Domain

[photophobic]

Brought into existence by a man born with the ability to bend reality to his will and more feelings about it than he knows how to contain, Kylo's volcanic domain is a changeable, volatile realm that shifts and responds to the moods of its creator— and to a lesser degree, those of its visitors.

The Mountain

Some elements of Kylo's domain appear relatively fixed. There is always a mountain: tall, dark and ominous, its blackened slopes describing a long history of volcanic activity. Sometimes, the mountain restrains itself to the occasional rumble and shudder, spitting up a resentful arc of molten rock that cools on its slow crawl down. Other times, oppressive ash clouds gather at the peak, thick noxious fumes cut through with flashes of lightning— and an eruption is soon to follow. The landscape bears the scars of rivers, lakes and falls of lava, and the mountain is only ever sleeping. It could burst awake at any moment.

The Fortress

Built into the mountainside is a black glass obsidian fortress, stark and imposing in its sharp lines and reflective surfaces: Kylo's palace. The approach, safe to take even when the slopes are streaming with lava, is marked with a solid black stone path. Beyond the threshold is an empty hall with a jet black throne hewn from the rock face at the far end, raised on a high dais: this is often where Kylo, seemingly half volcano himself, waits to receive expected guests.

The Forest

Despite the inhabitable conditions of Kylo's realm, a fragile, fledgling forest has begun to take root on the lower slopes of the mountain. The trees here are young saplings, bold and persistent where they pierce through the blackened earth and carefully unfurl their foliage: many-fingered, feathery leaves in unearthly hues of brilliant, fiery red.

The King

Kylo himself takes on characteristics of his volcanic realm while in the Horizon. The extent and severity of this blending depends on his mood and preference at the time— most often, he appears as a tall humanoid male, bare-chested and daubed in black ash warpaint, dressed in billowy black skirts that are heavily singed at the frayed hem where they drag on the ground. As his mood sours and the mountain stirs into life, fire boils and sparks under his skin— but when wandering the outskirts of his domain, the volcanic aspects of his appearance begin to shift until he more closely resembles the physical form visitors will recognise from outside the Horizon. While seated on his throne, Kylo often wears a crystal cluster crown of obsidian thorns.

The Truth

As an optional extra, visitors to the volcano may find themselves under the effects of an extremely subtle 'zone of truth' while in Kylo's domain, an echo of Kylo's native ability to sense the feelings of others bleeding out into his creation and operating in the background on a subconscious level. This does not work like some kind of ambient truth serum, nor will anyone feel compelled to offer up their secrets or find themselves suddenly incapable of lying. Rather, those affected will find it easier to speak and act according to their true feelings, and may feel it less necessary to maintain their customary façades.