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1 The Beyond Heroes Roleplaying Game Book X: The Book of Dimensions

Writing and Design: Marco Ferraro

Copyright © 2020 Marco Ferraro All Rights Reserved

This is meant as an amateur free fan production. Absolutely no money is generated from it.

Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the and other countries. © 2018 Wizards. All Rights Reserved. Beyond Heroes is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC.

Contents Foreword 3 Dimensional Terms 3 Surrounding Dimensions 7 The Multiverse 21 The Chronoverse 40 Chronal Organizations 52 Alternate Worlds 55 Appendix 1: DCU 89 Appendix 2: MU 101 Appendix 3: Gateways 114

2 Foreword psionic, or magical means. The magical means of dimension travel are unknown The Beyond Heroes Role Playing Game to all but a few. While magic is not the is based on a heavily revised derivative only way to enter another dimension, it version of the rules system from is the most commonly used method. Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd edition. It also makes extensive use of This is the second version of this book, the optional point buying system as now including more material. presented in the AD&D Player’s Option Skills and Powers book. My primary goal was to make this system usable in any setting, from to pulp to to . 1. Dimensional Terms Alternate Earth Dimensional travel and adventures occur These realities contain worlds that are more in magical scenarios than very much like Earth, except that anywhere else. The definition of a specific events did not occur in quite the dimension is: a universe or realm same way. There are two types of containing space, matter and energy alternate Earths - a Divergent Earth in which is separated from our own which the history of events did not differ universe by some physical difference in from the history of our world until a the space, matter and energy itself. particular event occurred, and a Parallel Earth in which no particular point of Dimensions are called by many names: divergence can be identified. It should planes, universes, realms, and worlds. be noted however that any Parallel Earth Entities and beings entreated for could in fact turn out to be a Divergent Dimensional energy powers inhabit Earth upon further investigation. other dimensions. Magical heroes deal with other dimensions more than any Astral Travel other type of character, probably due to The astral plane which is a separate the fact that so much energy for magic is dimension which seems to run through drawn from other dimensions. most dimensions. A character who has Sometimes whole adventures are centred no other means of travelling can enter on stopping an invasion from another other dimensions by projecting his astral dimension or pursuing someone or form and simply following the astral something in another dimension. plane into those dimensions. While the limit on the amount of time a character's Other dimensions offer endless astral form can be out-of-the-body opportunities for adventure. Conditions before occurs remains the same, and physical laws differ from dimension it must be remembered that time passes to dimension, heroes fight copies of at different rates in different dimensions themselves, meet legendary heroes, or (GM's Discretion). a strange new menace. Beacons Dimensional travel is the process of If the character is travelling through leaving the space of our universe and unfamiliar dimensions then some form entering that of another one of beacon must be maintained within the accomplished by physical, psychic,

3 user's dimension so he can find his way There are certain universes which are back again. On many occasions Doctor tied to a which do not share Strange has used a lit candle or his own any open similarities to it, and thus are amulet to provide a path of light back to not strictly part of the larger universal his own dimension. A beacon allows the hierarchy but at the same time are not so traveller to return to his own dimension far removed that they exist in a separate with ease even if he passes through multiverse. unfamiliar dimensions on the way. If the beacon is extinguished, the traveller Multiverse becomes lost and must travel through A collection of alternate universes with a dimensions at random until he finds a similar nature and a universal hierarchy. familiar one. It includes both alternate and divergent earths. Continuity A Continuity is a single reality. Mystic Realm Characters can hail from alternate These realities are governed by natural dimensions and other universes but still laws which lend themselves to an all belong to the one continuity. interpretation of magic. While such worlds could, also be classified as alien, Dimension Phasing that designation is usually reserved for This is the term applied to seeking a worlds whose natural laws more clearly specific dimension by going from one resemble Earth's. dimension to another until the traveller finds the one he seeks. This applies to Nexus characters who are travelling to The GM may assign certain nexus points unfamiliar dimensions, to characters to the city, state, or country that a hero involved in a trans-dimensional pursuit, occupies. Nexus points are always etc. To leave the Earth dimension a difficult to and are sometimes character must use a dimensional downright dangerous. Usually myths and aperture to escape the Earth dimension grow around the nexus points to another one, then travel from there such as the Bermuda Triangle, through other dimensions to the desired sites, hallowed burial grounds, and the destination. like. These nexus points will offer immediate access to other dimensions. Effects of Dimension Travel The human mind is a frail thing when Omniverse confronted by a reality that contradicts The Omniverse is the collection of every the senses and what we believe to be single universe, multiverse, dimension constant physical laws. Some (alternate or pocket) and realm dimensions are so bizarre in their mentioned in not only the player's existence that they can seriously universe but also any other including challenge a character's sanity. The Comics, DC Comics, Image, character can resist the danger by Dark Horse, Archie, and every universe making successful Insanity and HF ever mentioned or seen. Everything is in saves. the Omniverse, and there is only one Megaverse Omniverse.

4 Plane represents a greatly accelerated speed There are many, many planes throughout used only for dimensional travel. A the multiverse. 2 planes can lie side by character must fully concentrate on his side like pages in a book, yet (since each movement to pass through dimensions at plane is closed and self contained) it will this rate. He is allowed no use of be impossible to travel between them universal or dimensional powers while without the aid of a powerful . he is moving through dimensions. If a Some are small and others vast. In some character encounters another character or planters are arranged in systems creature within another dimension the and orbit suns. In others flat planets are movement rate for both parties reverts to warmed by tiny suns of their own. Some normal within the dimension. contain nothing but empty void, others A character who travels quickly through are completely solid. Each has its own dimensions must be careful. In passing physical and magical laws. through dimensions faster than two dimensions per round the character can Rift create a moebius or time loop where it is These open from one dimension directly impossible to stop or turn back. Once into another. If a character is using one caught on this the victim can even see of the many magical items that opens himself, repeated on the opposite side of directly into a specific dimension then the loop, travelling along. If the victim his arrival is instantaneous. collides with himself all is lost.

Travel Distance and Speed Vortex For game purposes the distance between A vortex is a hole from one plane to an any two dimensions is measured in the adjacent plane. Elemental matter either dimensions themselves. The placement whirls into or erupts out of the vortex; a of the dimensions is a random task filled current of elemental matter flows in one by the GM rolling 2D10 and adding direction, either toward or away from the them together to determine the number connected plane. A vortex may appear to of dimensions the player character has to float in the air or lie on a surface. travel before arriving at the right one. This means that the character must pass Wormhole through from 2 to 20 dimensions. The A wormhole is a connecting passage rate of Earth time spent in passing between sections of space within the through these dimensions depends on the same plane. Wormholes are never character's normal movement speed. straight, it bends and winds along its Consider a dimension as equal to 3 areas entire length. There is no in a for movement rate. Therefore, if a wormhole and a strong current of air character has a normal movement rate of constantly blows through the passage in 3 areas per round, he can move through a single direction. one dimension per round. This

5 6 3. The Material Plane 2. Beyond heroes Also known as Third Space and the Surrounding Mortal Plane. Consists of all the combined sub-dimensions listed below. Dimensions This universe is an infinity of vacuum This section describes the various consisting of infinite galaxies containing dimensions which combine to create the billions of stars with billions of planets. prime dimension which we all inhabit. This is the prime dimension of the These are all the currently known Beyond Heroes Universe. There appear dimensions. It is theorised there may be to be more nexus points in Earth’s quite a few more though. dimension than in any other, and more dimensions and pocket-dimensions seem to intersect with the Earth dimension The Planes Guide than any other. Another peculiar facet of This section describes the various the dimension is the desire by so many dimensions which combine to create the different entities and factions to conquer prime dimension which we all inhabit. and control it. It is quite possible that it These are all the currently known is the nexus for all other dimensions, a dimensions. It is theorised there may be type of hub in the wheel of the quite a few more though. universes. Another possibility is that it is the largest of all dimensions, and yet 0. Subspace contains fewer magical characters in Also known as Zero Space. A continuum proportion to its size. with different laws than our own, just 'below' our own space. A form of The magic inherent in the Earth Intangibility also allows entry into this dimension seems to be of a different dimension. One of its planets includes type than most other magical Elseworld; a cluster size planet on one dimensions. Furthermore evil extra- side, and a vacuum of stars on the other. dimensional beings, have failed many In one Heroes universe this served as a times to conquer this dimension. Astral prison of Dimitrios, later used by the projection within this dimension also Alliance to imprison human seems easier than it does in others. Many metas. forms of -magical astral projection exist, particularly psionic and psychic 1. The First Realm abilities, but the projection is almost Also known as First Space. Noone has always confined within the Earth ever claimed to have visited it, but the dimension. This may be because the most popular theory remains that it is a astral plane runs through the entire single flat line. dimension, instead of only intersecting it in places. 2. The Flat Realm Also know as Second Space. A realm 4. Aetherscape where everything within consists of only Also known as Fourth Space. Aether is two dimensions. It is a world the size of the material that fills the region of the a universe with nothing beyond the universe above the terrestrial sphere. planet (ie. no outer space). Travellers can see a misty greyscale version of the plane from which they are

7 travelling. Unlike the Astral Plane, in reach a destination in their own which solid objects can exist (though are dimension. Because it is so easily extremely rare) anything and everything reached through artificial means, it is that goes to the Ethereal Plane becomes one of the most passed through Ethereal. dimensions while being one of the least visited by magical characters. 5. The Chronoverse Also known as Fifth Space and Limbo. 7. Middle Realms An infinite universe of grey and white Part of Seventh Space and contains the fog allowing journey to any point in following dimensions; the Astralscape, time. This dimension is unique in that it the Dreamscape, the Screamscape and exists outside the timestream and thus the Shadowscape. possesses no time. Reality in Limbo is comprised of a single, ever-changing 8. Elementalverse moment in which everything that ever Part of Eighth Space and contains the was, is, and could be co-exist. Human following dimensions; the beings within Limbo might imagine that Celestialscape, the Cinderverse, the time passes t h e re, since they are Cirroscape, the Corrosiverse, the conditioned to think in such a way, but Cryoverse, the Dynaverse, the they cannot age or die there. In order to Emberverse, the Fissionverse, the time travel without aging, it is necessary Gravityscape, the Hydroscape, the to pass through Limbo. Time travel can Illumniscape, the Mireverse, the be accomplished by either technological Pyroscape, and the Terrascape. or magical means. Since magic uses energies not available to science. it is 9. Bioscape possible that magical time travel differs Part of Ninth Space and contains the in some significant respect; however, the following dimensions; the Faunascape, full mysteries of time travel have yet to the Florascape, the Machinescape, the be revealed. Orescape, the Quantumverse, and the Stratoscape. The Faunascape is further 6. Hyperspace subdivided into; the Animorphicverse, Also known as Sixth Space. This is an the Antipodalverse, and the infinite parallel universe where there is a Arthropodicverse. While the Florascape higher speed of light. Currently believed is further subdivided into; the to be uninhabited. The physical laws Saphromorphicverse. differ from Earth’s in the following ways. First, it is possible to surpass the 10. Phase Space speed of light within hyperspace. Also known as Tenth Space, E Space, Second, hyperspace is “warped” in External Space and In-Between. These comparison to Earth’s dimension so that are interdimensional corridors which the distance between two points in link all other dimensions/universes hyper-space might be immensely shorter within the Macroscape multiverse. than the distance between the equivalent points in Earth’s dimension. Interstellar travel is impractical for any sentient race 11. Microscape that has not discovered the means of travelling through hyperspace in order to

8 Also known as Eleventh Space and is actually the astral body of a being who consists of an infinite amount of has died. microverses of subatoms and molecules. Dreamscape 12. The Outer Realms This dimension derives its substance fro Part of Twelfth Space and contains the the dreams of other-dimensional following dimensions; the After Realms, sleepers. If beings everywhere would the Faerie Realms, and the Realms of stop dreaming, this dimension would Reason. The After Realms is subdivided cease to exist. The dimension itself is a into an additional 85 dimensions, the bizarre collection of images and Faerie Realms an additional 11 substances, essentially formless and ever dimensions, and the Realms of Reason changing, depending on the particular an additional 8 dimensions. dream that one is experiencing. Some locations in the dimension are fixed in their form, though still sanity threatening Dimensions within the Middle in their own manner. The exact location of the Dreamscape has not, and most Realms likely cannot, ever be known. The Middle Realms are often thought of as the dimensions of imagination and However, it is believed that all beings possibility. Despite their placement each who dream have access to it at some of these dimensions are closely time or another, even if only for brief connected to the Prime Material Plane. moments, while they sleep. The Dreamscape is ruled by the , a Astralscape humanoid entity who is believed to be This dimension does not contain omnipotent in his realm. The Sandman is physical matter but ectoplasm, a quasi- the absolute of his dimension; material substance which cannot be he is master over whatever (mostly totally defined. It is difficult for physical unknown) forms of life may reside there. beings to journey to Astral Dimensions. Within the dimension resides every In most cases entry to an Astral dream, hope, and fear of mankind, upon Dimension is restricted to a traveller's which the Sandman can eavesdrop at astral (or spirit) form, which is also will. When these dreams and nightmares composed of ectoplasm. It is an infinite get out of control for their human universe of conscious thoughts. recipients, the Sandman is able to intercede on their behalf to help them Characters may travel to different solve their problems. locations at the speed of thought so long as they know where they want to go. On Screamscape the astral plane, the life energies and Little is known of this interdimensional consciousnesses of other beings are space. It is ruled by the Lord of Horrors visible only to those who can reach the operating out of his Hall of Fear, an astral plane by psychic, psionic, or ancient citadel. He travels through his magical means. The astral plane is also domain by flying or using great grey sometimes called the astral dimension, monoliths as fixed Dimensional astral realm, or the spirit world. Many Apertures. -Thralls attend his times what people believe to be a desires. There is some connection

9 between the Screamscape and the dimension within the universal Dreamscape, possibly just the fact that consciousness. At the very heart of the dreams cannot exist without nightmare, Shadowscape lies a nexus through which but they do not occupy the same space. other dimensions and worlds can be The dimension itself is very dark and accessed. foreboding, with some pieces of floating matter. Realms within the It is considered sanity-threatening. The Elementalverse Lord, and, presumably, his dimension, The Elementalverse refers to any are insidious in their effect on mortals. elemental based dimensions directly Instead of one, all-out attack, or even connected to the Beyond Heroes raids on a character or his universe. Some physics work differently senses, they slowly destroy the in these realms than they do in the real character’s confidence by gnawing away world, depending on the nature of the with doubts and fears. For a magic each realm. wielder this can be dangerous, as a loss of confidence can cause a loss of power. Celestialscape Also known as the Dimension of Air, Shadowscape this is an infinite universe consisting of This is an infinite universe of all differing combined gases with varying D'arqueness and the source of all visibility. D'arque abilities and magic. It is accessible to Earth only through Hydroscape shadows and by those who were born in Also known as the Dimension of Water, that otherdimensional plane. When this is an infinite universe consisting of attempts at exploration thousands of differing combined non corrosive years ago proved too dangerous even for liquids. the who dared to cross the magical threshold between the worlds, the Negaverse investigations were halted. The Also known as the Negative Dimension Shadowscape lapsed into the realm of and the Negative Material Plane, this is superstition and myth; it became a place an infinite universe of blackness acting that was used to frighten unruly children as the source of all stagnation, evil, into submission. Atlanteans believed it lethal energies and the undead. Any to be the plane which housed their unprotected living creature exposed to concepts of heaven and and the the Negative Energy plane has its life source of all the magical power in the force rapidly drained and will die when universe. It was also believed to be home they run out. to a wide array of Atlantean deities, both good and evil, and of mythical demons, Pyroscape imps, and beasts. In truth, the Also known as the Dimension of , Shadowscape came into being in a this is an infinite universe of plasma of thought, more than one billion years lava. ago, in the mind of an other dimensional Terrascape universal being whose dark dreams were Also known as the Dimension of Earth, given solid reality as a separate this is an infinite universe consisting of

10 solid soil mixture of all the differing Also known as the Dimension of Smoke, mineral types. this is an infinite universe of smoke and superheated gases combining the Tranquilverse Celestialscape and Pyroscape. Also known as the Positive Dimension and the Positive Material Plane, this is Entroscape an infinite universe of whiteness acting Also know as the Dimension of the as the source of all order, logic and Void, this is an infinite universe of stability. greyness acting as the source of all entropy, chaos and instability. Sub-Realms within the Fissionverse Elementalverse Also known as the Dimension of Cinderverse Also known as the Nuclear energy, this is an infinite Dimension of , this is an infinite universe of and radiation combining universe of liquid volcanic rock and the Pyroscape and Negaverse. superheated clay combining the Terrascape and Pyroscape. Gravityscape Also known as the Dimension of Cirroscape Gravity, this is an infinite universe of air Also known as the Dimension of Steam, with conflicting gravitational distortions this is an infinite universe of superheated combining the Terrascape and steam clouds, fogs, vapours, and mists Tranquilverse. combining the Hydroscape and Tranquilverse. Illuminiscape Also know as the Dimension of Light, Corrosiverse this is an infinite universe of all light Also known as the Dimension of Acid, acting as the source of all compassionate this is an infinite universe of corrosive emotions and pleasant sensations. liquids combining the Hydroscape and Negaverse. Mireverse Also known as the Dimension of Ooze, Cryoverse this is an infinite universe of muds, Also known as the Dimension of , clays, and quicksands combining the this is an infinite universe of solid frozen Hydroscape and Terrascape. water combining the Hydroscape and Celestialscape. Sludgeverse Also known as the Dimension of Tar, Dynaverse this is an infinite universe of black Also known as the Dimension of molasses like sticky earth combining the Electricity, this is an infinite universe of Terrascape and Negaverse. flashing bolts of electrical lightning. combining the Celestialscape and Tranquilverse.

Emberverse Realms within the Bioscape The Bioscape is a contradictory place. It is both a location and a state of being. If

11 has no true physical component, and yet natural, inorganic, solid compounds with it is grounded in the mundane physical a regularly ordered crystalline structure world. It can best be described as a or composed of minerals. transcendent state of harmony with all of nature in which the “knower” is united The Quantumverse with the “known.” The energy of all Also known as the Dimension of living organisms forms the this realm, Photons. It connects every sentient which extends as far as life reaches. It is energy or light particle based lifeform, a restorative, healing place where there dead or otherwise. The Quantumverse is is compassion and love for all. One who a different dimension opposite from that enters feels he is slipping into a cool and of normal space. Matter interactions with comfortable place where all cares energy on the scale of atoms and dissolve into the safe and nurturing subatomic particles within it. It is the bosom of the Mother of All Life. Those source of most of reactions of physics attuned to it can travel through it to any within our universe. A universe where other location it reaches. living energy swim in a sea of photons. They accumulate matter and energy and The Faunascape reshape themselves as they age. Each Also known as the Dimension of the has a unique colour pattern due to the Menagerie. It connects all forms of different photons it has consumed and organic non plant life (including may include colours like UV, microwave animals, monsters, and insects) on earth, and cosmic rays. dead or otherwise. It includes the subrealms of the Animorphicverse, The Stratoscape Antipodalverse and Arthropodicverse. Also known as the Dimension of Clouds. It connects every sentient gas based The Florascape lifeform, dead or otherwise. Creatures Also known as the Dimension of Plants. that have no physical body at all. It connects all forms of botanical life on earth, dead or otherwise. It is also inhabited by the minds of all members of Sub-Realms within the the Parliament of Nature's Throne of Trees. It includes the subrealm of the Faunascape. Saphromorphicverse. Animorphicverse Also known as the Dimension of Animals, it connects every animal, The Machinescape extinct or otherwise. The Also known as the Dimension of Animorphicverse relates to the Machines. It connects every sentient relationship between organisms in the machine based lifeform, dead or animal kingdom and their connection to otherwise. the Earth.

The Orescape Antipodalverse Also known as the Dimension of Also known as the Dimension of Minerals. It connects every sentient Monsters, it connects every monster, mineral based lifeform; those which are extinct or otherwise. The Antipodalverse

12 relates to the relationship between kind of reward each person thinks he organisms in the dragon, kaijuu and deserved. From here, souls pass on to monster kingdoms and their connection Heaven, Hell, oblivion, or reincarnation. to the Earth. Strange creatures roam the Realm, grazing on ectoplasm, the excess matter Arthropodicverse thrown off by the dead as they pass Also known as the Dimension of Insects, through to the After Realms. it connects every insect, extinct or otherwise. The Arthropodicverse relates Along the edge of the Realm of the Just to the relationship between organisms in Dead are entrances to the many After the insect, arachnid, centipede and Realms. Between all of the After kingdoms and their connection Realms, there is a walkway known as the to the Earth. Grey Path. Some souls become trapped on Earth after their deaths, unable to Sub-Realms within the reach the Realm of the Just Dead and become . This can happen in cases Florascape of particularly violent or as a result Saphromorphicverse of occult rituals. The Mana Factor in all Also known as the Dimension of these Realms is +3. Fungoids, it connects every fungus, extinct or otherwise. The Athabaska After Realms Saphromorphicverse relates to the Aztlan Realm of the Aztec gods. relationship between organisms in the Giizhigong Realm of the Native fungal, mould, yeast and mushroom American gods. kingdoms and their connection to the Hanan Pacha Realm of the Inca gods. Earth. Orun Realm of the Voodoon gods. Dimensions within the Yachay Wasis Realm of the Mayan Outer Realms gods. These Realms exist right at the outer edge of the Beyond Heroes cosmology. Europa After Realms No dimensions within the same universe Alkyonide Realm of the Thracian, have ever been found beyond this. If any Sardinian, and entity has discovered otherwise they're Macedonian gods. not telling anyone. Cruchan Feli Realm of the Scottish gods. Ditsov Realm of the Armenian After Realms gods. Also known as the Realms of the Just Elyssa Realm of the Roman Dead, and Domains of the Gods. After gods. death visits them, souls await the next Galatia Realm of the Gaulish stage of their journey in the formless gods. called the Realm of the Just Dead, Lusitania Realm of the Lusitanian also known as the Gateway to the After gods. Realms, the Grey Worlds, and the Midlands Realm of the British Waiting Room. This afterlife can be a gods. paradise or a , depending on the

13 Nartae Realm of the Ossetian Chaos are ancient entities that fight an gods. endless war against each other on the Olympus Realm of the Greek gods. battleground of men’s souls. The Lords Temair Realm of the Irish gods. of Order imagine themselves to be the Thule Realm of the Etruscan custodians of mankind’s and gods. have guided civilizations to help them Tir Na Nog Realm of the Celtic and resist incursions by Chaos. Chaos also Welsh gods. believes itself to be important to Ys Realm of the Basque mankind, but it thinks that humanity gods. needs to be shaken up because too much Order causes mankind to stagnate with Fertile Cresent After Realms complacency. Akkadia Realm of the Canaanite gods. It is too simplistic to say that Order is Chronopolis Realm of the Babylonian good and Chaos is evil. Rather, they are and Assyrian gods. both points of view, and neither side sees Emesa Realm of the Syrian gods. the whole picture. The Lords of Order Heliopolis Realm of the Egyptian have often worked to hurt' mankind, and gods. some Lords of Chaos have been Kaaba Realm of the Arabian beneficial to man. Both sides also think gods. they can in the eternal struggle, Mitanni Realm of the Hurrian oblivious to the fact that they are part of gods. a matched pair and cannot exist without Nibiru Realm of the Phoenician the other. The Lords of Order and Chaos gods. are beings of pure energy and can Nineveh Realm of the Semitic assume any aspect they desire. The gods. forces of Order favour noble guises like Nirvanah Realm of the Hindu gods. heroic warriors, and the Forces of Chaos Stygia Realm of the favour horrific aspects, like dragons and Mesopotamiam and monsters. Sumerian gods. Thuvaraiyam Realm of the Afghani Finally they created a dimension known Pathi gods. only as the Battleverse to serve as a place of ultimate combat between the Genesis After Realms two sides. Each side will often transport their own agents from other worlds to Avalon is a pocket realm where the fight it out in the name of either Order or sword Caliburn () was forged. Chaos. Now it is more of a sport than It is also home to the Lady of the Lake being used to decide any true outcome. and spiritual centre of the old religions. Of course the ones killed and maimed in It exists outside of the normal world but these battles may have another opinion. is accessible from it. This is described in greater detail in BH28 Mystical Dada Locations. Realm of the Pop gods.

Battleverse Heaven The Lords of Order and the Lords of Heaven is the original construct, the first

14 creation. Into the Chaosplasm, the void distasteful. They felt it unjust that their of nonbeing, came being. It shimmered place in the cosmic scheme become into existence along with the first secondary to such humble creatures. creation, giving form to the void, and uttering the ineffable. Heaven can best Other angels, full of a love of God, be understood as a series of seven abhorred the idea of bowing down to any concentric spheres surrounding a core of other creature but God. And some angels unimaginable purity of essence. Each simply power, preferring to rule sphere is a step in greater goodness, in Hell rather than serve in Heaven. reaching in to the greatest good. Around , also known as the Satan, the outside are seven angels. began the rebellion, and he gathered The foundation of Heaven is set in a about him greater and lesser angels for rigid hierarchy, with levels of angels for his army. The battle was at once horrible protection. The judgment of Heaven and glorious. The forces of Heaven sometimes seems severe, but it is triumphed and cast the rebellious angels always just and fair. Heaven is a into the abominable Chaosplasm that metaphor for the ultimate self- surrounds Heaven. The fall through the knowledge, for being true to the self. void twisted, burned, and disfigured the There was a war in Heaven, causing angels but did not destroy them. Instead, Lucifer and his angels to fall from grace. it transformed them into the demonic For reasons more complex than can be forms they now inhabit. Hell is a place simply understood, they were placed in of great torment, suffering, resistance, charge of watching men torture and misery, and despair. The light of inner punish themselves. Its Mana Factor is truth in Heaven is replaced by the +3. flickering half-light of self-deception and delusion. The ultimate irony of Hell Hell is that the people who suffer there do so Hell is commonly known as a place of of their own volition. By believing they punishment where bad people go to are evil, they create their own perfect suffer for their sins. It is populated with punishment. The Mana Factor of Hell is great demons who torment lesser +3. demons, lesser demons who torment the damned human souls, and damned Purgatory human souls who torment themselves. Purgatory (sometimes known as Limbo) These human souls ultimately torment is the middle ground between Heaven Lucifer, the devil at the of the heap. and Hell. Souls who sinned but are not Lucifer, once the brightest of all angels, truly evil go there. is now consigned to an existence far Orient After Realms from the Oneness that created him, with Abyrga Realm of the Burmese no sacred music in which to bask and and Cambodian gods. only the moans of the anguished to keep Amenoukihashi Realm of the Japanese him company. Heaven was a place of gods. bliss and harmony throughout its Shambhala Realm of the existence, until the moment Supreme Mongolian and Tibetan Being decided to create man. Some gods. angels found the plan to populate Earth Ta-Lo Realm of the Chinese with “homunculi” made from clay quite gods.

15 Tocharia Realm of the Korean, Zealandia Realm of the Malayan, and Thai Micronesian gods. gods. Ural After Realms Orisa Watta After Realms Realm of the Norse gods. Ashe Realm of the Yoruban Bjarmaland Realm of the Estonian gods. gods. Maasai Realm of the Angolan Illyria Realm of the Hungarian gods. gods. Mbati Realm of the Benin gods. Pohansko Realm of the Baltic, Odinala Realm of the Ghanian Lithuanian, Siberian, and gods. Albanian gods. Odinana Realm of the Congonese Svarya Realm of the Slavic gods. gods. Taivas Realm of the Finnish and Odinani Realm of the Koishan Icelandic gods. gods. Oduduwa Realm of the West The Godwheel African gods. The Godwheel serves as a meeting place Omenala Realm of the Ugandan for all deities inhabiting the After and Pygmy gods. Realms. It is disc-shaped, with an inner Omenana Realm of the Tanzanian core 48,000,000 kms wide. Inside this gods. core, shielded mostly by immensely high Ori Realm of the Moroccan cliffs, are two binary suns which provide gods. a measure of heat and light to the wheel. Orisha Realm of the South It is 640,000,000 kms from the cliffs to African gods. the edge of the wheel. Innumerable Oromo Realm of the Sudanese billions of entities live on the wheel's gods. surface, and multiple other planetary Sawar Realm of the Dahoney bodies are seen 'around' the Godwheel. gods. Structurally, the wheel can be considered similar to an Alderson disk. Only a few Realm of Isles After Realms locations have been explored by visitors Alchera Realm of the Aboriginal from outside. There are multiple other gods. planetary bodies around its structure. Atua Realm of the Polynesian Life can exist on either side of the disk, gods. though close to the sun the heat would Hawaiki Realm of the Hawaiian make life impossible without protection. gods. Conversely, further away from the sun Kaluwalhatian Realm of the Filippino and living beings will freeze. The gods. Godwheel is a complex, comparatively Kerguelen Realm of the Indonesian cosmopolitan place in which the gods of gods. many worlds and pantheons mingle, the Maui Nui Realm of the Maori gods. beliefs of many faiths and peoples Quidlivun Realm of the Eskimo bleeding together in a set of Outer planes gods. shaped predominantly by the polar Truk Realm of the Melenesian forces of Law, Chaos, Good, and Evil. gods.

