![[the meteor strike.png]] %% ## Origins of the Meteor “Magic attracts more magic. Under extraordinarily rare circumstances, magical energies crystallize into delerium. The stones slowly draw more raw magic into the world from distant planes, possible realities, and alternate dimensions. The rate is exponential. Considerably more leakage occurs around vast quantities of delerium. These chaotic energies are inherently destabilizing. Unfocused magic conjures up paradoxical improbabilities at random, leaving behind lingering eldritch [[contamination]]. Uncontained, these magical forces manifest as [[the Haze]]. More delerium forms within, and so the process accelerates.” – Archwizard Ryan Greymere The meteor left behind vast deposits of [[delerium]], enough to manifest an erratic magical field called [[the Haze]]. New delerium deposits gradually emerge within [[the Haze]], which causes the affected region to expand slowly over time. Left unchecked, [[the Haze]] can overtake an entire world within a few centuries, leaving behind a chaotic landscape of churning madness and wild magic. The infected world cataclysmically shatters when more destructive magic inevitably erupts, sending a hail of [[delerium]]-filled comets throughout the cosmos. After hurtling through the Astral Void for eons, some collide with new worlds where the process begins again. Countless worlds have met this fate, the rest are wholly ignorant of the doom that might one day descend upon them. If nothing is done to stop the spread, [[the Haze]] will fully engulf [[Westemär]] in roughly one hundred and fifty years. Once this happens, little hope for reversal remains, and the dread mists will envelop the world two centuries thereafter. Civilization and society collapse into a monster-filled wasteland that catastrophically ruptures about one thousand years later. ![[Inscrutable Tower.png]] None know the complete truth about [[the Haze]] at the outset of the campaign, and little knowledge is revealed via divination magic save mad whispers. Throughout the adventure, player characters may find clues about [[delerium]] from which they may develop their own theories and speculations regarding the origins of the meteor. They can learn much by exploring deep into the ruins, especially locations such as the [[Inscrutable Tower]], [[the crater]], and [[City Locations/Castle Drakken]]. Faction leaders and malfeasant wizards might also offer their research and insights to help players along the way. %%