The Barricades

Magic on Feyworld is unusual and often unpredictable, but no single magical effect has confounded researchers and philosophers alike are the Barricades which criss-cross the globe. The longitudinal Barricade runs through the Great Ocean just north of the Great Empire, enters the Betshaban Waters south of Eeridia and runs through Haleland, the Pale Marches and Vagorosh before entering unknown territories. The latitudinal Barricade runs north-south, crossing into land between the Plains of Tazgrat and Kadach, affecting Deiros, Elarean, and Darria before entering the Great Ocean; it touches land again in Lun Dorak and runs north through Daciara before entering the Endless Sea in the north. Each barrier is approximately 30 miles in width and are invisible to normal and magical sight.

The Barricades have a strange affect on magic. Mortal magic cannot pierce the veil, preventing divinations, teleportation and other magic which would normally reach regions on the other side of the Barricade. Within the Barricades, most magic operates normally, but magic that would allow any form of communication or quick travel automatically fails.

Some philosophers believe that the Barricade was created by some powerful intelligence, perhaps even the gods themselves, to prevent easy travel between the four corners of Feyworld. The central problem with this theory is that divine spellcasters are as hindered as other types of casters. Opponents of this theory point out that, if the gods had created the Barricades, their priests should be able to pierce it. Others suggest that Feyworld is actually composed of four separate planes of existence which interact in such a way to appear geographically connected along the Barricades, but actually exist independently of one another. Opponents of this theory point out that planar magic should work through the Barricades if this theory is true. Because of the dangers inherent in planar magic and the lack of extensive knowledge on the subject in academic circles, this theory is extremely difficult to prove or disprove. For now, the enigma Barricades is as unbreachable as the Barricades themselves.