Shroud

The shroud is a mysterious plane of existence, formed from the subconscious minds of all sapient beings. Deeper levels of the shroud reach further into the collective unconscious and the plane becomes increasingly abstract. Psions draw on the shroud when casting their magic.

### History

Many believe the shroud has existed for as long as there has been sapient life although modern research proves that deities do not passively influence the plane. This pre-emptively led people to associate The Old Blood with the Shroud, although it can exist without the deity and be influenced by Outsiders. The shroud was initially only the lower levels, bordering on consciousness but after the confluence it grew drastically to include deeper levels. As the period after the Confluence had significantly lower amounts of sapient life this growth is seemingly contradictory. It is therefore speculated that the souls of the lives claimed in the Confluence were made to be the planar fabric of the upper echelons of this plane.

### Ecology

Numerous entities exist within the Shroud with many being unable to exist outside of the plane. Deeper entities become more unrecognisable and tend to embody abstract concepts like ideologies or emotions. Some power psions are able to siphon trace amounts their power gradually becoming warped in the process.

A subfamily of Shroud based life that universally call themselves Custodians attempt to police the shroud and prevent people from manipulating the plane to influence the subconscious thoughts of the masses.

### Locations

#### Palaces

Particularly powerful entities naturally generate enclosed spaces within the Shroud known as Palaces. Here, someone traversing the Shroud could theoretically influence the Psyche of the individual although this task is extraordinarly difficult and is likely to draw the ire of the Custodians. Additionally, a Palace will naturally generate defences against intrusion increasing in scale with the strength of the owner. Similar to a Mindscape, a Palace is based around the personality of its generator.

#### Hall of the Dead God

In a location deep within the Shroud that the gods cannot comprehend, an unknown deity died from equally unknown causes. The potent aura of the dead god thwarts deities observing this place allowing for a group to study the deity and transfer its essence into a weapon antithetical to gods, that can remove the source of their divinity.

As it cannot be accessed by gods, the Huntress did not actually make a direct appearance, instead using illusions and time dragons to communicate with Freya and Afraid when they reached the Hall of the Dead God.

#### Mind Wound

The Mind Wound, also known as the Bodiless Star or the Lodestar is a mark from the Confluence located at the "centre" of the shroud. Almost everyone who perceives the Mind Wound feels an indescribable slight pull towards it but it is common knowledge that everyone who succumbs to this desire never returns, and their quintessence destroyed. It is said that people who have unshakable faith in existence being inherently worthwhile do not feel this draw. The earliest records describe this as being the size of a pinprick when viewed from Taurus while in the modern day it is roughly the size of a human thumbnail. Scholars therefore speculate that it is very gradually growing.