Kinds of the Multiverse#

The Continua#

The Continua are difficult to define. Their existence is timeless, in that they existed before time itself and will persist after it has ended. Their nature is so alien to other kinds as to be barely comprehensible, and yet they are quite capable of adopting forms immediately relatable to anyone or anything they may encounter.

Their native habitat, if they could be considered to have one, is the the interstitial space between realities. They are naturally proficient seam-walkers, passing effortlessly in, out and between realities, sometimes without even realising. This constant inter-reality movement means they carry vast amounts of entropy bound to them, which they are only somewhat able to control. They passively inject this entropy into the realities they pass through, causing distortions which only grow in size and complexity the longer they linger, an effect the Continua refer to as drift. Some are more capable of suppressing this effect than others.

Among the Continua there is a range of attitudes and opinions towards the use of the walking art and the effect it has on realities:

Drifters, like Bentley, delight in the unpredictability and chaos their presence causes. Their walking techniques are often unsubtle, tearing open ragged unstable seams that pour drift into worlds and rapidly collapse behind them. They tend to have little interest in controlling their influence, allowing their bound entropy to warp realities; in extreme cases this can lead to drift saturation, when the effects of extreme drift bend a reality so severely the local metaphysical laws break down and the reality becomes difficult or impossible for other kinds to inhabit.

Constants, like Solivane, are quite the opposite - They reject unpredictability and seek instead to maintain structure within and across realities. They are well-versed in suppressing their drift, allowing them to linger for extended periods in realities without noticeable distortion. Their walking techniques are slow and deliberate; they take great pride in carefully opening seams and keeping them stable, allowing a seam to reach unusual size and longevity. Their personalities tend to reflect this methodical practice, being masters of cultivated calm and forethought.

Anchors are a very unusual breed, even among Continua. They take drift suppression to an extreme, settling in a single reality for eons and injecting only minimal, closely controlled entropy to further their own agenda. When Anchors are recognised by the kinds who inhabit the realities they dwell in, they are not known as Continua but rather worshipped as deities, due to the extreme lengths of time they spend there and the subtle influences they have on the world and the beings within it. Other Continua invariably find this egotistical, though they are respected among Constants for their commitment to stability.

Most Continua habitually wander, alone or in pairs or triads, and thus gather an immense knowledge of the Multiverse and its many varied inhabitants. Each individual collects memories like trinkets, their experiences combining with their natures over time to leave unique marks on the forms they choose to represent themselves by. For example, the chaos that burns inside Bentley is expressed through their burning amber eyes and piercing stare, while Solivane’s love of structure and quiet peace manifests in the muted tones of their shimmering spectral fur.

Continua do not age or die in a way that other kinds understand; physical harm has little lasting effect on them, as has the passage of time. The only analogue to death that they can experience is what the Continua refer to as unravelling, to lose oneself in drift to the extent that one’s meaning decoheres into nothing.