The Veil
The Veil is an essential and protective plane of existence by creation, separating the ordered spheres of magic plus the mortal realm from the The Inbetween . While the Veil is chaotic and dangerous within, it is not inherently malevolent or corrupting. Its existence is a cosmological necessity, maintaining the delicate balance of the The Roaring Cradle . However, the beings within are the result of the energy from the Inbetween colliding as the unity of the Great Dragons completed. The Veil served diligently as the defense barrier between the realms in the cradle until the early struggles of the Mordian people recklessly experimenting to reconnect with magic tore a hole through the veil and allowed many forces to seep in. This accidental breach gave rise to a few new forces, one being the multifaceted magic within the Veil.
The sentient denizens within simply call themselves as a whole "Demons", though they will readily clarify the power and station they carry as soon as they are asked. Within the veil, the demons are manifestations of the chaotic collisions between Essence, Stasis, and the Inbetween. These beings have no grand purpose or divine origin- they are simply self serving, destructive accidents that thrive in the chaos of their plane. However, a demon can be marked by chains- physical manifestations of the pact that shackles them to their Master/Summoner. These chains encircle their necks and wrists, glowing faintly with runes.
Some demons in the Veil have risen to dominate others, creating loose hierarchies based on power, ruthlessness, and cunning. But not all demons serve masters. Many roam the Veil as chaotic predators, preying upon weaker demons and living solely for destruction and survival. Those with masters however have no choice but to leave when summoned, begrudgingly serving their mortal binders but constantly seeking to exploit any learned weaknesses.
The breach of the Veil enabled mortals to harness its magic without the need of a Paragon for divine connection. Through a simple ritual one single time, the user is permanently a Veilcaller regardless if they sever the pact with the demon or not. The Veil and its magic remain a double-edged sword; while it offers mortals untethered power, it comes with the constant risk of treachery by the bound demon. Those who become Veilcallers are often feared and reviled for their willingless to embrace such an underhanded and destructive force.
An important distinction is the two types of fire within the Veil: veilfire and chaosfire. Veilfire comes from the fabric of the veil itself, the magic fueled from the abyssal void called the Inbetween constantly pressing around the Veil, while chaosfire comes from within the Veil, the result of the original collision. Veilfire is a purple and black roiling smoky fire while chaosfire is a crackling, bubbling orange, yellow, and green that has flashes of chaos-energized lightning within it. The former engulfs sentient beings and inflicts immense agony, pain, and corruption upon them; not leaving a physical mark but decimating them from the inside. The latter is an intense fire that burns, splashes, electrifies, and chars all at once. A single drop of chaosfire on you and everything it touches will go up in flames with any hope of being put out. It is also important to note that veilfire and chaosfire can be manipulated into multiple forms of spellcasting from bolts to fog to rain to whips and more.
Geography
It is an endless expanse of purple roiling skies shot through with streaks of orange, black, and yellow lightning, volcanic orange fissures of pure chaos, jagged yellow crystals, and blackened, ashen stone. Rivers of liquid orange or purple fire roll through the landscape and the air shimmers with heatlike waves despite the temperature being quite cold. It is a landscape not meant for the living and barely meant for the demonic.
Chaos fissures dot the landscape like holes in cheese, winding chasms cracking the ground and are filled with bubbling, burning chaosfire. The edges of these fissures are lined with Crystallized Chaos, glowing in its base color.
Infernal lakes where the molten chaosfire have pooled are sparse but defended heavily. Their surface shimmering with purples and oranges, constantly churning and agitated. Demonic beasts swim these waters and devour any demons risky enough to get close to the immense heat source.
Veilfire fields are open expanses where the ground is fractured and unstable, prone to collapsing into the underground caverns. These are void-steeped areas of land.
Ashen wastes are a vast, barren plains of blackened stone and glittering Ebon Ash scattered throughout, broken only by occasional spires of glossy black-orange jewellike stones. This area is common for lesser demons to wander through as they search for safety and a heat source. Hellstorms commonly begin here before tearing across the landscape.
