The Fractures

The Fractures are cracks in the very fabric of reality. These cracks can be anywhere from a single mile long to two hundred miles long. Surrounding the Fractures is nothing, no plants, no animals, just death and decay. These cracks are created by extreme disturbances in reality. The biggest fracture known is D.C Fracture. Which first appeared in 2018 when Lucifer launched an attack against the capital of the U.S, Washington D.C that was so severe that a fracture appeared through the middle of the city dividing it into two.

Manifestation

The cracks themselves are pitch black, devoid of any light, extending infinity inwards. Their jagged shape is sharp and uneven, resembling cracks in glass or fissures in stone. Surrounding the edges of the Fractures is an iridescent glow that constantly shifts and pulsates. These shimmering colors—ranging from deep purples and eerie greens to bluish tints—ripple across the crack’s surface, creating a strange, hypnotic effect. The space around a Fracture is visibly warped, bending light and distorting the view of the surrounding landscape. Structures, objects, and even people appear stretched or twisted near a Fracture, as if being gravitationally pulled toward the rift. The air is thick with an unseen pressure, making it hard to breathe or move freely. Time seems to blur; observers may experience a slow-motion effect when looking directly at the crack, their perceptions becoming unreliable.
Occasionally, streaks of energy arc across the surface of the Fracture. These ripples often resemble purple lightning or aurora-like waves, crackling silently across the void. They flare unpredictably, especially when disturbed by nearby entities, emitting faint flashes of light as if reality itself is sparking from the stress. These energy waves are remnants of the metaphysical chaos between the planes, particularly where the Living Plane intersects with the In Between Place and the Abyss.
The area surrounding a Fracture is stark, barren, and lifeless. Vegetation close to the Fracture wilts quickly, turning an ashen gray before crumbling to dust, as though all life force is sucked out. Trees bend and crack, the ground becomes brittle and dry, and nothing new grows. Any organic material decays at an accelerated rate. The air feels heavy, oppressive, and often smells faintly of sulfur or burning metal, a byproduct of the metaphysical contamination.
Animals that wander too close to a Fracture are often found dead, their bodies twisted into unnatural shapes. Their limbs are contorted, skin pulled taut or wrinkled, and they often show signs of accelerated decomposition. Some animals are found petrified in place, their eyes wide with terror as they face the abyss. More terrifying are instances where animals are found frozen in time—suspended mid-motion, their bodies caught in a ripple of distorted space, forever trapped in a moment of agony or panic.
One of the more eerie aspects of a Fracture is the sound—or the lack thereof. Standing near a Fracture, there's a noticeable absence of natural sounds. The wind, normally a constant in the environment, grows silent. No birds sing, no insects hum. Instead, there is a faint hum that comes from the Fracture itself—a low, almost imperceptible buzzing, as though reality is vibrating around the crack. Occasionally, the Fracture emits deep, resonant groans, as if the universe itself is straining under the pressure. When the fracture "flashes" with purple or green energy, there’s a sudden, sharp crack like distant thunder, followed by a long, eerie silence.
Above the Fractures, the sky takes on a different appearance than usual, even in broad daylight. Dark clouds gather unnaturally fast, swirling in vortex patterns as though drawn toward the tear in reality. These clouds, tinged with dark purples and greens, give off a faint, unsettling glow, making the sky seem as if it's under constant twilight, even at noon. At night, the effects are more pronounced, with the auroras stretching across the sky in strange, unpredictable patterns, flickering like distant flames.
Similar to the auroras caused by solar winds, the magnetism around a Fracture interacts with the natural energy fields of the planet, causing surreal displays in the sky. Purples, greens, and deep reds streak across the horizon in ghostly patterns, moving erratically rather than flowing naturally. These auroras are accompanied by occasional electromagnetic pulses, causing disruptions in technology and electrical systems nearby.
In extreme cases, gravity itself is affected near larger fractures. Objects may float for short moments, only to slam back into the ground with unexpected force. Compasses spin wildly, electronics malfunction, and even natural forces like wind and water currents behave unpredictably, as if space and time themselves are being unstitched around the fracture.

Localization

Fractures are not limited to specific geographic regions and can manifest anywhere in the universe where reality experiences an extreme disturbance. These disturbances could be triggered by cataclysmic events, intense magical or metaphysical energy surges, or even by direct intervention from higher beings like Lucifer. The localization of Fractures is unpredictable, and their occurrence is influenced by the stability of the fabric of reality in that particular area.

