(Scars do not appear to be cause of death –shock ... - Bad Request

at least. "Tell me of the Inner Planes."
He sighed, as if it reminded him of his bone-deep weariness. "Think of the
Inner Planes as a globe. On the top pole, you have the Positive Material
Plane. On the bottom, you have the Negative Material." He paused. "Remind
me to tell you of the Negative." His eyes turn inward, to some private
horror. "From the interaction between the two springs all of the urge for
existence and non-existence, death and life, actuality and nothing. From
them spring the basic elemental planes - like Fire, Water, Air, and Earth - the
para-elemental planes that lie between the four basic elements, and the
quasi-elemental planes that come from the interaction of the four elements
with the Positive and Negative. The inner planes are the planes of matter
and substance, which travel outward through the Ethereal to form the Prime
Material."
"You mentioned negation?"
His eyes clouded over. "I went to the Inner Planes to discover my true
essence. I made the mistake of visiting the Negative Material Plane in order
to understand my body's urge to decay and the cycle of death in life. I
thought myself protected against the ill effects of the plane with my magic,
but I was wrong. The blackness of infinite nothing pressed upon me, and I
was beset by shadows that sought to snuff out my very soul. I lost my way
for a time - for an eternity - and nearly lost my existence. I could feel my
essence falling away from me, and am even now half-gone. Never will I
return."
I shuddered. His words had touched on that same void in me, that same
jagged cut where something had been torn from my essence. "How did you
survive?"
"How did I survive?" He smiled tightly. "With a piece of nothing that held
back the nothing. Nothing can stop nothing, you know, and so I carried
nothing in my hand to protect me. Do you plan to journey to the ultimate
negation yourself? You have the smell of desperation about you, and so I
make you this gift. Hold it in your hand when the shadows press in, and it
should protect you and your friends somewhat, should they remain close to
you. Heh." He passed me a small, black token that looked as if it had no
dimensionality to it all.
"Thanks for nothing," I said with a grin.
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