Anonymous Apex

The Anonymous Apex is a Shard that appears to be a nondescript black perch that towers over an unending abyss.

Appearance
The entirety of the Apex consists of a single staircase rising into the air until it reaches a large, flat black platform in the air. While the air near the bottom of the staircase appears to be a normal atmosphere of Sundry, it gradually becomes darker and darker around the observer as they rise, until it becomes pitch black and densely cloudy when one is near the apex's perch.

The main attraction of the Apex, the platform itself, is a very large (~20m in diameter) rectangular perch that appears free-standing when one is on it. The only notable decoration of the Apex is a tombstone-like cross at the corner of the perch opposite the stairs leading upward. The cross, upon further inspection, is made of two extremely long broadswords, one impaled into the platform's surface and one balanced on the hilt of the first. A single long gold chain dangles from both swords.

Phenomena
The Apex is a relatively tame Shard. It's main occurrences are temporal: the air and atmosphere of the location is shrouded in darkness, as if the Apex is forever in the black of night. Researchers that have explored it note that, no matter how long they are within the Apex, it feels as if no time is passing at all. At the same time, immediately after leaving the area, the explorer is subjected to extreme weariness as if they had not slept in days - even if they were only within the Apex for a very short amount of time.

As one approaches the middle of the Apex's large platform, a thick white mist starts to manifest and create a dense fog near the perimeter of the platform. The nearer one gets to the middle of the platform, the more dense the mist gets. After about 5 meters into the center of the platform, shadows in what appear to be black bodysuits appear as silhouettes near each corner of the platform. Sometimes the shadows move, but only side-to-side. When one is more than 15m into the center of the platform, a massive inverted cross can barely be seen in the horizon, far away from the platform. At the very center of the platform, one is able to see a massive skeleton hanging from the cross that is just as huge as the cross itself. Walking around the Apex by its perimeter and staying away from the center does not cause any of these events to occur.

Only recently has the Apex been investigated for an extended period of time. In doing so, a new phenomena has been observed: though the Apex appears to be somewhat timeless, it actually does seem to follow an autonomous time-keeping cycle. After twenty-four hours within the Apex (or some equivalent to a day - no portable time-keeping devices ever work in the Apex, for some reason), a great light appears above the platform. Within a matter of minutes the light becomes blinding, persisting in one's vision even with closed eyes and protective eyewear. After a few seconds of exposure to the light, all explorers or combatants find themselves suddenly absolved of the light. Subsequent regaining of vision reveals that the explorers were somehow placed in front of the staircase that lead to the Apex without noticing it. It is possible to re-enter the Apex immediately after this, should one wish.

Observed Inhabitants

 * Klaytaza
 * Iocus Melpomene
 * Acia

Theme

 * Thousand Eternal Battlefield - originally Hajimari e no touhi