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This article was written by Ahpolki Inika. Please do not add to it without the writer's permission.
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| Xy'nthlr | |
|---|---|
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| Location | |
| Type |
Pocket dimension
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| Point of Divergence |
Reality
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| Position |
Outside of Reality
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| Size |
Possibly infinite
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| Population |
Unknown
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| Status |
"Existent"
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| Pronunciation |
ZIN-tha-lahr(?)
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Xy'nthlr is the domain of The Abstract.
History[]
Nobody knows when this piece of nothingness was "created". Some say that The Shattered created it when It first was cast out of Reality. Others say that it existed long before Its arrival. Whatever the case may be, it has been home to The Abstract for as long as any of them can remember.
At one point, an outsider by the name of "Shadowmaster" appeared in Xy'nthlr. He and The Shattered fought, their clash carrying them across the realm. The stranger's status as a Multiversal Singularity, however, had unusual effects on the domain. One was that portals from Reality appeared, each one leading to a different universe and time period. Space and Time leaked their way into the pocket dimension, significantly weakening The Shattered. Shadowmaster took advantage of the situation, and leapt through one of the portals to escape. While the pocket dimension was in shambles after the fight, it wasn't difficult for The Abstract to recuperate and restore it.
Xy'nthlr has been visited by a number of beings, and has amassed a collection of both that and any peculiar objects of interest.
Landscape[]
While Xy'nthlr is generally thought of as an empty void, that's not really the case. Xy'nthlr has a variety of environments, with a city at its heart. However, it's nothing like the ones within Reality. For one, the "city" has some form of shapeshifting powers. Not only can it rearrange itself, but it also change its architecture. Usually, the place is designed with strange, alien architecture. At other times, it takes on a more sleek and urban feel, though often empty and colored with neutral colors. The realm can also generate weather, such as wind, rain, lightning, thunder, and snow. On a side note, the ruler is also capable of producing "temperature", making it seem as though it were warm or cool. As a defense mechanism, tendrils can spawn near pools of an unknown liquid and lash out at any intruder. In short, Xy'nthlr is practically an eldritch version of Artahka.
One other aspect of Xy'thlr is the apparent absence of death. Whenever a visitor (or an unlucky prisoner) dies, he "respawns" at some other point of the realm, The Hollow Place being the most common point of resurrection. However, there does seem to be a drawback to these resurrections. Some have reported feeling weaker after each "death", others lose certain possessions and valuables.
Notable locations[]
The Cold City[]
This is the main portion of Xy'nthlr, as well as its heart. The city tends to change from time to time, usually by altering its architecture and shifting its position. It's where many of the "citizens" live, as well as housing the main military forces. Dispute its name, it's not actually "cold". Rather, it has an unusual lack of temperature, meaning that it isn't "warm" or "cool". As said above, the "temperatures" are only mimicked, not real. The place is also capable of creating its own precipitation.
One notifiable area is The Feeble's Reach, a massive skyscraper-like structure. Rumors persists that it is a hotspot of portals between the void and Reality. It was there that Shadowmaster first appeared into Xy'nthlr, and where he and The Shattered fought. Many other wanderers and visitors have appeared near this location as well.
The Wanderer's Pilgrimage is a cathedral-like structure, housing a number of portals to various parts of Xy'nthlr. The place's primary function is that of a "crossroads" or hub for visitors. While most parts of Xy'nthlr are open to the "public", it is possible for a member of The Court to block out a certain number of beings. The only exception to this is The Sea of Nothing. There are also a number of marketers within the are as well.
The Sea of Nothing[]
A large body of water (or something similar to it) on the outskirts of the realm. Within the waters (if they could be called as such) are some of the strangest creatures any being has every seen. Many tend to avoid it due to the presence of said creatures, preferring to stick the shores.
There's also the Discarnate Shoreline, which acts as a barrier between the rest of Xy'nthlr and the Sea. The beach's sands are an ash-gray, and is known for its rocky terrain. A number of entities, such as golums and sand-devils, have been sighted at the place. Ships from various worlds have found their way here, most of them devoid of any crew.
Dathachuri's Gardens[]
This is the domain of Dathachuri. While the rest of Xy'nthlr is dark and gloomy, the gardens are filled with an infinite number of colors, constantly changing. The place is made up of forests and jungles, inhabited by creatures with some connection to the Element of Light (and sometimes with Shadow as well). Many of the things in them, however, have unusual color-schemes. One place may have a purple sun, another may have a green waterfall.
Within the heart of the land is The Throne of Light, a crystalline pyramid-like structure. At the top sits Dathachuri, who's seat made of light energy. He can bend and manipulate the throne, as well as the light producing from the structure.
