Have you ever been lost? At a store? In the woods? In life?

Was it scary? Were you scared?

Perhaps it happened when you were very small. You got separated from your mother in the supermarket. You were busy looking at candy or toys or a new game while she was busy shopping. When you looked up from your child like entrancement, she was gone. Did you cry? Did you call out for her? Did you stay put because you were told that's what to do in this situation? ... Did you wander anyways because you got tired of waiting?

Let's say you did wander, walking through aisle after aisle searching for your mother. Perhaps you start asking other shoppers if they've seen here. Trying desperately to describe your mother to people who've never seen her. She's tall, or at least taller than you are. She's got longish, shortish, straightish, curlyish sorta hair. She wears pretty makeup that she gets mad at your for trying on yourself. You love her. You miss her. You're scared. Please help.

Maybe you're lucky and find an employee who is able to help you. They comfort you and take your hand as they lead you to safety where they call your mother on the megerphones, and after a bit where you've calmed down and dried your tears and drank the juicebox you were given, your mother arrives and you hug her and sob that you're sorry and thought you'd never see her again and that you'll never leave her side again.

Your mother comforts you and says she's just glad she found you.

Yet... what would happen if you never found her?

If you wandered, and wandered around the super market, and never found her, or an employee, or anyone who could help? If you ended up going in circles, wandering the same few aisle over, and over, and over again, until the store closes for the night.

No matter how much you cry or shout for help, no one comes. You're all alone, left to wander these halls possibly for eternity.

You... are Lost.

At their core, that is what the Lost are. Lost.

Lost children, alone, scared, wandering the Void aimlessly looking for their metaphorical mothers.

Some of them are stuck in that wandering. Helpless as the Void sucks them of all they are, leaves them husks that remember nothing about who, or what they once were. Feeds on their hopelessness and fear.

Some Lost... Are able to break free. Able to stop. Able to look back and realize the wandering is helpless. Able to realize they'll never escape the Limbo between universes that they've found themselves in. Able to accept they'll never make it to the proverbial paradise they've heard whispers of, a desert market in the middle of the darkness, or a timeline for lost souls, or whatever other safe havens the souls lost in this purgatory believe will save them.

Able... to take hold of the chains trapping them. Able to manipulate, contort the emptiness into whatever suits them.

Most of these free Lost will use this ability to gain more power. The Void stripped them of everything they once were. Transformed them into sad, helpless husks. Crying, sniveling children, crying out and calling for a mother who will never answer. A mother who doesn't care. A mother who abandoned them in the first place.

So when they find themselves able to control their prison, why wouldn't they take the opportunity to rebuild themselves? Warp the darkness around them into a domain they control. Welcome any who wander into said domain as subjects to rule.

Or consciences in the hive mind.

The Council of course tries to regulate the Lost. Though the eldritch beings ruling the Nothingness and the Omniverse do nothing to help the Lost souls, left to wander, they still try to control and regulate the ones still trapped in their endless searching. The Department of the Lost, headed by Pr'cthiviel P. Pr'septhos (known by most as "Percie")'s pet, Messi. A Messiah from some lost world, who's worshippers died long before their world did. A forgotten mortal god, whom Percie decided to give a Void Key, so they could try to negotiate and communicate with the scared children left wandering.

Percie itself is only brought in to deal with larger problems, like the Lost whom have freed themselves from their chains, and who foolishly decided that safe havens like the Market are perfect for conquest, before realizing how protected those spaces in space are.

Not even to mention how becoming one with the Void makes one susceptible to the heat emitted by the Not Sun. To the Found, it's radiance is merely that of a warm summer star.

To the Lost, it's enough to cause us to melt.

We think that's all we have on Lost like ourselves for now, we are still not sure when our next log will be, or what it shall be about, however we are open to suggestions. Also questions of any kind. It is boring out here in the Nothingness, so we appreciate any engagement we get.

The Void. A no-man's land of emptiness upon emptiness. The absence time, and of matter (regardless of the fact they will visit when the need arises). The great abyss, the grand expanse of darkness. The Nothing.

And yet... a place where everything ends up, it seems, in the end. The home to many a forgotten or abandoned creation. The cracks between the cushions of the Omniverse where everything Lost falls into. It is beautiful... And at the same time, beautifully tragic.

The Void always has been a place of endless contradiction.

