The Gray

A spirit cyclone in the Deep Gray. As the realm of Athasian dead, at times Athasian spirits may gather in great masses. They often do this when attracted by psychic turbulence, at the command of powerful undead, or when lured by the presence of the living.

THE GRAY

Dark Sun Plane of Existence

Introduction

The Gray is a featureless and empty spiritual and mystical plane that is metaphysically coexistent and parallel with the Athasian Prime Material Plane, and yet is fundamentally separate and removed from the Athasian Elemental Planes and the Astral Plane. The Gray is also the realm of the dead, the plane upon which all souls of the once living reside until their spirits at last fade away into the featureless landscape.

The Gray is the metaphysical plane upon which and through all mystical energies used upon the Prime Material Plane of Athas flow. For example, psychic battles between psionicists take place upon the Gray, telepathic messages sent across the world are visibly transported through the Gray, and spells and magic all have shadows, echoes and sometimes even create turbulence in the Gray. The stronger the spell or psionic power manifested in the Prime Material Plane, the greater the parallel turbulence will manifest in the Gray. Magic and psionics used in the Gray itself will also cause eddies and even storms in the Gray, if they are powerful enough.

As a metaphysical realm, time and space are completely relative in the Gray. Indeed, a sense of time and space is completely absent in the infiniteness of the Gray unless a traveler in the Gray is relative to some other entity in the nothingness. This aspect of relativity is not restrained to perceived relativity, for it also manifests physically. For example, movement is truly meaningless in the Gray unless it is relative to some other entity within the Gray. As another example, a sensation of movement such as the cold breeze of the Gray rushing past can only be achieved if another entity of roughly equal or greater mass is in sight.

A similar plane to the Negative Material Plane of other universes, the Gray is certainly a negative energy realm. Physicality is muted in the Gray, and as such all physical items or creatures will slowly degrade over time. Indeed, the negative energy is so pervasive that even spirts of the dead and powerful undead will slowly dissolve into nothingness as the centuries pass. For physical travelers in the Gray, physical attributes are muted, and as such eating, drinking, breathing and other normal physical requirements are unnecessary. Sleep however is still required, for as a realm of the spirit, the mind is constantly working and requires rest. Unfortunately, such physical muting has a price, for the soul-enervating effects of the plane draw one level away from any traveler, spiritual or physical, for every 24 hours spent in the Gray.

The Gray is divided into two sub-realms, the Border Gray and the Deep Gray. The Border Gray is a nearly colorless border realm with the Prime Material Plane. Few spirits, save for the undead, reside here, and it is possible to see the vague outline of the Prime Material Plane if one is metaphysically close enough. For those physically traveling in the Gray, the doorways used to enter and leave the Gray are almost always created via the Border Gray. The Deep Gray is the Gray proper. Metaphysically separate from the Border Gray, the Prime Material Plane is not visible from the Deep Gray. The Deep Gray is the empty doom of the spirits of the dead of Athas, and for undead who do not currently haunt Athas or its moons. The Deep Gray does however hold physical objects floating through the spaceless void. Certainly within the Deep Gray strange sub-planes and demi-planes exist, and there may be islands of physical existence unknown to but a very few, if any know them at all.

Physical Descriptions from the Prism Pentad

“She stood on a narrow stairway, looking out over an immense abyss filled with a haze that stretched from far below her feet to the zenith of the sky. It was the color of ash and as still as the midday sands. There was nothing else out there.”

–The Cerulean Storm, The Gray, p. 73

“Despite the pain, Tithian retained his grip on the satchel and endured the transformation while floating just inside the sack's mouth. He did not feel the burden of his own weight, and no longer did he experience any sensation of up or down, sideways or forward, or even of past and present. He simply existed, connected to the outside world only by the tenuous grip of his aching fingers.

“There was no sensation of movement, nothing drifting past in the horrible grayness to mark the passage of distance. The king knew that he moved only because the satchel opening was growing smaller and the lens was growing larger. He could not feel the air brushing his face as he slipped through it, or even whether the temperature was hot or cold. Tithian simply felt numb.

