This article contains vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or contentious information, and does not cite reliable published sources to verify those statements.
In arcane theory, chaos is an extraplanar force which affects probability and causes unexpected magical effects outside the realm of calculable statistical possibility.
Although unpredictable and potentially dangerous magic has been noted throughout recorded history, the phenomenon was first definitively ascribed extraplanar origins by an Augurweld University arcane researcher named Osmat Naph.[when?] Naph published an academic paper[citation needed] reporting that during unrelated experimentation, he had accidentally opened a planar portal to an unknown extraplanar space. The matter within that space defied his ability to analyze it using either spellcasting or arcane instruments. Although his peers initially dismissed his findings as clearly falsified, his discovery was eventually recognized[by who?] as valid, and has since been confirmed[how?] to have been a direct connection to the extraplanar realm of chaos.
Chaos, although techically entirely separate from the physical plane, has a tendency to manifest in certain areas of the Aequor Arcanus more frequently. The open ocean is known to be particularly susceptible to chaos, which can pose a significant risk to sailors attempting to scout new sea lanes or embark on expeditions to new landmasses. Explorers who enter chaotic zones rarely return to give an intelligible account of their experiences, and those who do give wildly varied descriptions that rarely corroborate each other. For this reason, even sailors who travel within the bounds of the Archipelago are advised to only deviate from known safe routes in cases of extreme emergency. Some islands, such as Septeiven and Evridiki, are reputed by residents and visitors to be particularly chaotic, but the essential nature of chaos makes these rumors difficult to verify. Chaos is a frequently-cited excuse given by children for their own obvious misbehavior.