Etherio's Scar
Etherio's Scar is an artificial valley created during the Battle of the Mages in the First Great War. It consists of various unusual geographical formations that were created by the collision of several high-level arcane spells. During the battle, the flow of Ether began to destabilize, altering the capacity and effect of the more complicated spells. According to reports from both sides, it was Merlin Etherium himself who found a way to turn the fluctuation into a weapon, creating a series of consecutive aether explosions that unleashed a series of ether bursts, destroying the ancient plateau.
The wounds of that magical cataclysm can be seen from afar: fragments of the old plateau floating in the air, ether storm clouds over the valley, lightning traveling along the ground producing light but no sound, and even large pillars of Pure Ether. Additionally, spatial and temporal anomalies have been documented within it, from encounters with soldiers who were trapped in the burst to diaries describing the passage of days inside the Scar, which turned into hours upon returning.
Despite being called a plain for simplicity, the Scar actually has different geographical expressions that make less sense the deeper one ventures into it. The first thing to consider is that the external distance to the anomaly does not correlate with the internal one. If we were to draw an imaginary straight line parallel to the Scar, ignoring the existing geography, it would take 10 days to cross it. However, if we traveled ten days inside the Scar, we would have only crossed 10% of that line. This is not due to a temporal anomaly, although some theories include it, but because space seems to dilate the closer one gets to the center.
Considering this, five different types of geographical expressions on the ground have been discerned, of which only two are visible from the outside. Additionally, there are two aerial geographical expressions: the "floating islands" and the "floating aether crystals," although the latter are theorized since no one has gone far enough to make a direct visual confirmation. The terrestrial geographical expressions are: the polychromatic plains, the scar canyon, the aether gorge, the aether forest, and the ethereal lake (whose existence is theoretical).
There is an aether anomaly, believed to be at the epicenter of both the Scar itself and the origin of the Ether Burst that created it, that governs it the entirely. This has unpredictable properties that go beyond current knowledge of metaphysics and the functioning of magical forces. While one might think that the rarest anomalies are seen from the outside, with fragments of the ancient plateau floating or the ether storms that can only be found there, without a doubt, the temporal incoherence or spatial dilation undoubtedly take the top spots.
Although all these anomalies could be threatening in themselves, the greatest threat presented by the Scar is the high level of toxicity produced by the abundant presence, and in enormous quantities, of Pure Ether, a material that until now has only been found "naturally" (considering that the entire valley is artificial, calling it natural would not be entirely correct). The first reconnaissance missions took a large number of lives, both Human and Elven, most of whom perished some time after returning home, presenting conditions ranging from the disintegration of vital parts of their bodies to conditions discovered after studying the corpses.
Today, we have ways to travel inside relatively safely, thanks to the results we obtained from the testimonies and samples these heroes managed to collect, whether intentionally or accidentally. Thanks to their sacrifices, we were able to ensure that both the anomalies and the storms are contained within the Scar and do not spread outside.
The wounds of that magical cataclysm can be seen from afar: fragments of the old plateau floating in the air, ether storm clouds over the valley, lightning traveling along the ground producing light but no sound, and even large pillars of Pure Ether. Additionally, spatial and temporal anomalies have been documented within it, from encounters with soldiers who were trapped in the burst to diaries describing the passage of days inside the Scar, which turned into hours upon returning.
Note that from now on, the different forms of terrain will be referred to as geographical expressions, as it is impossible for us to estimate what is naturally or artificially formed.
Internal Geography
Despite being called a plain for simplicity, the Scar actually has different geographical expressions that make less sense the deeper one ventures into it. The first thing to consider is that the external distance to the anomaly does not correlate with the internal one. If we were to draw an imaginary straight line parallel to the Scar, ignoring the existing geography, it would take 10 days to cross it. However, if we traveled ten days inside the Scar, we would have only crossed 10% of that line. This is not due to a temporal anomaly, although some theories include it, but because space seems to dilate the closer one gets to the center.
Considering this, five different types of geographical expressions on the ground have been discerned, of which only two are visible from the outside. Additionally, there are two aerial geographical expressions: the "floating islands" and the "floating aether crystals," although the latter are theorized since no one has gone far enough to make a direct visual confirmation. The terrestrial geographical expressions are: the polychromatic plains, the scar canyon, the aether gorge, the aether forest, and the ethereal lake (whose existence is theoretical).
It should be noted that not everything the explorers have witnessed is true. On more than one occasion, there have been documented journeys of several days where it was never night. There have also been encounters with implausible situations, such as explorers finding their own corpses, discovering on them provisions and tools they had lost days before. For this reason, it is only possible to theorize about places and effects that very few explorers have described.
Magical Anomalies
There is an aether anomaly, believed to be at the epicenter of both the Scar itself and the origin of the Ether Burst that created it, that governs it the entirely. This has unpredictable properties that go beyond current knowledge of metaphysics and the functioning of magical forces. While one might think that the rarest anomalies are seen from the outside, with fragments of the ancient plateau floating or the ether storms that can only be found there, without a doubt, the temporal incoherence or spatial dilation undoubtedly take the top spots.
Although all these anomalies could be threatening in themselves, the greatest threat presented by the Scar is the high level of toxicity produced by the abundant presence, and in enormous quantities, of Pure Ether, a material that until now has only been found "naturally" (considering that the entire valley is artificial, calling it natural would not be entirely correct). The first reconnaissance missions took a large number of lives, both Human and Elven, most of whom perished some time after returning home, presenting conditions ranging from the disintegration of vital parts of their bodies to conditions discovered after studying the corpses.
Today, we have ways to travel inside relatively safely, thanks to the results we obtained from the testimonies and samples these heroes managed to collect, whether intentionally or accidentally. Thanks to their sacrifices, we were able to ensure that both the anomalies and the storms are contained within the Scar and do not spread outside.
Alternative Name(s)
The Scar
Location under
This is one of the more fun and interesting tumultuous regions. The shifting uncertainty of things reported once but not seen again or suggested. Toxicity of the ether - in pools, pillars or lakes. The flavor text boxes are good breaks and enhancements.
Thanks for the feedback. I have intention of expand it once Summer Camp awards ends, I was short in time. I'm still deciding on what colors should I use that will not hinder reading, do you prefer this "dark" kind of themes over more traditionals with bright background?
This background is good.