The Gap | Demiplanes
The Gap is less a place than it is the absence of place, like a moth-eaten hole in the fabric of reality, which marks the boundary of every realm. Deriving its name from the Jotun word for “threshold” (Ginnungagap), it resembles a veil of hazy nothingness to the naked eye, while those who have delved into its etherealness describe it as a distorted echo of whatever plane is nearest, like an image reflecting between mirrors ad infinitum. On the Material Plane, the visibility and potency of this so-called “Space Between Spaces” is intrinsically tied to the cycle of the seasons, growing thinner in autumntime but thick again during the springtime. Within the Gap, there are a number of unique native species, mainly two classes of corporeal spirits: the rakshasas, bestial personifications of evil that have existed since the birth of the first mortals, and avatars of nature from the Old World called youkai, the most powerful of which were said to have been godlike beings known as Kami.
In addition to the Nine Realms and their nigh infinite proportions, there are a number of self-contained realms beyond the physical world known as demiplanes. Sometimes referred to as pocket dimensions, demiplanes (as their name suggests) are somewhere between an extradimensional space and an entire plane of existence in size. Due to their sheer enormity, most demiplanes fizzle out mere hours after coming into being, but many lesser demiplanes, such as those created by mortal spellcasters, are small enough that they can exist on their own within the Gap without continued upkeep. However, some demiplanes manage to latch onto one of the Nine Realms, overlapping or merging with the physical space of those planes, stabilizing themselves in the process. The relationship between a demiplane and its parent plane can vary from mutually beneficial to parasitic in nature, as the demiplane must “feed” off the other plane’s vital energies to survive.
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