16 Creation Sitting in the middle of the Godwheel is Abyss Creation; the source of.. everything. It Also known as Dark World. This was continues to expel chaosplasm, that formerly a normal earth until it was which will create new life in all its overrun by demons. After destroying all forms. We all live in some point in an life the demons turned on each other infinite sequence of universes. until eventually noone was left. There are no living, intelligent, humanoids left Primeval in this realm. Underneath Creation, on the other side of the Godwheel is the Primeval. The Arcadia previous universe. The universe that Home realm of many of the Fae races. came before this one, perhaps the most recent of many universes. After the Chesscape destruction of the previous universe, This realm is the source of the patrons of some species found their way into this the Chess Avatars. It is a realm of one and some had god-like powers. ongoing strategic wars, fought on many Thus, some of the most powerful beings different levels. in existence came from before the universe which made them older even ChiYou Island than time itself. The physics of this Once every thousand years, this island of universe were different to the current combat can the dimensions and one, magic was a powerful force here, enter earth. In order to make it and science did not exist. It was never permanent the inhabitants need seven rationalized, and thus, science never victories. So far they have had six. One worked, and magic always did. more will allow them to remain and conquer the Earth realm. White Light The White Light, also known as The Gemscape Light of Creation, was a force created Thousands of years ago, when magic eons ago, presumably at the birth of life began to drop in its levels on Earth due in the universe. The White Light serves to a change in the alignment of the stars to send the final dead on to their true (caused by a star going ) the most resting place, somewhere outside our powerful sorcerer at the time discovered universe. the Gemscape and with his companions and some Faerie migrated there. The Dimensions within the Gemscape contains a variety of terrains, and settled by cultures from all Faerie Realms around the world. Time moves at a Also known as the Realms of Magic, and different rate; a Gemscaper raised on Domains of Fantasy. The Faerie Realms Earth will change into an older form if refers to any parallel magical dimensions brought back after several years, only to directly connected to the Beyond Heroes change back to normal if returned to universe. Some physics work differently Earth. The reverse is also true - a human in these realms than they do in the real raised in the Gemscape will de-age on world, depending on the nature of the Earth. The Gemscape's level of magic present in each. technology is medieval, and it is divided

17 into numerous Royal Houses, each world. It is a tropical region lit by a represented by a type of gemstone; the miniature sun suspended at the centre of Houses take turns ruling the Gemscape. the hollow sphere, so it is perpetually overhead. The miniature sun never All of Gemscape's inhabitants can use changes in brightness, and never sets; so magic, though most only at a very with no night or seasonal progression, pedestrian level (fishermen use spells to the natives have little concept of time. help them fish, for example). Gemscape There is however, a "moon" that orbits is also home to all the traditional Faerie the sun in a random way, resulting in races. Each realm contains a vein of the certain areas being covered in darkness appropriate gemstone, and its fragments from time to time. The events of the are mined to make their Royal Family's series suggest that time is elastic, jewellery. These jewels increase their passing at different rates in different magic powers enormously. Among the areas and varying even in single locales. royal Houses are; , Emerald, The Lost Realm is populated by Moonstone, Sapphire, Amethyst, primitive people of various levels of Diamond, Ruby, Opal, Garnet, culture ranging from the primitive to Sardonyx, Turquoise, Aquamarine, medieval, with the most advanced Feldspar, Malachite, , Onyx, inhabiting city state monarchies. The Zircon, Bloodstone, Jade, Quartz, Pyrite, practice of magic is well developed, Agate, Tourmaline, Andalusite, Axinite, numerous sorcerers being known, Benitoite, Morganite, Cassiterite, usually antagonistic to each other. It is Celestite, Cordierite, Dumortierite, overrun by a variety of prehistoric Hematite, Jasper, Aventurine, creatures from all geological eras, Rhodochrosite, Variscite, Vesuvianite, notably dinosaurs. Zeolite, Tanzanite and Thulite. The dimension is heavy in gem and Manascape magic. This realm is the source of all mana energy which constitutes magic. Hydros Hydros is an otherwordly alien dimension comprised completely of Neververse water. It is inhabited by a people who The Neververse or Demon Realm is a were, at one time, the rulers of the universe where physical laws are almost aquatic until religious entirely reversed, which makes the persecution drove them to seek a new domain inimical to life from our world. home in another dimension. It is not Thousands of years ago demons ran known whether this race of telepaths is rampant on the Earth making it a dark native to Earth of came to Earth from place upon which the Infernal ruled and some other realm. nightmares came true. Eventually, the evil attracted the attention of the Lost Realm mystical Lords of Order and after a long The Lost Realm was originally believed and bloody struggle, the demons that to exist within the Centre of the Earth, it were too difficult to destroy were was later discovered that it actually banished to the Neververse. The exists within a separate dimension that is inhabitants have ambitions of coming to sometimes accessible from the rest of the Earth to rule it, and work through human

18 agents to accomplish that goal, but they and has gravity on its outer surface, have been thwarted thus far. It is narrowing toward its end where there rumoured to have once been a veritable exists a hole into an unknown void. paradise with blue-green skies and crimson clouds. Now it is simply the Wastelands home of all Demon life and has become In this realm a million years ago the a chaotic evil universe unto itself with worst of the Greater Daemons rose up. uncountable layers of infinite variety They pillaged and corrupted the worlds connected haphazardly. The landscape in their universe, then set forth in search itself tortures the mind and body of all of new lands to pollute. Five times they who dare to enter. attacked the Earth, in the dimension closest to them, and five times they were Shangri-La driven back by various gods banding Shangri-La is a mystical, harmonious together. The last time the Beasts were valley, gently guided from a lamasery, sealed behind a barrier designed to keep enclosed in the western end of the them forever in their own realm, but Kunlun Mountains. It's one of the over time it has weakened. longest mountain chains in Asia, extending more than 3,000 km. The Dimensions within the mountain range exists entirely within the Tibet region of the People's Republic of Realms of Reason China. Shangri-La has become Also known as the Realms of Logic, and synonymous with any earthly paradise, a Domains of Thought. As the Faerie permanently happy land, isolated from Realms are dominated by magic so too the outside world. The people who live are the Realms of Reason ruled by at Shangri-La are almost immortal, science. These are dimensions of ideas, living years beyond the normal lifespan information, insight, enlightenment and and only very slowly aging in discovery. appearance. While humanoid beings maintain a tentative there, the Angleverse city is mainly populated by descendants A dimension based purely on geometric of an alien race who crashed there long shapes. ago and were unable to leave. Points of interest include the Bridge of Destiny, Animalverse Cave of the Dragon, Central Hall of An anthropomorphic dimension where Ancestors, Dwellings of the all the inhabitants are intelligent animals. Commoners, Garden of the P'an-T'ao, Some even have super powers or Gate of Heaven, Palaces of Minor magical abilities. Nobleman, and the Tree of Immortality. All Living Weapons come from this city. Antimatterverse The Antimatterverse was created at the Tunnelverse same time as the normal universe. The The Tunnelverse is a realm in which Antimatterverse is a mirror image of the outer space appears to be solid and the Positive Matter Universe. This entire inhabitable surfaces are long tunnels universe is comprised of antimatter, the snaking through the solid matter. It is an fundamental state of sub-atomic particles earth like world which is like a tunnel which exist directly in opposition to our

19 own so called “normal” matter. Because These Gateways automatically reverse of this opposition, should even the an individual’s structure from matter to smallest amount of matter from the antimatter and vice versa. However, it is positive universe come in contact with impossible to predict where a Gateway anti-matter from that universe, the result will leave a person unfortunate enough would be a release of energy with to slip through it. tremendous destructive power. The Cyberscape The Antimatterverse is as vast and Part of the Realms of Reason. A global immeasurable as our own with planets, network of interdependent information suns, lifeforms and civilizations to technology infrastructures, beggar the imagination. The counterpart telecommunications networks and to earth is this universe is , a computer processing systems which has massive world, located in the exact now evolved into its own dimension. centre of the universe. It is a horribly grey world dominated by and stone Else Realms structures. The capital is surrounded by a A world resembling Earth in physical dark, dangerous jungle that is mostly characteristics, natural phenomena, life unexplored and covers half the planet. forms, and, to some extent, history, The other half of Terra is a cold, which exists in the equivalent space to desolate desert. Many civilizations in the Earth's in another dimension. Each Else Antimatterverse have developed the Realm resembles Earth in every way up technology for space travel. until a single juncture in time where events occurred a different way than There is considerable travel between they did on our Earth. There is an worlds, although this is an even more infinite number of possible divergent dangerous proposition in this universe Earths, but no one knows how many than it is in our own. The reverse-nature actual divergent Earths there are. of this dimension makes warfare and conflict the accepted norm; the odds of Inertiascape passing through a large-scale interworld The Inertiascape is an extra-dimensional conflict while travelling through energy that once powers all speed related Antimatter space are quite high. There is superhuman abilities and serves as the something twisted and grotesque in ultimate measure of velocity in the virtually every aspect of the universe. It lets speedsters travel at Antimatterverse. Nights are longer and otherwise impossible speeds as well as darker, and days are shorter. do other nifty tricks without being hindered by physics. It is usually Technology is often advanced, but referred to in terms of different barriers: always in the service of war. The Sound barrier, Light barrier, Time Construction on the planets is rapid and Barrier, Dimensional Barrier, and finally prolific, but the architecture is cold and the Speed Barrier. A flowing world of ugly; the structures are executed in dull mystery, silver, morphing hyper- grey stone and metal. There are also a dimensional gels. few Cosmic Gateways, which open and close at random intervals, that lead Logic Zone directly from our universe to this one.

20 The Logic Zone is the source of all It is theorised there may be more than a intelligence and mind powers. The few unknown realms beyond what is Forms are the thoughts of the Intellect; shown here. If there are any dimensions in thinking them, they are given being. beyond level twelve theyve either never This is a parallel dimension of pure been found or anyone who has visited information that overlays our own, them is keeping quiet about it. accessing the dimension can ultimately drive users insane.

Matterverse 3. The beyond heroes Connected to the Beyond Heroes Realm Multiverse where additional matter for powers is Existing alongside our universe are other drawn from and is stored, shunted or realities, aspects of which sometimes gained (for those with Growth or Shrink affect events in our own universe. Some powers). In this realm matter exists of these realties contain Earthlike worlds potentially not actually. and operate under natural laws similar to our own; others are wildly dissimilar and Miraculverse bear little resemblance to the reality we This realm is the source of all meta know. energy which constitutes super powers. The multiverse is the hypothetical set of Mirrorverse multiple possible universes (including This is a realm filled with reflective the historical universe we consistently surfaces and where time runs backwards. experience) that together comprise Everything in this dimension is reversed. everything that exists and can exist: the entirety of space, time, matter, and Prismscape energy as well as the physical laws and The Prismscape is an energy field that is constants that describe them. The fuelled by the emotions of all sentient various universes within the multiverse beings. Inadvertently sentient beings are sometimes called parallel universes. created unique forms of energy based on In these contexts, parallel universes are their emotions, with a colour unique to also called "alternative universes", each emotion. The First Ones, the oldest "quantum universes", "interpenetrating known race in existence, were the first to dimensions", "parallel dimensions", discover and harness this field. Their "parallel worlds", "alternative realities", successor races eventually chose to "alternative timelines", and "dimensional harness the emotions of several different planes," among others. colours. They also discovered that the farther one is away from the centre of Parallel Earths are Earths from a parallel the spectrum, the more control the dimension. This means that there is energy has on the wielder. Additionally, another universe out there that is they discovered that each of these fields travelling in the same direction but does of energy had a sentient embodiment not necessarily have the same origins or which could induce the correlating the same destination. On a Parallel Earth emotion. most or all of the characters from the original story exist on this other Earth Outside the Realms but with significant differences. A

21 character from one Earth will have Alternate Beyond Heroes earth. Home powers based upon magic while on the dimension of the /Dr , Parallel Earth the same character will the Extremists and the Justice Lost earth. have the same powers but with a scientific basis. 05 Heroverse 4 Alternate Beyond Heroes earth. Home Alternate Timelines are similar to dimension of Pagan/Dr Diabolicus and Parallel Earths in that they contain an Otherworld. No other information Earth with recognizable characters and known. cultures. The main difference is that the Earth from the Alternate Timeline was 06 Heroverse 5 created when some historical event Alternate Beyond Heroes earth. Home occurred differently and thus created this dimension of the Traveller and other world. Wasteworld. Wasteworld was destroyed by the Tsaurids of that universe. Map of the known Universes 07 Heroverse 6 within the Multiverse Alternate Beyond Heroes and The next table is a guide to all the 343 Marvelverse earth. Home dimension of a discovered external universes. This map . is not intended to be a complete guide as there are probably infinite dimensions as 08 Heroverse 7 yet undiscovered. It is more a reference Alternate Beyond Heroes earth. Home for campaign ideas. dimension of the Obituary and Dark 00 Heroverse Prime Earth, existing in a white universe with Dubbed , also known as the black stars. Destroyed during the final Beyond Heroes earth. Combines the conflict with the Astaroth. Encountered histories of various alternate earths. races include the Dwarven, Elffen, Jakara and Astaroth (formerly from 01 Antimatterverse Neverworld). Encountered former gods Rumoured parallel universe containing include the Aegyptians, Aesguardians, alien worlds of a different polarity. Babylonians, Celestial Order, Hinditte Some believe that matter and anti-matter and Olympians. would annihilate each other on contact but this remains unproven. 09 Heroverse 8 Home dimension of ' 02 Heroverse 1 Brigade, Codename Strykeforce, Alternate Beyond Heroes earth. Home Cyberforce, Freakforce, Gen13, 1963, dimension of Dragoon. , Wetworks, Wildcats and Youngblood. 03 Heroverse 2 Alternate Beyond Heroes earth. Home 10 Heroverse 9 dimension of the Shadow and the 1930's Home dimension of Justice Unlimited earth. publications of the , the Crime Crusader Club and 04 Heroverse 3 the Squadron of Justice; while the main

22 team of were the Monster Home dimension of the DNAgents and Society of Evil. Airboy.

11 Heroverse 10 20 Heroverse 19 Home dimension of the Charlton Home dimension of the Elementals. universe. This includes: Captain , , Nightshade, , 21 Heroverse 20 The , Thunderbolt, and Home dimension of the Justice Machine. Judomaster. 12 Heroverse 11 22 Heroverse 21 Home dimension of the Malibu universe. Home dimension of Promethia, Tom This includes: Firearm, Freex, , Strong and the Top 10. , Nightman, Prototype, Prime, Solution, Strangers, and 23 Heroverse 22 . Home dimension of the Femforce.

13 Heroverse 12 24 Heroverse 23 Alternate Malibu heroes dimension Home dimension of . This which features the , Ex- includes: 11, Irregulars, and . Crossbreed, First Family, and Honour Guard. 14 Heroverse 13 Home dimension of of the Strikeforce Morituri. 15 Heroverse 14 25 Heroverse 24 Home dimension featuring the Home dimension of American Flagg, agents. Dreadstar, Dynamo Joe, Eman, Grimjack, Sable, , Starslayer, 16 Heroverse 15 Whisper, Nexus and Badger. Home dimension of the original . This includes: Archer & 26 Heroverse 25 Armstrong, Armourines, , Dr Home dimension of GI Joe, Kobra, the Mirage, , Geomancer, Autobots and Decepticons. , Hard Corps, Magnus, , , , Solar, and XO 27 Heroverse 26 Manowar. Home dimension of , Johnny Alpha, Trooper, the ABC 17 Heroverse 16 warriors and Slaine. Home dimension of the 2012 Valiant universe. 28 Heroverse 27 Home dimension of , Lady 18 Heroverse 17 Death, , and Home dimension of Barb Wire, Ghost, . Law, Vortex and X. 29 Heroverse 28 19 Heroverse 18 Home dimension of the animated adventures of Birdman, Webwoman, the

23 Super 7, Manta and Moray, Tarzan, and 39 Heroverse 38 Superstretch and Microwoman. Home dimension of the characters from the Villains and Vigilantes RPG. 30 Heroverse 29 Home dimension of characters from the 40 Heroverse 39 Angel and Buffy TV shows. Home dimension of Gatchaman.

31 Heroverse 30 41 Heroverse 40 Home dimension of the Defiant Home dimension of the characters from universe. This includes: , the Mortal Kombat games and movies. , , Charlemagne, , Prudence 42 Heroverse 41 and Caution, and . Home dimension of the characters from the Incredibles, Megamind and Monsters 32 Heroverse 31 vs Aliens movies. Home dimension of the Broadway universe. This includes: Fatale, Knights 43 Heroverse 42 on Broadway and Starseed. Home dimension of the characters from the James Bond movies. 33 Heroverse 32 Home dimension of the Continuity 44 Heroverse 43 universe. This includes: Armor, Home dimension of Danger Mouse. Crazyman, Cyberad, Hybrids, Megalith, 45 Heroverse 44 Ms. Mystic, Revengers, Samuree, Home dimension of Mighty Mouse. , Toyboy, Valeria She-Bat, Urth 4, and Zero Patrol. 46 Heroverse 45 Home dimension of Under Dog. 34 Heroverse 33 Home dimension of the Hero Alliance. 47 Heroverse 46 Home dimension of the Masters of the 35 Heroverse 34 Universe and SheRa as depicted in the Home dimension of the Teenage toy books. Turtles. 48 Heroverse 47 36 Heroverse 35 Home dimension of an alternate Masters Home dimension of Freedom City from of the Universe and SheRa as depicted in the Mutants and Masterminds RPG. the original cartoon show.

37 Heroverse 36 49 Heroverse 48 Home dimension of Justice Inc, Home dimension of an alternate Masters and Galactic Champions of the Universe and SheRa as depicted in from the Hero RPGs. the cartoon show reboot.

38 Heroverse 37 50 Heroverse 49 Home dimension of the characters from Home dimension of an alternate Masters the In Nomine RPG. of the Universe and SheRa as appears in the conquerors universe.

24 51 Heroverse 50 61 Heroverse 60 Home dimension of the original Home dimension of the characters from Thundercats. the Cars and Planes animated movies.

52 Heroverse 51 62 Heroverse 61 Home dimension of Darna and Volta as Home dimension of the characters from appeared in the Philippino comics, TV the Ben 10 TV cartoon. shows and movies. 63 Heroverse 62 53 Heroverse 52 Home dimension of the . Home dimension of the Danger Girls. 64 Heroverse 63 54 Heroverse 53 Home dimension of the characters from Home dimension of Worldwatch. the movies the Shadow, the Rocketeer and the Phantom. 55 Heroverse 54 Home dimension of Croft and 65 Heroverse 64 . Home dimension of the characters from the Hellboy comics and movies.

66 Heroverse 65 56 Heroverse 55 Home dimension of the characters from Home dimension of the Greatest the Crusaders. American Hero and Heroine. 67 Heroverse 66 57 Heroverse 56 Home dimension of the characters from Home dimension of the characters from Big Bang comics. Asterix. 68 Heroverse 67 58 Heroverse 57 Home dimension of and Lady Home dimension of all the Disney Rawhide. cartoon characters such as Cinderella, Mulan, Pinocchio, Snow White, Alice, 69 Heroverse 68 Peter Pan, etc. Home dimension of , Jungle Girl, and Project Superpowers. 59 Heroverse 58 Home dimension of all the Disney 70 Heroverse 69 Anthropomorphic cartoon characters Home dimension of alternate Supreme, such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Lady Supreme, Glory and Youngblood Duck. as published by Awesome comics.

60 Heroverse 59 71 Heroverse 70 Home dimension of all the Warner Home dimension of Cat Claw. Brothers Anthropomorphic cartoon characters such as Bugs Bunny and 72 Heroverse 71 Daffy Duck. Home dimension of , Captain Victory and Dragonbane.

25 73 Heroverse 72 81 Heroverse DC5 Home dimension of the Amalgam Home dimension of the DC comics universe created by the merging of a Crime Syndicate universe. Marvel and a DC universe as depicted in the Marvel and DC comics. 82 Heroverse DC6 Home dimension of the DC comics Lady 74 Heroverse 73 Quark universe. Alternate heroes Amalgam universe created by the merging of a Marvel and a 83 Heroverse DC7 DC universe. This is entirely different to Home dimension of the DC comics Heroverse 72. universe.

75 Heroverse 74 84 Heroverse DC8 Home dimension of Buck Rogers, Flash Home dimension of the DC comics Gordon, Mandrake and the Phantom Kingdom Come universe. from the comics.

85 Heroverse DC9 76 Heroverse DC0 Home dimension of the DC comics Home dimension of the current 52 DC Tangent universe. comics universe. 86 Heroverse DC10 77 Heroverse DC1 Home dimension of the DC comics Dimension featuring the DC universe of the TV and universe which is a "universe of evil" , Flash, Shazam, Isis, Lois and has a special place in the Multiverse: and Clark, , , , there were an infinite number of , , Electra "positive-matter universes" separated Woman and Dyna Girl. from each other by vibrational planes, and there was a single antimatter 87 Heroverse DC11 universe. The antimatter universe has Home dimension of the DC comics survived the first and second Crises and universe of the characters from the TV still exists alongside the 52 positive- . matter Earths. 88 Heroverse DC12 78 Heroverse DC2 Home dimension of the DC comics Alternate DC comics universe from universe of the characters from the before 52 but after the original Crisis. movies 1 and 2, and the 1989 four Batmans. 79 Heroverse DC3 Alternate DC comics universe from 89 Heroverse DC13 before the original Crisis. Home dimension of the DC comics universe of the characters from the TV 80 Heroverse DC4 shows Batman the animated series Alternate DC comics universe from (1992), Superman the animated series before the Silver Age.

26 (1996), (1999), Home dimension of the DC comics Shock (2000) and (2001). Cap'n Carrot universe.

90 Heroverse DC14 99 Heroverse DC23 Home dimension of the DC comics Home dimension of the DC comics Justa universe of the characters from the Lotta Animals universe. animated TV show the Superfriends and Shazam. 100 Heroverse DC24 Home dimension of the DC comics Dark 91 Heroverse DC15 Knight Returns universe. Home dimension of the DC comics universe of the characters from the 101 Heroverse DC25 animated TV show Brave Home dimension of the DC comics and the Bold, and . universe of the characters from the 3 Dark Knight movies.

92 Heroverse DC16 102 Heroverse DC26 Home dimension of the DC comics Alternate dimension of the DC comics universe of the characters from the universe as portrayed in the DCU online animated TV show . game.

93 Heroverse DC17 103 Heroverse DC27 Alternate DC comics universe of the Alternate dimension of the DC comics New Frontier. universe as portrayed in the , Flash, Supergirl, Legends, Izombie and 94 Heroverse DC18 Constantine TV shows. Alternate DC comics universe featuring the characters Silver Sorceress, Bluejay 104 Heroverse DC28 and the Extremists. Alternate dimension of the DC comics universe as portrayed in the DC 95 Heroverse DC19 animated movies Wonder Woman, Alternate DC comics universe featuring Green Lantern: First Flight, Superman/ the Freedom Fighters battling on an Batman: Public Enemies, Justice earth conquered by the Nazis. League: Crisis on Two Earths, Batman: Under the Red , 96 Heroverse DC20 Superman/Batman: , Green Home dimension of the DC comics Lantern: , Justice Impact universe. League: Doom, Superman vs. The Elite, Superman: Unbound, Justice League: 97 Heroverse DC21 The Paradox, Justice League: Home dimension of the DC comics War, Son of Batman, Batman: Assault universe. on Arkham, Justice League: , Batman vs. Robin, Justice 98 Heroverse DC22 League: Gods and Monsters, Batman: Bad Blood, Justice League vs. Teen

27 , and Batman: The Killing Joke. As well as the DC shorts. 111 Heroverse MU5 Alternate marvel dimension of the 105 Heroverse DC29 . Alternate dimension of the DC comics universe as portrayed in the Suicide 112 Heroverse MU6 Squad, Man of Steel, Batman vs Alternate marvel dimension of the Superman, Wonder Woman and Justice rebooted Squadron Supreme circa 2000. League movies. 113 Heroverse MU7 106 Heroverse MU0 Alternate marvel dimension of the Home dimension of the pre year 2000 Ultimate variations. universe also known as the prime MU. 114 Heroverse MU8 Alternate marvel dimension of the featuring DP7, Kickers, Psi Force, Spitfire, Justice, Nightmask, and 107 Heroverse MU1 Starbrand. Alternate heroes dimension which comprises a variant of the Marvel 115 Heroverse MU9 universe known as Earth X although Alternate marvel dimension of MC2 some believe it to be the true one. featuring Spidergirl, the , A-next and Wild Thing. 108 Heroverse MU2 Alternate heroes dimension which 116 Heroverse MU10 comprises a variant of the Marvel Alternate marvel dimension featuring the universe featuring the Guardians of the events of where Galaxy, Deathlok and Killraven. mutants live in concentration camps and robot Sentinels rule the United States. 109 Heroverse MU3 Also features , the XSE, Alternate marvel dimension featuring the and Apocalypse. events of Age of Apocalypse where Apocalypse rules the United States and 117 Heroverse MU11 goes to war with the rest of the world. Alternate marvel dimension featuring Home world of , X-Man, Dark 2020, and , Holocaust, and . Death's Head. Originally thought to have been destroyed it was revealed to still be in 118 Heroverse MU12 existence. Alternate marvel dimension featuring the events of and the 6. 110 Heroverse MU4 Alternate heroes dimension which 119 Heroverse MU13 comprises a variant of the Marvel Alternate marvel dimension where universe in which is everyone is now a . sent back in time to 1587 AD, the timeline alters, causing the heroic age to 120 Heroverse MU14 occur in the year 1602.

28 Alternate marvel dimension featuring the Alternate marvel dimension featuring the events of : The Reigning. 2005 and 2007 , and 2012 Spiderman movies. 121 Heroverse MU15 Alternate marvel dimension where 130 Heroverse MU24 everyone is now a zombie. Alternate marvel dimension featuring the Iron Man, Captain America, Antman, 122 Heroverse MU16 Thor, and the Alternate marvel dimension where the movies. As well as the becomes the Maestro. TV show.

123 Heroverse MU17 131 Heroverse MU25 Alternate marvel dimension featuring the Home dimension of the Marvel comics events of . universe of the live action TV Spiderman, Hulk, and Mutant X shows.

124 Heroverse MU18 Alternate marvel dimension featuring the 132 Heroverse MU26 . Home dimension of the Marvel comics universe of the live action movies 125 Heroverse MU19 and TV show. Alternate marvel dimension featuring the animated 1970's series of the Fantastic 133 Heroverse MU27 Four, 1980's Spiderman and his Home dimension of the Marvel comics Amazing Friends, the 80s and 90s Hulk universe of the live action Daredevil, and She Hulk, 1990's and Jessica Jones and TV shows. the Xmen, and the 2001 and the Xmen TV shows. 134 Heroverse MU28 Alternate but current dimension of the 126 Heroverse MU20 Marvel comics universe as written Alternate marvel dimension featuring the almost entirely by Bendis. animated Superhero Squad TV shows. 135 Heroverse F0 127 Heroverse MU21 The Shattered Realms dimension Alternate marvel dimension featuring the featuring the worlds of Athas, Oerth, animated 2011 Avengers, Dr Strange Mystara, Cthon, Dis, Eberron, Firefall, and Hulk TV shows. Krule, Abeir Toril, Abysmal, Krynn, Gamma and Aebrynis. 128 Heroverse MU22 Alternate marvel dimension featuring the 136 Heroverse F1 movies Xmen, , Hulk, The Shattered Realms dimension of Daredevil, and 2002 Spiderman Ravenloft which often intrudes into trilogy movies. Heroverse F0 and F2-F13.

129 Heroverse MU23 137 Heroverse F2 The Shattered Realms dimension of Mystara.

29 single earth with each setting 138 Heroverse F3 representing a different time period. The Shattered Realms dimension of Abeir Toril. 148 Heroverse F13 The Shattered Realms dimension of 139 Heroverse F4 Boot Hill, Gangbusters, Top Secret, RIP, The Shattered Realms dimension of Gamma World and Buck Rogers XXVC. Krynn or Dragonlance. This is a single earth with each setting representing a different time period. 140 Heroverse F5 The Shattered Realms dimension of 149 Heroverse F14 Dark Sun. The Shattered Realms dimension of Boot Hill, Gangbusters, Top Secret, RIP, 141 Heroverse F6 Gamma World and Buck Rogers High The Shattered Realms dimension of Adventure. This is a single earth with Greyhawk. each setting representing a different time 142 Heroverse F7 period. The Shattered Realms dimension of Birthright. 150 Heroverse F15 The Shattered Realms dimension of 143 Heroverse F8 Spelljammer which links the dimensions The Shattered Realms dimension of F1 to F13. Eberron. 151 Heroverse F16 144 Heroverse F9 The Shattered Realms dimension of The Shattered Realms dimension of Planescape which links the dimensions Empire of the Petal Throne. F1 to F14.

145 Heroverse F10 152 Heroverse F17 The Shattered Realms dimension of The fantasy dimension of Palladia. Boot Hill, Gangbusters, Top Secret, RIP and Gamma World. This is a single earth 153 Heroverse F18 with each setting representing a different The fantasy dimension of Beyond the time period. Supernatural, Heroes Limited, and Superspies, Nightbane, Chaos Earth 146 Heroverse F11 and Rifts. This is a single earth with The Shattered Realms dimension of each setting representing a different time Boot Hill, Gangbusters, Top Secret, RIP, period. Gamma World and Star Frontiers. This is a single earth with each setting 154 Heroverse F19 representing a different time period. The fantasy dimension of Pathfinder.

147 Heroverse F12 155 Heroverse F20 The Shattered Realms dimension of The fantasy dimension of Warhammer Boot Hill, Gangbusters, Top Secret, RIP, Fantasy. Gamma World and Alternity. This is a 156 Heroverse F21

30 The fantasy dimension of Rolemaster The fantasy dimension of Dangerous and Spacemaster. Journeys.

157 Heroverse F22 171 Heroverse F36 The fantasy dimension of Runequest. The fantasy dimension of Castles and Crusades. 158 Heroverse F23 The fantasy dimension of the Hobbit and 172 Heroverse F37 Lord of the Rings movies. The fantasy dimension of Blue Rose.

159 Heroverse F24 173 Heroverse F38 The fantasy dimension of Earthdawn and The fantasy dimension of Lejendary Shadowrun. Adventures. 174 Heroverse F39 160 Heroverse F25 The fantasy dimension of Talislanta. The fantasy dimension of Hackmaster. 175 Heroverse F40 161 Heroverse F26 The fantasy dimension of Tunnels and The fantasy dimension of Ars Magica. Trolls.

162 Heroverse F27 176 Heroverse F41 The fantasy dimension of Harn. The fantasy dimension of Shadowworld.

163 Heroverse F28 177 Heroverse F42 The fantasy dimension of Final Fantasy. The fantasy dimension of 7th Seas.

164 Heroverse F29 178 Heroverse F43 The fantasy dimension of Legend of the The fantasy dimension of . 5 Rings. 179 Heroverse F44 165 Heroverse F30 The fantasy dimension of Everquest. The fantasy dimension of Pendragon. 180 Heroverse F45 166 Heroverse F31 The fantasy dimension of . The fantasy dimension of Lankhmar. 181 Heroverse F46 167 Heroverse F32 The fantasy dimension of Runebound. The fantasy dimension of Hero Fantasy. 182 Heroverse F47 168 Heroverse F33 The fantasy dimension of Sacred. The fantasy dimension of Chivalry and Sorcery. 183 Heroverse F48 The fantasy dimension of Titanquest. 169 Heroverse F34 The fantasy dimension of Dragonquest. 184 Heroverse F49 The fantasy dimension of World of 170 Heroverse F35 Warcraft.

31 The fantasy dimensions of Moorcock's 184 Heroverse F50 Elric, Corum, Hawkmoon and Erekose The fantasy dimension of the Warcraft novels. movies. 196 Heroverse F62 185 Heroverse F51 The fantasy dimension of Goodkind's The fantasy dimension of . Sword of Truth novels.

186 Heroverse F52 197 Heroverse F63 The fantasy dimension of Groo. The fantasy dimension of Eddings' Belgariad and later novels.

187 Heroverse F53 The fantasy dimension of Conan and 198 Heroverse F64 . The fantasy dimension of Feist's Riftwar novels. 188 Heroverse F54 The fantasy dimension of the Elder 199 Heroverse F65 Scrolls. The fantasy dimension of Lewis' Narnia novels. 189 Heroverse F55 The fantasy dimension of the Dungeon 200 Heroverse F66 Keeper games. The fantasy dimension of the Narnia Chronicles movies. 190 Heroverse F56 The fantasy dimension of Tolkien's 201 Heroverse F67 Hobbit and Lord of the Rings novels. The fantasy dimension of Brooks' Shannara novels. 191 Heroverse F57 The fantasy dimension of Donaldson's 202 Heroverse F68 Thomas Covenant novels. The fantasy dimension of the Shannara Chronicles TV show. 192 Heroverse F58 The fantasy dimension of Donaldson's 203 Heroverse F69 Mordant's Need novels. The fantasy dimension of Irvine's Three World Cycle novels. 193 Heroverse F59 The fantasy dimension of Jordan's 204 Heroverse F70 Wheel of Time novels. The fantasy dimension of Anthony's Xanth novels. 194 Heroverse F60 The fantasy dimension of Rowling's 205 Heroverse F71 Harry Potter novels. The fantasy dimension of Cook's Black Company novels. 195 Heroverse F61 206 Heroverse F72

32 The fantasy dimension of Card's Tales of The fantasy dimension of the 1981 Clash Alvin novels. of the Titans, Dragonslayer, Hawk the Slayer, Ator, Sword and the Sorceror, 207 Heroverse F73 Deathstalker, Krull, and Yor movies. The fantasy dimension of Nix's Abhorsen novels. 218 Heroverse F84 The fantasy dimension of the 208 Heroverse F74 Beastmaster movies and TV show. The fantasy dimension of Nix's Keys to the Kingdom novels. 219 Heroverse F85 The fantasy dimension of the Clash of the Titans 2010 movies.

209 Heroverse F75 220 Heroverse F86 The fantasy dimension of Nix's Seventh The fantasy dimension of the Pirates of Tower novels. the Caribbean movies.

210 Heroverse F76 221 Heroverse SF0 The fantasy dimension of Turtledove's Home dimension of the animated Videssos novels. adventures of Blackstar, Bravestar, the Centurions, COPS, the Galaxy Rangers, 211 Heroverse F77 the Galaxy Trio, Herculoids, The fantasy dimension of Weeks' Night Silverhawks, Space Ghost, TB 2086, Angel novels. Teen Force and Voltron.

