THE FADE
Wizard/Witch Summoners can create portals using glyths or runes. These portals connect Askeron to a metaphysical realm known as The Fade.
In its raw form, The Fade is a twisted, frightening world of dark rock and raw veins where it is always night and gravity affects nothing equally. Fleshed out, The Fade is where one's mind goes when dreaming. It is a dreamworld where all dreams are thus believed to be connected in this space. People of Askeron visit the Fade mentally when they dream, even though they do not always remember the time spent there.
They say something called The Veil is a thin, metaphysical barrier that exists between Askeron and The Fade which keeps both reality and the dream-world intact. The other three known worlds (Avernos, Argenelle & Demiticus) are also blocked from The Fade by The Veil. The Fade and The Veil are like the membranes between worlds, though it's almost as if Askeron merges into The Fade during unconsciousness.
The merging was something believed to have been caused by mages who once broke through The Veil using portals. By poking holes in The Veil with glyphs, The Fade became apart of everyone's unconscious mind. The Fade created dreams. It is said that centuries ago, before glyphs were created, no one dreamed.
The only beings on Askeron who do not dream, or enter The Fade, are dwarves, goblins and gnomes. Demons from Demiticus and Angels from Argenelle say they did not dream prior to coming to Askeron.
Summoners today can create glyphs that bring them and others into The Fade (this is the only way dwarves, goblins and gnomes are able to enter) while conscious. Glyphs are the easiest and most common ways for one to experience The Fade while conscious, however very rare individuals have been able to lucid dream - to be aware and in partial control over the events that take place.
Daydreamer is a term used to reflect summoners that frequent The Fade through glyphs, visiting often enough that they're accustomed to its landscape. Some Daydreamers are known to be obsessive and almost addicted to life in The Fade, which begs the question of what reality they live in.
Spirits are beings who live in The Fade, overseeing its puppetry. However, when asleep The Fade may appear as something else entirely, shaped by dreams. Much of the Fade is split up into fiefs or demesnes belonging to the spirits that live there, and they change the landscape of the Fade to emulate what they see in the minds of mortal dreamers. They copy locations, objects, people and concepts of the real world, often in a cruel or confusing way. These copies are nowhere near consistent, and fluctuate according to the movement of the dreamers. Spirits whose realms are flocked with visitors rise to rule great portions of the Fade, while memories and concepts forgotten in the real world slowly drift away, the spirits who ruled them losing all potency.
According to several religious faiths the spirits of the Fade are the first children of the Maker. He turned his back on them because they lacked a soul– they could twist the Fade to their liking, but lacked the ability to imagine and create, and thus emulate their creator. The Maker created a new realm, separated from the Fade by the Veil, and this realm would be one that his new children could not alter at will: Askeron. These new children had the spark of the divine within them, and the Maker was pleased. Supposedly, ever since the Maker created His new children, the spirits from the Fade have watched humanity with curiosity and, in the case of the more malicious spirits, envy and desire. Thus, nightmares as well as happy dreams have always existed.
However, it was 21 years ago when The Nexus Project opened a glyph from inside The Fade and poked a hole in The Veil to Demiticus. For a brief period of time, demons had access to The Fade and thus to Askeron. There now exist what is called Night Terrors, which are nightmares inflicted by a demon in The Fade.
'Killing' a mortal's dreaming form while in the Fade (thus ending that individual's dream and waking them up) is a shock to the living body, but not normally lethal. However, daydreamers and demons are capable of killing others within The Fade, including other mortal OR dreaming forms, leading to a possible physical death on Askeron. Thus, Night Terrors can be extremely deadly - though not 100% of the time. The trick is to wake up before it's too late.
Gaps between dreams are such void places. “Demons and spirits do not create everything in the Fade. They set the stage, as it were, and we fill it with our own dreams and nightmares.”
Belief and willpower are paramount in the Fade. Everything that exists there exists by expression of thought and reflects expectations of the dreamer. People dream of their loved ones in the Fade because the spirits there recognize the bond between souls, and that bond has power in dreams. An individual expecting to see a demon rather than a spirit will see one if they allow preconceptions to cloud their view of the dream world. A doorway in the Fade is simply a transition - it could be used to reach almost anywhere one desired
In its raw form, The Fade is a twisted, frightening world of dark rock and raw veins where it is always night and gravity affects nothing equally. Fleshed out, The Fade is where one's mind goes when dreaming. It is a dreamworld where all dreams are thus believed to be connected in this space. People of Askeron visit the Fade mentally when they dream, even though they do not always remember the time spent there.
They say something called The Veil is a thin, metaphysical barrier that exists between Askeron and The Fade which keeps both reality and the dream-world intact. The other three known worlds (Avernos, Argenelle & Demiticus) are also blocked from The Fade by The Veil. The Fade and The Veil are like the membranes between worlds, though it's almost as if Askeron merges into The Fade during unconsciousness.
