Void Nodes
|
There are many magical marvels within our world, many of which simply lying in wake, waiting to be discovered. Focus crystals, mana streams, and many other such oddities cover our world, the very fringes of Void and our Realm constantly toying at each other. However there is still greater mysteries yet unsolved. Long ago in the lands of Anthos, rumors spread about a mystical place beneath the Wyverwyn College. A place with immense power, and seemingly born from whimsical essence. Alas, these caverns were not as innocent as the rumors would have foretold.
Void Nodes, metaphorical holes within our realm which leak massive amounts of energy. Void Nodes rarely take definable shape, sometimes an old tree, or perhaps a giant stone sphere. It has also been documented that a Void Node once took the shape of a rift, seemingly into the Void. The reason this happens is beyond our comprehension, and most likely simply the chaotic nature of how the Void functions. It should be noted, due to the ludicrous amount of energy which pours from these holes, the vicinity of the Node can disrupt Voidal magics, making them unstable and unwieldy. It has been recorded of brave mages attempting to harness this power, however to no avail. Only stories and legends depict few mages who can harness this intense power, and use it to their benefit.
This is also to imply that this mass amount of mana has the capability to affect the wildlife, and fauna around it. Mutating mana, and therefor life, altering it into great monstrosities, or possibly interesting applications for the denizens of Athera. However this leaking energy isn’t the only harm these Nodes can offer; Nodes have been recorded to implode seemingly randomly, or explode if its form is disrupted with a massive force. Although the likelihood of purposely exploding a Node is slim, the thought of settling around one of the Nodes is certainly discomforting. The outcome of these hazards have caused great changes, specially beneath the Wyverwyn College, and yet hold the ability to forever change our plane.
Hollowed Lands, or otherwise known as The Hollows, is the devastating outcome of massive magical explosions, or implosions; leaving nothing but a wake of destroyed, magically scarred land. This outcome has been recorded to be mainly caused by Voidal Nodes, however Hollows can also be formed via any massive accumulation of mana, it simply needs a reaction suitable to its size to set off. The land, wildlife, and fauna caught in the wake of this explosion can permanently alter, forming into abominations, or oddities never before seen by mortal eyes. The possible outcomes that are present with this are beautiful, yet terrifying; as these altered wildlife and fauna are capable of being docile, or incredibly dangerous, it’s all quite random.
Physical devastation to the land isn’t the only detriment these Hollows provide, but also an emotional and mental one as well. Perhaps the sight of the Hollows is what causes it, maybe it’s the discomforting sensation they provide, or perhaps there’s a deeper manipulation of the senses at work; one thing is certain, staying within the Hollows for extended periods of time can cause mental decay, emotional outbursts, and other such unpleasant symptoms. These effects are rarely permanent, and can vary depending on the Hollows in question. Simply put, the Hollows are certainly not a desirable place to settle, as long term exposure can cause issues.
There is a difference of results between explosion, and implosion Hollows.
Explosion: Generally crystalline in appearance, beautiful yet grim. It seems to cause severe mutation to animals, plants, and the land as a whole. This is known as a “magical scar” on the land, and its appearance certainly displays such. These explosions of mana tend to be large in radius.
Implosion: When a Node implodes, the result is far more bizarre and other-worldly. Rocks churn into pianos, walls of stone form into millions of unreadable books of gibberish, and flying railcars float about. This version of the Hollows is far more rare, and is often found deep in caves, hidden from the world.
And so ends this entry, and this lesson. Great beauty often times comes with great sacrifice.
Journal entry: Voidal Nodes and Hollows
Here’s some OOC notes for both Nodes, and Hollows.
Voidal Nodes:
The mana being spewed from the Node is so intense, it can actually negatively affect your spells. Much like how Arcane Wards work, it makes magics more difficult to cast.
Normal players cannot harness the mana from Void Nodes. This is purely reserved for ET, and LM event purposes.
Void Nodes can be felt by well attuned Mages, and Druids, as it’s a natural occurrence. However the feeling is vague, unless if in clear sight of the Node.
Nodes can alter wildlife around it, however only to minute extents, generally forming crystalline formations on plants and animals alike, surely a strange mutation.
Location of Void Nodes are up to the digression of the LM team, so if you “have one”, check in with the LM team to ensure this is cannon. Otherwise, it’s null.
Hollowed Lands:
Hollows are to be approved, and are made via ET, for event purposes.
Considered a natural disaster, however also a beautiful wonder.
Consumes large portions of land, depending on the size of the explosion/implosion.
Drastically altered wildlife and fauna, which offers a whole new possibility for creature/fauna lore, which pertains to exploded Hollowed lands.
Imploded Hollows has far more peculiar results, and allows for even more event-based freedom.
Hollows offer mental deterioration, however this is depending on ET or LM digression, for specific Hollows in question.
Hollows are not simply reserved for Voidal Nodes, and can be caused by other disasters such as large mana reactions, or simply a natural disaster-like scenario in an event line. Once more up to the discretion of ET and LM once the event arises.
Manite, Void Gems, and The Galvanized - An Expansion of Hollows
| On Hollows
It is no mystery, to those inclined to learn, that magic and the void are corruptive forces. The weakness of magi is but the first sign of this truth, though it is without a doubt one of the more mild forms. The true depth of this corruption is rarely seen, even by the most accomplished of magi.
Through the history of the descendants, on numerous occasions the Hollows, pinnacle of the void’s corruption, have manifested. While the basics of such a blight are well-known to those studied in them, little has been determined as to what lies in the depths of such a place.
Few could imagine what lies below, its wonders and its horrors.
Overview As has already been ascertained, a Hollow is the result of magical calamity. A burst of energy, be it from a Node or some other disaster, is the typical cause for this blight to appear. Sometimes this occurs deep underground, where it's true nature may never be seen. Sometimes, on the surface where it shall forever scar the world with the Void’s potential.
