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[color=BABABA][sub]Modern setting, horror drama.
Occult and eldritch presence in the world.
Inspired by Aliens, H.P. Lovecraft, Stranger Things.
Parallel dimension, monstrosities, black operations, cults.[/sub][/color][/center]
[color=BABABA][sub]P  R  E  M  I  S  E[/sub][/color][hr][indent][color=A1A6AA]Few know about the reality beyond our own. Knowledge of this dimensions has been closely guarded by esoteric religions and societies throughout the ages. They have gone to great lengths in order to silence madmen and dissenters who attempted to voice the truth. This truth speaks of an alternate reality that shadows our own world, an antithesis to what we knew to exist. It is a cold and dark place wherein eldritch beings of nightmare reside. The enlightened few in our world know this reality as the Void.

Being exposed to the Void often ends with madness or suicide. However, some are either trained to withstand the mental torture or naturally attuned to the Void. The latter are collectively known as mystics. These people enter the Void at a young age for an indefinite amount of time before returning, during which they form a mystical symbiosis with the dark realm. The end result is that mystics are able to manipulate the energies of the Void in our reality.

The nature and purpose of the Void is unknown. Those who meddle with occult practices and lust for knowledge believe the dimension to be connected to the origin of existence. These people form a secret world beneath modern society. They either favor or dispute the presence of the Void, manipulate its power and influence over the world, and attempt to become one with the dark realm. An esoteric collection of world leaders known as the ‘High Table’ go to great lengths in order to merge our reality with the Void. 

The Void extends into our reality through a corruption. A disease known as ‘Panacea’ has been present in the world for centuries, but disguised by different names. It is essentially a parasite of the dark realm that infects a host and begins a metamorphosis resulting in an eldritch being. Any living entity can be subject to the parasite, but the length of the transformation varies greatly. It is believed that mystics are infected, but their bodies do not resist the parasite and form a unique symbiosis with it. Every story about nightmarish beings throughout history have been rare sightings and encounters with the disease.

Plot: A great omen appears in the sky as a child returns from the Void. The secret world fears the prophetic event as the dark realm seeps ever so closer. The disease spreads at an aggressive rate, consuming entire regions. The High Table executes radical preparations for integration of the dark realm. Those who oppose the coming nightmare are growing thin.
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[color=BABABA][sub]C  H  A  R  A  C  T  E  R  S[/sub][/color][hr][indent][color=A1A6AA]Your character can be almost whatever you want, as long as they are aware or part of the secret world and somehow oppose the Void. This includes mystics. As this is mostly a horror drama with some action baked into it, multiple characters are encouraged in order to keep constant interaction. Personal goals and stories will also be important, as the overarching plot is broad with many moving parts.
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[color=BABABA][sub]T  H  E    V  O  I  D[/sub][/color][hr][indent][color=A1A6AA]Everything in the Void appears bleak and lifeless, damp and foggy. Places known to us in our reality exist in the dark realm as well, but they are torn and aged with thorny tendrils sprouting from ever crevice. Webs of strange, alien matter crawl upon ever surface. Toxic spores hover in the air. Nightmarish insects and other creatures dwell in the obscure corners of things. The Void is the negative realm, the antithesis.

The beings that inhabit the Void carry illogical forms and compositions. When they cross over into our world, they consume matter in order to nourish their starving existence. The void is something different to each and every person that learns of its existence. Some people embrace its cold and dark environment, and the mystical forces therein. These individuals congregate in cults, Void Walk together, and attempt to become one with the dark realm.

In recent years, the presence of Void beings and incursions have increased. The cause of it is unknown, but nightmarish creatures and strange pathogens are reported all over the world. Those who fervently attempt to keep knowledge of the secret world from spilling out into the public have been busy. They are also decreasing in numbers, as they either die to Void beings or ultimately succumb to madness. The greatest fear—one that has been for as long as people have known about the Void—is the possibility that the Void is our own distant future.
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[color=BABABA][sub]M  Y  S  T  I  C  I  S  M[/sub][/color][hr][indent][color=A1A6AA]Individuals who form a symbiosis with the Void are able to manipulate its energies in order to create supernatural effects in our world. These effects are events that defy the physical and natural laws that govern our existence. Those who wield this power are known as mystics. They were unwillingly sent to the Void at an early age, being exposed to its horrors for an extended period of time before returning. However, it is possible to learn mysticism through other means, although it is infinitely more complex and unnatural.

Few of those who are exposed the knowledge of the Void remain sane enough to continue their lives. Many simply commit suicide or succumb to madness. Some of them claim to have seen monolithic, cosmic beings within the boundaries of the Void. They say that the Void is the collective dream of these beings, and that their physical bodies actually slumber in the depths of our own world. However, nobody has seen these great beings in the flesh, and the Void sightings are rare and far between.

There are no definite parameters to what mystics can do. They describe the energy of the Void as a physical feeling that lingers within their bodies, but it is not good nor bad. While ordinary people would throw the word ‘magic’ around, mystics themselves know their abilities as ‘techniques’. Some of them can be shared, others are unique. Manipulating the energies of the Void is a physical act that depends on movement of the body, almost like dancing. Those whose lives are ended by mystics are said to have encountered the ‘Dance of Death’.

Mysticism performed by occultists is achieved through sound. They use bells and chimes to bring upon unnatural effects in the world. The distinct sound of such instruments have thus become synonymous with fear, as the outcome is highly unpredictable. Other sources of sound may also distort reality. Such sources could be the shattering of glass, dripping water, weeping infants, or moaning animals.
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[color=BABABA][sub]T  H  E    D  I  V  I  S  I  O  N[/sub][/color][hr][indent][color=A1A6AA]The Division is the tactical unit of the Department of Paranormal Surveillance. It consists of hardened military veterans who have either been exposed to the Void or otherwise earned the right to partake in the highest form of service to humanity. The Division delivers surgical strikes against occult activities in their designated area. They also conduct Void Incursions whereby they escort researches in the Void itself or to gather other information. However, they do not willingly enter the Void unless there are absolutely no other options. Division members do not dabble in mysticism themselves, but they do carry trinkets that protect them against certain effects. Their most formidable weapon is an anti-sound device. It emits a low frequency sound that cancels other, higher frequencies. This prevents most uses of mysticism in the immediate area.

The Department of Paranormal Surveillance and The Division has a neutral-hostile stance towards mystics. They closely monitor every known mystic in their designated area of operations. Mystics that sign a contract with The Department of Paranormal Surveillance are given immunity from suspicion in exchange for cooperation whenever such need rises. Mystics are technically Void beings, which puts everyone at risk. Some mystics decide to ally with cults, the High Table, or other dangerous individuals instead. This is why it is so crucial to find and capture new mystics, children who have recently escaped the Void, so that they can be rehabilitated and set on a proper course. The ideal scenario is that mystics forget about the secret world and go on with their lives. The less they concern themselves with all things paranormal, the better.
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