[center][hr][h1]||| Natural Forces |||[/h1][hr][/center]

[hr][h3]| [color=B98B3F]Yggdrasil, The World Tree[/color] |[/h3][hr]
[indent]Yggdrasil exists in a kind of no man's land caught in the very center of the contrast of the different natures of the four courts. In that place it would seem that time has stopped and yet also that time moves at breakneck speeds and everything in between. It would seem there is all weather and no weather though those brave enough to seek out Yggdrasil wonder if it is all a show that the World Tree plays upon you for its own amusement.
[/indent]

[hr][h3]| [color=Gold]The Awen[/color] |[/h3][hr]
[indent]Many believe the Awen to be the beginning of existence, the first spark of life that created all worlds. Some view it as a living entity, others as an infinite repository. Some think it is a real place while others believe it to simply be the personification of a concept. The Awen is a field of energy that contains all knowledge, all wisdom, all truth from the beginning of time to the end of all things. However their is only one manner to access that much information, that much power without it destroying the mind of the one seeking answers. That is through an Awenddyion. They are a special type of fae that are born with a primal connection to the Awen. They are able to survive this exposure because each time they channel the Awen the experience is erased from their mind after the Awenddyion has answer the inquirer's question. Most Awenddyion regard the Awen as a god. It is believed that should one of them look into the Awen fully conscious it would drive them insane.[/indent]

[hr][h3]| [color=RoyalBlue]Ley Lines[/color] |[/h3][hr]
[indent]When the Fae Realm was created it was meant to be completely closed off from the mortal plain. Rarely do things happen as planned. Whatever the reason, whether it was a failure of Caliburn's power or an oversight of the Tuatha, the Fae Realm was pressed upon the mortal world like a second skin. It intertwined with the original land, both separate and invisible to the other but still very much connected. These connections were strongest along borders that the mortals came to know as [i]Ley Lines[/i]. A grid tracing over the world that marked where magical energy bled between the fae and mortal realms. The two realms are always in flux with relation to one another. However the Ley Lines mark consistent ties between the two worlds, Gateways formed on the Ley Lines always link the same locations. In addition they are places of intense magical energy on both sides of the veil.  On either side places where the Ley Lines intersect have often been used by human "wizards" to summon magical powers they were ill equipped to control while the skilled among the fae used the Ley Lines to augment their abilities to perform spectacular and often life threatening feets. Usually in war times.[/indent]

[hr][h3]| The Veil Perilous |[/h3][hr]
[indent]The barrier between the land of the fae and the mortal realm. Though it is not a physical barrier in the same sense that the Great Boundary is, the Veil Perilous is still a very real factor in the realm of the faeries.[/indent]

[hr][h3]| Gateways |[/h3][hr]
[indent]The realms are constantly in flux, moving and shifting. The Ley Lines are the only points that tie the two realms together. As such it is not uncommon for natural Gateways between the mortal and fae realms to form along Ley Lines. These gateways usually take the form of undefined holes in space. If the locations on both sides are similar it would not be difficult to walk right past a Gateway and never notice its existence. Ley Lines are not the only places where Gateways can form however. When realms shift they can make contact with one another, at these locations portals between the lands form. However without the magical energies of the Ley Lines to stabilize them these gateways are prone to collapsing rapidly, maybe letting a single person or a small group at the right place at the right time through before they fail. 

Though the Gateways formed by the Ley Lines are more stable none of the naturally occurring passages are permanent. As the worlds shift the gateways form and collapse regardless of location. The Ley Line Gateways are often more predictable than those formed at random. These may form in the same place at the same time of year for a specific period before they fail. In the old days when passage between the mortal and fae realms was more regular the old faery leaders had Gateways permanently maintained at Nexus points along the Ley Lines. These included such locations as Stone Henge, the ancient Lake of Avalon, the Great Pyramids of the Egyptians. Pieces of a long dead Gateway have been found so far back as the Babylonian Empire.

As the Gateways created along Ley Lines always correspond to the same points in the human and fae realms it was a common tactic in war times to use the mortal realm and these portals as a means to circumvent the Boundary. Sometimes with small guerrilla groups and sometimes more rarely with full scale military strike forces.[/indent]

[hr][h3]| [color=DarkMagenta]The Boundary[/color] |[/h3][hr]
[indent]There are gateways through the barrier which server as border crossings between the Courts. However these are strictly monitored by officials of each Court on both sides to prevent smuggling or fleeing fugitives. Those that wish to avoid scrutiny must find other ways through the border. Some fae artifacts can accomplish this effect but they are rare and often confiscated by Court Rulers. The most common method of crossing the border is by using the blood of the Tuatha. As the creators of the Fae Realm Yggdrasil recognizes them as its rightful leaders and so the barriers that subdivide the Tuatha's land will give way for them by proof of blood. Because of this many criminal organizations employ a handful of Tuatha to help get objects through the barriers. Anyone caught violating the barriers in this manner is punished with execution regardless of the Court.

It is a commonly held belief that if someone were to gain permanent dominion over both the Spring and Summer Courts or both the Autumn and Winter Courts the Boundary between the two would vanish recreating the Seelie and Unseelie lands in their natural glory.[/indent]