Demi-Plane of the Voidsphere
Also known simply as "The Void"
History of the Void
Approximately 66 years BV (or Before the Void), a wizard named Dr. Rerinald Dalston theorized the existence of a fifth element - elemental
magic, which must, he supposed, be the root source of all magic and magical life on the Prime. During his studies over the next several decades, Dr. Dalston created many fantastic new inventions, including the
Dalston Sphere which enabled the impression or imprinting of the living psyche upon it.
Anti- or Amplifying
Also among his inventions was the
Voidsphere which was an object roughly the size of a dinner plate. This object had incredibly unique properties Dr. Dalston and his colleagues had never seen before. The chief among them was what they initially thought were its "anti-magic" properties. As it turns out it was not
anti magic, but rather was more of a magical
barrier. Spells used against it were not destroyed, they simply had no effect on the inside of the sphere.
Future testing saw the scientists expand the size of the
Voidsphere to encompass an entire bay within the college labs. While not visible to the naked eye - it was its own demi-plane, after all - no magic could pass into the room from the outside. Likewise, they soon discovered, no extraplanar creatures could not be brought into the area and summoning creatures with magic always failed. Conversely, magic
within the sphere seemed to be
easier for spellcasters. For example, sorcerers who used their magic were not as fatigued within the zone; wizards could often retain memory of spells once cast within the area.
Impending Doom
While these studies were taking place, scholars and religious leaders around Eryphir were postulating the coming of the next Outer plane - Baegherix, the Plane of Opposition -
More Information on the Multiverse. It is currently believed the Outer plane of Baegherix will be
resident within the Inner Planes some time in the next one thousand years. However, rifts between the two planes could theoretically begin forming, due to their close proximity, within the next century. What this means, to the historian types, is that another invasion of the Prime could be on the horizon. Soon, around 50 BV, this was a topic of the highest concern, across all walks of life, across every nearly every modern kingdom.
The Shadow War
Over the course of the next 50 years or so, kingdoms and nations across Eryphir entered into something of a shadow war across the continent, each seeking leverage against their neighbors and uncover any possible secrets the others might be hiding. This mistrust, deception, and general spy-gaming persisted for nearly four decades unabated. It would not be until a collision of ideas occurred between the scholarly and the scientific in the city of Rynmark that the stalemate would finally be broken.
At some point just a 8 or 9 years before the expansion of the Void, Dr. Dalston publicly opined that his "invention", his
Voidsphere would be a better defense against arcane spying than any fifty Ryn Special Service agents. He is reported as stating, "Let me deploy the Void, and I will end this so called 'shadow war' overnight."
The Expanse over Rynmark
Over the previous several years, the Department of Aetherometry at the University of Rynmark had demonstrated the properties of the
Voidsphere served as a barrier to dimensional travel and most types of magic that relied on extraplanar contact or conveyance. This included almost any scrying, teleportation, summoning, and even divination magics. What this meant was that anyone inside the
Voidsphere was immune to the effects of these types of magics from anyone outside of it. Interestingly enough, with exception of some divination spells that relied on contact with ones deity, the same magicks worked on subjects within the sphere when cast by magic-users also inside the sphere.
This meant, in theory, the department postulated, that if the
Voidsphere were to encompass all of Rynmark, those aforementioned magicks would be useless when used by their enemies abroad. Which is exactly what happened in 4 BV. With very little debate or fanfare, the University of Rynmark handed over control of the
Voidsphere to the Ryn government. Under the direction of Vandal Markel, a protégé of Dr. Dalston, the
Voidsphere was expanded to encompass all of Rynmark.
Pitch Black
As predicted by Dr. Dalston so many years earlier, magical means of accessing the city ceased almost instantaneously. To those countries wishing to magically scry or spy upon the Ryn powers in their capital, they saw naught but a black hole. A major success and a significant blow to other kingdoms and countries across Eryphir who had heretofore relied upon intelligence to stay ahead of their adversaries. Creating a blind spot for their enemies was not the only major benefit gain through the expansion of the Void. Not by half.
The Fifth Element
The expansion of the
Voidsphere gave scientists around the city the ability to study the demi-plane on a scale never before seen. What they discovered was that Dalston's theory on the
Fifth Element were, in fact, correct. It turned out the
Voidsphere not only presented as an extraplanar barrier, but also as a "purifier" for magic. One scientist, Dr. Merghet Blakestone, compared the phenomenon within the sphere akin to taking ones sunglasses off on a sunny day. From without, the Prime filtered much of a wizard's access to the
fifth element - magic. While they could still access it through ancient arcane means, "touching" magic was impossible.
Inside the
Voidsphere, as Dr. Blakestone explains, this filter is blocked or removed and the practitioner had much more direct access to magic. In fact, peering into the demi-plane itself, a scientist could
see magic coursing through everything. This "material magic"; the
fifth element was dubbed
Aether after the ancient writing on the same subject. As would soon be seen, the advantage of having a direct conduit to the
aether without the obstruction of the Prime was one that would turn Rynwroth into a "super power" almost over night.