Some time later, the king caught the Oracle. It might have been a few moments or a day that had passed, Tithian could not tell. He had no more sensation of time than he did of distance. All he knew for sure was that he struck the lens with a terrible jolt. Again, he felt a surge of fiery energy rise through his body without causing him pain, then he sat down on the lens, held fast by the mystical energy he was drawing from its depths.

After he had re-established contact with the Oracle, the sensation of falling returned to Tithian's stomach, and he felt a cold breeze brushing past his face. The king slowly turned, looking in all directions, trying to find some means of further orienting himself. He saw nothing but the opening from which he had come, glowing red with the sun's light and rapidly vanishing.” –The Obsidian Oracle

The Nature of the Gray

Planar Boundaries and Prohibitions

The Astral Plane touches upon Athas, but is almost totally occluded by both the Gray and the Black. Spiritually or physically, it is all but impossible to travel from the Prime Material Plane of Athas to the Astral Plane. It is also difficult to travel by any method to the Ethereal Plane, but this is far easier to accomplish than it is to reach the Astral Plane. Interestingly, the Ethereal Plane itself can cross the Gray with perfect ease, and does so frequently, branching forth conduits from the Elemental Planes through the Gray and thereby allowing elemental spells to be granted, elemental spirits to take shape and the raw physical energies of the Elemental and Prime Material Planes to affect each other.

There is absolutely no connection whatsoever between the Gray and the Black, as there never are and never can be any shadows in the Gray. Direct travel from one of these planes to another is literally impossible.

Summoning Objects as an Act of Will in the Gray

As a plane of spirit and thought, the Gray and all physical objects in the Gray readily react to thought. Indeed, merely thinking of a physical object will summon the item of less mass than the summoner from any “place” in the Gray and to his person after one full round. Even intelligent physical beings may be summoned in this way, if indeed they are of less mass than the summoner. Intelligent beings wishing to resist this summons may do so by making a saving throw vs. spell, modified by wisdom. Furthermore, those who resist a summons, should they fail the saving throw, may will themselves away from the summoning. Those with greater mass, in summoning the small creature while the smaller one tries to move away, may be seen as chasing and eventually reaching the chased being. The creature with the greater movement rate (the one with the larger mass) will close to its target in a time dependent upon how much faster the summoning creature actually is.

Spirits and insubstantial undead may also summon physical objects and creatures in this way. The DM should assign a mass which would be reasonable to the spirit in question, and utilize the spirit’s movement rate in cases of summoning dispute as suggested above. Spirits themselves can even be summoned in this manner.

Beings may team together to summon the same object if a team effort is required to summon larger objects or creatures.

In the case of objects larger than the summoner, the summoner is in fact journeying to the larger object, but such is a relative observation in the featurelessness of the Gray.

Often, imagined items can be merely guessed at, and if they are free-floating in the Gray, will appear. It is not unreasonable to imagine that very powerful items float uselessly and lost throughout the Gray, and require only a thought to summon them, if only one could know what to imagine to summon them in the first place.

Summoned items cannot be summoned if currently possessed by another being. Likewise, one is protected from summoning while on a mindscape anchor, although summoning something to a mindscape is possible.

Traveling Spiritually While in the Gray

When spiritually traveling in the Gray, the traveler appears completely as himself, along with any of his personal possessions, for all these are spiritually bound to him within the Gray. The spiritual traveler appears in the Gray just as he normally would, and does not assume an insubstantial or ghostly body. A spiritually traveling character may carry as much equipment/material with him as his encumbrance maximum allows. If the spiritual traveler gains more equipment during his adventures, such equipment will manifest in gradual stages around his meditating person upon re-entering his mindscape, and manifest completely upon the traveler reaching his mindscape nexus.

A benefit of traveling spiritually in the Gray is that, while present in one’s own mindscape or the mindscape of the master traveler through which the traveler in question is projecting, it is impossible to actually die by physical means. Dragon magic, level-draining and the wholesale destruction of the soul or spirit by a powerful spell or psionic attack can kill the projector, but physical blows of any sort will only drive him down to 0 hit points, at which point unconsciousness is achieved. True death by physical blows can only be accomplished if the target is not in contact with his mindscape.