The Vivid Jungle is an area teeming with colours and wildlife,
The Carnival of Rust is an amusement park located near the entrance to The Cold City, separated from it by a massive lake. To get there, one must take a ferryboat at one of the City's piers. It possesses a number of games, rides, a circus, and other attractions. While it is possible to enter it in person, there is another method. Due to his power over dreams, Dathachuri can "link" a sleeping being to the place, often dragging their mind to here. However, there are some catches. For one, dreamers are restricted to only the carnival, and are unable to venture beyond it. Many that do either return to their bodies or are rendered unable to do so. Should their body die during their stay. the dreamers become stranded in Xy'nthlr, and may transform into Abstract. Thankfully, most dreamers eventually return to their bodies and worlds (though like real dreams, they won't be able to fully recall most of their time at the Carnival. The park also acts as the main headquarters to the Oisulli Murtaeht.
The Old Mists[]
This is The Headless Mistress's domain. The realm takes on a more Gothic style here, and lacks a "sun" of sorts. Instead, it is in an eternal night, with an ever-changing moon (or several) looming over the ebony sky.
The Waning Forest is a place of calm, yet sorrow. It is said to be haunted by spirits lost in Xy'nthlr, separated from Reality. The roads are few and battered, and many of the plants have thorns. Some claim that the sky there also takes on a crimson hue from time to time.
The Castle of Ashes is The Headless Mistress' main fortress, located within the heart of the woods. The symbol for its owner is a rose-like plant, surrounded by thorns and roots. It is believed that She regularly communicates with Nayatamakh, who rules his own spiritual domain within the veils of Reality. She also has a sapient mirror that allows her to see events going on in her territory.
To the south is the Somber Swamp, filled with some of the strangest creatures within Xy'nthlr. Many tend to avoid it due to the things dwelling there.
The north holds the Reticent Mountains, home to some the most powerful of Her minions. There have been rumors that She practiced the dark sciences of the dead within its many caverns. This is supported by accounts of undead and other twisted creatures roaming the areas.
The Lurking Sands[]
This is the domain of Ztyx. The area is by far the most varied of the domains. The outside of the realm is mix of grasslands and forests, with the occasional lake or pond.
One particular body of water is the Pale River, which leads into a series of underground caverns. The river has the ability to project semi-sapient illusions drawn from a traveler's memories.
It is through these caverns that one may find himself at the Forsaken Dunes, a desert housing a number of nomadic Abstract, as well as a small marketing city.
Within the heart of that city are The Rings, a shapeshifting coliseum run by Ztyx. It serves as his arena and his throne. Much like the Cold City, it changes based on the ruler's mood or whim.
The Hollow Place[]
This is The Shattered's main fortress. This is where the King of Nothing conducts Its experiments, as well as hold meeting with the rest of The Court.
The Library houses a number of texts on an infinite number of things, The Nameless Tome (or at least, some copies of it) being the most infamous. It also acts as a trophy room of sorts, containing various prisoners and objects of interet. Prisoners are held in strange, mirror-like "pocket dimensions". Most objects are held inside of glass-like structures. Both methods of containment are capable of moving independently., though The Shattered can move or open/close them otherwise.
The Assembly Is the chamber where The Court meets and gathers, divided into several "sides" or "slices" (the latter term being coined by Dathachuri). Each part draws on a certain theme or architecture representing the member, holding a seat for said being.
The Recorder's Muse is where all matters of experiments are conducted. Chemical, physical, emotional, psychological, all kinds of things are tested. The chambers are capable of providing the tools necessary for each experiment, as well as projecting Illusions. These illusions aren't just limited to projecting objects and beings, however. It can (to a certain degree) transform itself into a recreation of a certain area. These illusion casting powers also give the Muse another function. If It wills it so, The Shattered can transform the area into a labyrinth of illusions, of it is capable of constant change and alteration. This can effectively trap any intruders, or lead them out into another part of Xy'nthlr.
The Watcher's Gaze is The Shattered's throne-room. It is said that It can see all that is happening in Xy'nthlr from here. It bears the same alternating and illusion-casting capabilities as the Recorder's Muse, alongside some reality-warping power.
Inhabitants[]
Residents[]
- The Abstract
- The Shattered's court
- The Oisulli Murtaeht.
Prisoners[]
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Visitors[]
- Shadowmaster
- Velobla
- Vezon (Core Version)
Trivia[]
- Xy'nthlr has a number of influences. Those would be The World That Never Was(from Kingdom Hearts II), The Dead Universe(from IDW's G1 Transformers comics), The Dreamlands (from the works of HP Lovecraft) and Apocrypha (from TES V: Skyrim's DLC, Dragonborn).
- The sapient mirror with the Castle of Ashes is a reference to Snow White, one of the most fairy tales by the Grimm Brothers.
- The Carnival of Rust is named after a song by the band, "Poets of The Fall".
Appearances[]
- Through The Mirror (First appearance)
- The Eyes of Dathachuri