Not actually a place, but the not-space between universes. Thin as a whisper, boundless as the imagination. Navigated by a number of different means, including shiftships. Any travel between realities must involve some element of passing through the Shift unless there is a Syzygy (requiring Lament Pillars) or one of the Sothothian Gate Spheres (There may of course be other methods, such as Moon roads).
There are entities which exist within the Shift. Some of them are intelligent quasi-organic creatures (like Leviathans) or predatory entities like the Aetherics. These entities travel upstream and downstream on the Shift-tides. Leviathans can be considered allies to most intelligent species. They graze on the energy currents of the Shift itself and are of no danger to most travellers; in fact, a Leviathan may be a welcome refuge in the event of a Shift-storm. Their feeding pattern creates a region of calm. In comparison, the Aetherics are lean and hungry, relying on the decay of matter within the Shift for food.
Using a shiftship, it is possible to dwell in the Shift indefinitely but passing unprotected through the Shift invites madness or harm. The Hounds of Tindalos pass regularly through the Shift unprotected. The Irisians have a long relationship with the Shift, and an intuitive sense for it. There are no better Navigators than those who claim Irisian heritage.
Aliases
- The Second Aether: A term used by Chaos Engineers
- The Bulk: By scientific cosmologists.