Spiritual travel in the Gray is quite different than spiritual travel upon the Astral, for the Gray translates the traveler’s sum self-conception to that plane of existence. Therefore, the traveler’s physical strength, dexterity and constitution are manifested in the Gray. All personal possessions, up to a maximum of the traveler’s encumbrance, accompanies the character while on the Gray, and do not require enchantment spells as spiritual traveler’s require for mundane objects to accompany them to the Astral Plane. If items are consumed, broken or otherwise lost while traveling spiritually in the Gray, such objects vanish from the meditating traveler on the Prime Material Plane.

Upon appearing in the Gray, spiritual travelers always appear in their mindscape (see below). They may remain within the confines of their mindscape if they wish, or may venture forth beyond their mindscape into the Gray proper. Distinct from the Astral Plane, upon leaving the mindscape such travelers possess no silver cord or other link to their mindscape, and are at this point spiritually removed from their bodies until they return to their mindscapes.

The Border Gray

Very similar to the Ethereal, the Border Gray is hazy, and reduces all other colors to shades of gray. Clear vision into the Prime Material is reduced to 12 feet in daylight, 6 feet in torchlight and only three feet in candlelight. Sound passes from the Prime Material and to the Border Gray, but these sounds are muffled and difficult to make out clearly. Complex conversations from the Prime Material are impossible to discern. Emphatic and simple statements such as “help!” or “look out!” are audible in the Border Gray at up to ten feet. No light or sound from the Border Gray will ever spill into the Prime Material world, regardless of how intense. Vision within the Border Gray itself is usually some 120 ft.

Movement on the Border Gray is as the normal movement rate of the traveler, which is accomplished simply by walking on the insubstantial Prime Material Plane. Movement is possible in all directions, including up and down, as if flying or walking on air. Being in the Gray allows one to travel through solid objects on the Prime Material, although exceptions to this rule are that it is impossible to travel through living beings, and that certain magical spells, glyphs and also heavy metals may prevent passage via the Border Gray. Travel to the Deep Gray from the Border Gray, but not vice versa, is achieved simply by willing it (wisdom check for newcomers), which takes a full round.

Mindscapes do not exist within the Border Gray, but rather in the Deep Gray, and within the Border Gray, there is no link or visible spiritual connection between an individual and his mindscape.

The Deep Gray

The Deep Gray is the Gray proper. Distinct from the Border Gray, the Deep Gray is a dull, gray, nearly featureless plane of existence. Devoid of direction, gravity and heat and cold. Even for physical travelers in the Gray, eating, breathing and other normal physical processes are muted in the Gray, and are completely unnecessary. Sleep however is still required, for the mind is the most important aspect while in this plane. As is the case in the Border Gray, the Deep Gray saps away one level for every 24 hours spent in the plane, with no saving throw allowed.

The Deep Gray is very unsettling to normal travelers. Unless the DM rules otherwise, all those arriving upon the Deep Gray for the first time may experience various types of shock sometime during the first turn in the directionless and borderless plane. To avoid this, a saving throw vs. paralyzation is made. Success indicates the traveler remains calm enough so as not to suffer penalties, and indeed thereafter this particular traveler need never check for this type of disorientation again. If the saving throw is failed, the traveler in question may uncontrollably panic, suffer from extreme nervousness, become confused, become hysterical, etc. The DM will decide upon the exact symptoms and their length.

Although usually featureless and empty, display of extreme psionic abilities, the casting of potent spells or the passing of especially mighty beings can stir the Gray to turbulence and storms, and even draw the attention of the spirits of the dead, or worse.

Special Sub-Planes of the Gray

The End of the Gray: For those attempting to leave the Gray for the Astral or Athasian Ethereal Plane, this is the no-realm wherein nothing exists and nothing was or is. Merely a metaphysical gap between the Deep Gray and the Event Horizon, spirits and undead cannot exist in the End of the Gray. The End of the Gray is a relative sub-plane, and only exists when an entity attempts to leave the Gray in this manner. The Gray pulls back against this unnatural sub-plane, attempting to pull the transgressing entity back into its normal reality. During the required turn of travel between the End of the Gray and the Event Horizon, the traveler must be fixated upon his focus of reaching the Event Horizon. Should the traveler hesitate, stop, turn aside or delay for any reason, the traveler will be hurled back into the Deep Gray by the great metaphysical gravity of that plane. If such happens, the travel must begin any subsequent journey anew.

