By Constantine Thomas (c.thomas1@lancaster.ac.uk) (Also see: Continuum tradition, Shelby Babb's additions, and Arthur-Trevor D.M. Lasher's Southron Republic virtual)
Aside from its bizarre inhabitants and environment, Nexus opens whole new Vistas of opportunity and adventure for Mages, through the Virtuals that can be accessed from it.
Some periods of History appear to result in the creation of an Alternate Corridor to the Main Corridor (MC) representing Earth. History may take a different course in these Alternate Corridors, known as Virtual Futures, or more commonly, virtuals. Within these Virtuals, an exact duplicate of MC is created, but with one difference -- the outcome of the event.
When the time comes for the event to occur in MC, one of these Virtuals 'crystallises' or becomes Real. This former Virtual now represents the outcome of the event in MC. The other Virtuals at this point 'shear off' the Main Corridor, and these 'failed' Virtuals are cast adrift in the Darkness. Many (if not most) of these Virtuals are rapidly dissolved by the Darkness, but some survive for long enough to be captured by Nexus and made Real.
The Darkness itself requires some further explanation. It represents the corrective forces of the Metaverse. The Corridors themselves are actually aberrations in the fabric of the Metaverse, and as a result are quite unstable. To restore equilibrium, the Darkness (the natural fabric of the Metaverse) seeks to dissolve these instabilities. On Main Corridor (the only True Corridor about which anything is known at present), these attempts at correction manifest on the whole as seemingly intelligent entities seeking to invade and destroy our reality -- the Continuum's sole purpose is to repel these invaders. The Continuum is fully aware that it can never `win' this Perpetual War, and as such solely operates defensively, foiling invasion attempts as and when they occur. To some, these invasions appear to be driven by individual entities -- the Garou see an entity known as the Wyrm. However, this is an illusion. The Continuum know that the Wyrm (and the other devils of the Awakened) are but the physical representations of a much greater concept. In a sense, the Darkness itself (or at least its physical representations) may be considered as sentient in an extremely alien way. It cannot destroy our True Corridor directly, but instead seeks to weaken it from the inside through these invasions. As such it manifests within Main Corridor as entities which appear `evil' and `nihilistic'. Although the Continuum destroys or banishes Wraiths where it finds them (due to the fact that they seem to weaken the Walls of the Corridor where they appear), the Oblivion of these Ghosts is probably much closer to a true understanding of the concept of the Darkness than the Wyrm.
Nexus itself is unusual in the cosmology of the Continuum. It is directly attached to Main Corridor, running parallel to it (unlike the Branches, which radiate from the sides), but borders directly on both the Darkness and Main Corridor itself -- thus, in Mage terms, it is a Horizon Realm with access to both the Deep Umbra and the Near Umbra and Earth. Thus, it can collect the Virtuals that are cast adrift from Main Corridor.
It is not entirely clear what factors allow certain Virtuals to survive dissolution by the Darkness. The probability of their outcome is very likely to be one factor, although the amount of Energy (Quintessence) they hold also appears to be important. Sometimes it just seems to be the will of its inhabitants' existence that gives the Virtual strength against the Darkness. One possibility, which the Continuum or any other mortal is completely unaware of (and is quite possibly afraid to consider), is that Nexus itself is actively saving Virtuals from destruction. This also raises the question of whether or not Nexus itself is in fact the Oracle of the Continuum.
Nexus is surrounded by thousands (if not millions) of Virtuals, accumulated it seems from the beginnings of our own Corridor. These Virtuals surround Nexus like a fibreoptic cable, with Nexus being the core 'fibre.' However, when accessing Nexus from MC, it can be entered directly without recourse to having to pass through a Virtual first. The Virtuals themselves can only be accessed via Nexus, and not from MC. It appears that the Virtuals related to Earth and humanity are the most easy to access from Nexus, while other, more 'incompatible' Virtuals are much harder to enter. There appears to be some kind of metaphysical barrier that prevents different and incompatible Virtuals from intermingling. Thus, a Virtual where the very physical and natural laws define Reality to consist solely of Radiation (with no matter) is going to be extremely difficult (if not impossible) for an MC human (who comes from a Universe where Matter dominates) to access.
A Virtual contains a 'less potent' (see later) duplicate of everything (even Nodes) that was contained in the Main Corridor when it separated. When a Virtual splits from MC, Time freezes within it, since it is now no longer sustained by The Flow while adrift. This makes it very vulnerable to invasion by the Darkness through the 'open ends' of the Virtual. In all cases, if the Darkness breaks through to the drifting Virtual, it is discorporated in seconds..... mercifully, its inhabitants (frozen in time) are not even aware of their destruction (they are not even aware of their existence at this point).
Nexus itself seems to be a Pseudo-Corridor -- similar to MC but not quite the same. It possesses some kind of MetaGravity, that allows it to attract the drifting Virtuals. It also, being a Branch (albeit an unusual one) of MC, has the Flow travelling through it. The Flow represents Prime, but it also pushes objects within the Corridor (and all of its Branches (including Nexus)) forwards through Time. If a Virtual has no Flow, it is temporarily rendered both 'unreal' and 'outside Time'. If a Virtual survives its drift in the Darkness and is re-attached to Nexus, the Flow resumes through it. This restarts the flow of Time through the Virtual, and its inhabitants continue their existence completely unaware that their future is different to that of Main Corridor (although their past is the same). As far as they are concerned, their future is the correct future, and the only future. This is due to the Law Of Continuity, described below.
