The Parallax

The year is 2035 AD Homeline Standard. The most profound secret of humanity is no longer just a theory—it's the gateway to our species' most incredible adventure and its most daunting challenge. We are not alone. Not in the vastness of space, perhaps, but far more critically, not within the very weave of reality itself. Countless parallel Earths, divergent timelines, and alternate histories exist alongside our own. This sprawling, vibrant, and often perilous multiverse is known to those in the know as the Parallax.

The Dawn of Discovery: A Universe of Earths

Decades ago, visionary minds on our home timeline, designated Homeline (Quantum-5), achieved the impossible: they unlocked the science of parachronics, the art and technology of traveling between these alternate realities. This paradigm-shattering breakthrough led to the covert formation of the Infinity Patrol. This multinational organization, operating in the deepest shadows of Homeline society, is dedicated to exploring these new frontiers, safeguarding Homeline from trans-temporal threats, and attempting to maintain a semblance of order across the chaotic tapestry of the quantums.

Their mission is monumental:

• To Chart the Unknown: Exploring and cataloging the endless variations of Earth.
• To Study and Understand: Learning from worlds both strangely familiar and terrifyingly alien.
• To Protect Homeline: Guarding against incursions, dangerous technologies, and hostile powers from other timelines.
• To Safeguard the Secret: Ensuring that the knowledge of parachronic travel doesn't fall into the wrong hands—or onto worlds unready for its implications.

A Multiverse of Wonders, Dangers, and Opportunities

The Parallax is anything but empty. Every quantum jump can lead to a world beyond imagination:

• Echoes of History: Witness Earths where history took a sharp left turn. Imagine the enduring might of the Roman Empire stretching into the space age on Roma Aeterna, or the chilling, ever-present threat of Reich-5, a timeline where Nazi Germany achieved global domination and now insidiously seeks to extend its dark tendrils across dimensions.
• Technological Tangents: Discover worlds powered by gleaming clockwork cities like those rumored on Cogsworth, timelines where steam power is king, realities struggling in post-apocalyptic ruins, or even those possessing technologies far beyond Homeline's grasp.
• Realms of the Impossible: Venture into parallels where magic is a tangible force, where mythical creatures are not just legends, or where the very laws of physics seem to bend and fray. Brave the crushing, bioluminescent depths and face the alien horrors of the water world Hydragaia, or explore the ramifications of a more successful Reconstruction on Lincoln-1.
• The Centrum Threat: And then there is Centrum (Quantum-3). Hailing from a parallel Earth that independently developed parachronic travel, the formidable Interworld Service of Centrum seeks to impose its own vision of ruthless order and "benevolent" assimilation across all timelines. Their methods are efficient, their operatives highly skilled, and their ultimate goal is the unification of all Earths under their singular, often oppressive, control. This frequently puts them in direct conflict with the Infinity Patrol and Homeline's more cautious, individualistic approach.

Beyond these major players, the pathways between worlds are traversed by smugglers seeking profit, explorers driven by curiosity, and would-be conquerors eyeing unsuspecting timelines. Reality quakes can shift, merge, or even erase dimensions with little warning, adding another layer of unpredictability to an already chaotic multiverse. The Infinite Worlds are a place of truly infinite possibilities, but also infinite perils.

The Wayfarer Program – Your Journey Begins Here

The sheer scale of the Parallax is staggering. The resources of the Infinity Patrol, while significant, are stretched to their limits. New timelines are discovered faster than they can be properly charted and assessed, and subtle threats can fester in the dimensional shadows, growing into existential crises.

In response to this ever-expanding frontier and the evolving nature of trans-dimensional operations, the Infinity Patrol has recently sanctioned a new, more flexible initiative: The Wayfarer Program.

This is where YOU come in.

The Wayfarer Program recruits individuals from a much broader spectrum than traditional Patrol operatives. While hardened Patrol veterans might lead some missions, the program actively seeks out scientists, explorers, historians, engineers, diplomats, survivalists, troubleshooters, and even those with... less conventional (but undeniably useful) skill sets. Wayfarer teams are often smaller, granted greater autonomy, and tasked with missions that might be considered too unorthodox, too low-priority, or perhaps too politically sensitive for standard Infinity units.

