Portals to the Sectors

Be wary of them. Whispers say that if you get too close you'll be sucked in; that demons will reach out and snatch you away; that you'll be killed before getting within 10 feet (3 meters). With our best observations being made from the safety of an Isles ship it is hard to know what is true and what is not. Godspeed to any who decide to research up close.

— Researcher Unknown

The portals to the Sectors are not well known, but for only being able to observe from far away and whispered tales from the days of the Undoing, the people of Oxerune have learned a fair amount. Most notably, however, is the apparent ability to travel smoothly between the Sectors and the world. Patrols of demons have been documented traversing between portals, and it is not uncommon to see armies wage war on our side, presumably to minimize the damage on theirs.

Manifestation

Portals to the Sectors manifest as vertical, swirling pools of light. What color the light is often depends on the Sector it is connected to. For example, the 5th Sector portal glows a pale blue color while the 4th Sector glows a fiery red. Portals left open for a long time often begin to change their immediate surroundings to be more like their associated Sector. The furthest documented terrain change was a 10 mile radius centered around a 1st Sector portal that had turned everything around it into a swamp. As the demonic energy and aether shift and collide, are the hell storms, detailed below. However, demonic energy is volatile and seems to react with nearly anything. It pools in unseen pockets, gathering potential until it suddenly explodes. The demons that use the portals seem unaffected by them, often navigating around them with ease before they even ignite.
Another common side effect of the portals, often centered around Hell's Scar, are the hell storms that accompany them. A combination of intense aether commingling with potent demonic energy from the portals creates storms of terrifying proportions. The storm clouds have an ethereal lilac glow and the lightning they spawn glows similarly. The storms often collide with each other but rather than the expected burst of thunder, instead a fiery explosion lights up the the hazy area. The rain burns all it touches and the parched ground is only further poisoned by it. Another side effect of the storms is the impermeable haze that few can see through unless blessed with sight in magical darkness or attuned with magic concentrated around the Scar itself. The occasional tornado may be seen if the cross winds kick up just right, consequently fire tornadoes aren't impossible either.

Localization

During what would be the final weeks of the Undoing, the newly awakened gods would come together to plan and attempt to save their world. Though they could not know at the time, their efforts would be successful. By their combined powers they sealed the demons back. However, the young gods were not strong enough to cut off the Sectors so instead they confined them to where the damage was the worst. The center of the world, Oxerune. The origin of the Undoing and the site of Hell's Scar were the most contaminated with demonic energy and so seemed the natural place to contain the damage.
It's not impossible for portals to appear outside the containment zone but it is highly unlikely. Portals that appear like this are often larger and more dangerous than the ones that appear within the containment zone. The amount of aether needed to forcibly create a portal outside of the zone creates larger portals which allow more monsters to come through. Should you find one, pray that your god is watching and takes swift action. Otherwise your only hope is to abandon the area and pray it's not too late.

Type

Metaphysical, Demonic