As a result, Nexus is fuelled by many thousands of Nodes in many different Virtuals (and in MC), so it is a huge Realm -- even though most are weaker than MC Nodes, there are so many that it makes little difference.
Nexus apparently has no Sun. However, it is continually illuminated by the light from many stars -- night is non-existent on Nexus. In addition, five large moons circle Nexus, equally spaced along the same orbit. The moons go through phases, which is odd considering there is no Sun. Their day sides are reddish, implying that the source of the light is red in colour. At any given point, all the phases are accounted for -- one moon is New, another is Crescent, another is Half, another is Gibbous, and the last one is Full. A day is defined as the time it takes between moonrise and moonset -- 32 hours. A month is defined as the time it takes for a given moon to pass through all its phases -- this takes 50 days.
If the Garou were aware of this place, no doubt they would attach some cosmological significance to the fact that all their auspices are represented in the sky. A search for the light source in the sky using telescopes has as yet revealed nothing, which baffles Continuum Scientists.
The atmosphere on Nexus is thick and humid, but pleasantly warm. It rains a lot, and occasionally great thunderstorms sweep across the land. There appears to be no seasonal variation. Gravity is Earthlike.
The landscape is very extreme -- there are vast oceans, huge perfectly flat plains, and towering mountains and crags that dwarf the largest on Earth. An unusual rock in some areas is known as `Timestone' -- from a distance it appears solid, but on closer inspection other realities can be seen through the shimmering translucent rock. Nexus is largely unexplored by the Continuum, but appears to be a vast place, much larger than Earth.
The flora and fauna are generally Earth-like, although the vegetation varies in colour from greens and blues to reds and purples. The plant life is striking in its variety -- there are towering Needletrees that reach up to 200' tall that do not sway in even the strongest hurricanes, and others (Lowtrees) that are about 2' high but spread over and area of about 100 square feet!
Fauna is varied too -- some animals are dangerous, many are not. Predators can be difficult to deal with, since they often have some precognitive ability to know where their prey is. Some prey species also have this ability, but in many cases they allow themselves to be killed by the predators anyway.
Other more dangerous species feed on Time itself, and will either age their prey or create a Time Loop in which they repeat the same actions. Somehow they derive sustenance from these shifts in Time.
There is no direct evidence for any intelligent life on Nexus, but there are ancient/future artifacts on the plane. A lighthouse, paradoxically dated as being built 3000 years from now, stands at the edge of the Shifting Sea. This is not a sea at all, but is rather a plain, where reality itself ebbs and flows with some cosmic tide. Elsewhere, ancient ruins depicting the entire histories of realities lie, untouched by time, below the Sands of Time.
However, it is still possible for Mages studying Time to contract or dilate their own Time Fields -- thus in a part of Nexus where Time passes twice as fast as normal, the Mage can speed up his own Internal Field (using Time Magic) to match the External Field. If this is done, the External and Internal Fields are synchronised, and to the Mage's perspective, Time passes at a normal rate for him.
Temporal Waves: Being the Shade Realm of Time, Nexus is subject to unusual temporal environmental effects. The most important of these are the Temporal Waves that sweep across the Realm. These appear as immense transparent linear waves that travel across the land, moving at varying speeds. Some travel extremely rapidly, others can be escaped simply by walking. These Waves have the property of altering the flow of Time by their passage. The exact effect of the Temporal Wave can be deduced by looking through the Wavefront as it approaches. The image of the environment on the other side is sped up or slowed down depending on the effect of the wave. Thus, if a Wave will speed up the flow of Time three times relative to the present rate, images seen through the Wavefront will appear to move three times faster than those nearer the observer.
This results in a form of `Temporal Weather Prediction,' as sensors in the Field detect the incoming wave and transmit data to Central Office. This is then processed and transmitted to Field Agents operating in Nexus so they can prepare for the approaching Temporal Wave.
Studies of the geometry of these Temporal Waves has shown a slight curvature to them, which indicates that they emanate (like ripples) from a very distant central point somewhere to the south of Central Office (CO). This is certainly in the unexplored regions of Nexus. Quite what could be causing the Waves are another matter, and an expedition to what has been dubbed `The Origin' is being considered by the Research Section of CO.
Time Zones: The actual rate of passage of a being's Internal Time Field depends on the External Time Field of the universe it was born in. The External Field of Main Corridor is the one that we as humans are most familiar with -- it is what we consider the `normal' passage of time. Most of the Virtuals, being derived directly from MC, have this same External Field. However, in Nexus itself there are zones in which the basic External Field is different to that of MC's. These stable zones are known as Time Zones, and can be thought of as Islands of stability in the temporal storm -- the passage of time within these Time Zones is unaffected by the passage of a Temporal Wave. Central Office itself is built in the only known Time Zone where the passage of time is equal to that of MC. However, there are many others in which the External Field is slower or faster. Note that Time Zones can have any physical size and shape. The largest known is a square whose sides are 25 km long -- this is where Central Office is located.
