flows through its veins. We can only hope it does not resurface to cast us into oblivion once more.
  Unlike other leylines of Malkora, which carry different forms of magic, the leyline of oblivion is a consuming force. Wherever this leyline emerges, other forms of magic are snuffed out, leaving a magical void behind — this is rumored to be the cause of the Nameless Age.

Hungering Dark

The magic carried by the Leyline of Oblivion is known by most as oblivion magic, but has also been referred to by many as consumption, void, shadow, and blight — among others. The magic of this leyline is a force of anti-magic, hungering for power.   As part of the duality spawned from the arcane phsycial domain of power, oblivion embodies the total absence of power, in contrast to its opposite, potency. All sources of arcane magic, whether pulled directly from other leylines, or from the arcane bloodlines of living things, are consumed by oblivion magic. This can cause disastrous effects to leyborne exposed to the leyline's influence.
Physical Domain
Power
Emergences
Yulrorim

Consumption
Where the Leyline of Potency may have cross-interactions with other nearby emerging leylines, the leyline of oblivion has only one effect: nullifying all magic.   Any leyline which emerges beside an emergence of the leyline of oblivion has no effect on the surrounding lands, but does appear to empower the leyline of oblivion over time.
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by Strixxline

Myth and Legend

The Leyline of Oblivion is believed to have been the cause of the Nameless Age, as historians of Malkora follow the few records they have uncovered from the ancient empire of the Antecedents, citing myths such as the Font of Oblivion and others, which paint a picture of destruction at the hand of uncontrolled oblivion magic.   Most myths pertaining to ancient relics such as the font of night point to human error as the beginning of the end — irresponsible handling of magic, leading to the destabilization of the leylines, and to their splitting from one another into dualities.

Historical Uses

Theories on the historical applications of oblivion magic are different across the world. Some believe that this magic was used in concentrated amounts by the Antecedents to dispell enchantments and other magical effects, where others may take a darker stance, believing that oblivion magic was used in imprisonment and torture methods, in order to contain powerful magic users.   Others believe that oblivion simply did not exist before the split of the leylines, and that the entire physical domain of power was used simply to regulate the strength of different magical abilities and their applications.

Oblivion's Wake

Though Malkora's age of darkness is officially referred to as the Nameless Age, the force against which humanity fought during that time is known as Oblivion's Wake, further pushing the notion that oblivion magic was the blight behind it.   Darkness swept the plane as the Empire of Aether crumbled against the hungering void which stripped it of the magic which powered every aspect of it. Certain populations were wiped out as the powers maintaining their structures faded away, sending them crumbling or crashing to the ground. Populations which survived the initial fall would succumb to sickness as the oblivion pulled at powers which made up their very essence, some humans being horrifically transformed in the process.   As the gods began to arrive in Malkora, and as the primals of the world began to awaken, humanity would be granted their boons over time, and would pass these boons to the generations after them through their bloodlines.

Oblivion Remains

Though Oblivion's Wake was halted and dispelled by humanity at the end of the Nameless Age, the Leyline of Oblivion yet remains, and emerges as all other leylines do. Thus, the threat of oblivion magic always remains, never to be erased fully from the lands of Malkora.   In spite of its ancient track record of destruction, its role in balancing the duality of the phsycial domain of power is understood by those who study the arcane; this knowledge, however, does not stave away the fear of oblivion resurfacing as it once did and sentencing Malkora to another dark age.

The Null-Magic Lands

The largest known emergence of the leyline of oblivion is located in Yulrorim, which was once known to be the location of the Empire of Aether's heart. This was the crown jewel of the empire, where magic flourished at its best and brightest. What remains there now are ruins lost to time and darkness, and wastelands in which all magical life ceases to be.

One with the Void

Few are able to make homes in such lands; those who do are often twisted by the magical void to the point where they may no longer be seen as human. There are those such as the Yulrori Umbralists who have found their essence tied to these null-magic lands, and conspire to find a method by which they may expand the area of the leyline's influence, inflicting the void on lands beyond their borders.   Though there are not many others around to combat the umbralists, those who do so fear that their mission would come at the cost of unleashing another Nameless Age upon Malkora.

Seeking the Lost

There are those who would seek to expand the leyline's reach, those who would seek to suppress it for good, and those who simply seek to know more — regardless of end goal, there are many who seek out the secrets of the leyline, lost to time.   Expeditions into null-magic lands, like those in Yulrorim are not unheard of, but none have yielded anything monumental, if anything at all. Even if the expedition returned home, which is rare enough on its own, finding relics of the ancients that are more valuable than a pottery shard is atypical. These expeditions come with extreme risk, and are proven to have little to no reward.


Cover image: by Strixxline

Comments

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Dec 17, 2023 17:16 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

Well this is absolutely terrifying. D:   I do love your sub-headers, they are great.

Emy x
Explore Etrea
Dec 17, 2023 19:20 by Polina "Line" Arteev

I love the way subheaders set up the flavor of an article :)


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Dec 19, 2023 00:46 by Keon Croucher

Welcome....Oblivion. Such an interesting crux of a well fleshed out 'science' of magick in any setting I find, the necessary 'balancing' force. The end to the the beginning, the all consuming and disruptive to the free flowing and creative. The snuffing out of what could be limitless potential.   A well written piece, providing Malkora's magick that balance. The strange and esoteric darkness hidden within the study of magick as its whole, the counteractive force in a way. The balance of the equation.   Well written Line, so very well written.

Keon Croucher, Chronicler of the Age of Revitalization
Jan 3, 2024 22:51 by Lady Wynter

This makes me want to explore your world more.

Bringing the Light
Jan 4, 2024 18:04

Gotta love me some good ol' anti-magic. Really do enjoy how the article goes into depth about a lot of things like areas, cults, even how the thing warps those within its presence. Though it also makes me curious if those who are affected by it receive some sort of natural protection against spells. Like stuff fizzles out around them, making it both an advantage and disadvantage for them to work with spellcasters.   Would be nice to maybe see some artwork how one gets twisted by the oblivion leyline, but overall I like the article. Good job!

Jan 26, 2024 20:53 by Amélie I. S. Debruyne

Love the way this works! This is a fascinating "mechanism" for your magic system, and I love the idea of potential mysterious treasure laying hidden beyond the border form by that leyline :D

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