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The OtherWorld

Listen, children. Do you hear the rustling of the trees? The sweet music of the brook? The gentle sound of the waves? Those are the voices of the Otherworld.

Listen, children. Do you hear the crash of the thunder? The cry of the hawk? The roar of the waterfall? Those are the voices of the Otherworld.

Listen, children. Do you hear the feet of the viper? The laugh of the spider? The blade that pierces your heart? Those are the voices of the Otherworld.

The Otherworld is a mysterious thing. The sages of Talanu, uniformly across all races, can only agree on one thing - the Otherworld is a very strange place. From an astrological perspective, it appears to be an extra plane of existence that is unique to Angaria - it borders the Prime Material ONLY within Angaria's crystal sphere.

In light of this fact, there are some who believe that the Angaria was originally populated by natives of the Otherworld. Some say that the Kaeron were originally citizens, while others insist that the oldest records point back to older beings still. Some even whisper that the gods themselves started their life in this world as refugees from behind the Mist.

Others argue that, in fact, it is not a plane in the usual sense at all. They maintain that the Otherworld is in fact the world of dreams, fueled by the stories of bards and the overworked minds of the masses until parts of it became real.

Whatever the reason for its connection with Angaria, the Otherworld functions almost like a parallel dimension to the real world. Very often, those who are brought across the dimensional boundary are not even aware of the fact until familiar surroundings slowly give way to unfamiliar. The transition is often coupled with "liminal space," or "space between." That is, the victim/guest is usually taken over while covered in mist, at dusk, at dawn, in a wood, in a cave, etc. In these places and at these times, the power of the Otherworld is most able to effect physical changes in the real world.

The Otherworld itself is, in a word, unpredictable. "Limbo on mushrooms" is the way one Drabardi scholar has described it. It is by turns beautiful, deadly, comforting, frightening and enlightening. Even for the most powerful of heroes, a journey to the Otherworld is ALWAYS a risk. Mortals have no real protection against the magicks of the Fay, except for those they agree to before they enter.

During the high holidays, especially Beltain and Samhain, the Otherworld becomes especially active. Most people choose not to travel during these times, for fear of being pixie-led and then lost.

The two known "organized" groups who inhabit the Otherworld are the Seelie and Unseelie courts. Loosely divided between "good" (Seelie) and "evil" (Unseelie) Fay, they wage a constant battle for control over the plane. They also both spend a good deal of time playing pranks on people in the normal world.

Recently, a Cult has sprung up in the eastern kingdoms of the Empire. This cult proclaims the Lord Arawn, the first god to take up residence within the Otherworld itself. Unfortunately, it appears that this new god espouses the less-than-savoury qualities of the Otherworld, and has begun to vie for the portfolios of chaotic magic and illusion. He has not gone so far as to challenge Chemelosian's ownership of the portfolio of Lies, and so far none of the evil gods have moved to interfere.