The Fold

Chapter 1 First appears in:

Haroona

It takes some time before the normally cocky and irreverent Haroona can be nearly comfortable in the Fold; just being there is quietly overwhelming. As time goes on, she learns to embrace the feeling, and finds her connection to the plane grows.

Echoes

As the Fold is repository for the complete history of humanity, every single event is 'remembered' by the Fold in the form of voices and ghostly projections called Echoes.

Diving

Divers devote years of practice to the art of Diving, the most orthodox way of entering the Fold.&nbsp;

Scribing

Like hopeful messages in glass bottles floating in the sea, Scribings are jotted notes of knowledge waiting to be found within the Fold.

The Deep Fold

It is generally agreed upon that the Fold is divided into&nbsp;multiple, distinct layers. The Deep Fold is the most profound layer that most Quaestors can only dream of accessing.

Umbric Abilities

When Quaestors use Umbric Abilities, they are channeling the very essence of the Fold to do so. Some would say this makes the Quaestor a living conduit of the Fold, and forms a sacred relationship between the two.

Countless cultures have myths and legends involving an otherworld. For some, it is the “dream world,” and many older civilizations dub it a “spirit realm.” Beyond mere mythology, there is in fact a shadowy dimension that overlaps the material world, just beyond our perception. Quaestors have long known it as the Fold.It is the place consciousness resides, the origin of all human thought. A multi-tiered dimension suffused with an energy known as Am, full of wonder, wisdom, and danger. To gain access, a Quaestor must leave their physical body behind and rely on their consciousness as a vehicle. Those with sufficient skill and experience can access no less than the sum of all human knowledge; those lacking will surely meet their end.

In 1888, Vincent Lichter was the youngest to witness the birth of the Leap Year Society (LYS). His family - deeply entrenched in an esoteric secret order - embraced the LYS ethos, and Vincent soon became a devoted member. His fascination with the Fold intensified, leading him to specialize in Diving—a discipline that would alter the course of his life.&nbsp;Within the LYS, Vincent’s talents and ambition propelled him forward. To the elder Quaestors, he symbolized hope—a harbinger of the society’s potential impact upon the world. His decision to join a Diving research project in 1890s Alaska was hailed as a providential blessing, all but guaranteeing the project’s success.&nbsp;In the rugged Alaskan wilderness, Vincent collaborated with brilliant and dedicated Quaestors. After relentless effort, he achieved his first Dive into the mind-bending Deep Fold. Each subsequent Dive left him transformed; his determination turned into obsession. Marshalling support, he expanded the project into a Diver training school—the Ascendants. Yet, in this pursuit, Vincent’s noble qualities, once in the service of the LYS’s altruistic goals, twisted into something more troubling and radical.&nbsp;As the Ascendant rhetoric grew provocative and their Fold explorations reckless, the Leap Year Society had no choice but to shutter the Ascendants initiative. Undeterred, Vincent declared war. The Ascendants, he asserted, were the true heirs of the LYS. Members could either pledge allegiance to him or face Ascendant wrath. Nothing would stop them from harnessing the ominous power they discovered in the Fold for humanity’s future—a future where Vincent wielded significant power.

Vincent Lichter

In 1888, the newly established LYS introduced the concept of the Fold to young Vincent. Immediately drawn to the shadowy dimension's myriad mysteries and untold knowledge waiting within, he developed an intuitive understanding of the realm which later facilitated his personal (and tragic) mission into the Deep Fold in 1899.

Am is the metaphysical energy related to feats of consciousness and the Fold itself. Many historical cultures have attempted to understand it, developing similar concepts such as chi, prana, or mana. It is believed the source of Am is knowledge, which is to say that the more one understands the true nature of the universe, the greater one’s reserves of Am are, but this mysterious element has yet to be truly solved.More succinctly, Am is a subtle energy needed to fuel our consciousness. Every aspect of our consciousness, including our memory, personality, thoughts, intentions, dreams, emotions, all involve Am in some imperceptible way. A depletion of Am threatens the very existence of one’s consciousness, thus their presence within he physical or Fold realms.

If the Fold were a vast ocean, then Am would be the water. Though it should be said that Am is far more complex and less understood than water.

Mara Nilsen

Dr. Emilio Matos

Agitator

Luther Goodwin

Phantom

Reika's Amulet

Tethering Capsule

Shroud

The Cycles of Destruction

The Unknown 9

The Leap Year Society

Dasuden, Richat Structure, Northwest Africa

Reithden, Central Africa

The Morning Star

Peshanden: Demons Below

Quinta Matos: Signs of Life

The Deep Fold: First Dive

Unknown 9: Awakening

Most cultures have some kind of … a place apart. An otherworld outside of space and time. Past, present, future – it's all the same there. The possible, the impossible. It's infinite.

element

Richat Structure: Teacher and Apprentice

The Fold

First appears in:

Chapter 1