Alternate universes

> "*You have come to this place seeking another reality, another time, another life. Cross over from your world into another, and you accept my conditions. Always remember, the multiverse is infinite, but your experience of it is not. So tread carefully.*"
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> **- Voice from Beyond**
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>

**Alternate universes** (**AU's**) are parallel to those set in the Aegis Cluster as we know it. They are other realities, separated from our own by the infinite complexity of the void. There, things are different. How different? That's up to you.

The point of departure between an alternate universe and our own might be as small as a character turning right where in our timeline they turned left. Or, history may have unfolded differently at a key juncture, causing the modern cluster to be completely unrecognizable. Perhaps the universe is the Aegis Cluster's distant past, or its distant future. The alternate universe might not even be a version of our cluster; it might be a different universe entirely.

Alternate universes are an opportunity to attempt plots, themes, and events which would not fit into Aoshtai's prime timeline or which would fundamentally disrupt existing canon by their inclusion. While these universes are held together by the larger Aoshtai multiverse, and so are technically considered canon, they cannot interact with the prime timeline without express authorization from site staff, and they must follow certain rules.

## Universes

 **AU:7162** | Pocket universe which contains the Library.

## Naming and organization

All pages pertaining to alternate universes must be in the "AU:" namespace. This means that, when created, all AU pages must start with the prefix AU:. Individual alternate universes are given a number between 0000 and 9999 at creation.

All universes must have a page which is their number. For example, the universe numbered 0483 must have a page named AU:0483. This is that universe's primary page, and it must contain the following information:

* A name for the universe
* An introduction to that universe
* An explanation of what is different between that universe and the prime timeline, such as:
	+ Historical differences
	+ Metaphysical differences
	+ Political differences
	+ Physical differences
* The current date in that universe
* The purpose of that universe, such as what kinds of themes, play, and scope are expected when users contribute to the universe.
* Rules and expectations for those involved
* The other universes the universe is connected to
* The name of the creator

All pages belonging to that universe must be subpages of the universe page. As a result, Karstedt's version in the 0483 universe would have the page AU:0483/Karstedt. It is recommended that universes have a banner at the top of each page which outlines a little bit about that universe and automatically applies a page category, such as [[Category:AU 0483]].

In general, it is reasonable to expect that alternate universe articles will be short, as most people will be focusing on content and interactions taking place in the prime universe.

## Rules

* Alternate universes must follow the naming conventions and page categorization scheme outlined in this article. Should any page be noticed as not following the proper scheme, they may be renamed unilaterally by staff.
* Alternate universes are owned and run by the player(s) who created them. These players are primarily responsible for coordinating canon, making maps, hosting events, setting rules and expectations, and for overseeing contributions, activity, and the use of mechanics within these universes.
* Alternate universes which are both undeveloped and abandoned will be moved to non-canon and removed from this page at the site's discretion after all due attempts have been made to contact the creators.
* Alternate universes hosted on Aoshtai must follow the site's code of conduct and general style, but may deviate drastically from world lore, physics, metaphysics, and other elements of the setting.
* The decision on whether travel is possible between two alternate universes rests with those who created them. The creators of both universes must agree that travel is possible between their universes for it to occur, and either side may limit the extent and nature of the travel in line with the needs of their project. The void and the multiverse it joins together is infinite, winding, and treacherous, and some regions of it are inaccessible.

### Content Ownership

* If a copy of a faction, character, or other piece of content from the prime timeline exists in your alternate universe, the owner of that content maintains their ownership into your universe.
* Conversations between you and them may need to occur about how you intend to represent their fiction in your universe and if they are comfortable giving you authorial control over them.
* The original authors reserve the right to request that their fiction property not be present, mentioned, or altered in your alternate universe if no agreement can be reached.

### Crossovers with Aoshtai

* Alternate universes may not communicate or cross over with the Universe unless explicitly authorized by site staff.
	+ As a general rule, the Aoshtai community is very protective of the canon which we have built, the rules which we have established, and the culture of the site. As a result, offers to create wormholes or open doors which allow free passage between the Aoshtai Universe and other universes will always be respectfully turned down.
	+ Communication between two universes will be allowed in only a few cases. These cases will typically be the result of extensive conversations between the player who wants to do a cross-over and the Aoshtai project lead.
	+ If you would rather not have these extensive discussions and are not willing to compromise, then it is better to create an alternate timeline where your crossover can happen in the way that you want without disrupting the main universe.
	+ Crossovers between other universes and the main Aoshtai Universe which are cleared by staff will tend to have the following characteristics: they will typically involve serious restrictions such as only individual characters being transported over (as opposed to whole fleets, armies, or nations), their powers and abilities being altered to bring them in line with the metaphysics of the site while they are in the prime timeline, and a limit on the amount of personnel and equipment which they can bring over with them.
	+ There will also be an expectation that their stay in the prime timeline will be temporary, that the faction which is crossing over will be trying to return to their timeline (not conquer ours), and that the impact of their visit will be limited.
	+ The objective of such a visit would be to create interesting character stories while not disrupting the main universe too much.
* All library fictions take place by default in parallel universes unless discussed with and cleared by site staff. All library fictions must follow these rules.

## Trivia

* You can generate an AU number using this random generator.