Current of the World

The closer something gets to the falls at the edge of the world, the faster it will move towards them. It begs a question - if you were far enough from the falls, would the current cease?

— Khivis Lorovath

Just as the mass of the world draws matter towards it in the form of gravity, the World's Edge draws matter towards its waterfalls to the void in the form of the Current. This phenomenon results in great portions of the world falling over the edge every year, never to be seen again by mortal eyes.

Manifestation

The Current is hard to notice in most of the world, being a barely perceptible tug and shift in a southerly direction. Towards the World's Edge, however, this tug becomes a hauling force, and islands split apart and shatter under the force as they move to the waterfalls. This is best noticed from one of the four Laslin Cities, some of the few 'stationary' locations in the world, where the rush of the world is made terrifyingly obvious.
Folk tales abound of the Current having a 'physical presence', like beams of light or clawing incorporeal hands, which is only visible on days of ill omen. It is common belief that the Current only affects the land and sea, with no equivalent forceful breeze in the skies. However, nearest the waterfalls, the mass of sea spray can produce a similar effect and has been known to claim many a wayward wizard or inventor.

Localisation

While obviously more powerful the closer you are to the void-like source, the Current is believed to affect the entire world in some form or another. However, due to its sheer size and the difficulty of travelling to the northern extremes, it is hard to research or document its effect on distant lands with any clarity.
Notably, no phenomenon like the Current has been observed in any other planes - if it is present, it has no obvious source or 'end point' in those locations, or acts far slower and with less force. It isn't known why this solely occurs on the Material Plane, nor where matter that falls off the World's Edge ends up.

Type

Natural

When Taufa fell, I tell you, I saw grasping hands come over those damned falls and snap the pillars in their grasp! Grabbed aunty Qibys' home right up and took it over! Felt one of its fingers brush my leg, I did! Still got the scar where it clawed at me, before that aasimar swept me up and away.

— Zinxi Sanpal