Jagged mountain peaks of volcanic rock rise from the Veil, often glowing with barely contained chaosfire beneath the surface. These mountains are riddled with caves and are home to powerful demons who take advantage of the Painglass deposits within, able to be forged into powerful weapons and armor as well as other functional survival items.
Some mountains end in floating fragments held aloft by chaotic energy. These floating islands do not tend to stay near their parent peak and may float away. They often attract smaller, winged demons who perch there to avoid more powerful predators and demons below.
A massive, seething domain of liquid Veilfire called the Blackened Sea, its surface dotted and bobbing with faux islands. The sea's waves occasionally burst into fiery explosions, sending plumes of chaotic energy skyward. Whirlpools intermittently whip up, churning into a tornado of molten chaosfire.
At the center of the Veil there is a massive, circular swirling fissure said to be the heart of the Veil. Energy constantly churns within its depths and its edges are marked by seeping black and purple ooze. It is believed to be the source of Veilfire, the place where the Inbetween interacts directly with the plane itself.
Localized Phenomena
Breath of the Cosmos: A scintillating, glacierlike wind that occassionally sweeps through the Veil, carrying tiny snowflakes called Flashfrost that extinguish all flames each one happens upon. It lasts for only a few hours but it is devastating to any demons who are not sheltered with powerful enough heat to survive the icy onslaught.
Hellstorms are a unique tornado that starts slow, building up energy before ripping across the landscape, burning anything that isn't already charred. They last only a few minutes after the initial energy release that sends them speeding off. A whirlwind of orange, purple, and black that spits out yellow and pinkish flames from the top.
Flamebound forests: Rare clusters of twisted trees grow in sparse locations, their leaves and branches perpetually aflame. These forests are eerily silent, only a handful of beasts residing within and the occasional exceedingly desperate demon.
Volcanic upheavels: Sudden eruptions of flame, creating new rivers of fire or exposing deep fissures hidden beneath the layers of stone.
Fauna & Flora
The Veil is home to a wide variety of demonic entities, each embodying aspects of chaos and destruction that mirror the unhinged nature of the plane itself. These demons range from minor pests to towering abominations, and their abilities are just as varied. Some of the demons to note are:
Minor demons - lesser entities that are more numerous and relatively weak, often serving as foot soldiers or annoying pests:
- Cinderstep Imps: Small, ember-skinned, horned imps with jagged claws and burning eyes. The most impressive ability they have is to throw fireballs and emit a burst of smoke to get away. They tend to congregate in groups to harass prey or stronger demons in order to get scraps of food.
- Atterbat: Hand-sized bat demons with leathery wings that smolder, leaving trails of smoke as they fly. They are poisonous and if bitten cause delirium, lethargy, and may end in death if not given enough fluids. Their meat is inedible as the poison is within the blood and saliva. These demons typically serve as scouts or spies for more powerful demons.
- Fleshworms: Small, tapeworm-esque creatures with circular maws full of sharp teeth. These parasites burrow into flesh to feed, able to chew through flesh, sinew, and bone straight through to the other side. They are drawn to the stench of demon blood, so any wounded demons know to stay above the ground if possible.
Lesser demons - Slightly stronger demons who can be dangerous when in small groups.
- Charfiends: Some of the only humanoid-like demons. They are blackened bipedals with cracked skin, glowing with either veilfire or chaosfire. They have crumbled remains of wings on their back and horns atop their head. They naturally emit waves of searing heat and can hurl chaosfire or veilfire in condensed format at anyone. They are highly aggressive and not very intelligent, so greater demons use them as shock troops typically.
- Hellhounds: Gaunt, fleshy canines with skeletal features and elongated limbs. They emit soulstopping howls that amplify ones fear and weakens resolve. They hunt in small packs, chasing down prey relentlessly. Once a hellhound has your scent, it is said you are done for and it is better to let the fires of the Veil take you than to let a hellhound pack get you.
Greater demons - Powerful entities capable of devastating small groups of lesser demons singlehandedly. Some are lone, powerful demons and others are intelligent, cunning demons.
