The Veil

The Veil is an organized effort enforced by oddity society (mainly by the Council), to convince people that metahumans do not exist. The Veil is the cornerstone survival strategy for metahumans; without it, the general population would rise up and seek to exterminate all those with extraordinary abilities. The Veil separates the mundane world from the world of the supernatural. The Veil makes the activities of the supernatural imperceptible to most mortals and obscures the activities of mortals to the supernatural.

The strength of the Veil varies depending on the location and situation, and the weaker it is, the more easily metahumans can impact the mundane world. In a crowded city street during rush hour, the Veil is thick and difficult to penetrate. In a remote wilderness area during a full moon, crossing over is far easier. Mundanes can sometimes sense the presence of the Veil, with low-Veil areas considered "haunted" or "supernatural". Rituals, spells, or the use of magical artefacts can weaken the Veil, as can particular celestial events (such as solstices or equinoxes) and specific dates or times that hold significance in magical traditions.

## Overview

The Veil is technically outlined in the Council's laws, however until recent times this was commonly interpreted as not revealing the intricacies of metahuman society, the prevalence of metahumans, or drawing too much attention to themselves. Some oddities, such as those with the ability to shapeshift or those who can control minds, openly disregarded the law, while others in more civilized societies would often follow it more strictly.

All of this changed with the rise of anti-metahuman sentiment, following the emergence of the first metahumans. The true number of metahumans became apparent and the Council started to enforce a stricter Veil. History holds that a prominent oddity leader's famous speech made enforcing the Veil the Council's primary policy.

### Operation

The basics of the Veil are enforced through self-policing and severe penalties. When a breach occurs, the methods of repairing may vary, but someone is going to be punished — and while it would be preferable for that someone to be whoever caused the breach in the first place, Council members are known to prefer a swift and decisive approach over a prolonged investigation.

Generally, a breach consists of any display of metahuman abilities: levitation, telekinesis, regeneration in plain sight, and the like. Certain things (such as using metahuman abilities in public) are considered potential breaches all the time — although in this case, it is assumed that the metahuman in question will take necessary steps to avoid exposure.

Oddities are taught to blend in and to maintain a low profile in order to make blending in with the general population easier. However, in the event of a major breach, the Council usually calls on their most skilled members, who have made Veil-patching something of an art form. These members will utilize whatever resources are necessary — financial, persuasive, or even violent — to make the problem go away.

### The Veil of Secrecy

Away from areas of dense human population, the Veil is noticeably weaker. Resourceful metahumans have been known to exploit this, using their abilities to breach the Veil in remote areas to avoid detection or engage in activities that would otherwise be impossible in highly populated areas. However, even in low-Veil areas, caution is still advised as there are still beings and entities that can detect and respond to breaches of the Veil.

 Urban outskirts
 Suburbs
 Rural areas
 Wilderness
 Wilderness at night