Time Zones are frequently inhabited by indigenous creatures, which either evolved there from scratch or migrated there from other Time Zones and temporally adapted to the new External Field. This means their Internal Fields are synchronised to the External Field of the Time Zone they live in, even if they move outside it. Animals indigenous to the slower Time Zones to Central Office are rarely a threat to humans since they therefore move at an inherently slower rate, but those originating in the faster Time Zones are often quite dangerous, since they can naturally operate at much faster speeds. Agents are frequently advised to be on their guard in the field in Nexus [Time 1 actually has some use here, since Mages will be able to sense when they have entered a Time Zone].
Some Zones have been disovered where there is no External Time Field -- in these places, there is no apparent passage of Time. Past, Present, and Future have no meaning in these Zones -- indigenous creatures are effectively immortal (since their Internal Time Fields are synchronised with the External Field -- Time does not pass for them). However, humans entering these Fields can still grow old since their Internal Time Fields operate as normal -- the External Field will still be present though, so they will not be aware of the passage of time at all. [Think of the Nexus in `Star Trek: Generations' if you've seen it].
Time Fields are quantified as follows: a Time Field where the flow of passage of time is equal to that within Main Corridor is known as a Class 1 Time Field. The number indicates the rate of passage of time relative to Main Corridor. Thus, faster fields are known as Class 2, 3, 4, 5, etc fields (non-integer flow rates are possible, so there are Class 2.5 Fields, for example). Slower fields are defined by numbers less than one, usually written as a fractional number -- a field where time passes at half the rate of MC is known as a Class 1/2 Field for example. Time Zones in which there is no External field are known as Class 0 Fields.
Weather: The Weather in Nexus is generally earth-like, but the temporal effects of the environment can produce several unusual phenomena -- the most striking of these are the SlowStorms. These are thunderstorms that accumulate and disperse very slowly, almost as if they were in a much slower Time Zone. When they do accumulate, the lightning bolts they throw travel to the ground extremely slowly -- slow enough for beings to see them coming and dodge!!!
Other unusual meteorological conditions include FastStorms (like SlowStorms, but they accumulate within minutes and are over very rapidly -- seeing one from a distance is one of the most spectacular sights on Nexus, as thousands of lightning bolts rain down in a few minutes) and Hard Hail (Hail falling in an accelerated External Field -- thus when they strike humans (moving with an Internal Class 1 Field) they appear to fall much faster and thus can actually cause serious physical damage when they strike.
TimeStone: Timestone is nothing less than Solid Space-Time. It is the base from which all reality is constructed from, and is extremely rare in the MetaVerse -- indeed, it has so far been found only on Nexus. In situ, it is a brownish-tinged translucent rock through which other realities can dimly be perceived. Its properties are as largely unknown, but it is known that if one concentrates and tries to `walk through' a Timestone exposure one can enter the Virtual that lies on the other side. However, it is often much easier (and more reliable) to enter a Virtual using Spirit magick than via Timestone, since the same Virtual rarely remains behind a TimeStone exposure for long.
It has been discovered that TimeStone has the property of being detectable within other Virtuals through the use of Time 1. Being a part of Nexus, it is only perceptable to MC Mages and those with Temporal Avatars. Thus it can be used by Continuum Agents as a kind of homing beacon to others of their kind in other realities.
In Nexus, TimeStone has a most useful property -- a kilogram (2.2 lbs) of TimeStone is equivalent to a single pawn (1 point) of Level 0 (MC-quality) Time or Correspondence (Space) Tass. Thus, it can only be used to fuel either Time or Correspondence effects. The mass required precludes it from being carried around by individuals in huge quantities. Unfortunately, outside of Nexus, Timestone is simply another lump of glassy brown rock, which has no effect on magick -- presumably, it is too unique to Nexus to be of any use anywhere else.
Geology: In many places in Nexus, the geology is generally Earthlike -- however, the rate of geological evolution is quite varied, and confusingly seems to have no connection with the External Time Field. Mountain Ranges have been known to appear overnight, and erosion can occur extremely rapidly (usually depending on the Entropy rating of the area). Glaciers have been observed travelling very quickly, while volcanic eruptions have occurred at very slow rates. Fortunately, CO appears to be situated in a reasonably stable region of Nexus!
But I don't want this -- what if I just want a realm in which Teleportation is natural but the Perception effects are not? Simple -- I just put the rating as Correspondence 3. No pluses or minuses. This implies that effects involving Correspondence 3 alone are natural in this realm and do not require a spell-casting roll (or at most just require a coincidental roll). All other Correspondence effects involving other levels are treated as normal magickal effects.
Correspondence | 3 |
Entropy | Special |
Forces | 0 |
Life | 0 |
Matter | 0 |
Mind | 2 |
Prime | +3 |
Spirit | 3 (Virtuals only) |
Time | +5 |
To explain:
Correspondence 3: Indigenous creatures on Nexus are capable of teleporting themselves. The natural laws here just allow that. Colocating or spatial perception is not naturally allowed though. This makes a jaunt in the local jungles very dangerous indeed! Central Office is however magickally shielded to prevent invasion by teleporting predators.
Entropy: This is variable since Entropy is so closely linked to Time. In faster Time Fields (where things can decay/break down faster), this is set at Ratings 3, 4, and 5. This means that eroding matter/ withering life/intellectual entropy is easier to do in the background of the faster time flow.
