ANDERS MAGE PAGE 2.0

This is one of the most fragile and beautiful realms ever encountered by questing mages from the Traditions, and sadly its days are numbered. The forces of chaos and destruction are slowly advancing towards its heart.

The realm consists of an immense three-dimensional labyrinth of stairs, terraces and bridges — nothing more. Some stairs are rickety wood constructions, others are heavy marble, decorated with friezes of heroic battles between gods and men and still others merely boring concrete staircases with graffiti. The various stairs are linked by bridges (everything from perilous suspension bridges to great viaducts) and other stairs, forming a complex structure hanging suspended in midair (the reality of the realm doesn't care the least for the "laws" of stability or that objects need support against gravity). Some parts of the realm are dense conglomerates of linked structures while others are so spacious that one cannot see anything other than the infinite staircase or bridge one is standing on.

There is no ground beneath, just the immense stair complex and the blue, empty space around it. The sun orbits around the realm, creating a shady "night" when it is beneath it or above it (since structures above or below obscure the light) and an intermittent "day" when it is east or west of the observer and shines through the realm.

The reality in the realm is forgiving of most magick, which is usually coincidental. However, there is one important restriction: it is impossible for any physical object to get from one place to another without following the stairs and bridges (or climbing under them, or swinging on a rope). As soon as it gets over the emptiness below it will immediately fall down and vanish. A fired bullet, jumping person or flying mage, all will be hit by swift Paradox making them fall. Teleportation is only possible if the mage moves to a place to which he knows the path, otherwise he will end up somewhere else. It is almost as if the realm itself was a labyrinth enforcing its structure. Most mages who have studied it are convinced that its peculiarities are all linked together in some kind of esoteric map.

Another part of the paradigm is duty. A being with a certain duty cannot fail from doing it, regardless of the situation. It might not succeed, but it has to comply regardless.

The inhabitants, known to themselves as the Ger, are extremely different beings. Most are mechanical devices with dozens of spidery brass legs and complex clockwork machines as brains (the Fe), while some are gelatinous puddles that slither along the stairs (the Gy). The Fe are the practical ones, ever repairing the realm and checking the flows of Quintessence (or Eriji, as they call it), while the Gy seem to spend all their time exploring it, often carried in bowls made of ruby by Fe servants. Both seem to speak to each other using telepathy. In addition, a huge proliferation of vines grow from special pyramidal boxes at rare places where the Eriji is strong. These vines twine around the stairs and bridges, providing shade and protection. One kind of vine is especially odd. Its fruits are tiny Fe and Gy. They are collected by the Fe and placed in the gelatinous bodies of the Gy where they slowly grow until they emerge as adult beings.

In this world there is no need for food and drink, since everyone and everything feeds on the invisible streams of Eriji that runs along the stairways. The source is the heart of the realm, the Tri-Stair. This construction consists of three stairs linked together in an impossible figure (see the paintings of M. C. Escher for an idea), where the Lord of the Realm ceaselessly runs. The Lord is a bizarre being, consisting of ten crystal spheres linked by electrical arcs that rolls, bounces and jumps along the stairs. Should it ever stop, the Eriji would cease and the realm would die.

However, there is a horrible threat to the realm. A long time ago, a third kind of being appeared on the Stairs, the Marauders. The Marauders accidentally found the realm and immediately realized that it held a great secret. They tried to reach the Tri-Stair, but the complexities of the Labyrinth proved too much for them. It was impossible to find the right way and the Gy they interrogated would dissolve rather than tell them anything. So they set to simplifying the Labyrinth instead, by destroying the stairs that didn't lead to their prize. As they did so, parts of the realm began to loose their connection to the Tri-Stair and weaken. When the final connection was broken an entire section would break loose and fall endlessly down into nothingness beneath the realm. Horrified, the Gy and Fe began to try to cut off the Marauders and the War of Falling began.

Quite soon the Marauders tired of it and moved on. However, they left their proxies, the Fe-Gy. They took captured Fe, poured captured Gy into its cogwheels and then added Tass and Paradox. The resulting composite monstrosities, twisted machines dripping living slime, took up the fight where the Marauders left. By capturing Ger, they swelled their ranks. In response the Fe began to develop new weapons and hide the Gy, upsetting the balance even further.

Currently the war is being waged across the entire realm. The Fe-Gy have captured many of the outermost parts, while the Fe fight to keep them from intruding into the core. Large sections have already crashed into the abyss below, and it is clear that in order to completely eradicate the enemy, the Fe would have to sacrifice most of the realm.