Oblivion is the term used for a condition that only affects people, beings and living breathing things in the Forgotten Realm. Something that is unavoidable and only occurs when the person in question has been completely forgotten by everyone in the mortal planes. No recordings of them left, no photos to look at and no memory of them left. A fate many in the Forgotten Realm fear will happen to them one day.
A fate worse than death, those who succumb to oblivion are lost us forever. Forgotten for all eternity. — Unknown
Stages:
Oblivion appears to affect creatures in three stages. The first stage (also known as being marked by oblivion) is when those affected begin to feel empty inside. Describing it as a sinking, hollow feeling. As if you have just heard the news of a loved one but are unable to cry about it. This feeling is so powerful it will stop them dead in their tracks, lasting only a couple of seconds. From the perspective of outsiders, they will nothing visibly wrong.
Stage two comes in the form of your body washing over with a wave of coldness, quickly followed by a numbing state. More commonly known as being prepared for oblivion. Both physically and mentally. But the drop in temperature and the lack of feeling is not like you would expect. It does not fill you with dread or fear. Instead it is more like falling to sleep. Your body becomes still and your mind drifts into nothingness.
The final stage is known as being sent to oblivion. In this final stage, the being affected fades out of existence. Sometimes one body part at a time, other times all at once. But eventually, the physical body will vanish from the universe and be lost forever. Different sentient creatures are affected differently and suffering the oblivion condition can anywhere being a couple of minutes, to entire weeks.
Within the Realm:
If one were to travel across the varying landscape of the Forgotten Realm, they will more than likely come across gravestones or small shrines to victims of oblivion. None of them named. Others in small communities such as the Town of Caster try to remember those who have succumb to the fate of oblivion by adding them to memorials. The town in particular has an enchanted monument named 'The Oblivion Board' which adds an image of those who have fallen to the condition. Previous townsfolk include The Caster, Domino 5.4 and a Sorceress named Hasalia.
If you listen closely to the winds that twist around the landscape, you may hear a rumour. A story of a being, who survived the condition. Going through all three stages of oblivion and returned to the mortal planes. Legend says the being somehow gained the knowledge to return to the Forgotten Realm without needing to be forgotten by the mortal planes. The name of the thing is uncertain, instead the refer to them as The Mapmaker.
Comments