Conversely, in slower time fields (where things decay/break down slower), destructive Entropy magick is harder to accomplish. All difficulties to level 3, 4, and 5 Entropy effects are at +2 difficulty.
Pattern Magick: +/- 0. Forces, Life and Matter are treated no different here than anywhere else. Granted, the Forces of Nature here are much more dramatic than on Earth, but I don't see that this would warrant an increase in the Forces rating. Storms are just more violent and spectacular (lots of electrical discharge), while winds are quite strong.
Mind 2: Many creatures on Nexus are telepathic, or more precisely, telempathic. They are capable of transmitting emotional commands. Sirens (creatures that lure prey to their doom in their maws) use telepathic impulses to dupe their prey.
Prime +3: The sheer number of Nodes that supply Nexus make the place fairly glow with Quintessence. As a result, it is very easy to see Nodes or transfer Quintessence (even Virtual Quint) from one place to another in Nexus.
Spirit (3): This is only in connection to Virtuals -- it is very easy to enter Virtuals from Nexus. All other Realms are at normal difficulty to enter from Nexus. Access to the Deep Umbra from here is impossible (effectively at Spirit -6).
Time +5: Any Time effect is naturally possible here. This includes the creation of Time Loops, the ebb and flow of Time, complete cessation of Time, and contraction and dilation. This is after all the Shade Realm of Time! :-)
Continuum Agents can cast their magicks as normal in Nexus (using the sphere ratings described above), but any invading Traditions (or the Technocracy) have to cope with Paradox! Paradox thus strikes as normal for any Mage whose Paradigm is different to the Continuum's. All magicks cast by an invading Mage require a spellcasting roll, even if they are 'free' as a result of the sphere ratings. Paradox strikes in exactly the same way as it does on Earth, though it does not seem to affect Continuum Agents. This is one reason that the Continuum managed to hold off the Technocracy when they seceded from them in the early 20th century. Additionally, it is rumoured that this may be the result of a change in the nature of the Realm created by the Continuum's Oracles.
Fortunately for the Continuum's allies, there is a way around this. Through training, the outsider can be acclimatised to the paradigm within Nexus such that he does not gain Paradox for casting magicks there. In addition, every outsider entering Nexus is given an ID badge which contains a tiny piece of modified TimeStone. This acts as a kind of bar-code which is used to identify the outsider. This must be worn at all times in the Realm, and must be returned when leaving Nexus. Since TimeStone acts as a beacon outside Nexus for those with Time 1, it can be used to unerringly follow those who try to smuggle their ID badge out of the Realm (for duplication, for example). Since Timestone is unique to the realm, it is very hard to duplicate outside it. This provides another security measure to protect the Realm.
The Orb of Lucifer: An extremely powerful Node, this is located on the major continent of Lucifer, a Level 1 Virtual. In this timeline, Life never evolved on Earth. The planet remains as a hostile Hothouse world, with surface temperatures ranging between 50 and 120 degrees Celsius [between 120 and 240 degrees Fahrenheit], a large proportion of Steam and Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere, and very hot polar oceans. There is extensive volcanic and seismic activity. Of course, there is no Oxygen content in the air at all. The planet itself is tipped at an angle of 40 degrees to the vertical, and a day is equal to a mere 8 hours!!! As a result, winds and storms on Lucifer can be extremely powerful.
Interestingly enough, Lucifer has no Moon, leading many Continuum scientists to believe that the formation of the Moon played a critical role in the formation of life on Earth.
In this hostile environment however lies one of the most powerful Nodes in the Metaverse. The Node itself is a 10' diameter globe, the Orb of Lucifer, hovering a few feet above the ground on the planet's major continent. It is constructed of a black material that defies all analysis (even Magickal). It rotates around its axis, tipped at 40 degrees to the vertical, once every 8 hours -- exactly like the planet it is located on! And its power is immense. No ley lines or other Nodes exist on Lucifer -- it is almost as if all the planet's Quintessence is channelled to and concentrated at the Orb.
The Orb's origin is unknown -- its connection (if any) with the present state of Lucifer is also unknown, as is its purpose. Whether its builders will return to claim it one day is a matter that most Continuum Agents would rather not think about...
The Orb is heavily guarded by the Continuum's finest agents, and it is presently located in a sealed Guard Station that has been built around it. Humans require spacesuits or atmospheric protection to survive outside the Station. The Orb and Station has already been the focus of several concerted attacks by agents of the Darkness, all of which have been successfully repulsed so far.
Nada One: This is a mysterious city of glass, which appears (along with the small rocky island it is situated on) out of thin air in the southern Indian Ocean on Earth. It always appears at sunset, and is only visible while the Sun's disk touches the open sea, and even then it is only physically real if viewed/approached from certain angles. After the Sun sets, it disappears for the rest of the night and following day.
Nada One itself is a beautiful, eerie and silent place. It is uninhabited, and completely unaffected by the environment; it is extremely clean, and the glass it is constructed on is perfectly unblemished. The glass itself appears to be indestructible; it cannot be broken.
It is not known where the Island disappears to after sunset. It is believed that the city travels through the Corridor, appearing at random points in Time. If anyone or anything is left behind on the isle, they are never seen again -- when Nada One returns, no trace of its accidental passengers are ever found. Indeeed, anything moved in the Glass City resumes its normal place when Nada One returns.
