The Beneath is a spiritual realm which Idalos sits atop, close to it but very rarely touching it. Those who find their way to the Beneath will quickly realise that, to a greater or lesser extent, it is always an odd reflection of the physical realm, typically a dull and muted echo.

The Beneath existed before there were mortals and before there were ghosts. It was originally the home of spirits alone. The Induk spirit, Idalos, resided here as the physical world was being created but it is unknown whether Idalos created the Beneath or was itself born there. It was once a wild place, rampant with extremely bright colours and fantastic concepts. However, when mortals came into the world and began dying, the Beneath splintered, the spirits retracting some of their influence so that certain areas became dull. Over time, these dull areas became the homes for souls while the spirits kept themselves apart from them, still weaving their colourful visions.

Landscape of the Beneath

The Beneath is inhabited by souls and spirits but the two groups are largely divided from one another. The Beneath has two distinct layers: Remnants and Imaginings. These layers are typically separated from each other, almost sitting on top of each other - similar to the relationship between the Beneath and Idalos - almost touching but not quite. Spirits can travel between the two layers, creating Veils as they do so as the skin between layers is damaged and weakened or ‘thinned’ over time. However, souls and living mortals are restricted to the Remnants unless the Veils grow exceptionally thin.

Immortals have the ability to move between the two layers but passing into the Imaginings is uncomfortable for them and can be difficult for them to do, especially if there are strong Anak or Induk residing within them.

When a person dies, their soul undergoes judgement, which takes place in the Beneath. The place of judgement is a temporary one, which appears when needed and is not quite in phase with the rest. Is a closed section and cannot be wandered into by anyone - spirit, soul, even Immortal - without an invitation.

Remnants

Remnants are echoes of the physical, Idalosian landscape. Colours and sounds are muted with much of the vibrancy of the physical realm missing. The realm is full of whispers, conversations just out of hearing, closer to a breeze rustling through leaves than mortal voices. The light is unchanging, no distinction between trial and night so that those who reside there have no sense of time passing in the half-light.

The realm is populated by the souls of the dead who did not follow Vri or their patron Immortal. It is also the place where Famula and her marked followers can find and guide lost souls, giving them another chance to move on or work in service of Famula. The souls in the Remnants only have a vague awareness of those in the physical world unless the living do something to grab their attention. Souls are also largely unaware of the existence of the Imaginings, even if they occupy the same space as one, unless they encounter them through a thinning Veil.

Imaginings

Like souls, the various spirits in the Beneath have their own pocket areas in this realm called the Imaginings. Before there were mortals, the Beneath was entirely composed of Imaginings where the spirit Idalos first dreamed up the world. Imaginings are influenced by the spirits within them, changing in response to representations of concepts within them. They are areas charged with wild and largely untamed energy, mined from mortals in Idalos and produced by the spirits themselves. Most of this energy is the energy of potential and what might be, particularly coming from Concepts.

No two areas of Imaginings look exactly the same although to mortal senses, they tend to be exceedingly bright and colourful, especially after the muted condition of the Remnants. Imaginings are too vibrant, too loud and too overwhelming for mortals and even Immortals. For those who pass through a Veil into an Imagining, either by mistake or on purpose, will find their senses overwhelmed left feeling as if they’re stumbling blindly through the realm. It is like being caught in a kaleidoscopic hurricane, a constant sense of movement and colours. It is difficult to latch onto anything although someone might gain the impression of certain Concepts before they slip away. For those who enter Imaginings, their head will feel like it’s exploding and they will have a terrible sense of vertigo.

While mortals cannot typically open an entryway into Imaginings, they can create exits. Imaginings are alien landscapes to those who enter them and thus, those who stumble into the Imaginings will often want to escape them as soon as possible. Imaginings can also respond to the minds of those who enter them, not just to spirits, and so they can be made to spit out their hapless victims. If a veil thins to a point where Imaginings and Remnants bleed into one another then Imaginings will typically push unwilling interlopers to the edge of their domains and as close to Remnants’ space as possible.

