On Planes and Creatures From Other Planes

The plane of Aj'kar was previously thought to be the only one in existence, for no creatures came from other worlds, nor could they be summoned from them. As a matter of fact, for a large part of Aj'kar's history, only the very best wizards theorized that there was something beyond Aj'kar, and that it was indeed an existing plane amongst many. They based these findings on the way some magic, especially conjuration, was written at the time.   Then, about two hundred years ago or so, strange things started to happen. Suddenly, spells previously thought useless could summon creatures from other planes, who appear confused as to their current location once called to Aj'kar. Furthermore, strange, previously unknown creatures began appearing every so often, only to disappear just as quickly as they had come. Stranger still is the fact that some affirmed to have seen fully mechanical beings in the presence of these "planar" entities, before both vanished.   This phenomenon has been studied thoroughly since then, and most arcanists and researchers are now in accord: there is a protection around Aj'kar, a kind of "barrier", that shields it from most interference from other planes. The exact nature of this "barrier" is unknown, but it is possible to bypass it, leading to great strides in magical research. Perhaps strangest of all, however, is that those who research the barrier for too long tend to either vanish or suddenly lose their research through unexplained phenomenon.