Veil (MM)

> "Civilized life, you know, is based on a huge number of illusions in which we all collaborate willingly. The trouble is we forget after a while that they are illusions and we are deeply shocked when reality is torn down around us." - J.G. Ballard
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The Veil is a pseudo-magical psychological phenomenon deeply tied to the Accords, the Arbiters who uphold them, and the various supernatural beings bound to them. In its simplest form, the Veil is a thin veneer of normalcy that causes the minds of unsighted humans to simply deny events that defy mundane explanation. At its most complex; the Veil is an intricate web of politics, enchantment, science, and bloodshed that serves to keep the mundane world separate from the magical.

Originating in the 1400s, the Veil phenomenon is integral to the continued enforcement of the Accords (And, in fact, official Arbiter records refer to missions undertaken specifically to preserve the secrecy of the magical world as "Veil Operations" in reference to its importance.) and is in effect over approximately 90% percent of the Earth. Only certain regions completely unpopulated by both humanity and other intelligent life are unaffected by the Veil; and as mankind's ability to explore these dangerous parts of the globe grows, so too does the Veil's influence. The largest landmass without significant Veil presence is Antarctica, with much of the south pole (due to it being largely inhospitable even in the modern day) completely free of the Veil phenomenon.

### Sighted and Unsighted Humans

As a consequence of the construction the global enchantment, a certain number of humans are born annually who are completely unaffected by the Veil phenomenon. According to Arbiter estimates, approximately 6.4% of the global human population is immune to the Veil phenomenon. A little over six in every hundred or so people. This percentage is higher among humans who have nonhuman or magical ancestry, such as descendants of demons or witches.

Those who can are unaffected by the Veil phenomenon are legally considered Sighted and those who cannot are Unsighted. The legal protections of the Accords extend primarily to the Unsighted, with those capable of witnessing paranormal effects and recognizing them for what they are being largely on their own.

In addition to those born Sighted, it is possible (but rare) for Unsighted humans to achieve Sight. In this case, the legal protections of the Accords are stripped from them and they are legally considered indistinguishable from natural-born Sighted. Approximately 38.9% of all Sighted individuals are those who achieved Sight as opposed to being born with it.

Among the Sighted; perception of events that would normally be blocked by the Veil phenomenon can range from simply being able to comprehend what they see to (in rare cases) being able to detect and observe the aura, soul, magical signature, or energy of the world around them. There are no known examples of individuals capable of seeing these auras (usually visually interpreted as a sort of colored cloud surrounding intelligent beings as well as radiating from magical effects) who are not also capable of withstanding the Veil phenomenon. Approximately 17% of all Sighted individuals are capable of this ability.

To those who cannot see past the Veil, any events surrounding the paranormal or magical will rewrite themselves in the memories and perception of the affected individual. A werewolf standing on its hind legs and mauling a person will be seen as simply an extraordinarily large wolf, a rogue spirit of fire will be perceived as a burst gas line and a raging fire. This effect is instantaneous and constant; it is impossible for the average Unsighted individual to estimate how often they witness paranormal events that their brain simply refuses to process undoctored.

In extremely rare cases, Unsighted humans will have dreams (or nightmares) of the paranormal events they have witnessed. This is usually a source of stress and anxiety, with many succumbing to mental illness as a result of their brain's difficulty processing and coming to terms the events that have transpired in front of them. It is the Arbiters' belief that these Unsighted individuals are on the cusp of being Sighted and simply (for whatever reason) failed to achieve Sight. The official Arbiter stance is that it is impossible to accurately estimate how many individuals are affected by this half-Sight.

There is no means of detecting whether or not an individual is Sighted beyond evaluating their actions. Sighted and Unsighted humans are completely indistinguishable to all forms of magical and scientific detection. Only observing the behaviors of individuals and determining how they respond to paranormal phenomenon is a viable means of determining whether or not a person is Sighted. Essentially, show them magic and see if they can see.