Rifts and Realms

I was talking about Skies of Mor-ladron (SoM) the other day and, as part of the pitch, mentioned the weakened fabric between realities and how rifts or portals can open up, allowing things to slip between realms. Then, I realized two things.

One: I don't think I've written about that aspect of SoM much. Two: It's not something that has happened to my players often, either. I've only used this element of the world a couple of times.

All of those factors made me want to take another look at Rifts and Realms in SoM and how they affect the world.

A Short History

As I briefly mentioned in the Timeline Post, the fabric between realms weakened 10 years before the breaking of the world. That decade was filled with a demon incursion and war. Before that time, rifts were a rare occurrence and the other realms were regarded as places where gods and powerful spirits resided.

The main sources of contact with other realms in earlier eras were either divine in nature or from wizards and mages creating arcane portals.

This weakening of the fabric between realms is also one of the reasons that goblins survived the breaking of the world.

Rifts

After the breaking of the world, rifts became much more common. Now, many legends and myths speak of sailors traveling into another realm by mistake, sometimes appearing decades later as though no time has passed—or returning old and weary when they had only been gone for a few days.

Rifts tend to, but do not always, appear in like places. So, a rift to a realm of shadow is likely to appear in a shadowy place, and a realm of flame in a place already filled with heat and fire. It should come as no surprise that realms of air and clouds are the most common in SoM. The fact the the Skies are full of strange and magical creatures floating and flying about are testament to this.

Rifts can open for a matter of minutes or linger for days, although it is much more common for a rift to be open for minutes or hours. A rift opening does not mean something will come through—but the longer one is open, the more likely it is. Most of the creatures that make their way though are hostile, at least at first, as they are confused and disoriented. It's best to get away from a rift if you see one.

There are legends of humanoids and intelligent creatures passing through and ending up in SoM, but no one has shown proof of such a thing happening. The rulers of the isles worry about it, though: What if new peoples or an army pop through one one day? What could be done to stop the sudden appearance of a military force?

The major isles have trained individuals that keep on the lookout for the signs of new rifts to try and shut them before they open, or call up the forces that are prepared to fight any creatures that may come through.

In Empyrean, for example, the Tower Magi handle this responsibility. Each Tower covers the districts around them. However, rifts are rare around Empyrean. Some say this is because the island is so high up. Others whisper about runic devices hidden away in the Towers that summon rifts inside so that the magi can study them.

In the Duchy of Hilean, the priests of The Lady handle the closure of rifts with prayers and rituals. In the case of a creature breaking through, they have their Mallki (undead) guards standing close by. Since humans can detect the supernatural, they typically sense the forming of a rift and take care of it before it gets too large.

Sylvialis is the largest of the isles by an order of magnitude and, therefore, it is not really in the business of shutting down the rifts, like the other isles. The powers that be are more invested in training elite fighters to hunt down and kill the monsters that come through before they can reach any towns or villages.

The smaller isles and villages outside the major islands have no such protection and must make do. In such rural places, many different rites and superstitions exist about rifts that keep the people safe more often than not. If they are lucky, their rift might catch the interest of a secret society that makes it their mission to investigate when they can and protect the villagers from any incursions.

Realms

The realms, otherwise known as planes or worlds in different settings, are the places that rifts connect to. Scholars and sages say that there are 1,001 realms, or that there are as many as the stars, or simply that they are uncountable. Some critics think they are making stuff up because they don't actually know.

I mentioned a realm of fire and a realm of shadow, but these are just terms that the common folk use. The true names and natures of many realms remain a mystery. Most scholars also believe many different realms may be similar at first glance.

For example, it's common to say that the realm of demons is made of fire. Is that, then, the same as the realm of true flame, or the realm of flaming passion? If these places even exist, they might all appear to be a place made of fire, but they would all be different realms.

The few well-known realms are as follows.

Kur: The Demonic Realm

The realm of demons, a barren place where all living things and their souls have been drained from existence. Now the demons can only feed upon themselves and search for another realm to consume.

It is unknown whether this is the demons' original realm or just the latest one that they have devoured. Luckily, rifts to this realm are few and far between these days. However, there are rumors of demon sightings deep in the tunnels and caverns of Mount Ancora.

Akrotiri: The Dead Realm

This is not the realm of the dead, as any goblin would be quick to correct you. It is a dead realm—one that was much like ours at one point. Now, ash blocks the sun's rays and covers the ground as monstrosities stalk the land.

How the goblins survived this place is a secret well-kept by a select few descendants. Rifts to this realm seem to only open among the dark isles of Hilean, where the goblins first appeared. It is said that those who use shadow magic touch this realm or even enter it for a short time when using their powers.

Caelimyr: The Endless Sky

Not all realms are dangerous. The Endless Sky is, as far as explorers know, a realm of vast and empty sky. So far, no land has been found by those willing to cross into it and explore—and lucky enough to return.

Flying non-avian creatures such as the sky whale and many others seem to have arrived from this place. There have been rumors of sailors unknowingly entering large rifts into this realm and becoming lost, not realizing that they had left the known skies behind.

Tapiola: The Corrupted Heart

Called thus by the elves of Sylvialis, who believe this realm is the corrupted realm of a goddess that they worshiped before the breaking of the world. Not many have entered this realm and returned, but the unnatural beasts that come through these rifts are enough to tell the story of a dark and anger-filled wode. These rifts can appear anywhere there is enough plant and wildlife, although they most regularly appear on Sylvialis.

The Empty Space Between

This is not a true realm, but a lack thereof. Few have accessed this area in between realms; those who have hear strange whispers in their minds long after the rifts have closed. It's best not to think too much about what might be living in the cracks of reality.

Well, there you have it. Perhaps now that I've written some of this out, I can cause more chaos for my players!

Do any of the realms stick out to you as interesting places? Are there other realms you think would be cool to encounter? Is there anything you think I'm missing about how the world could interact with rifts and realms? Let me know in the comments below!