Within the bounds of a Hollow, the world changes dramatically. A perpetual fog covers the sky, and all sorts of unnatural creations exist. The sun is unseen, the area remaining in a constant state of near dark. Time and space seem to follow their own rules within a Hollow, and direction and size are meaningless. One might travel north for hours through one, only to end up at the southern border mere minutes after he’d entered.
It is a dismal and treacherous place. Few ever seek to enter, and fewer ever return.
Effects While occupying space within the physical realm, a Hollow seems to follow few of its properties. Time, Space, even life itself are far changed once one enters its bounds.
Physical Properties A Hollow’s overall appearance and layout is based on what the location of it was prior. A region once mountainous will be mountainous, a region once urban will be urban, so on. However, those who may have been acquainted with the region prior to the formation of its Hollows will notice that the layout of the area has changed. A city might find two buildings, once on opposite ends, sharing a wall. Cellars will lead to other cellars in an impossibly labyrinthine passage, ever leading down. Mountains will have newfound passages and caves, always leading down but never seeming to get any lower. Pathways, of some sort, are apparent, in all cases, leading ever-downward in some fractal pattern.
As was already known, the nature of a Hollow’s appearance also depends on the type of explosion, though it's patterned depths remain in either. An Explosive Hollow will have its crystalline appearance, and an implosive Hollow it's wildly transmuted one.
Mana is dense in the air, as well as everything else within the Hollows. Any metals in the area take on the properties of Arcanium, though any attempts at harvesting it are likely to end in failure. Stone itself has taken on a similar nature, transforming into a substance that one mage promptly named Manite, for its special properties.
In the deepest reaches of a Hollow, small, brightly glowing white crystals form - the true treasure of this unmade land. Coveted by enchanters for their seemingly infinite mana-supply, entire expeditions into a Hollow would be considered a success if merely one such gem was found.
The Galvanized Inside a Hollow, life is a cruel imitation of what lies outside. Terrors are commonplace, and Horrors are not particularly rare. Furthermore, the corpses of those who perished, be them man or beast, often find themselves rising - mere puppets to the mana coursing through them. These aberrations, dubbed ‘The Galvanized’ mindlessly wander the depths of the Hollow, and make up the most common creatures within. These creatures act as puppets, apparently controlled by the more dangerous Terrors and Horrors lurking within the region. They act as violent husks, attacking any not as corrupted as they with both physical blows and bursts of unstable magical energies, taking the forms of the five elemental evocations.
The Galvanized are not solely of the corpses of men - any once living, pliable tissue is vulnerable to this process. A Hollowed forest might be home to Galvanized bears, charging forth with ferocity and spewing voidal flame, for example.
They are puppets, rather than undead. More similar to an atronach or conjuration creature than a necrolyte. Holy magics are not without effect on them, but nor are they particularly powerful. The only reliable way to kill a Galvanized is to destroy its physical form.
Like the Hollows themselves, the Galvanized are affected by the nature of its creation. An explosion Hollow will result in crystalline figures, with growths on their bodies whereas an Implosion Hollow will result in morphed and disfigured creatures.
Manite and Void Gems
Manite and Void Gems are the two treasures that of a Hollow. Like everything else within the region, they are objects that have been bombarded with obscene amounts of mana, giving them strange new properties.
Manite
Manite is the most common of the two, usually forming where any exposed stone was present. Manite is typically found as a dark blue or purple color, and exhibits two immediate traits.
Variable Mass - When affected by alteration, particularly transmutation, manite displays a trait that, by all rights, should not exist. Using transmutation to change the size and shape of such a stone does not merely shift the stone, but adds to it or subtracts from it. This process becomes increasingly harder, as the mass changes further from its original value, but through transmutation a skilled transfigurationist can shift a given sample to anywhere between one tenth its original size and mass, to ten times that original. The stone does not lose density in this process, as the vast amount of mana that seeped into the stone seems to evoke or discard material as necessary to maintain its original density.
Telekinetic Assistance - Telekinesis as well has special effects on Manite. The massive mana reserve within the stone seems to lend itself to any telekinetic spell used on it. It roughly matches the force applied to it, causing the given spell to be about twice as powerful as it would be otherwise.
Red Line
Transmuted Manite cannot exceed one tenth, or ten times the original mass. For archons, this extends to one fifteenth and fifteen times.
The true treasure of a Hollow, the Void Gems are incredibly rare, incredibly powerful items. Usually found as tiny shards, larger gems are exponentially rarer than smaller ones, and almost always found in the deepest reaches of a Hollow.
Functionally, Void Gems are almost identical to Mana Gems with one major distinction - they absorb ambient mana from around them, passively recharging at a slow rate. This effect is not grand enough to show any adverse reactions in the surrounding area, but the gem will slowly regain mana until it reaches its capacity - an amount that is fairly larger than managems of the same size.
This recharging is a slow process, not unlike the similar effect that normal managems undergo when near a tear. A Void Gem will not last forever when active. In addition, its output is restricted by the size of a gem. Smaller gems can only output a stream of mana large enough for smaller enchantments. Gems large enough to supply mana to larger devices such as Atronachs are nearly impossible to find.
In addition, the gems themselves cannot be magically altered, only bound to an enchantment. Shards cannot be transmuted together, and any adjustment in shape or size is done only by physically cutting the gem - a process that irreversibly lessens its power.
One cannot RP the use of a Void-Gem without possession of a ET-Approved item representing one. These are meant to be rare rewards, not a staple in enchanting.
Void Gems large enough to be capable of powering large devices, such as Atronachs, require LM approval.
The size and shape of a Void Gem can only be changed through cutting it, transmutation of these gems is impossible. |