- Veilharrows: These towering demons are wreathed in orange and green fire, sporting glassy ram-horns and shadowy wings. Cloven feet, leathery skin, wider than usual mouth with rows of sharp teeth, pitch black eyes. These monsters can conjure rings of Veilfire to trap foes, unleash explosive bursts of chaos magic, and have the strength to wield massive infernal weapons. These beings typically serve as frontline Generals, not many choosing to stay isolated.
- Riftcallers: Multi-limbed creatures with jagged crystal growths and glowing cracks along their bodies, no real mouth to speak of and a bumpy ridge along its head. These powerful demons have the ability to summon a rift where lesser and minor demons are compelled to jump through if they are nearby, leaving their location and stepping into the Riftcaller's. They take on a more whimsical role in the Veil, choosing seemingly at random when to participate in demon wars and when to keep to themselves.
- Mawbreakers: Quadrupedal beasts with oversized maws filled with rows of shifting teeth and burning orange eyes. They can consume raw chaosfire to grow in size and strength, their claws being able to rend through physical and magical barriers. These beasts are exclusively lone demons who are drawn to sudden bursts of powerful magic. Many other greater or archdemons have tried to tame or earn loyalty of these beasts and all have been eaten.
Archdemons - Very strong entities that are recognized as the most intelligent and most powerful in the Veil, currently.
- The Shattered King: A large being that walks on four legs, has a thick tail, and an upright torso like a human. His body appears to be crystalline, riddled with fractures that ooze Veilfire. His command over the magic of the Veil allows him to unleash cataclysmic energy blasts, summon miniature Hellstorms, and even blanket a portion of the battlefield with Veilfire, rendering swathes of the enemy screaming in agony for his army to cut down with ease. He is simply a force of destruction, appearing only when the cacophony of chaos has settled into a semblance of peace.
- Deathweavers: A trio three serpentine beings with elongated bodies, many horns, six limbs, and jaws that do not close. Each demon stands 7 to 8 ft tall with thick scaled bodies and a tail, all 3 of which combine into a single thick tail. The first breathes a fog of incinerating chaosfire, the second hurls boulders of agonizing veilfire into the sky to rain down on the enemy, and the third displaces their physical form to become invisible for a few moments. They are manipulators and tempters, easily influencing events throughout the veil with their unqiuely powerful form
- Dreadwing Seraphs: Massive demons with nearly skeletal bodies, halos of fire, multisegmented wings, four flaming arms, black smoke band covering their eyes, and black smoky robes wrapped around their bodies. These terrifying demons divebomb their prey with condensed fire balls that explode and splash on impact, often following their bombs closely behind to fight in melee combat. Most are able to plunge their hands into the ground and flood their power into it, creating a fissure of ruin that spills chaosfire and veilfire simultaneously. They are unparalleled fighters in the air and in close range.
Natural Resources
Painglass - Smoth, glasslike surfaces formed within volcanic caves when chaosfire solidifies quickly. It is imbued with naturally occurring agony properties, used to create voodoo doll-like tools if wielded properly, or simply to create scrying items.
Crystallized Chaos - Jagged yellow, orange, pale green, and sometimes white crystals grow near fissures of chaosfire. They pulse faintly and are used in rituals, crafting fairly unstable weaponry, or empowering spellcasters.
Ebon Ash - A fine, glittering ash that blankets many parts of the Veil's terrain. It is known to enhance magical potency when mixed with spell components but is highly volatile and prone to accidental combustion.
Flashfrost flakes - Caught only in the Breath, these less than an inch big snowflakes are a pale orange color and used in potionmaking and weaponry. It is the only known substance in existence known to extinguish Veilfire and Chaosfire.
Ashspire ore - Blackened metallic ore with pulsing green veins running through it, infused with Veil energy. It is found in the walls of deep fissures or embedded in ashen stone throughout the land. When refined, it becomes impermeable to heat of all kinds, making it valuable for crafting items from weapons to armor to trinkets.
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