The Event Horizon: Upon reaching the End of the Gray, the traveler will metaphysically perceive a pale blank or white light of increasingly immense proportions. Beyond any normal comprehension, this white light will grow in intensity and scope as each round of travel towards it passes. Attempting to merely touch the light is a meaningless action. Passing through the Event Horizon threatens to metaphysically tear apart all but the most fixated of travelers, for a traveler’s entire being must be fixated on traveling to one of the planes beyond the Gray and the Athasian universe. If the traveler is not so dedicated, he will have his soul and body atomized, or if he is lucky, he will appear back in the Deep Gray, unconscious, vulnerable, and all but dead. If one passes the Event Horizon successfully, he experiences an immense sensation beyond description, and passes to his target plane of destination.

Movement and Travel in the Gray

Movement in the Gray

The concept of movement between two points in the Gray has little meaning. Regardless of the method of locomotion used, tactical movement in the Gray is meaningless unless it is relative between two or more entities (spirits of the dead, undead, physical travelers, spiritual travelers, physical objects). Because this form of movement in the Gray is generally only meaningful during encounters, it is referred to here as movement, as opposed to travel, in the Gray.

Movement relative between multiple entities in the Gray can be accomplished by utilizing two general methods: physical movement and mystical movement.

Physical movement is accomplished by walking, running, swimming, flying or otherwise attempting some form of physical locomotion while in the Gray. Although there is no medium to move over or through, such physical movement will in fact draw one closer to another entity. The rate of movement is the normal movement rate for the entity on the Prime Material Plane. Since the concept of movement in the Gray is purely abstract, it is possible to move in the Gray without actually performing normal locomotion (running, flying, walking, etc.). This is called mental movement, and moving in this manner only requires an act of will. It should be understood

Mystical movement in the Gray is accomplished when utilizing spells or psionic powers to travel the Gray. These spells and powers include the astral spell, probability travel, and dimension walk. Through this method of movement using these and similar spells and powers, even faster movement between entities is possible, as described below:

The maximum speed possible is 10 yards per minute (30 feet per melee round) per intelligence point. Sudden stops and changes in direction can occur at will with no ill effects. Encumbrance slows down the traveler in the Deep Gray by a 10 ft. per round penalty for every 10 lbs. carried. Intelligence determines additional carrying capacity. Magical items have no encumbrance.

Traveling in the Gray

The Deep Gray exists outside of space, so although objects and persons may appear within visible range, this does not mean that unseen locations are near or far from anyone. Actually arriving at specific mindscapes, locations or to the boundary of the Ethereal Plane or Astral Plane requires great vision of mind, for the traveler must maintain the concept of his destination in his throughout the journey. In the case of attempting to travel to any location which one has never been to before, for which he has no map or magical/psionic spell or power guiding him, the times listed for travel below are multiplied by 1d6.

Each time travel is attempted, a secret intelligence check with the appropriate modifiers should be made. If a failure is indicated, the character becomes lost for the time indicated by the attempted destination, not fully realizing he is lost until the end of that duration. Another attempt may immediately follow. If two failures are rolled in a row, the traveler must roll an intelligence check on a 1d00, with a bonus from the traveler’s magical defense adjustment as given by wisdom. If the traveler fails, he is hopelessly lost in the Gray for the next 24 hours, at the end of which he may roll the 1d00 intelligence check again. This process will continue until the traveler either expires or manages to make the check.

The appropriate intelligence check must be made each day of travel.