212 Heroverse F78 222 Heroverse SF1 The fantasy dimension of Pullman's His Home dimension of the original Star Dark Materials novels. Trek as appeared in the 60's TV show, cartoon, movies 1-6, novels and comics. 213 Heroverse F79 The fantasy dimension of Drake's Lord 223 Heroverse SF2 of Isles novels. Alternate dimension of SF1 as appeared in the original TV show and 214 Heroverse F80 the Star Fleet Battles tactical game. The fantasy dimension of Gygax's Gord 224 Heroverse SF3 the Rogue novels. Alternate dimension of SF1 as appeared in the 60's TV show, cartoon, movies 1- 215 Heroverse F81 6, novels and comics, and the The Next The fantasy dimension of and Generation and DS9 TV shows, novels Xena as depicted in the respective TV and comics. shows. 225 Heroverse SF4 216 Heroverse F82 Alternate mirror universe dimension of The fantasy dimension of Shrek. SF1-3 as appeared in the original Star Trek TV show, comics and the novels. 217 Heroverse F83 226 Heroverse SF5

33 Alternate dimension of SF1 as featured Home dimension of Indiana Jones, and in movies 7-10, and the The Next the events chronicled in IV, Generation, DS9, and V, VI, the Marvel and Dark Horse Enterprise TV shows. comics and the expanded novels.

227 Heroverse SF6 236 Heroverse SF15 Alternate mirror dimension of SF4 as Alternate dimension featuring the events appeared in the DS9 and Enterprise TV chronicled in Star Wars I-III movies, the shows. Clone Wars and Rebels TV cartoon, the altered IV-VI movies and , and the VII-IX movies.

228 Heroverse SF7 237 Heroverse SF16 Alternate dimension of SF1 as appeared SF dimension of Warhammer 40,000. in the reboot 2010 Star Trek movies and 2016 TV show. 238 Heroverse SF17 Home dimension of the events of the 229 Heroverse SF8 2001 and 2010 movies featuring the Home dimension of Babylon 5. Monoliths and the Starchild.

230 Heroverse SF9 239 Heroverse SF18 Home dimension of the Commonwealth Home dimension of the Battlestar and the crew of the Andromeda Galactica from the 1970s TV show, Ascendant as appeared in the Marvel comics and novels. Andromeda TV show. 240 Heroverse SF19 231 Heroverse SF10 Home dimension of the rebooted Home dimension of the Federation Battlestar Galactica TV show. dictatorship as appeared in the Blakes’ 7 TV show. 241 Heroverse SF20 Home dimension of Dr Who. 232 Heroverse SF11 Home dimension of the characters from 242 Heroverse SF21 the 4 Terminator movies. Home dimension of the .

233 Heroverse SF12 243 Heroverse SF22 Alternate dimension of the characters Home dimension of the Sword of the from the first 2 Terminator movies and Swashbucklers. Now comics. 244 Heroverse SF23 234 Heroverse SF13 Home dimension of the 4400. Alternate dimension of the characters from the first 2 Terminator movies and 245 Heroverse SF24 Sarah Connor Chronicles TV show. Home dimension of the Starriors.

235 Heroverse SF14 246 Heroverse SF25 Home dimension of the Atari Force.

34 Home dimension of the merged events 247 Heroverse SF26 of Macross, Southern Cross, Mospeada Home dimension of the Power Lords. and Sentinels as appeared in the Robotech TV show. 248 Heroverse SF27 Home dimension of Space 1999 TV 257 Heroverse SF36 show. Alternate Robotech dimension in which the Inbit arrived first followed by the 249 Heroverse SF28 Zentraedi and then the Robotech Home dimension of the UFO TV show. Masters. Only the RDF and Southern Cross existed here and the Sentinels 250 Heroverse SF29 were never encountered. Home dimension of Red TV show. 258 Heroverse SF37 Alternate Robotech dimension in which 251 Heroverse SF30 the Inbit arrived first followed by the Home dimension of the Aliens and Robotech Masters and then the Predators as appeared in the first 2 Zentraedi. Only the RDF and Southern movies of each and the Dark Horse Cross existed here and the Sentinels comics and novels. were never encountered.

252 Heroverse SF31 259 Heroverse SF38 Home dimension of the AD Police, Alternate Robotech dimension in which Knight Sabres, Eswat, Dirty Pair and the Robotech Masters arrived first, Tank Police. followed by the Zentraedi and then the Inbit. Only the RDF and Southern Cross 253 Heroverse SF32 existed here and the Sentinels were Home dimension of the Macross UN never encountered. Spacy, Zentran, Marduk, Eden colony and the Macross 7 colonies. as appeared 260 Heroverse SF39 in the TV shows Super Dimensional Alternate Robotech dimension in which Fortress Macross, Macross II, Macross the Robotech Masters arrived first, Plus, and Macross 7. followed by the Inbit and then the Zentraedi. Only the RDF and Southern 254 Heroverse SF33 Cross existed here and the Sentinels Home dimension of the Southern Cross were never encountered. cavalry which fought invaders on Glory colony as appeared in the Super 261 Heroverse SF40 Dimensional Cavalry TV show. Alternate Robotech dimension in which the Zentraedi arrived first, followed by 255 Heroverse SF34 the Inbit and then the Robotech Masters. Home dimension of the Mospeada TV Only the RDF and Southern Cross show in which the Inbit conquer Earth existed here and the Sentinels were and later fight the Mars, Jupiter and never encountered. Saturn colony fleets. 262 Heroverse SF41 256 Heroverse SF35

35 Alternate Robotech dimension in which Escape from New York and Escape from the Southern Cross battled the Robotech LA. Masters at Neptune colony and later formed the REF to liberate earth from 271 Heroverse SF50 the Invid. Home dimension of the Abyss movie.

263 Heroverse SF42 272 Heroverse SF51 Alternate Robotech dimension in which Home dimension of the Independence the Marduk arrived first, followed by the Day movies. Zentrans and Meltrans leading to the 273 Heroverse SF52 events of the Robotech Movie. This is Home dimension of the Logan's Run later followed by the events of Macross novels. Plus and 7. 274 Heroverse SF53 264 Heroverse SF43 Home dimension of the Logan's Run Alternate Robotech dimension identical movie. to Mangaverse 13 but the Inbit are encountered during the events of 275 Heroverse SF54 Macross Plus and 7. Home dimension of the Logan's Run TV show. 265 Heroverse SF44 Alternate Robotech dimension in which 276 Heroverse SF55 the Inbit arrived first followed by the Home dimension of the Lost in Space Zentran and then the Marduk. At the TV show. same time the Southern Cross battled the Robotech Masters at Glory. 277 Heroverse SF56 Home dimension of the Lost in Space 266 Heroverse SF45 reboot movie. Home dimension of Captain Scarlet, , Thunderbirds, and Fireball 278 Heroverse SF57 XL5. Home dimension of the Robocop movie and comics. 267 Heroverse SF46 Home dimension of the rebooted 279 Heroverse SF58 Captain Scarlet and Thunderbirds. Home dimension of the Men in Black movies. 268 Heroverse SF47 Home dimension of Godzilla, Mothra, 280 Heroverse SF59 Rhodan, Ghidorah, Mysterians and the Home dimension of the first Matrix UNGCC. movie.

269 Heroverse SF48 281 Heroverse SF60 Home dimension of Seaquest. Alternate dimension of SF59 featuring the Matrix movies 1-3. 270 Heroverse SF49 Home dimension of Snake Plissken ad 282 Heroverse SF61 depicted in his comics and the movies Home dimension of the Outland movie.

36 Home dimension of the Jurassic Park 283 Heroverse SF62 movies and comics. Home dimension of the Starship Troopers movies. 295 Heroverse SF74 Home dimension of Williams' Otherland 284 Heroverse SF63 novels. Home dimension of the Timecop movie.

285 Heroverse SF64 296 Heroverse SF75 Home dimension of the Time Tunnel TV Home dimension of the 1999 Mummy show. and Scorpion King movies.

286 Heroverse SF65 297 Heroverse SF76 Home dimension of Stargate as depicted Home dimension of the Xfiles and in the Stargate, Atlantis and Universe TV shows. TV shows. 298 Heroverse SF77 287 Heroverse SF66 Home dimension of the original V TV Home dimension of the Starblazers show. cartoon. 299 Heroverse SF78 288 Heroverse SF67 Home dimension of the rebooted V TV Home dimension of the 7 Days TV show. show. 300 Heroverse SF79 289 Heroverse SF68 Home dimension of the Space Academy Home dimension of the Jeremiah TV and Jason of Star Command TV shows. show. 301 Heroverse SF80 290 Heroverse SF69 Home dimension of the Farscape TV Home dimension of the Man from show. Atlantis TV show. 302 Heroverse SF81 291 Heroverse SF70 Home dimension of the Reboot animated Home dimension of the Astroboy TV TV show. show. 303 Heroverse SF82 292 Heroverse SF71 Home dimension of the Firefly TV Home dimension of the Terra Nova TV show. show. 304 Heroverse SF83 293 Heroverse SF72 Home dimension of the Evangelion Home dimension of the Jurassic Park animated TV show and movies. novels. 305 Heroverse SF84 294 Heroverse SF73 Home dimension of the Cadillacs and Dinosaurs animated TV show.

37 317 Heroverse SF96 306 Heroverse SF85 Home dimension of Space 1889. Home dimension of the Cadillacs and Dinosaurs comics. 318 Heroverse SF97 Home dimension of Traveller and Mega Traveller. 319 Heroverse SF98 307 Heroverse SF86 Home dimension of Heavy Gear. Home dimension of the Alien Nation TV show. 320 Heroverse SF99 Home dimension of the Mutant 308 Heroverse SF87 Chronicles. Home dimension of the Visitor TV show. 321 Heroverse SF100 Home dimension of Wasteworld. 309 Heroverse SF88 Home dimension of Adams' Hitchhiker's 322 Heroverse SF101 Guide to the Galaxy novels. Home dimension of Fallout.

310 Heroverse SF89 323 Heroverse SF102 Home dimension of the Battlefield Earth Home dimension of Renegade Legion. novel. 324 Heroverse SF103 311 Heroverse SF90 Home dimension of the Jovian Home dimension of Harrison's Stainless Chronicles. Steel Rat novels. 325 Heroverse SF104 312 Heroverse SF91 Home dimension of Twilight 2000 and Home dimension of the Fifth Element Traveller 2300AD. movie. 326 Heroverse SF105 313 Heroverse SF92 Home dimension of Macho Women with Home dimension of the Camelot 3000 Guns. comics. 327 Heroverse SF106 314 Heroverse SF93 Home dimension of Car Wars. Home dimension and subdimensions of Torg. 328 Heroverse SF107 Home dimension of Halo. 315 Heroverse SF94 Home dimension of the original 329 Heroverse SF108 Paranoia. Home dimension of Burroughs' Warlord of Mars, Carson of Venus and Tarzan 316 Heroverse SF95 novels and comics. Home dimension of the Battletech game and novels. 330 Heroverse SF109

38 Home dimension of Donaldson's Gap 342 Heroverse SF121 novels. Home dimension of the Yamato 2199 TV show. 331 Heroverse SF110 Home dimension of the Primeval TV show. 343 Horrorverse 0 332 Heroverse SF111 Also known as the Neververse and the Home dimension of the Sanctuary TV home dimension of Neverworld, show. Astaroth, and all Daemonic races. Total darkness with no stars. 333 Heroverse SF112 Home dimension of the Gundam 344 Horrorverse 1 animated TV show. A doomed universe which features horrific elder gods (such as Cthulhu) and 334 Heroverse SF113 the various agencies who fight them Home dimension of the such as . movies and TV show. 344 Horrorverse 2 335 Heroverse SF114 An amalgam universe combining Home dimension of the Shogun Warrior Horrorverse 1 and Heroverse DC4. toys and comics. 345 Horrorverse 3 336 Heroverse SF115 An amalgam universe combining Home dimension of the Mobile Armored Horrorverse 1 and Heroverse MU0. Strike Command as appeared in the animated TV show, toys and comics. 346 Horrorverse 4 Home dimension of the Cthulhutech rpg. 337 Heroverse SF116 Home dimension of 's 347 Horrorverse 5 Tekwar novels. Horror dimension which has been overrun by zombies with a dwindling 338 Heroverse SF117 amount of human survivours remaining. Home dimension of an alternate Tekwar based on the movies and TV series. 348 Horrorverse 6 Horror dimension where vampires 339 Heroverse SF118 terrified at losing their food supply aid Home dimension of Shelley's Officer humans in preventing earth from being novels. overrun by zombies.

340 Heroverse SF119 349 Horrorverse 7 Home dimension of Zahn's Conqueror Also known as the Resident Evilverse. novels. Horror dimension where the Umbrella Corporation is responsible for being 341 Heroverse SF120 overrun by zombies. They are mainly Home dimension of Zindell's Neverness opposed by Alice. novels. 350 Horrorverse 8

39 Home dimension of the Ghostbusters as also includes travelling sideways in time appeared in the movies, cartoon and between parallel realities or universes. comics. Unsolved problems in physics: Is time 351 Horrorverse 9 travel theoretically and practically Home dimension of the original World possible? Will such travel invoke of Darkness rpgs. paradoxes, such as often used in fiction? Humans are in fact always travelling in 352 Horrorverse 10 time — in a linear fashion, from the Home dimension of the rebooted World present to the immediate future, of Darkness rpgs. inexorably, until death. Some theories, most notably special and general 353 Horrorverse 11 relativity, suggest that suitable Home dimension of the Chill. geometries of spacetime, or certain types of motion in space, may allow time 354 Horrorverse 12 travel into the past and future if these Home dimension of World War Z. geometries or motions are possible.

355 Horrorverse 13 It has been confirmed that the effects of Home dimension of the Evil Dead relativistic and gravitational time movies and Ash TV show. dilation can cause a traveller who starts 356 Horrorverse 14 at and returns to a point of origin that Home dimension of a Cthulhu remains stationary, to arrive at a time influenced DC universe. farther in the future in that reference frame than their subjective elapsed time 357 Horrorverse 15 would indicate (a constrained form of Home dimension of a Cthulhu time travel into the future). influenced . In physics, the concept of time travel has been often used to examine the consequences of physical theories such 4. The Chronoverse as special relativity, general relativity Time is the dimension which is and quantum mechanics. There is no asymmetrical with regard to entropy. experimental evidence of time travel, Many time travel plots derive their and it is not even well understood dramatic tension from some variant of whether (let alone how) the current the question Will this act change history, physical theories permit any kind of time and/or will my home timeline survive? - travel. However, theories do exist about the answer to which depends on the the possibility of folding time to hop fictional world's temporal structure - and from one point to another. are thus (tacitly) experiments testing the paradox-proofing of hypothetical causal In science fiction it is a recurring plot frameworks. device, used to set a character in a particular time not their own, and Time travel is the concept of moving explore the character's interaction with forward and backward to different points the people and technology of that time— in time, much as we do through space. It as a kind of culture shock. Other

40 ramifications explored are change and suggested that the absence of tourists reactions to it, such as alternate histories. from the future constitutes a strong Albert Einstein's special theory of argument against the existence of time relativity (and, by extension, the general travel—a variant of the Fermi paradox, theory) very explicitly permits a kind of with time travellers instead of alien time dilation that would ordinarily be visitors. However, assuming that time called time travel. The theory holds that, travel cannot happen is also interesting relative to a stationary observer, time to physicists because it opens up the appears to pass more slowly for faster- question of why and what physical laws moving bodies: for example, a moving exist to prevent time travel from clock will appear to run slow; as a clock occurring. approaches the speed of light its hands will appear to nearly stop moving. The The general theory of relativity extends effects of this sort of time dilation is the special theory to cover gravity, popularly known as the "twin paradox" describing it in terms of curvature in (despite it not being a paradox). spacetime caused by mass-energy and the flow of momentum. General A second, similar type of time travel is relativity describes the universe under a permitted by general relativity, where a system of "field equations," and there distant observer sees time passing more exist solutions to these equations that slowly for a clock at the bottom of a permit what are called "closed time-like deep gravity well, and a clock of an curves," and hence time travel into the object lowered into a deep gravity well past. The first and most famous of these and pulled back up will indicate that less was proposed by Kurt Gödel, but all time has passed than the distant known current examples require the observer's clock. However, these effects universe to have physical characteristics allow "time travel" only toward the that it does not appear to have. Whether future: never backward. This is not general relativity forbids closed time- typical of the "time travel" featured in like curves for all realistic conditions is science fiction, and there is little doubt unknown. Most physicists believe that it surrounding its existence. "Time travel" does, largely because assuming some will hereafter refer to travel with some principle against time travel prevents degree of freedom into the past or future. paradoxical situations from occurring.

Many in the scientific community Chronon Particles are a massive force believe that time travel is highly sweeping everything forward, at unlikely. This belief is largely due to relentlessly as gravity, at a steady 60 Occam's Razor. Any theory which seconds per minute. Chronon Particles would allow time travel would require are what makes time move forward, and that issues of causality be resolved. generates the entropy which allows What happens if you try to go back in things to change. Things are also filled time and kill your grandfather?—see with Chronon Particles, Every atom of grandfather paradox. Also, in the every carnation, candy bar, cadillac and absence of any experimental evidence character is filled with Chronon that time travel exists, it is theoretically Particles. Usually this Chronon Particle simpler to assume that it does not can be completely ignored. So long as an happen. Indeed, Stephen Hawking once item stays in its own place In the time

41 stream, the Chronon Particle keeps the time-travel stories of Connie Willis, time object from disintegrating under the travellers encounter slippage which pressure of the time stream. Compare prevents them from either reaching the two items from different time periods intended time or translates them a and you'll find that they have different sufficient distance from their destination amounts of Chronon Particles. Stuff at the intended time, as to prevent any existing earlier, nearer the beginning of paradox from occurring. the universe, has more C.P. than later stuff. The flow of C.P. actually gels Type 2 Chronoverse weaker us it moves into the future. The timeline is flexible and is subject to Initially in the early universe, right after change. The timeline is extremely the Big Bang, the C.P. flow was at its change resistant and requires great effort maximum. Gradually, although the to change it. Small changes will only speed doesn't change (it remains a steady alter the immediate future and events 60 seconds per minute, the force of the will conspire to maintain constant events C.P. flow gets weaker. And so the C.P. in the far future; only large changes will in physical objects also gets weaker. alter events in the distant future. There Entering the time stream without are also numerous science fiction stories protection is lethal to living organisms. allegedly about time travel that are not internally consistent, where the traveller All time travel methods maintain the makes all kinds of changes to some synchronicity of the time travellers. In historical time, but we do not get to see layman's terms, that means that anyone any consequences of this in our present travelling hack in time, spending an hour day. in the past, and returning, will end up back in the present an hour after the first The biggest problem is how to explain departure. changes in the past. One method of explanation is that once the past Type 1 Chronoverse changes, so too do the memories of all The timeline is consistent and can never observers. This would mean that no be changed. One does not have any observer would ever observe the control and winds up becoming part of changing of the past (because they will the timeline. The Novikov self- not remember changing the past). Larry consistency principle applies (named Niven suggests that the most efficient after Dr. Igor Dmitrievich Novikov, way for the universe to "correct" a Professor of Astrophysics at change is for time travel to never be Copenhagen University). The principle discovered or for the very large (or states that if you travel in time, you infinite) number of time travellers from cannot act in such a way so as to create a the endless future will cause the timeline paradox. to change wildly until it reaches a history in which time travel is never Time travel is constrained to prevent discovered. paradoxes. If one attempts to make a paradox, one undergoes involuntary or This is depicted in the Dr Who TV uncontrolled time travel. Michael show. This is also in the first Heroes Moorcock uses a form of this principle Universe which I used in my campaign. and calls it The Morphail Effect. In the The Middle Eastern Gods of this

42 universe attempted to manipulate time to travel to a point before 1999. Forward their own ends. travel is possible though because time travel exists in the future. This is shown Type 3 Chronoverse in the TV series 7 Days. The timeline cannot be altered but instead constantly splinters into all Type 5 Chronoverse possible alternatives. Every possible The timeline can be altered but not choice creates a divergent timeline. Any before a certain point. In this universe changes are made to an alternate you cannot travel to a point in time timeline. Any event that appears to have before you were born. Thus if you were changed a time line has instead created a born in 1969 that is the furthest you can new one. Such an event can be the life travel. Forward travel is possible though line existence of a human (or other because your future is undefined. This is intelligence) such that manipulation of shown in the TV series Quantum Leap. history ends up with there being more than one of the same individual, Type 6 Chronoverse sometimes called time clones. The new The timeline cannot be altered because it time line may be a copy of the old one no longer exists. There is only ever one with changes caused by the time present and nothing exists before or after traveller. For example there is the it. Time travel is either not possible or Accumulative Audience Paradox where the eras visited are some form of ghost multitudes of time traveller tourists wish wastelands. to attend some event in the life of Jesus or some other historical figure, where history tells us there were no such Type 7 Chronoverse multitudes. Each tourist arrives in a Time travel to the past is possible but not reality that is a copy of the original with to the future. The past may be altered. the added people, and no way for the The future doesn't exist yet thus there is tourist to travel back to the original time nothing to visit. line. Type 8 Chronoverse This was the Marvel Universe which my Time travel to the past is possible but not players crossed over to continuously. It to the future. The past may not be is policed by the T.V.A., a well altered. The future doesn't exist yet thus intentioned yet somewhat twisted there is nothing to visit. version of the Watch Guard. It was featured throughout two series of the Type 9 Chronoverse comics. Time travel to the past is possible but not to within your own dimension. Instead Type 4 Chronoverse you travel into the past of a parallel The timeline can be altered but not dimension which is similar. The past and before a certain point. In this universe future of this dimension may be altered. you cannot travel to a point in time This previously happened with the pre before Chronal technology has been 2000 era of Marvel comics. built. Thus if it is now 2006 and time Forms of time travel travel was discovered in 1999 you cant

43 Listed here are the various different This is time travel by the use of super methods of moving through time. powers. The most common one being chronokinesis and chronal shift I, II and Magic III. This involves travelling through the chronoverse via the use of a spell, Chronal Equipment magical artifact, or magical portal. The tech level of the equipment listed here varies greatly. It is up to the GM Machines what would be available. Machines that actually transport things or people into the past (or future, if a Chronal Anchor future actually exists yet) operate on the This device allows a character to anchor same general principle. A large amount to his current time period and prevent of energy, focused to a point or a line, being forced to another time. It also opens a wormhole between two points in protects the wearer from any alterations space-time. That wormhole, then, draws to history. the object at its focus (usually the time machine and its pilot or crew) through Chronal Beacon itself either instantaneously or at a high This lantern-sized device acts as a years-per-second rate. Some wormholes navigational buoy in the river of time, are “open” to the outside, moving the making it simple for a time traveller to time machine through some sort of reach the exact time and location where hyperspace outside regular material the beacon was triggered. They’re often existence. used as rescue alerts for a team in , although they’ve been known to Others are fully self-contained, attract hostile attention as well. When admitting nothing – not even light or air time travelling to the chrono-location of – to the machine and its crew during the a time beacon, no test is required. If the passage, which must be carefully time travellers are being projected from calibrated to avoid smothering the time a base, rather than carrying their time travellers. Long trips into the past or machine with them, perhaps each future may need to be done in stages, or timetravelling party carries (must carry) the time machine should be fitted with a beacon which lets Base fix on them to oxygen masks and breathing equipment pull them back. If the party is broken up, like a bathysphere. Some machines (or only those with the beacon will be able theoretical models) “skip” the machine to communicate with Base (if that is through a rapid series of wormholes, possible in the campaign) or to call for admitting photons and oxygen molecules return, or to be returned at all. every thousandth of a second (as experienced by the time traveller). The Chronal Blink machines may also be vehicles or A blink device gives a person the ability mechanical portals. to flash in and out in combat, sliding forwards and backwards quickly in time to make himself a more effective combatant. Blinking Agents gain +4 to Meta powers their Thac0 and AC, and suffer no

44 penalties for closing to Point-Blank The Cyclopedia is a dynamic and range with a gun-wielding foe. temporally centred guide to all of known history (more or less), making it an Chronal Communicator invaluable tool when dealing with The standard communicator is a metallic altered time. It is dynamic because it is disc that measures 3 centimetres in constantly updated wherever or diameter. Its colour resembles that of whenever you are. The practical upshot copper. Both sides of the disc contain of this is that the guide details your local hundreds of fine, tiny grooves, changed history for you (unlike your something like the surface of a tether, which always recalls true phonograph record. At the PC's option, history). the communicator can have a hole drilled near one edge, enabling the agent Chronal Grenade to wear the disc on a chain or leather Targets caught within the 2 metre blast thong, like a necklace or an amulet. The radius are flung D4 rounds into the communicator responds to touch future, appearing in the exact same spot commands. It can put the user in verbal with no idea that intervening time has communication with any character who passed. also has a communicator provided the user knows the touch code for the device Chronal Interdictor he wants to contact. All PCs on a Interdiction devices block time travel in mission know the code for one another's both three dimensions (a given physical communicators. area) and four dimensions (a given period of time, radiating both forwards During communication, the device and backwards from activation). A small functions just like a radio. It is extremely device the size of a pocket watch may sensitive, and can pick up and transmit block travel within 100 metres and a the voice of the user even if that voice is day; the largest (and rarest), most barely audible. The communicator powerful spaceship-sized devices may signals an incoming message in one of function for thousands of kilometres and two ways (the receiver decides which last for centuries. Time travelling into an one): it can beep to announce a message era shielded by an interdiction device coming in, or it can radiate a heat, feels like airplane turbulence. sufficient to be noticeable to the touch. A character receiving a message must “ The Agent can choose whether to arrive touch in” a reception code. If this code is just before the start of the device’s not touched, the communicator effect, or after the effect ends. Some automatically stores all messages and interdiction devices are coded to allow replays them when the code is touched. passage to anyone with an encrypted The receiver can specify the volume at code. Some crystalline devices only which the communicator relays its allow psychic time travel and stop messages. The communicator has a technological time travel. Some allow range of 10,000 kilometres. It cannot be anyone to time travel in but prevent exit. used to communicate backwards or Others might block incoming travellers forwards in time or across Parallels. but allow anyone to leave. Chronal Cyclopedia Chronal Medikit

45 The medikit contains a diagnostic micro- This rare device uses a quantum matrix computer, antibiotics and drugs which that can be entangled with a single halt the progress of known infectious sentience to create a self perpetuating diseases, and antidotes for all known temporal loop. Once per mission, this poisons. Also included are emergency traps one person in a loop where they surgical tools. The kit contains medical must constantly repeat the last 24 hours devices common to the time period of their life, retaining full memory of being visited, too. enabling the owner to past cycles until they acquire the skill or attempt to pose as a physician or healer personality trait determined by the of that period. The medical kit is usually activating Agent. Within the dominant packed in a disguised container that time stream, the character appears resembles a sack, bag, or small briefcase physically unchanged to all observers, — whatever best conceals the kit. but will retain all memories of the time loop. Chronal Phone Normally, it’s impossible for people in Chronal Restorer one era to speak or communicate with An emergency device for when the someone in a different time period. The character is out of other options, this one exception is the difficult to acquire, device taps into his childhood memories highly praised chronal phone. This to restore his sense of self and help allows you to speak across time to stabilize him. It uses psychic technology someone else (or to yourself), assuming to replace any lost memories and remove they also have a phone. The reception amnesia. isn’t always perfect, but it’s better than any other alternative for cross-time Chronal Scanner communication. The reason that these The scanner is a device which can be aren’t commonly used by agents is that used to see into the past; it is useful for they’re notoriously easy to tap, and at archaeologists, detectives and the GM’s whim they occasionally genealogists. When activated, it provides connect to the wrong potential reality a holographic image of whatever is when calling into the future. occurring within a two-yard radius centred around the scanner, at some Chronal Regenerator point in the past. Nothing outside that This device is packed with area can be seen - it can't be used as a microcircuitry and looks like a black "window" to scan the surrounding plastic pearl the size of a grape. It’s landscape. The place being scanned is activated by swallowing, whereupon the relative to the nearest mass of regenerator anchors itself harmlessly in continental size. the stomach. Should the user’s HPs drop to 0 while the device is active, it Thus, a scanner can only be used to scan automatically restores all his health as if planetary surfaces. In a background nothing had happened. This includes where history can be changed, you might regenerating any lost limbs and organs. see something different the next time Once its done its job it disintegrates with you scan the same period. A scanner no harm to the person. must be set for an arbitrary point in time Chronal Repeater in the past, e.g. 31 years, 84 days, 11 hours and 50 minutes ago. After the

46 scanner is ready, it will project the visual records of true history, the correct image of the area occupied by the recorded history as known by it. When scanner, and continue in "real time" until history changes around you, your tether deactivated. This can be unhelpful if, in won’t know anything about the newly the time being scanned, the area created history, but it will tell you what presently occupied by the scanner is originally should have happened instead. filled with solid material. Your tether is chronomorphic; that means that it adjusts its appearance to Chronal Stopwatch your current time period. If you’re in the Quantum time-tunnelling microcircuitry 20th century, its holographic readouts crammed into a wristwatch far too small might look like a newspaper; in the 15th to actually accept it, this watch does century, like a woodcut. You usually get exactly what you’d hope a stopwatch to choose. might do. It stops time. There are some conditions, though. It only stops time for Time Machines you, and you can only slip between the A Time Machine is the main prerequisite seconds for a scant period before you put for time travel and all the other fun that yourself in danger. Your actions are goes along with it. The type of machine slightly limited by the fact that you’re can combine with any of the different the only one stopped, however, as any ways of experiencing the process of time vehicle you’re travelling in will be travel and with the various degrees to frozen in time as well. which the past can be changed. With the Back To The Future-type machine, one Chronal Tether simply gets into a vehicle of some sort, No one expects your character — or you and the vehicle is transported to a certain — to remember all the intricate details time. When a traveller wants to go back, of recorded history. That’s what your they use the machine again. This is tether is for. This is a ring-sized personal pretty much the most common type, digital assistant on overdrive. Your possibly having to do with the fact that tether serves as your camera, your one of the earliest time travel stories encyclopaedia, your journal, your (The Time Machine) used this type. holographic research assistant, and your personal historian for any information A TARDIS-type machine works like a you don’t already know. It can observe Back To The Future-type one except not and record your surroundings, talk only can you program it to go anywhere directly and secretly into your ear in time, but also anywhere in space. through a subdermal implant, feed Basically it's a vehicle that can go information directly into linked contact anywhere in 4 dimensions. Terminator- lenses, holographically display and type machines usually involve some sort rotate 3-D maps, translate any known of big device that projects a traveller language instantaneously, interface with back, but does not come with them. your weapons, manifest a holographic Once back in time, the person has no screen, and help you run technical tests way back to the future besides The Slow if you need to investigate a crime scene. Path, unless they can somehow build The AI in your tether is even capable of another device, or if they were able to having its own personality, although not bring an entire additional time machine all agents enable this. Tethers access with them to leave behind on that trip

