The Black Gate & the Abyssal Reavers

In the heart of the small island of Gohoro, a barren and volcanic expanse to the south of the Azari archipelago, lies a permanent wound in the fabric of reality: the Black Gate. This shimmering, silent tear in the air leads directly into the Infernal Plane, a realm of eternal hellfire ruled by demons and devils. The air around the Gate is thick with the scent of sulfur and dread, and the ground is scorched black, littered with the dusty remains of those who have strayed too close. Since most mortals would be immediately annihilated by the raw, chaotic energies if they attempted to cross it, no signs of human habitation can be seen anywhere nearby the Gate.

Yet, this nexus of forbidden power draws a unique breed of warrior-mystic, the outcasts and power-hungry sorcerers who style themselves as Abyssal Reavers. Rather than attempting the suicidal journey through the Gate, aspiring Reavers train in its lethal shadow, as close as humanly possible. For months or even years, they subject themselves to the Gate’s infernal aura, meditating at the very edge of its killing influence. They let the demonic energies permeate their whole beings, a process that is both agonizing and transformative. Many are driven mad by the whispers that bleed through from the other side, while others have their bodies warped into monstrous shapes before their souls are snuffed out. It is a common dare among young Abyssal Reavers to see who can approach the Gate as much as possible, without succumbing to its power.

Those with the willpower to survive this ordeal emerge remade. The Reavers develop new, demon-infused techniques and spells, twisting their innate magic with the raw power of the Infernal Plane. Their fire magic burns with a sickly green flame that consumes souls, and they learn to wreathe their blades in shadows that instill supernatural terror.

The Reavers training around the Gate are not a unified order, but their common background forms an unbreakable bond among deeply dangerous individuals, and when one calls, all answer. Feared across Iskandria, they are often hunted by holy orders as abominations, which makes their unspoken pact of assistance crucial to their continued survival.

There are many different ways of acquiring infernal powers as a Reaver, but those that choose to voluntarily submit themselves to the brutal effects of the Black Gate are, without a doubt, among the most powerful and dangerous among them all.