Astral Plane
The Astral Plane is the source of the vast majority of Psionic power in the multiverse and is the current location of the Sentience IsoMatrix.
Also Called
- Mental/Psionic/Psychic Plane
- Mental/Psionic/Psychic Realm
- Mental/Psionic/Psychic World
Description
The Astral Plane is the primary nexus of all psychic energy in the multiverse, where the vast majority of psychic power is derived. As a non-physical place, the usual rules of space-time do not apply to it. Thanks to this, it can essentially be accessed from anywhere in the multiverse due to the fact that it does not reside in any one physical location. This makes it an effective way to travel the multiverse if an individual is capable of transferring their physical form to and from the Astral Plane.
The Astral Plane is composed of an unknown number of layers, each seemingly infinite in size. Outer layers tend to be easier to access by less experienced psychics, while deeper layers require much more knowledge and skill to get to. The deeper one goes into the Astral Plane the more strange and abstract it becomes. This can become taxing to weaker psychics who may not be able to adapt their minds to the increasingly bizarre and alien experiences they're exposed to. At it's core is the Sentience IsoMatrix, the source of not only the Astral Plane, but even the very concept of the mind existing altogether.
When an individual enters the Astral Plane, whether it be entirely mentally, or by transferring their physical form their form, and the form of everything around them is subject to change. In some areas of the Astral Plane the individual mind influences everything from how the logic of the world around them is dictated, down to even how they physically appear. In others, it's entirely out of their hands, subject only to the apparent whims of the Astral Plane itself. This process is seemingly random with no real pattern to it, outside of the fact that it tends to become more unpredictable the deeper you go. However, certain individuals with enough skill and power seem to be capable of influencing this process and altering the Astral Plane around them to suit their wants and needs.
Inhabitants
The Astral Plane is the home of an unknown number of inhabitants. The majority being Psychic Entities born within the Astral Plane itself. These entities have no uniform appearance or even behavior, as some are seemingly influenced by life on Earth while others are influenced by life elsewhere, or perhaps even just being entirely unique. Due to their unpredictability it's often recommended for visitors to avoid them, as there's no real way of telling if an entity is aggressive or not.
While most inhabitants of the Astral Plane seem to just be moving about with no real purpose, there are those that are both active and intelligent. These entities tend to be at minimum on the level of intelligence as the average Human, with many even being incomprehensibly more so. These beings often carve out their own territories within the Astral Plane, granting them near complete control over their domain. These creatures can appear as anything from golden kings who rule their realm as a man would to disgusting monsters who simply use their space as a hunting ground. It's nearly impossible to predict how these entities may behave. So as usual, caution is advised.
Breaches
On occasion, one or more entities from the Astral Plane may knowingly or unknowingly exit the mental world, and find their self in a new location, such as Earth. Typically upon arrival the entities in question are hidden from normal view, located in a protective layer between the material world and the Astral Plane. This keeps them shielded from everyone but the most powerful Psychics and Magicians, allowing them to move about discretely. As a disadvantage however, their interaction with the physical world is much more limited, allowing only slight influence that typically comes across as ghostly behavior.
In more rare cases, entities from the Astral Plane may manifest completely in the physical world, whether through accident or by intent. Typically this happens more to individuals who reside within the barrier between realms, but direct travel to and from the Astral Plane to the material world is possible. When emerging in the physical world, entities native to the Astral Plane generate bodies made up of solidified Psychic Energy. This allows them to emulate the properties of physical matter, while keeping their flexibility in form. While this tends to make them more resistant, if not flat out invulnerable to typical means of harm, the downside is that they tend to be more susceptible to the powers of experienced Psychics.
Intersections
As mentioned previously the Astral Plane is a non-physical location, making it an effective means of travel for the material world. However, the Astral Plane also has the added benefit of "bordering" other more abstract planes of existence, such as the Spirit Realm. This border where the mind and soul meet is the domain of memories and dreams. In this psuedo-realm the rules of the Astral Plane and Spirit World ebb and flow, mixing and matching in unpredictable ways. Although this can be confusing, and even dangerous to travelers it has the benefit as serving as a means of travel between realms, making a typically impossible task at least a possibility.
The Astral Plane also intersects with the Emotional Plane.
Although some of these intersections are constant, others are temporary. Created and destroyed through natural, or artificial means.
Summary
Like all locations related to IsoMatrices, the Astral Plane was presumably created at the very beginning of the Multiverse.
The Tree was native to the Astral Plane, and as such was capable of granting Renaud the ability to transport himself and others to the plane [1].
During his fight with Orion, Renaud transported himself, his sister, Orion, and Madeleine to the Astral Plane, where they encountered The Tree. After defeating it, the four returned to reality through Orion's power[1].