The Fading

Fading is the phenomena of an elemental based item, ability, or creature breaking down when exposed to too much of the opposing light or being cut off from the light that sustains them. The Withering is an extreme example of Fading, where beings of Oas are abruptly cut off from their connection to Oas. Humans suffer a similar but slower effect when they are cut off from Radiance; the holy light of the Children of Radiance. The root cause of this effect is the the light of the world beings are from sustains their souls. Without that light they will be gin to fade away into soulless husks. Humans who fade in this way succumb to the natural elements of Oabos and are smothered by the pressure of the world.
Many things suffer from the effects of Fading under the right conditions. In the case of items and abilities, the Fading is expressed through these items and abilities losing potency or generally weakening. Some things such as pigments will simply fade to a duller color and eventually wash out entirely.

In Chronwhorl

Chronwhorl sits directly under the Radiant disk, and is held aloft above a deep crater filled with dark fog. No amount of Oas naturally reaches Chronwhorl, and the city is flooded with Radiance. Even the buildings are designed in such a way that they are open to the light of the Radiant Disk. This constant direct exposure to Radiance Fades many things:

• Core Light (Oas)
  

  Oas is broken d own under direct exposure to Radiance. The light will fade and removing the Radiance will show that there is less Oas left behind. This is due to the aggressive nature of the Goddess of the Children of Radiance, and how her holy light behaves.

• Elementine
  

  Elementine exposed to direct Radiance will diminish and find themselves physically weaking. The Eldyr can resist this effect due to their direct innate connection to Oas, but it does put a strain on the world core if the Eldyr are exposed to direct Radiance for a prolonged period.

• Elemental Beasts
  

  Since elemental beasts are simple living embodiments of the elements, they break down and die when exposed to Radiance. Many elemental beast will naturally form from the world when there is an aura of Oas in the area, but the Radiance breaks down the aura and also prevents new elemental beasts from forming. While this is a good thing for the safety of human settlements, it is a problem for sustaining food sources.

• Elemental Abilities
  

  With the exception of Oas based abilities, the elemental abilities do not rely on a direct connection to Oas to function. When exposed to Radiance, individuals with elemental abilities can still use them but to a much lesser degree. Radiance is a very aggressive light and dampens connections to the other elemental abilities of Oabos.

• Spices
  

  The spices found on Oabos derive much of their flavor and effects from the elements and exposure to Radiance breaks down both. Some hearty spices can be protected by being sealed in dark containers and by having food with them prepared in the dark. Even then the spices break down quickly once the food is brought into the light. One side effect of this is that the food pallet of Chronwhorl is very bland.

• Pigments and Dyes
  

  Much like spices, pigments and dyes made from the plants and minerals of Oabos fade when exposed to Radiance. There are some pigments whose color comes from the physical makeup of the plant or mineral and these pigments do not fade in the same way.

In the Nightlands

The Nightlands are the far end of Oabos, beyond the Twilight Zones of the world. This region is never exposed to the sun or Radiance. The only light i n this region of the world radiates up through the ground from the living core of the planet. This area is flooded with Oas, and quickly Fades anything which is sustained by Radiance:

• Humans
  

  The core of human souls are made of Radiance. This is one of the reasons they are also known as the Children of Radiance. Simple exposure to Oas is not enough to damage humans in any way. Oas is not an aggressive light and does not cause damage directly to anything but pure Radiance. The damage to humans occurs when they are in an area devoid of Radiance. Their souls are sustained by Radiance and being cut off from it quickly causes a breakdown in the soul map of the human. The human home world is very different from Oabos and it is the reinforcing power of Radiance which helps them survive in the environment of Oabos. Once that support fails, their bodies quickly weaken and die.

Avoidance

While the Fading is an inevitable outcome, it can be staved off temporarily under the right conditions. There are Elementine who live in darker areas within Chronwhorl while being exposed to occasional sources of Oas. There are so me humans who live just within the Nightlands and routinely travel lightward to the nearest city with a Daylight Fountain to take in some Radiance. Neither of these situations are comfortable living, but living under the constant stress on an individual's soul can also build a lot of resiliance.
In recent years, work with prismem batteries has also expanded to create batteries of Radiance and Oas. These batteries can last for quite a while if they are properly protected from the opposing light. Oas batteries are more stable and effective due to Oas being the natural light of Oabos, and exisiting at some level in all parts of the world. This same effect makes it easier for Elementine to survive in areas flooded by Radiance simply by hiding in darker areas where the light cannot reach.