Rift Fissures and Otherworlders

*“Ah, be weary of fissures, my friend. They are known to appear… erratically and can bring forth many surprises, good and bad. Or even so - take you away from these lands. So take heed on the path ahead and avoid anything sudden and violent,”*

## **Rift Fissures**

Fissures are a natural phenomenon within Obsulein - they are tears within the very fabric of time and space, which can often result in buildings, people, and creatures suddenly appearing or vanishing out of the blue. There’s been no means to open up or close a fissure willingly, as they are too powerful for any mortal. So instead, many have attempted to find means of locating when a fissure is about to open or how to control them. Thus in these lands, fissures are often avoided due to the risks they bring, yet those more adventurous often venture to where fissures occur in search of treasures. In recent times, many settlements have adapted to the nature of the fissures, making sure to be prepared for when one appears nearby.

However there is always one spoken rule when it comes to the fissures: Do not enter them, else you will not come back.

### **Origins**

No one knows why fissures occur within the world, with a few theories being tossed around amongst the most scholarly of individuals. Many have attempted to determine how and why these tears in time and space came to be, whether their power can be harnessed, and if they can be used to help the land. So far, they have not been successful and many communities have given up on researching them. It has been noted that some areas in Obsulein have more quanity of Rift Fissures compared to other areas, which have encouraged the population to settle in areas where Rift Fissures are less likely. Many people have come to fear the fissures, while there are those who see the fissures as good omens - even following them religiously.

### Properties

The fissures are typically harmless, only affecting the landscape they appear on when transporting a structure of some kind. It is what comes out of these fissures that can be dangerous - as the fissures can bring forth creatures and people from other worlds into Obsulein who may be just as dangerous as those native to the world. Thus the appearance of a fissure near settlements will often cause the people to be on full alert and prepared to deal with any threats that come nearby. Yet this provides an opportunity for rare materials, items, and knowledge that would benefit the world and its people. It often takes between an hour to a week for a fissure to close up, and their appearances are always random and without warning.

The fissures also work the other way around - anyone and anything that comes into direct contact with a fissure will be pulled inside and will find themselves transported to other worlds. It’s often and commonly accepted that if a building disappears suddenly, it is due to the emergence of a fissure. Whereas with people and animals, there’s always uncertainty on if the individual vanished into a fissure or simply departed somewhere else in the world. One matter is certain: any creature or entity that comes in contact with a fissure directly will never return.

**[World Master Note: By going through a Rift Fissure, it will be seen akin to a Lore Death - meaning that you will no longer be permitted to play as your character anymore and they will not be able to return to the world]**

### Rift Fissures

* Fissures serve as an explanation why certain builds and creatures may appear on the map, such as ruins, temples, dungeons, etc. They cannot be used to explain the appearance of fully fledged cities and towns that belong to players - only for event structures. They can be used to explain the sudden disappearance of a settlement.
* A Rift Fissure can be opened via great external force, such as the influence of a God from another world, or a highly scientific machine with extreme power output, however Fissures cannot be manipulated or controlled by people from within Obsulein - as they are a natural phenomenon. Certain people may be able to sense when a fissure is about to appear, with permission from staff, but they cannot be manipulated. Rule of thumb is: You can force your way in, but can't force your way out.
* When a Fissure is opened by a great external force, it may look different than the average fissure, often having different colors or manifesting some kind of attribute relating to how it was opened (i.e. - A God of Love, opening a fissure shaped like a heart or a machine opening a rectangular Rift)
* If a character goes through a fissure, they will be unable to return to the server. This is effectively a lore death for that character and you will have to start a new character. There is no exception to this rule.

## Otherworlders

People who come out from the fissures are known as ‘Riftwalkers’ by Natives due to many of them speaking of lands and worlds beyond Obsulein, and many more having actively coming out from the many Rift Fissures. Otherworlders find that their bodies and skills have been altered to adjust to the world. For example; someone who knows a healing magic that’s unique to their previous world will soon find that their healing magic is now akin to one on Obsulein, following the rules of that magic. All will find that their belongings are missing, resulting in them having to start anew. However, there’s cases where some of these individuals suffer from temporary or permanent amnesia in regards to their history or skills, meaning they often need to relearn who they are or old skills.

There’s been mixed opinions between natives of Obsulein regarding Otherworlders - some see them as beneficial to the world, especially with their unique skills and knowledge, while others see them as harmful to the world and someone to be distrustful of.

Redlines

* Otherworlders can be characters and races from other servers, but they must be adjusted to fit the server: Their skills will be reset to beginner level and they must follow the systems in place for magic, professions, etc. Additionally, they will have no knowledge of Obsulein’s lore when they appear.