As a Wayfarer (or an affiliated freelancer operating under loose sanction), you might find yourself:

• Charting the Uncharted: Venturing into newly detected quantums, making first contact with unknown civilizations, and assessing worlds for their resources, threats, and potential for future Homeline interaction.
• Investigating Anomalies: Delving into strange signals, reality disturbances, sightings of out-of-place individuals or technology, or whispers of dangerous cross-temporal activities that fall outside the immediate scope of major Patrol operations.
• Recovering Lost Assets: Seeking out missing probes, lost survey teams, valuable technology, or even individuals who have gone astray in the infinite corridors of time.
• Crisis Response & Aid: Acting as rapid responders to localized incidents on worlds that might not warrant a full Patrol intervention but still pose a risk, offer an opportunity for humanitarian aid, or require delicate handling.
• Multiversal Slice of Life: It's not all high-stakes espionage and saving realities! The Parallax is vast enough for personal exploration, scientific research, cultural exchange, or simply trying to build a new life (or a profitable enterprise) on a parallel Earth that offers opportunities your Homeline never could. The Wayfarer Program offers a framework for these more personal journeys too, understanding that valuable insights and alliances can be found in the everyday lives of other Earths.
• Independent Operations: Perhaps you're not formally enrolled but are a resourceful independent operator who has, through ingenuity, luck, or quiet sanction, gained access to the means of parachronic travel. You might be seeking knowledge, fortune, a new home, or simply the thrill of the unknown, carving out your own niche in the multiverse.

What Awaits You in Our Infinite Worlds?

This server is your gateway to that multiverse. Here, you will:

• Explore a Myriad of Worlds: From the historically divergent Earths detailed in official Infinity Command briefings (which you'll find documented on this wiki) to entirely new, custom-designed timelines unique to our server. Each will present its own unique cultures, ecologies, dangers, and mysteries.
• Face Formidable Foes & Complex Challenges: Contend with calculating Centrum agents, outwit cunning cross-temporal criminals, survive encounters with the often-hostile denizens of alien or war-torn parallels, and navigate the intricate and sometimes treacherous local politics of the worlds you visit.
• Unravel Deep Mysteries: Investigate ancient alien artifacts left behind by forgotten civilizations, uncover plots that span multiple realities, and perhaps even delve into the fundamental nature of the Parallax itself and the enigmatic forces that shape it.
• Shape the Narrative: Your actions, big and small, will have consequences. The choices you make can alter the fate of individuals, communities, or even entire worlds. Forge alliances, create lasting enmities, and contribute to the ever-evolving living story of our shared multiverse.
• Live Another Life: Beyond the grand adventures, find moments for personal stories. Pursue research, build a reputation, make friends (and enemies) across timelines, or simply experience the day-to-day existence in a world utterly different from your own.

Creating Your Traveler: Stepping Through the Gate

In the spirit of the vast possibilities inherent in the Infinite Worlds, you can be almost anyone you can imagine. Whether you are a seasoned Infinity Patrol veteran looking for a different kind of challenge, a brilliant scientist from Homeline eager to study the unknown, a tough-as-nails survivor from a dying timeline, a charismatic rogue with a talent for navigating tricky social and political landscapes, or even a native of an alternate Earth recruited for your unique skills and perspective, the choice is yours.

Character Creation Guidelines:

• Starting Points: Players begin with 150 character points.
• Disadvantages: You may take up to -75 points in disadvantages. This allows for deeper character flaws and more interesting roleplaying challenges, potentially bringing your spendable points up to 225.
• Quirks: We encourage defining your character with up to 5 quirks. Each quirk is worth -1 point (for a total of -5 points) and counts towards your -75 point disadvantage limit. Quirks are minor personality traits that add flavor but don't significantly hinder your character.
• Perks: You can spend points on perks, which are minor advantages typically costing 1 point each. Many players find spending around 5 points on perks helps to round out their character concept.

This wiki will be your primary resource. It contains all the server rules, detailed information on known worlds (including Homeline, Centrum, and several unique parallels you'll encounter), equipment lists, guidelines for parachronic travel, and everything else you'll need to craft your character and embark on your trans-dimensional adventures.

The Parallax is open. The challenges are immense. The potential for adventure, discovery, and unique stories is truly infinite.