Timescape: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 19:22, 18 August 2024

The Timescape was the sages' term for the multiverse. It contained manifolds and the Astral Sea between them.

Manifolds, also called "worlds", "planes", or "universes", were defined primarily by their energy level. Low-energy worlds lacked the energy for advanced technology to function, and thus relied on sorcery to break the rules. In higher-energy manifolds, psionic power was increasingly accessible, enabling alien technology like starfreighters, hard-light blades, and hard-light blasters.

Worlds of the Timescape

Sages on Orden indexed the planes of the Timescape, beginning with Orden as Manifold 1. The manifolds they knew of included:

Upper Worlds

Axiom, the Plane of Uttermost Law, home of the memonek, containing the five-tiered city of Ordos.
Proteus, the Sea of Eternal Change, home of the proteans.
Quintessence, the Plane of Elements, containing Alloy.

Lower Worlds

Orden, the Mundane World
The World Below, home to the voiceless talkers and the olothec.
Equinox, home of the shadow elves.
The Seven Cities of Hell, the last plane of law, home to the Devils.
The Abyssal Wasteland, at the bottom of the Timescape, home of the Demons.

Position unknown

Arcadia, the manifold of Val, home to the true celestials.

Traversing the Timescape

The space between manifolds was called the Astral Sea, or the Sea of Stars. It connected all worlds, but its geometry varied between different parts of the Timescape.

In the lower Timescape (Orden, its concurrent worlds, and below), manifolds behaved like flat planes, and interplanar travel was difficult. There, the Astral Sea appeared as a liquid ocean blanketed in fog. Stars, deep beneath the water, were a mirror image of the constellations visible from Orden. Provided they had a way to get there, mundane ships could sail the Sea of Stars without special equipment.

High in the Timescape, manifolds behaved more like planets. The Astral Sea there was like outer space, and psionic vessels like memonek mindships or protean changeships could ascend from spherical worlds to travel among the stars.

Factions of the Timescape

UNISOL

UNISOL, or the Universal Solar League, was the dominant faction of the Timescape. Its members primarily memonek, UNISOL protected trade between the upper worlds of the Timescape, defending starfreighters from pirates like the Time Raiders or the Starchasers.

Many denizens of the Timescape viewed UNISOL and its inflexible laws as an oppressive force.

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-The Timescape is the sages' term for the multiverse. It contains [[Manifold|manifolds]] and the [[Astral Sea]] between them.
+The Timescape was the sages' term for the multiverse. It contained [[Manifold|manifolds]] and the [[Astral Sea]] between them.
-Manifolds, also called "worlds", "planes", or "universes", are defined primarily by their energy level, from the dead [[Abyssal Wasteland]] filled with ruined cities to high energy worlds like [[Axiom]], the Plane of Uttermost Law. Lower-energy worlds lack the energy for advanced technology to function, and thus rely on [[Sorcery|sorcery]], but [[Psionics|psionic]] power is increasingly accessible within higher-energy manifolds, where minds can power technology, [[starfreighters]] ply the spacelanes, and light hits as hard as steel.
+Manifolds, also called "worlds", "planes", or "universes", were defined primarily by their energy level. Low-energy worlds lacked the energy for advanced technology to function, and thus relied on [[sorcery]] to break the rules. In higher-energy manifolds, [[Psionics|psionic]] power was increasingly accessible, enabling alien technology like [[starfreighters]], [[hard-light blades]], and [[hard-light blasters]].
 == Worlds of the Timescape ==
-Sages on [[Orden]] index the planes of the Timescape, beginning with Orden as Manifold 1. Known manifolds include:
+Sages on [[Orden]] indexed the planes of the Timescape, beginning with Orden as Manifold 1. The manifolds they knew of included:
 === Upper Worlds ===
-*[[Axiom]], the Plane of Uttermost Law, home of the [[memonek]], containing the Five Cities of [[Ordos]].
+*[[Axiom]], the Plane of Uttermost Law, home of the [[memonek]], containing the five-tiered city of [[Ordos]].
-*[[Proteus]], the Sea of Eternal Change, home of the [[proteans]]. (Sometimes called "Primordius")
+*[[Proteus]], the Sea of Eternal Change, home of the [[proteans]].
 *[[Quintessence]], the Plane of Elements, containing [[Alloy]].
 === Lower Worlds ===
-*Orden, the mundane world
+*Orden, the Mundane World
-*The [[World Below]], home to the [[Voiceless Talkers]] and the [[olothec]].
+*The [[World Below]], home to the [[voiceless talkers]] and the [[olothec]].
-*[[Equinox]], home of the [[Shadow elf|shadow elves]].
+*[[Equinox]], home of the [[shadow elves]].
-*The [[Seven Cities of Hell]], the last plane of law, home to the [[Devil|devils]].
+*The [[Seven Cities of Hell]], the last plane of law, home to the [[Devils]].
-*The [[Abyssal Wasteland]], at the bottom of the Timescape, home of the [[Demon|demons]].
+*The [[Abyssal Wasteland]], at the bottom of the Timescape, home of the [[Demons]].
 === Position unknown ===
-*[[Arcadia]], the manifold of [[Val]] the god of [[Elf|elves]], home to the true [[celestials]].
+*[[Arcadia]], the manifold of [[Val]], home to the true [[celestials]].
 == Traversing the Timescape ==
-The space between manifolds is the [[Astral Sea]]. It connects all worlds, but its geometry is variable between different parts of the Timescape.
+The space between manifolds was called the [[Astral Sea]], or the Sea of Stars. It connected all worlds, but its geometry varied between different parts of the Timescape.
-Deep in the Timescape, manifolds behave like flat planes, and interplanar travel is difficult. In the [[Abyssal Wasteland]], the lowest-energy world, entropy rules, magic and prayer are dulled, and even a capable mind cannot form thoughts more complex than base emotion and survival instinct.
+In the lower Timescape (Orden, its concurrent worlds, and below), manifolds behaved like flat planes, and interplanar travel was difficult. There, the Astral Sea appeared as a liquid ocean blanketed in fog. Stars, deep beneath the water, were a mirror image of the constellations visible from Orden. Provided they had a way to get there, mundane ships could sail the Sea of Stars without special equipment.
-In the lower Timescape (Orden, its concurrent worlds, and below) the Astral Sea is a liquid ocean blanketed in fog. Stars, deep beneath the water, are a mirror image of the constellations visible from Orden. Provided they have a way to get there, mundane ships can sail the sea of stars without special equipment.
+High in the Timescape, manifolds behaved more like planets. The Astral Sea there was like outer space, and psionic vessels like [[memonek]] mindships or [[protean]] changeships could ascend from spherical worlds to travel among the stars.
-High in the Timescape, manifolds behave more like planets. The Astral Sea there is like outer space, and psionic vessels like [[memonek]] mindships or [[protean]] changeships ascend from spherical worlds to travel amongst the stars.
 == Factions of the Timescape ==
 === UNISOL ===
-UNISOL, or the Universal Solar League, is the dominant faction of the Timescape. Primarily composed of memonek, UNISOL protects trade between the upper worlds of the Timescape, defending starfreighters from pirates like the [[Time Raiders]] or the [[Starchasers]].
+UNISOL, or the Universal Solar League, was the dominant faction of the Timescape. Its members primarily memonek, UNISOL protected trade between the upper worlds of the Timescape, defending starfreighters from pirates like the [[Time Raiders]] or the [[Starchasers]].
-Many denizens of the Timescape view UNISOL and its inflexible laws as an oppressive force.
+Many denizens of the Timescape viewed UNISOL and its inflexible laws as an oppressive force.