Easter Island: Located on Earth itself, Easter Island is a collection of hundreds of smaller Nodes, each represented by one of the famous `Heads' that gaze out to sea. It is quite powerful, and the Order of Hermes has been vying for access rights, but so far the Continuum is having none of it.
Concentration Alpha: Alpha is located in a Level 1 Virtual codenamed `Neverland'. Neverland is exactly identical to Earth until January 18th 1993. On this day, every higher life form on the planet (ie. all human and animal life) suddenly vanished without a trace!
The only clue to this Vanishing is the continual signal emitted from the Aricebo Radio Dish in Puerto Rico, aimed at what is apparently a point of empty space about a billion kilometres beyond the orbit of Pluto. Further research by the Continuum through Neverland Aricebo and US Government records has so far yielded no official documentation or explanation for the transmission, and no target for the signal has been described. However, the signal was activated on the 18th January 1993. Interestingly enough, there is no record of such a transmission in the Aricebo records on MC Earth at that time...
Aricebo itself is a major Node in this Virtual, which is beaming out Quintessence to its target point. Although the Continuum has deactivated the transmitter, Quintessence is nevertheless still being beamed to the target. In addition, Aricebo is the nexus of all of the Ley Lines on Neverland -- this ley line network is believed to be artificial, and hints at some secret magickal experiment (probably set up by the Technocracy) that backfired horribly. It is even possible that the Darkness partially intruded on this Virtual before it was re-attached to Nexus, which may be an alternative explanation that accounts for the disappearance of the planet's higher lifeforms.
The Continuum has managed to at least tap some of the flow, but with this came the discovery that Neverland itself is actually losing cohesion - the Quintessence is actually disappearing from the Virtual at the beam's target point! The Continuum is trying to prevent this loss before Neverland becomes a Level 2 (or worse) Virtual, or completely loses cohesion.
The following are guidelines to the integration of the Continuum to a standard Mage Chronicle. This section largely covers the policy of the Continuum regarding Virtuals and other outsiders. They are by no means complete, and need not be considered 'official'. The existence of the Continuum and Nexus can change the focus of a campaign, so I leave it largely up to the individual storyteller as to how they should be included.
Overview:
Central Office itself is a complex of interconnected utilitarian red-brick buildings situated on an large flat prairie in Nexus. It is located in the only known stable Class 1 Time Zone.
The buildings include several towers and fortifications, a holdover of the days when the Technocracy sought to actively invade Nexus and wrest control of it from the Continuum. CO is still heavily defended, and regularly patrolled by experienced and well-armed guards. It is also magickally shielded so that it is impossible to enter it from outside using Correspondence magicks.
Inside, Central Office is a network of laboratories, ready rooms and offices. It is powered by its own generators in the basement, and has several backups in case of a power failure. It also has a computer network directly connected to the main Intelligence Acquisition Station in London, England on Earth. It has extensive research facilities (though not as much as other Home Chantries) and a huge catalogue of data on the known manifestations of the Darkness.
Entrances to Nexus are small in number and are found only in the vicinity of Central Office, and as such are very heavily protected by checkpoints and guard posts. While the level of security can sometimes be oppressive, those working in Nexus acknowledge that it is essential to prevent the Realm from falling into the wrong hands. The security is not invasive however, and many Mages often forget they are working inside a fortress.
In most cases though, the Continuum leaves the inhabited Virtuals alone, though it often welcomes those with Temporal Avatars (from the Non-Quarantined Virtuals) who blunder through to Nexus and discover the truth about the extent of the universe. Indeed, many of the Continuum's finest agents are from other Virtuals.
Although there is a vast amouunt of Nodes available to tap among the Virtuals, the Continuum leaves those in the inhabited Virtuals to their inhabitants -- there are plenty of Nodes to be found in the uninhabited Virtuals. The Law Of Continuity could easily be violated if a Continuum agent is capture by the inhabitants of a Virtual, who then discover that they are in fact no longer the 'official' universe. The social consequences of this within the Virtual could severely undermine the world-view of the inhabitants, a fate that the Cotinuum wish to avoid. Many Continuum agents in the field are extremely careful, and Intelligence Acquisition sets up complex identities for them to allow them to fit into the Virtual more easily. In some cases (eg. Sauron), the Agent has to be physcially changed to fit in!
However, the Continuum has an open policy when it comes to the uninhabited Virtuals, those that are not populated by sentient beings. These it uses for resources (minerals, Quintessence, etc) and exploration. Many uninhabited Virtuals are simply catalogued and forgotten, but bases are frequently set up in the more unusual Virtuals (such as Neverland and Lucifer).
The Technocracy is not allowed within Nexus. The Continuum is aware of what this organization could do given access to the Virtuals, and does not wish to take the risk of them invasively plundering the resources of the Virtuals to give them a huge advantage in the Ascension War. The Traditions as a whole are similarly prevented from doing so.
The Continuum fully places itself outside the Ascension War. It plays no part in the domination of reality, and seeks to remain neutral -- it has its own role to play in the defense of reality, which is a fulltime job in itself.
