Abyss

The Abyss lies outside the bounds of Creation. It is described alternately as a place, time, force, or state of being, although none of these characterizations define it completely. The Abyss is nowhere and nothing; the primeval emptiness that predates Creation itself; the "Is Not" to the "Is" of the universe and its myriad planes.

## Description

The image relied upon most commonly in conceptualizing the Abyss is that of dreamless sleep. It is a lightless oblivion devoid of matter, sensation, or thought. Even minor manifestations of the Abyss in the physical plane reinforce this image as they drain heat, light, and even sound from their surroundings. Because of its volatile nature and the tragic ends that follow prolonged exposure, study of the Abyss is frowned upon or outright forbidden across Auldenon. Although some occult-minded scholars still pry into the void as best they can, its true nature remains a mystery.

## Cosmography

The Abyss occupies a unique place in most cosmological models as a result of its position as the equal and opposite of Creation. Most models do not acknowledge it at all despite its place just past the borders of every plane, instead assigning it an unmarked role as the featureless medium in which Creation is suspended. Of the three major cosmological theories, only the World Glim makes any reference to the Abyss, and even then only in passing.

## Manifestations

The Abyss is a consuming, corruptive force that gnaws at the very fabric of Creation. Places where the boundaries between the physical realm and the Abyss have grown thin are beset with misfortune and decay, in some cases even permitting Abyssal spirits to seep into the world and haunt their surroundings. Such symptoms are not always overt, more often manifesting as mere coincidences or patterns of mortal cruelty that lead to ruin over time.

Cases where the Abyss manifests more extensively tend to be short-lived and are usually deliberate, provoked by a ritual at the hands of an adherent or scholar. These manifestations are as wide-ranging as magical praxis itself, though they usually center on themes of emptiness and degeneration.

### Symptoms of Exposure

The Abyss is fundamentally incompatible with Creation. As such, beings who are exposed to it exhibit a range of symptoms as it poisons the foundations of their existence. While these symptoms are not life-threatening, they grow more severe with prolonged exposure and have been used by inquisitors and witch-hunters to identify renegade occultists.

The earliest signs of exposure to the Abyss are subtle and varied; one's pupils might lose their reflective quality and become pools of utter darkness, they may be struck with sudden chills, or they might experience periods of listlessness. These manifestations become more extreme as exposure continues, with the darkness in one's pupils spreading to cover the entire surface of the eye, their body temperature lowering noticeably, or their moments of ennui giving way to outright cruelty as the Abyss gnaws at their sense of empathy and belonging.

## Inhabitants

Despite its emptiness, the Abyss is capable of taking on impressions or echoes from the planes it envelops, giving rise to entities that operate under their own will. These impossible creatures have little in common with the beings that inhabit Creation, being twisted by the hunger, vacuity, and malice of the void they inhabit. Little is known of their affairs while contained within the Abyss, but under certain circumstances these entities have been called into the physical realm by foolhardy sorcerers to universally gruesome results.