The Abominations

Abominations are drawn to Fractures, because the fractures provide a weak point between the realms, allowing these creatures to more easily slip between dimensions. They can emerge from a Fracture unpredictably, and while near a rift, their powers of influence over the physical world are at their peak. They manipulate their surroundings with ease—causing objects to levitate, distorting sound, or even warping the thoughts of living beings nearby.

Management

The Fractures pose an existential threat to reality, as they tear at the very fabric of existence, allowing destructive forces from the Abyss and the In Between Place to spill into the Living Plane. Managing these dangerous anomalies requires a coordinated effort involving powerful celestial entities, specialized organizations, and highly advanced magical and technological methods.
In order to contain the power of the Fractures, Divine Barriers are erected around them. These barriers are complex magical structures composed of powerful soul energy and divine sigils. They act as a buffer zone between the Fracture and the surrounding environment, containing the dangerous energy emissions and preventing further spreading. High-ranking Angels or celestial beings draw sigils of containment around the Fracture using divine language, essentially writing spells directly into the fabric of reality. These sigils bind the Fracture and slow its spread, often glowing with ethereal light that signifies their protective power. Sometimes, physical structures known as Warding Spires are erected around a Fracture site. These spires are tall, crystalline obelisks imbued with both divine and arcane magic that continuously broadcast a stabilizing force field, preventing nearby rifts from expanding or merging with other weak points in reality. They function as power anchors that ground the plane in place, making it harder for the Abyssal energy to spread.
Ritual magic is often employed to cleanse the areas surrounding Fractures, especially those tainted by Abyssal energies or plagued by Abominations. These rituals are necessary to restore balance and purify the landscape so that life can return. Cleansing rituals are often performed by both celestial beings and high-level mages, these rituals involve invoking the power of the gods or higher celestial forces to drive out the corruption and seal the weakened areas of reality. The rituals are often long and complex, requiring multiple participants chanting in unison, the creation of sacred symbols, and the use of rare ingredients like divine dust or sanctified water.
If a Fracture is too powerful to be contained by regular means, Abyssal Sealing procedures are invoked. These are rare and complex magical operations that call upon the power of the gods themselves or other extremely powerful entities. In desperate situations, rituals are performed to summon a god or higher celestial force capable of dealing with a Fracture directly. These beings can mend the very fabric of the universe, but their involvement comes at great cost—sometimes in terms of resources, but often in terms of life or the risk of further disruption to reality. Ancient divine artifacts such as seals of binding or celestial crystals may be used to anchor unstable areas in place. These artifacts hold immense power and are often safeguarded by powerful organizations or temples, only brought out in the direst of circumstances.

The Fracture Containment Task Force (FCTF)

While celestial beings are pivotal, mortal organizations have also developed strategies to contain the Fractures. The Fracture Containment Task Force (FCTF) is an elite organization of humans, mages, and other entities who work to manage the physical effects of the Fractures on the Living Plane.
Technological Measures
The FCTF utilizes highly advanced technology, such as reality stabilizers and nullification devices, to mitigate the effects of the Fractures. These devices use a combination of quantum mechanics and metaphysical principles to create localized fields that counteract the distortions caused by the Fractures.

• Reality Stabilizers: These are portable devices that emit waves of stabilized reality energy, essentially locking the area into a fixed state of space-time, which slows or halts the spread of the Fracture.
• Nullification Fields: These devices create zones of nullified metaphysical energy, suppressing the dangerous emissions from the Fracture and neutralizing any supernatural effects, such as electromagnetic disturbances or gravity anomalies.

Mage Teams
Highly trained mages are deployed to Fracture sites to weave complex spells that can reinforce the reality around the tear. Using a combination of elemental magic, wards, and binding rituals, these mages work alongside celestial beings to strengthen the fabric of reality where it’s weakest. Some specialized mages can even project themselves into the metaphysical realms, directly engaging the forces from the In Between Place or Abyss.
Fracture Wardens
This special division of the FCTF is composed of individuals with unique abilities to sense and interact with the metaphysical. Some are psychics who can detect reality distortions before they fully manifest, while others are mystics capable of temporarily closing minor fractures through intense focus or meditation. They work in tandem with the main force, providing early warnings of developing Fractures.

Type

Metaphysical