Post by Gaea on May 30, 2016 18:00:30 GMT -8
A dark and shadowed realm that is perhaps even more alien than the Aether itself, but much more accessible to those of Elibe.
Setting
Where the Aether could be said to be a world of light and sound, the Nether is a world of emotion and information; where the Aether bends itself to the will of the one, the Nether exists for the many, an enormous swirling soup of the thoughts and feelings and hopes and dreams and fears and ideals of everything that exists within it. Where the Aether is impersonal, the very Nether itself is alive, carrying that tide of information, connecting those within it by strange bonds deeper than any other. In many ways it embodies a sort of comfortable warmth, almost a mother's tender love, to those born in its cradle - to those from Elibe however it can be a chaotic and overwhelming experience, a clash of individualism vs absolute collectivism. In return, the Voidborn who do travel to Elibe often find the lack of natural communication and the demands of speech intimidating and tiring in equal part - where angels have little issue communicating with humans on an intellectual language, abyssals tend to struggle with communication on levels other than emotion, relying heavily on body language and trying to say as much as possible in few words when necessary, or often shunning human language entirely.
While it is common to stereotype the Nether as simply 'darkness' or even an 'absence of light,' and it is in truth a pretty dreary place, it is not entirely devoid of light; somewhat similar to the Aether it shapes itself to those around it, though the general lack of imagination of the countless spirits means that much of it is generally featureless. However, to abyssals and human travelers, it seems to forge itself - not according to their wills, as per the Aether, but by its own strange and arcane designs; something labyrinths, sometimes ancient tombs, seemingly meaningless and yet in fact possessed of some oblique meaning for those who have the patience to find it. Sometimes the lesson is simple, a piece of knowledge locked in a box at the hidden core of the decrepit pyramid - sometimes housing an abyssal with knowledge or wisdom to share. It certainly lends credence to the theory that the Nether is on some level itself alive, but likely not possessed of actual intelligence or a true sense of self.
Travel
Scholars seem eternally unable to explain exactly why travel to the Nether is relatively easy compared to the Aether - perhaps mortals are better able to synchronize with the emotion there, perhaps it is all a trick by the devil (or the Devil) to lure the damned into his/her grasp, perhaps that realm simply lies closer to Elibe, or perhaps its very nature is more nebulous and simplistic than the Aether in many ways. Whatever the case, the fact of the matter is that it simply is, almost as if it welcomes the intrusion - though assigning agency to what appears to be a giant blob of darkness is generally not considered wise. While not exactly a prime vacation spot, even weaker initiates into Nether magic find it simple to call upon basic Nether spirits to fuel their attacks, though much like their counterparts in the Aether they lack heavily in intelligence.
On the inverse, it is also possible for dark mages to visit the Nether themselves, either to attempt to find an actual abyssal or simply to subsume themselves into the vast torrent of existence there, often for meditation or attempting to learn more of the fundamental secrets of the Void. Interplanar travel is never safe, though, and the Nether's grip is as sticky as it is intoxicating; it is easy for mages not quite ready for the experience to lose themselves, in part or whole, leaving something behind if they do return at all. These sorts of accidents are not entirely limited to human weakness, though - it is quite possible to simply fall victim to an unexpectedly deep tide, or run into one of the consuming conglomerations that patrol the Nether, creatures born of countless fused spirits who blindly (or not so blindly) seek to increase their numbers. Abyssals often whet their fangs on these creatures before moving on to Elibe - or are consumed by them. It is difficult to tell exactly how powerful such monstrosities are ahead of time, so it is often considered wiser to simply avoid them.
Setting
Where the Aether could be said to be a world of light and sound, the Nether is a world of emotion and information; where the Aether bends itself to the will of the one, the Nether exists for the many, an enormous swirling soup of the thoughts and feelings and hopes and dreams and fears and ideals of everything that exists within it. Where the Aether is impersonal, the very Nether itself is alive, carrying that tide of information, connecting those within it by strange bonds deeper than any other. In many ways it embodies a sort of comfortable warmth, almost a mother's tender love, to those born in its cradle - to those from Elibe however it can be a chaotic and overwhelming experience, a clash of individualism vs absolute collectivism. In return, the Voidborn who do travel to Elibe often find the lack of natural communication and the demands of speech intimidating and tiring in equal part - where angels have little issue communicating with humans on an intellectual language, abyssals tend to struggle with communication on levels other than emotion, relying heavily on body language and trying to say as much as possible in few words when necessary, or often shunning human language entirely.
While it is common to stereotype the Nether as simply 'darkness' or even an 'absence of light,' and it is in truth a pretty dreary place, it is not entirely devoid of light; somewhat similar to the Aether it shapes itself to those around it, though the general lack of imagination of the countless spirits means that much of it is generally featureless. However, to abyssals and human travelers, it seems to forge itself - not according to their wills, as per the Aether, but by its own strange and arcane designs; something labyrinths, sometimes ancient tombs, seemingly meaningless and yet in fact possessed of some oblique meaning for those who have the patience to find it. Sometimes the lesson is simple, a piece of knowledge locked in a box at the hidden core of the decrepit pyramid - sometimes housing an abyssal with knowledge or wisdom to share. It certainly lends credence to the theory that the Nether is on some level itself alive, but likely not possessed of actual intelligence or a true sense of self.
Travel
Scholars seem eternally unable to explain exactly why travel to the Nether is relatively easy compared to the Aether - perhaps mortals are better able to synchronize with the emotion there, perhaps it is all a trick by the devil (or the Devil) to lure the damned into his/her grasp, perhaps that realm simply lies closer to Elibe, or perhaps its very nature is more nebulous and simplistic than the Aether in many ways. Whatever the case, the fact of the matter is that it simply is, almost as if it welcomes the intrusion - though assigning agency to what appears to be a giant blob of darkness is generally not considered wise. While not exactly a prime vacation spot, even weaker initiates into Nether magic find it simple to call upon basic Nether spirits to fuel their attacks, though much like their counterparts in the Aether they lack heavily in intelligence.
On the inverse, it is also possible for dark mages to visit the Nether themselves, either to attempt to find an actual abyssal or simply to subsume themselves into the vast torrent of existence there, often for meditation or attempting to learn more of the fundamental secrets of the Void. Interplanar travel is never safe, though, and the Nether's grip is as sticky as it is intoxicating; it is easy for mages not quite ready for the experience to lose themselves, in part or whole, leaving something behind if they do return at all. These sorts of accidents are not entirely limited to human weakness, though - it is quite possible to simply fall victim to an unexpectedly deep tide, or run into one of the consuming conglomerations that patrol the Nether, creatures born of countless fused spirits who blindly (or not so blindly) seek to increase their numbers. Abyssals often whet their fangs on these creatures before moving on to Elibe - or are consumed by them. It is difficult to tell exactly how powerful such monstrosities are ahead of time, so it is often considered wiser to simply avoid them.
