The Great Collapse

The Great Collapse is a mysterious event which occurred in 959AA (Dimension S-2012 date), in 56AUC (Dimension S-2020 date) and which resulted in the complete collapse of Dimension S-2020.

## Cause of the Great Collapse

For a long time, little was known about the causes of the Great Collapse, but collapses have been witnessed by the Library on countless occassions in different dimensions. So far, Dimension S-2012 seems to be the only dimension seemingly resisting an eventual collapse. Following an event involving Interdimensional String Energy, the reality of S-2020 collapsed in on itself. At first, it was theorized that the Great Collapse was caused by an entity unknown to the Library, who tried to use interdimensional travel to connect S-2020 to a third dimension, thus ripping S-2020 in between S-2012 and that unknown dimension. This theory was at first thought to be confirmed due to the appearance of the Pontificate in S-2012 and of the Principe and a Library agent in Dimension T-2021. However, later records recovered from the Pontificate of New Eliyah in Dimension R-2021 gave closure to this chapter of history.

In a journal written by Kenta Ochoa, a Neo Boreopolean soldier, it is described how he used to be a guard at a top secret research facility in the last days of the Great War. The secret facility was located underneath the Statue of the Son and was previously unknown to the Library. Before the Great War, researchers at the institute were looking into ways to harvest International String Energy (ISE), the energy that governs interdimensional space. However, when the Great War broke out, the Neo Boreopolean government repurposed the facility and ordered the scientists to weaponize ISE against their enemies. Before the project could fully deploy a weaponized version of ISE, the Great War ended and the project was shut down. Kenta describes in his journal how he was there when the unfinished weapon was being dismantled and how something went wrong, causing the collapse of S-2020.

During the Great Collapse, large amounts of ISE were brought in from interdimensional space and tore apart S-2020. Due to the fact that large amounts of Interdimensional String Energy were already present in Neo Boreopolis' power grid, the entirety of the Pontificate was transported along an interdimensional string connected to S-2012, explaining its survival. Individual people were also scattered throughout the multiverse, most notably a large amount of Neo Boreopoleans were sent to Dimension R-2021.

## Effects

The Great Collapse resulted in the temporary destruction of almost all civilizations located in Dimension S-2020. Only thanks to the Library, information about these lost civilizations remained and were eventually brought back. The Library was able to evacuate most of its assets out of S-2020 before the collapse, however more recent records were lost. Shortly after the Great Collapse, the entirety of the Pontificate of Neo Boreopolis was relocated to Dimension S-2012, west of the Kingdom of Frozyland. As a result, the Library's outpost at the Statue was saved, along with several cultures due to the presence of merchants in Neo Boreopolis. Decades after the Great Collapse, news reached the Library that another relocation event had occurred. The Principe of Tomopolis, Tom, along with an agent of the Library, were both teleported to Dimension T-2021.

The Library has also come to learn that a large amount of people from S-2020 were transported to R-2021, a dimension were interstellar travel has reached a point where humanity has successfully colonized multiple star systems. In one of those star systems, a world known as the Rimworld hosted a large colony of Neo Boreopoleans who survived the Great Collapse.

In 1144AA, the Library located an echo signal of S-2020 in interdimensional space. The echo signal resembled the initial signal which was recorded when the Pontificate was relocated to S-2012. Using Interdimensional String Energy to amplify this echo, the Library was able to transport the remaining lost civilizations of S-2020 to S-2012 in their original locations relative to the Pontificate. As a result, most human and cultural casualties resulting from the Great Collapse have been nullified.

## Survivors of the Great Collapse

Due to the teleportation of Neo Boreopolis, several cultures were able to survive the devestating event that destroyed S-2020. Most notably, the Pontificate of Neo Boreopolis and most of its inhabitants survived, along with its culture and the Elinite Faith. Although Neo Boreopolis mourned the loss of its traders, pilgrims and diplomats who were abroad at the time, the city continued to grow in Dimension S-2012. Trade with Frozyland allowed new materials to be brought in and kept the city from starving in the initial period of adapting to a new world.

Within the city of Neo Boreopolis, foreign traders, diplomats and pilgrims from other nations were able to survive as well, allowing their cultures to be brought into S-2012 before the eventual return of their home nations. Among these were the Montecazzans, who acquired a permit from the Council of Neo Boreopolis to establish a Montecazzan quarters in the coastal star fort protecting the city. In 961AA, refugees from Chiyesa settled New Chiyesa after several years of gathering funds, support and resources. Other cultures, such as the Tomopolians or the Wineghemians, instead chose to integrate into Boreopolean culture or moved to nations such as Kaiserreich, Frozyland or USA.

Upon return of the lost civilizations in the 12th century AA, several generations had passed in the Pontificate and the original diaspora groups of S-2020 cultures. As a result, this caused some temporal shock for the new survivors who were transported to S-2012. However, this also presented an opportunity to establish ties with the already existing nations of S-2012 and bury the tensions which had risen from the Great War in S-2020.

On the Rimworld in Dimension R-2021, survivors from the Pontificate of Neo Boreopolis went on to found the city of Nea Elpida, which continued to expand into the Pontificate of New Eliyah. Reports have also hinted at the existance of a remnant Chiyesan state on the Rimworld, but Library agents are yet to make contact with them.