Leaving the Gray for the Athasian Ethereal or Astral Planes

Theory

Attempting to reach the Ethereal or especially the Astral Plane from the Gray is nearly impossible. Although not a physical journey as such, whether traveling spiritually or physically through the Gray, the traveler in question must totally free himself from the metaphysical umbrage of the Gray, and thereby in a certain sense, escape death itself. To do this, the traveler must philosophically reach for pure and unmitigated incarnate reality (the Athasian Ethereal Plane), or conversely aspire to a state of absolute and unmitigated thought without concept of time and space (the Astral Plane). Any attempt to do this is especially difficult, confusing and counterintuitive, because all normal senses during such “travel” will only reveal that the traveler is utterly lost in the Gray, and is otherwise traveling without direction or momentum. If the traveler in question is able to master his mind and focus long and accurately enough on his metaphysical destination (the Athasian Ethereal or Astral Plane) and not become metaphysically lost, he will eventually begin to experience spiritual turbulence in the Gray, as it reacts to the traveler’s attempt to escape the Gray’s Boundary of Reality. The turbulence will draw the attention of spirits, undead and worse from the Gray, who will manifest in order to torment the traveler for disturbing them, or for his attempt to break free from the Gray which most spirits have no hope to ever accomplish. If the traveler is able to persevere through the growing turbulence in the Gray and defeat or otherwise find his way through the angry and jealous spirits and undead, he will reach the End of the Gray and approach the spiritual Event Horizon, through which his mind must be great enough to pass. An attempt to accomplish this is very dangerous, for the traveler risks destroying his soul or spirit upon piercing the Event Horizon. If he succeeds, the traveler has successfully reached either the Athasian Ethereal Plane or Astral Plane. If he fails, he is either hurled back into the Deep Gray to either given up or try again, or he is altogether spiritually annihilated at the Event Horizon.

Game Mechanics and Calculations of Travel

In the case of first-time or unguided travel to the Ethereal or the Astral from Athas, this is exceedingly difficult. Once the traveler has successfully traveled the time indicated for achieving either of these planes, it remains to be seen if by the end he has become thoroughly lost in the Gray. This check is most difficult, as it is an intelligence check made on a 1d100 roll. If this is a failure, he must start all over again. If the traveler has made such a journey before, the chance of becoming lost in the Gray is reduced to a traditional intelligence check for the Astral Plane, or a wisdom check for the Athasian Ethereal Plane.

Even if the character achieves reaching the End of the Gray, his mind must be great enough to break the Boundary of Reality that separates Athas from the rest of the multiverse. This is handled as a percentile roll, modified only by an individual’s magical defense adjustment bonus as given by wisdom for reaching the Athasian Ethereal Plane, or modified by the magical defense adjustment bonus as given by wisdom but instead utilizing the traveler’s intelligence score as wisdom for reaching the Astral Plane:

Lost indicates the character is hurled back into the Deep Gray prematurely, in which case he may attempt the Boundary once more. Failure indicates the traveler must save vs. spell (wisdom bonuses apply, but no psionicist bonuses) or be slain as his spirit is eviscerated upon nearing the Event Horizon. Even if he survives, the character in question suffers as if slain in the Astral Plane having come from the Gray, as described below, and is additionally hurled back into the Deep Gray.

Passing from the End of the Gray to the Event Horizon takes one turn.

Astral Projector Slain in the Astral, Having Come from the Gray

If a traveler’s astral form is slain, his spirit is immediately hurled back to the Deep Gray, either away from his mindscape anchor or, if he is lucky and strong enough of mind, back into his mindscape. To determine this, utilize the table used for reaching the Astral and Ethereal Planes, with “Lost” and “Failure” indicating what was previously described above, and with success indicating he returns to the safety of his mindscape. If he survives returning via the Event Horizon, the traveler then falls into a coma for ld4 + 1 days, during which only a full wish or alter reality will awaken him (the level draining effects of the Gray apply during these days if he is hurled into the Deep Gray). At the end of this time, a system shock roll is made. If it fails, the individual dies. If the system shock roll succeeds, the character regains consciousness with the following restrictions:

Regains consciousness with 1 hit point.

No spell casting or psionics until at least half hit points are regained.

Physical movement reduced by half until half hit points are regained.

Attacks with a -4 penalty until half hit points are regained.

Healing magic can bring the victim back up to full hit points, but all penalties remain in effect until enough time has passed for the victim to have regained half his hit points without curative magic. (This time is measured in terms of true time.)

