The Rift

Power
Energy, pure and simple. CN

Adjacent Realms
the Mortal Realm, The Voidscape, The Spirit Realm, Istara’s Laboratory

Acessible
Via the Peak of Storms and the Gate of Embers in the Mortal world, both under the control and sacred to the Dragons. There may be other portals, as well.

Description
The Rift is a relatively new realm of crackling energy storms tearing through an expanse of nothingness, created when the artefact sword Riftrender interacted with the enigmatic half-real being known as the Sleeper. The voidic connection of the sword interacted with the Sleeper’s connection to the Font of Istaria and imploded, creating a realm of constant interaction between the matter of Istaria and the nothingness of the Voidscape. The constant flow and storm of energy would flay and melt the flesh from a mortal body, so travel is best done in an astral form. There are very few solid places in the Rift. However, the Sleeper and Riftrender have created a sort of pocket space within the rift to hold each other captive, and Palmyra, the city of the Dryads, is located in a timespace bubble somewhere in the Rift. ‘Where’ is a very difficult question in the Rift, as it is constantly shifting and follows dream-logic. This plane is hostile to mortals, especially those mortals unprepared for the storms that will quickly and easily send them to their death. The Vielo can survive it for a time by temporarily becoming incorporeal and there are rituals and rites to allow others to astrally travel there, but even the Vielo stay for as short a time as they can.

Istara’s Notes:
''This has to be one of my favorite planes. Its big, its chaotic, and its so beautiful. I wish more mortals could go here, but anybody trying to do so in their physical body is likely to die a horrible death! Stick to astral forms and in corporeality, dears. Gods don't have a problem – we're pure essence – but some of the more solid, orderly ones don't like it. I think thats just fine. Leave my chaos alone! Anyway dearies, just be sure you're ready for this place.''