47 also. (And this is sometimes precluded dark star, suspended in a powerful by time machines being too big, or the magnetic field. By adjusting the field rules not allowing you to take things, or strength with a dial, the wearer can just time machines, with you.) increase the resonance between this sliver and the dark star. The wearer once Sometimes these only allow backwards in the past must “snap back” to the trips to start with. Timecop-type present before travelling elsewhen. The machines are a cross between the Back belt weighs 15 lbs., and is usually worn To The Future-type and the Terminator- with a harness and a battery pack (good type; the traveller is sent back by a for 24 hours of continuous use) on the machine that does not come with him, back to power the magnetic containment but has some sort of way (such as a field. Should the field be breached or remote or prearranged time portal) to shut down, the belt becomes too heavy make a trip back, utilizing the future to lift or wear (doing 8D6 crushing time machine. Can also being used as a damage to the wearer, if any), snaps "time scoop" to bring things from the back to the present, and cannot be used past into the present without going there. for time travel until repaired or Losing the signaller or missing the recharged. Time travel using the belt is prearranged portal can require past instantaneous. travellers Writing Back To The Future to get home. Chronal Bubble Each Time Bubble has the capacity to A Time Portal provides a direct gateway hold up to six individuals in reasonable between two points in space and time is comfort. To use a Time Bubble, the another variation. These can be random, occupants of the Bubble enter a set of appear and disappear in a predictable time and destination coordinates into the way, or be permanent. A pre-existing craft’s computer and activate the time Time Portal is a way to introduce Time travel mechanism. Originally, the trip Travel to a series without opening the through time was a relatively smooth Pandora's Box of "why didn't they just process, with the only being the go back in time and stop the bad guy". A possibility that returning travelers might Time Dilation Field is a device that somehow fail to lock onto the signal of causes time inside a certain area to either the Time Beacon, and thus return to an go faster or slower. While not a time alternate reality. Note that a bubble’s machine in the classical sense, a field occupants must successfully establish with time set to go slower is a good way the day, month and year of the time they to travel forward in time. In Real Life, have entered before they can accurately Time Dilation is an actual effect that reset the controls for a new destination occurs when bodies are moving at and re- enter the time stream. different relative velocities, or at different depths in a gravity well. This is Chronal Coils generally too tame and prosaic for all but In 1940, the U.S. government the hardest Science Fiction, though. established Project Rainbow to study the military potential of Nikola Tesla’s Chronal Belt power field theories. By July of 1943, The chronal belt contains a the prototype “Rainbow Effect” device, submicroscopic sliver of a fragment of a large series of Tesla coils nested in a

48 complex geometrical series, attached to a the preset destination. To return to one’s complex antenna array along the ship’s original time, the transported party or mast and superstructure, had been object must be in the same spot where installed on the destroyer escort USS they/it arrived. The Time Cube has a Eldridge in the Philadelphia Navy Yard. maximum capacity of 6 people, and a In theory, the device would make the maximum duration of 24 hours; it is also Eldridge invisible; what it actually did equipped with a viewer that allows the (on August 12 or October 28, 1943, progress of those transported to be depending on which report one believes) monitored. was rotate it out of conventional space- time and into a hyperdimension. Chronal Drive Witnesses saw the Eldridge disappear This device simply channels an energy from Philadelphia – and reappear 15 discharge into a point, opening an minutes later in Norfolk, Virginia, a instantaneous time gate to a preset distance of 300 miles. Also during that destination, at the same relative point on 15 minutes, some members of the the Earth’s surface. The initial version of Eldridge crew travelled up to 50 years the flux drive uses two magnetic into the future. Others, unfortunately, plutonium slugs to force a subcritical “phased” into the deck and died horribly, reaction, which opens the gate; the or went mad from the stress. plutonium instantly decays to lead during a time shift. The flux drive is The Rainbow Effect coils on the normally mounted in a vehicle, Eldridge weighed one ton, and required especially since it requires a high rate of a 500 KW generator; the “Philadelphia local speed to activate. A vehicle with a Experiment” seems to have generated steel or steel-alloy construction is best, speeds of 1,200 miles, and 200 years, per since it prevents outside objects from hour. Further testing would no doubt being sucked into the vehicle’s temporal improve this performance, and reduce wake. the hazards of hyperdimensional travel. Project Rainbow scientists reportedly Chronal Nanites conducted a series of land-based tests of Nano-machines are injected into every the Rainbow Effect at Camp Hero (later cell in a character's body, disguised the Montauk Air Force Station) in Long among the ordinary mitochondria. Each Island until 1984, and the Navy may is a miniature time machine, and when have used the Eldridge to project working in concert can allow a person to American power throughout the time walk through time and space. stream during the secret war against Nazi time travellers. The Rainbow Effect Chronal Portal apparatus weighs 2,000 lbs. ; the antenna Chronal portals are doorways in time, array weighs 200 lbs. employed in various fiction genres, especially science fiction and fantasy, to Chronal Cube transport characters to the past or future. The Time Cube uses the same principles They differ from time machines in being as the Time Bubble to penetrate the time a permanent or semi-permanent fixture barrier. Unlike the Bubble, however, the linking specific points in time, and thus Time Cube does not travel through time are an especially useful plot device when itself. Instead it projects its contents to

49 the plot involves characters moving The sphere has one very thick porthole, many times back and forth. and a hatch set into the side next to it. While in the past, it rests on four thick, Chronal Scooter stubby ; the cable stretches away The chronal scooter can take a character into a twisty nothingness. The winch in to any time and place, and return him the present can haul up the sphere at any after he gets there. Each scooter contains time, but the sphere dangles suspended a security scanner that prohibits any- one from its cable in midair in the past for but the owner from operating it. If D6 minutes before returning to the someone removes the scanner, the projector. Any number of “landings” are vehicle explodes immediately, inflicting possible without a return to the present, 9D6 damage in a radius of 30 metres. as long as there is sufficient oxygen for The standard scooter carries one human the crew to breathe. and his or her equipment It also features a collapsible storage compartment for Chronal Tunnel hauling extra gear. The occupant is Time travel is facilitated by time being protected from travel in the chronoverse portrayed as a static continuum, by a time field which surrounds the accessible at any point through the Time scooter. Tunnel as a corridor spanning its infinite reaches. The Tunnel is also a portal Chronal Sphere connecting the Chronal Tunnel This time apparatus, uses a fixed time "complex" with the same time periods in projector to lower a converted which time travellers visit. Other people bathysphere into the time stream. The 5’ can also be relocated by the Time sphere is suspended from a thick cable Tunnel from their time. (350’ long) above the projector platform. When the zero-point energy source in Chronal Vehicle the apparatus power plant is engaged, Chronal vehicles draw their power from the platform opens, and a winch lowers several sources, but primarily from the the sphere through the yawning vortex nucleus of a black hole; a singularity. below. The gravity fields of the Earth The power source is beneath the central and sun interact with the zero-point column of the console. Other elements field, and the controller (who remains in needed for the proper functioning of the the present) homes in on the desired vehicle and requiring occasional location in space-time. During this replenishment include (used in period, the raw energies of the time its fluid links), the rare ore neutronium, stream buffet the sphere; anyone outside and a time crystal. Before a vehicle the sphere is chronally disincarnated. becomes fully functional, it must be The sphere can only travel to locations primed with the biological imprint of its within the inner solar system before owner, normally done by simply having solar gravity becomes too attenuated to the person operate the vehicle for the power the vortex. The crew of the sphere first time. This gives them both a can use a telephone hookup braided symbiotic link to their vehicle and the through the cable to speak with the ability to withstand the physical stresses controller or anyone else at the control of time travel. The vehicle usually station. travels by dematerializing in one spot,

50 traversing the chronoverse, and then knows how to fix them. Watches are rematerializing at its destination. usually set to adjust their arrival location to somewhere private where their Apart from the ability to travel in space distinctive sound and vibrant purple and time (and, on occasion, to other glow will not be seen. This can easily be dimensions), the most remarkable turned off by an operator more interested characteristic of a chronal vehicle is that in accuracy than secrecy. A watch can its interior is much larger than it appears safely materialize underwater or in outer from the outside. The explanation is that space and will protect the operator from the vehicle is "dimensionally atmosphere-based environmental transcendental", meaning that its exterior hazards so long as the device remains and interior exist in separate dimensions. active. Although operators can specify a The vehicle also grants its passengers the spatial arrival coordinate, the watch’s ability to understand and speak other physical arrival accuracy is somewhat languages via a telepathic connection dependent on the distance traveled in with the vehicle. time. Travel within a year, and it’s usually exact; within a decade, and it Chronal Watch lands in the same room as the intended The chronal watch may resemble either a spot; within a century, and it arrives in wrist watch or pocket watch. Once the same building, up to an error of activated, the time and destination are perhaps twenty kilometers after traveling set and the device extends a brilliant hundreds of millions of years. purple sphere around the operator (and up to one adult-sized passenger, if Time Misjumps neither mind close quarters). It spends 1 So what happens when a jump through round calculating coordinates and time goes wrong? First roll to see in charging its chronal field. One round what direction he winds up. If still alive after activation, the watch and anything then determine how far off his jump is within its chronal field clocks out and and then by what number. disappears. Time traveling mid-combat can be an extremely dangerous proposition. When the chronal field first activates, the watch and the operator are both quite vulnerable. Any attack during that round that hits the time traveler, regardless of damage, collapses the Is the character still on course? chronal field and causes the watch to 01-75 Thrown through time in the stop working until repaired. After the correct direction but the time zone is off. one round of vulnerability watch chronal Roll on next section to see how far. fields act as cover for the pilots inside 76-99 Thrown through time in the them. After a jump a watch requires D4 opposite direction. Roll on next section rounds, rolled randomly as needed, to see how far. before it recharges and can time travel or 00 Erased from existence. teleport again.

Broken watches can be repaired with How far is he thrown off? several hours of work by someone who 01-02 Hours

51 03-12 Days predetermination by the conscious 13-41 Weeks manipulation of the past, in which the 42-66 Months decisions and choices made by free 67-86 Years willed beings living then will determine 87-94 Decades the course of their lives. The Watch 95-98 Centuries Guard believes in the right of every 99-00 Eons being to make choices based on conditioning elements arising from the By what increment? free choices of beings living in their 01-20 xD4 past, and condemn as unjust the 21-80 xD10 distortion of that right by the 81-00 xD20 manipulation of history with the benefit of hindsight.

Imposed conditioning elements direct 5. chronal history in a way chosen by those who impose them; this is incompatible with organizations the continued freedom of those who will live in the changed future. In short, the Watch Guard fights an eternal war to defend the integrity of the past, and ensure the freedom of the future. The Watch Guard exists and acts because it must, to preserve creation itself. If an individual is in possession of anachronistic information or technology, they have the ability to influence or limit the freely made decisions of others, controlling them and manipulating The Watchguard events to the benefit of the controller. The Watch Guard are a form of "Time Police" who try to keep the past and Standing guard over history, the Watch future safe from careless time travellers. Guard opposes those who would risk the They operate in a base that exists during existence of everything for a taste of the last possible moment in the universe, personal power. They protect the right of the last nanosecond before entropy ends life to find it’s own way, whatever that everything, called Vanishing Point. They way may be. do not depend on consent; they enforce compliance. They have virtually no Sometimes it means standing back while territory, their domain is simply and murder is committed, while war is raged solely time. Within the time and space of and people’s lives are destroyed. their jurisdiction, they regulate what Sometimes it means pain. Sometimes it time travel goes on. means death. Sometimes non-existence. Always it means adventure. Most Watch The Watch Guard is an organisation Guard agents have a number of different dedicated to the preservation of the postings during their career, as their timeline, without control or skills and abilities change over the years.

52 The Watch Guard is an unprecedented interactions to study the chronoverse in achievement; thousands of different general. They get to explore new sapient species united. Bigotry, racism timelines first hand. and xenophobia are not tolerated within the organization. Clandestinus This branch of the Watch Guard The Operations Section performs all strategic information This is the heart of the Watch Guard. gathering activities, and provides The Section Director has ultimate detailed scenario briefings for the responsibility on a day-to-day basis for Operations Section. They are the spies all Watch Guard agents. It is his duty to and undercover agents of the Watch ensure that the agents of the various Guard. divisions within Operations are well motivated, equipped, briefed, trained and Tempus Divinitus performing to the highest possible levels This division consists of about 5000 of in the field. All of the Watch Guard’s the Watch Guards’ most gifted Chronoal 200,000 active field agents belong to this Sensitives. Usually assigned to the section, and are sub-grouped into various Operations Divisions, their divisions for ease of management. While primary responsibility is to scan the the majority of the divisions do not histories covered by their assigned specialise in period or function, a small division, providing an early warning of number do. These are listed below. any intrusion or discontinuity. This division of the Watch Guard Tempus Arbites and records the flow of time, reporting Though technically part of the any temporal disturbances that may Operations Section, this division has indicate potential discontinuities or complete autonomy, reporting only to intrusions. the Hour Council. This division is responsible for maintaining the Watch Tempus Ingenium Guard’ security against both external Divided into several specialised units, attack and internal corruption, and does this division consists of meta psionics, so with extreme vigour and zeal. They magicana manipulators and supernatural are the Watch Guard version of Internal entities. They provide training and Affairs. But they do more than just that. support to the many Watch Guard agents Security personnel stand guard as capable of developing their true mental sentries in restricted areas, secure and spiritual potential. This includes classified data, maintain intruder those that are metagene active (also deterrent systems, monitor the citadel, known as mutants) and who can man the armouries and small arms eventually be transformed into a Phase lockers, and control and distribute safe, Warrior (although this represents only door and force field combinations and 1%). As yet the Watch Guard has been clearances. unable to recruit any Chronal Walkers and remain wary of their activities. Tempus Astronomicus This division studies the nature of the Tempus Libris known parallels, maps the location of This section performs the monumental new parallels, and analyses their task of gathering recording and

53 providing detailed historical information cartography, meteorology, botany, and every single new timeline that was zoology, biology and the other physical created and eventually restored to the sciences. original. Libris will perform research on request for any other section of the Tempus Taciturnitus Watch Guard, with requests from the These black ops agents are specially Operations Section having the highest trained for offensive operations against priority. Frequently, the staff of Libris those who would alter history. The will conduct extensive debriefs of agents operations are highly secret, revealed on their return from the field, or request only on a need to know basis. specific research missions. Tempus Tormentus Tempus Medicus This division focuses on several things. The continued good health of Watch First off they conceive, design and test Guard personnel is the responsibility of the devices and equipment used by the this division. Medical Division uses Watch Guard, from the chronal vehicles, tailored viruses, gene therapy, cloned to the equipment and weapons. Second organ replacements, enhancement they repair and maintain all of the therapy, and nanite implants to ensure located at Watch Guard that each Watch Guard agent is fully facilities. They can produce everything protected against any biological hazard from starships to broadswords, on they might encounter in the past, and are demand. Finally they are responsible for as fit as their missions require. The the construction, maintenance and Medical Division is also responsible for removal of Watch Guard buildings, the reversible cosmetic surgery facilities and bases. Using advanced frequently required for agents to blend in technologies, they can construct during missions. The Watch Guard facilities capable of lasting up to half a requires that at least one team member million years, and then dismantle them on any mission in the field is a fully so completely that absolutely no trace trained Med-tech, so this division has the remains to disrupt the flow of majority of it’s staff assigned to the established history. Operations Section.

Tempus Proeliatus This is the standard force of the Watch 6. Alternate Worlds Guard, consisting of agents recruited Infinite parallel universes coexist with from throughout time. These agents act our own, each possessing qualities both as escorts, recon and shock troops. like and unlike what we know as standard reality. Tempus Scientus This section is responsible for the Parallels that share basic characteristics providing the technical and theoretical tend to be clustered together, even advances in research and design that wound around one another like many allow the Watch Guard to function with threads woven together to form a rope. maximum efficiency and minimum risk. Each cluster can hold anywhere from Areas covered by this section include several dozen to many thousands of palaeontology, planetary and stellar Parallels, or perhaps even more.

54 Generally speaking, threads within a accepts the existence of multiple single cluster bifurcated relatively dimensions, and the fact that travel recently from one another (anywhere between them is possible. Of course, from a few seconds to thousands of their interpretation of exactly what those years ago), as they share many historical alternate dimensions are may vary. similarities, but it's possible for an 03-19 Known by some; a limited individual "thread" within a given number of individuals understand the cluster to have originated within a concept of alternate dimensions. These completely different cluster and individuals might be scientists, world "migrated" to its new location. Those leaders, seekers of the unknown, educated in dimensional theory theorize religious leaders. or any other group that Parallels tend to "gravitate" toward with access to unusual information. those with similar characteristics, 21-50 Mythical; though the concept of occasionally "escaping" from another multiple dimensions is familiar to many cluster. Of course, the reality must be people, most dismiss it as mere legend. much more complex, but it provides a 51-00 Completely unknown; the suitable mental picture. inhabitants of this Parallel are not only unaware of alternate dimensions, they Each cluster is often referred to by a don't even imagine such a possibility in name that describes its primary legends. characteristic. For instance, the cluster dubbed "Egyptian Ascendancy" 1. Parallel Divisions describes a group of Parallels where the When you wish to create the framework bulk of society on Earth generally for a parallel universe randomly, roll resembles (or at least echoes) Egyptian D100 to determine the Parallel's architecture, beliefs, and creeds that died division. Next, determine each Parallel's out in the Baseline Parallel cluster. characteristic by rolling on the table Within this cluster, however, Parallels appropriate to the Parallel's division. It's can be found where technology is equal recommended that you make one or two to the Baseline Parallels, Parallels where additional rolls in order to add some the Egyptian states struggle against Nazi realistic "flesh" to your new Parallel. Of elements, and Parallels where the course, you can roll more or fewer times predominant society on Earth is a blend if you like, possibly inventing a very of the two. Ideologies that "compete" strange world indeed. Re-roll duplicate below the primary characteristic are results when rolling for characteristics. called secondary characteristics. Finally, the GM may want to generate alternate planetary environments for the The general public's understanding of world in question. Feel free to enlarge on Parallels varies from world to world. these ideas as appropriate for your Roll D100 on the table below to campaign. determine how familiar the denizens of any given Parallel are with the concept As a traveller moves further from the of multiple realities. cluster containing his home world, the Parallels visited grow more and more Roll Result unusual. This reflects what theorists 01-02 Recognized by all; nearly have classified as the four "divisions" of everyone on this world understands and Parallel clusters: Historical, Biological,

55 Cosmological, and Fantastic. Some The name given to each cluster merely researchers theorize that additional serves as an overall defining divisions lie outside the Fantastic. characteristic (and that only for the However, due to the incredible reference point of Earth). Other dimensional distances involved, it is characteristics (known as secondary difficult to ascertain or even guess what characteristics) blend and vary within broad divisions of dimensional lie each of these clusters to a lesser extent— beyond those divisions noted above. some of these characteristics may even include elements of other named Generally speaking, Parallels are clusters. For instance, the group of conceptualized as lying somewhere in a parallel universes where the result of the two-dimensional continuum. Note that Cold War was a holocaust of nuclear fire dimensional continues on toward infinity is known as the "Nuclear Armageddon" in all directions, and divisions likely cluster, even though in one of these exist which are so strange as to be utterly Parallels, the war was between inconceivable to the human mind (but Victorian-style Europe and a vast probably not to whatever form of life American empire ruled by the Aztecs. inhabits them, if any). While the two- However, just because other divisions dimensional model serves as a basis for are not listed here does not mean they do understanding dimensional, some not exist within the infinity of parallel Parallel researchers instead rely on a the universes. "Soap Bubble" model, which likens the collection of universes to a three- Roll Result dimensional mass of soap bubbles. 01-20 Biological 21-40 Cosmological Each bubble represents a discrete 41-60 Fantastic Parallel. The shared surfaces of the soap 61-80 Historical bubble represent space-time divisions 81-00 Undefined or Baseline (GM’s between Parallels. Note that each bubble choice); indicates that the randomly is bordered by many bubbles. In a like selected Parallel lies outside the four manner, Parallels are bordered by many known divisions of dimensional; the GM parallel universes. Unfortunately, this is free to make a totally new division, or particular model, while perhaps more roll again above. Alternatively, the GM accurate, doesn't provide a particularly may decide that the Parallel is part of the easy way to catalogue Parallels. As Baseline cluster, in which case no described above, a specific Parallel primary characteristic is rolled (roll only cluster exists as a collection of Parallels secondary characteristics as desired). with the same primary characteristic. Note that each cluster is given a single 1a. Biological Characteristics reference name, often extrapolated from For one reason or another, evolution has the characteristic description of the same taken a different turn in Parallels of this name. Billions of individual Parallels division. In some, humans exist, but are potentially lie within each class, and subtly changed. In others, humans walk though some are so similar to others that the Earth alongside other sentient hardly any difference at all exists, others creatures. And in still others, humans (or vary wildly. perhaps even mammals) never evolved, and nature filled the void with sentient

56 dinosaurs, sentient apes, or other sentient 17-23 Humanoid Insects; Indicated humanoid beings. In one cluster, insects worlds possess insects with internal developed an internal skeleton and skeletons and organs similar to lungs, organs enabling greater size, and thus allowing them to reach sizes normally insects fill nearly every niche from tiny restricted to mammals and even pest to large predator to giant whale- dinosaurs. These adapted insectoids exist sized seagoing insects. While the openly and with little notice on some inhabitants of these Parallels can be worlds, while on other worlds they exist dangerous to travellers, the Parallels in small areas where they have avoided themselves are generally friendly to by fearful dominant life most life forms. forms. Such a situation is sure to prove dangerous when the insectoids make a Roll Type bid for dominance, relying on their 01-08 Disease-free World; Medicine incredible ability to reproduce quickly. (including alchemy, magic, or This is compounded on such worlds herbalism) or perhaps just simple where the insectoids have developed evolution long ago wiped out all forms vestiges of intelligence. of disease. Microbes and viruses are no 24-30 Longer Lifespan; the true more, and inhabitants die only of fountain of youth has been discovered accidents and extreme old age. All's (either literally or figuratively). well, except in the event of the arrival of Regardless of Tech Level, the primary crossparallel visitors, who are likely rife inhabitants of the indicated world can with bacteria and cold viruses. While a realistically expect to live forever, cold is nothing to a traveller, it is death barring disease or accident. On some to a local of a disease-free world. Waves worlds of this class, peace and universal of terrible plagues begin to spread within harmony reign, but on others horrific 24 hours of cross-Parallel travellers’ wars occur following population arrival. explosions. Some worlds of high Tech 09-16 Humanoid Dinosaurs; Some Levels spread through the galaxy like a indicated worlds possess regions where virus, using up resources at an ever- dinosaurs never died out, while on increasing rate. Societies particularly others, dinosaurs were reintroduced pressed for room that don't solve their through genetic engineering (whether problems through warfare are given to known or secret, or in large or small building massive artificial structures regions). Still other worlds somehow capable of housing trillions or more. evolved humans and dinosaurs Such structures could conceivably span simultaneously; in some of these, many interstellar distances. large species have been to 31-37 Other Humanoid Creatures; extinction, despite some groups' efforts Earth is home to a humanoid species to reintroduce the T-Rex back into its other than humans. This species may be natural habitat over the objections of evolved from a different mammalian local ranchers. On other worlds, species, such as dogs or cats, or even intelligent dinosaurs secretly exist on the something completely foreign, such as edges of society. Generally speaking, dinosaurs or insects. If this characteristic these intelligent dinosaurs are no more is primary, then the alternative humanoid than 2 to 3 metres tall. species is the only one present;

57 otherwise, they share the planet with proven immunity. These immune few humans. attempt to gather together and start their 38-44 Overpopulated; The population own enclaves, but the infected ever seek continues to grow geometrically, passing them out for hope that their blood may 5 billion, then 10 billion, 20 billion, and be the cure they need. Cross-Parallel then 40 billion before draconian methods travellers are likely susceptible to hell's of birth control are finally enforced by breath unless of a completely different governments around the globe. Food species. resources are strained to the limit, even 52-58 Sentient Apes; Through with the advent of advanced hydroponics evolution, genetic tampering, or first developed for the Mars mission. colonization, apes gained intelligence on Only those of tested and proven genetic the indicated world. What's more, they superiority are allowed children, and now dominate large portions of said then only a single child. All other world. If this characteristic occurs in the citizens must undergo enforced Historical sequence, the apes exist sterilization. Illegal fertiles, as they are alongside humans. However, it may be called, are hunted by a special branch of that humans in such situations are the government authorized to use deadly completely eradicated, or exist as mere force. Crossparallel travellers would be slaves. It's also possible that humans considered illegal fertiles if their native to the indicated world have reproductive status were revealed. devolved culturally to the level of 45-51 Plague World; An uncontainable animals. The apes will hunt cross- plague grips the indicated world. A Parallel travellers. seeing them as threats common plague in the class is an to their power, and will eagerly airborne form of "flesh eating bacteria" confiscate their equipment, if possible. called hell's breath. The breath resists 59-65 Sentient Dolphins and/or antibiotics and was intentionally Whales; Partnership with intelligent developed through biological weapons marine mammals has allowed the research for its rapid onset time (5 dominant life form of the indicated hours) and mortality rate; 80% of those world to inhabit the seas with almost as exposed to it die within 24 hours as the much success as on land. Citizenship in bacteria cannibalizes their cells. This is a the floating cities and oxy-water sight as terrible as it sounds. Enclaves of enclaves is not decided by species, but the uninfected survive in tightly by intelligence. Thus humans, dolphins, patrolled perimeters away from large and even whales are full voting members cities, killing all trespassers out of of society, though their agendas and fear of contagion. Most of the large needs sometimes compete with those cities are burned out and home only to who were bred for dry land. Note that infected populations that act no better there is just as much room for than animals, killing each other with questionable motives and downright evil eager abandon out of some hope that in the mind of a whale as there is in the fresh blood from others will appease mind of a human. their own infection for a time. Other 66-72 Sentient Micro-organisms; What populations exist of horribly disfigured if one-celled organisms were intelligent? carriers whose symptoms last for years On indicated worlds, genetic research before death finally claims them. has created smart cells; all that "unused" Finally, some individuals exist with a

58 DNA is useful after all. In some worlds, population are still visible. For instance, smart cells are tightly controlled and a city built for two million souls that programmed, functioning somewhat akin currently holds only ten thousand to nanotech robots. On other Parallel residents is obviously hollow and worlds the controls (if any ever existed) underutilized. On the other hand, some crash, and intelligent cells begin to take worlds of this class just aren't as over the macro world. Every living populated as worlds of the Baseline creature becomes a potential galaxy for class, and never have been (at least sentient cells. The dominant life forms within recorded history). on these worlds have a fight on their 94-00 Universal Sentience; On this hands as the cells that constitute their Parallel world, sentience has evolved in own bodies rebel, if infected with the virtually all life forms larger than "smarts." rodents, from birds and fish to elephants 73-79 Sentient Plants; Here, intelligent and whales. The political aspects alone trees communicate with hive-mind are staggering—how many political grasses, while friendly shrubs and parties are needed to address the needs prickly rosebushes share recipes for soil of so many species?—and the social, mixtures. If this is not a primary technological, and other factors of life characteristic, then the plants share Earth prove equally interesting. The heroes with humans, who are careful to pay will be in for a surprise the first time attention to signs proclaiming "Keep Off they shoo a flock of pigeons away from The Grass." a bench in the park... 80-86 Shorter Lifespan; humanity's desire for population control has resulted 1b. Cosmological in a society where no one lives past a designated age, whether that is 21, 30, or Characteristics any other number of the GM's choosing. In this division, the solar system itself This could be the result of genetic developed in different ways. Some tampering, bizarre evolution, new laws, variations may be where our home or a combination of the three. For planet never formed billions of years whatever reason, individuals older than ago-while others are more minor, such the specified age simply don't exist. If as the "Arctic World" cluster, where the age is less than the average age of Earth formed just a bit further from the the heroes, interesting (or dangerous) sun and thus is trapped in a never-ending complications could occur as the ice age. Obviously, these Parallels can "lawbreakers" are hunted down by a be quite hazardous to travellers, as the police force years or even decades physical conditions on Earth itself may younger than they were. be deadly (or at least uncomfortable) to 87-93 Underpopulated; On the other humans. hand, "Underpopulated" worlds are woefully empty of sentient life. Roll Type Civilization exists in small islands 01-10 Arctic World; Another ice age amidst a much vaster wilderness encroaches, or has already come. The controlled only by Mother Nature. On Parallel world in question has adapted in some Parallels, the underpopulation is many ways to the cold and ice with the result of planning, war, or plague and changes in clothing, transport, and thus the signs of a much higher philosophy. Despite hothouse agronomy,

59 the population is likely much lower due The planet is covered in condensed to reduced crops and animal ranges. water ice in the lowest layers, and other 11-20 Desert World; Water is the most gases (like oxygen, carbon dioxide) at precious commodity in this world. Some higher levels. If other characteristics indicated worlds are wholly overrun occur in conjunction with this with sandy, waterparched deserts. In characteristic, indicated inhabitants these worlds, society has adapted with exist in protected domes under the ice, desert specific innovations and moved near natural heat vents, while others live on. In other indicated worlds, entirely within subterranean hollows of desertification is a recent phenomenon varying sizes. and civilization is still dying, as some 45-52 Forest World; This world is so cities die of thirst and nations engage in heavily forested that the dominant total war over shrinking aquifers. species couldn't hope to clearcut it in a 21-28 Drowned World; The ice caps hundred thousand years. Society is built have thawed. In some worlds, this around and within the boles of mighty happened long ago, and the resultant trees that grow triumphantly across the society is quite integrated: Floating face of the indicated world. At higher settlements, undersea cities, and Tech Levels, the trees reach gargantuan underwater technologies are quite sizes through genetic restructuring, and common. Waterbreathing races are may serve as space elevators. Some also possible. On other such worlds, specially bred trees serve as the hulls for however, the rise of the waters is a gargantuan interstellar craft. current or recent event; with the rising 53-60 Frequent Dangerous Storms; waters, whole nations are drowned, Meteorologists are at a loss to describe famine is common, and only those on the source of the constant electrical extremely high landforms or with access storms that rage across most of the face to large watercraft may survive the of the indicated world. If these storms catastrophe. began just recently, the indicated world 29-36 Earth missing; Crossparallel is not quite up to dealing with multiple travellers find that in the indicated lightning strikes that rain from the Parallel, the Earth (or the world specific heavens. It's not a matter of if lightning to the GM's campaign) is not where it's will strike twice, but when. In a world supposed to be. Instead, empty space long acclimated to frequent storms, exists, which could prove lethal to some buildings, transport, and even personal travellers. If this characteristic is but one clothing bristles with grounding of many characteristics, additional technology. indicated societies exist in 61-68 Grasslands World; Grasslands artificial structures protected from the develop wherever rainfall is not high ravages of vacuum near where the planet enough to produce a forest nor light would otherwise be located. enough to form a desert. There are few 37-44 Earth pulled from Sun’s gravity; trees in true grasslands, either because Crossparallel travellers come to a world the climate is too dry or the soils are too that has been ripped from its normal poor. In other areas, grasslands develop gravitational mooring about the sun. because grazing and browsing by wild Instead, it is in the grip of a nonradiating animals, frequent fires, or both, prevents star that snagged the Earth as an tree seedlings from growing. Grasslands afterthought on its interstellar journey. have other types of plants besides the

60 true grasses. They have a number of to other disaster scenarios are far less herbaceous flowering plants and a likely to develop, at least in the short variety of scattered trees and bushes. term. Disasters claim too much attention 69-76 Jungle World; Climate is such on a personal level for power-grubbing that rainforests cover much of the individuals to organize and retain a indicated world. Some deep-seated power base. cultural belief prohibits wide scale 93-00 Natural Holocaust Imminent; As clearing of these forests, and thus society "Natural holocaust," but the event is is interwoven through massive jungles, scheduled to occur in the very near even at high Tech Levels. Such societies future. Imagine the worldwide panic that possess an incredible store of herbal would result from the knowledge that the knowledge and medicines culled from sun was to go nova in only a few plants that are exotic or even extinct in months, or that geological instabilities other Parallel classes. In fact, the indicated that half the volcanoes around average lifespan of the dominant life the Pacific "Ring of Fire" would be form of the indicated world approaches erupting in the next year. two hundred years. 77-84 Mountain World; Perhaps due to 1c. Fantastic Characteristics geological instability, or maybe just Outside the Cosmological division of from accelerated continental drift, this dimensional lies the Fantastic division. Earth has almost no large areas of flat While most worlds in this division terrain. Hills, cliffs, valleys, broken support life familiar to humans, the lands, and mountain ranges occupy well parallel universes here diverge from the over three-quarters of all dry land, and as ordinary in their bizarre variations of a result, civilization is much different. natural laws. For instance, in some Difficulties in transportation result in clusters, humans possess strange abilities many small, isolated communities (that we might call magic or super developing their own ways of life. powers), while in others Earth itself is a Groups of people only a few hundred hollow shell, inside of which walk miles apart might never even have met. strange beasts of legend. Some caution Large-scale farming is near impossible, should be applied in travelling through limiting the explosive population growth Fantastic Parallels, especially as one that resulted from improved agriculture. moves toward the "outer border" of the Of course, such a world would also division. Natural laws that allow magic create varying technological paths to and other strange powers increase, while answer its new needs. natural laws that technology relies upon 85-92 Natural Holocaust; Earthquakes become unpredictable. Unfortunate (or some other equally destructive travellers could find themselves stranded natural force, such as a impact or on a Parallel where only their most basic extreme solar activity) have caused technological tools continue to function. disastrous results to the planet. Newly formed seas swallow whole countries in Roll Type only minutes, volcanoes erupt where 01-07 Divine Apocalypse; the world is once there were wheat fields, and approaching or in the process of a final chasms open below large metropolitan divine apocalypse. Immense magical areas. Survival is difficult, and warlords disasters and portents, armies of and other opportunistic forces common supernatural beings or insane and