If he is still alive, once a traveler awakes from his coma, he may attempt to return to his mindscape anchor if he desires. To achieve this, he must travel for 1d6+6 hours, and is otherwise subject to the normal rules for traveling in the Gray.

The Mindscape Anchor and Astral Projection via the Gray

Normally, spiritual travel in the Gray involves the traveler leaving his mindscape. Bereft of any silver cord as one possesses in the Astral Plane or any other link to the mindscape, the spirit is especially vulnerable, and will not re-inhabit his physical body if spiritually slain while in the Gray. However, a silver cord does manifest for an Athasian spiritual traveler if he successfully reaches the Astral Plane, which is caused by a tendril of the mindscape anchor growing and following the spiritual traveler ever closer as he reaches the Event Horizon. An infinitesimal part of the mindscape will actually link and pass through the Event Horizon if the traveler successfully crosses into the Astral Plane. Although not a silver cord as such, the mindscape anchor filament acts as a bridge between the traveler’s astral body and mindscape in the Gray, and provides a slim chance for a bodily return if the astral traveler is slain in the Gray. It should be noted that for the original spiritual traveler, the bridge or staircase from the mindscape will not be useful as he progresses. The mindscape filament grows slowly as the traveler “ascends” towards the Event Horizon, but is always well-behind the traveler. As the traveler grows close to the Event Horizon, the filament or bridge grows exponentially quickly, and only meets the traveler upon him reaching the last step before he crosses beyond the Event Horizon.

Interestingly enough, this mindscape bridge may be discovered by spirits or entities visiting or otherwise inhabiting the traveler’s mindscape, and they may ascend it if they wish to attempt to follow in the astral traveler’s path. If this is done, the mindscape bridge forms a sort of celestial staircase which resembles the mindscape of the original traveler, yet grows ever narrower and faint with the “distance” traveled. Using the celestial staircase to follow the original traveler to the Astral Plane is one of the easiest methods to accomplish such travel that exist on Athas. Theoretically, the cautious allies of a powerful psionicist or spellcaster could wait for their senior ally to make his way through the Deep Gray, and advance up the mindscape filament or bridge as it slowly grows from the mindscape anchor. The amount of time for such allies (or other entities) to ascend the celestial staircase remains 5d10x10 hours, but no checks for being lost are required. Psychic turbulence in the Gray will arise as the staircase walker ascends, but as long as the walker is not hurled off the mindscape bridge by the psychic winds or other spirits, he may travel all the way to the End of the Gray and to the Event Horizon. The traveler may then attempt to pass through the Event Horizon, which remains as dangerous as it is for any other would-be astral traveler. If he succeeds in passing through the Event Horizon, the traveler forms an astral body which is tethered to a silver cord which is connected with the original astral traveler whose celestial staircase he followed. Should the original astral traveler leave his astral state for whatever reason, his connected fellow traveled would likewise by dragged along with him. Note that a celestial staircase or mindscape bridge only forms for astral travelers, and will not manifest for those traveling upon the Athasian Ethereal or Elemental Planes.

Spiritual travelers who have found their way beyond the great metaphysical boundary of the Gray and to the Astral Plane are connected to their mindscape by a mystical link or bridge which generally rises from their mindscape and into infinite metaphysical reality. Much faster, safer and direct, those meditating with a spiritual traveler may follow such a spiritual traveler to the Astral as the mindscape rises in the form of a celestial staircase to realms beyond imagination.

Returning to the Gray from the Astral and Athasian Ethereal Planes, Physically and Spiritually

Returning to the Gray from the Ethereal Plane or physically from the Astral Plane is handled in the same manner as described above, with the usual risk of annihilation via the Event Horizon and with chances of getting lost in the Astral Plane or the Athasian Ethereal Plane when attempting to return.

For spiritual travelers on the Astral Plane, they must simply cease the spell or psionic power that got them there (usually the astral spell or astral projection). In doing this, such a traveler will pass through the Event Horizon, but since a conduit has remained linked through this hyper-dimension to his mindscape on the Gray, a further saving throw against spiritual annihilation is not required. Furthermore, the celestial staircase his mindscape formed while he was on the Astral Plane will remain for him upon his return to the Gray, receding as he descends back to his mindscape anchor. Also, because he is returning to the Gray and not leaving it, there is no psychic turbulence as he descends his own celestial staircase.

