The Curtain

What should happen if the Curtain fell? Cataclysm, no doubt, for it is not a barrier as we would envision a wall or a literal curtain, but a very principle of reality that states that two things don’t exist in the same place at the same time. It also keeps demons out, which is, you know… handy.

• The Senior Lecturer on Planar Studies at Hoggsport University, On Stupid Questions (1976 A.T.)

It is said when the god Clovis observed the moon-goddess Fiona‘s transit across the night sky, that he took his sword and cut holes in the Curtain, the barrier that covered all of Ariel and kept it separate from the lands Beyond. But as he did so, a horde of demons spilled forth from these new stars, and so Clovis set his hand to an eternal vigil, stopping the transgress through the curtain. The Outside were bright lands, that illuminated the sky – but the holes were portals.

The Curtain is a metaphysical barrier between Ariel and the lands Beyond the Curtain. It’s not only in the sky – the curtain overlays all parts of Ariel, doing its level best to keep the inhabitants of the lands Beyond out, and the inhabitants of Ariel in. It isn’t a literal drape; it covers every part of the world, inside and out, with stars being breaks in this barrier. Such portals could exist – permanently or temporarily – at ground level as well, but the stars were the first great breaches of the Curtain, and can be seen from anywhere in the plane.

The Realms of Demons

Infernals are the everyday inhabitants of the realm beyond the curtain, with some doing workaday jobs there – farmers, hunters, craftspeople, and some sorcerers. Much of the realms beyond the Curtain seem almost feudal in their structure, with lesser infernals swearing allegiance to gods, other infernals, or even stranger entities in exchange for power and protection.

Although infernals, possessed of free will, have as much differing in motivation as might any creature with a mind and will of its own, those that seek to come through the portal often seek to carve out some area where they answer to none, or where they can grow their power and not be subservient. Some who come through act on behalf of such patrons instead; spreading the influence of a god, or claiming powerful magics to return to more arcane masters.

The god Kazzok gives patronage to any infernals that will swear their allegiance to him, and many do; not for nothing is Kazzok known both as the god of fear and of demons both. Still, not all infernals make such a pact; some cleave to other deities, and some have powers and interests of their own. Spells such as Summon Imp, Summon Manes, or Summon Devil are granted by Kazzok, and create a small, temporary hole through the curtain through which an available representative of the infernal species in question can be called. Some of these conjured beings have reported that the process is physically unpleasant, and greatly reduces their powers while they are summoned.

The Realms of the Gods

Although Kazzok exerts domain over many of the near places in the Lands Beyond the Curtain, all of the gods hold some dominion beyond. Realms that are claimed by different gods take on aspects of those gods; the realm of Marius is the Great Bazaar, where infernals, celestials, fae, and others can find anything – for a regrettably fair price, while the realm of Fiona is draped in scrolls and books, its very layout educative. The infernals who ally themselves with those gods are similarly changed, the potent magic of such places shaping them into beings better aligned to their surroundings.

Such lands also hold celestials, the greatest of which are thought to be the gods themselves. Subservient celestials perform tasks that they were purpose-created for, often doing so perfectly. Some places are neutral; it is often in these that like-minded divinities are thought to meet and treat, though few have spoken of them at length.

Beyond the Beyond

How expansive the Realms Beyond the Curtain are is anyone’s guess. It is possible that there are no limits, with Elieff having spun raw and infinite chaos into form even here. It does not seem as if the fae are native to the realm beyond the curtain, as the term is commonly understood; they are often as much alien there as they are on Ariel.

Some cults of Clovis hold that there are limits, though. The great chaos beyond what has been made is hungry, and if it is truly chaotic, contains all things, including intelligences. When not harassing the world of Ariel, perhaps it is these threats that concern infernals most – and this may also explain why infernals famously seek power above all other things.

Travelling Beyond the Curtain

Some rare individuals – adventurers most of all – have traversed portals or the stars and found themselves Beyond the Curtain, in realms both alien and often hostile. Some who have so travelled postulate the existence of pocket planes, forged of raw magic and will, that fall under the will only of their creators. Regardless, such lands are often hostile to visitors, and few recommend staying for any length of time, even with the welcoming invitation of local hosts.

Dying on a plane not your own lacks the sting of death at home. Travellers to another reality who perish while away will find themselves brutally teleported back to their home plane, absent their possessions (to include clothing). The other worlds do not map neatly onto Ariel, so what might have been only a hundred yards beyond the portal through which they travelled might map to a hundred miles absent their point of departure. Those who know that they are likely to die on another plane are not advised to take with them any articles that they believe to be irreplaceable.

Similarly, residents of other planes do not truly perish if slain on Ariel. Only rare magics can cause this to happen, such as the spell Anchor Infernal. In past, this has led to demons of all sorts growing grudges against heroes and adventurers who have repeatedly thwarted their plans, but who have been unsuccessful at putting the demon down entirely.

Authored by: Andrew Dunlop
Fantasy Alive Lore Team 2026
Copyright © Endless Adventures Ontario