61 desperate people, the sudden appearance can call upon spiritual assistance when of places of unearthly glory or needed, is up to the Gamemaster. hideousness all increase towards the Nonbelievers such as the heroes might appearance of the gods and a time of be pitied, distrusted, or even hated. As judgement. with "Arcane Magic exists," most of 08-14 Earth/Sun is Sentient; In this these worlds will have a Heroic or Super Parallel, one or more of the heavenly Heroic tone. bodies in our solar system developed 22-28 Hollow Earth; On such worlds. sentience. In worlds with the "Earth is Jules Verne merely recorded the journals sentient" characteristic, some twist of of real explorers to Earth's hollow core. natural laws allowed our planet to A viable ecosystem exists below the develop intelligence-an interesting surface in vast caverns, incorporating variation on the "Earth goddess" myths life from all the past epochs of the of many cultures. Such an intelligence world. Gargantuan mammals coexist might react poorly to ecological attacks with even larger dinosaurs, and by humans, responding with natural things never discovered in the fossil disasters or worse. If the "Sun is record live in the hollow Earth as well. sentient" variant is chosen, the sphere of Seas that plunge to depths greater than light we know as the sun is really a any attained on the surface teem with all massively complex object, incorporating forms of life. Primate races whose several layers of various gases and evolution didn't culminate in the creation plasmas. Communication between the of homo sapiens also hunt these nether layers is accomplished through both spaces. pelagic convection and speed-of-light 29-35 Horror Elements; Vampires exist, electromagnetic currents. In the and so, too, do ghosts, the walking dead indicated Parallels, the sun (and perhaps with a hankering for brains, and Things many stars in the sky) is a reasoning In The Earth. Paranormal elimination is entity capable of sensing and interacting a serious business run by an arm of the with its environment. Prominences are government, and only those most self-directed and can be used as psychologically fit are allowed into its magnetic "waldoes" of incredible force ranks. Of course, there are those who and reach. Other techniques available to accuse the government of only a sentient sun include the lasing (through eliminating some paranormal threats, magnetic lenses) of high-energy while removing others for later study particles, producing coherent beams and exploitation (on some Parallels, this powerful enough to blast a planet. accusation is absolutely true). Cross- Appeasing the sun god takes on an Parallel travellers had better take ghost entirely new meaning on the indicated stories seriously... Parallel world. 36-42 Literary Duplicate; In an infinity 15-21 Gods Exist; On these worlds, of parallel universes, anything is miracles and divine intervention aren't possible, and in fact, everything exists. just the stuff of legend; instead, the Given such broad leeway, there are ability to channel the power of divine Parallels where Sherlock Holmes lives force is held by many people. Whether on Baker Street, worlds where John such miraculous powers are held only by Carter fights across Barsoom and a select few, such as religious or world paraverses, where Saruman toys with the leaders, or whether any average person idea of making of Ring of Power for

62 himself. Almost every book of fiction on society. Telepathy, precognition, the library bookshelf portrays conditions telekinesis, and a thousand additional as they actually exist on some Parallel abilities are common. In the current somewhere in dimensional, though time, every contributing member of classes of such Parallels probably vary society has some mental ability to which wildly, and many do not even lie in they can lay claim, and in fact use as a the same sequence. While many sign of the advancement along the next dimensional travellers may seek out evolutionary step. Sadly, those without specific literary duplicate Parallels, they any psionic capacities are viewed as prove devilishly difficult to track down. genetic dead ends. On some worlds, Moreover, distorted parallels exist on natives who can't even manage simple either side of the exact Parallel sought. psionic empathic contact are shipped to Thus, in many cases, indicated worlds special locations where they can live out possess literary equivalents combined their lives amongst their own kind. with one or more other characteristics on Cross-Parallel travellers are in danger of this table. Note that while this being selected for just such treatment. characteristic is listed as Fantastic, the 64-70 Silly; The indicated world has GM is free to place the Parallel in Teched along social pathways that whichever division seems most travellers from other Parallels could only appropriate for the “story” it portrays. call "silly." For instance, on some worlds 43-49 Magic Exists; On these Parallel of this class, intelligent animals make up worlds magic exists to some degree. On a segment of society. On others, some such worlds magic is relatively schizophrenic computers control society, rare, practiced by only a handful of governing in frivolous and contradictory learned individuals. On others, it's so ways. Travellers had best not mistake common that every homemaker knows a silly for harmless—in fact, many a few magic spells to keep the house traveller has been lulled into a false clean. Most worlds will have a Heroic or sense of security by patently absurd Super Heroic tone. situations, only to realize too late that 50-56 Planet not a Solid Sphere; It may silly can also be deadly serious in the be cylindrical, flat or polyhedral. end. Instead, or in addition, the habitable 71-77 Supernatural effects; Forms of areas may be on the inside or the weather, astronomical or geological underside (gravity pushing away from events with supernatural effects occur the surface) of its form. These frequently. differences might be obvious 78-84 Super Powers exist; this indicates immediately (especially if the world's the presence of certain abilities in the shape is concave and far distant areas are natives of this Parallel. Such super visible in the sky) or the travellers might powers may be relatively rare or very not encounter them unless they travel for common, at the GM's discretion. long distances. Remember that just because such 57-63 Psionics common; Early on, this abilities exist doesn't require dozens of world recognized and began studying the people to put on bright costumes and importance of the mind and its hidden around town, though that's certainly an abilities. A mental renaissance ensued, option. As with the other exists Parallel and all the arts of the mind were characteristics, most worlds will have a recognized and exploited in everyday Heroic or Super Heroic tone.

63 85-91 Technology doesn’t work; A Parallels are only found within the convolution of natural law retards the Fantastic sequence (or, rarely, with transmission of electrons through additional Fantastic elements). These metallic and superconducting materials Parallels are in the grip of absolute war, in the indicated world. Biological but the warfare follows from some literal systems are not affected, but not even of a final apocalypse. Various simple calculators work in the parallel Parallels of this class exist, varying by world. Some worlds of this class the form of the final apocalypse. For incorporate other exceptions of example, armies of demons and lost natural law, invalidating other common souls fight hosts of angels and the technological processes, including righteous across a blasted Earth in some natural laws that rely upon the Parallels, while "nearby" Ice Giants flammability of fossil fuels and/or the ignite in brutal , hoping to flammability of gunpowder (normally wake the Wolf from its age-long composed of potassium nitrate, charcoal, slumber. In almost every case, cross- and sulphur). It's possible that items Parallel travellers are better off fleeing made off Parallel with "banned" these Parallels as soon as their nature is technology will work on the indicated recognized — the attention of a world, if the item itself doesn't require "demonic" or "angelic" entity is any "banned" process in order to something that even the implements of operate. high technology are hard put to fend off 92-96 Thin walls between Parallels; Weapons . On this world, the Parallels of this class suffer from thin ownership of personal weapons is dimensional walls separating one strictly illegal. Any hero seen wearing a Parallel from the next. Effects include sidearm, or even brandishing a knife, those as subtle as disturbed dreams that will quickly find himself locked up. Of show images of neighbouring worlds to course, a brisk business in illegal as dramatic as rips in the fabric of space- weapons exists, though anyone caught time that provide temporary conduits dealing in such illegal goods is subject to between the affected Parallels. Usually, extreme penalties. thin-walled Parallels "cross-pollinate" each other, sometimes allowing seeds, 1d. Historical Characteristics small organisms, small items, and This division generally indicates the sometimes even small areas to slip from Fantastic trillions of Parallels where the one Parallel into that of another. presence of human beings is a defining Legends similar to that of Avalon could characteristic. Differences between be the result of just such an occurrence Parallels within this division are of thin walls that later firmed up. To generated purely by divergent events in those accustomed to slipping back and human history. Different cultures may forth between the realms, it might appear reign supreme, unusual governments that Avalon just "slipped away" from the may rule, and technology may have real world, when in fact Avalon is part taken a different course, but humans are of its own 'real' world. still humans. Virtually all the travel ever 97-00 War world, Fantastic; This class done in dimensional by humans is of Parallel in some ways mimics the confined to this division. In fact, a encompassing desecration described in majority of the various characteristics the "War world" entry; however, these referred to below define primary

64 characteristics of the Parallels lying in other rolls for characteristics indicate the Historical division. that there are indeed alien races, these 01-15 Alien Characteristics races are hidden or have yet to be 16-35 Cultural Characteristics discovered. 36-55 Governmental Characteristics 41-48 At war with aliens; Humanity (or 56-70 Planetary Characteristics whatever the prominent sentient species 71-85 Social Characteristics is) is at war with extraterrestrial (or 86-00 Technological Characteristics extra-Parallelial) beings. This is an active conflict (though it may share Roll Alien Characteristics elements with other characteristics, such 01-08 Aliens accepted as allies; as "Conquered by aliens" or "Secret regardless of Tech Level, the world in alien subversion"), that may or may not question possesses ties with an be taking place entirely (or even extraterrestrial race or races. Knowledge primarily) on Earth. of the relationship is widespread, and the 49-56 Caught in alien crossfire; Aliens trade beneficial (especially to low Tech of two or more species are engaged in a Level worlds). war, and Earth’s inhabitants are the 09-16 Aliens conquered by Earth; a innocent bystanders. Interstellar twist on a more familiar theme, in spacecraft battle above the planet, while worlds with this characteristic Earth armies march across the world, caring stands as the conquering power over one little for those they displace along the or more alien civilizations. Resistance way. Pockets of resistance exist, though against the human oppressors may be it proves difficult to fight back against strong or weak, at the Gamemaster's not one but two potential destroyers of whim. the planet. 17-24 Aliens integrated on Earth; 57-64 Earth conquered by aliens; whether the result of colonization, Greedy eyes from other stars, another refugees fleeing another world, or the planet in the solar system, or even forcible integration of a conquered another Parallel turned upon Earth and species, one or more alien races live found it desirable. Indicated worlds are among humans in relatively peaceful either caught up in a desperate struggle coexistence. Such alien beings may live with the their rulers, or have only as equals or may be treated as second- recently been conquered by the class citizens. Gamemaster's choice of alien. 25-32 Aliens worshipped as gods; far in Particularly amoral aliens engage in this world's past, aliens came to Earth , while others may keep the and set themselves up as gods. In the original inhabitants of the world in thousands of years since, there has been reservations to use as slave labour, little change in the natural inhabitants' genetic stock, or food. technological level from when the 65-72 Interstellar government; In the "gods" first appeared upon the world. indicated world, Earth is just a small part 33-40 Alone in the universe; At lower of a grand interstellar governing body. Tech Levels, the world in question Earth might be a recent or long-standing suspects it and at higher Tech Levels, it member, and the planet's "tenure” in the seems a proven fact. There are no other organization will affect how much forms of intelligent life in the universe relative power it holds. In some save for those on the Parallel world. If situations. Earth might be in the final

65 stages of the "galactic approval process," is sentient. In fact, the sentients of the with the fate of humanity riding on the local galaxy (numbering in the success of the planet's "application." thousands) have participated in a 73-80 Reservation planet; Humanity Galactic Accord stretching back some has moved on to richer planets, unsullied four billion years. This vast span of time by thousands of years of human has proved more than sufficient to allow destruction and waste. That is, all of many races to evolve (or receive as a humanity has moved save for the gift) sentience, reach prominence in the criminals, degenerates, and those Accord, decline, then disappear forever. otherwise deemed by the majority as Thus, in Parallels of this class, planets at "unfit" for common society (for low to middle Tech Levels are probably example, nonpsionics of the previous utterly ignored, and only at Tech Levels entry may end up here). As such, the of 6 and above are they even noticed. indicated world is a broken down, Even when admitted into the fellowship polluted, and generally dismal reflection of the Galactic Accord, young species of the Baseline parallels. Hope is rare, are cautioned against angering the older but despair is free. On other parallels of members, lest the young species be this class, it is all of humanity that has "accidentally" exterminated by routine been judged "unfit" by alien beings. hyperspace routing. These alien forces have forced humanity to remain upon the world of its birth, Roll Cultural Characteristics never to join the galactic society of 01-08 African influence; a defining advanced species. influence of the Parallel world is that of 81-90 Secret alien subversion; one of the tribes or kingdoms of pre- Unbeknownst to most of the primary colonial Africa. Note that only cultural inhabitants of the indicated world, aliens elements influence the world. Tech from other planets of the same Parallel Level is completely variable. The ivory (or aliens from different Parallels kingdoms of the Middle Ages, ancient completely) secretly entwine their agents Ethiopia or Zimbabwe, or the more and agenda into society. On some recent Zulu empire are good examples. Parallels of this class, the aliens work in 09-16 Arabic influence; Significant conjunction with splinter groups of the elements of this world have an Arabian government, while on other worlds, the feel, modelled after the stories of Sinbad, aliens work against the government. Aladdin, or indeed, any of the stories in Depending on the particular infiltrator A Thousand and One Nights, regardless species, the good of humanity is either of the world's Tech Level. being worked toward or undermined. On 17-24 Central Asian influence; some Parallels. alien subversion is so Significant cultural elements of the complete that the world is literally ruled world in question resemble such groups from behind the scenes, using an array of as the Mongols, Tartars, Uighurs, and technological methods to keep the related groups of nomadic herdsmen masses unaware of their influence. with strong central organization. 91-00 Universe teeming with life; 25-32 Central/South American Almost as soon as radio was developed, influence; Aztec, Mayan, Toltec (from messages of obviously extraterrestrial what little is known), or Incan empires origin were overheard. Parallels of this hold major influence in this world. The class are filled with life, and much of it influence is cultural, and pervades

66 selected cultures regardless of Tech much bloodshed before this fact was Level. conceded (and on some worlds of this 33-40 Egyptian influence; The class, these wars rage still). Native indicated world is suffused with ancient Americans develop technology in Egyptian culture, icons, decor, and even tandem with Europeans, though this philosophies. Nearby worlds retain technology is suffused with Native Sumerian flavours, while others of this American icons, culture, and philosophy. class hold to Babylonian influences. 73-80 Nazi influence; The Nazis rule Even worlds that have attained a the world, and their twisted dreams of significant Tech Level retain their racial purity have driven many cultures Egyptian ties (i.e., spacecraft resemble into complete extinction. Africa has sphinxes, boats, and/or pyramids, while become one big concentration camp, leaders are still referred to as Pharaohs). where the Nazis ship all who can't claim 41-48 Greco-Roman influence; The Aryan blood and all who would dare to icons, philosophy, and architecture speak against the Reich. Hitler and his common to the historical Roman Empire twisted heirs won WWII. and now their of the Baseline Parallel class suffuse the rocket research (never pilfered by the indicated world, even at high Tech Americans in this Parallel class) has Levels. The Roman Republic is propelled them into the stars. Cross- renowned for roadways, for bringing Parallel visitors without the proper peace (Pax Romanum), and for papers (and those who are obviously not safeguarding known space with hordes of Aryan descent) had best move on to a of legionaries. cleaner Parallel as quickly as possible. 49-56 Indian influence; The indicated 81-90 Oriental influence; The indicated world is suffused with cultural worlds contains many elements familiar influences of medieval India, regardless to medieval or China, with of Tech Level. The feudal set-up is rife and warlords common even at with an incredible number of rajahs, high Tech Levels. Samurai adhere to the moguls, and princes each governing over same strict codes as their predecessors, one of hundreds of small holdings (be and live as simply; however, their they world-bound or large artificial weapons are potentially technologically orbital stations). enhanced, as is their armour. 57-64 Medieval European influence; 91-00 Victorian influence; On the The indicated world reflects the indicated world, the sun has truly never prominence of landed nobility various set on the British Empire. Victorian churches, and some secular "kings," sensibilities are still the norm, and it's even in worlds where Tech Levels are almost certain that the American high. Castle architecture is common colonies remain British. Who knows? (even adapted to space stations and Perhaps medical breakthroughs have ships, if applicable) and knights are the even allowed Queen Victoria herself to figures that stories are told about remain on the throne. (knights in high-technology Parallels probably joust with proton lances). Roll Government Characteristics 65-72 Native American influence; 01-10 Anarchy; On this planet, the Colonizing Europeans were not up to the motto is "No Government is Good task of taking a continent away from the Government." Whether by choice or indigenous peoples, though there was simply by the inability to properly

67 organize, humanity in these Parallels dominated society, females completely doesn't have a coherent governing force. govern the indicated world (or a large All that matters is personal power and section of it). Males are not allowed to one's ability to defend oneself from the hold public office or high military ranks, predations of others. Any heroes visiting though on some worlds they are still these Parallels will likely have to defend allowed a vote. Extreme versions of this themselves forcefully, especially if they world have herded men into carry expensive-looking gear. concentration camps, where their 11-20 Bureaucracy; On the indicated particular talents are only brought into world, at some point the accumulation of play when necessary. On yet other rules, regulations, and red tape reached worlds, men have been entirely critical mass and "took over." Now it's eliminated and exist only in legend. On impossible to do anything without going such worlds, the species is propagated through three or four bureaus and via cloning, genetic engineering, or receiving authorization from a dozen some other unnatural method. administrative assistants or associate 45-52 Military Dictatorship; Military directors. It's not even clear any more leaders run the indicated worlds (or large who's in charge-the rules have become portions thereof). Often, these leaders more important than the individuals are prone to instituting universal martial involved. law, especially if other governments 21-28 ; The capitalist exist that threaten supremacy, or if regime fell before the dictates of deposed elements of the past communism. Significant portions of government somehow escaped society are rigorously structured such execution. Missing major invention. that the State controls everything, and all While civilization in this Parallel has are equal before the State. On some Tech along lines similar to our own, it is indicated Parallels, ideal communism missing one major technological exists and all are relatively happy. On advance that we take for granted. For other indicated Parallels, corruption has instance, an otherwise-modern society made the State something to be feared, might never have invented the as the State suffers no criticism. combustion engine. Thus, instead of 29-36 Gerontocracy; As the average consuming fossil fuels, they might rely lifespan creeps up in relevant areas of on steam, solar power, or some other the indicated world, the preponderance form of energy. of old vs. young increases dramatically. 53-60 Monarchy; A single hereditary The very old rule and the young are akin sovereign controls the indicated world, to second-class citizens. In fact, in some or a large portion of it. Some monarchies worlds full citizenship is only attained are tempered with laws, but on some upon reaching 65 years of age. Groups Parallel worlds, a single king rules the of youths routinely attempt widespread planet with unlimited, absolute power. violence against the segregated ruling Such rulers expect and receive communities of the very old, attempting unquestioning obedience. In the event of to dislodge the seniors' hold on questions of succession, the resulting government but only widening the civil wars embroil the entire world. generation gap. Moon/Mars colonization. In Parallels of 37-44 Gynarchy; Fed up with the this class, humanity has turned to the problems associated with a male Moon and/or Mars to hold its ever-

68 growing population. Depending on the both a citizen and an employee of a other characteristics rolled (or the GM's particular megacorp. whim), such colonists did or did not 77-84 Techno-capitalism; In the discover life (possibly sentient) on these tradition of sci-fi cyberpunk literature in worlds. If intelligent life did develop, the Baseline Parallels, indicated Parallel expanding humans might well have worlds are pervaded with techno- treated the primitive indigents as they've capitalist megacorporations that control historically treated less-advanced society. For the most part, "the net" is cultures since the disappearance of the the primary arena for commerce, Neanderthals. In these Parallels, a entertainment, and daily existence. mimicry of the "Wild West" exists on Artificial intelligences roam the net like Mars, where the indigenous population gods, and countless virtual realms is forever pushed back, wars rage, and provide ample opportunity for adventure frontier law is often rough and arbitrary. and fun. If this characteristic is indicated 61-68 Pedocracy; The indicated world in tandem with a low Tech Level is mostly (or completely) governed by characteristic, the cyberpunk influence the intelligentsia: scientists, exists only in limited or secret philosophers, and other well-educated enclaves. people. Politics as it is known and 85-92 Theocracy; The indicated world understood in many other Parallel is completely (or mostly) ruled by or classes is a thing of the past here. subject to religious authority. In some Government officials are chosen for cases said authority takes the form of a their contributions to science, "god-king" who claims divine blood philosophy, medicine, and other learned (whether true or not), while on other disciplines to serve terms of varying worlds, rulership is held by a council of length. Elections and multiple terms are priests (or similar religious unheard of. Generally. such societies are intermediate). Although some worlds of enlightened nirvanas, given no other this class are benignly ruled by the competing or conflicting influences. On theocracy, in many cases the theocracy the other hand, such rulers may also uses its "god-given" power to eradicate ignore the needs of "the common unpopular, heretical, and other disliked people" in favour of elegant solutions groups and philosophies. Who knows? that don't work in real life. In worlds occurring within the Fantastic 69-76 Plutocracy; The indicated world, division, god-kings might very well or a large portion thereof, is ruled by the possess the divine right to which they wealthy. The control is either direct, in lay claim. the form of some sort of ruling council 93-00 Ultra-capitalism; On the made up of the heads of the 500 largest indicated world, everyone works for "the megacorporations, or indirect, where company." The concept of a nation-state government officials or leaders are is ancient history (or unknown); instead, bought outright and perform only as the planet is dominated by one or more puppets to the will of their masters. megacorporations that rule according to Some worlds in this class may exist the bottom line. If the heroes can't prove totally on the precept that money is the they’re "employed," they may be in for a only power, and corporations are their difficult time. Don't confuse this with own small nations. One would then be "Technocapitalism," which has a distinct cyberpunk aspect-these worlds simply

69 exemplify capitalism taken to its logical known as an Alderson Disc), a ringworld extreme. (with sun at the centre), a covered ringworld (no sun required), a massive Roll Planetary Characteristics rotating tube (no sun required), a great 01-10 Abandoned World; the Parallel sphere 1 A.U. across encompassing the world in question once possessed a sun (a fused Dyson sphere), and other civilization (described by one or more variants from the GM's imagination. secondary characteristics), but for 41-50 Ecological Collapse; The unclear reasons the world is now wasteful practices introduced during the completely empty of sentient life, as if Industrial Revolution's origin run their everyone had just "walked away." logical course — the indicated world Infrastructure, cities, and every other passes some indefinable threshold after sign of civilization remains, but with which it is no longer able to naturally no trace of the previous inhabitants—in purge itself of accumulated poisons. the meantime, animals of all types have Waste byproducts, ozone depletion, and colonized empty cities. massive species extinctions combine to 11-20 Aquatic Cities; Relatively early bring the world to its knees. Warlords on humanity decided that the seas vie for control of a planet that nothing offered a promising region for can save, while dying dreamers search expansion. As a result, numerous cities for fabled habitats that retain vitality and dot the surface and/or bottom of the life. oceans, and humans draw many 51-60 Nuclear Armageddon; The Bay resources from the sea itself. This of Pigs -or some equally tense characteristic may or may not be situation-was a set to tinder, associated with high population setting off WWIII in this class of numbers. Parallels. In some Parallels, nuclear 21-30 Earth Larger or Smaller; In the retribution was fierce and the bombs formative years of this Parallel's solar rained thickly enough to scrub all life system, the cloud of matter that from the , leaving naught but a coalesced into the Earth was a bit larger radioactive cinder swinging blindly and (or smaller, at the GM's option) than in without hope around the sun. Cross- the Baseline Parallel. As a result, the Parallel visitors to these worlds are in planet that formed is a bit larger (or danger of residual radiation. Generally smaller) than what is familiar to the speaking, these Parallels have a radiation heroes. A larger Earth results in level of R4 or R5. Some worlds of this higher gravity, a thicker atmosphere, and class got off a bit more lightly, and some shorter, stronger life- forms (including life remains; in some Parallels, even plant life). On the other hand, a smaller human life. If the nuclear rain was planet will have lower gravity, a thinner recent, the desolation remains strong and atmosphere, and life will tend to be taller life brutal and hard, with many survivors and thinner than normal. succumbing to radiation sickness and/or 31-40 Earth Reshaped; Cross-Parallel starvation every day. If the destruction travellers arrive on what they at first was at least thirty or more years in the believe to be a standard world; however, past, habitable regions host primitive observation may reveal that the world is societies (though some lost technological not a sphere. Variant shapes include a artifact now and then comes to light, and disc (with sun at the centre, otherwise

70 weapons always seem to be the most 86-00 Weather Control; On the common artifact of an earlier time). indicated world, the patterns of weather Mutations have crippled many and are completely controlled by humans. sterilized even more, but life goes on. In The savings in dollars (and lives) are some Parallels (especially Parallels that tremendous, as predictable growing are near or within the Fantastic sequence seasons ensure strong crops year after of dimensional), mutations are more year and formerly -plagued areas likely to prove beneficial, possibly even thrive in safety. The technology allowing providing strange abilities or powers to this control is guarded with amazing their owners. security by the world's leaders, as it 61-70 Urban Sprawl; Due to could cause unimaginable chaos if it fell overpopulation, poor planning, or just a into the wrong hands. lack of respect for the planet, the spread of cities nearly covers this Parallel Earth. Roll Social Characteristics Concrete and steel structures stretch 01-08 Anti-technology; For whatever across entire continents, and patches of reason, humans have outlawed all forms green are as rare as diamonds. of self- powered machines. Muscle- Depending on the civilization's outlook powered machines of all types are on the natural world, they may or may completely legal, and in worlds of higher not view this as a bad thing, but the Tech Levels. amazingly efficient gear heroes are likely to be taken aback the systems have been developed. Other first time they try to walk to a location worlds have solved this impediment "just across town.” through biological engineering (called 71-85 War World; Those cross-Parallel "softech" in some worlds). Some visitors who escape with their lives often remnants of the past machine-oriented characterize this class of Parallel as "war society may remain in hidden pockets. worlds." War constantly rages across the long deactivated but electronically length and breadth of the lands, awaiting some future machine instigated in some far-off century over renaissance. Alternatively, some some long-forgotten feud. Now, war has human-form machines could secretly become a way of life for most, though exist as part of society. and perhaps even legends persist of a hidden land where wield considerable power. Cross-Parallel the smoke of destruction does not travellers who produce any machine constantly mar the skies with the stink of (including vehicles) that smacks of being death. Ruined cities, blasted battlefields, self-powered—or worse— self-aware, and the of long abandoned war are immediately executed for having machines stretch from horizon to violated the Taboo of Mechanisms. horizon, offering only poor shelter from 09-16 Armed Society; These worlds put the elements to those not involved in the to the test the belief that such a society is military offensive likely occurring just by definition a polite one. On Parallels beyond the next hill. Crossparallel with this characteristic, everyone who travellers had best have glib tongues can legally carry a firearm-which may when encountering the locals, or else the include adults, teenagers, and even face the possibility of being labelled as children-does so. While at first the deserters, which carries a sentence of heroes may relish this, especially if they immediate execution. enjoy carrying weapons, the potential for

71 any disagreement to turn into a firelight number of reasons—religious. political, may well get tiresome after a while. or governmental—but the effect is the 17-24 Art Prominent/Outlawed; Two same. On this world, the heroes should versions of this characteristic exist. The stand out like a sore thumb, and will "Art prominent" characteristic indicates probably be identified as "deviants" and that artists occupy the highest castes, and locked away in a mental institution (or noncreative people of all types are worse). looked down upon and discriminated 41-48 Decadent; Sloth, indolence, and against. In some Parallels with this degeneracy afflict major portions of the characteristic. "noncreatives" are placed indicated world. The most prized in reservation camps and regarded as commodity is a good time, but society as morally bankrupt or evil. Cross-Parallel a whole has become so jaded that it is visitors who can't produce an artistic or doomed for an eternal search. Given publishing credit are in trouble. In an even a determined invasion or other "Art outlawed” Parallel, all forms of disruption, the civilization of this world artistic expression are seen as vain, is likely to topple (it is already obscene, and illegal. Any expression of backsliding under its own weight). creativity, be it written fiction, music, 49-56 Fiction Prominent/Outlawed; sculpture, or traditional illustration and Like "Art prominent/outlawed," this painting, is punished with extreme characteristic has two variations. In penalties. On some Parallels with this "Fiction prominent," the useful fields of characteristic, the penalty for an artistic history, science, and philosophy all give endeavour is death. As is the way of way to the art of storytelling in the things, artistic has created indicated worlds. Authors are like kings, crime families and gangs that deal and those who can tell the best tale hold explicitly in black market art. temporal power. Round-robin 25-32 Bigoted; The indicated world is storytelling societies political suffused with bigotry against one (or parties of other Parallel worlds. more) minorities, races, religions, Established authors in power sometimes cultures, or any number of other send goon squads to "deal" with up-and- categories. Such worlds have gone to coming authors for fear of eventual extreme lengths to act out their displacement. Natives who aspire to prejudice, including attempted (or greatness in these worlds must first look successful) genocide against the to their ability to tell a tale. In the particular target of unreasoning "Fiction outlawed" variant, society has hate. Note that bigotry in some Parallels realized the terrible waste of resources could easily be toward the following and degradation of the mind that results otherwise unlikely categories: thin in allowing its members to fritter away people, blue-eyed people, unpopular mental energy on topics that are surnames, natives who have the genetic intentionally false and "made-up." All predisposition to "curl" their tongues, literature, video, and other media have and so on. been destroyed in many of the major 33-40 Conservative; Here, no one takes governments of the indicated world. unnecessary risks, comes up with a Such pastimes are seen at best as a waste groundbreaking idea, or says anything of time, and at worst, a criminal controversial. This could be due to any influence. Cross-Parallel visitors caught telling a "story" or even a joke are in for

72 a rude surprise when the Fiction Police not equally polite, they are likely to be descend upon them. The travellers' only incarcerated for a period of enforced hope may be to receive aid from instruction of The Golden Rule. At underground tail-tale tellers. lower Tech Levels, brainwashing 57-64 Music Prominent/Outlawed; Like techniques are useful, and at higher "Art prominent/outlawed," this Tech Levels, neurosurgery and implants characteristic has two variations. In might be deemed necessary for the "Music prominent," if you can't hold a edification of the travellers who didn't note, you had better conceal that fact in say "thank you." the indicated world. Music is the 73-80 Scared; The average citizen of preferred method of communication and the indicated world spends his day in a the best composers and/or performers state of low-grade terror. The particular are the real movers and shakers, holding reason for this fear is up to the the highest offices and commanding the Gamemaster (and may be suggested by most exceptional perks. In other other characteristics), but the effect is Parallels, characters in "musicals" are the same: individuals the heroes meet given to breaking into song when will be jumpy, paranoid, and nervous. oyful, sad, or experiencing some other Ironically, this will likely create the strong emotion. In this Parallel. regular same condition in the heroes, even if people on the street do the same with no they don't know why... embarrassment. In fact, such behaviour 81-90 Sports and Games is expected, and cross-Parallel visitors Prominent/Outlawed; Like Art who can't unanimously join in soon prominent/outlawed, this Parallel come to be regarded as defective, and characteristic has two varieties. In may be rounded up and placed in "Sports & games prominent," the seclusion due to their unhealthy highest ideal that all hope to attain is to influence on minors. On the other hand, be a professional athlete. Premier in "Music outlawed," rulers of society athletes live like kings, and those who saw no immediately useful value in can win three out of five in any a musical composition and have outlawed popular physical sport hold temporal it. All albums, tapes, CDs, DVDs, 3Ds, power. Sports teams mimic political and other media for storing music have parties of other Parallel worlds. been destroyed (through secret caches Established athletes in power sometimes may still exist). II you're caught send goon squads to "deal” with whistling a tune while you work, you promising athletes for fear of eventual could be slapped with a fine. Cross- displacement. Natives who aspire to Parallel visitors caught singing a song, greatness in these worlds must first look or worse, producing prerecorded music to their physical ability. Alternatively or of any type, are in trouble. concurrently, depending upon the 65-72 Polite; Polite behaviour is the oil Parallel in question, success at that greases the "ball bearings" of intellectual games confers a similar . On the indicated Parallel world, social standing. In "Sports & games this fact has become law. Cross-Parallel outlawed," society recognizes the travellers immediately notice how playing of sports, and worse, the impeccably polite everyone is, even watching of sports as a waste of mental when they happen to be at odds with the resources. Furthermore, societal leaders natives. Unfortunately, if travellers are can't countenance the loss to