The most common way to access and leave Virtuals is via the 'Virtual Travel' Procedure (ie. Rote - the Continuum retains much of their Technocratic terminology when dealing with Magick). Nexus itself can only be entered via the 'Nexus Entry' Procedure, a conjuctional Spirit/Time effect. These Procedures are described below:
Nexus Entry allows Agents to enter Nexus directly from any location within Main Corridor. Gateways (q.v.) are not required to enter or leave Nexus (unlike Portals). Agents always arrive in Nexus at the site of one of the two Gateways there -- these are constantly guarded.
[Both Spirit and Time are required since Nexus is surrounded by an unusual Gauntlet with both Spirit and Temporal components to it. Three successes must be rolled to penetrate this Gauntlet at difficulty 7].
Virtual Travel
Individual Basic: | Time 3, Spirit 3 |
Individual Targeted: | Correspondence 3, Time 3, Spirit 3 |
Multiple Basic: | Time 3, Spirit 4 |
Multiple Targeted: | Correspondence 4, Time 3, Spirit 4 |
This Procedure allows the Agent to cross the Temporal Gauntlet that separates the Virtuals and Nexus from eachother. This Temporal Gauntlet is created as a natural side-effect of the basic Metaversal Law of Continuity. It can only be used from Nexus or a Virtual, and can only be used by an MC Mage or any Virtual Inhabitant with a Temporal Avatar -- there is absolutely no effect if anyone else attempts it. The Procedure must also be initiated at the site of a Portal. There are two main ways this Procedure can be attempted -- Single or Multiple -- both of which are further subdivided into Basic and Targeted. Both Individual Procedures (ie. Individual Basic and Individual Targeted) only allow the Mage to transport himself, while the Multiple Procedures allow the Mage to bring others with him.
'Individual Procedures':The Individual Procedures allow the Mage to transport only himself and any items carried across the Temporal Gauntlet.
The Individual Basic Procedure (Time 3, Spirit 3) transports the Mage across the Temporal Gauntlet. The Mage arrives on the other side of the Portal before which the Procedure is used, so should be prepared for any unusual climatic conditions at that site (eg. if a Portal is in the middle of an ocean in the Virtual, the Agent had best be prepared for a wet landing!).
The Individual Targeted Procedure, which includes Correspondence 3, is more often used however. While not vital for the Basic Procedure to succeed, the Correspondence component makes it vastly more convenient -- it allows the Agent to arrive at any location on the other side of the Portal -- not necessarily at the site of the Portal. Note however that the Procedure must still be enacted at the site of the Portal on the 'departure side.'
'Multiple Procedures': The 'Multiple' Procedures are more complicated, but allow the Agent to take passengers with him across the Temporal Gauntlet.
The Multiple Basic Procedure uses a Time 3/Spirit 4 combination to weaken the Temporal Gauntlet within a radius of a few metres around the Agent, thus allowing any within this area to travel with the Mage. As with the Individual Basic Procedure though, the group arrive at the site of the Portal on the other side of the Temporal Gauntlet.
The Multiple Targeted Procedure adds a Correspondence 4 component which allows the group to arrive at any location on the other side of the Temporal Gauntlet, not necessarily at the site of the Portal there.
Regardless of the direction of travel (Virtual to Nexus or vice versa), the Temporal Gauntlet of the Virtual must be successfully negotiated in order to enter and leave. The strength of the Temporal Gauntlet around a Virtual is determined by its Energy Rating (see the Updated Virtual Classification Scheme).
Virtual's Energy rating | Successes needed | Difficulty |
1 | 2 | 5 |
2 | 3 | 6 |
3 | 4 | 7 |
U | Add + 1 to successes needed | Add + 1 to Difficulty |
Thus, to enter Neverland (a 1U Virtual), the Agent must roll 3 successes for the Procedure at Difficulty 6. The number of successes shown above is required to travel through the Portal -- travel time is instantaneous. A Failure (ie. no successes, or less than the required number of successes) means that the Agent cannot enter the Portal on this attempt, and must wait an hour for the Portal to stabilise fully. A Botch means the Agent has become stuck in the Temporal Gauntlet -- a very hazardous experience since agents of the Darkness often prowl this interface, looking for trapped travellers. On a Catastrophic Botch (a result of '1' on all dice), the Agent may open a gateway directly to the Darkness instead...
More often than not, this Procedure is built into a purposely-made Device -- a Virtual Travel Bracelet (described below) -- given as a matter of course to Field Ops in Nexus. All such Devices have a Timepiece [the Continuum's focus for Time] of some sort incorporated into them, giving them the appearance of complicated wrist-watches or pocket clocks. To enact the Procedure, the Agent adjusts the Bracelet while concentrating [meditating -- the focus for Correspondence and/or Spirit] on the Portal. Remember that all Continuum Agents require these foci when attempting this Procedure, since as Technomages they cannot ignore their foci until they reach Arete 6.
Note that this Bracelet is not essential to use the Virtual Travel Procedures -- the Agent does not need to specifically have a Travel Bracelet to cross the Temporal Gauntlet. However, he must have the necessary Spheres required for the Procedures, and must still use the relevant foci.
Quarantined Virtuals: The Temporal Gauntlet around Quarantined Virtuals (Danger Code Q) have been strengthened by Continuum Specialists. The Difficulties to enter or leave these Virtuals is set at 9, though the number of successes required remains the same.
