Strangerside Scholar: Nested Realms

Matryoshka by Guilherme Marconihttp://www.jamesmaybe.com/blog/2010/06/matryoshka/

Nested Realms are realms contained within other realms.  These may be as large as entire multi-realm spheres, or as small as a hut with chicken legs. Some of the Nested Realms have always been there, embedded within another realm and sphere, whereas others are the creations of gods, godlings, or wizards. Still others embody a principle or memorialize a place or event that has disappeared from the larger realm that surrounds it. That realm is called an Anchor Realm.

It is often said that imploded realms like Bensalem simply disappear forever. But this need not be so. If you know where to look, you can find remnants of lost or imploded realms hidden away safely as Nested Realms. Within an Anchor Realm there is always an Anchor Object that embeds the Nested Realm iwithin that surrounding realm. To find it, you may need to look for a discrepant feature such as a sword in a stone. Alternatively, the Anchor Object may be hiding in plain sight within another quotidian item such as a cup, saucer, pitcher, or bowl in a peasant's hut.

Think carefully before destroying or moving an Anchor Object. That can have negative consequences for both realms. The Nested Realm and the Anchor Realm always have reciprocal linkages. Indeed, every sphere may be part of a nested series of realms.

Travel between Anchor Realms and Nested Realms happens more often than you might think. A gate can often be evoked if one has access to the Anchor Object. But many such gates are also keyed to an object that was created in the Nested Realm but is hidden away somewhere in another sphere.

Some Spherewalkers, like Object Keeper of the Chamber Platinum, specialize in finding these items. When rumors arise of such keys, the resulting quests for these objects often becoming brutal, multi-sided contests.