Anchors in the Gray: The Mindscape

When utilizing astral projection or the astral spell on Athas, the individual in question first appears on a spiritual anchor or mindscape, which is to say a representation of the place which is of most importance to the projector. This mindscape may be of most any size or dimension, but it is not something over which the projector has control. The best example of this is the manifestation of the Pristine Tower when Sadira of Tyr is spiritually pulled into the Gray by wraiths loyal to Borys of Ebe, as detailed in The Cerulean Storm:

“The sorceress was far from panicked. While she would not be as comfortable in the Gray as her foes, she knew more about this place than the wraiths realized. If they expected her to assume they had killed her simply because she found herself in the Gray, they were badly mistaken. The Pristine Tower served as ample evidence that Sadira was alive. A reminder of the most significant event in her life, the spire of white rock acted as a lodestone for her spirit, holding it together and preventing it from dispersing into the haze. Before they could destroy her, the wraiths would have to drive her off its steps.” –The Cerulean Storm, The Gray, p. 74

In game terms, the mindscape of a projecting character loosely acts as the silver cord for the character. While upon it, the projector may stay within the Gray indefinitely, being immune to the draining effects of the plane. For every 24 hours spent on the Gray outside a mindscape, a full level is permanently lost, restorable only through the use of powerful magic such as restoration.

The mindscape anchor is effectively invulnerable. It bears all the physical characteristics of the location or building being mimicked, and appears substantial and not ethereal. Therefore, the structure can be damaged by great force, as might a normal building, but only a force of the very great power indeed could totally destroy the mindscape. Effectively, the same principle of invulnerability of one’s astral silver cord applies to the mindscape: no normal force may destroy it. If some power truly obliterates the spiritual anchor, the associated spirit(s) has no way of returning to its physical body, and thus it is likely doomed to slowly be level drained until it dissolves into the Gray like every other spirit.

The mindscape anchor acts as the bridge between the Gray and the Prime Material Plane. Appearing in the Gray via psionic astral projection is relatively simple, requiring only the normal one round preparation time of the power, but returning is considerably more difficult. Returning from the Gray while in the mindscape requires 1d100 rounds. During this time, the psionicist spiritually explores the concept of returning to the Prime Material Plane. Usually this manifests in traveling through the mindscape, the boundaries of which flex and mold to suit such a spiritually journey. For instance, if someone’s mindscape anchor is a Tyrian market in the Elven Quarter, the empty Elven Quarter may sprawl for a considerable distance, even beyond the distance it spans on the Prime Material, as the projector searches for that part of the mindscape which is most precious to him, or otherwise serves as the most poignant spot. For example, in the case of Sadira, the very top of her spiritual Pristine Tower was what served as her way of returning to the Prime Material world.

Properties of a Mindscape versus an Invading Spirit of Psionic Combat

A mindscape tends to reject a foreign spirit. While a native spirit resides within his own mindscape, possession is all but impossible. The new ejection science allows for the possibility of simply throwing out a native spirit, but this is however quite rare, as even an Athasian wraith cannot simply throw out the inhabiting spirit of a physical body. They can however attempt to destroy such a native spirit.

Any invading spirit must reach the mindscape anchor nexus in order to seize control of the spiritual traveler’s body. 1d100 rounds are required for the invading spirit to attempt to reach the nexus and truly possess the host. Even on the completion of this duration, the body will rebel against a foreign entity, and is entitled to a saving throw vs. PPDM (with wisdom defense bonuses and the psionicist bonus applying). Unfortunately, the invading spirit may try again after another 1d100 rounds have passed.

A spiritual traveler upon the Gray will not normally be aware of any attempt to seize control of his body, unless he is spiritually near his mindscape and can see what is happening personally. Likewise, a spiritual traveler cannot defend his mindscape from afar. One spell and one psionic power are especially useful in defending a vacant mindscape from possession. The mind blank spell will provide absolute from protection from possession. The telepathic devotion mind bar will do the same, but due to PSP limitations, this power must usually be girded or emplaced semi-permanently through psychic surgery.