Breach in the Seal

The Breach in the Seal is a theoretical "hole" in the fabric of the Sealed Planes.

## Background

During the First Era, Neket, the Elder God of Order, blocked himself and the other Elder Gods off from the world by creating planes of existence for each of them, then sealing them off from the remainder of Somara.

For many years, they were thought to have been completely isolated from the rest of Somara. During the Third Era, however, rumors began to arise that this was not actually true - that the Elder Gods had found a backdoor out of their planes, and that they had been using it to influence events on the other planes of existence. This culminated in the Third Era with the rise of the Cult of the Blackened Flame across Maltou, led by a charismatic half-elf named Zaryna Delad. Delad claimed to be a prophet of Guul, the Elder God of Death, who had made her a warlock under the Pact of the Great Old One. She led a zealous campaign of destruction, as her cult systematically roamed the northern plains, conquering towns, then forcing the populations to either join the cult or be sacrificed to their dark god. Several groups of adventurers attempted to invade her camp and eliminate her, but all eventually met their deaths at her hands. Delad disappeared in 3e1887, but her legacy lives on in a tome known as the Grimoire of the Unknowable Minds. The book has been lost to history, but is said to contain instructions on how to access the Breach in the Seal to contact the Elder Gods on the other side.

## Characteristics

The Breach in the Seal apparently only allows communication through the planes, as none of the Elder Gods have reportedly been able to make a physical appearance in Somara. It is unknown whether they are able to initiate contact or if mortals must contact them first. Most who claim to be able to look beyond the veil and see into/communicate with the sealed planes end up being insane, though whether this is a cause or consequence of this action is still up for debate. Proposed methods for contacting the Elder Gods have not been able to been reproduced in research settings. As a result, the Circle of Worun treats the Breach in the Seal as a fringe magical theory, and some magical researchers have described it as impossible to either prove or disprove, making it a pointless thought exercise. The official stance taken by the organization is that the Breach in the Seal does not exist, and if it did, making warlock pacts with extradimensional entities would be an illegal act in accordance with standards set with the Order of the Flaming Sword.

## Use by Elder Gods

Only four of the six Elder Gods are reported to use the Breach in the Seal to contact mortals. They are: Guul, Valazar, Vorokar, and Yfuleg. Their use of the seal is theorized to be intended to exert their influence over beings on Somara, usually through direct communication, visions, whispers, or intermediaries. Those four Elder Gods purportedly make warlock pacts with entities that they wish to use as their direct servants on Somara, though how they transfer this power between planes is unknown.

## Origin Theories

There are several leading theories as to what the Breach in the Seal is, if it exists at all.

### Result of the Elder Gods' Meddling

Some believe that the seal exists, and is the result of years of focused, conscious effort on the Elder Gods' part to pierce Neket's veil that prevented them from leaving their planes. This theory states that the Breach in the Seal is only currently strong enough to allow communication and the transfer of power, but acknowledges that it could one day be used to allow beings to move in/out of these planes - including the Elder Gods themselves.

### Result of Another Entity's Meddling

This is similar to the previous theory, but states that the Breach in the Seal is actually the result of some other powerful entity (or group of entities) attempting to weaken Neket's barrier. Possible culprits include fiends, celestials, or inevitables, and possible motives vary wildly, from attempts to free the gods trapped within to an attempt to allow communication with them for advice or guidance.

### Result of Another Entity's Manipulation

This theory states that the Breach in the Seal is actually caused by another entity (or group of entities) that is impersonating the Elder Gods, and using their name to gain influence and power in Somara. Among members of the Circle of Worun, this is the second-leading theory. Critics point out that to impersonate an Elder God would require extreme power, time, and dedication, limiting the potential culprits to gods or extremely powerful fiends or celestials.

### Result of Insanity

The leading theory among members of the Circle of Worun, proponents of this theory argue that the Breach in the Seal does not exist and is simply a story resulting from the ramblings of the insane. This theory is supported by the eventual descent into insanity by almost all who claim to be able to access the Breach.