73 productivity that sports bring. Football, mining details, and any number of other baseball, basketball. and all other dangerous activities. At lower Tech physical sports are just plain against the Levels, cloning is achieved through law. Such pastimes are seen at best as a alchemical mixtures of blood, tissue waste of time, and at worst, as a criminal from a mare, and other bodily fluids. influence. Alternatively or concurrently, 17-24 Genetic Bioengineering depending upon the Parallel in question, Technology; While genetic engineering playing nonphysical games is also exists on almost every Parallel (breeding prohibited. Poker? A financial risk. animals for desirable traits over many Board games? Better to really live "Life" is a form of genetic and to actually corner a market engineering), on the indicated worlds "Monopoly" than to only pretend to do bioengineering is the mainstay. This so. Roleplaying games? The worst trend had its inception in plastic surgery, offenders of the lot, these insidious but with advances in the appropriate games are "linked" to schizophrenia and technology, alterations in form and murderous impulses. Those caught function have become a normal part of playing games are soon visited by life. In some Parallel worlds, changes are jackbooted thugs in the employ of the merely cosmetic and used primarily to government branch responsible for fight disease, while on other indicated keeping its citizens "game free." worlds, it's fashionable to "wear" bodies 91-00 Weapons Outlawed; On this that are significantly changed from the world, the ownership of personal human norm. Though extending the weapons is strictly illegal. Any hero seen human life span is something that many wearing a sidearm, or even brandishing a genetic engineers strive for, it remains knife, will quickly find himself locked elusive. Some indicated worlds possess up. Of course, a brisk business in illegal splinter races designed to colonize weapons exists, though anyone caught environments inhospitable to humans, dealing in such illegal goods is subject to and sometimes such races turn on extreme penalties. their creators.... 25-32 Longer/Shorter Lifespan; In the Roll Technological "Longer lifespan" version of this Characteristics characteristic, the true fountain of youth 01-08 Android Technology; Certain has been discovered (either literally or elements of this Parallel world use figuratively). Regardless of Tech Level, androids in all facets of their society: as the primary inhabitants of the indicated workers, warriors, and even companions. world can realistically expect to live This characteristic only works at lower forever, barring disease or accident. On Tech Levels if natives who use androids some worlds of this class, peace and represent some hidden force, or if the universal harmony reign, but on others androids actually represent "homunculi" horrific wars occur following population or "golems." explosions. Some worlds of high Tech 09-16 Cloning Technology; Tissue Levels spread through the galaxy like a cloning is common on this world. In virus, using up resources at an ever- addition to cloning organs for personal increasing rate. Societies particularly use in the event of emergencies, pressed for room that don't solve their complete clones are routinely used to fill problems through warfare are given to out military regiments, for hazardous building massive artificial structures

74 capable of housing trillions or more. 49-56 Moon/Mars Colonization; In Such structures could conceivably span parallels of this class, humanity has interstellar distances. In the "Shorter turned to the Moon and/or Mars to hold lifespan" version of this characteristic, its ever-growing population. Depending humanity's desire for population control on the other attributes rolled (or the has resulted in a society where no one GM's whim), such colonists did or did lives past a designated age, whether that not discover life (possibly sentient) on is 21, 30, or any other number of the these worlds. If intelligent life did GM's choosing. This could be the result develop, expanding humans might well of genetic tampering, bizarre evolution, have treated the primitive indigents as new laws, or a combination of the three. they've historically treated less-advanced For whatever reason, individuals older cultures since the disappearance of the than the specified age simply don't exist. Neanderthals. In these parallels, a If the age is less than the average age of mimicry of the "Wild West" exists on the heroes, interesting (or dangerous) Mars, where the indigenous population complications could occur as the is forever pushed back, wars rage, and "lawbreakers" are hunted down by a frontier law is often rough and arbitrary. police force years or even decades 57-64 Nanotechnology; The problems younger than they were. of scale that hamper the development of 33-40 Machine Intelligence; Early nanotechnology were overcome early in breakthroughs in artificial intelligence the indicated world , crude nanotech can ensured the rapid proliferation of be had on the open market. One of the machine-based sentience. even as early most widespread uses of nanotechnology as Tech 5. Indicated worlds at lower is for construction and fluid landscapes Tech Levels contain hidden machine and/or fluid implements. Construction is minds, possibly from other worlds, achieved by programming a single observing the advance of the lowtech miniscule unit with the blueprints of the inhabitants and interfering from structure to be built. The unit then time to time for their own purposes. On multiplies at an exponential rate until some worlds, mobile human-shaped sufficient miniscule units exist to build "robots" are almost equals in society, the structure, like trillions of Egyptian while on other worlds of this class, slaves toiling at gargantuan pyramids. genocidal war ranges against organic Fluid structures are composed and machine life. Cross-Parallel completely of nano-units, and change travellers had best avoid planets wheTe composition and shape via the machines have already won this war. predetermined voice programs or voice 41-48 Missing Major Invention; While orders. Fluid items are much the same; civilization in this parallel has Teched however, they are usually far more along lines similar to our own, it is limited in the number of different missing one major technological modifications allowed due to total advance that we take for granted. For volume. instance, an otherwise-modern society 65-72 Primitive Civilization; The might never have invented the primary inhabitants of the indicated combustion engine. Thus, instead of world never Teched beyond the hunter- consuming fossil fuels, they might rely gatherer level of social development. on steam, solar power, or some other Technological visitors are likely to be form of energy. viewed as gods, or possibly as thieves of

75 the gods' tools. If this characteristic is annihilated by their twins. Virtual indicated in conjunction with other particles that spring into being near the higher Tech Levels by multiple rolls on extreme curvature of spacetime this table, the additional characteristics associated with black holes are indicate hidden enclaves. Alternatively, sometimes separated: one of the pair society once existed at the indicated falls into the black hole while the other Tech Level, but turned back either radiates as energy. On some Parallels, through wilful choice, devolution, or the technology exists to artificially some other mysterious factor. segregate virtual particles without 73-80 Technologically Advanced; The resorting to extreme gravitational indicated world possesses technology of effects. As such, artificial structures can at least two Tech Levels above the be created that are mostly composed of Baseline Parallel. If this result is rolled virtual matter. Such structures include in conjunction with low Tech Level walls, ammunition, and ship hulls. Using results, the high Tech society is hidden virtual matter in construction has the in a secret , or possibly part of a advantage of sidestepping "ruling class" that doesn't share the fruits mining/fabrication, procurement, and of technology with the surrounding, refining that normal construction subjugated lands. Such lesser cultures material requires. Of course, it has the exist at a Tech Level at least two steps disadvantage of being subject to below that of the ruling society. The evaporation if the power source holding technological elite generally reside in the virtual matter pairs in isolation for a small communities segregated from the particular object or structure is disrupted. "rude" accommodations and lands of those of lower Tech Levels. Beyond the fantastic 81-90 Technologically Stalled; The A traveller who manages to move indicated world exists at least two Tech through the Fantastic division without Levels below the Baseline Parallel. mishap eventually discovers Parallels Nothing but the vagaries of history have where physical laws are so different that stunted the Tech Level of Parallels in the biochemistry of life and thought this class. If this result appears in itself are affected. Travellers without conjunction with elements of higher systems specially adapted to protect Tech Levels, see 'Technologically themselves from these effects do not advanced,' above for tips. Cross-Parallel survive long, and soon fall into madness travellers should avoid confusing low PL and death. It is believed (though worlds with stupidity. Residents of such evidence is limited at best) that strange worlds are usually every bit as savvy as monstrous entities live, breathe, and gain those in possession of advanced sustenance from broken symmetries technology, and in many cases, are within this range: so far outside human capable of devising elaborate schemes to understanding that using the word get their hands of this technology, "alien" to describe them doesn't begin to usually at the expense of the current address their "reality." It is unknown owner. what (if any) divisions lie beyond this 91-00 Virtual Matter Technology; region. Some predict that natural laws Physics describes space as seething with twist even further, possibly to the erupting virtual particles, apparently breaking point, and thus provide an springing from nothingness only to be actual "end" to the infinity of Parallels.

76 On the other hand, it's possible that / X During the first few moments of the natural laws eventually move back indicated Parallel's creation, natural laws toward dimensional "standard," and that flip-flopped, resulting in a fundamental survivable universes exist beyond this shift in molecular arrangement. This region. Unfortunately, the lethal nature arrangement is not necessarily noticeable of the Parallels outside the Fantastic on a macro level, and cross-Parallel division would likely prevent any travellers might not even find the visible exploration to the Parallels beyond (if differences common in alternative any). Parallels. Unfortunately, those who unconcernedly eat local foodstuffs 2. Parallel Characteristics slowly starve, as the "left-handed" molecules that make up protein in the Parallel characteristics describe the indicated world have no nutritious value parameters of a specific Parallel. These for the visitors. Medicines, drugs, and characteristics include historical, other related substances have no societal, natural, mystical, and a host of beneficial effect on travellers. In other possibilities; a Parallel often addition. 10% of all substances possesses many characteristics. While a consumed while visiting the indicated single primary characteristic defines the world are toxic. Natives of the world predominant conditions within a react in just the same way to food and Parallel, one or more secondary medications given them by the travellers. characteristics serve to differentiate it from the other Parallels within its Stalled time cluster. At the GM's discretion, he may Indicated Parallels are caught up in a decide to add a "quirk" of local natural dimensional phenomenon of laws to any Parallel. These are believed inexplicable origin, the effects of which to be characteristics that have "leaked have "stalled time" subjective to other in" from Parallels outside the Fantastic Parallels. However, due to the travellers' division. Four potential quirks are extra-Parallel origin, they are immune to detailed below; the GM is encouraged to this effect-for a time. Thus, they can design others at his whim. In general, move freely through a frozen world, less than 1% of existing Parallels will unable to affect anything in the Parallel. have such a quirk. In most cases. such a world will serve as nothing more than a museum exhibit to the travellers; however, it's possible that the heroes' presence might "restart" time. Adverse physical laws To determine the hero's effect on the Parallel locals are adapted to some Parallel (and vice versa), a single hero natural law that is likely to adversely should make a Resolve-mental resolve affect cross-Parallel visitors. For skill check every 24 hours while in the example, the Parallel world in question Parallel (use the hero with the best evolved in parallel, but the acceleration mental resolve skill rank). On an of gravity is thrice standard Baseline Ordinary or Good result, the travellers Parallels, and could prove difficult or maintain their normal temporal lethal for cross-Parallel visitors. "identities." However, with an Amazing result, the timestream begins to reset Altered molecules itself. and within another 24 hours it will

77 have resumed its normal rate. Of course, Roll Effect the natives won't have noticed a thing. 01-30 Flawless trip With a Failure result, the heroes begin to 31-50 Routine trip lose their temporal individuality as their 51-60 Small time delay bodies slow down to match the Parallel. 61-70 Large time delay This results in a +1 step penalty to all 71-80 Small detour actions until they leave the Parallel 81-92 Large detour (multiple Failure results are cumulative). 93-97 Elastic effect On a Critical Failure, the heroes become 98-99 Error in materialization trapped in the Parallel along with its 00 Dimensional rip natives, waiting for someone else to come along and save them. A wise Dimensional rip traveller will exit such Parallels Sometimes, dimensional travellers don't immediately. show up at their intended target Parallel, and they're never seen again. No amount Temporal flux of searching by concerned comrades Indicated Parallels are caught up in a with similar Parallel spanning dimensional phenomenon of technology proves fruitful. In , it inexplicable origin. the effects of which is assumed that the lost travellers ran "speed up" or "slow down" time afoul of some belligerent locals. What subjective to other Parallels. To natives lies on the other side of a dimensional of the Parallel nothing seems out of rip? It's hard to say, but some theorize place, but cross-Parallel travellers will that travellers are sent to the beginning note upon leaving that something strange of time, or to time's end. In any case, a has happened. While days may have return from such extremities of the passed for them, only hours (or perhaps continuum has so far proven impossible. months or years) may have passed on Others contend that travellers who their home Parallel. plunge through a dimensional rip simply "come undone," as their molecules and atoms are translated into so many 3. The Hazards of Travel unconnected neutrinos. While seemingly The visitation of alternate universes is a painless and perhaps somewhat poetic not something that was ever "meant" to way to go, no one in her right mind happen. Only the most extreme cases of really wants to verify this effect physical phenomena, magical personally. intervention, or technological efforts can bridge the gap between the infinite Elastic effect dimensions. Still, even the most Dimensional reacts poorly to forced advanced methods usually entail some tunnelling: An elastic effect creates a risk on the part of dimensional travellers. brief wormhole that yanks travellers The following table provides you with back to their Parallel of origin. the opportunity to randomly determine Unfortunately, some momentum and the annoying and dangerous side effects energetic charge is transferred during the that may plague your heroes as they rebound. Travellers subject to the elastic move from Parallel to Parallel. effect must make an Acrobatics-fall skill check when they return to their home Parallel with energy equivalent to a short

78 fall. At the Gamemaster's option, Parallel confuse navigation systems (if equipment used to travel between any). Instruments or other methods (if Parallels (if any) may be damaged and any) that indicate dimensional location require a Technical Science-repair skill are momentarily fooled, such that the check to fix. destination paraverse is not the specific target. Instead, the travellers arrive in a Error in materialization different Parallel in the same cluster (roll Travelling dimensional isn't always as one or more different secondary safe as the manufacturer's guarantee— characteristics, but maintain the primary unforeseen effects may conspire such characteristic). The parallels between that travellers materialize in the target target paraverse and the actual Parallel partially within solid objects. destination are so close that travellers The resulting biological shock is may not immediately recognize the fact equivalent to a medium collision. At the they've come up short (or overshot) the Gamemaster's option, equipment used to target Parallel. travel between Parallels (if any) may be damaged and require a Technical Small time delay Science-repair skill check to fix. A space-time wrinkle causes the dimensional travellers to arrive at their Flawless trip destination a bit "later" than they left the All parameters of the journey peg the original Parallel; 2D6 hours later, to be tolerances—in fact, everything that can exact. The travellers won't notice this go right does so. Add a -1 step bonus to delay unless it results in an the next action of the traveller (or environmental change (for instance, if travellers). night falls "during" the delay).

Large detour 4. Dimensional Anomalies Like the small detour, dimensional Across the realities, physical inconsistencies skew the journey. Unlike laws are sometimes twisted and tweaked the previous entry, however, this trip beyond normal dimensional tolerances. eventually deposits travellers within a The resulting effects are often Parallel completely unlike that which vanishingly small when viewed from the was sought-perhaps even in a different perspective of an entire Parallel (which, division. after all, is a complete universe unto itself), but from a local perspective, such Large time delay effects can be quite impressive. There As "Small time delay," except the are more "strange" effects than can travellers arrive 2D6 days later. possibly be listed here, and more that have never been positively identified, Routine trip observed, or even predicted by scientists All parameters of the journey are within (or magicians) interested in dimensional tolerances, and the Parallel is reached theory. On the other hand, in an infinity without mishap. of realities, anomalies are relatively rare, and even those who travel through many Small detour worlds rarely see all the oddities that Newly spawned parallel universes manifest between dimensions. Still, it between the Parallel of origin and target behoves the conscientious researcher to

79 note the most prevalent anomalies. matter of subjective weeks, and are gone Listed below are several anomalies that forever. As such, the dimensional pit may be encountered while travelling yawns wider as more Parallels are through dimensional. These strange sucked into it, and yet more local effects occur far too infrequently to be Parallels come into jeopardy. Remember part of the random generation of that each Parallel is an entire universe in Parallels. As the GM, you should make a and of itself. As a universe tumbles into conscious choice to include an anomaly the pit, stars begin to flare, natural laws within a Parallel. If you decide that you begin to wobble, and the stuff of would like to include an anomaly in Creation begins to fray. Inhabited worlds addition to whatever other parallel within a Parallel abutting a dimensional characteristics you may have assigned to pit experience storms of ever-increasing a new Parallel, choose from any of the severity. anomalies listed below, or create your own. Such storms finally culminate in continent-sized tornadoes that literally Dimensional Pits suck away the mantle of the planet as the Parallel worlds are sometimes replaced atmosphere boils. Storms of such due to simple Pocket Bubbles, but in at magnitude arrive only scant hours before least one case, this process has gone the entire Parallel is torn asunder and terribly wrong. Instead of replacement, a swallowed by the ravenous dimensional hole was ripped in the dimensional pit. Even those few inhabitants of worlds fabric itself. Such a hole, called a who survive the massive instability don't Dimensional Pit, is a stress on the fabric last too much longer unless they possess of infinity. In less time than it takes to the means to flee the Parallel itself. describe, the parallel universe hosting Dimensional pits may be a threat to all the pit is drawn completely down a non- of dimensional. Those aware of them dimensional gullet, irrevocably gone, wonder if, in time, all the myriad swallowed by the Dimensional Pit. It's universes will eventually be drawn into a not hard to understand how the dimensional pit. Then again, this is only "disappearance" of a single Parallel really a possibility if dimensional is not amongst a continuum of Parallels leads infinite. to local dimensional stress of unimaginable intensity. In layman's Hyperrealistic Object terms, the Parallels adjacent of the There are objects in dimensional, some swallowed Parallel are squeezed into the inert and some living, that exist in more empty space, but in so doing, come into than one Parallel. In fact, these objects contact with the dimensional pit. These can only be visualized when looking at a Parallels then become subject to the broad collection of many Parallels same insane forces that swallowed the simultaneously. Imagine that every first Parallel. Parallel is a two-dimensional transparency. Now visualize a single dot Though the Parallels newly forced into marked upon each transparency. Singly, the breach by dimensional pressure don’t the marks seem meaningless, but stack dissipate with the same rapidity as the the transparencies, and the dots coalesce first, the destruction of these parallel is into a three dimensional object. Familiar still incredibly fast; they dissipate in a objects and creatures only exist in four

80 dimensions (the fourth dimension being Normally, there is no basis for time). Most creatures that live within the interaction between objects that exist in familiar divisions of dimensional, are not a single Parallel and objects that exist in physically equipped to perceive things many. However, while a traveller is in that simultaneously exist within the actual state of transit, especially additional dimensions. To humans, fifth when moving a great distance through (and higher) dimensional objects dimensional, she takes on hyperrealistic manifest as only a single speck of characteristics. In this case, a traveller swirling . possesses enough characteristics that a "collision" is possible with inanimate Our minds are incapable of perceiving hyperdimensional objects. Worse, that such a speck of "dust" is in fact a hyperrealistic organisms can see the tiny portion of a hyperrealistic object, traveller while the traveller continues to akin to a single cell from a standard move across dimensional. whether they four-dimensional organism. are in a craft, sliding down a wormhole, Hyperrealistic objects (also called or transiting via a spell or other esoteric superdimensional objects) were method. discovered with the advent of dimensional travel. Technologies that Pocket Bubble allow a traveller to speed past hundreds In rare instances, small portions of the of Parallels every second allow four- space-time walls that separate Parallels dimensional brains to visualize five- bulge and stretch, forming an Pocket. dimensional space like a child might Pockets are discrete areas (as opposed to visualize stickfigure animation by Dimensional Bleeding), usually rapidly flipping a pad of paper. Usually, manifesting as a transparent two- objects visualized in this manner are dimensional wall or bubble. A Pocket hazy, indistinct, and uncertain; travellers interface doesn't restrict physical usually only see lumpy masses, usually movement and objects are visible quite large. A few reports suggest beyond these interfaces, but they are organic structures, not unlike vines or usually blurred and indistinct, as if trees. looking through water. At other times, the interface is silvery and reflective. It doesn't take too much imagination to Simple Pocket interfaces usually realize that if there are organic measure no more than 3 to 5 meters in superdimensional objects, such objects diameter, though in particularly stressed must be part of a larger ecosystem Parallels, Pockets have been known to existing in unattainable hyperreality. grow much larger over time. An Pocket And if plant matter exists, then why not only occurs between two parallel hyperrealistic animals? Sometimes universes that are "side by side." so to dimensional travellers disappear from speak. their Parallel of origin but never reach their target paraverse. Several Usually, one of the realities is somehow explanations are made, including simple stressed, and a bubble of the "stronger" equipment malfunction, but sometimes, reality begins to intrude. It's possible to the traveller (and her craft, if any) runs move back and forth between the two afoul of a superdimensional object. realities. simply by walking back and forth between the interface, though it is

81 akin to walking through an incredibly Where the fabric of reality is stretched or stiff wind. Dimensional explorers who compressed, it is sometimes described as stumble upon such a phenomenon may wrinkled. Space-time wrinkles move back and forth between their world encountered mid-trip can affect the and a world like, yet strangely unlike, destination of an inter-Parallel trip, their home reality. In regions where effectively delaying such a journey. That space-time is stretched beyond its scenario assumes that the trip passes capacity to heal (energetic events such as through a spacetime wrinkle, with only the detonation of thermonuclear devices an indirect effect upon the travellers. near an Pocket interface can precipitate Spacetime wrinkles can have a more such fragility), Pockets sometimes grow significant effect on travellers if they end geometrically, engulfing more and more their trip in a Parallel that contains this of the victim Parallel. Once an Pocket phenomenon. Space-time wrinkles are grows to a threshold size of some 100 resident to a single universe. They only km in diameter, its size surges wildly, occur around objects at least as massive and in a matter of hours the Parallel as a small planet. Of course, every mass world is literally swallowed up and affects spacetime, but these distortions "replaced" by conditions in the Parallel are normal. Space-time wrinkles are world where the Pocketing originated. abnormal; they form for no obvious reason, and their affects on local Though this may seem catastrophic, it is geometry can be quite troubling, as if the victim Parallel world never especially in inhabited systems. An existed, and the inhabitants of the inhabited world affected by a space-time surviving world (if any) don't even wrinkle is pocked with regions with necessarily realize that their reality just variable time. That is, time runs slower overwhelmed a lesser parallel reality. in specific regions on the surface of the For some reason, Pockets never engulf world than in other places on the same more than a single star system. Thus, world. In other specific areas, time may only local systems are directly affected run faster. Certain Parallel worlds are by an Pocket that undergoes a tumorous absolutely riddled with such growth spurt; however, within the inconsistencies of time. The inhabitants universe where a solar system becomes regard such vagaries of the time stream victim to catastrophic Pocketing (as this like residents of unaffected Parallels phenomenon is sometimes termed), a regard mountain ranges to be avoided, or burst of high-energy particles (gamma inclement but seasonal weather. radiation) emanates away through space. This burst is not even noted by the Dimensional Bleed, Minor inhabitants, if any, of the replaced solar Much like it sounds, dimensional bleed system, but to the rest of the universe, occurs when influences from one the "gamma burster" is noted, though Parallel seep into that of another rarely understood. In most cases, Parallel. Bleed is unlike Pocketing, in Pockets remain stationary, strongly that no discrete interface forms between associated with a physical landform and the Parallels involved in the bleed. Note, local geology. however, that bleeding is generally contained within a radius of one to ten Space-Time Wrinkles kilometres. Only in rare cases does the bleed seep beyond these parameters.

82 Minor bleeding rarely involves tangible objects, at least at the macro level. Over time the residents of the section Instead, minor bleed usually takes the affected by the bleed begin to act quite form of emotions, diseases, or strangely, even inhumanely, toward philosophies. Residents of a particular animals. Another manifestation of minor physical site on the indicated Parallel dimensional bleed is the "past life" world may be subject to recurring phenomena. Across many Parallels pathogens, even though the strictest (especially those that are not cognizant immunization and sterilization of dimensional), certain individuals procedures are in force. claim to remember the events of past lives. In fact, these individuals are In fact, the virus or bacteria may be manifesting the effects of dimensional seeping in from the parallel world "next bleed. The memories they characteristic door," especially if the "infectious" to their souls in previous incarnations Parallel world is experiencing some sort may actually be the lives of other of virulent plague. In the same way, individuals on other Parallels, whose events that somehow call into being memories migrated through dimensional extreme emotions on one Parallel can bleed. affect the mental state of residents of nearby Parallels that live in physical Dimensional Bleed, Major correspondence with the first. For Akin to minor bleed, major dimensional instance, events of extreme violence on bleed involves seepage from one Parallel one Parallel could colour the dreams of into another. Unlike the minor residents of a small town the next manifestation, however, major Parallel over. Such towns usually grow dimensional bleeding is not necessarily smaller and smaller, as the unending limited to just ideas, emotions, or dreams that come from no apparent microscopic viruses. Though major source whittle down even the strongest bleed can include such things, the of wills. phenomenon's primary identifying feature is that actual physical objects, Even subtler are the rare occurrences of organisms, structures, landscapes, and philosophical bleed. Intangible ideals even altered physical laws can bleed sometimes seep past dimensional from one Parallel to another. barriers to colour the attitudes of localized populaces in the affected Worse, major bleeding isn't always worlds. For instance, on there may be an constrained to just a few kilometres. In Earth that subscribes wholly to the belief some cases, effects grow until they until that pets are evil and cannot be tolerated. the two affected Parallels fuse into a Those found in violation of this belief single, muddled universe, or until the are punished. Now, imagine if an Earth process can be manually reversed within or near the Baseline Parallel class through advanced technology. Natural begins to experience philosophical bleed regions of major dimensional bleed from the first Earth. As stated earlier, rarely grow on their own accord. minor bleed is usually localized to just a Naturally occurring events often include few kilometres, so at most a small city relics and organisms from several might be affected, or perhaps a small neighbouring Parallels, as well as section of a large city. "distant" Parallels that lie within

83 different divisions of the dimensional instead are relegated to specific portions sequence. of the space-time continuum. Sadly, living creatures caught up in a time loop Thus, regions which experience major are generally unaware of bleed can contain several anachronistic their fate to relive a portion of their lives and "Parallel anachronistic" elements, over, and over, and over again, ad including "alien" races, technological infinitum. items far in advance of the standard for the indicated world, and creatures Time loops sometimes form completely straight out of a fantasy novel. Such naturally, but the most common reason a manifestations of dimensional bleed are time loop forms is due to some rare. Sometimes affected areas are catastrophic release of energy that looked upon as dangerous, while on results in significant destruction. other Parallels, trade routes are opened "Significant" is the key term here—any through the new "lands" accessible diversion in a Parallel's history of through the "nexus." Unnatural enormous "significance" that is occurrences of major dimensional bleed prematurely precipitated must spawn often continue to grow after their another parallel Parallel where the inception, sometimes to the detriment of disaster did not occur, according to one or both of the Parallels affected. theory. The thing is, dimensional is Unnatural bleed can be initiated during already saturated with infinite Parallels, technological research into the nature of and there isn't always "room" for more. dimensional, especially when So, instead of spawning new Parallels researchers tinker at dimensional based on one localized event. the event matrices in spite of shaky or misguided and the surrounding space-time is theories. Major bleed can occur so fast snipped off, and looped back on itself that to observers, it resembles an just prior to the disaster in question. explosion, leaving only rubble in its wake. Other dimensional bleed disasters Thus, there is no need for the formation start small, but grow into events that of new universes, since the significant threaten the entire world. event didn't really occur. Of course, events that humans consider significant Time Loops happen all the time, but time loops don't A Mobius strip is a continuous onesided curtail our future. It goes back to what surface formed from a flat strip of "significant" really means, as far as material by rotating one end 180 degrees dimensional is concerned. A destructive and attaching it to the other end. Time event (or creative event, for that matter) loops are like Mobius strips, in that a is only significant if it would require loop is formed with no beginning and no another parallel universe to form to end. In the case of a time loop that balance out wild swings of probability. affects a Parallel, a certain section of And, just for the record, this sort of history plays over and over again, never balancing act is very, very rarely deviating from the prescribed course of necessary. So, merely flipping a coin is events, and never failing to jump back to not a significant event, nor is the an earlier time when the current events destruction of an entire planet... usually. have run their course. Time loops are generally not Parallel-wide effects, but 5. Dimensional Travel

84 There's more than one way to cross Any setting that provides spacecraft dimensions. capable of moving beyond the confines of the local solar system contains the Alien Artifact possibility that black holes could be used A character may obtain an alien artifact to access other universes. Unfortunately, in many different scenarios and at any there are some drawbacks to using a raw Tech Level. Heroes at higher Tech black hole to move through dimensional. Levels are equally likely to come across Because of these drawbacks, black hole an artifact in trade, excavation, or other diving is rarely a preferred method to dealings with aliens hailing from other travel dimensional. Of course, this star systems. Regardless of how a hero method is all that is available on some comes across an alien artifact that Parallels. Black holes possess a region provides access to parallel universes, it's known as an event horizon. At the event suggested that a few particulars of such horizon, the curvature of space-time (the an artifact remain standard. Accessing pull of gravity) is so extreme that to an the alien artifacts power is not outside observer, time seems to come to necessarily an easy process. Once a standstill. activated, an alien artifact doesn't create any big, flashy entrances to a parallel Nothing can ever pass an event horizon universe. Instead, it merely pushes itself, more than once; however, if the black its owner, and up to 1000 additional hole possesses a spin, it has two event kilograms into a nearby parallel universe horizons, an inner and an outer. Now, if with hardly a paratemporal "splash." the terrific tidal effects can be avoided Once used, the artifact can't be powered through some sort of inertialess field, a up again for D4 days. The artifact can traveller could safely pass from our always transfer its user back to the universe to any other parallel universe, parallel universe of origin or any of which an infinite number exist within previously visited Parallel, assuming the the infinite structure of a black hole. user selects this destination and Unfortunately, because of the time successfully activates the artifact. On the dilation effect, the universe from which other hand, using the artifact to access the traveller came will have aged to any other potential destination is always "death" while the he hovers on the edge determined randomly. Sometimes, these of the event horizon. Sort of a one-way types of artifacts activate on their own, trip, as it were. Still, some travellers use reacting to subtle cues in the this method, as seen in the specific environment of which the hero may not example below. even be aware. Such inadvertent shifting could conceivably throw a hero and his Dimensional Drive companions into a parallel universe that In the waning days of the Energy Age, a is so similar to their own that they don't scientific breakthrough allows for the immediately realize the space-time shift. creation of a starship drive system that Only after massive impossibilities come actually breaks the barriers between to light do the heroes begin to realize Parallels. Dubbed the dimensional drive, that something is terribly, horribly this system opens up entire new vistas of wrong. exploration. However, the system is very complex and requires the Knowledge Black Hole Dimension skill to operate.