Immortals are also disorientated within the Imaginings although they have a better ability to anchor themselves and those they bring with them into the space although Ashan has a distinct advantage here, as do those associated with him. Their marked, or their Mortalborn children, will be able to better endure the unusual landscape through their connection to their patron Immortal or Immortals. The more powerful the mark, or depending on Mortalborn abilities, the more grounded they are although the marked of those Immortals who have dominion in the Beneath will fare best of all. Although it is easier for Immortals to enter this space than their mortal counterparts, it is still exceedingly unpleasant, especially as they have some vulnerability while inside an Imagining. Their presence can be enough to open an Emean Convergence connected to their own domains and some of the wildness of the Imaginings can bleed into Emea, which causes a deep feeling of disturbance within the Immortal. As such, they try to avoid entering the realm of spirits unless absolutely necessary.

Veils

A natural skin lies between Remnants and Imaginings and when something pierces it, Veils are formed. Veils are the manifestation of the divide, a sign of damage although most are unaware of that fact, especially as they’re a frequent sight in the Beneath. They appear whenever something passes between the two layers, typically spirits moving into Remnants, but they can heal over time if they don’t sustain any further damage.

Veils appear as visual disturbances, the surface rippling and moving constantly in a way that might cause some to observe that they seem alive. They appear to hang in the air, their exact dimensions difficult to determine and staring at them doesn’t help.

Veils sometimes grow thick and opaque, and sometimes grow thin like a gauzy film. Even when thickened, the Veils do not seem substantial but instead appear to be a thick fog that can be walked through. For most, it is impossible to walk through this ‘fog’, the Veil always seeming to shift away. It is possible to walk forward and have it manifest behind you although there is no sensation or sign that you’ve passed through it aside from its new location.

Most souls don’t seem to notice veils until they grow thin although those that still retain their former mortal traits might find that curiosity draws them to investigate these areas. However when veils grow thin, most souls will become aware of them, except perhaps for Whispers. A thin Veil enables Remnants and Imaginings to bleed into each other as elements of the two areas can mingle and souls can drift into Imaginings for a time.

Place of Judgement

When a mortal dies, they leave their previous lives behind but don’t quite move onto the next. Before they can pass on with Vri or are left to wallow in the Beneath, every soul must be judged. Upon their arrival in the Beneath, the newly dead souls find themselves cocooned in their own bubble of time, which is a boon granted by Ralaith, and separates them from the normal run of things in the realm of the dead. They might catch glimpses of life - or un-life - beyond this pocket but they are mere shades and cannot be interacted with. For those who pass on with Vri, they will never get a chance to see anything beyond these shadowy glimpses.

Once the newly dead arrive in the Beneath, time seems difficult to judge, feeling both fleeting and eternal before Pier & Pre arrive, arguing prior to the Judgement. Vri appears after them, followed by any Immortals who marked the soul while they were alive. The Immortals have plenty of opportunity to debate among themselves as this bubble of time will hold until the Judgement is complete. A Judgement can seem to last for bits, breaks, trials, seasons or even longer, but it is mere moments to others, a flicker in the Beneath. Most who witness it won’t understand what they’re seeing but for those who know something of the process, they might be able to see a great deal in that flicker - a glimpse of the shapes within it.

Denizens of the Beneath

Souls

When someone dies, they pass into the Beneath for judgement by the Immortals but not everyone leaves. For those souls who refuse to pass on with Vri or their patron Immortal, they are left to wallow in the Beneath, beginning their new undead life as an Echo. Over time, these ghosts lose the shape, personality and memories that they held in their mortal lives and descend into madness, gaining ghostly strength in the process, or being fed on by others of their kind. These souls are known as Ghosts. For more information about souls then please see the Spirit Primer.

Spirits

Lifeforms composed of ephemera, spirits are the original inhabitants of the Beneath. There are different kinds of spirits with varying strengths and abilities. They typically reside in the Imaginings although they can cross into the Remnants if they are inclined to do so. Not all spirits can move from the Beneath into Idalos. For more information about spirits, please see the Spirits Primer.

