Arafel (Old Lore)

Introduction
Arafel, also known as the Chaissaire, the Maze of Shadows or the Dark that dwells below, is a dimension created by the Garauth. It consists of the fallen and altered energies of the primordial god Chairass and large quantities of magical energies. It enables the Garauth to travel between and within dimension and alter reality.

Powers
Arafel is a dimension of its own but also a shattered force across all dimensions. In each worlds, there exist remains of Chairass. Where the Garauth and their magical seals are close, these remains are connected and set into context to form the Maze of Shadows. This does not only grant Arafel the powers and potential of a primordial god, its also able to absorb and recreate realitly.

Arafel represents four important aspects for the Garauth.

The Realm of Souls
For all creatures connected to it, Arafel represents the Realm of Souls. The Garauth and most of their Servitorraces transfer their souls into Arafel directy where they can reform and renew without needing to travel through the realms outside of the material worlds where they are vunerable and uncontrolled. This also gives Arafel the conciousness and all memories of each soul connected to it and can be used to store information which can be read through a magical link.

For the Garauth this is even more important. Without the ability to protect and bring back their old souls, they would have died long ago. That way, they can form articial bodies from Animus Vitae and host their souls inside them. That way, each of them is immortal as long as their old corpses are available to them. Newborn Garauth care able to keep the memories of their past lifes aswell as their expertise and bodycontroll.

Garauth can also use Arafel to form artifical souls. Those function similar to normal souls, even though they are less stable and usually are destroyed over the course of one or several lifes. Since they harvest the incarnated conciousness from the Anacron, they can quickly form and reform souls.

The Breaker of Worlds
The stronger and the more connected Arafel becomes, the more it manifests itself as a matter or power of its own. At some degree it even becomes visible and can be touched.

Mortals often describe Arafel as darkness since they are not able to put their impressions in words. For mortal eyes, Arafel is both absolute darkness and bright light, both shadow and fire. Its real and unreal at the same time. Some are not even able to really see it. The description that fits it the most is a stream of energies constantly moving, grey light shrouded in darkness, both visible and concealed.

Arafel can turn any matter into magical energy and grow from it. The close to wave matter is, the easier its transfered. For that reason, radioactive substances are especially useful to the Garauth. Magical rituals and the bare energies of the void beyond the material world is even better to transform into Arafel. All creatures formed from Animus Vitae however can connect to Arafel without being turned into energies. Usually Arafel is described as a dark and chilling force. I absorbs heat and turns it into energy. Thanks to that the caves and cities of the Garauth are always cold, even though they are deep in the earth.

The Power of Arafel can also be magically blocked. That way, all creatures that consist of Animus Vitae willautomatically die and crumble. Caldor used this to defeat the Garauth in Eoam.

The strongest power of Arafel is the cut in the Worldwalls it produces. Unlike spells that weaken the Worldwalls or the physical bounds, Arafel in its concentrated form creates a small space of unreality. Similar to the energies beyond each dimension, this unreality is pure thoughtenergy and free of physical laws. Unlike the uncontrolled magical energy mortal mages use to alter reality, this unreality is save and free of anomalies.

With this small break in the fabric of reality, the Garauth and their Revenants can manipulate physical laws. It enables them to slow or speed up the flow of time in their bodies and in small spheres around them. They can also manipulate temperature, gravity, air pressure and the magnetic field.

Arafel can also transform its magical powers into energy which enables it to send out heatwaves, electric impulses or kinetic energy.

The great goal of the Garauth is to follow the final path and use Arafel to consum all dimensions and the entire universe, so that they would ascend to godhood and where able to recreate themselfes and the universe according to their wishes.

The link to life
Arafel functions as a link to life. Not only to every Hollow formed from Animus Vitae. It also has a connection to every Servitor in contact with Arafels energies.

Arafel contains the Bornenergy of every species created by the Garauth. That way, they are immune to degeneration and can not create Godkings.

The Garauth use the Maze of Shadows to transfer genetical information to each lifeform, magically changing and adapting them. Thanks to that, they do not reproduce sexually and change their genetical code according to the will of their creators, no matter how far they are away.

Garauth use the similar mechanism to communicate with each other across entire dimensions.