The merging was something believed to have been caused by mages who once broke through The Veil using portals. By poking holes in The Veil with glyphs, The Fade became apart of everyone's unconscious mind. The Fade created dreams. It is said that centuries ago, before glyphs were created, no one dreamed.
The only beings on Askeron who do not dream, or enter The Fade, are dwarves, goblins and gnomes. Demons from Demiticus and Angels from Argenelle say they did not dream prior to coming to Askeron.
Summoners today can create glyphs that bring them and others into The Fade (this is the only way dwarves, goblins and gnomes are able to enter) while conscious. Glyphs are the easiest and most common ways for one to experience The Fade while conscious, however very rare individuals have been able to lucid dream - to be aware and in partial control over the events that take place.
Daydreamer is a term used to reflect summoners that frequent The Fade through glyphs, visiting often enough that they're accustomed to its landscape. Some Daydreamers are known to be obsessive and almost addicted to life in The Fade, which begs the question of what reality they live in.
Spirits are beings who live in The Fade, overseeing its puppetry. However, when asleep The Fade may appear as something else entirely, shaped by dreams. Much of the Fade is split up into fiefs or demesnes belonging to the spirits that live there, and they change the landscape of the Fade to emulate what they see in the minds of mortal dreamers. They copy locations, objects, people and concepts of the real world, often in a cruel or confusing way. These copies are nowhere near consistent, and fluctuate according to the movement of the dreamers. Spirits whose realms are flocked with visitors rise to rule great portions of the Fade, while memories and concepts forgotten in the real world slowly drift away, the spirits who ruled them losing all potency.
According to several religious faiths the spirits of the Fade are the first children of the Maker. He turned his back on them because they lacked a soul– they could twist the Fade to their liking, but lacked the ability to imagine and create, and thus emulate their creator. The Maker created a new realm, separated from the Fade by the Veil, and this realm would be one that his new children could not alter at will: Askeron. These new children had the spark of the divine within them, and the Maker was pleased. Supposedly, ever since the Maker created His new children, the spirits from the Fade have watched humanity with curiosity and, in the case of the more malicious spirits, envy and desire. Thus, nightmares as well as happy dreams have always existed.
However, it was 21 years ago when The Nexus Project opened a glyph from inside The Fade and poked a hole in The Veil to Demiticus. For a brief period of time, demons had access to The Fade and thus to Askeron. There now exist what is called Night Terrors, which are nightmares inflicted by a demon in The Fade.
'Killing' a mortal's dreaming form while in the Fade (thus ending that individual's dream and waking them up) is a shock to the living body, but not normally lethal. However, daydreamers and demons are capable of killing others within The Fade, including other mortal OR dreaming forms, leading to a possible physical death on Askeron. Thus, Night Terrors can be extremely deadly - though not 100% of the time. The trick is to wake up before it's too late.
Gaps between dreams are such void places. “Demons and spirits do not create everything in the Fade. They set the stage, as it were, and we fill it with our own dreams and nightmares.”
Belief and willpower are paramount in the Fade. Everything that exists there exists by expression of thought and reflects expectations of the dreamer. People dream of their loved ones in the Fade because the spirits there recognize the bond between souls, and that bond has power in dreams. An individual expecting to see a demon rather than a spirit will see one if they allow preconceptions to cloud their view of the dream world. A doorway in the Fade is simply a transition - it could be used to reach almost anywhere one desired
THE NEXUS PROJECT
21 years ago a wizard by the name of Cotton led what was referred to as The Nexus Project. The intent of the project was to open a new door for summoning magic, to create ties with distant worlds that could be of mutual benefit. At least, that is what was publicly known of The Nexus Project. The project was highly secretive and hidden from the mass public. Today, all evidence from the project has since disappeared. What we do know is the aftermath that made a global impact.
A glyph was created in Eredor, a deserted city in Coredor that opened up to The Fade. A group of mages entered and proceeded to create a glyph inside The Fade. A portal was opened and remained open for nine weeks. Details get fuzzy here but the following is what has been pieced together:
A glyph was created in Eredor, a deserted city in Coredor that opened up to The Fade. A group of mages entered and proceeded to create a glyph inside The Fade. A portal was opened and remained open for nine weeks. Details get fuzzy here but the following is what has been pieced together:
- When the portal was open it was located on an isolated part of Demiticus, known as Assail. It went unnoticed for two full weeks.
- The wizards and witches of The Nexus Project attempted to summon a powerful being through the portal while in The Fade and what they got was a young Archdemon that immediately killed 2 of the wizards. That demon escaped. What they believe happened next changes the course of the world. That demon passed through the first glyph and entered Askeron.
