@ everyone

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor’s familiar, hurried script appears once again on its own. Without someone helping to facilitate the post, he is straight to the point, much as he was some months ago, announcing the location of the kidnapped Summoned.]

I’m well aware that most of us are occupied with the hostile creatures descending on various locations across the continent. However:

I’m more concerned with the nature of these phenomena and am currently improving the devices that the Academy will use to take measurements from the rifts. When I’m finished, the data will be more accurate than what the Cadens scientists could gather on their own. If there are similar efforts in the other factions, it is in our best interests to collaborate. I have theories of my own, as well.

[That’s, you know, the hint to pony up some intel.]

In the meantime, for those of you in the Free Cities who might be venturing to the rifts, I will need an escort. I would prefer to collect the readings myself, but I’m willing to part with one of the devices provided you are responsible with it. That may allow us to cover more ground.

As always, if you are in need of equipment or repairs, my workshop is open (unless I’m examining the rifts, in which case I’ll handle inquiries when I return).

- V

[ooc: here is a little bit about what Viktor has going on! for additional plotting/convergence of plots, hit me up on plurk at whitticus or discord at whitticus.]

Comments

[sleepfan]

It sounds as though Istredd has that handled. He takes initiative a lot.

It is an interesting idea. There would indeed seem to be a link - if it truly were random, given the number of extant worlds, we would expect to be presented with creatures none of us know anything about. We're going to need energy readings on the Summoned as well for comparison: Do we have those?

I will collect data if it is useful. I would like to know what is found.

[techmaturgy]

We can get them. I'm sure many would volunteer.

Each world must have its own magical signature, something that extends to the living beings in it. I want to know if we can identify that signature on any of the rifts. Match them to the creatures brought here--and the Summoned, too.

[sleepfan]

You should take readings from Sylvain, Hilda, and Claude - since Sylvain is from a different Fodlan than at least Hilda and Claude, it would be useful to identify an overall 'Fodlan' signature. If you collect data from Summoned from a single timeline in a world, there's no guarantee that the signature wouldn't be specific to a single timeline rather than the world as a whole. Myself as well, although I am more difficult to access. Any cases where Summoned come from more than one timeline will be helpful to measure.

I think that line of thinking is well worth pursuing.

[techmaturgy]

I believe the "signatures" between various timelines are negligible, in this case, or at least, the Summoning ritual isn't refined enough to differentiate between them. Once it "locks" onto a world, it keeps pulling from the same place because it's more expedient. Variations in timeline are reflections of the imperfect nature of the ritual--an examination of Summoned from the same world and different points in time might reveal those differences.

Are you friends with Claude and Hilda?

[sleepfan]

Do you have data to support your hypothesis? I do not want to pursue avenues we have already explored if they have been proven to be fruitless, but I also would not want to disregard a possibility if it has not been concretely tested.

So in your hypothesis, the Summoning ritual is more akin to pushing a cart down a hill than guiding it with a horse: They input some energy and direct it, but don't have absolute control. The different paths to the worlds would be like having tracks on the hill: You could choose which tracks to send it down, but it's going to end up on a set of tracks regardless?

Hilda and I are friends. I have positive feelings towards Claude.

I do not know how Claude and Sylvain feel about me. You should ask them.

[techmaturgy]

Only my own observations. Without any information about the ritual itself, it's difficult to say anything with certainty. These rifts will be the closest I've come so far to directly observing something inter-dimensional.

Something like that. I don't believe the ritual is refined enough to pinpoint specific people--that is, they cannot look beyond the boundaries between worlds and choose particular individuals. They use the arcana symbols to search for broad strokes: personality traits, desirable occupations, certain skillsets. Beyond that, they don't know what they're doing.

That sounds like gossip.

[sleepfan]

Do you have a theory and data that would explain why only some worlds seem to be pulling people from divergent timelines? Or at least more divergent, it may be possible that people who think they are from the same timeline are not.

I've only seen something like the rifts once, and I was not able to gather much information.