We are the amalgam entity commonly known as Echo. A Lost residing in the Void. Partially out of a desire to inform the rest of the Omniverse about the mysteries and wonders on the Void, yet mostly out of boredom, we've decided to start complying a series of logs on our observations and "research" of the nothingness that we call home. Starting today, on the Void itself, and it's effect on the Creations which fall into it.

As stated prior, the Void is Nothing. Quite literally, it is the absence of, well, everyTHING. The empty space around universes. And yet it holds many a THING (much to the Void's dismay). Imagine it like... Space. Outer space. In your universe, which ever that may be (though for most reading this it will likely be the Reality universe RL-317_1218 of Multiverse MV-00000000), you reside in a galaxy. In that galaxy, there is your solar system. In that solar system, you live on a planet, typically the 3rd from the solar system's central star. Yet surrounding your planet, your solar system, your galaxy, there is... Space. From your little planet it's best seen at night, when the refracted light from your sun is has gone, allowing you to see through your atmosphere and out into the space that surrounds your planet. You often consider it quite pretty, mostly because you can see the light of stars, most of which are long dead before their light ever reaches you or your planet. Though space seems quite full of stars and planets, in truth, most of it is empty.

The Void, like space, is also mostly empty despite holding little pockets of matter. In fact, much of space is a part of the Void. Bits that have bled into the bubbles that are the Universes. However unlike space, the little pockets of matter here are not planets or nebulas or stars (No matter how much we wish they were), but are instead much, MUCH weirder.

Apart from the bits of rubble and debris from destroyed universes, the Void contains a variety of "planes". Sorts of "pocket dimensions" that are often shielded from the effects of the Greater Void. The Omega Timeline, the Multiversal Market, the Backrooms, even the small void we reside in, are all examples of these "pocket dimensions", these pockets of matter within the Void. These pockets, or at least the ones truly safe for unprotected beings, are few and far between. Even our mini void is only really safe for us, as is the case with many of the pockets created or claimed by the Lost.

The majority of the "matter" in the Void outside of the pockets, are the entities and creatures that reside in the Void. That have "become one with" it. The Lost, the various Void animals (mainly cats and dogs), the plethora of "demons", the pits of teeth. We will likely make separate logs detailing all the entities that reside in the Void, as each of them are fascinating in their own right.

So, now that we've detailed what the Void IS, let's explain what it DOES. Apart from, in a sense, keeping the Omniverse stable as the empty space between universes, and multiverses, prevents them from all just bumping into and colliding with each other all the time, most of what the Void does would be considering "detrimental" to most beings. As a Lost, and thus technically PART of the Void, we mostly considering it both fascinating, and entertaining. The Void itself likely considers it a necessary process to rid its Nothing of the vile THING.

When a sentient being, like you, falls into the Void, either because you were abandoned, your universe was destroyed, or because you died in your original universe, not much will happen at first. Yet as you start walking, you may realize that there's no solid ground to stand on. This realization will cause you to fall endlessly, or until you try to start walking and just pretend there is floor beneath your feet. If you realize there is no air to breath, you will start to choke with no release of unconsciousness or death until you try to start breathing like there is air. If you pretend there are stairs, you can go up, or down. If you try, you can float throughout the empty space, or even swim through it. Any old Laws of Physics you knew are now gone. Some might find this fun when they realize the possibilities.

At least, until, you realize you're all alone. All alone in an empty expanse of nothing upon nothing. You can try walking until they find something, but most are never able to. Or if they do, it's rarely something friendly. One of the "demons" that reside in the Void. A dangerous Lost, a hungry Brainbleeder, or one of the various other Void entities that are not fond of "things". Perhaps you'll even stumble upon an Own Mind, a parasitic non-corporeal entity that latches onto the host's mind and amplifies their own thoughts of self doubt and anxiety. Furthering your descent into madness.

If you do not run into one of the various "demons" of the Void after only a short while in the Void, you might start to realize you are loosing memories. Forgetting about where you came from, how you got here, who you are. Some of this is actually a good thing, and is caused by the Department of Traumatic Experience's head, the Curator, making your mind suppress certain memories to prevent other entities from taking them. Some of this sudden memory loss is from more malicious entities stealing, eating, or absorbing them. Or perhaps even just the Void itself trying to break you down and make you one with the Nothing. Until you become Lost, wandering mindlessly in the abyss.