• Anak: Anak are spirits that embody a single specific concept, such as Snow, Water, Anger (known as Wraithlings) and so on
  • Weak anak, either newly born or embodying an unusual concept, are unable to pass into Idalos and are unlikely to slip into the Remnants as they are vulnerable there.
  • Stronger anak are known to make forays into Idalos to feed on their concepts although they prefer the safety of the Beneath, particularly the Imaginings
• Diri: Spirits with greater sentience than their Anak counterparts and they have a purpose or focus that drives them, such as a desire to consume ether (e.g. Harvesters) or act as the spiritual companion to a mortal (e.g. Familiars)
  • Diri are drawn out of Imaginings and into Idalos by means of a Beacon. These Beacons can be a mortal that wishes to link with them, as in the case of common Familiars (e.g. Harvesters) and Ose-bori, or the will of an Immortal, which draws diri of specific types out of Imaginings to become companions to their marked.
  • Diri cannot enter Idalos without being called by a Beacon.
• Induk: These are very powerful Concept spirits that have a number of sub-concepts that fall under their purview. These often take over whole areas, such as the Induk of Wisp Wood.
  • Induk have the ability to move in and out of Idalos without difficulty although they sometimes rip open massive vergences in the process

Travelling to and from the Beneath

Most mortals have no access to the Beneath or any inkling of how close it is to them. They may occasionally see manifestations of spirits in Idalos but they do not have the ability to see into the spiritual realm or cross into it except under extremely unusual circumstances. The Zuuda, Famula’s marked, have abilities that enable them to enter and traverse the Beneath in a protected guise and it is the main way that mortals enter that realm. It is a rare thing to accidentally step through a hole into the Beneath but an unlikely possibility that leads to horrible consequences.

Vergences

Holes sometimes appear between the physical world and the Beneath, breaking down the barrier between them to allow spirits entry into Idalos. These holes are called Vergences and come in three sizes.

Small Vergences

• Creators:
  • Humans can open small Vergences by embodying a particular Concept strongly enough. It is possible for them to create Anak spirits, which may be visible to the human before they pass into the Beneath
  • Anak can open small Vergences in areas that are strongly imbued with their Concept. They sneak into Idalos to feed on the Concept before sliding back into the Beneath as quickly and quietly as possible
• Users:
  • Anak can enter into Idalos this way.
  • Mortals can enter through these on very, very rare occasions as it’s very difficult to do given the size of the opening and the brief span when it exists.
• Frequency:
  • Human-made Vergences are rare as it takes heavy embodiment of a concept to bring an Anak into existence.
  • Anak-made Vergences are uncommon as an Anak must be sufficiently strong to open a Vergence and crossing into Idalos makes it vulnerable. They are likely to appear in areas that have very recently been home to heavy Concept embodiment. Places with a long history of Concept embodiment are more likely to attract Vergences from much stronger spirits.
• Impact: Low
• Duration: Typically remain open for a few bits to half a break. Very rarely, they will remain open for up to one whole break
• Examples:

1. Mortal-made: Bob the Farmer becomes quite angry one trial after some meddling kids trample all over his vegetables and let loose all his animals. He is so furious at having his livelihood messed with that the man goes on a rampage in the local village. He finds an axe and smashes windows, breaks down doors, and dismantles fences. Ultimately, he causes a lot of damage and makes a great big mess before the villagers manage to tackle him and calm him down. His anger is so great, so powerful that unbeknownst to him, he creates a Wraithling, a spirit of rage that finds itself on the wrong side of the divide between Idalos and the Beneath. His rage created it and in the process, a small Vergence is created so that it can go to the Beneath where it belongs.
2. Anak-made: An anak that embodies Laughter might find itself drawn to a comedy show where everyone is revelling in the mirth of the moment. Its concept is so strong that it cuts through the divide between realms, creating a small Vergence as it quickly dips in and feasts before slipping back into the safety of the Beneath.

