Some are said to go to the mists in sleep, and some are said to have remained there. Only a vacant form is left behind without the light in the eyes.
The Otherworld is a misty, fog--bound parallel dimension of the planet Calera, sometimes described as simply, The Mists.The realm loosely copies the terrain and environments of Calera, where the mountains are rearing colossal formations of black rock, oceans are deeper, darker and colder and the forests are full of twisting looming trees. Heavy mists persist across the entire plane, creating a feeling of unease, uncertainty and paranoia. The Otherworld does not extend far past the limits of the surface, with no moon, sun or stars and only a vague dim light during the day that allows the plane to experience a similar day/night cycle to Calera.
Scattered throughout the Otherworld, ancient echoes of the previous races, such as ruined and crumbling cities, structures and monuments lie decaying in the fog. Time works very differently in the Mists and things long lost and forgotten on Calera can remain for thousands or even millions of years, slowly succumbing to decay.
In direct contradiction to the mirroring effect that Calera seems to have on the plane, the Otherworld is home to massive rents and tears in the landscape that expose the raw rock below and are often several miles wide and deep. This would suggest that the Otherworld, unlike Calera, does not a have a molten core, or its core is far smaller and deeper. What causes the rents are unclear, many seem to be ancient while a few appear to have been made more recently.
The Otherworld is not eternal, infinite or a permanent fixture of the world, and came into being long after the beginning. Its creation is inextricably linked with the rise and fall of the very first sentient and intelligent race on Calera. As an ultimate expression of scientific ascendancy, it was created with a level of understanding and mastery over the laws of nature and magic that has never been equalled. However, despite their apparently all-encompassing knowledge, something unexpected happened during the creation of the Otherworld and its final forming went far beyond the control of the Zaxin to become something both terrifying and unique.
The principal inhabitants of the Otherworld are the Echoes, beings originally thought to be ghosts or the lost souls of dead sentient creatures, however in truth the Echoes are in fact a species in their own right. Appearing as ghostly forms of the dead, they drift throughout the Otherworld without purpose. Their forms are barely tangible, and they seem to be able to manifest a connection with the physical world at will. They have no societies, cultures, towns or cities and barely acknowledge another echo when they meet, though it seems they have a hidden way of communicating with each other over long distances, possibly through telepathy. They are practically immortal and unless killed by something or someone with powerful magic they will keep “living” forever. Echoes find it very difficult to communicate with other creatures, howling and moaning the odd word or phrase is all they can usually muster. They are very intelligent but most look down on other creatures and consider themselves above the concerns of mortals.
Echoes feed off the use of magic itself and they have been known to drag unsuspecting magic users into the otherworld, though very few are aware of them doing this. Some Echoes are not malicious but the majority are uncaring and distant, and give little thought to the wellbeing of anyone from Calera, using creatures as producers of energy and food is perfectly acceptable to an Echo.
In addition, the Otherworld is home to number other creatures such as the Wrathmoors, Hags, Nightmares, Mist Wanderers and the dreaded Calspears.
Living creatures also occasionally enter the Otherworld. This is possible through Shifts, areas where the two worlds have melded together and are often teeming with magic and its effects. These Shifts are not true portals but places where the two worlds have become one, often transforming areas into strange and fantastic magical anomalies. True portals into the Otherworld are possible but difficult to create and sustain.
