For those who manage to see it, the Veil is a multi-faceted canvas that ripples with the currents of ideas flowing through it. Its surface is iridescent, fluid, as if shaped by northern lights. Otherwise, this undulating blanket that overlays reality like a moiré sea remains invisible to the eyes of mortals.

Every time the human mind shapes a being, a land, a story, all these imagined or dreamed things come to exist in the Empyrean. And the more these ideas are transmitted and spread, the stronger and more substantial their echo in the realm of imagination becomes. Thus, since time immemorial, many places—Avalon, Olympus, Oz, Atlantis...—have sprouted in the Empyrean, forging kingdoms, lands, realms... a multitude of dreamlike territories, independent yet interconnected.

Some sages and philosophers say that the Empyrean is synonymous with the collective unconscious, and that it will exist as long as there are human beings to think; that it is an infinite plane of existence, continually growing and changing as humans tap into their imagination.

"Nothing comes into being or perishes, but is rather compounded or dissolved from things that are" - this was stated by the philosopher Anaxagoras of Clazomenae about matter millennia ago.

Through him, the Aether can come into existence in reality. In the past, it was only indirectly: a sculptor could shape clay, a painter could cover his canvas with pigments, an inventor could materialize an object by crafting it... All these avenues were and remain a means of bringing an idea into existence in the world.

But now, the Tumult has disrupted this natural process. The Aether, through it, adheres erratically to beings and things without any logic. Fortunately, humanity has managed to tame this phenomenon to some extent, through Alteration. Like the Tumult, this ability allows ideas to be materialized directly, but this time through the filter of thought and will. Thanks to Mana, Alterers can make their imagination and memories tangible.

If Aether is the substance of the Empyrean, Quintessence is that of reality. It is only when Aether imbues itself onto Quintessence that the idea it carries becomes physically incarnate in reality.

Aether is the immaterial idea, the concept of a thing (like a plan or a scheme). Quintessence is the substance (the material) that allows ideas to become tangible, to exist within the world. In this analogy, Mana is the cement that binds the two, the energy that keeps Aether and Quintessence in a coherent whole.

No one knows how the Confluence occurred. The Veil suddenly weakened, without explanation. A part of the realms of the Empyrean crossed the barrier all of a sudden, superimposing itself onto reality like a wave engulfing the world. From a gigantic breach, Aether poured directly onto reality, this time without passing through the filter of the human mind. From this tear, the Tumult began to blow, a set of unstable and tumultuous flows of Aether, furious and destructive torrents…

Like a wave colliding with the shore, Aether shattered everywhere, infiltrating beings and things. And where it surged, it caused everything in its path to mutate, impregnating reality, transforming it erratically and uncontrollably. Over time, human metropolises and wild expanses intertwined with dreamlike landscapes and fabulous cities from the other side, shaping a new world whose topography and physical laws were profoundly altered and constantly changing. With the snap of a finger, the Confluence had turned the world into a tumultuous maelstrom, an almost unlivable hell.

Throughout history, humans have possessed the ability to imagine—an infinite creative potential. Every human being has always had the possibility to juggle with ideas, combine them, separate them, twist them, transform them... But now, this imagination can be expressed in the world in a tangible way. A baker capable of minor Alteration could manipulate the idea of fire to bake his bread at just the right temperature. A carpenter will be able to tap into the Aether to help create shapes otherwise impossible…

However, some individuals, through innate talent or relentless effort, have made this skill their specialty. These Alterers have developed their ability to influence the world, to shape it by tapping into their imagination. But to accomplish such feats, they had to tame the unstable energy that is Mana as much as possible. While they don't necessarily belong to a Faction, many of them join the ranks of these groups, according to the philosophy that speaks to them the most. For many, they feel deep within that their demiurgic gifts must be anchored in a stream of ideas to be better channeled.

However, the Confluence has dislocated the world of imagination as much as it has devastated reality. The Oneiroi have been isolated, separated. Their realms have fractured for some. Others have been annihilated or lost. Their power, once extraordinary, has diminished following the near-extinction of humanity. That is why they provide assistance to humans, as their fates are deeply intertwined.

It is said that the Oneiroi can visit humans through their dreams, but Alteration now allows them to exist temporarily in reality. It is not uncommon to call upon them to ask simple questions or seek their help in desperate situations. Over the years, humans and the Oneiroi, though separated by the Veil, have forged deep bonds, aiming to move forward hand in hand.

Many theorists of the Aether ponder whether the world has entered a new mythological age. Ancient legends speak of chimerical creatures: Pegasus, centaurs, yokai, and harpies. They also speak of fairy lands, places outside of time. According to these thinkers, the world may well be subject to regular cycles of creation and recreation. Perhaps, in a distant past, reality and imagination had already clashed in this way, and Eidolons roamed the world just as they do now? If this theory proves to be true, it could imply that the Confluence is a natural and periodic phenomenon, much like the alternation of night and day.