You asked if we were friends. Friendship implies reciprocity. Hilda has said she considers me her friend, the other two have not. So I did not want to speak for them as we are from different timelines. Don't ask them if you do not wish to: I thought you were wondering if they would vouch for me, and the only way for you to know that would be to ask.

[techmaturgy]

Sometimes it's more subtle than you think. When summoned from my world were here, we were separated by a matter of days. Everything else seemed to be the same, though you're right there's no real way to tell, at least not without some kind of magical analysis. I'm working on that. The rifts--and the creatures emerging from them--could help.

The Summoned are generally capable individuals. If it turns out I need a reference, I know who to ask, but I'd prefer to give you the benefit of the doubt.

[sleepfan]

Interestingly, all of us from Fodlan remember the Professor being shoved forcefully through a rift somewhat like the ones here - and them returning. Maybe the wide range of timelines pulled in from Fodlan is because the... you called it spacetime? is already weak in Fodlan. Like a frayed cloth. I wonder if the reason we're seeing the creatures we are is that those worlds have the weakest barriers around them?

I appreciate that. I just did not want to assume, as I have been informed this is a very dangerous situation and caution towards new people would not be unexpected.

I think your ideas are interesting and find the inability to easily share resources between nations frustrating.

[techmaturgy]

There may be some constants. Touchstones, or...points across universes where events naturally converge. I'm unsure of the significance of it. Did your professor create the rift? Or did it naturally occur?

There are other things we can do--the Horizon, of course, and we've smuggled things between factions in the past, through Nocwich. Not everyone is willing to take that risk, however.

[sleepfan]

Yes, I was thinking about constants as they related to Fodlan. Perhaps the amount of convergences might have some relation with how difficult it is to Summon from a particular world? As in warp magic, something 'closer' is easier than something 'farther'.

The rift was created, but not by the professor. By another group. Who may have done the same thing in the past. So Fodlan's spacetime may be full of holes?

Private:
I think this effort is important.

[techmaturgy]

I'm not sure what would make one world more prone to various alternate universes than another. Then again, the potential for parallel timelines of any given world is infinite, so maybe you're right. Maybe Fodlan is full of holes, for you to have encountered so many.

Private:
It is vital to my current research.

[sleepfan]

Different infinities, though. Maybe some infinities are more resonant than others? I do not know enough about how timelines function. Claude has a hypothesis that our teacher's actions create timelines, but I do not think he is correct. There either need to be a set of choices that can create new timelines or every choice creates a timeline.

I wonder if warp magic has any impact on spacetime. Have you compared the worlds without teleportation to those with?

Private:
We need to understand the link between Abraxas, the Singularity, timelines, and everyone's worlds. I don't think they're as separate as we assume they are.

throws private out the window actually

[techmaturgy]

I operate under the theory that every divergence, however minute, creates a new timeline, or perhaps it already exists as a parallel universe. Unwieldy, perhaps, but we are dealing with the infinite.

[He might shrug here, if they were speaking in person.]

The Singularity's power reaches far beyond this world, as we've seen. We, as summoned, have a special connection to it. The nature of that connection is the key to everything.

public science how scandalous

[sleepfan]

Is there evidence for that theory? The question then is what causes the divergences?

I agree.

[techmaturgy]

Only that it is the logical conclusion of a multiverse. The causes of the divergences matters less, I think, than the fact that they exist at all.

[sleepfan]

I think the causes matter a great deal; they - or it - would reveal a lot about how the timelines are organized and therefore how they could be traversed or related to one another.

[techmaturgy]

I have some ideas about that already. I don't think we can assign physical space to different universes--that is, I don't think certain worlds are "neighbors" to others in a way we might understand.

[sleepfan]

There should be some dimensional relationship between them even if not in one of the first four. Unless you think there's no causality and all timelines are completely time-independent?

[Ow. That even hurts his head.]

[techmaturgy]

Obviously, yes. I meant physical proximity. There's much about this we still don't know.

[sleepfan]

Are people stupid enough to think there's physical proximity in this case?

Never mind. I answered my own question.

[Yes, people are stupid.]

[techmaturgy]