85 such that all possible problems are a Gate thing of the past. Thus, tended fixed While the common forms of travel in do not require a roll however, dimensional allow transit to any of a newly discovered dimensional gates of number of different paraverses, there is a ancient origin may require a roll at your class of transport known as a gate or option. portal that also provides transport between Parallels. Unlike the other Magic forms of travel discussed here, however, In some settings, a hero or member of fixed gates are immovable structures that the supporting cast may have access to provide access to only one other Parallel, magic. Magic fits best into fantasy which is normally pre-programmed into scenarios; however, you may feel that the gate at the time of its construction. some magic is appropriate for your Usually, travel is possible back and forth science fiction setting. Magic is a between the target Parallel and the fantastic effect produced through the use original Parallel if the similar gate is of ritual, word, will, or a combination of built on the target Parallel. the three. Such effects are entirely at Technologically produced fixed gates odds with the logical procedures of may be produced no sooner that at Tech science, and attempting to understand Level 7. Magic with such methods is generally unsuccessful. Though the spells and The technological fixed gate requires a rituals of Magic conform to a lore that constant power supply of at least fusion mimics scientific research, magical cell level if the gate is to remain experimentation is based more on constantly open. If a product of natural intuitive leaps, while scientific research occurrences (i.e., some product of thin is grounded in empirical trial and error. walls between two "nearby" Parallels or Someone with magic may have the of a short-term wormhole connecting ability to "cast" one of a potential two "distant" Parallels), the fixed gate multitude of spells, incantations, or usually manifests within the mouth of a rituals which allow the caster and cave, cleft, pit, or other natural feature of possibly others to peer or move through the landscape. Furthermore, the gate is dimensional. Of course, the specific only "open" part of the time, keying to parameters of travelling to other certain phases of the moon, planetary Parallels vary according to the specific configuration with other bodies in the specialty skill. solar system, or energetic activity. Magically instigated fixed Meta Power portals can also be created in doorways. A hero or a member of the supporting on the surface of small pools, or in the cast may have access to the Dimensional very air. Magical fixed gates operate for Shift power. This is normally the result those with the proper magical command of a fantastic mutation, a research word or physical ingredient that serves project, arcane lore, mythology come to catalyse the cross-Parallel trip. true, alien technology, or even alien Normally, fixed wormhole connections intervention. between Parallels are tested and refined

86 Appendix 1: DC0 The DC Universe

87 In DC Comics the Multiverse is a the same space, separated from each continuity construct in which multiple other by their vibrational resonances. fictional versions of the universe exist in Each universe in this multiverse varies

88 from the others in either subtle or Multiverse, the main DC Universe has profound ways. gone by many names, but in recent years has been referred to by "Prime Earth" In particular the Earth of each universe (not to be confused with "Earth Prime") has a different set of superheroes or the or "Earth 0". life histories of its superheroes are different from those of others'. In several The main DC Universe, as well as the cases characters from other publishers alternate realities related to it, began as acquired by DC previously established the first in comic books with a fictional universe of their own and were quickly adapted to other media have been assigned their own alternate such as film serials or radio dramas. In universe within the Multiverse. The subsequent decades, the continuity universes are identified by referring to between all of these media became the alternate Earths known as Earth One, increasingly complex with certain Earth Two, Earth Three, Earth X and so storylines and events designed to forth. The first such parallel world was simplify or streamline the more introduced in 1961 in #123 in confusing aspects of characters' the story Flash of Two Worlds. These histories. parallel worlds/universes were eliminated or merged in Crisis on Golden Age Infinite Earths a 12-issue The fact that DC Comics characters published in 1985, but were again coexisted in the same world was first acknowledged in the 2005 sequel established in All #3 (1940) Infinite Crisis. where several superheroes (who starred in separate stories in the series up to that Traditionally the numbered Earths were point) met each other in a group dubbed spelled out as words rather than with the Justice Society of America. numerals e.g. Earth-Two not Earth-2 in Subsequently, the Justice Society was part to avoid confusion between similar reintroduced as the Justice League of looking numerals and letters in hand America, which was founded with Major lettered text. This convention was League Baseball's National League and disregarded in Crisis on Infinite Earths, American League as inspiration for the and it became somewhat common to name. The that introduced refer to the various Earths with numerals the Justice League was titled The Brave instead. However Infinite Crisis reverted and the Bold. However, the majority of to the original use of words. National/DC's publications continued to be written with little regard of DC superheroes such as Superman, maintaining continuity with each other Batman, and Wonder Woman are from for the first few decades. this universe, and it also contains well Silver Age known supervillains such as , Over the course of its publishing history, the , and . In context, the DC has introduced different versions of term "DC Universe" usually refers to the its characters, sometimes presenting main DC continuity. them as if the earlier version had never The term "DC Multiverse" refers to the existed, among them the Flash, Green collection of all continuities within DC Lantern, and , in the late Comics publications. Within the 1950s, with similar powers but different

89 names and personal histories. Similarly, Superheroes book acted as if the Pre- they had characters such as Batman Crisis Earth-1 history was still their past, whose early adventures set in the 1940s a point driven home in the could not easily be reconciled with miniseries. It also removed the stories featuring a still-youthful man in mechanism DC had been using to deal the 1970s. with continuity glitches or storylines that a later writer wanted to ignore (which is To explain this, they introduced the idea how Earths B and E how came into of the Multiverse in Flash #123 (1961) existence) resulting in a convoluted where the Silver Age Flash met his explanation for characters like Golden Age counterpart. In addition to Hawkman. allowing the conflicting stories to "co- exist", it allowed the differing versions The Zero Hour limited series (1994) of characters to meet, and even team up gave them an opportunity to revise to combat cross-universe threats. The timelines and rewrite the DC Universe writers gave designations such as "Earth- history. However this failed right out of One", "Earth-Two", and so forth, to the gate as the writers had certain universes, designations which at state all alternate histories had been times were also used by the characters wiped and yet have the Armageddon themselves. Earth-One was the primary 2001 in the timeline which required world of this publication era. multiple timelines to work.

Crisis on Infinite Earths As a result, almost once per decade since Over the years, as the number of titles the 1980s, the DC Universe experiences published increased and the volume of a major crisis that allows any number of past stories accumulated, it became changes from new versions of characters increasingly difficult to maintain internal to appear as a whole reboot of the consistency. In order to continue universe, restarting nominally all the publishing stories of its most popular characters into a new and modernized characters, maintaining the status quo version of their lives. became necessary.[citation needed] Although retcons were used as a way to Meanwhile, DC has published explain apparent inconsistencies in occasional stories called , stories written, editors at DC came to which often presented alternate versions consider the varied continuity of of its characters. One told the story of multiple Earths too difficult to keep as a Green Lantern. In track of, and feared that it was an another tale, Superman: Speeding obstacle to accessibility for new readers. Bullets, the rocket ship that brought the To address this, they published the infant Superman to Earth was discovered cross-universe miniseries Crisis on by the Wayne family of Infinite Earths in 1985, which merged rather than the Kents. universes and characters, reducing the Multiverse to a single unnamed universe In 1999, The Kingdom reintroduced a with a single history. variant of the old Multiverse concept called Hypertime which essentially However, not all the books rebooted allows for alternate versions of post-Crisis. For example, the Legion of characters and worlds again. The entire

90 process was possibly inspired by Alan coinciding with the Moore's meta-comic, Supreme: Story of anniversary event which the Year (1997). celebrated the history of the DC Multiverse and its various incarnations. The Convergence (2015) crossover officially retconned the events of Crisis DC Rebirth after heroes in that series went back in In February 2016, DC announced its DC time to prevent the collapse of the Rebirth initiative, a line-wide relaunch Multiverse.[7] However, states of its titles, to begin in June 2016. "Each world has evolved but they all still Beginning with an 80-page one-shot exist".[8] It has been confirmed that all which was released on May 25, 2016, previous worlds and timelines now exist, DC Rebirth also sees and and that there even multiple Multiverses return to their now in existence, such as the Pre-Crisis previous numbering (#957 and #934 infinite Multiverse, the collapsed Earth, respectively), all books releasing at and the Pre-New 52 52 worlds US$2.99, multiple books shifting to a Multiverse. twice-monthly release schedule, a number of existing titles relaunching Infinite Crisis with new #1s, and the release of several The Infinite Crisis event (2005–2006) new titles.[9][10] DC has used the Green remade the DC Universe yet again, with Lantern: Rebirth and The Flash: Rebirth new changes. The limited series 52 miniseries as examples of the basis for (2006–2007) established that a new the initiative, which has been described multiverse now existed, with Earth-0 as as a rebirth of the DC Universe. The DC the primary Earth. Rebirth initiative will reintroduce concepts from pre-Flashpoint continuity, such as legacy, that have been lost with The 2011 reboot of the DC Universe The New 52 and build "on everything coincided with DC's publishing event that's been published since Action The New 52, during which the publisher Comics #1 up thru The New 52." cancelled its ongoing titles and relaunched 52 new books, including a DC Universe number of new books, set within a In October 2017, DC revealed that they revised continuity. This follows the would be discontinuing the Rebirth conclusion of the Flashpoint crossover branding and logo from their titles in storyline, which provided a jumping-off December 2017, releasing everything point for the existing continuity. A under a single umbrella title as the "DC number of in-universe changes are Universe". Coincided with the release of intended to make characters more the New Age of Heroes imprint, DiDio modern and accessible, though the scope explained, "We want to make it clear of the changes varies from character to that this is all the DC Universe... Rebirth character. Some like Batman have their pretty much is the DCU now; while histories left largely intact, though we're taking Rebirth off the books, we'll compressed, while others were given be following the direction that Rebirth wildly different histories and looks. DC established." Titles also received new stopped putting 'The New 52' logo on its trade dress, with those "that tie in clearly publications in the summer of 2015, to our larger DC Universe" having a

91 "DCU logo on them" in addition to many fantastic additions exist, such as corner boxes with icons of the characters the known existence of Atlantis. In to help identify the family of titles; titles recent years, stories have increasingly outside the DCU, such as Injustice: Gods described events which bring the DC Among Us and DC Bombshells would Universe farther away from reality, such simply have the DC logo on them. DiDio as World War III occurring, Lex Luthor also added that the Young Animal being elected as President of the United imprint would continue as a separate line States in 2000, and entire cities and of titles. countries being destroyed. There are other minor variations, such as the Earth The basic concept of the DC Universe is being slightly larger than ours (to that it is just like the real world, but with accommodate the extra countries), and superheroes and supervillains existing in the planet Saturn having 18 moons rather it. However, there are other corollary than 19 because Superman destroyed differences resulting from the one. justifications implied by that main concept. Many fictional countries, such Superheroes as Qurac, Vlatava, and Zandia, exist in Many of the superhumans on Earth owe it. Though stories are often set in the their powers to the "metagene", a genetic United States of America, they are as feature of unknown origin, which causes often as not set in fictional cities, such as some people to develop superpowers Gotham City or . These cities when exposed to dangerous substances are effectively archetypes of cities, with and forces. Others owe their powers to Gotham City embodying more of the magic, genetic manipulation (or negative aspects of life in a large city, mutation) or bionics (see below). A large and Metropolis reflecting more of the power gap resides between most positive aspects. Sentient alien species superheroes and civilians. Still others (such as and Thanagarians) owe their powers to not being human at and even functioning interstellar all (see races, below). There are also societies are generally known to exist, superheroes and supervillains who and the arrival of alien spacecraft is not possess no superhuman powers at all (for uncommon. example Batman, Robin, or Speedy), but rival their effectiveness Technologies which are only theoretical with specialized equipment or "to the in the real world, such as artificial absolute limit of human potential" intelligence or are outright impossible training in special skills, such as martial according to modern science, such as arts. faster-than-light travel, are functional and reproducible, though they are often The humans first began using costumed portrayed as highly experimental and identities to fight or commit crime difficult to achieve. Demonstrable magic during the 1930s. The first superheroes exists and can be learned. included characters like the Crimson and The Sandman. In The general history of the fictional world November 1940, the first superhero is similar to the real one (for instance, team, the Justice Society of America, there was a Roman Empire, and World was formed. During World War II, all of War II and 9/11 both occurred), but America's heroes were banded together

92 as the All-Star Squadron to protect the passively. Thus, an organization called United States from the Axis powers. "the Dome" was formed to help However, due to a magical spell cast by superheroes who needed to fight crime Adolf Hitler (using the Spear of Destiny across international borders; the and the Holy Grail) the most powerful superhero group called the Global heroes were unable to enter Axis-held Guardians were their main agents. territories, leaving the war to be fought mainly by normal humans such as Sgt. However the Dome eventually lost out, Rock. as its backing went to the more famous Justice League. In general, After the war, under pressure from the DC Comics has led a parody of its own paranoid Committee on Un-American teams and organizations after the Activities, the JSA disbanded. While Watchmen storyline and the Batman run many types of heroes were active from a dark humor style which began afterwards (mainly non-costumed, such during the 1980s and ended in the early as the Challengers of the Unknown or 90s. Superhero teams such as the Doom Detective Chimp), it was not until Patrol and Justice League International Superman's public debut that a new led the writers to have a more subtle generation of costumed heroes became approach of semiotic dark humor with its active. Soon after, the Justice League of own version of over-powered egos America was formed, and they have dominating personalities. remained Earth's preeminent superhero team; most DC heroes (such as the Teen The American government has had a Titans) have either belonged to the more wary approach, however. Back League at some point, or have during World War II they started connections to it. "Project M" to create experimental soldiers to fight in the war, such as the As a general rule, being a superhero does Creature Commandos. Most of these not require powers anywhere near experiments remain a secret to the omnipotence. Furthermore, even major public. Currently, the government deals heroes and cosmic entities have distinct with and similar beings vulnerabilities, such as: Superman's through its Department of Extranormal weaknesses to magic, , and red Operations (DEO), and more recently sunlight; Green Lantern's initial A.R.G.U.S.. Covertly, they use an problems with wood or the color yellow organization of costumed (but non- (which have since been largely superhuman) agents known as overcome); or Batman's lack of "". The government also superhuman powers, which he formed Task Force X (known as the supplements with keen intellect, constant "") for "black ops". Most training, and specialized technology. members have been captured supervillains (and thus expendable), and Superheroes are generally accepted or were strongly "encouraged" to join even praised—Superman and the Flash (often with offerings of clemency if they actually having museums dedicated to survived their extremely dangerous them—by the general public, though missions). some individuals have decided that "the metahumans" must be dealt with less

93 Outcast personalities are often relegated (or the scientific geniuses who create to the world of DCU supervillainry. them) have access to them. S.T.A.R. They are then usually well versed in Labs is an independent research outfit heists, kidnappings and robberies. that often develops these devices, while Villains with meek powers contrive Lexcorp is the main company selling schemes of extraordinary complexity, them. The government also runs the yet—because of their simple talents— secret (located in the they only call the attention of mountains near Metropolis) to develop superheroes like Batman, or lesser clones and genetic manipulation without superheroes like . When the public's knowledge. Technology can caught, any prison sufficient to contain also come from outer space or different these villains is suitable. More powerful timelines. weaponry is often villains strive to contest for greater goals sold in Metropolis to the criminal like world domination and/or universal organization known as . acclaim (from the public and their villainous peers). Usually more powerful Robots and similar creations, including enemies are imprisoned in maximum- , can have intelligence level facilities—such as Belle Reve when they are created as sentient beings. Penitentiary (which also was secretly The Manhunters, the Metal Men, Red Task Force X's headquarters) and even Tornado, Robotman, , and alternate dimensions or outer space— are but a few examples. These because they cannot simply be killed by 'beings' are most often created by a bullet, electricity, or poison. individuals who possess vast intellects, like scientists Professor T.O. Morrow Supervillains sometimes also form their (maker of the ), Dr. Will own groups, but these tend to be short- Magnus (who constructed the Metal lived because most villains simply do Men) and (who fabricated not trust each other. Most such teams are and other advanced androids formed by a charismatic and/or fearsome using a form of Nano-technology criminal mastermind for specific developed by Lexcorp). Brainiac also purposes; an example is the Secret emulates this technology as well as Society of Super Villains of which there technology from other worlds. Similarly, have been several versions. Most villain some characters use technology to teams are usually small, having been enhance their armor or modify formed of individuals who know each cybernetic functions, for example Steel, other personally, such as the Central Cyborg and the Cyborg Superman. City , or have some other reason to work together (mercenary groups like Hidden races the H.I.V.E., fanatical cults such as There are a few intelligent races living Kobra, etc.). on Earth that the public at large did not know about until recent times. Among Advanced technology these are the Amazons of Themyscira Technology more advanced than that and Bana-Mighdall and the last which currently exists in real life is survivors of Atlantis, who changed available - but it is usually very themselves into water-breathing forms, expensive, and usually only rich or including the human-like Poseidonians powerful individuals and organizations and the mermaid-like Tritonians. Other

94 species, such as Warworlders, were brief but they are usually the same for all test subjects of Project Cadmus who fled individuals of the same race, unlike to the Underworld below Metropolis. Earth's metahumans. This was explained There is also a tribe of highly intelligent, by the fact that in Earth's distant past telepathic gorillas living in Gorilla City, Martians experimented on humanity, an invisible city hidden in Africa; this is severely culling the the home of . potential; this means that a species that was meant to have a wide range of Certain creatures created such as angelic powers, like Tamaranians or beings, timeline driven entities, Kryptonians, ended up "just...human". experimental deformities and dimension However, there are also plenty of creatures are not considered hidden races nonhumanoid races. because it is simply not included. However, it is only because most The DC Universe has had many natural monsters play a less substantial role in and cosmic disasters happen to their the DC Universe. The plot-lines of alien civilizations. The Martians were Dinosaur Island and Skartaris are but a destroyed by war, the Kryptonians by a few examples of the experiments the DC dying planet that exploded, and the universe contrives, yet its role in DC Czarnians by a plague. Even the comics are played down when in Almeracian Empire was victim to comparison to other companies, impending destruction by . therefore they are included as being a race from Earth. An easternized Order is kept around the galaxy by the influence is more evident in most Marvel Guardians of the Universe and their Comics literature, while DC Comics are agents, the . Rival exaggerated, under-influenced or peacekeeping organizations include the sustained into the belief of comical (created by the Guardians' parodies; e.g. the story-line of the alien, rivals, the Controllers) and the Monstergirl, and her affluent life-style as interplanetary mercenary organization a teenage recluse who turns into a L.E.G.I.O.N.. Criminal organizations monster or the purpose of Asmodel, an include the Manhunters, the Spider angelic inter-dimensional being from a Guild and the . conceptual Heaven who comes to Earth. Therefore, these particular races are not Most aliens are from different planets, considered hidden but alien and extra- who have a source of origin near the dimensional (see the following sections Solar System and in the Milky Way below for reference). Galaxy, although, unlike the Marvel Universe, alien colonies are common Aliens within the solar system. The Dominators There are many intelligent are an imperialistic race of terrorist extraterrestrial races as well. Curiously, aliens who control most of the unknown a large number of them are humanoid, cosmos in order to extract genetic even human-like, in form (such as resources from planets. The caste is also Kryptonians, who outwardly appear collectively known as the Dominion. identical to Earth-born humans); some Other aliens in the outlying galaxies can even interbreed with Terrans. Some control armadas like the , of these races have natural superpowers, Gordanians, Thanagarians, Spider Guild

95 and, most recently, the Reach. Even another planet, but they destroyed though the majority of the DC Universe themselves in a terrible war. This is policed by the Green Lantern Corps, unleashed the "Godwave", a wave of and later the United Planets, most rogue cosmic energy from the Source. This races strive to conquer the known gave birth to other gods across the universe. universe, including Earth’s. From the planet’s remains the worlds of One oddity is the Vegan star system. Apokolips and were Due to an arrangement with the Psions, formed, inhabited by beings that call the Guardians did not intervene in that themselves the "". The Source system, allowing a cruel empire called Wall is an archetype of Buddha on the "the Citadel" to govern there, until it was edge of the known galaxy. Certain overthrown by the Men. speedsters believe in enlightenment in order to become part of the Speed Force Cosmic entities (see below). Kismet is an immortal god The Presence is the God of the DC and the embodiment of reality. She was Universe; he created all reality. He is matched with Marvel's in JLA/ also the most powerful being in the Avengers. In mortal form she was a Multiverse and beyond. There are member of the Lords of Order. several lesser beings in the DC universe Depending on the characters, other that possess god-like powers, through diverse religious deities from ancient energy manipulation, magic ability, or cultures are common. Heroes such as technological advancement. Magic and and Black Condor, or villains like the supernatural are often depicted as , have found knowledge of being real in the DC Universe, though their native roots in origin. Death some skeptics, such as Mister Terrific, represents different characters in the DC maintain that there are scientific Universe. One personification of death is explanations to all such events. The the , who can represent narration of the mystic and harsh dark Death as an internal figure for the reality is more common in DC's Vertigo speedsters in the DC Universe. Another Comics because its stories lurk outside is Death (see below), who resides at the of superhero fantasy; the Vertigo series very end of time. The Black Racer have beings that relate better to civilian appears as Death in the afterlife. There life, although both universes are subject also is , lord of the Land of the to fantastical realms and unworldly Unliving, who is the embodiment of dimensions. Magic is too powerful in the Death as the ultimate opponent. Death is physical world, where harnessing magic also one of the Endless, and is the can distort and even destroy reality if not ultimate personification of Death in the properly controlled (e.g., if a Lord of DCU. Order succumbs to certain events, so will a Lord of Chaos). The Lords of Chaos and Order: These two groups of magical beings There are several types of cosmic have been fighting against each other entities, such as: since the beginning of time and they Gods: often empower others (with "Order The first beings calling themselves 'gods' Magic" or "Chaos Magic") in exchange first appeared billions of years ago on for their acting as their agents. Many

96 magical heroes and villains have been will - green; hope - blue; compassion - manipulated by them. The Lords of indigo; love - violet) and being. The Chaos and Order were killed by the various power-ring based corps of the in Day Of Vengeance: Infinite DCU, most notably the Green Lantern Crisis Special #1. Corps and Corps, utilize the energies of these beings. Elementals: The Earth itself has a living spirit called Wizards and Sorcerers: "Maya" who, for millennia, has been Various sorcerers lurk in the DCU. Dr. creating champions, one for each of the Fate, , the Shazam, mystical elements, to protect itself, using and Felix Faust are written as characters human beings as their hosts. The Swamp who use sorcery to both create and Thing, , Naiad and the Red destroy. Dimensions, rituals and spiritual Tornado were some of them. realms are sources for magic power as seen in Ras al Ghul's Lazarus Pit, Doctor Homo magi: Occult's use of the astral plane and the a species of humanity with the natural transformations of Captain Marvel. ability to use magic, this race almost disappeared after too much Demons: crossbreeding with normal humans (it is Demonic entities vary from Etrigan the from them that people in the DC Demon to Blaze, Satanus and Neron. Universe inherited the ability to use Demonic entities are abundant and come magic). The last pure- ones from Hell although some, like decided to retire to a magical invisible the vengeance demon (also referred to as city centuries ago and are now known as the Prince of Darkness), reside on the "the Hidden Ones". knows Moon. Demonic entities from Wonder many of the race's secrets, and Traci Woman comics are directly linked to Thirteen is currently investigating Greek mythology such as Hades and magical and occult phenomena for the . In the , characters Croatoan Society—both women had like oppose demons Homo magi mothers. influenced by Christian mythology. Most demons are not, however, directly The Endless: linked to demonology. Physical manifestations of eternal and universal phenomena that affect the Monitors: human condition (Destiny, Death, The Monitors were incredibly powerful Dream, Destruction, Despair, Desire and cosmic beings. Originally, a Monitor and Delirium), principally recounted in the an Anti-Monitor were byproducts of the Modern Age Sandman series. event that created the Multiverse. As archenemies, they fought for billions of Emotional Manifestations: years, before enlisting the help of Like the Endless, these beings were warriors and causing the Crisis, during created from the emotional energy which both were killed. After the generated by sentient beings. Each of the Multiverse was reborn, the origins of the seven emotional manifestations of the Monitors was revised. In the Post-Crisis DCU is represented by a different color continuity, the Monitors were a vast (rage - red; greed - orange; fear - yellow; civilization tasked with protecting and

97 guiding the various worlds of the between such characters are no longer Multiverse. They were also vampires considered intercompany crossovers. and had to resist the urge to feed on the universes that they were born to protect. Additionally, the Marvel Comics Universe is also said to exist in the DC Other dimensions Universe as one of the many alternative The DC Universe is composed of a universes. The reverse may also be said number of different dimensional planes, with respect to the Marvel Universe. most notably parallel Earths (see This is one method of explaining the Multiverse), but the latter were various crossover stories co-published eliminated when reality was altered by by the two companies. the Anti-Monitor (although stories featuring parallel Earths have continued Dimensions within the Magic Lands to crop up with various rationalizations Azarath in the following years). Other types of Gemworld dimensions still exist, however, Hidden Land including the Antimatter Universe of Land of Nightshades Qward, the Pax dimension, the Fifth 's World Dimension and the Bleed. Prison Myra dimensions, such as the , Other side of the world are meant to house superpowered Skataris criminals who are too powerful for any Themyscira conventional means of containment. Zrfff Dimensions make up many universes, of which some are created and destroyed Dimensions within the Lands of Logic with help from supernatural forces and Meta Zone elements from which power is drawn. Phantom Zone Qward As well, certain dimensions function as Teall crossover opportunities for heroes from different comic book companies to Dimensions within the Afterworlds interact, either from competing Asgard companies, or from companies absorbed Bgtzl by competitors. The most notable Controller's Dimension example of the first kind of crossover Darkworld has been between Marvel Comics and Domain of Lords of Order DC Comics, and the latter with Heaven Wildstorm Comics. An example of the Heliopolis latter kind of crossover would be DC's Hell acquisition of Fawcett Comics, Quality Limbo Comics, and and the Mount Olympus absorption into the DC continuity of the original Captain Marvel, Heaven and Hell and . In this way, heroes Heaven and Hell exist in the DC originally published by different Universe but may not exist in the same companies are now part of the same continuum. Versions vary from the fictional universe, and interactions Vertigo and DC Universe series with

98 writers of the Vertigo Universe depicting The Legion of Super-Heroes from 1,000 them in relation to religion and years into the future in particular have mythology while the writers in the DCU access to time-travel technology have a tendency to narrate fantasy. (although the threeboot Legion lacks time travel technology) while Rip Speed Force Hunter is the present day authority of the The Speed Force is an extradimensional technology. Originally, it was impossible energy source which provides the to change the past, or to exist in two speedsters of the DC Universe with their places at the same time (a time traveler powers. Accessing the Speed Force appearing in an era where they already makes it possible to run at incredible existed would become an ineffectual, speeds, even faster than light, and even invisible phantom while there). However to jump in and out of the timestream, that was all changed after the Anti- thereby travelling - albeit with a limited Monitor tried to change history at the degree of control - through time. The beginning of time during the Crisis on Speed Force also acts as a kind of Infinite Earths. Also, a number of Valhalla for deceased speedsters. The alternate realities-known as Hypertime- Flash: Rebirth reveals that is now exist. A group calling itself the a living generator of the Speed Force Linear Men formed to prevent anyone ever since the accident that transformed from changing history. In addition, an him into the Flash. enormously powerful being called the Time Trapper, an enemy of the Legion, The timestream has been known to manipulate the It is possible to travel in time in this timestream, even creating "pocket universe by several means, including universes". moving faster than the speed of light.

Appendix 2: MU0 The Marvel Universe

99 The Marvel Universe is a fictional universe where the stories in most titles and other media published by take place. Super-teams

100 such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the fantastic elements is fairly rare; another Fantastic Four, the Guardians of the example is the DC Universe.) Monsters Galaxy, the , the also play a more prominent role with and other Marvel superheroes live in this east Asian origins of magical universe, including characters such as incantation, outlandish sorcery and Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron manifesting principle in the Marvel Man, Thor, Daredevil, The Hulk, Universe. One such case is Fin Fang Wolverine, , , Foom arising from the ashes of tantric Deadpool, Blade, Ghost Rider, Doctor magic. Thanks to these extra elements, Strange and numerous others. Earth in the Marvel Universe is home to a large number of superheroes and The Marvel Universe is further depicted supervillains, who have gained their as existing within a "multiverse" powers by any of these means. consisting of thousands of separate universes, all of which are the creations Comparatively little time passes in the of Marvel Comics and all of which are, Marvel Universe compared to the real in a sense, "Marvel universes". In this world, owing to the serial nature of context, "Marvel Universe" is taken to storytelling, with the stories of certain refer to the mainstream Marvel issues picking up mere seconds after the continuity, which is known as Earth-616 conclusion of the previous one, while a or currently as Earth Prime. whole month has passed by in "real time". Marvel's major heroes were The Marvel Universe is strongly based created in the 1960s, but the amount of on the real world. Earth in the Marvel time that has passed between then and Universe has all the features of the real now within the universe itself has (after one: same countries, same personalities a prolonged period of being identified as (politicians, movie stars, etc.), same about ten years in the mid-to-late 1990s) historical events (such as World War II), most recently been identified as thirteen and so on. However, it also contains years. many other fictional elements: countries such as and (very Consequently, the settings of some small nations), and organizations like the events which were contemporary when espionage agency S.H.I.E.L.D. and its written have to be updated every few enemy, , and A.I.M. In 2009 years in order to "make sense" in this Marvel officially described its world's floating timeline. Thus, the events of geography in a two-part miniseries, the previous stories are considered to have Marvel Atlas. happened within a certain number of years prior to the publishing date of the Most importantly, the Marvel Universe current issue. For example, Spider-Man's also incorporates examples of almost all high school graduation was published in major science fiction and fantasy Amazing Spider-Man #28 (September concepts, with writers adding more 1965), his college graduation in continuously. Aliens, gods, magic, Amazing Spider-Man #185 (October cosmic powers and extremely advanced 1978), and his high school reunion in human-developed technology all exist : Spider-Man #7 prominently in the Marvel Universe. (A (December 2004). Because of the universe incorporating all these types of floating timeline, where stories refer to

101 real-life historic events, these references rarely encounter modern Marvel are later ignored or rewritten to suit superhero characters. This is most likely current sensibilities. For instance, the possible due to the uncertain legal status origin of Iron Man was changed in a of Howard's works prior to 2006 when 2004 storyline to refer to armed conflict they became public domain. Other in Afghanistan, whereas the original Iron licensed works that have been Man stories had referred to the incorporated into the Marvel Universe War. include Godzilla, 2001: A Space Odyssey (in the character of Machine Marvel Comics itself exists as a Man), ROM: Spaceknight, the company within the Marvel Universe, Micronauts, and the Shogun Warriors. In and versions of people such as most cases, such material is either and have appeared in some restricted from use after the license of the stories, whereas characters like expires or the characters redesigned or Steve Rogers, (Captain America's alter renamed to avoid infringement. ego), have worked for Marvel. The Marvel of this reality publishes comics Within the fictional history of the that adapt the actual adventures of the Marvel Universe, the tradition of using superheroes (except for details not costumed secret identities to fight or known to the public, like their secret commit evil had long existed, but it identities); many of these are licensed came into prominence during the days of with the permission of the heroes the American "Wild West" with heroes themselves, who customarily donate such as the . During the their share of profits to charity. 20th century the tradition was Additionally, the DC Comics Universe is reinvigorated by Captain America and also said to exist in the Marvel Universe his fellow Invaders in the 1940s, who as one of the many alternative universes. fought for the Allies of World War II. The reverse may also be said with [citation needed] respect to the DC Universe. This is one method of explaining the various Most of Marvel's major heroes are those crossover stories co-published by the created during the Silver Age of Comic two companies. Books, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, , Daredevil, Thor, the Pop culture characters such as Hulk, Ant-Man and the , Black and Frankenstein actually exist in the Widow, , Quicksilver and Marvel Universe. This is usually , the Vision, justified as a second hand account of and , , the Avengers, events as told to credited authors Bram the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Stoker and Mary Shelley although the Inhumans, S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury, general public continues to believe them Black Panther, Captain Marvel, , as fictional. Robert E. Howard's Conan and the Silver Surfer. Marvel's other the Barbarian, Red Sonja, Kull the notable heroes from the Bronze and Conqueror, and Solomon Kane also have Modern Ages include Wolverine, Storm, real life existences in the Marvel , , Luke Cage, Iron Universe. The Hyborian Era of Conan Fist, Misty Knight, Colleen Wing, Ghost and Kull is considered part of Earth-616 Rider, Blade, Drax the Destroyer, Star- pre-recorded history. However, they Lord, , the Punisher, Moon