Those that are lucky might be found by a Wanderer or stumble into one of the safer pockets before they completely loose their mind. Yet most that fall into the Void do not. Most become Lost, or are eaten by one of the entities and creatures here yet don't die, or fall into one of the pits of teeth and are digested until only their incorporeal consciousness remains. The Void is truly wonderful in the fact that you can not die here. Or... perhaps some might consider that horrifying considering how some fates here are worse than death.

We believe that is long enough for this entry. We shall try to update this regularly, or just whenever we feel like it. Time might live here, but he doesn't work, meaning time is irrelevant. We believe our next log will be about the Lost.

You've been walking for who knows how long. You learned long ago that Time doesn't work in this place, it is their domicile. Though you've tried keeping track of the seconds, you've always lost track.

You've felt your mind slipping, felt yourself forgetting. Your home, your name, their face. You've tried your best to hold onto what you can. Cling tight onto what you can of your sanity, lest you end up Lost.

You're body is racked with exhaustion. However long it's been you know you can't keep going on for much longer. Your body cries for rest, your mind screams for sleep, but you can't stop. Not yet. There must be an end to this nightmare.

You feel yourself about to collapse, before you see something in the distance. In this endless abyss of nothing, you see what looks like an desert oasis. Or perhaps you run into someone who brings you to it. Either way, you've found yourself here.

At the Multiversal Market.

The Multiversal Market. A desert market that acts as a refugee for those who've fallen into the Void. Be their universe destroyed, or they've no-clipped through reality, or be they just a traveler passing through, those that do not end up Lost to the Greater Void, often end up here.

With sandy streets on every topic and theme one can imagine, it may seem like paradise. To some it may be. Though one must keep in mind it is still part of the Void. Even though residents of the Market are not subject to the mind altering effects of the Greater Void and the Market's physics are certainly less confusing than the rest of the Void, the streets do still get confusing and their is no release of death.

In our opinion, the Market is nothing but a limbo. The residents just go about their lives, running their stalls, day by day. Trapped in an eternity of mundanity and trade.

However, we suppose we should explain what would happen if you were to end up there.

Well, first off you'll likely find somewhere to stay. Either the Wanderer who found you, or some other resident of the Market will be kind enough to give you a place to rest. It's a common courtesy throughout most of the Market to let newcomers stay until the Department of Housing creates a tent for them.

Eventually if you stick around the Market long enough, you'll get a letter from said Department of Housing with the address of your new home. A tent and/or stall created just for you, on a street the Department of Housing has determined you fit the theme of. An engineer or mechanist might end up on Maniacal Mechanist's Boulevard. A superhero might end up on Metropolis Meet or Crusaders Avenue. A disgraced Void Entity wasp man on a street like Honeydew Avenue. A gay weatherman from the 60s on Cunning Conartist Conway for some reason. (We don't know the Housing Department's process, don't ask us)

Where ever you end up, this is your new home. Tents are fashioned to fit their residents so don't be surprised if your tent's interior looks like an old family home or dream house. You will also be supplied with stuff to sell/trade based on which street you wound up and what the Department of Housing determined you'd be good at selling/what services you might provide.

Don't want to sell anything? You don't have to honestly. There's no sort of punishment or quotas to meet. You're your own boss, you set your own hours and keep whatever you make. However there is little better to do, and most find running a stall or stand in the Market fulfilling when they know they can't go home and that going back into the Abyss of the Greater Void will cause them to loose their sanity.

So really it's up to you.

If you don't feel up for running your stall after you get it, perhaps you may wander around the rest of the Market. There's a near infinite amount of streets, each with a near infinite amount of stalls. It's like an infinite farmers market with streets selling whatever you can imagine.

Be warned though, the streets shift. One turn that led to one street may not lead back to it a few moments later. Even though you'll always miraculously find yourself on the street you were heading right when you need to be, many non Wanderer residents find wandering the Market disorienting and confusing at times

Once you do find a stall with goods or services you seek however, you may find yourself concerned about payment. All stalls and businesses in the Multiversal Market are required to take all manner of currency or trades, though their value is often up to the vendor. Most however will consider any form of coin equivalent to another and any paper bill equivalent to another. Trades vary.

There are many individual streets we could get into, such as Restaurant Route or the underground Black Market, however this is getting long enough. Our next entry shall be on Wanderers unless anyone has any suggestions for things they would like to hear first.

Entry 1 - The Void

Entry 2 - The Lost