The Gloaming Well

The Gloaming Well could grant Manath ascendancy. That was what the whispers told him. What came through when Manath opened the Well, however, was a tide of gods and demons and vicious spirits. They tore through the Well, rending it open for all time. This left it open for the others.

Long before Manath made his grave mistake, the Well was considered a holy place. Vell kings and queens of ages past would seek council from the gods and spirits there, using the power of the Well as a conduit to the Otherworld. It was believed that only the spirits of the dead could send their whispers through the veil.   Eventually, the Vell learned they could see through the veil to worlds beyond. They had believed it led to lands of gods and the dead but they realized these were entire worlds unto themselves.  

The First Mistake

It was an ancient Queen who opened the door. It was just a crack, the slightest gap through which power could seep through. She did this to aid the Vell who warred with Those Below. She had no way of knowing what else would slip through that crack.   Subsequent kings and queens began spending more time at the Well. They gazed into the cosmos, some becoming entranced by all the endless possibilities they found beyond the veil. The whispers began to creep in.  

Haunts

The widening of the crack was subtle at first. Small spirits pushed their way through, offering blessings and honeyed lies to the Vell. Believing these to be ancestors, the Vell accepted them.   Yet soon the jungles became haunted by otherworldly creations. Beasts never before seen stalked the wilds and the winds that tore through the mountains were less than natural.   The Vell council considered forcing the Well shut. The risk of something beyond their control coming through was too great. But a large coalition within the council argued against this. These were the sacred spirits of their kin, they said. The whispers of their gods. King Manath was the leader of this group of dissenters, whose ruling was victorious.   It was then that Manath took control of the Well and the whispers took hold of him.