Seshin

Chapter 6 First appears in:

The Deep Fold

Seshin is &lt;sp&gt;contained in a vault created by the Unknown 9 and was banished into the Deep Fold.&lt;/sp&gt;

From deep within the Fold, the solitude of yawning space beyond human perception, a faceless mountain known by many names slumbers in the gossamer veil of Penumbra. The LYS call it ‘Seshin.’ As no official documentation of this being exists, there is little in the way of reliable details save for Vincent’s account of his tragic Deep Dive assignment, and the feverish testimonies of those claiming to see it in visions. But who or what is Seshin? &nbsp;According to multiple ancient Sahin warnings, for the stability of the world, it was imperative that Sahin be imprisoned and frozen in the abyss of time, ensuring that humanity would never be exposed to it. What could be so perilous that banishing it was the only choice? Furthermore, the warnings forbid anyone from making contact with it; to do so is to have one’s nascent mind “frayed by the ecstasy and the horror” of its presence. No meaningful description of it is mentioned. In the Fold, Seshin is neither obviously male nor female (or perhaps both simultaneously), its body ever mutable without an orderly shape or contour that satisfies normal comprehension. Above all, it is not to be disturbed from its eternal stasis or else “all that is old will be destroyed, reality contorted and reconstructed ‘til Truth is no more.”

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

Vincent’s first contact with Seshin did not evoke fear; rather, it felt more like rapture. He was certain that this being within the Deep Fold could transform him into the hero he always believed he could be. Seshin’s intentions, however, remain inscrutable.

100,000 years ago, the Sahin civilization flourished, enjoying a degree of understanding about the universe that far surpasses our own. Convinced of their eventual ruin at the hands of a cosmological force known as the Cycles of Destruction, they sought to guard against their fate and extend the rein of their great civilization forever. Nine among them were selected to be their champions, each the Keeper of one domain of wisdom, one Book of the Source. In the event of a cataclysm they would be there to ensure that mankind’s most precious treasure—our collective knowledge—would not be lost.&nbsp;

The Unknown 9

The Unknown 9 were &lt;sp&gt;responsible for imprisoning Seshin forever in the Deep Fold. In order to achieve this project, the 9 used experimental methods, siphoning precious resources from the material plane to forge Seshin's vault. But why did they do it? What did they know about Seshin such that would be&lt;/sp&gt; such a danger to the world?

Throughout the annals of human history, a recurring belief has woven its way into the fabric of our understanding—the delicate dance between creation and destruction, a cosmic waltz that binds all existence. This ancient concept reverberates across diverse belief systems, resonating even in our modern world.The Sahin, too, held this truth close. Their conviction materialized as the 'Cycles of Destruction.' In their cosmic view, humanity's collective journey—our rich cultures, enduring institutions, and especially our amassed knowledge—walked a razor’s edge. The turning of these cosmic cycles threatened to scatter our hard-won achievements like leaves in the wind. Forgotten wisdom, buried civilizations—the inexorable march of time erased them all.Yet, the precise form of impending destruction remained elusive to the Sahin. Even the Patterns of Convergence, the body of wisdom concerned with the nature of such underlying patterns, could only offer cryptic hints and fragile probabilities as to when or how the cycles turn once more.The Unknown 9 were an intervention designed to stall or perhaps halt these cosmic cycles. In the likely event that they could not, they would be there to bestow upon new civilizations lost knowledge from those prior, safeguarding our collective evolution. &nbsp;

The Cycles of Destruction

The Unknown 9’s history with Seshin &lt;sp&gt;implies a connection between the mysterious being and the Cycles of Destruction. &nbsp;Is Seshin a harbinger of the cycles? A nefarious entity using them for their own purposes? Or perhaps Seshin is the Cycles made manifest, doom incarnate. &lt;/sp&gt; Only the 9 know the truth, and they are keeping this long held knowledge secret, for now.

Media Gallery

Mara Nilsen

Bruiser

Dr. Emilio Matos

Burst Gunner

Phantom

Tethering Capsule

Shade Bracers

The Ascendants

Echoes

Shield

The Great Divide

Reithden, Central Africa

The Morning Star

Quinta Matos, Sintra, Portugal

Dasuden: Blood and Vengeance

Peshanden: Demons Below

Chamiri: Hostile Takeover

Unknown 9: Awakening

Bad medicine. A presence. Trapped in the Fold. I’ve seen what it does. Seen strong quaestors’ minds snap. Seen them die, Shades blown to stardust. &nbsp;

person

Seshin

First appears in:

Chapter 6