Void

Current Information

The Void is a massive, mostly empty expanse located within the planet Celea. At the center of the Void is the Core, a pseudostar that was previously an unstable pocket dimension. Once a mysterious and dark realm, scientific and magical developments in the early 20th century led to a greater understanding of this fascinating galactic anomaly, which was created by the Celestial Ralte to imprison Taretok for his murder of Atasi and Soro.
The Void has no native inhabitants but was colonized in 377 BC by the Elves and Mayatel, who later became the Dark Elves and Ixatel. Dark Elves were often sailors and traversed the Void in vessels that could ride invisible "currents", later understood to be flowing paths of excess energy released from the Core. Ixatel primarily lived on the floating islands of the Void, which drifted with the currents. These islands contain various flora and fauna and are believed to be a result of the Core's former pocket dimension haphazardly copying matter from the rest of Celea.

Historical Information: 0 BC to 1924 AC

The Void is a massive arcane expanse located below the Underworld, where the natural rules of space grow irrelevant and strange creatures lie dormant. The Underworld is connected to the Void via several natural holes in the ground, dubbed abysses, while Void Storms create temporary and highly dangerous portals to and from the Overworld. At the center of the Void is the Core, a mysterious object that has yet to be explored or understood. Reaching the Core is difficult, as the depths of the Void grow increasingly cold in an area known as the Shivering Reach.

Historical Information: After 1924 AC

Following the events of Operation Eternal, the Core's true nature as a dimensional prison for Taretok was revealed. In addition, the Void was understood to be a buffer between the Core and the remainder of Celea meant to deter any Celeans from discovering the Core. With the collapse of its pocket dimension, the Core began to release the energy it had stored for millions of years, creating a kind of "pseudostar" that illuminates the Void and makes it as bright as the Overworld at midday. The end of the pocket dimension also meant an end to the many dimensional anomalies that had plagued Celea for centuries, including Void Storms and the variable geography of the Void. As such, the Void was now far more practically traversable, and quickly became a flourishing trade route for Underworld nations.

Geography

Historical Information: Until 1924 AC

The Void has a jagged and varied stone ceiling, but no boundaries have been found in any other direction.
Lateral distances are highly inconsistent in the Void, with unguided days-long voyages often ending up exactly where they started, while brief visits of mere hours can place travelers on the other side of the globe. Structures or vessels connected to the Void's ceiling by means of a rope or dock, however, remain consistently located. A vessel's position can also be kept consistent via the use of a cable, connecting the ship to a spot near the top of the abyss with a reel, but if this line is ever severed, which often occurs with little warning, then the ship will once again be subject to the Void's distortion of distances.
Despite these difficulties, it is possible to anchor a vessel's position relative to the abyss that it used to enter, through the employ of a mage and the use of a guidestone. A guidestone is a tablet carved by a mage with an entirely unique set of magical sigils. While entering the Void, the mage meditates deeply, focusing on the guidestone and casting a spell of guidance. If successful, the mage is then able to visualize their position relative to the guidestone, thus fixing them in space and preventing anomalous relocation. The mage must maintain their total concentration on the guidestone at all times, no matter what happens. If this focus is ever lost, then the spell is broken and the guidestone can not be located again. The same will occur if the guidestone is broken by an interloper. The difficulty of this method often necessitates a highly skilled mage, several practitioners of magic working together, or a very short trip.

Alternative Name(s)

The Expanse, The Black, The Ink, Limbo

Type

Void

Location under

Celea

Included Locations

• Core