The Null

The Null was the name for the condition affecting the planet Echelon during the Dark Age. It lasted from the end of the Ultima War in the Middle Era until the Passing in 1205 DA.

Description & Effects

The Null was characterized by a permeating, suffocating darkness. Any living creatures in the Null were subjected to unpleasant sensations, both physical and mental. Some persons were wracked with body tremors and pain, while some were given to bouts of paranoia or despair-- others were simply driven mad. It took exceptional fortitude to survive-- let alone adapt to-- the tainted negative energies of the Null.

Once a person adjusted to the initial effects of the Null, they were forced to endure continual assault against their very soul. Any who were Wardens of the Candle, traders from the Legato Guild-- and of course, those who were Nullborn-- acclimated themselves to the will-sapping power of the Dark World. For those who were not veterans of the Null, if the initial attack did not send them scurrying back to the comfortable confines of a Light City, oftentimes the pressing evil would overwhelm them.

There was no wind at all, as if the breath of life had gone out of the Dark World. Animals were absent. Monsters abounded.

History

“Behold,” they said, “ultimate war will come to Echelon. The Races will surely be destroyed by the powers of evil and of Vecna, without any who are Determined to lead their people.”

-Ioun and Avandra ("Mythos", ch. 5, v. 8-9)

During the formative millennia of the Ancient World, the gods foresaw a future where Vecna, Prime Evil of undeath and secrets, would conquer Echelon. Ioun, goddess of prophecy and magic, predicted the coming of mortal heroes called the Determined. These Determined were to lead the world in the Ultima War, a near-apocalyptic conflict between the mortal, created Races of the gods, and the evil servants of Vecna.

The Ultima War came in the Median Timeline in 855 ME. The Determined-- Alastaire Breowan, Casimiri Pickles, Kevice Dryadson, Raelyn Lionni, and Wollyn Diggenplump-- were unable to prepare the entire planet for the coming War, as technology and exploration had only allowed them access to the Seven Isles, the eastern Mainland, and one of the Forgotten Continents. However, in the time they had, the Determined managed to erect several city-sized barriers in anticipation of Vecna's assault; these were instrumental in protecting cities not only during the War, but during the Dark Age as well.

When Vecna broke through the Seal and attacked Echelon, the Determined engaged him in the Temple of Numbers. Surrounded by millions of angelic beings that encapsulated the Isle in a dome of holy energy, the Prime Evil and the mortal heroes fought for a full day. In the end, Vecna was struck down by the combined powers of the Determined, and destroyed for all time.

However, in Vecna's dying breath, he was able to curse the world to eternal darkness and decay. This curse of the Null, as it came to be known, permeated the entirety of the planet and snuffed out the life of billions of creatures. However, before his mysterious disappearance in the 1st century DA, arch-wizard Alastaire Breowan predicted the end of the Dark Age.

The Null did not last forever, as Vecna had intended. The Voices caused The Passing in 1205 DA when they forced the Whispering Timeline to collapse in on itself, Melding all timelines and forcing the Null to end.

Null Phenomena: Razor Obsidian

Besides the drain on one’s spirit, the Null presented other evils. Its landscape was bleak and shadowy, with all manner of blasted hills and craters where lakes once stood and rivers once flowed. There were no trees, other than horrible abominations of razor-sharp obsidian-- true mockeries of nature. These “trees” had branches that jutted out at impossible angles, slicing the armor and flesh of unwary travelers. Functionally invisible in the darkness, razor obsidian also absorbed torchlight, making it almost impossible to detect by sight.

Null Phenomena: Necrotic Ash

During the Dark Age, bluish-black soot covered the ground in patches. If any of this necrotic ash was absorbed into a creature's body, it took a devastating physical toll. Death in the Null by any means triggered the decomposition of a body into this necrotic ash at an alarming rate. The ash was usually not found in the same place twice; scholars believed that, due to the lack of wind, the ash moved through the poisoned ground itself.

Null Phenomena: Shifting Zones

Shifting zones were incredibly dangerous regions of the Null, where the laws of physics did not apply. At first, one could never be certain of entering a shifting zone. The area looked similar to the rest of the land around it, though there were tell-tale signs that experienced travelers could pick up on. Suddenly, rocks, necrotic ash, and charred soil would blast upward, downward, and sideways, eventually resettling into its undisturbed state. Anyone caught inside a shifting zone was sure to be in a heap of trouble; many did not make it out of the smallest shifting zone alive.

Null Phenomena: Dark Lightning

Dark lightning storms were somewhat predictable once charted, but they did appear quickly. Negative energy lanced down from the black sky a cacophony of noise-- initially a subtle shade of indigo, flashing to white-hot in an instant, and then dissipating in moments. While many attempted to discern any regularity to dark lightning storms, the monks of the Tao Ren had the most success in charting the more frequent areas of storm activity. Being struck by dark lightning was often fatal; anyone unfortunate enough to be caught unprepared inside a sudden storm was all but lost. Occasionally, dark lightning was known to strike outside known storm regions. The sources and causes of the phenomenon were never discovered.

Monsters

The monsters of the Null were even more variegated and dangerous as in the mundane world. They were unable to be reasoned with, pleaded with, or bribed. They could, with a little luck and a lot of courage and skill, be killed. There were five classifications of Null monster: aberrant, demonic, elemental, natural, and undead.

Aberrant monsters were hideous abominations of life. They were rarely humanoid, possessing only rudimentary intelligence and an insatiable hunger. Chaotic and unrelenting, aberrant creatures did not hesitate to attack travelers and caravans, even if greatly outnumbered. This trait made them a constant threat, and yet another reason for travelers to always be prepared in the Null.

Demonic monsters were leftovers from the Ultima War-- either devilish Hellguards trapped in Echelon, or foul demons from the Nine Hells that bled into the world during Vecna’s short time there. They were comparatively few in number, but especially dangerous as they would sometimes organize into raiding parties or, on occasion, small armies. The last devil princes Catch and Flayer were killed in a pyrrhic duel with Kevice Dryadson in the first century DA, though demonic monsters continued to be a major threat for the entirety of the Age.

Elementals were once a rarity in Echelon, only being encountered by the luckiest of individuals in the Middle Era. They were seen then as a boon, although if disturbed, they were deadly forces. Elemental monsters in the Null, however, were nothing short of a nightmare. Swirling chunks of ice and thunder, magma serpents with skin as hard as igneous stone, whirlwinds of electricity and flame-- each elemental was unique in its appearance and spiteful in its demeanor.

Natural creatures (if they could be called such) were once the monsters of Wild Country in the Middle Era. Twisted by the Null, these creatures were savage and vicious. Sometimes, dark orcs or kobolds would join a devil's army, making them a formidable fighting force. Fortunately for the Races, these alliances were usually short-lived. Natural monsters included orcs, goblins, sahaugin, ettercaps, and trolls.

By far the most numerous of the Null monsters were undead. Necrotic horrors walked the surface of Echelon in droves with naught but mindless consumption in their motives. Skeletons, zombies, wraiths, ghouls-- there was no shortage of undead on a traveler’s journey. Worst of all, because of the presence of necrotic ash, it was very difficult to put down a Null undead for good. Stories abounded of skeleton warriors being struck down by sword and mace, only to rise again in seconds from the ash. Alchemists insisted that the best way to eliminate the undead was to destroy the creature completely, usually with fire.