Glimpses

An unknown, ancient artifact which has allowed the various precursor factions of the Fortrais Galaxy Cluster to leave the world in various different ways.

The glimpses were discovered by a xadia, of the Xadia Ancients. These people have extensively studied the glimpses long before the  Starsong incident, so they have become quite familiar with the properties of the barriers keeping objects tied to this universe, and how Slipspace Bombing works. This information would allow them to predict exactly how a slipspace bomb will explode, and how to influence it. 

The Glimpses are named as such because the artifact contains a number of 'visions' that anyone who interacts with the artifact can obtain. These show off what lies outside of the universe with very little detail, as well as how to penetrate the barrier in great detail. This information has eventually spread and reached the other precursor factions, who have come to accept its existence because of its scientifically verifiable results and predictions. The glimpses show a number of other universes, almost all of which are smaller than the universe with Fortrais but are otherwise similar in appearance from the outside. They are all comprised of a material similar to that seen on the Progenitors' Void Sphere.

Following the Starsong incident, this knowledge came useful in several ways. It was easier to leave this universe and enter a new universe than to enter the space between universes. Most precursor factions elected to flee by entering other worlds, but the Xadia managed to built the colossal Eternity Gate with an incomprehensively large power source and other equipment necessary to warp into the space between universes. This project had to be rushed because of the expanding lifeform energy barrier.

Now, the Glimpses are hidden deep in a repository well inside the Eternity Gate for safekeeping. The Gate's hull was strong enough to resist direct contact with a star at very high velocity, which the Xadia thought would be necessary to allow younger species to cross the very strong barrier. This location is entirely unknown to any currently surviving faction, as is the existence of the Glimpses themselves.

The artifact itself resembles an ancient pillar, decorated and coloured white but with many blue markings with unknown meaning. If a person touches the device on the artifact that resembles a terminal, they will get the visions of how to leave the world.

If the fabric of reality is manipulated in a way that collides with that of another universe, the 2 universes will form a wormhole between each other. This is how most precursors escaped the universe with Fortrais. The Progenitors built their own micro-universe inside Fortrais using the in formation from the Glimpses.