The Void

The void is a section...a part of the Maelstrom. Yet even the chaotic choirs of the Proteans tend to avoid the area. What this pocket of the void takes it has a tendency to keep.

The void drags chunks of reality to itself, forgotten, lost or moved. But only fragments and pieces. Within it floats an uncounted number of islands. From all across time, from across creation, from every plane, every dimension and every time touched by the maelstrom they are pulled.

Still, within the chaos, there is...order. A lighthouse at the heart of the void, distant but visible somehow no matter where one is that has a view of space. Around the lighthouse, the Inner Ring. The mostly stable islands, the ones that have remained around lighthouse as long as anyone can remember. Further out...the Outer Ring. Some islands here are stable for years, others for hours.

But among it all there is the void, and a strange order. Trains...tracks running from island to island. Some are built by mortal hands. And some simply come to be. Some are ancient beyond all reason...

The Inner Ring

The Inner Ring is the section of the void most, for lack of a better term, stable. Often larger, the size of nations or continents on a more traditional world, these areas are diverse in nature but easy to get to as each has a train station, a connection to the rail network. Below are some places of particular note.

The Lighthouse - The Lighthouse has many stories around it. Some say it stabilizes planar travel and soothes people as they slip into the void with many stories of people having seen the light and its warmth before arriving. Others say it controls planar travel and keeps the stable islands in line by tuning this area to it. Some say it's just...watching, waiting for something. It's appearance is ever changing
There are reports of damaged rails to it, but there has been no connection to it for a long time - and no one knows what is inside...

Olympia Station - Where the majority of new arrivals to the void begin. No one is entirely sure where the train that brings them comes from or where it goes, and attempts to find out haven't...ended well.

The Outer Ring

The more distant islands. Their number is uncounted. Some are more stable than others. Some seem to drift on the tides and currents of the void, appearing and going.

The Void Itself

The spaces between, the empty hunger. There are few real known facts about it, and many mysteries...where do the tracks come from? What keeps drawing so many things to it? Why are things pulled back? Many seek answers...

The void is lethal to the unprotected. The stable islands known tend to be safe, the carriages and trains are protected, but beyond that it is lethal. There is no air, no gravity, and something that causes mortal kind to sicken and die.

Still, ships do travel the void...slower, with more danger than the trains, but present. Delving into the void and finding things lost, untouched...valuable...is more common than you might think.

The void is also known to corrode. Occasionally great edifices of advanced magic and technology are dragged into the outer ring of the void and they...degrade. Within days they are non-functional, useful only as raw materials. But they are often a lot of raw technology.

Even within such a hostile environment, life goes on. Known Void fauna include oma, omaphins, voidclams, void turtles, voidair sharks, and there are reports of krakens in the void.
Recorded Void phenonmenon includes storms of various types up to hurricanes with torrents of magic and planar infusions, void mists that gives some void shielding of air and protection, but also extremely acidic, asteroids and other debris. There are also reports of phenomenon generated by the Lighthouse from dazzling light generated barriers and tales of very good Sun Dogs that help lost trains and travelers find their way.

Immutable Laws of the Void.

You cannot leave permanently without great effort. No single spell is powerful enough to defy the Void's pull, no item strong enough. Currently there is no known way, and the rumours regarding it suggests the method of leaving is unique to the person. Even the body, undead created from the body, or dust the body is reduced to are dragged back in no more than a month.

The more you leave the faster you are returned to the Void. There was once a proud wizard who simply Plane Shifted home each time he was drawn in. His time home started as weeks, then days, then hours. Then minutes. Then seconds. Only when he had remained in the Void for a year and more was he allowed to leave for longer.

The Void can only be safely travelled with a void shield or void suit. Spells may make it so you do not instantly melt, but will not negate the damage entirely. As the source of this danger is currently unknown it cannot be negated.

Technology is corroded by the Void. Anything more advanced than Steam Powered is destroyed within a month. Magical alternatives are being researched but are rare, unusual and not in common circulation.

No one has ever entered the Lighthouse at the heart of the Void. It can be approached, but there is no known way to enter it. No one who has attempted to damage the tower for entry has ever returned, so no one knows exactly what happens when it's done.

So far, there is only one known exception to the above rules:

If an island vanishes it takes its population with it. This is quite prevalent in the Outer Ring, but is generally not seen as a way to escape. Such populations are either unchanged when the island returns...or completely different. Or simply gone. An island leaving seems to rarely return to where it originally came from.

Void Combat:

While we recommend Pathfinder Ship Combat and Advanced Naval Combat rules, GMs are allowed to run Void Combat as they see fit.

Table of Contents

Introduction
The Inner Ring
The Outer Ring
The Void Itself
Immutable Laws of the Void
Void Combat