102 Knight, the , Adam , Jones, Luke Cage, and . The Nova, , , Scott Guardians of the Galaxy include Lang, Black Cat, Silver Sable, Kitty Marvel's cosmic characters such as Star- Pryde, , She-Hulk, Elektra, Lord, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Cloak and Dagger, Rogue, the New Groot, and Rocket Raccoon, but the Mutants, , and the . team has also introduced other heroes Some of Marvel's more recent creations into the roster such as Iron Man and such as Deadpool, , Cable, . , , the , Jessica Jones, the The Inhumans are a species of , X-23, , the genetically-engineered beings which Winter Soldier, Maria Hill, the modern include the Royal Family (consisting of Guardians of the Galaxy and Defenders, , , , , and Ms. Marvel have become popular , Crystal, Auran, and ) characters in their own right. Unlike the and the NuHumans (Inhumans who have DC Universe, few of Marvel's 1940s recently gone through the process of characters have become major characters Terregenesis). Teams of supervillains in modern publications; Captain exist as well though these are far and America is one exception, and to a lesser few in between, but notable villain teams extent his contemporary, the include the , the Sub-Mariner, primarily because both of , the Sinister these characters were reintroduced to Six, the , the readers and to the Marvel Universe Wave, and the . during the 1960s. Origin of superhuman powers Prominent groups of superheroes include Most of the superhumans in Marvel's the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Earth owe their powers to the celestials, Four, the Defenders, the Guardians of cosmic entities who visited Earth the Galaxy, and the Inhumans. All these millions of years ago and experimented groups have varying lineups; the on our prehistoric ancestors (a process Avengers in particular, have included they also carried out on several other many of Marvel's major heroes as planets). This resulted in the creation of members at one time or another. The X- two hidden races, the godlike Eternals Men are a team of mutants led by and the genetically unstable Deviants, in and include some of addition to giving some humans an "x- Marvel's most popular characters, such factor" in their genes, which sometimes as Wolverine. The Fantastic Four are activates naturally, resulting in "Marvel's First Family" of superheroes sometimes superpowered, sometimes consisting of Mister Fantastic, the disfigured individuals called mutants. , the , and Others require other factors (such as the Thing. The Defenders were an ad- radiation) for their powers to come forth. hoc team usually brought together by Depending on the genetic profile, Doctor Strange, which has included the individuals who are exposed to different Hulk, Namor the Sub-Mariner, and the chemicals or radiation will often suffer Silver Surfer. The most recent death or injury, while in others it will incarnation of the team though consists cause superhuman abilities to manifest. of street-level heroes Daredevil, Jessica

103 With the exception of psionic abilities, Conqueror, who is known to have these powers are usually random; rarely influenced the robotics industry in the do two people have exactly the same set past. of powers. It is not clear why the Celestials did this, although it is known In superhumans the energy required for that they continue to observe humanity's their superpowers either comes from evolution. A Marvel series titled Earth X within using their own body as a source, explored one possible reason for this: or if the demand of energy exceeds what that superhumans are meant to protect a their body is capable to deliver, comes Celestial embryo that grows inside the from another source. In most cases, this Earth against any planetary threats and other source seems to be what is called have done so for eons. An X-Men villain the universal psionic field (UPF), which known as Vargas claims to be a new they are able to tap into. Sometimes they direction in human evolution, as he is are connected to another source, and born with superpowers even though his more rarely they are even a host for it. genetic profile said he was an ordinary Marvel tries to explain most human being. The majority of the public superpowers and their sources is unaware of what may cause "scientifically", usually through the use superhuman powers. of fictional science-like concepts, such as: Other possible origins for superhuman powers include magic, genetic The battery effect; the cells in the body manipulation and/or bionic implants. have the same function as batteries, Some heroes and villains have no being charged with energy that comes powers at all but depend instead on from an outer source. This is most often hand-to-hand combat training or seen in gamma exposed individuals such advanced technological equipment. In as the Hulk, who get their powers from the Marvel Universe, technology is this stored energy. The powers will considerably more advanced than in the remain as long as the energy is present, real world; this is due to unique and can even be increased by filling the individuals of genius intelligence, such "batteries" even more. If the energy is as (Mister Fantastic) of emptied, the powers will fade away. the Fantastic Four. The Power Primordial is a leftover force However, most of the really advanced from Big Bang and is controlled by the devices (such as powered armor and Elders of the Universe. death rays) are too expensive for the The is a force of common citizen, and are usually in the incredible power. It channels energy hands of government organizations like from life itself and has been shown to S.H.I.E.L.D., or powerful criminal favor mutant telepaths like . organizations like A.I.M. One major company producing these devices is Psionic energy, which is assumed to be , owned by Tony Stark an invisible, unknown form of energy (Iron Man), but there are others. generated by all living brains that has the Advanced technology has also been ability to manipulate other forms of given to humans by hidden races, aliens, matter and energy. or time travelers like Kang the

104 Universal psionic field is a force present various forms, and (most notably) to everywhere in the universe, but only absorb the "life energy" from living those with abilities to connect to it can beings (not all users can use all these make use of its energy. effects). The can also be used to travel to and from its home Enigma Force is suspected to be dimension, but this is dangerous to all connected to the Microverse, and is also except those with Darkforce powers. the source to the Uni-Power, which transforms an individual into Captain Some believe that the Darkforce is Universe. sentient and sometimes has an evil influence on those who use it. Various Extradimensional space: dimensions that heroes and villains have versions of can be tapped in order to pull mass from Darkforce powers, including Darkstar, them (to add to objects on Earth) or the first , the , Cloak, taken away from those objects and be Doorman and Quagmire (of the stored in those "pocket dimensions" to Squadron Supreme Universe). Cloak be retrieved later. This is how characters seems to be the prime 'portal' to the like the Hulk can grow and shrink with Darkforce, however. no visible absorption of mass. A type of subatomic particles called Pym Particles The Living Light is the opposite of the can be used for these effects. (Note that Darkforce: a form of energy that many giant-sized characters have a resembles light and also comes from its limited ability to manipulate gravity to own dimension, but has healing effects handle their increased weight.) on living beings (except ones made of darkness or Darkforce.) It is unknown if The change in mass can be in the form it might be sentient. Cloak's partner, of a density change instead, allowing a Dagger seems to be the Living Light's character to become harder or main Avatar. incorporeal. Some characters can seem to "transform" themselves (or others) The Power Cosmic is a force that can into unliving substances, or even pure alter reality, allowing the user to do energy, by storing their bodies in whatever he or she wants (including extradimensional space and replacing bending the laws of physics), only being them with bodies made from matter or limited by how much cosmic energy the energy from that dimension, while their character can tap at a time. It seems to be souls remain on Earth, controlling their part of the universe itself, and is most new body. Travel into other dimensions prominently used by and his can also be used as a way to "teleport" heralds. by re-entering the Earth dimension at a different point from the exiting one. Magic also appears to be like a form of energy, except that it can defy the laws The Darkforce is an unknown, dark of physics naturally, and usually substance from another dimension overrules ordinary science. However, it (known simply as the Darkforce does have rules of its own to follow, Dimension) that can be summoned and which vary with the method of manipulated in many ways: to create invocation, usually in the form of spoken impenetrable darkness, to solidify it in spells. It appears to be present in

105 everything, even living beings. All humans. The latter often use the robots humans in the Marvel Universe have the known as Sentinels as weapons. Certain ability to use magic, but only if properly species are regarded as subhuman, like trained. Most people are unaware that the who lurk beneath New magic actually works. York City and have been discriminated against by the outside world because of In addition, powerful magical beings their mutant deformities. The Morlocks from other dimensions have created have recently joined the terrorist specific, extremely powerful magical organization Gene Nation. spells that they allow to be used (often indiscriminately) by those sorcerers who In addition to mutants, Eternals and invoke their names; one example is the Deviants, several other intelligent races of beings called The Vishanti, have existed secretly on Earth. These who serve as patrons to heroic sorcerers. include: The Inhumans, another At any given time, there is a sorcerer on genetically unstable race (like the Earth whose task is to protect the Deviants, but in their case it is due to universe against extra-dimensional their use of a substance called the mystical invaders; this sorcerer is known "Terrigen Mists") that was created by a as the Sorcerer Supreme, an office left experiment long ago; The empty since the death of Brother Subterraneans, a race of humanoids Voodoo, but most recently has been adapted to living below the surface, reinstated to Doctor Strange. Stars in the created by the Deviants (some Marvel Universe are actually sentient subterraneans were transformed into beings, and the source of all mystic 'Lava Men' by a demon); and Homo energy. mermanus, a humanoid race of water- breathers that lives in Earth's oceans. Pym particles are what make Ant-Man shrink. Most of these races have advanced technology but existed hidden from Nonhuman humanity until recent times. More A degree of paranoid fear against variants of humanity can be found in the mutants exists due to stories of mutants (see places, below.) Most being a race or even a species (Homo of the Savage Land races have their superior or Homo sapiens superior) that origin from a group of primitive ape men is evolving and is meant to replace who seems to have escaped the Celestial normal humans. This has caused experiments whose influence is present organizations to form to deal with the in all modern Homo sapiens. Other problem, who can be divided into three leftovers from the era where primitive camps: those who seek peaceful humanoids walked the earth still exist, coexistence between mutants and normal such as the altered Neanderthal known humans (the X-Men and their affiliated as Missing Link, an old enemy of the groups), those who seek to control or Hulk. eliminate humans to give mutants safety or dominance ( and his Alien races followers, as well as other mutants such The Marvel Universe also contains as Apocalypse), and those who seek to hundreds of intelligent alien races. Earth regulate or eliminate mutants in favor of has interacted with many of them

106 because a major "hyperspace warp" acting alone or as a group. A power happens to exist in the Solar System. called Power Primordial is channeled through them. The three major space empires are: the Kree, who rule the Kree Galaxy (the Many other races exist, and have formed Greater Magellanic Cloud) an "Intergalactic Council" to have their the , who rule the Galaxy say on matters that affect them all, such (the Andromeda Galaxy) as interference from Earth humans in the Shi'ar, who rule the Shi'ar Galaxy their affairs. (no known real-world counterpart, but might possibly be the Triangulum Supernatural creatures Galaxy) Also abundant in the Marvel Universe The three are often in direct or indirect are legendary creatures such as gods, conflict, which occasionally involve demons and vampires. The 'gods' of Earth people; in particular, the Kree and most polytheistic pantheons are actually Skrulls are ancient enemies, and the powerful, immortal human-like races Kree-Skrull War has involved humans residing in other dimensions who visited on several occasions. Earth in ancient times, and became the basis of many legends. However, all of The Skrulls have also been known to be these 'gods' share a common ancestry in a long and consistent war against the and connection to Earth due to Gaea, the Majesdanians, who live in a milky planet primeval Elder Goddess that infused her named Majesdane. The war between the life essence into all living things on two had started after two Majesdanians, Earth. Gaea is known by various names Frank and Leslie Dean of The Pride had and appearances in other cultures and been kicked out for criminal activities; among the various pantheons, but she's the two travelled to Earth, where Frank the same being. As a result, she's a and Leslie stopped the war against Earth member of every polytheistic pantheon in exchange for giving the Skrulls the of 'gods' worshipped by humans. Besides location of Majesdane, which was mythological gods, many deities made hidden behind the corona of a white up by Marvel writers exist as well, such dwarf. The war had gone on for sixteen as the Dark Gods, enemies of the years minimum; it ended abruptly after Asgardians. The Dark Gods are a race of the Skrulls shot a barrage of missiles at 'gods' that have been worshipped by Majesdane, who retaliated. extraterrestrial races. Well known alien races like the Shi'ar and Skrulls also Another prominent alien race is The have beings they worship as 'gods', Watchers, immortal and wise beings though little has been revealed about who watch over the Marvel Universe them. and have taken a sacred vow not to intervene in events, though the Many persons and beings have falsely assigned to Earth, , has violated this pretended to be gods or demons during oath on several occasions. history; in particular, none of the ones claiming to be major figures from Judeo- The Elders of the Universe are ancient Christian beliefs has turned out to be the aliens who have often had great impact real article, although a number of angels on many worlds, for billions of years, have appeared in recent years, as well as

107 an apparent true rebellion and expulsion in the Marvel Universe that are still of angels from a higher realm known as actively worshipped in the real world Paradise, proving that some form of including those worshipped by the Heaven and Hell do exist in this Aboriginal inhabitants of Australia, the Universe, seemingly like those in gods of Hinduism, the Shinto gods and keeping with common real world the gods of Zoroastrianism. These deities religious belief. Similarly, demons are are rarely depicted, however. evil magical beings who take affairs in the matters of the universe. Marvel's depiction of vampires has been heavily influenced by various Some of the most powerful are interpretations of popular media, such as , , Nightmare, Bram Stoker's Dracula. As with many Satannish, and Zom. There are also other supernatural creatures, Marvel powerful benevolent mystical entities entwined the origin of vampires with such as The Vishanti; or amoral and aspects of the mythologies created by malevolent entities who are not truly Lovecraft and Howard. They were demonic in nature, such as originally created by magical rites and The Octessence, or ones heavily performed by priests of Atlantis prior to drawing upon the mythologies of H.P. the Great Cataclysm that destroyed Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard. Some much of the world with Varnae supernatural beings, entities and human becoming the first . Marvel characters created by Lovecraft & would depict vampires as frequent Howard, who were friends and antagonists during the Hyborian Age to influenced each other's work, have been Howard characters such as Kull and adapted by Marvel and include Abdul Conan. Alhazred, Conan the Barbarian, Nyarlathotepand Set. Some deities or In recent years, Marvel's depiction of demonic beings that are original vampires has altered greatly by creating characters of Marvel have been heavily various subspecies of vampires that exist influenced by these mythologies, such as in clans that greatly differ in appearance Shuma-Gorath. and belief. All vampires are depicted with varying degrees of superhuman Most of the current generation of gods strength, speed, stamina, agility, reflexes have been revealed to be the descendants and accelerated healing. Many are of the Elder Goddess Gaea. The two capable of transforming into animals most featured pantheons are the such as bats or wolves, some can Asgardians (of whom Thor is a member) transform into a like substance; and the Olympians (of whom Hercules is some of the most powerful are capable a member). The lords of the various of controlling the weather to a somewhat pantheons sometimes gather in groups limited degree. known as the Council of Godheads and Council of Skyfathers. The gods were All vampires must ingest blood in order forced to stop meddling with humanity to maintain their survival and physical (at least openly) a thousand years ago by vitality. So long as they do so regularly, the Celestials, and most people today they cease to age and are immune to believe them to be fictional. There are diseases. They retain the well known other pantheons that have been depicted vulnerabilities common to vampires in

108 other media interpretations including Most conceptual entities are simply sunlight, garlic, religious icons and interested in furthering their own weapons made of silver. Vampires can essential function, or to keep the balance be killed by a wooden stake driven with an opposing force. However, through the heart, though they return to certain cosmic entities, such as Galactus, life if the stake is removed. Vampires are In-Betweener, , or The highly allergic to silver and can be killed Stranger have demonstrated personality, with it. While they normally heal motivations, or (except for the first rapidly, injuries inflicted by silver mention) even ambitions beyond their weapons heal at a much slower rate if functions, but often maintain the the injuries aren't fatal. Vampires can perspective that morality is entirely also be killed by decapitation or being relative, or that destroying civilisations set on fire, with burning them to ashes of "lesser" beings is no more evil than if and then scattering the ashes being the these beings destroyed an anthill. Others most effective means of ensuring their such as Uatu the Watcher, Eon, or the demise. Celestials Ashema and Tiamut are aberrations in the sense of sympathising Cosmic entities with and occasionally coming to the The cosmic entities are beings of defense of humanity. unbelievably great levels of power (the weakest of whom can destroy planets) The "Fulcrum" is a comparatively recent who exist to perform duties that maintain addition to the hierarchy, that "all" the existence of the universe. Most do cosmic entities allegedly serve, of a level not care at all about "lesser beings" such of raw power stated to far surpass the as humans, and as a consequence their might of the Watchers and the Celestials. acts are recurrently dangerous to Unlike most other entities it is capable of mortals. When dire threats threaten the conscience, compassion, and even a universe it is not uncommon for these sense of humour, and has stated that it beings to gather together to discuss the wants other cosmic beings to develop threat, and even act. such as well. He is a possible manifestation/avatar of The One Above Above all pantheons of gods, mystical All. beings, and cosmic/conceptual entities there exists one, supreme "God", a The Phoenix Force first received mysterious but apparently benign entity personification in Jean Grey. The Force sometimes referred to as the One- is composed of the psionic energy from Above-All. This being is indicated to be all living beings, past, present and the Creator of all existence and all future, and is an embodiment of rebirth realities of the Marvel Universe and and destructive transformation through possibly beyond. "burning away what doesn't work", and helped to restart the universe before the The is the cosmic judge, Big Bang.[volume & issue needed] overseer, and mediator. It safeguards the multiverse from dire threats, but is also Cosmology willing to destroy entire universes on The Marvel Universe is part of a behalf of more favored creations. multiverse, with various universes coexisting simultaneously usually

109 without affecting each other directly. Earth-200111 - [volume & issue needed] According to the reality of The Punisher , Born Reed Richards, the ultimate fate of the (and its sequel Punisher: The Platoon), Multiverse is to perish in an all- Wolverine MAX, Foolkiller MAX, Fury, encompassing heat death. and Fury: My War Gone By. A world without traditional superheroes and a Universes/Earths/continuities gritty, realistic, violent universe. The action of most Marvel Comics titles takes place in a continuity known as Earth-30847 - Earth-616. This continuity exists in a The reality of the Marvel vs. Capcom multiverse alongside trillions of games. alternative continuities. Alternative continuities in the Marvel multiverse are House of M- generally defined in terms of their a reality dominated by mutants differences from Earth-616. Larval Universe- Continuities besides Earth-616 the home reality of Peter Porker (aka Spider-Ham) a reality where animal- include the following; themed versions of Marvel superheroes Age of Apocalypse- exist. an alternate reality ruled by the mutant god Apocalypse - a reality home to noir versions of Alterniverse- superheroes. the reality for some What If stories Marvel 2099- Amalgam Universe- a reality showing a possible future for a reality combining the Marvel and DC the Marvel Universe in the year 2099. Universes Marvel 1602- Days of Future Past- A reality where Marvel superheroes another dystopian reality where emerged in the early 1600s. This reality Sentinels rule North America and became Earth-311. enslave mutants. - Earth X- an all ages imprint an alternate future for the Marvel Universe depicting an Earth mutated by - the Terrigen mist. The reality was A reality home to versions of followed by two other series Universe X Marvel characters. and Paradise X. Designated Earth-9997. Marvel Apes- Earth-92131- A reality where apes are the dominant The universe of X-Men: The Animated species and the superheroes are apes Series, Spider-Man: The Animated themselves. Series, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, and The Incredible Hulk.

110 Marvel Cinematic - themselves. The home reality of the a shared cinematic universe by Marvel titular Old Man Logan (an alternate Studios consisting of the Universe version of Wolverine and designated as Avengers, the Defenders, the Guardians Earth-807128). of the Galaxy, the Inhumans (both the Royal Family and NuHumans), Phil - Coulson and the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., a reality where "everything that can go the New Warriors, the Runaways, wrong will go wrong" where the Spider-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp, experiments and other incidents that Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Captain granted the superheroes their powers Marvel, Punisher, Elektra, Ego the instead resulted in horrific consequences Living Planet, , Cloak and and deaths. Dagger and many other characters. It is designated as Earth-199999. - a horror imprint separate from the Earth-12041 mainstream Marvel continuity. an animated version of the Marvel Universe on Disney XD. The shows part Earth-712- of this universe include Ultimate Spider- the home of the Squadron Supreme a Man, Avengers Assemble, Guardians of super-team from another universe and the Galaxy, and Hulk and the Agents of pastiches of DC Comics Justice League. S.M.A.S.H.. - Marvel Zombies- a modern-day reimagining of Spider- reality where all the Marvel superheroes Man, the , the X-Men, the were turned into zombies Fantastic Four, S.H.I.E.L.D. as well as other Marvel heroes and villains in a MC2- new setting. The home reality of Miles the alternate future for the world of the Morales, the Maker (aka Reed Marvel Universe and its heroes and Richards), and Jimmy Hudson. Ultimate villains. The designation of this Earth is Marvel is also known by its designation Earth-982. Earth-1610.

New Universe- Earth-65- An alternate reality where a major a reality where was bitten catastrophe known as "" by the radioactive instead of Peter caused numerous people to develop Parker (who became the in this superpowers in a world where there are universe and died) where Gwen became no hidden races, gods, magic, and super a superhero it also includes variations of technology. The home reality of Star other Marvel characters such as a gender Brand. bent version of Sam Wilson (known as Samantha Wilson and became Captain Old Man Logan- America instead of Steve Rogers). a dystopian alternate future where the super villains killed all the superheroes - and took over the United States (and the home of the super-team known as presumably the world) dividing it among Ultraforce and superhumans known as

111 Ultras. and others are not. These include realities like the Microverse, the X-Men Adventures - Darkforce Dimension, Limbo, the Originally based on the X-Men animated Mojoverse, and many more. The Astral series, this universe went on to feature Plane is a dimensional plane which is the more original stories, and in its final source of telekinesis and various other issue, revealed itself to be the universe psychic powers. It is a dimension created which existed prior to the current 616 by the Elder Goddess Oshtur that is reality, when it was destroyed by the sometimes referred to as the "Temple of fracturing of the M'Kraan crystal. The Oshtur" or the "Realm of the Mind". current edition of the Official Handbook Despite various contradictions, the term, f the Marvel Universe corroborates this. dimension is sometimes interchangeable with universe or reality. Every reality of In addition, multiple continuities are the Marvel Universe has numerous visited in the comic book series What If, interconnected dimensions, with each What The--?! (formerly Not Brand dimension differing from those of other Echh) and . The concept of a realities; for example, the Ultimate continuity is not the same as Asgard has clearly been shown to be "dimension" or "universe"; for example, distinct from the Asgard known to Earth- characters like Mephisto and 616 characters. Such dimensions, such Dormammu hail from alternative as Asgard or the Dark Dimension are dimensions and Galactus from another technically not "pocket dimensions" as universe, but they all nevertheless they clearly reside completely outside belong to the Earth-616 continuity the boundaries of the Marvel Universe, (where all the dimensions and universes instead of within, as the former does. seems to be connected to the same main timeline). A continuity should also not Dimensions within the Magic Lands be confused with an imprint; for Crystallium example, while the titles of some Demon Realm imprints, such as Ultimate Marvel, take K'un L'un place in a different continuity, some or The Land Within all publications in other imprints, such as S'ahra Shan , Marvel MAX, and Marvel UK, take place within the Earth-616 Dimensions within the Lands of Logic continuity. Crimson Cosmos Dimension Zero Dimensions Within and sometimes between Realm of Beasts continuities, there exist a variety of Realm of Madness dimensions, sometimes called pocket Realm of Nothingness dimensions which typically are not Realm of Shadow Queen depicted as separate continuities, but Realm of Undying Ones rather part of one, typically Earth-616. There are a score of such dimensions, Dimensions within the Afterworlds ranging from the Earthlike to the totally Alchera alien. Some are magical in nature and Amu others are scientific; some are inhabited Ankh

112 Asgard their universes were recently "born" Celestial Axis from another. However, individuals and Celestial Hawaiki organizations exist that try to monitor or Dark Dimension manipulate the various realities. These Death include Immortus, the Dilum Corps, the Time Variance Authority, the Elysium Timebreakers/Exiles, and Kang the Ergenekon Conqueror's forces. It has been shown to Giizhigong be possible to travel through time Hanan Pancha without creating a new alternative Heliopolis universe, instead altering events in the Hell future, but this seems to have Kaluwalhatica devastating and very far-reaching Light repercussions, as depicted in Marvel Mount Olympus 1602 (it almost destroyed the whole Nirvana multiverse, including the afterlife). Otherwhere Orun Also, time itself passes much differently Quidlivun within the confines of the Marvel Shadow Realm Universe than it does in the real world. Svarga Despite various characters having Tabo appeared within company publications Taivas for decades, few if any have aged to any Tir Na Nog appreciable degree. For example, the Topan patriotic hero Captain America was Tunnelworld created in 1941 but stopped appearing in Upper World titles soon after the end of World War II. Wierdworld The character was revived more than twenty years later, explained as having Time been frozen in a block of ice though One cannot normally alter the Marvel believed to be dead, to lead Marvel's Universe's history; if a time-traveller latest team of superheroes the Avengers. should cause an alteration to the This first Avengers team featured established flow of events at some point several characters that would go on to be in the past, a divergent universe will some of the company's most famous and simply "branch out" from the existing most popular. Although the characters timeline, and the time-traveller will still would be portrayed in hundreds and return to his or her unaltered original even thousands of adventures over the universe. Those realities can also spawn decades, they have been portrayed as realities of their own. There exists having aged little or none at all. hundreds, probably thousands of such realities. It is unknown why this Naturally this tendency is purely due to happens, though a warp known as the story conveniences (or a somewhat Nexus of All Realities exists in a swamp haphazardly shifting patchwork pattern in the Florida of Earth-616. For the most of authors), and mainly that the fictional part this does not matter, as most beings "continuity" has been maintained and are unaware that this occurs, or even that expanded far beyond what Stan Lee and

113 others originally planned or hoped for. all intents and purposes the Local Group Hence, the passing of time was more is the universe; practically all action discernible in the very early years, such takes place in it. The Skrull Empire is as the graduation of Spider-Man; and located in the Andromeda galaxy, the what started as children or teenaged Kree Empire in the Magellan clouds characters, such as Kitty Pryde, Franklin which are satellites of the Milky Way Richards, Valeria Richards, , galaxy in which Earth of course is found, or the are all allowed to while the Shi´ar Empire is located age at wildly shifting rates (in the second somewhere between them in one of the case even backwards at times), whereas smaller galaxies (perhaps Triangulum); surrounding characters somewhat frequently, these three empires are dependent on a certain age limit do not quoted as the main political powers "in change at all. This recurrently creates the universe". Similarly, the Local inherently contradictory effects, as Group seemed to be the only affected events are routinely described to have area when the Annihilation Wave cut its happened several years ago, even in bloody swath "across the universe". cases when this would mean that some of the involved characters would have been toddlers. Appendix 3: Gateways Different approaches also exist regarding Presented here are tables for rolling up allowing "second-generation" your own random gateways, also known descendants of heroes or villains, fully as rifts and rips in space and time. grown over 18 years after an event (for example Hulkling, other members of the Step One: Size Young Avengers, Runaways, and Secret How big is the gate? Warriors), whereas other books, such as 01-02 D100 centimetres Young Allies use the inherent 03-06 D4 -2 metres contradiction to debunk similar claims. 07-93 D4 metres If a past storyline wherein a direct 94-97 D10 metres depictions of a then-current president or 98-99 D20 metres similar is referred to in a later era, it 00 D100 metres tends to become updated accordingly, sometimes with an "in-joke" Step Two: Duration acknowledgement. A more recent How long will the gate stay open? explanation was given by Galactus to the 01-02 Seconds Ultimates, namely that some important 03-06 Minutes events - for instance, the creation of the 07-56 Hours Fantastic Four or the Avengers - have a 57-82 Days 'gravity' all their own and warp time 83-93 Weeks around them, causing the timeline to 94-97 Months subtly change to accommodate this. 98-99 Years 00 Permanent Space While the Marvel Universe is By what increment? presumably as large as the non-fictional 01-50 xD4 universe comic book readers inhabit, for 51-75 xD6

114 76-89 xD10 51-90 Dreamscape 90-99 xD20 91-00 Screamscape 00 xD100 61-68 Eighth Space 01-25 Celestialscape Step Three: Destination 26-50 Hydroscape Where does the gate lead? 51-75 Pyroscape 01-02 Nowhere, you step right back to 76-00 Terrascape where you started. 69-76 Ninth Space 03-12 Somewhere only D100 01-20 Entroscape kilometres away. 21-40 Florascape 13-22 A little further D100 x10 41-60 Illumniscape kilometres away. 61-80 Shadowscape 23-32 A different continent on the same 81-00 Tranquilverse planet. 77-84 Tenth Space, also known as 33-42 A different planet but within the Phase Space same star system. 85-92 Eleventh Space, also known as 43-52 A different planet but somewhere the Microscape within the same galaxy. 93-00 One of the uncharted planes, 53-62 A different planet but within the from Twelfth Space up same universe. 63-83 A primary plane within the same Table 2: Alternate Planes universe, roll on table one below. Further information on these dimensions 84-93 Alternate universe, roll on table can be found here. two below. 01 Anti-Matterverse 94-97 A portal through time. See the 02 Cthulhuverse Chronoverse section for tables and 03 Heroverse further information. 04 Heroverse 2 98-99 Alternate universe within the 05 Heroverse 3 greater Megaverse. 06 Heroverse 4 00 Alternate universe within the 07 Heroverse 5 greater Omniverse. 08 Heroverse 6 09 Heroverse 7 Table 1: Primary Planes 10 Heroverse 8 Further information on these dimensions 11 Heroverse 9 can be found here. 12 Heroverse 10 01-08 First Space, an uncharted one 13 Heroverse 11 dimensional space 14 Heroverse 12 09-16 Second Space, an uncharted one 15 Heroverse 13 dimensional geometric space 16 Heroverse 14 17-36 Fourth Space, also known as the 17 Heroverse 15 Chronoverse 18 Heroverse 16 37-44 Fifth Space, also known as 19 Heroverse 17 Hyperspace 20 Heroverse 18 45-52 Sixth Space, also known as 21 Heroverse 19 Subspace 22 Heroverse 20 53-60 Seventh Space 23 Heroverse 21 01-50 Astral Plane 24 Heroverse 22

115 25 Heroverse 23 71 Heroverse M18 26 Heroverse 24 72 Heroverse SF1 27 Heroverse 25 73 Heroverse SF2 28 Heroverse 26 74 Heroverse SF3 29 Heroverse 27 75 Heroverse SF4 30 Heroverse 28 76 Heroverse SF5 31 Heroverse 29 77 Heroverse SF6 32 Heroverse 30 78 Heroverse SF7 33 Heroverse D1 79 Heroverse SF8 34 Heroverse D2 80 Heroverse SF9 35 Heroverse D3 81 Heroverse SF10 36 Heroverse D4 82 Heroverse SF11 37 Heroverse D5 83 Heroverse SF12 38 Heroverse D6 84 Heroverse SF13 39 Heroverse D7 85 Heroverse SF14 40 Heroverse D8 86 Heroverse SF15 41 Heroverse D9 87 Heroverse SF16 42 Heroverse D10 88 Heroverse SF17 43 Heroverse D11 89 Heroverse SF18 44 Heroverse D12 90 Mangaverse 45 Heroverse D13 91 Mangaverse 1 46 Heroverse D14 92 Mangaverse 2 47 Heroverse D15 93 Mangaverse 3 48 Heroverse D16 94 Mangaverse 4 49 Heroverse D17 95 Mangaverse 5 50 Heroverse D18 96 Mangaverse 6 51 Heroverse D19 97 Mangaverse 7 52 Heroverse D20 98 Mangaverse 8 53 Heroverse M1 99 Neververse 54 Heroverse MX 00 Add your own 55 Heroverse M2 56 Heroverse M3 57 Heroverse M4 58 Heroverse M5 59 Heroverse M6 60 Heroverse M7 61 Heroverse M8 62 Heroverse M9 63 Heroverse M10 64 Heroverse M11 65 Heroverse M12 66 Heroverse M13 67 Heroverse M14 68 Heroverse M15 69 Heroverse M16 70 Heroverse M17

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