Large Vergences

• Creators: Common Familiars/Ose-bori and mortals (together); Immortals; powerful Anak

• Users:
  • Familiars: Ose-bori, Common and Blessed (see the Familiar Primer)
  • Powerful Anak
  • Humans: Rarely although they have a higher chance of passing through Large Vergences by mistake than small ones

• Frequency:
  • Diri/Ose-bori and mortals: Highly uncommon but such Vergences are typically formed by an agreement between a mortal and a common Familiar (e.g. Harvesters), or a common purpose between a mortal and their Ose-bori.
  • Immortals: Highly uncommon to rare depending on the Immortal. They only create Large Vergences to allow Blessed Familiars to pass to their Marked as they do not need to open any type of Vergence to facilitate their own travel
  • Powerful Anak: Rare

• Impact: Medium

• Duration: Typically open for a brief period of time as they usually only exist to allow a Diri (either a common Familiar or a Blessed one) or an Ose-bori to move from the Beneath into Idalos. A Large Vergence for a Diri remains open for five to ten bits, whereas one opened by a powerful Anak could remain open for up to three-quarters of a break.

• Examples:

1. Ose-bori: Si’tea the Sev’ryn has long felt a pull towards something, a sense that there was something more to her life, something missing. She has heard about Ose-bori, the familiars of her people, but has not yet found hers. She crosses various lands, feeling a tug until one trial, she stands in a desert and feels a connection across realms. In that moment, she connects with her Familiar, a link formed between them that is so strong that their mutual Purpose opens a Vergence. Si’tea becomes the Beacon that lights the way for her spiritual companion and the two are united in this life.
2. Common Familiars: Milly the Mage meets another mage, an Aberrant, and they really hit it off. When the Aberrant decides to share his spark with her, his Harvester arranges a pact with another Harvester. When Milly the Mage agrees to the deal and takes on the Aberration spark, she becomes a Beacon for this new Harvester, the mutual intent between them creating a Vergence that allows the Harvester to enter Idalos to join itself to Milly.
3. Immortals: Bob the Farmer has taken to drinking and it’s a real vice of his. He needs to drink, really does and so he gains the attention of Mastes. He’s an excellent potential follower and so the Immortal chooses to mark him. One of the first things that a Kasyni receives is a Vice Spirit. The Immortal creates a Beacon in the instance that of marking him, opening a Vergence to allow the spirit to make its way to its new companion.

Massive Vergences

• Creators: Induk and the oldest Anak
• Users: Induk and the oldest Anak
• Frequency: Quite rare
• Impact: High! Massive Vergences provide relatively easy movement between the two realms, the chance of a mortal stumbling through it is made far easier. The chance of stumbling through this Vergence by mistake is impossible as it is so large that it warps the world around it. The laws of physics can bend or alter entirely in its vicinity, magic can go awry or act in unexpected ways, and the two worlds will often visibly bleed into each other.
• Duration: These types of Vergences remain open for many trials, closing very gradually as the tear in the skin between the Beneath and Idalos mends. At minimum, they remain open for at least 3 trials and they can take up to 10 trials to close fully. It’s possible that they can remain open for longer.
• Examples:
  • Induk/Powerful Anak: A truly old spirit wishes to use the full range of its powers. While it can enter Idalos without opening a Vergence, doing so doesn’t allow it to utilise all of its abilities. It opens a Massive Vergence, tearing an impressive hole between the realms, which allows it to remain in contact with the Beneath - the source of its power. It brings chaos in its wake, blending the two realms together so that the spirit has its full strength and is relatively invulnerable.

Emean Convergences

There is one other kind of hole in the fabric of the Beneath that leads out of that realm and into Emea. Unlike Fractures, these Convergences do not cause the same level of chaos as their Idalosian counterparts. Emean creatures can slip into the Beneath this way and the denizens of the under-realm can pass through into Emea in the same way. It is a perilous thing for the denizens of the Beneath to do as Emea is a dangerous place and all are vulnerable there, even spirits.

These Convergences can open naturally of their own accord or be torn open when an Immortal stretches their influence into the Beneath. They can remain open for trials or even seasons although time is a funny thing in this realm.

