Excerpt from a character diary.

My dreams are becoming almost more real than life itself; full of starlight and wicked exuberance. They feel old; ancient. A presence of kin.

As I cross the lake, I am inexplicably drawn to the Glittering Abyss. Th presence is there. A dual view of the world appears - the normal and the hyper real, full of glorious beauty, colourful delights, delectable wickedness and utter darkness. The presence speak to me without words - of belonging, of mutually beneficial objectives and of the true natural order of the world.

My world erupts with sensation, a burst of energy and power like nothing I have experienced before. The feeling dissipates, leaving me with the feeling of new possibilities.

The boat is on fire… THE BOAT IS ON FIRE!

A wave washes over the board, coming from nowhere and I know I caused it. The fire is out and the moment passes, leaving me to continue on my trudge across the water.

I return to my tribe following my experience on the lake. The Matriarch enquires after my distracted expression. We have a long discussion regarding my experience and to my dismay, the matriarch seems to become wary of me and my story. She tells tales of others, who in similar circumstances wandered into the Fractured Wylds. The tales get increasingly bizarre but there seems to be grains of truth in each of them.

I return to the Abyss several times over the next couple of weeks trying to repeat my experience. heightened states are achieved but nothing compared to that day. Feelings of home emanate from the Abyss.

I arrive at the Abyss again just as the sun crosses down over the horizon. The Shining Abyss is really living up to its name today. I get a sudden rush, an adrenaline pulse just like the first time. As my excitement at the possibility of a second experience grows, I again get the double vision of the world. This time, however, the experience intensifies and continues until suddenly the hyper real is the only world I can perceive. This is the world that has been haunting my dreams. I lose all sense of the now. As I sit on the lake, I notice there are far too many stars and the bush around the lake seems more feral, more wild than usual. Despite how alien this place appears, it somehow feels very familiar.

I look down at the crystal formations and find the landmarks I can no longer find in the stars. I look to where ‘Last Light’ should have been, but there is nothing but wild dusty mirage heat in the distance behind.

Feeling drawn to the depths of the Abyss, I dive down, away from the boat, passed the crystal structures and the location of the Gem mines which look untouched in this version of the world.

I keep swimming down finding ever more beautiful crystals, reaching depths I had never dreamed of. Suddenly I feel the presence.

IT’S HERE! It’s here, feeling old beyond time, yet infinitely youthful.

“WELCOME TO THE WYLD PLACE.”

“WHAT IS IT YOU SEEK?”

“Meaning,” I reply, after a time.

“THAT IS A WEIGHTY QUESTIONS. WHAT YOU LEARN AND HOW YOU USE IT COULD BE A DANGER. i NEED A GUARANTEE.”

“A guarantee of what?” I ask.

“OF YOUR ALLEGIANCE. THAT MUCH POWER IS NOT JUST GIVEN TO ANYONE, YOUNG MOTE. I NEED REASSURANCE OF YOUR COMMITMENT TO OUR CAUSE. I WILL NEED TO CALL ON YOU, AND I NEED TO KNOW THAT YOU WILL ABIDE BY YOUR AGREEMENTS. WHAT I OFFER IS THE ABILITY TO AFFECT THE WORLD, TO NUDGE IT IN THE DIRECTION OF YOUR CHOOSING.”