Nether

The Nether is a prominent realm defined by its mountains of hellish stone and seas of lava with a strong mystical, religious, and literal attachment to the Overworld. The Nether is the only realm that can be easily accessed from anywhere in the Overworld, but despite this it is the source of scrutiny, fear, and controversy. By many it is considered to be the source of evil in the world, a symbolic underworld, while others see it as a scientific wonder or even religious icon.
==History==
The history of the Nether is an enigma, all that is known about it is largely tied to religions and events of the Overworld. It is known that a group of humans found their way into the Nether at some point in ancient history, and over time slowly evolved to its climate and became the Lirun. They would later find relevance in the Overworld once more when the colonization of Voldrania occurred.
For the centuries leading up to Voldrania's colonization the Nether was largely believed to be a myth in the Old World, only spoken of in religious texts and horror stories. During this period, however, the Trikash, natives of New Voldrania, and later sub-natives were busy exploring the Nether and its properties, though the latter two would not make the same significant technological jumps that the Voldranians did with the advent of the Airship.
When Voldrania was colonized the decision was made by its inhabitants to begin the process of exploring and studying the Nether now that they no longer had obstructive governments over their heads. Within three decades they had come to understand much of the way the Nether worked, and had even designed the modern airship.
As early as the late 40s it became apparent that the Nether was not entirely docile, and a growing Nether-linked conspiracy caused panic among many of the regions inhabitants. Rifts in the Void that connected directly to the Nether brought with them an increased number of Nether Spirits in the Overworld, and Netheran humans began secretive operations to sabotage various governments and institutions. In 60 AE the conspirators, led by the Void Devourer, saw to the destruction of Voldrania, an event which led to its inhabitants relocating in New Voldrania.
Despite the hostility of Nether-allied forces exploration and mining in the realm continued, but the Devourer's attempts to destroy the Overworld hadn't ended in Voldrania. In 74 AE the Nether War began, which saw the Devourer ignite a full scale invasion of the Overworld using an army of Nether Creatures under its influence. The Nether War went on for two years before the nations of New Voldrania came together in the Anti-Nether Response Team, an alliance that saw to the Devourer's demise and the end of the war.
The Nether War soured many humans to the Nether, despite the fact that in the years after the war there was no inherent hostility between the two realms, aside from the predatory nature of the Nethers inhabitants. Over time the Nether itself ceased being a major topic in the history of the world, and entered a state of peaceful existence, relatively speaking.
==Inhabitants==
The Nether should, by all accounts, be completely uninhabitable. There is no plantlife to produce oxygen to allow humans safe travel, the temperatures are consistently high, and unpreserved water instantly evaporates in the mystically hot air. But not only can humans safely travel to the Nether, other species have come to call it their home, evolving to survive its harsh conditions.
While there are more species present in the Nether than can be accurately counted due to the worlds dangerous conditions, there are a number of prominent species worth mentioning.
===Nether Spirits===
Nether Spirits are ghastly, demonic entities that tend to prey on humans or other sentient species. They have access to a mysterious, powerful body of magic that grants them the ability to shapeshift, possess living creatures, and perform a wide array of completely unpredictable feats. Every Nether Spirit is believed to have a different set of mystic powers, but all share the same weakness to Glowstone, which saps their mystic strength. In a process called "The Orbit" some humans will allow a Nether Spirit to possess them, but the Nether Spirit does not take full control of their thoughts or actions. In a delicate metaphorical balancing act they cooperate to become mutually more powerful.
===Ghast===
Ghasts are large flying creatures that resemble fairy tale ghosts capable of firing destructive balls of fire from their mouths. While Ghasts were witnessed in the Overworld during the Nether War it is known that Ghasts are, by nature, against the crossing of realms, and will attack anything they see in the Nether that they believe does not belong. The ones aiding the Void Devourer were believed to have been unnaturally influenced by its strength, or outright had their minds controlled. When the Devourer fell they quickly retreated back into the Nether.
===Pig Zombie===
Pig Zombies are the most populous species of the Nether, and resemble a cross of an Overworld Zombie and a pig. They are not believed to have any association with either of these species. While not considered a sentient species, Pig Zombies have shown a level of intelligence higher than most animals or nightcrawlers. They are capable of utilizing human weapons such as swords and can recognize humans that have attacked their kind in the past. Should a Pigman become angered all other Pigmen in the vicinity will rally behind them, even if they were not witness to any crime, suggesting a subtle telepathic link.
===Blaze===
**Blazes are small creatures that appear to have a closer bond with the Nether's mystic energy than most. They are able to hover, not unlike a ghast, but often guard themselves with a series of rods that magically hover around them. Blazes are one of the more dangerous creatures of the Nether as they are openly hostile towards Humans, and have no aversion to attacking the Overworld directly. Their ability to rapidly spew fire charges makes them deadly opponents both close and from afar. "Blaze Hunting" has become common among nations prone to magical experimentation as the blaze's rods are useful ingredients in alchemy, and great tools for magic.
===Lirun===
**The Lirun are listed as more of an honorable mention than a true species of the Nether. Lirun are humans who evolved in the harsh conditions of the Nether, gradually coming to understand its mystic elements on a level unmatched by other humans. The Lirun have also gradually developed other abilities, which are largely kept secret, to help them survive the Nether for long periods of time.
===Keepers===
Like all other realms, nine Keepers call the Nether their home, and they are tasked with protecting it from merging with any other realm by the Serpent. The location or identity of most Nether Keepers remains a mystery.
==Geography==
The geography of the Nether is erratic, chaotic, and entirely unpredictable. Its wide open chambers and condensed tunnels do not appear to follow any of the logic that applies to geological formation in the Overworld. Traversing the Nether is a difficult task in itself simply because the terrain is so wildly erratic that one is in danger of falling into a sea of lava or encountering a sudden unscableable wall at any moment.
Unlike the Overworld, which consists of countless different minerals, resources, and materials that are constantly being discovered, the Nether is extremely simple in its makeup. A brittle stone-like substance called Netherrack makes up the vast majority of land in the Nether. Netherrack breaks easily on its own but in bulk is strong enough to hold the weight of even a large airship. It is also highly flammable, but will not burn up. Because of this it is often used to light fires that can last for long periods of time.
The rest of the Nether is comprised of only a few materials. The only liquid-like substance in the entire realm is lava, similar to that of the Overworld. Soul Sand is a sticky substance that can be occasionally found throughout the realm that slows humans and is known to trap Nether Spirits. Gravel, oddly enough, can also be found in the Nether, one of the few substances that are shared between the Overworld and the Nether. Quartz is a Netheric material with no inherently Netheric properties that is commonly mined and brought back to the Overworld to use in construction.
Finally, Glowstone is a substance that is only found naturally in the Nether. Is is a crystalline substance with the qualities of glass that naturally glows brightly due to the stored mystic energy within. Glowstone can be used to repel Nether Spirits, energize healthy human cells, and provide the energy needed to power Airships, making it one of the most prominent and useful resources the realm has to offer.
Category:Nether
Category:Realms