Sealed Virtuals: The Temporal Gauntlet around Sealed Virtuals (Danger Code Z) has been increased to such an extent that the Difficulty to enter or leave them is increased to 15! Additionally, a total of 5 successes on the Procedure roll must be gained to penetrate -- otherwise the Seal holds. Thus, only the most powerful magicks can penetrate the Seal, and even then a large amount of Quintessence must be burned to reduce the difficulty.
Most Seals are heavily guarded, and all have magickal monitors built into them that can detect attempts to penetrate it and alert the guards if a penetration attempt is made (even if it fails). Note that the Seal is not broken, even if it is penetrated -- those leaving the Virtual must again roll 5 successes against difficulty 15 to leave.
Timestone Exposures: Timestone is a rare glassy, shimmering translucent brown rock found in the depths of some mountain ranges in Nexus. It appears to be the barest foundation on which Nexus is constructed -- solid Space-Time. Timestone exposures are unusual in that Virtuals can be seen within them; however, the Virtuals 'behind' the exposure shift randomly. Nevertheless, these Virtuals can be entered if the 'Virtual Travel' Procedure is enacted before the exposure. Effectively the Timestone exposure becomes a Portal to the Virtual it shows.
On leaving the Virtual, the Mage arrives on Nexus at the site of that Virtual's natural Portal. In many cases, the Virtuals shown by the exposures are previously undiscovered -- thus, the Agent has not only to survive the dangers of the Virtual itself, but also arrives back in Nexus in an unknown location (since the Portal to the Virtual would not have been discovered previously and mapped).
As described earlier, Portals are completely invisible on the side of the Virtual -- they can be detected only by using Time 1 magick. However, on the Virtual side the Portals have an additional unusual property -- any Virtual inhabitant with a Temporal Avatar who actually passes through a Portal at any time will be automatically 'pulled through' by the Portal itself, a process known as autoentry (this is rolled as an Individual Basic Virtual Travel Procedure, at Arete 3). This is believed to be a reaction between the Portal and the Temporal Avatar itself. Note however that those with Temporal Avatars cannot simply walk through the Nexus side of the Portal back into their own reality -- AutoEntry is effectively one-way to them, and they cannot return to their Reality unless they use magick. Also note that all other Virtual inhabitants (ie. those without Temporal Avatars) are not subject to AutoEntry, and cannot perceive the Portal at all (even with Time 1).
If a vehicle of some sort touches the Portal, then all those within who have a Temporal Avatar can be pulled in (AutoEntry is rolled separately for each person). In a Virtual, the vehicle itself is never affected however, unless specific Procedures have been used to enable it to pass through the Portal (ie. unless it has been 'enchanted'). Those without Temporal Avatars in the vehicle are still unaffected, and just see their comrades vanish without a trace!
AutoEntry only works from the Virtual that the inhabitant was born in. This effect cannot occur at the sites of any Portals in other Virtuals, or on the Nexus side of any Portal (even the home one). Note also that AutoEntry can fail or even botch, though it will occur again if the native passes through the Portal again later.
The Gateways themselves are natural doorways directly connecting Main Corridor to Nexus. Effectively, they are Spirit Wormholes that transport objects through the Gauntlets separating them, allowing direct passage from one realm to the other to the Non-Awakened. Gateways themselves are invisible on Earth, but can be detected there with a (Spirit 1 Time 1) conjunctional effect. On Earth, Gateways occupy a columnar volume of space a few hundreds of metres across at its base and about forty miles high -- thus they are very different in structure from the two-dimensional Portals. This configuration means that they can capture aeroplanes that accidentally cross the Gateway (see below).
Only two Gateways are known to exist on Nexus, both of which connect to MC Earth. On Earth, one is situated within what is known as the Bermuda Triangle, while the other lies off the coast of Japan, in the Devil's Sea -- however, access to and from both has been restricted by the Continuum in recent years. Both are located a few miles from Central Office in Nexus itself.
Gateways behave in a similar way to Portals, with one key exception -- because anyone from MC (even the non-Awakened) can potentially access Nexus, AutoEntry can affect everyone that passed through the Gateway. Most of the time, the Gateway lies dormant -- however, when an MC native (ie. Humans, Vampires, Mummies and Garou) or a vehicle containing them (such as ships or planes) pass through or over the Gateway, it opens and AutoEntry can occur. Gateway AutoEntry is rolled as a Sprit 3/Time 3 conjunctional effect at Arete 3 and Difficulty 6. AutoEntry is applied to the vehicle directly, and if successful then the vehicle itself and all those aboard are carried into the Gateway. The Gateways in Nexus are situated in the dry plains surrounding Central Office, so ships are beached and probably holed, while aeroplanes suddenly find themselves at ground level where they invariably crash at flying speed, a usually fatal experience. Survivors of the rough landing in Nexus find themselves trapped in Nexus, as Gateways (like Portals to a Virtual native) are one-way affairs to the Non-Awakened -- they can only be entered from the Nexus side via Time/Sprit magick.