- It was poorly assumed that the Archdemon, like all summons, would eventually be pulled back from whence it came, but because it crossed through a glyph it was no longer contained by its summon.
- The Nexus Project continued and summoned several more demons over the two week period. Conflict rose among the members of the Nexus Project but by two weeks rumors spread across the world rapidly about demons manipulating and occupying the dreamworld. Nightmares grew invasive, and more real by the day. On the 14th day there were reports of over 5,000 sleeping deaths (killings that occur in The Fade and cause actual death in reality). Sleeping deaths are remarkably rare and thus this fact alone had the entire world in a panic.
- The Nexus Project officially closed the glyph to Assail on day 15.
- However, it was already too late. By then an estimated 3,000 demons had invaded The Fade. It is believed that only 30 of them were actually summoned.
- This brings the question that demons from Assail discovered the glyph and were entering The Fade willingly and without known documentation from The Nexus Project.
- What made matters worse, was that if the demons could cross through the glyph from Assail, then they were also capable of crossing through the glyph to Askeron.
- About 1,000 demons now took up residency in both The Fade and Askeron. No one was safe in their sleep and now those nightmares followed them into the real world.
- It gets murkier from this point forward. On Day 16 the gylph to Assail was reopened by remaining members of The Nexus Project. This glyph was hidden deep within The Fade, as in intentionally hidden. It remained open for 7 additional weeks.
- On Day 51 Cotton, leader of The Nexus Project, was detained by Coredor government. Reports indicate that he refused to reveal the glyphs location, though some say he had lost its location entirely. Cotton appeared senile and showed mental deterioration.
- On Day 62 one of Cotton's associates, Circe, was captured. After intense interrogation she revealed the glyph. The glyph was closed on Day 63 by master mage leaders from Coredor, Highend, Fuwei and Odonata. Circe died two days later due to untreated injuries.
- After 9 solid weeks it was estimated that almost 50,000 demons had entered The Fade and Askeron. What followed is referred to as The War from Fade, also known as Devil's War.
DEVIL'S WAR
- Coredor's government noticed and anticipated an invasion of demons on Day 15. They put out a call for help on Day 16. On Day 24 of The Nexus Project the city of Trench was overtaken by demons. The city of Alross followed, seeing a surge of evil barrel through their walls by Day 28. By Day 35 the entire country of Coredor found themselves amidst a war.
- Fuwei was the first country to rise up to Coredor's call for help, immediately on Day 16. However, the rest of the world hadn't quite grasped what was happening - everyone else was already consumed with a spike in sleeping deaths. Confusion swept through the world and by the time anyone could figure it all out it was far too late.
- The Nexus Project wasn't found to be blamed until Day 45. It was only THEN that other countries responded to Coredor's cries, though even still the response was slow.
- Odonata, Highend, Algar, Zethea, Valhan and Hideaway thankfully all responded by Day 60. Coredor had already managed to track down multiple Nexus Project members, including Cotton. It was a small group of military officers from Highend and Hideaway who captured Circe, though it was Highend, Valhan and Coredor officers who performed the interrogations which contributed to her death.
- Cotton escaped prison weeks later, though most believed he succumbed to his death shortly after - he was so far gone mentally.
Devil's War had multiple sides to it. While half the war took place on Coredor and the rest of the Vortex islands, the other half was a global war, with The Fade used as its arena - demons attacked the world in its sleep. Devil's War went on for nearly a decade. Coredor was ripped apart from the inside out. However, something unexpected happened too. Not all of the demons wanted a war. A small portion of demons had actually traveled to escape their own terrors on Demiticus, they were seeking asylum.
Asylum seekers were not met with open arms. Instead, they became prisoners of war. The city of Trench was turned into a massive camp for demon prisoners. Many were abused through interrogations. To this day, Trench still holds up to 500 demons captive. Other asylum seekers were more lucky, fleeing to other countries and attempting to disgust themselves as human, waiting until the war's end.
Devil's War went on for more than a decade, roughly 11 years. At its end, they reported 40,000 demon deaths, which while may not appear like a lot for such a lengthy war, it's important to note that the majority of demons were in The Fade, rather than Askeron, which made them ten times harder to not only track down but to actually combat. It is said that only 634 demons were granted asylum during the war. Today, roughly 12,000 demons still haunt The Fade, while there are only about 2,000 demons alive on Askeron (numbers changing due to reproduction).
The 500 demons held captive in Trench are just a small portion still in captive today. They say an additional 600-800 demons are in prisons spread all over Askeron.
The remaining less than 1,000 demons live across the globe, attempting a normal life. At the end of the war several kingdoms came to an international agreement granting the remaining demons 'peace', to be treated like all other individuals on Askeron expected to abide by the laws. Other kingdoms were not so kind.