Void

The Void is, in the most general sense, the space between planes in The Mareltian Universe. In a sense the universe is naught but the Void, dotted with relatively tiny, few and far-between planes.

The Void seems antithetical to physical reality: it is completely filled with a sort of fog that slowly corrodes all things material, often carrying the same name but sometimes called the Mist, the Myst or the Eldermyst.

Normal physical mechanics also fail in the Void: movement is not so much a matter of traversing distance as it is a willful desire to reach a destination. Creatures unfamiliar with Void travel will still "walk" through it out of habit, even though no locomotion is actually occuring, but veteran Voidwalkers often overcome this habit and float along as if by a Fly spell.

One does not need to breathe in the Void (though most find the sensation of holding one's breath uncomfortable still).

All types of magic, including divine, have a tendency to behave oddly and sometimes not at all.

The Myst

Filling the Void is a substance that appears cloudy, semi-transparent and colourless; it usually bears the same name but is sometimes called the Mist, the Myst or the Eldermyst by societies who differentiate the two. Whatever its name, this substance is corrosive to all reality: all matter—living, dead and inorganic—is at risk of being dissolved/assimilated into the cloudy morass. There is no consistent speed at which this happens, and the phenomenon does not care about material properties at all: a glass of water may dissolve as quickly as a brick of adamantium. The only noted pattern is that veteran planeswalkers tend to last longer, suggesting the powers of will or familiarity are factors.

Ecology of the Myst

As the Myst is antithetical to material reality, any sort of "life" or "ecosystem" within the Void may be too difficult to recognize as such. There are only rare and scattered reports by Voidwalkers of being watched or followed by unknown beings at the edge of the travelers' perception, and some mythology around monsters, spirits or gods that reside there, however there is little consistency. The vast majority of Voidwalkers report an uneventful journey, barring conflicts with other humanoids.

Navigation

Interplanar travel has many names; most common are "Voidwalking", "planeswalking" or "plane-hopping".

Navigating the Void is traditionally done via complex "Star Charts", named from an old Egwithian term for the bright flashes of Arcanum of simple, Class I planes. In some Egwithian-rooted societies, these dots of Arcanum in the Void are still called 'stars'.

Without the assistance of Star Chart-based navigation, it's extremely unlikely to reach a plane by accident before being dissolved by the Void's anti-reality properties. Planes themselves are tiny relative to the vast expanse of Voidspace between them: to reach a plane in a random direction (assuming one maintains a straight path, which is near-impossible), the journey would typically take weeks to months, while symptoms of Void dissolution usually begin presenting within a single week.

Societies usually do not discover effective Voidwalking independently: due to the above-mentioned dangers, explorers usually don't return. Most societies will have an occasional spike in Void exploration, perhaps spurred by a new theory to be tested, but usually give up after a few new expeditions. Nearly all societies versed in Voidwalking learned it from a more advanced plane.

Planar Margins

Where a plane ends and the Void begins is not clear or consistent. For most planes, the surrounding Void ebbs and flows, usually on the scale of metres per year, though for some this phenomenon is more drastic.

Void Sickness

The longer one is in the Void, the more acute the "Void Sickness" when one finally reaches a planar shore. Most recover naturally within a few days, but will experience a multitude of uncomfortable symptoms, including but not limited to nausea, vertigo, insomnia, disturbing dreams, dissociative identity, dementia, glossolalia, acrophilia (the intense desire to be in high places) and more. Only in rare cases have individuals died from Void Sickness, and most of those cases were likely from a respiratory event resulting from one of the above.

Type

Metaphysical, Astral