These Convergences are perhaps the easiest means for an Immortal to have influence in the Beneath as their true Emean selves have a direct connection to the realm without the need for an avatar. Those mortals who are marked have a stronger connection to Emea and so it is possible for an Immortal to carry their essence through an Emean Convergence rather than physically dragging them into the Beneath. It reduces their risk of cracking and allows them to better protect their followers but both parties still have some vulnerability while entering the Beneath in this way.

An Emean Convergence is also the main inlet for ether into the Beneath. As such if a Convergence opens close to a Vergence then a mage’s Spark might actually be attracted into the Beneath rather than flinching from it. Not only is such ether truly attractive to a Spark but it might also trick it into thinking that there’s ambient ether present. It’s unknown how frequently a Convergence occurs close to Vergence but when they co-exist, a Fracture sometimes forms in roughly the same spot as the Vergence once occupied in Idalos. However, the connection between them isn’t clear as there are few individuals who are capable of studying the phenomenon.

Immortal Means

While Vergences are the typical means of travel between Idalos and the Beneath, the Immortals have their own means of transportation. Additionally, Famula and Ashan have dominion in the Beneath and so pass on unique transportation abilities to their followers at high Mark levels. Aside from the fact that this mode of transportation is Immortal-powered, a key difference between it and Vergences is that no one can utilise it by mistake or become a passenger without permission. Zuuda are the only ones who cannot bring anyone into the Beneath with them although they can bring living mortals out.

• Immortals: Immortals can pass into the Beneath with ease but it is also possible for them to bring mortals into the Beneath for reasons of their own. However, this is unusual in the extreme, as it requires greater effort on their parts and carries the risk of cracking so is not done on a whim. Perhaps Vri, Ashan, Famula or even the Twins Pier and Pre are the most likely Immortals to do this, but even with these individuals it would still be an almost unique occurrence; other Immortals bringing mortals is even rarer. Entry with an Immortal usually means entry into the Remnants exclusively, except in the case of Ashan, as even though their mortal followers are seriously disorientated and so unlikely to witness the Immortal’s weakness, they do not wish to be seen in such a state.
• Zuuda: Blessed of Famula are able to enter the Beneath as they progress in their mark. By drawing a door and stepping through they are able to go into the Beneath and interact with the souls there. They cannot bring mortal companions into the realm with them and no one can follow through their blood doorway. It is important to note that, due to the focus of Famula’s Domains, Zuuda work in the Beneath with souls and ghosts. Souls include the living, which means that they can rescue those mortals who inadvertently wander in - provided that they reach them on time.
• Loshova: As Zuuda are to souls, so Ashan marked Loshova are to spirits. Following Ashan’s Domains, the Loshova is able to interact with spirits and is a force to be reckoned with in the Beneath. Like Zuuda, Loshova can open a path into the Beneath although they utilise it through mental means rather than physical: meditation. These individuals can bring others with them provided that they’re touching them at the time. Like Zuuda, they can also take the living out of the Beneath but no one can utilise their means of ingress without their permission.

Mortals in the Beneath

On a very rare occasion, a mortal will stumble upon a Vergence and enter it. This is typically accidental although some people will do anything to assuage their curiosity. For those mortals who pass into the Beneath, it is even rarer still that they’ll find their way out again. The lucky few might find themselves saved and led to safety by one of the Immortals, especially if they bear their mark. They might also be retrieved by a sufficiently blessed Zuuda or Loshova who happens to be the area. However, more often than not, the mortal is stuck with the dead until they die themselves.

Dying in the Beneath is a drawn-out process. As it is a shadow of the physical realm, the hapless victim is still able to find food and drink, reduced to a plant-based diet as the shades of animals do not enter the echo of the living world that resides in the Remnants.

A Note on Mages

It is harder for a mage to step through a Vergence into the Beneath by mistake. The lack of ambient ether on the other side will typically be sensed by the Spark, which will react to it fearfully. A Rupturing Spark may forcibly open a portal to remove its mage from the Vergences vicinity, a Becoming Spark might trigger a flight response so the mage runs and so on. Many Sparks will simply rattle violently in the mage in an attempt to convey the potential danger that lies ahead.