Emptiness

The Emptiness is a strange anomaly in the middle of Anlabban's Grove, surrounded by the city of Xelas. A roiling black sphere roughly three meters in diameter, the Emptiness seems to pull in the light surrounding it. Since it was discovered by Anlabban sometime around Y2000^*, the Emptiness has never changed in size, shape, or position, remaining stationary about two feet above the ground.

Anlabban guards the Emptiness, aided by Xelas' military, the Rootguard. He maintains a constant vigil over his grove, watchful lest any entities slip into the world unnoticed.

The nature of the Emptiness has baffled scholars for millennia. It does not seem to be physical or occupy any space, yet it does have an unmistakable gravitational pull. Attempts to explore the Emptiness and see what exists on the other side have been fruitless thus far. Objects that pass through seem to vanish without a trace, and no means of magical divination seem able to pierce the void. In fact, it seems to be completely undetectable by magic and impossible to influence by magical means. The few brave individuals that have entered the Emptiness themselves are never heard from again. Those that approach it nearly universally feel a strong sense of unease and doom.

The Emptiness is believed to be some kind of portal, yet none are certain as to where it leads. The creatures that enter the world through it are otherworldly and often downright incomprehensible - some seem to exist in more or fewer dimensions than the normal three, in ways most peoples' minds have difficulty reconciling. Thankfully, these entities cross the Emptiness exceedingly infrequently, only five times in as long as Anlabban has guarded it. Such events are isolated and sporadic enough, and sufficiently contained by Anlabban, that the Emptiness remains more of a curiosity to the broader world than a constant threat.