A METAPHYSICAL DISSERTATION ON THE GREY: PART ONE --- BY ESTHRIBINE THE CHRONICLER
The Grey is a phenomenon that many scholars believe is caused by a Planar Rift mixed with a planar collusion. Essentially it is believed that the plane of Isimiir is separating and fractured and is speeding apart while the plane of Kar-No-Hathi is crashing into the plane. These result in a 'twilight' plane where the properties of the real world are mixed with the impending properties of the Dead World.Essentially, scholars are debating whether all races will become UnDead or simply dead if the planes leak into each other. Another possibility might be a 'living death', where creatures may act and seem like they do now but are in actuality dead. Thus, they would lose the ability to reproduce or 'die' but would live in a vampiric like 'unlife'. The theoretical implications are staggering.Theoretical implications aside, there appear to be some statistical and measureable differences that separate the Grey from our world. I shall endeavor to examine my findings in this treatise.
1) The Grey appears at every border between nations: But also mixes in the defining features of each nation, thus a Lazarian / Rhamierian border would start as trees and eventually turn into the plains. If the Grey were to be found in a Lake the Grey would resemble Water.
2) The Grey always takes the form of a Dead Land: Thus, all of the trees and all of the grasses would be dead. UnDead Creatures amble about and also long dead corpses would be present.
3) Decomposition: Appears to be about 1 day of normal decomposition to every century after death.
4) The plane radiates a soft but omnipresent taint of evil: Objects found within often radiate stronger evil.
5) Positive energy, Holy Magics, and Positive Divine Magics draw creatures to the Caster: The ratio is 100 feet per spell level.
6) Paladins radiate light like a torch: This is because the power of their faith clears the mist of the Grey. Clerics and Other Positive Aligned Casters often glow as well, though not in the specatacular fashion of Paladins. Paladins suffer a -4 to hide and all other good divine casters suffer a -2 to Hide Checks.
7) Good Divine Magic Grows Steadily weaker the longer the persons are in the Grey: After Ten days a Divine Caster loses 1 Effective Casting Level, and continues losing a level of Effective Spellpower per Ten Days in the Grey. Thus, a 10th level caster would cast spells like a 9th level caster after 10 days, this affects spells known and amount of spells cast per day. Eventually, if left too long he will lose all of his magic. Once the Grey has been left he will begin to regain lost spell levels at the rate of 1 Caster Level per day. Druids are also affected by the disconnect from Real Land and suffer the same rate of spell decline.
8) The Grey is considered Unconsecrated Ground: All penalities apply.
9) The Grey has no landmarks: No Sun, Moon, Stars, or any discernable features that aid tracking. Moss grows on all sides of trees, there is no magnetic north, the earth is constantly churned by worms, and everything looks exactly the same from a distance. Skills like Tracking, Survival, and Direction Sense suffer a -10 to all checks. It is easy to get lost forever here if one is not prepared.
10) Visibility is limited: From 5 feet to 500 feet depending on the thickness of the mist.
11) Dew beads on all items and equipment: There is no way to escape the damp. There is also no way to create a warming fire without magic: Wood is soggy and waterlogged, matches are soggy, and anything not waterproofed will begin to decay at 2 times the rate. Normal Wooden Objects rot after 5 days and suffer a -1 penalty to all checks, every five days after they lose an additional -1 to all rolls until 50 days have passed when they simply cease all usefulness. Metal rusts in a similar fashion losing -1 every 20 days until uselessness. MW Wooden and metal objects last twice as long. Magical items are unaffected. Uninsulated food lasts 3 days before becoming inedible. 'Iron' Rations last 10 days.
12) Water in the Grey is bad for you: Those immersed in the Grey's Water suffer 1-3 CON points if a DC: 15 FORT Check is not made. Those that Drink the water Must make a DC: 20 CON Check or lose 1d6 CON. The natural moisture and condensation makes all present within the Grey lose 1 CON point per day unless a DC: 12 Check is made. This effecct begins after 24 hours within the mists.
13) Meat is also bad to eat in the Grey: Any meat eaten from a creature killed in the Grey is instantly poisoned and consumers must make a DC: 20 CON Check or lose 1-6 CON. Food Items brought to the Grey from the outside world go bad at 2x the rate in the normal world thus, eventually most travelers face starvation or eating the poisoned meat of the Grey. Grey Plant life is shriveled and unnutritious, thus an apple found in a Grey Orchard is shriveled, rotten, and unsatisfying. The eater will come away starving as if nothing at all was eaten.
14) The Grey is muffled and silent: And all things within are muffled and silent. All entities within the Grey gain +2 to Move Silently and Hide, and a -2 to Spot and Listen Checks.
15) Time passes slowly in the Grey: 12 hours in the Grey is 24 hours of Isimiirian Time. Since nothing changes in the Grey it is impossible to tell what time of day it is unless a timepiece is provided.
16) Spectral creatures (Ethereal) are invisible (as the spell): in the Grey unless they choose to materialize and be seen (solidify).
17) Madness: Often those who are lost go mad. For each day lost in the Grey there is a DC: 1 (+ 1 per day) WILL Save - Chance of going mad and losing one's mind. Those that lose their mind to the Grey begin to hallucinate and see items, creatures, and objects they they either (1-5) Desire or (6-10) Fear. They will either run towards or away from the object for 1d6 rounds if a DC: 20 WILL Save is not made. Once rescued from the Grey it takes 1 week to reverse 1 day of Madness (1 week per day lost). Once the Grey Madness is contracted, it is permanent until the subject is removed from the Grey. Hallucinations occur 1d3 times a day.
18) Haunted: The sleepers in the Grey are subject to the spell Nightmare as if cast by a 9th level caster who knows you Firsthand (DC: 19). This occurs every night and represents the tortured and strange dreams all within the Grey experience.
19) Ecology: The ecology of The Grey is exactly the same as in the Land the Grey is mimicking except all (normally living) monsters will be undead. Most will be zombies or skeletons.
20) Death in the Grey: Creatures killed in the Grey cannot be raised or resurrected while in the Grey, they must be removed to have such spells work. Luckily, they will likely be well preserved due to the slow rate of decomposition in the Grey.