Gateways have an unusual side-effect on Earth -- their presence (even when dormant) creates some bizarre visual and environmental effects, including wildly varying magnetic fields (which affect compasses), negative imagery (ie. black appears white, and white appears black), strange lights and flashes in the sky, sudden lightning flashes, disorientation, dizziness, hallucinations and other such effects, all of which combine to make the approach to a Gateway a rather terrifying experience. However, these 'special effects' around the Gateway are actually completely harmless in themselves. Most people caught in the unstable area do panic though, and land up either accidentally flying or sailing through the invisible Gateway somewhere in the unstable zone itself, or losing control of their vessel and crashing it into the sea. Any survivors arriving in Nexus through the Gateway are adopted by the Continuum and often work as Acolytes. This explains the spate of disappearances so often associated with the Bermuda Triangle and the Devil's Sea.
In recent years however, the Continuum has largely succeeded in closing off the Gateways (essentially as a consequence of the wreckage that was accumulating on the Nexus side of the Gateways as the vessels crashed there, and the fact that the Continuum viewed the Gateways as a weak spot in its defences). While the Continuum has made a tidy monetary profit from the cargoes of those vessels declared lost around the Gateway areas on Earth, it has found that the Gateways provide a very easy access point to anyone from MC, even their enemies. Much of the wreckage around the Gateways on Nexus has been removed -- no mean feat considering that some ships that have arrived weighed in at several tens of thousands of tons displacement! However, the wrecks of the five Navy Avenger bombers of Flight 19 (which disappeared from Earth in 1945) have been kept in their original sites as a memorial to those who lost their lives through the Gateway, and to those Continuum Agents who were killed in the Perpetual War.
Nowadays, the two main Gateways are all but closed off. Their Gauntlet Difficulty is set at 10, and the unstable zones have now been stabilized. However, AutoEntry still occurs; it is just more difficult. Additionally, other smaller, more temporary Gateways sometimes spontaneously appear in other locations around the world where the Gauntlet rating is low; however, these rarely last for longer than a few days.
Temporal Containment is the means by which the Continuum prevents those 'undesirable elements' with Temporal Avatars from entering Nexus. Often, these are the Virtual Inhabitants who somehow manage to enter Nexus from Quarantined or even Sealed Virtuals, though it has been used on others in the past. Containment is however treated on a case by case basis, though most are Contained and returned to their Virtual otherwise unharmed, having no memory of Nexus at all. If any are not Contained, they are always adopted into the Continuum, often as informal Continuum spies in their home Virtuals.
Containment is a complex Procedure that blocks the inhabitant's Temporal Avatar, preventing it from entering Nexus again by any means (even magick). It works by making the Temporal Avatar completely opaque to the Temporal Gauntlet. In addition, the memory of how the target arrived at Nexus is removed and a permanent mental block is set up to prevent him from doing so again. This Mind manipulation includes the removal of ever having been Contained in the first place. Containment can only be detected by Mages from Main Corridor, using a Time 1 Spirit 1 Prime 1 conjunctional effect -- Virtual Mages cannot detect Containment, and so cannot try to remove it.
Containment can only be removed by powerful magicks cast by MC Mages, but anyone attempting to do so must possess all the Spheres at least at the levels used in the Containment (ie. Prime 5, Spirit 4, Mind 4, and Time 1) -- anything less and the Containment cannot be removed.
Containment cannot be attempted on an Avatar originating in Main Corridor -- it is only effective on those originating in a Virtual.
[Temporal Containment is a very complicated Rote. First, Prime 5 is used for two purposes -- to set up the Containment itself, and to actually affect a living Pattern. A conjunctional (Spirit 4, Time 1) effect is then applied to render the target's Temporal Avatar totally opaque to the Temporal Gauntlet -- this prevents him from ever passing through the Temporal Gauntlet again. Finally, Mind 4 is used to remove all knowledge of Nexus, the Containment itself and how the target arrived there. This is cast as a single Rote, often by a group of Continuum Specialists. Five successes must be gained between those casting the effect to make the effect Permanent, and all must possess the required Spheres.
The effect can be countered as normal as it is being cast (though in most cases the target is rendered unconscious at the time). It can only be removed afterwards by an MC Mage possessing the Spheres used to cast the Containment -- ie. Prime 5, Spirit 4, Mind 4, and Time 1 -- so he can fully perceive the magick he is attempting to remove. Virtual Mages cannot attempt remove Containment themselves, since they are unable to perceive the Containment to begin with -- an MC Mage must do this for them, and no Continuuum Mage will do so unless directly contradicting Central Office and risking the wrath of a Continuum Tribunal.
A Contained Temporal Avatar remains trapped in his home Virtual until such time as the Containment is removed. He retains no memory of Nexus at all, or of ever having gone there. In addition, a subliminal suggestion is implanted that always persuades him away from ever trying to enter Nexus again. Contained Avatars can only be detected by MC Mages using a conjunctional (Sprit 1, Time 1, Prime 1) rote.
Obviously, the Continuum can only Contain those undesirable Virtual inhabitants who enter Nexus somehow -- these are usually those from highly xenophobic, warlike, or otherwise dangerous races. Containment is performed in Nexus itself, once the 'undesirable' has been captured and Contained, he is then returned to his home Virtual (Containment does not prevent Temporal Avatars from leaving Nexus, only from entering it) by the Continuum, with no memory of his experience outside his reality. However, not everyone coming in through the Quarantined Portals is undesirable -- some for example are refugees from the Virtual. These are often adopted for some purpose in the Continuum].