The Veil

... a storm so horrible... and endless... I still am not sure which way I must sail to escape this wretched hellscape.

Victor Krast

Known by many names; the Veil (or the Krastorveil) is a phenomena with many unknowns, as it's very existence defies all that magic, science, and history knows. It's discovery is only denoted by word of mouth and by the journals of a man known as Victor Krast, a scientist, explorer, and sailor.

Yes, I was the first man to see it and tell of it... but I know certainly I am not the first man to see it. That title belongs to many men who now rest at the bottom of the seas. I leave my journal open for whomever wishes to document more. When the winds blow strong, raise your sails and sail just as strong.

— Victor Krast, Famed Explorer

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The first known contact of the Veil was recorded in his journal, in which it states the arduous journey to reach it, and the impossible amount of power it withholds. Described in his journal, the first step to accessing the Veil is making it through the winding storms that billow outwards to the furthest horizons, ever shifting.

... onwards I push to a dead man's reward... to the distant, purple glow.

 

When one passes the threshold of these storms, they're greeted with the wall of purple energy that denotes the beginning of the Veil. It's surface is held together as though it were some form of liquid with water tension... but occasionally it breaks, producing what is called a Veilstyrm, later written in the journal of Victor Krast in his later years...

 

The Veil loses tension every now and then... and when it does, it infects the storms that so thoroughly flank it, producing a new threat... a Veilstyrm.

 

With newer technology and a greater understanding, it's shocking how accurate his writings were, likening it to a massive, shifting splash of energy on the surface of the world. A Veilstyrm is often categorized by the Krast-Lythe Scale, where a 1 is the least threatening, and a 6 is the worst.

 

Hyren Lithe

In his footsteps, I find that the sky shrieks cruel energy amidst these churning seas.

 

As an apprentice of Krast, Lithe was fascinated by the Veil and it's majesty. As opposed to Krast, Lithe was highly skilled with many tools, and had a creator's mind. Using these together, he created the first Metrer, or device to measure the energy of a storm. He gauged these as Denier, a method to measure cloth in honor of the name given by Victor. The first measured amount was gauged from a device fashioned to absorb Fibrebliz, lightning produced from a Veilstyrm. This set the foundations for the ranking system of areas within the Veil's energy.

 

To puncture... and twist the very unbound laws of nature... was a moment we began an ascension from weakness in the face of the unknown... to power over a force millions of times greater than us.

 

More than 20 years later, Lithe produced a device with the assistance of a developing group known as the High Magic Index known as a Milliner, or a Needle, which produced a field in which the Veil could not effect. When one activates it, it creates a barrier capable of allowing research within the Veil. This brought forth the VLS, or the Veil Level Scale. Each area within the Veil is ranked on a scale from 1-10 depending on the Deniers within the area. Areas with higher Deniers are more dangerous for people, and areas with lower Deniers are more often survivable.

The Denier-VLS scale goes as follows ;

Denier Rating	Scale
1-30 DRs	1
31-60 DRs	2
61-90 DRs	3
91-120 DRs	4
121-150 DRs	5
151-180 DRs	6
181-210 DRs	7
211-240 DRs	8
241-270 DRs	9
271+ DRs	10

 

'... and from that immense energy came corruption... one so vile and thorough... one cannot return from it.'

  In the Veil, there are many threats hidden just out of sight. Many unusual creatures of varying sizes and varying forms fill it, and are considered highly aggressive, no matter how small or frail they seem. Many people know, now, that within the Veil is an unusual, corrupting force, which assimilates creatures into an almost primal state, in which their only instincts are to convert others to the Veil's curse, or to kill those who are not yet affected. They are often categorized by the Veil crystallizing on their skin, and extending out from points, possibly even including their bones. The more crystals visible on a creature, the more far gone they are. It's been noted that different Denier levels have different effects on monsters, though it only effects the extent of the effects. At the highest level, a creature can be empowered tenfold by the latent energy in the area. In the 1st level, a mind can be effected, causing aggression and unusual tendencies, such as preferring a purple light over ordinary sunlight. This effect is called 'Melding'.    

The Index, 'Needle Operations and Functions'

 

'... to traverse the treacherous Veil, one needs many tools.'

  Many forms of Needles exist, as instead of it being a single technological item, it is a wide variety, such as a vehicle. Milliners are the basic Needle, used to traverse the levels 1-6 of the Veil. It's often lighter weight, and is often transportable by a small team of adventurers and scientists. Tatting Needles are the heavier, bulkier Needle, not often used beyond in-depth explorations, which often involve large teams of adventurers and scientists, often called a Textile. It has the capability to traverse into the 10th level of the Veil and lower, being able to hold energy for much, much longer. Betweens are the outlier, as they are used to permanently open a space within the Veil, or hold it back from advancing with a Veilstyrm.