Aethertech
While already possible on a smaller scale, Ryn scientists had already been working on magical inventions and mechanical devices (or just "mechanicals") that relied on the direct, unfiltered access to
Aether for many years. These devices were largely developed to help facilitate experimentation, but certainly included other subjects such as death and the afterlife, weaponry, transportation, and even super weapons. This category of magic was coined "aethertech" and was a household name by about 4 BV. There was not a paper anywhere in the Commonwealth that did not include some new article about
aethertech on a daily basis.
The military, of course, benefited most directly from these inventions and soon fearsome weapons were in production within the city, the likes of which had never before been seen on Baennor. The only problem was the significant restriction that
all aethertech had to remain within the
Voidsphere in order to properly function. A serious concern for any military leader with eyes on defending the homeland or conquest of their neighbors.
Saving the World
Just three years later, under the banner of "protecting Baennor from extraplanar threats", the Commonwealth would unilaterally make the decision to further expand the
Voidsphere to encompass all of the planet of Baennor. At midnight on what would become Jasper 1st, 0 AV (After Void), scientists and engineers from across the Commonwealth of Rynwroth enacted
Project Guiding Light, expanding the
Voidsphere again. This time, the demi-plane would grow to encompass all of Baennor, forever changing the lives of nearly a billion people and countless creatures across the world.
Salvation Lost
For millennia untold, the people of Baennor had interacted with the other planes of existence. Whether that was through the invasion of the Outer planes into the Inner planes, or through more benign or divine interactions, Baennor had always had a diverse web of interconnections throughout the multiverse. The instant the
Voidsphere engulfed, all of that ceased. This included, not only the dangerous portals and extraplanar entities that might invade the planet, but also any and all deific contact - the priests and the clerics of Baennor were completely cut off from their Gods.
Perhaps the most vivid and catastrophic of impacts this had was in Besmabel where the once world renowned Floating Gardens of Kearare collapsed in the middle of the downtown district of the city. The Gardens, which consisted of nearly two dozen massive stone platforms that were suspended in the air in a terrace-like structure above the city. At the time of its collapse, hundreds of people were under, on, and around the Gardens. The resulting, devastating fall of the Gardens killed 909 citizens of Besmabel, including nearly all the clergy of the Kearare temple.
Road to War
Within just months - perhaps even weeks of the expansion of the
Voidsphere nations across Eryphir were raising armies and securing their borders in preparation for war against Rynwroth. At the time, the Commonwealth consisted of just Rynwroth and a few smaller kingdoms in the center of Eryphir. However, with their explosive expansion of aethertech and mechanicals, the relatively small Commonwealth far exceeded the military capabilities of nearly all the other Eryphirian countries and kingdoms combined.
By the first month of 1 AV, a coalition of countries had declared Rynwroth a rogue state and demanded they reverse the effects of the
Voidsphere or face the combined might of the coalition. Rynwroth recalled all of its ambassadors from abroad and it appeared as though war was imminent. The deadline, however came and went. The coalition, led by the Kingdom of Sigland did not attack. Instead, the coalition exercised a variety of other tactics against the Commonwealth which included sanctions and trade blockades. Ryn citizens abroad were arrested and in Besmabel, Teutor, several citizens were executed
en proxy for crimes committed by Rynwroth.
Birth of the Greater Commonwealth
Rynwroth bore the brunt of the sanctions and blockades against them for another 18 months before, in 3 AV, Ryn forces crossed into the bordering Kingdom of Raptior, moving nearly unopposed to the coast where they captured the city of Seaside in a lightning strike that would signal the beginning of what today is known as the "Unification War".
Legacy of the Void Secured
What the Commonwealth today calls the Unification War would last 25 years in various forms ranging from all out war to simmering conflict. It would end only after the western country of Nofre fell to the Commonwealth after years of siege. However, in that time, the wealth, power, and expertise of the Commonwealth only continued to grow at a near exponential rate. Cogs, aeroships, weaponry, war machines, sailing vessels, appliances, and so much more practically bloomed from inventors, engineers, and scientists during (and long after) this time. By the time the dust settled, the Greater Commonwealth of Rynwroth was virtually unrecognizable from the small collection of countries it had been just 20 years prior.
The
Void, as it was now colloquially referred to, proved to be far more of a boon to those who understood it than many could have possibly imagined. In the end, most people of the Commonwealth - whether original or incorporated - have embraced the changes realized by the surrounding demi-plane. The bluster and fervor over its creation quickly fell away as more and more people were brought into the Greater Commonwealth. Today, as syndicates have gained leverage and power nearly equal to the government, most have come to even rely on the existence of the
Void in their day to day lives.
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