Abythos: The space between space
Currently working on adding lore to the Abythos section.
Nature
Abythos is the extra-spatial firmament from which all of Nihluma’s phenomenal power is derived. It is the home of the abyssal entities which influence all life in Lucidara.
Comprised of a mono-dimensional space, everything within it is formless, their essence overlaid on top of each other. From Lucidara’s perspective it exists everywhere and nowhere simultaneously. Beings within it have a subjective position derived from their perspective, from their belief that they are distant rather than an external metric like physical distance.
It exists between dimensions, beyond the reach of conventional physics or technology, and teems with the mysterious abythic power that permeates reality. For countless eons, Abythos has both terrified and enticed those daring enough to study its secrets.
Traveling backwards in time is impossible within Nihluma. Yet, within Abythos that fundamental truth can seem to break. As minds interact with abythic energy illusions of time distortion sometimes occur. Echoes of the past and shadows of possible futures blur the line of reality for those who enter it.
Separation From Lucidara
An existential barrier divides Abythos from Lucidara. Under normal circumstances, they remain separate, ensuring mortal life flourishes without constant interference from abyssal entities.
Powerful rituals or cataclysmic events can tear this boundary, allowing abythic energy and the horrors that dwell within it to flood the material realm. These breaches often unleash chaos, as unstoppable forces or mind-shattering abominations manifest in physical space.
Abythic Energy
Abythos is the primordial wellspring of abythic energy, the raw, untamed force capable of warping matter, spawning abyssal life, and bending mortal minds.
To the inhabitants of Nihluma, abythic energy isn’t “magic”, it as a extra dimensional energy as common as electricity. All extraordinary feats trace back to abythic or noethic energy. While noethic energies originate from mortal thoughts and emotions, abythic energy is the raw cosmic essence of Abythos itself.
Abythic power defies most mortal understanding. It can create or destroy with equal fervor, mutating landscapes, birthing twisted life-forms, or driving entire civilizations to ruin. Those who tap into it risk madness, aberrant transformations, or an ever-growing appetite for power.
Abyssal Entities
Abyssal beings dwell within Abythos, each linked to a unique concept (war, chaos, knowledge, etc.). They draw noethic energy from mortals who unconsciously “pull” raw Abythic currents across the veil.
While Abythic energy is the raw cosmic force, Abyssal Energy is refined by a specific entity’s tether (for instance, “Carnage” for war or “Nightmare” for terror). This synergy enables the entity to wield reality-shaping powers in Lucidara.
Without mortal resonance with thoughts and actions which echo those abyssal tethers, an abyssal being can slip into dormancy, effectively “starving” in the depths of Abythos. The moment mortals reawaken that tether, the entity stirs, eager to feed again.
Breaching the Veil
Cults or ambitious scholars sometimes open gateways into Abythos seeking boons or knowledge, typically at great peril. Though short-lived gains might arise, like powerful relics or superhuman abilities, the price usually includes corruption, betrayal, or far-reaching devastation.
Abyssal beings rarely speak directly. Instead, they manifest as vague portents or mental impressions, luring victims to their cause. This subtle manipulation can lead entire species astray, shaping the destiny of empires before anyone realizes the source of the influence.
Exploration
Abythos is as vast as imagination, unbounded by physical laws. Some scholars propose there are “layers” within Abythos, each resonating with a different conceptual tether, an eternal patchwork of overlapping horrors and wonders.
Though revered and feared, Abythos remains largely uncharted. Even the boldest species have barely scratched the surface of its true scale. Monstrous abominations, lost civilizations, or unspeakable cosmic anomalies could lie in wait.
Narrative role
As Nihluma’s technology advances and secrets spread, Abythos only gains in significance. More explorers and cultists alike attempt to harness its power, sparking conflicts that may reshape entire galaxies. Yet one constant remains: every expedition beyond the veil returns with new nightmares, if they return at all.
Abythos stands as a chilling testament to the boundless potential and peril lurking just beyond mortal perception. Whether you view it as a hallowed source of cosmic truth or a cataclysmic gateway to oblivion, one fact is undeniable. Those who learn to harness (or appease) Abythic forces will wield influence over the very fate of Nihluma.