Astral Projection

Astral projection is the art of throwing your spirit outside your body and into the aether. Naturally, for the majority of people, this would be a thoroughly one-way process, with the soul simply lost wandering the ethereal plane for eternity. Wardens, however, have managed to master themselves enough to anchor their soul more strongly to their bodies, allowing them to project themselves into the aether and return safely.

While astral projecting, Wardens have reported being able to see occult disturbances “as if from above and outside at once”, but only ever in one location at a time. In extreme cases, Wardens have reported experiencing chills, flashbacks, and flash-forwards, among a wide range of other odd effects. To date, though, very few Wardens have been unable to lead their spirit safely back.

How Do I Astral Project?

To astral project, first wait for the veil to be thin (i.e., a ref to be available). Then embark: beginning at the Basilica, you will be told each time you reach an obstacle, junction, or destination. (So a typical session of Astral Projection will look like choosing (say) left, right, straight on, left, until you reach a destination.)

While Astral Projecting, your senses continue to work, but your body does not: you can see and hear, but can’t move or write. (So any notes you already have are fair game, but you can’t give any information back until you’ve finished.) Once your spirit stops moving at its destination, your body can begin again.

If you linger too long in the Astral Plane, or focus too strongly on the senses of your body, you may encounter an Obstacle: Roving hazards in the Astral Plane that can prey on an unwary visitor. Obstacles may be overcome by quick thinking or deftness of spirit. An example obstacle is shown below:

Eventually, you will arrive at a destination, which will always be a location of occult significance. (This does mean that entirely mundane locations can’t be spied on in this way.) Once there, you will be able to look around, but lingering too long will carry its own hazards, and not everything is as clear from the astral plane. Seeing a newly conjured creature of flame is on the table; copying down every document on the desk is not.

Notably, the astral plane does not shift quickly, and the locations within it will remain (almost) identical from week to week. The obstacles, however, are known to shift somewhat faster. (Keeping a record of the places you explore as you go is strongly recommended.)