Rift of Atrocity

The Rift of Atrocity is one of the most dangerous places in the Eighth Realm, and is known primarily to outsiders as the end of the world. Sitting between the old and new worlds, in particular being located relatively close to the continents of Yehv and Yyradayn, the Rift of Atrocity is the main divider between the continents of Yehv and Namarin (the prospective new world) and the rest of the continents (the old world). Although many theories exist for why the Rift of Atrocity exists, the actual root cause for its creation remains unknown, though many theories exist.

The Rift of Atrocity is mostly known for the monstrous beings that seemingly spawn from its depths. These include krakens, sea watchers (giant floating heads with tentacles), and other monstrous beings. Many sailors have also claimed that sea serpents are born from the rift, but due to how common and widespread the species is, most serious academics regard this as tall tale more than real fact. Much like the lack of explanation for what the rift exactly is, nobody is quite sure how these monsters survive down in the rift. However, it is rumored that the deeper one goes into the rift, the larger and more dangeorus these monsters become, which has naturally made explorers hesitent to attempt exploration. Surely, if the monsters at the top of the trench are as powerful as a kraken, then whatever lurks in the deepest points must be exceptionally dangerous.

The belief that the monsters worsen as one goes deeper plays a big part in one of the main theories as to the rift's origins and the patterns of its denizens. This theory states that the Rift of Atrocity is an ancient ecosystem of megafauna, in which smaller species occasionally escape to the surface, but the largest and most dangerous patrol the depths, where there are other monsters large enough to eat. They propose that krakens and the like are occasionally driven to the surface either because they are fleeing one of these larger predators or because they are small enough to actually east seas creatures like whales.

The second theory as to the rift is that it is actually a portal to another plane of existence, dimension, or something of the sort, and that these monsters are simply residents of that world which pass through some sort of portal in the depths and enter the realm unwittingly. In the past, this theory was more common among those few who had heard of the rift, as it was believed that these monsters were demons from the Shadow Dimension. However, with the development of Demonologist guilds, krakens and other creatures were quickly discovered to not be demons at all, and increased contact with the shadow dimension has proven decisively that they cannot hail from there, since the shadow dimension does not have oceans. Since the existence of other dimensions or planes beyond the Fey'ur has not been proven (and these creatures are definitely not Fey), the theory has largely fallen off.

The final theory is that this rift is actually the creation of a god. Depending on one's religion it may be believed that a god is imprisoned there, resides at the bottom willingly, or otherwise spawned the monsters in the depths to terrorize mortals. Since most of these religions don't have anything to do with the rift, it is often cast as a mythologized place, and this has led to wilder stories circulating. Due to its non-scientific approach, this theory is rarely viewed as legitimate by races such as the gnomes, but does have a large following by the masses.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the oceans around the rift are not heavily populated by underwater races due to the risk of living there. The only species residing in the area full-time are the Karpori, a shark-like merfolk race known primarily for their insular and warlike culture. In many cases, the Karpori are exceptionally violent towards outsiders, which further hampers studies in the region. In fact, the only person to ever make it past the Karpori is allegedly a Meduzoan known as Weligoon the Traveler, who claimed to have crossed the rift of atrocity and discovered a new world on its other side. However, this story is viewed with suspicion by the rest of the civilized world, as the rift is commonly believed to be the end of the world.